1845-10-24-New York Herald—Expedition to California

Expedition to California

New York Herald, n273, 24 October 1845

Expedition to California—It will be recollected that we published from a Western paper, the other day, a statement that General James Arlington Bennet, of Long Island, was on his way to Nauvoo, to take under his charge the whole of the Mormon church which was about to emigrate, as was supposed, to California.

Arlington Bennet has a very fine estate and splendid country house on Long Island, near the Narrows, and we suppose, that being for many years in that quiet retreat, he has matured his plans for some grand expedition that will outstrip even that of Moses when he carried the Israelites out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, through the wilderness and into the land of Canaan. The Mormons certainly want a comprehensive, philosophical, religious, energetic, brave and talented leader. We recommend Arlington Bennet to their particular notice, and advise them at once to range themselves under his standard—pass over the deserts of Missouri, over the Rocky Mountains and down to California, and then encamp on the Sacramento river, or some other beautiful sunny place, as near the harbor of San Francisco as possible. A population of twenty or thirty thousand men—Mormons—under the command of Arlington Bennet, would make California a part of the United States in less than two years.

We are in favor, therefore, of this expedition and of the ultimate annexation of California to the United States.