Bob,
I regards to Grants time in Springfield, he was first working in the AG's office and after that he was given command of Camp Yates, but he wanted a field command so the Governor awarded him command of the 21st Illinois that was composed of a bunch of rough and ready farm boys from Coles county that no one could control up to that point. He marched out of Springfield to put down a bunch of Secesses in Misouri from there he was promoted to Brigadier and moved to Cairo and as they say, the rest is history.