passage for California in a naval transport.  I worked all that night, made up my accounts current, and turned over the balance of cash to the citizen physician, Dr. McDowell; and also closed my clothing and property returns, leaving blank receipts with the same gentleman for Field’s signature, when he should get there, to be forwarded to the Department at Washington, and the duplicates to me.  These I did not receive for more than a year.  I remember that I got my orders about 8 p. m. one night, and took passage in the boat for Brownsville, the next morning traveled by stage from Brownsville to Cumberland, Maryland, and thence by cars to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York, in a great hurry lest the ship might sail without me.  I found Company F at Governor’s Island, Captain C. Q. Tompkins in command, Lieutenant E. O. C. Ord senior first-lieutenant, myself junior first-lieutenant, Lucien Loeser and Charles Minor the second-lieutenants.

The company had been filled up to one hundred privates, twelve non-commissioned officers, and one ordnance sergeant (Layton), making one hundred and thirteen enlisted men and five officers.  Dr. James L. Ord had been employed as acting assistant surgeon to accompany the expedition, and Lieutenant H. W. Halleck, of the engineers, was also to go along.  The United States store-ship Lexington was then preparing at the Navy-Yard, Brooklyn, to carry us around Cape Horn to California.  She was receiving on board the necessary stores for the long voyage, and for service after our arrival there.  Lieutenant-Commander Theodorus Bailey was in command of the vessel, Lieutenant William H. Macomb executive officer, and Passed-Midshipmen Muse, Spotts, and J. W. A. Nicholson, were the watch-officers; Wilson purser, and Abernethy surgeon.  The latter was caterer of the mess, and we all made an advance of cash for him to lay in the necessary mess-stores.  To enable us to prepare for so long a voyage and for an indefinite sojourn in that far-off country, the War Department had authorized us to draw six months’ pay in advance, which sum of money we invested in surplus clothing and such other things as seemed to us necessary.  At last the ship was ready, and was towed down abreast of Fort Columbus, where we were conveyed on board, and on the 14th of July, 1846, we were towed to sea by a steam-tug, and cast off:  Colonel R. B. Mason, still superintendent of the general recruiting service, accompanied us down the bay and out to sea, returning with the tug.  A few other friends were of the party, but at last they left us, and we were alone upon the sea, and the sailors were busy with the sails and ropes.  The Lexington was an old ship, changed from a sloop-of-war to a store-ship, with an after-cabin, a “ward-room,” and “between-decks.”  In the cabin were Captains Bailey and Tompkins, with whom messed the purser, Wilson.  In the ward-room were all the other officers, two in each state-room; and Minor, being an extra lieutenant, had to sleep in a hammock