Administration.  So that among the younger officers the query was very natural, “Who the devil is Governor of California?” One day I was on board the Independence frigate, dining with the ward-room officers, when a war-vessel was reported in the offing, which in due time was made out to be the Cyane, Captain DuPont.  After dinner, we were all on deck, to watch the new arrival, the ships meanwhile exchanging signals, which were interpreted that General Kearney was on board.  As the Cyane approached, a boat was sent to meet her, with Commodore Shubrick’s flag-officer, Lieutenant Lewis, to carry the usual messages, and to invite General Kearney to come on board the Independence as the guest of Commodore Shubrick.  Quite a number of officers were on deck, among them Lieutenants Wise, Montgomery Lewis, William Chapman, and others, noted wits and wags of the navy.  In due time the Cyane anchored close by, and our boat was seen returning with a stranger in the stern-sheets, clothed in army blue.  As the boat came nearer, we saw that it was General Kearney with an old dragoon coat on, and an army-cap, to which the general had added the broad vizor, cut from a full-dress hat, to shade his face and eyes against the glaring sun of the Gila region.  Chapman exclaimed:  “Fellows, the problem is solved; there is the grand-vizier (visor) by G-d!  He is Governor of California.”

All hands received the general with great heartiness, and he soon passed out of our sight into the commodore’s cabin.  Between Commodore Shubrick and General Kearney existed from that time forward the greatest harmony and good feeling, and no further trouble existed as to the controlling power on the Pacific coast.  General Kearney had dispatched from San Diego his quartermaster, Colonel Swords, to the Sandwich Islands, to purchase clothing and stores for his men, and had come up to Monterey, bringing with him Turner and Warner, leaving Emory and the company of dragoons below.  He was delighted to find a full strong company of artillery, subject to his orders, well supplied with clothing and money in all respects, and, much to the disgust of our Captain Tompkins, he took half of his company clothing and part of the money held by me for the relief of his worn-out and almost naked dragoons left behind at Los Angeles.  In a few days he moved on shore, took up his quarters at Larkin’s house, and established his headquarters, with Captain Turner as his adjutant general.  One day Turner and Warner were at my tent, and, seeing a store-bag full of socks, drawers, and calico shirts, of which I had laid in a three years’ supply, and of which they had none, made known to me their wants, and I told them to help themselves, which Turner and Warner did.  The latter, however, insisted on paying me the cost, and from that date to this Turner and I have been close friends.  Warner, poor fellow, was afterward killed by Indians.  Things gradually came into shape, a semi-monthly courier line was established