John's application ran into problems, however. On December 16, 1857, Senator Jefferson Davis (Secretary of War from March 7, 1853, to March 4, 1857, and Montgomery Meigs' political protector) advised that since John was the son of an Army officer, he had to seek an "at large" appointment to West Point. But at-large appointments needed the approval of Secretary of War John B. Floyd, a corrupt and venal politician who strongly disliked Montgomery Meigs. At Montgomery Meigs' urging, Davis and 11 other Senators wrote a letter to Floyd supporting John Meigs' application to West Point, noting as well his relationship to Commodore Meigs. But Floyd blocked the appointment.