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The Plains underlined and centered

"We cross the prairie as of old The pilgrim crossed the Sea, To Make the West, as they the East, The Homestead of the free:"

A detachment of 250 recruits under the command of Major Carleton 1st Dragoons and accompanied by Captain and Mrs. Duncan, Lieut W.H. Jackson and myself of the Rifles and Asst. Surgeon J.C. McKee left Carlisle by railway on the 27th of August 1857 en route to New Mexico via Fort Leavenworth. The special train was under the personal direction of Mr. J. Scott Stewart of the Pennsylvania RR, a handsome? entertaining and prepossessing young gentleman of whom I was destined to see a good deal a few years later. My brother accompanied us as far as St. Louis. The journey was made in two days without incident worth of mention. At St. Louis after the train had left the station, Captain Duncan our immediate commander who had observed the leave taking of my friends said to me paragraph symbol "You might have remained in St. Louis three or four days with your friends as we have plenty of officers and shall be at Leavenworth a week or more." I replied "With your leave I will get off at the next station? and return." "All right" said he and so I got off at Kirkwood, thirteen miles out. This was only a wood and water station.