A company was organized with a capital of two million dollars, and shares sold at an average of fifty dollars.  General Heintzelman was appointed president, and I was appointed “manager and commandant.”  The office was located in Cincinnati, for the convenience of General Heintzelman, who was stationed at Newport Barracks, Ky.  William Wrightson was appointed secretary.

As soon as the necessary arrangements were made I started west on this arduous undertaking.  The arms and equipments had been shipped to San Antonio, Texas, and I proceeded there to complete the outfit.

San Antonio was the best outfitting place in the Southwest at that time.  Wagons, ambulances, mules, horses, and provisions were abundant, and men could be found in Texas willing to go anywhere.

At San Antonio I met the famous George Wilkins Kendall, who advised me to go to New Bramfels, where I could find some educated German miners, and as he was going to Austin I accompanied him as far as New Bramfels, and received the benefit of his introduction.  There were plenty of educated German miners about New Bramfels, working on farms and selling lager beer, and they enlisted joyfully.  The rest of the company was made up of frontiersmen (buckskin boys), who were not afraid of the devil.

We pulled out of San Antonio, Texas, on the first day of May, 1856, and took the road to El Paso, or Paso del Norte, on the Rio Grande, 762 miles by the itinerary.  The plains of Texas were covered with verdure and flowers, and the mocking birds made the night march a serenade.

I carried recommendations from the War Department to the military officers of the frontiers for assistance, if necessary.  The first military post on the road was Fort Clark (El Moro), and a beautiful location.  The post was at that time under the command of the famous John Bankhead Magruder, whom I had known in California.

Magruder had recently returned from Europe, bringing two French cooks; and as he was a notorious bon vivant, it was not disagreeable to accept an invitation to dinner.

After breakfast next morning I went to take my leave of the officers, but Magruder said:—­

“Sir, you cannot go.  Consider yourself under arrest.”

I replied, “General, I am not aware of having violated any of the regulations of the Army.”

“No, sir, but you are violating the rules of hospitality.  You shall stay here three days.  Send your train on to the Pecos, and I will send an escort with you to overtake it.”

So I remained at Fort Clark three days in duress, and never had a prisoner of war more hospitable entertainment.  Texas overflows with abundant provisions, if they only had French cooks.

After a toilsome and dangerous march through Lipans and Commanches we arrived on the upper Rio Grande, at El Paso, in time to spend the Fourth of July.  El Paso at this time was enjoying an era of commercial prosperity.  The Mexican trade was good.  Silver flowed in in a stream.