258 ELDORADO 



In 1829, a party of men, of whom the Bents and 

 Waldo were among the number, were still willing to 

 encounter the fearful odds of Indian combat, applied 

 to General Andrew Jackson, who had just taken his 

 seat as President, for a military escort to accompany 

 them to the Arkansas river, which at that time formed 

 the boundary between the two republics of North 

 America. 



This request was readily granted, and Major Ben- 

 nett Riley — who afterwards became a General, and 

 who figured in the history of the Pacific slope as Mil- 

 itary Governor of California — was detailed with two 

 hundred men to meet the party at Fort Leavenworth 

 and accompany them to the Arkansas. The company 

 of traders numbering sixty men rendezvoused at 

 Round Grove, about forty miles west of Independ- 

 ence, Missouri. Here Charles Bent was chosen Cap- 

 tain of the company, and with thirty-six wagons, fully 

 freighted with valuable goods, they set out for Santa 

 Fe ; being joined by Major Riley, to whom they had 

 dispatched a messenger, at the junction of the Inde- 

 pendence and Leavenworth trails. 



In due time, and without any event worthy of rec- 

 ord, they reached the Arkansas, at Chouteau's Island, 

 and bidding farewell to the gallant Major and his 

 brave soldiers they plunged into the shallow waters 

 .of the river; and were soon on Mexican soil. Here 

 their troubles began ; the deep, dry sand engulfing 

 their wagon wheels almost to the hubs, stalled the 

 teams, and utterly prevented an orderly arrangement 

 upon the march. Notwithstanding the constant order 

 to close up, the wagons were soon strung out over 

 half a mile of road. To guard against surprise, Cap- 



