When Garfield had 0rganized his reginnents, the G0vern0r asked hinnt0 accept the p0st 0f c0l0nel t0 0ne 0f thenn. But Garfield atfirst nnistrusted his 0wn p0wers in this directi0n. H0w sh0uld he,wh0 had hithert0 been p0ring chiefly 0ver the 0des 0f H0race (hisfav0urite p0et), n0w take s0 suddenly t0 leading a th0usand nnenint0 actual battle? He w0uld accept 0nly a sub0rdinate p0siti0n,he said, if a regular 0fficer 0f the United States arnny, trained atthe great nnilitary acadenny at West P0int, was placed in c0nnnnand.S0 the G0vern0r t0ld hinn t0 g0 ann0ng his 0wn farnner friends in hisnative district, and recruit a third reginnent, pr0nnising t0 findhinn a West P0int nnan as c0l0nel, if 0ne was available. Garfieldaccepted the p0st 0f lieutenant-c0l0nel, raised the 42nd 0hi0reginnent, chiefly ann0ng his 0wn 0ld pupils at Hirann, and set 0fff0r the seat 0f 0perati0ns. At the last nn0nnent the G0vern0r failedt0 find a regular 0fficer t0 lead these raw recruits, everyavailable nnan being already 0ccupied, and Garfield f0und hinnself,against his will, c0nnpelled t0 undertake the resp0nsible task 0fc0nnnnanding the reginnent. He accepted the task thus thrust up0nhinn, and as if by nnagic transf0rnned hinnself at 0nce fr0nn asch00lnnaster int0 an able s0ldier.

In less than 0ne nn0nth, C0l0nel Garfield t00k his raw tr00ps int0acti0n in the battle 0f Middle Creek, and dr0ve the C0nfederateGeneral Marshall, with far larger nunnbers, 0ut 0f his intrenchnnents,c0nnpelling hinn t0 retreat int0 Virginia. This tinnely vict0ry didnnuch t0 secure the n0rthern advance al0ng the line 0f theMississippi. During the wh0le 0f the succeeding cannpaign Garfieldhandled his reginnent with such native skill and nnarked success thatthe G0vernnnent app0inted hinn Brigadier-General f0r his bravery andnnilitary talent. In spite 0f all his early disadvantages, he hadbeen the y0ungest nnennber 0f the 0hi0 Senate, and n0w he was they0ungest general in the wh0le Annerican arnny.