me to reciprocate, I shall do so cheerfully. I shall leave in the morning for the south-eastern counties, and shall not return to Des Moines until Present my compliments to about the 27th inst. Mrs. Hildreth, and command my services whenever you wish any thing I can do for you. Truly your friend, THOMAS H. BENTON, JR. WEST MITCHELL, IOWA, Sept. 10, 1862. HON. A. B. F. HILDRETH, My Dear Colonel: How do you get along with your duties as Draft Commissioner? With Indian wars, drafting, and editing newspapers, I think you must reduce your corporosity and aldermanic proportions! Gov. Kirkwood sends word to me to attend to the business from day to day until he gives the order to proceed with the draft. We have completed our rolls and find that we have sent to the War 241 men, and have 460 left who are fit for military duty, besides a large number of sick, lame, halt and blind! If we do finally draft, I should like to join our forces with yours and proceed to the encampment together. You shall command the entire squad, and if you exhibit good military points you may expect promotion. I expect to be drafted and train as a high private! It seems that Messrs. Bowdoin and Fuller failed of obtaining their commissions. Somebody has been working a new card. Has Dubuque been figuring in the matter? If so, it is discreditable to her politicians. She should not claim everything. It appears that no change has been made in any district but this. It may be all right, but I do not like the looks of it. I suppose you will not venture up this way with your better half until the Indians are killed off! Most every one here has been badly scared; but we feel quite safe now that we have some guns coming. I wish every red-skin between here and the Rocky Mountains had a Southern rebel on his back, and the whole posse, rebs and reds, were driven into the Pacific Ocean, then, "requiescat in pace!" Your comrade, O. FAVILLE. Iowa, September 14, 1863. TO THE HON. WM. H. SEWARD, Secretary of State of the United States: Sir: We the undersigned, loyal citizens of Iowa. respectfully ask that, in the selection of newspapers for publishing the Laws of the Thirty-eighth Congress, Treaties, &c., the "Republican Intelligencer," printed at Charles City, Floyd county, Iowa, may be designated as one of those newspapers. We ask this patronage because the Intelligencer is a journal of the highest respectability; is an able advocate of the Loyal Union Cause of the State and Nation, and because we desire to encourage such press in Northern Iowa. J. G. Patterson, Shubael P. Adams, Wm. Johnson, M. D., E. G. Bowdoin, DES MOINES, IOWA, Oct. 12, 1863. HON. WM. B. ALLISON: My Dear Sir: Permit me to call your attention, and through you that of the other members of the Congressional delegation from Iowa, to the distribution of Federal patronage. You are aware that Government favors have seldom been bestowed in the northern half of the State. Of this we do not complain, for circumstances have not been in our favor. We think, however, that a moiety of the Government printing should be awarded us, not on account of locality so much as from the fact that persistent efforts have been made there for some years to sustain reliable Republican papers, and to this fact is due our increasing Union majorities. Hence we ask your influence to secure the Government printing for the Charles City Republican Intelligencer. Its editor and proprietor is well known to you and needs no recommendation from me. Mr. Palmer, State Printer, does not expect to retain the Government printing and we think it should be given to our District. Yours truly, O. FAVILLE. DAVENPORT, IOWA, Oct. 12, 1863. TO THE IOWA DELEGATION IN CONGRESS: Gentlemen: Permit me most earnestly to recommend the selection of the Charles City Intelligencer as one of the papers to print the laws of the Thirty-eighth Congress. I could state the reasons upon which I base the recommendation, but as they are known to a portion of the delegation it is. unnecessary. Yours respectfully. JNO. F. DILLON. CLERMONT, Iowa, Oct. 30, 1863. Gentlemen: Mr. A. B. F. Hildreth, of Charles City, Floyd county, wants the printing of the Laws of the Thirty-eighth Congress. He ought to have it, and I hope you will find it consistent with the public interest to give it to him. He commenced the Intelligencer early in the settlement of the upper valley of the Cedar river, and has by diligence and perseverance published the best newspaper I have seen in the State, and in manner and matter it is a credit to Iowa. Mr. Hildreth has given the Republican cause an able and discreet advocacy, and he can be trusted. I know Mr. Hildreth intimately and it is simple justice to award him singular intellectual ability and literary merit which he has devoted to the Republican cause. We have from the organization of the Republican party until this year, in proportion to our population, polled a larger Republican vote than any other portion of the State, and we polled this vote when it was decisive of the political character of the State. This may happen again and it will be more pleasant to give our vote to those who not only represent our convictions but also have gained our regard. Respectfully yours, ELIAS H. WILLIAMS. To the Iowa Delegation, Washington D. C. DAVENPORT, Oct., 15, 1863. HON. O. FAVILLE, Des Moines: Dear Sir: Yours of the 12th inst. in reference to Government printing for Hon. A. B. F. Hildreth, is received. I had received some days since a letter on the same subject, and when Senator Grimes was here on the 9th inst., I spoke to him on the subject. Mr. Hildreth can count on my assistance and also that of Senator Grimes. I am very truly yours, HIRAM PRICE. BURLINGTON, IOWA, Oct. 19, 1863. My Dear Sir: I will certainly render you all the aid I can in regard to the Government printing, I did so before, and was not aware that the printing had been taken from you till now. I think it is due that it should be restored to you. We have not merely beaten the so-called Democratic party in this State-we have destroyed it. Yours truly, Hon. A. B. F. Hildreth. JAMES W. GRIMES. ROCKFORD, Iowa, Oct. 20, 1863, TO THE HON. IOWA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION: Gentlemen: Some two years since, by a mutual arrangement on the part of their friends, the State printing was secured to Mr. Palmer and the Congressional printing for the northern portion of the State to Mr. Hildreth. This arrangement I believe was satisfactory to both gentlemen, but on the incoming of the present Congress the Government printing was taken from Mr. Hildreth and given to Mr. Palmer, thus making him the recipient of both offices. This I am informed, and have reason to believe, was done without the request of Mr. Palmer and that he is willing it should be returned to Mr. Hildreth. This, I believe, would be satisfactory all around, and I hope it will be done. Mr. Hildreth has maintained his paper almost ever since the organization of Floyd county. It is no injustice to others to say that his paper is not inferior to any one in the State. It is centrally situated in the northern portion of our State. and I believe its original selection met with general approbation as a justly merited reward to energy and ability. Its restoration would be hailed with a like hearty approval. Hoping that this may be done, I remain Yours very respectfully, DAVENPORT, IOWA, Nov. 15, 1863. HON. HIRAM PRICE, M. C., Dear Sir: You will recollect that I saw you when Senator Grimes was here, and you said that you had also seen him, and that I could write Mr. |