At Fort Kearny, Captain Simpson turned over the supervision of his topographical party to his most senior lieutenant, J . L . Kirby Smith, while he traveled in advance as a member of General William S . Harney's staff.
2.
After the Mexican-American War, he performed frontier duties and escorted topographical parties, including a trip to California around Cape Horn in 1849 . He commanded at Camp Picket during the Pig War on San Juan Island from August 10 to October 18, 1859.