O'Reilly has fifteen hands on the Nashville route and I confidently expect a few fights.

My men are well armed and I think they can do their duty.

I shall be with them when the parties get together, and, if anything does occur, the use of Dupont's best will be appreciated by me.

This is to be lamented, but, if it comes, we shall not back out." Deeply exercised, Morse answers him post-haste: "It gives me real pain to learn that there is any prospect of physical collision between the O'Reilly party and ours, and I trust that this may arrive in time to prevent any movement of those friendly to me which shall provoke so sad a result.

I emphatically say that, if _the law_ cannot protect me and my rights in your region, I shall never sanction the appeal to force to sustain myself, however conscious of being in the right.