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52 Fred Wilbur Powell, A. M.

him of his hopes of congressional action. Wyeth's reply, dated February 13, was:

"However well affairs are going at Washington matters little to me. Anything they can do will come too late for my purposes. My arrangements are made to leave here 1st March and I shall not alter them, neither can I delay on my route.

"I wish you well in your undertaking but regret that you could not have moved at the time and in the manner first proposed. When you adopted the plan of taking across the continent in the 1st expedition women and children I gave up all hope that you would go at all and all intention of going with you if you did. The delays inseparable from a convoy of this kind are so great that you could not keep the mass together and if you could the delay would ruin my projects.***

To this Kelley responded on February 24, and Wyeth replied under date of March 3 :

"I am perfectly well aware of the importance of cooperation of all the Americans who may go to that country but I am well convinced that this thing has been delayed too long already and that further delay will defeat my enterprise besides not being in the habit of setting two times to do one thing. I am quite willing to join your emigration but will not delay here or at St. Louis. You very much mistake if you think I wish to desert your party, but you must recollect that last 1st Jany was set at first as the time of starting."^

Here was a man of decision and force of character; one who had the qualities of leadership which Kelley lacked. Had Kelley possessed flexibility enough and judgment enough to put Wyeth at the head of his expedition and to follow his advice, the result would not have been different as far as the settlement of Oregon was concerned, but it would have been far diflFerent as to Kelley's acknowledged place in that move- ment. On March 29 Kelley wrote to ask Wyeth to take with

2$ niid., 39. 26 Ibid., 43*