There was much pleasant intercourse between the inhabitants and the officers of the army.

I retain very agreeable recollections of my stay at Camp Salubrity, and of the acquaintances made there, and no doubt my feeling is shared by the few officers living who were there at the time.

I can call to mind only two officers of the 4th infantry, besides myself, who were at Camp Salubrity with the regiment, who are now alive.
With a war in prospect, and belonging to a regiment that had an unusual number of officers detailed on special duty away from the regiment, my hopes of being ordered to West Point as instructor vanished.

At the time of which I now write, officers in the quartermaster's, commissary's and adjutant--general's departments were appointed from the line of the army, and did not vacate their regimental commissions until their regimental and staff commissions were for the same grades.

Generally lieutenants were appointed to captaincies to fill vacancies in the staff corps.