▁gold ▁r ush ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 9 , ▁E wing ▁went ▁to ▁California , ▁where ▁he ▁joined ▁an ▁expedition ▁ordered ▁by ▁his ▁father , ▁then ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Inter ior , ▁to ▁rescue ▁imm igr ants ▁who ▁were ▁imprison ed ▁in ▁the ▁Sierra ▁by ▁heavy ▁sn ows . ▁He ▁returned ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁with ▁dispatch es ▁for ▁the ▁government . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁completed ▁his ▁course ▁in ▁law ▁and ▁settled ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis . ▁He ▁pract iced ▁law ▁there ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁to ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁when ▁he ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁young ▁brother , ▁Thomas ▁Jr ., ▁and ▁brothers - in - law ▁William ▁T . ▁Sh erman ▁and ▁H amp den ▁B . ▁Den man ▁to ▁Le aven worth , ▁Kansas , ▁and ▁began ▁spec ulating ▁in ▁lands , ▁roads , ▁and ▁government ▁housing . ▁They ▁quickly ▁established ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁law ▁fir ms ▁of ▁Le aven worth , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁finan cially ▁powerful ▁land ▁ag ency . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁E wing ▁married ▁Henri etta ▁Young , ▁daughter ▁of ▁George ▁W . ▁Young , ▁a ▁large ▁plan ter ▁of ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia , ▁whose ▁family ▁was ▁prominent ▁in ▁the ▁settlement ▁and ▁history ▁of ▁Maryland . ▁He ▁soon ▁after ward ▁took ▁charge ▁of ▁his ▁father ' s ▁salt ▁works ▁in ▁Ohio . ▁ ▁Civil ▁War ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁Governor ▁William ▁D enn ison ▁appointed ▁E wing