Show BRYANS COLONELCY I I Mr Bryans Reply to Governor Stephens Steph-ens of Missouri St Louis June 2A special to the Post Dispatch from Jefferson City Mo i says Below is a copy of William J I Bryans letter to Governor Stephens in I reply to the offer made to him of a i I colonelcy of a Missouri regiment i Governor Lon V Stephens Jefferson I City Mo I Ciy I My Dear Mr StephensYour very I kind telegram was received this morn I ing and I hasten to make you a reply 1 Learning through one of our newspapers i news-papers that your telegram had been given out at Jefferson City I gave it and my answer to the newspapers here j I We have learned during the day that I there 1s every probability that our I I regiment will be accepted and of course I would be expected with the boys who have enlisted with me In F the second telegram I told you that contingencies might arise which might make it possible for Missouri and Nebraska Ne-braska to join in forming a regiment In case Nebraska should be allowed less than a regiment say two battalions battal-ions and Missouri had a battalion more than a regiment we might add your one battalion and our two and you could join our governor in the request re-quest that I be made colonel I would please our boys to have a Missouri battalion bat-talion with us Since wiring you however how-ever news from Washington leaves i i little doubt that our full regiment will be accepted and the matter will probably prob-ably be known positively before this reaches you i Thanking you again for the honor i I am with best wishes to the members of your family in which Mrs Bryan i joins very truly yours yoursW J BRYAN I |