Half reading, half pausing over the letter, he briefly said:-- "A long and bloody war is upon us, in which the whole country will be engaged.

We shall desire you to take the field; probably in the West.
It may be several weeks before we need you, but the war cannot be long delayed." At that time few persons in the North looked upon the situation with any fears of trouble.

There were some who thought a hostile collision was among the possibilities, but these persons were generally in the minority.

Many believed the secession movement was only the hasty work of political leaders, that would be soon undone when the people of the South came to their senses.
That the South would deliberately plunge the country into civil war was difficult to comprehend, even after the first steps had been taken.

The majority of the Northern people were hoping and believing, day by day, that something might transpire to quell the excitement and adjust the difficulties threatening to disturb the country.
Before leaving the Rocky Mountains I did not believe that war was certain to ensue, though I considered it quite probable.