1850 TO 1865 357 
pressure of work everywhere in the Department that it was entirely 
impossible to detail such a Board now, and would be for a good while 
to come. 
I confess the matter does not look very encouraging as it stands. 
Whether the whole thing is only a mere whim of Col. Thomas or not 
I don’t know, but I suspect that the Sec. War really has the feeling 
referred to toward Floyd. 
All well to-day and send much love. Cousin Abel called together 
with two army officers from Geneseo, one of them Lt. Randall of the 
Ordnance. Mary saw them. 
Yours affectionately, 
S. F. Barrp. 
In May, 1862, Mrs. Churchill, who had been failing 
in health for some months, was taken back to Carlisle. 
In July Professor Baird and his family joined her, and 
on September 6th she died. Later, with his daughter, 
Baird visited New York, Brattleboro, Vermont, and 
Boston, returning to Washington October 8th. General 
Churchill followed his wife December 7th. On the 20th 
of December, Kennicott returned from his sojourn in the 
Hudson Bay and Yukon regions. He spent the greater 
part of the winter and spring following in work on his 
collections at the Smithsonian. Called to Illinois by the 
death of his father, he remained there for the rest of the 
year, working on plans for a Museum in Chicago, where 
he was cordially backed by a group of public-spirited 
citizens. The plan finally resolved itself into a rejuvena- 
tion of the Chicago Academy of Sciences with Kennicott 
as Director of the Museum. Professors Baird and Henry 
warmly approved the plan and offered not only the 
portion of Kennicott’s northern collection which was due 
him, but a complete series of duplicates of every kind 
which the Smithsonian was able to furnish. 
