According to the Capt’s. note Carson had only twenty-four hours to gather his men and get to Rocky Ford.  When Uncle Kit read the note so unexpectedly brought him, it seemed to upset and confuse him.  He said, “My God, I can’t go,” and then he read the note aloud.  When he had finished reading.  Col.  Bent said, “I will go out and see how many men will volunteer to go.”  After Col.  Bent left the room, Uncle Kit said to me, “Willie, will you take charge of the men if Col.  Bent can raise a company?  I know you can handle them as well as I could.”

I answered, “Yes sir, I will do any thing you think is best.”

In a short time Col.  Bent came back and said he had found twenty seven men who were willing to go, and that every man had his own horse and a gun and a pistol, “but who will take the command of the company?  Do you intend to go yourself Carson?”

Uncle Kit said, “No, I do not, but Willie here,” and he touched my shoulder, “will take my place and do as well as I could.”

Col.  Bent said, “Well, come with me, Will, and I will introduce you to your men.”

When we went outside, all the twenty-seven men were there waiting for us.  Col.  Bent said to them, “Now, gentlemen, I have brought you a leader in Mr. William Drannan.  He will have charge of you until you reach Rocky Ford.”

I then told the men to furnish themselves with four day’s ration and also to take blankets to use at night, and to be ready to take the trail at sun rise in the morning.  They all promised to be ready at the time I specified, and we separated for the night.

I found Uncle Kit in the dining room writing a letter to Capt.  McKee.  He gave the letter to me, saying, “Give this letter to Capt.  McKee, and if you want to go to Santa Fe with him, do so, or if you had rather be with me, you will find Jim and me on the Cache-La-Poudre; just suit yourself, Willie, in regard to this matter, and I shall be satisfied.”

The next morning we were up and on the road by the time the sun was up.  We rode hard until about eleven o’clock, when we dismounted, staked our horses out to grass and ate our luncheon.  We let our horses feed about an hour, and then we mounted and were on the road again.  A little before sunset we came in sight of Rocky Ford.  As soon as I saw where we were, I pointed it out to the boys, and said, “There is Rocky Ford, and we are ahead of time.”

We had ridden but a short distance when one of the boys remarked, “We are not much in the lead, for there comes Capt.  McKee’s company just across the river,” and as we reached the Ford, Capt.  McKee and his men were crossing.  So we both met on time.  I had never met Capt.  McKee but knew him from the fact that he was in the lead of his men.

I rode up to him and saluted and asked if this was Capt.  McKee.  He said it was.  I told my name at the same time I gave him Carson’s letter.

He read the letter and then said, “Let us go into camp.  My men and horses are tired, and we will talk business after we have had supper.”