They embarked, and early in May we sailed for San Pedro.

Before embarking, the United States line-of-battle-ship Columbus had reached the coast from China with Commodore Biddle, whose rank gave him the supreme command of the navy on the coast.

He was busy in calling in--"lassooing "-- from the land-service the various naval officers who under Stockton had been doing all sorts of military and civil service on shore.
Knowing that I was to go down the coast with General Kearney, he sent for me and handed me two unsealed parcels addressed to Lieutenant Wilson, United States Navy, and Major Gillespie, United States Marines, at Los Angeles.

These were written orders pretty much in these words: "On receipt of this order you will repair at once on board the United States ship Lexington at San Pedro, and on reaching Monterey you will report to the undersigned.-JAMES BIDDLE." Of course, I executed my part to the letter, and these officers were duly "lassooed." We sailed down the coast with a fair wind, and anchored inside the kelp, abreast of Johnson's house.

Messages were forthwith dispatched up to Los Angeles, twenty miles off, and preparations for horses made for us to ride up.