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  Then followed one of equal importance to me altho' of no official interest to you.   By Par. 6 of S. O. No. 6. A.G.O. January 8, 1870, I was assigned to duty at the Massachusetts Agricultural College at this place as Professor of Military Science and Tactics, and General Sherman kindly dated this assignment back to take effect September 10, 1869, the day I came here and began work.
    During the month I was away from here I was in Washington nearly half the time, and at the War Department a great deal.  I was treated with more consideration by General Sherman and his Aides than by all the rest put together and would advise any officer having important business to transact at headquarters to go direct in person to the General-in-Chief.
    There is of course, a good deal of excitement among the line officers of the army, especially those unattached, as to what Congress will do this session.  Yesterday's Army & Navy Journal has a good editorial on the subject, and gives the Army Bills so far introduced, promising to continue attention to the subject.  It is impossible to tell yet what is to be done.     Among many officers in Washington watching the course of events I saw on Tuesday last, Gen. Davidson.  He was quite agitated and did not know whether he would seek retirement or go to the regiment, but I recon he will retire.
    We have spent a very pleasant vacation since the middle of December, added to by the remarkably Spring-like weather which has been experience along the Atlantic Coast.  In Virginia we hardly needed fires either day or night, and in New England we find no snow, no ice in the streams and very little frost in the ground.