mˈiːnwaɪl, kˈæptɪn dʒˈɔːɹdʒ bˈiː. mə klˈɛlən ɹᵻsˈiːvd spəsˈɪfɪk ˈɔːɹdɚz ɪn ˈeɪpɹəl, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti θɹˈiː fɹʌm bˈoʊθ ɡˈʌvɚnɚɹ ˈaɪsək stˈiːvənz ænd sˈɛkɹətɹi ʌv wˈɔːɹ dʒˈɛfɚsən dˈeɪvɪs tə sˈɜːtʃ ðə kɐskˈeɪd pˈæsᵻz fɚɹən ɐpɹˈoʊpɹɪət ɹˈaʊt fɚɹə mˈɪlətˌɛɹi wˈæɡən ɹˈoʊd, tə bˈɪld ðə ɹˈoʊd ɪn tˈaɪm fɔːɹ jˈuːs baɪ ðæt fˈɔːlz ˈɛmɪɡɹənt maɪɡɹˈeɪʃən, ænd tə dɪtˈɜːmɪn ðə sˌuːɾəbˈɪlᵻɾi ʌvðə vˈɛɹiəs pˈæsᵻz æz ɐ ɹˈaʊt fɚɹə fjˈuːtʃɚ ɹˈeɪlɹoʊd.
Meanwhile, Captain George B. McClellan received specific orders in April, 1853 from both Governor Isaac Stevens and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis to search the Cascade passes for an appropriate route for a military wagon road, to build the road in time for use by that fall's emigrant migration, and to determine the suitability of the various passes as a route for a future railroad.