42 Audubon's Western Journal 



After long talks over the "pros and cons," I 

 concluded to go for a long eighteen months from 

 my beloved home, and decided to join "Col. H. L. 

 Webb's California Company" which was being 

 organized. I was appointed second in command 

 owing to my knowledge of backwoodsman's life 

 and the experience of my Texas trip ; and after 

 eight weeks of weariness and anxiety found I was to 

 take charge of eighty men and, with $27,000.00 

 belonging to the Company, was to meet Col. Webb 

 at Cairo. 



I had talked with fathers, and with young men 

 who wished to learn all about a backwoodsman's 

 life in half an hour, made purchases of arms and 

 implements and various needful articles, and 

 finally all was ready, and the date of departure 

 decided upon. 



Feb. 8th, l84g. A day of hurry began, and 

 three o'clock found us on board the steamer 

 "Transport," surrounded by the company and a 

 crowd of their friends and ours to see us ofif. 

 Fathers took my hands in both theirs, and in 

 scarcely audible voices begged me to take care of 

 only sons, brothers asked me to give counsel and 

 advice to younger brothers, men I had never seen 

 gave hearty hand clasps that told of sound hearts, 

 and said: "My brother's with you, treat him 

 right and if he is my brother he'll die for you, or 

 with you." The final words of clergymen as they 



