New York and the
Atlantic cities. Edgar Conkling, of Cincinnati, was agent for the
Mississippi Valley. Thomas Butler King was allotted the State of Texas,
and I, being the junior, was to have the country between the Rio Grande
and the Colorado.

I told them all I knew about the Territory,--and a great deal more,--and
enlarged upon the advantages that would accrue to the railroad company
by an exploration of the new Territory and a development of its mineral
resources. They inquired how much it would cost to make the exploration.
I replied that I would start with a hundred thousand dollars if there
was a million behind it.

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
Bankhe