On his way back to Illinois, he stopped to visit West Point classmate Joe Reynolds in Lafayette, Indiana. While he was there, a telegram from Governor Yates caught up with him. He opened it to read that Yates had appointed him colonel to command the Seventh Regiment, which he had mustered into service at Mattoon a month earlier. Grant accepted this assignment eagerly. Many West Pointers looked down their noses at volunteers; he did not.
