USA > Oregon > History of Oregon, Vol. II, 1848-1888 > Part 49
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or parts of companies. Brown's Autobiography, MS., 47; Letter of Lieut Way- mire, in Historical Correspondence, MS .; Rhinehart's Oregon Cavalry, MS., 1-2.
10 A circular was issued from the land office at Washington confining grants of land to persons 'loyal to the United States, and to such only;' and requir- ing all surveyors and preemptors to take the oath of allegiance. Or. Argus, March 8, 1862; Or. Statesman, March 3, 1862.
11 The Albany Democrat was excluded from the mails; also the Southern Oregon Gazette, the Eugene Democratic Register, and next the Albany Inquirer, followed by the Portland Advertiser, published by S. J. McCormick, and the Corvallis Union, conducted by Patrick J. Malone. W. G. T'Vault started a secession journal at Jacksonville in November 1862, called the Oregon Intelli- gencer. The Albany Democrat resumed publication by permission, under the charge of James O'Meara in the early part of February 1863. In May O'Meara revived the Eugene Register, under the name of Democratic Review. The Democratic State Journal at The Dalles was sold in 1863 to W. W. Ban- croft, and changed to a union paper, in Idaho. Union journals were started about this time; among them The State Republican, at Eugene City, was first published by Shaw & Davis on the materials of the People's Press, in Jan- uary 1862, edited by J. M. Gale, and the Union Crusader at the same place, by A. C. Edmonds, in October, changed in a month to The Herald of Re- form. The first daily published in Oregon was the Portland News, April 18, 1839; S. A. English & Co. The Portland Daily Times was first issued Dec. 19, 1860, and the Portland Daily Oregonian, Feb. 4, 1861. The first news- paper east of The Dalles was the Mountain Sentinel, a weekly journal started at La Grande in October 1864, by E. S. McComas. In the spring of 1865 the Tri-Weekly Advertiser was started at Umatilla on the materials of the Portland Times, and the following year a democratic journal, the Columbia
493
FIRST OREGON CAVALRY.
The 1st Oregon cavalry remained at Walla Walla with little or nothing to do until the 28th of July. In the mean time Cornelius resigned, and Colonel Steinberger of the Washington regiment took com- mand.12 It had been designed that a portion of the Oregon regiment should make an expedition to meet and escort the immigration, and if possible to arrest and punish the murderers of the immigrants in the autumn of 1860. General Alvord ordered Lieuten- ant-colonel Maury, with the companies of Harris, Harding, and Truax, to proceed upon the errand.13
The history of the 1st Oregon cavalry from 1862 to 1865 is the history of Indian raids upon the min- ing and new farming settlements, and of scouting and fighting by the several companies. Like the volun- teers of southern Oregon, they were called upon to guard roads, escort trains, pursue robber bands to their strongholds, avenge murders,14 and to make explora- tions of the country, much of which was still un- known.
In January 1863 a call was made for six companies of volunteers to fill up the 1st regiment of Oregon cavalry, notwithstanding a very thorough militia or- ganization had been effected under the militia law of 1862, which gave the governor great discretionary power and placed several regiments at his disposal. The work of recruiting progressed slowly, the dis-
Press, by J. C. Dow and T. W. Avery. Neither continued long. Other ephemeral publications appeared at Salem, Portland, and elsewhere. In 1865 Oregon had well established 9 weekly and 3 daily journals.
12 Colonel Justin Steinberger was of Pierce county, Washington Territory. He raised 4 companies of his regiment in California, and arrived with them at Vancouver on the 4th of May, relieving Colonel Cady of the command of the district. In July Brigadier-general Alvord arrived at Vancouver to take command of the district of Oregon, and Steinberger repaired to Walla Walla. Olympia Herald, Jan. 28, March 20, April 17, 1862; Olympia Standard, Aug. 9, 1862; Or. Statesman, June 30, 1862.
13 The immigration of 1862 has been placed by some writers as high as 30,000, and probably reached 26,000. Of these 10,000 went to Oregon, 8,000 to Utah, 8,000 to California. Olympia Standard, Oct. 11 and 25, 1862 The greater portion of the so-called Oregon immigration settled in the mining region east of the Snake River and in the valleys of Grande Ronde, Powder River, John Day, and Walla Walla.
14 The fate of many small parties must forever remain unknown.
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MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS.
engaged men of the state who had not enlisted being absent in the mines. One company only was raised during the summer, and it began to be feared that a draft would be resorted to, Provost Marshal J. M. Keeler having been sent to Oregon to make an en- rolment.
The situation of Oregon at this time was peculiar, and not without danger. The sympathy of England and France with the cause of the states in rebellion, the unsettled question of the north-western portion of the United States boundary, known as the San Juan question, the action of the French government in setting up an empire in Mexico, taken together with the fact that no forts or defences existed on the coast of Oregon and Washington, that there was a constantly increasing element of disloyalty upon the eastern and southern borders, as well as in its midst, which might at any time combine with a foreign power or with the Indians-all contributed to a feeling of uneasiness.
Oregon had not raised her share of troops for the service of the United States, and had but seven companies in the field, while California had nearly nine regiments. California had volunteers in every part of the Pacific States, even in the Willamette Valley. Troops were needed to serve on Oregon soil, and to protect the Oregon frontier. A post was needed at Boisé to protect the immigration, and an expedition against the Snakes was required. Every- thing was done to stimulate a military spirit. By the militia law, the governor, adjutant-general, and sec- retary of state constituted a board of military audit- ors to audit all reasonable expenses incurred by vol- unteer companies in the service of the state. This board publicly offered premiums for perfection in drill, the test to be made at the time of holding the state fair at Salem.
The war department had at length consented to allow posts to be established at Boisé, and at some
495
NEW GOVERNMENT POSTS.
point between the Klamath and Goose Lakes, near the southern immigrant road; and in the spring of 1863 Major Drew, who in May was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the 1st Oregon cavalry, sent Captain Kelly with company C to construct and garrison Fort Klamath. The remainder of the regi- ment was employed in the Walla Walla and Nez Percé country in keeping peace between the white people and Indians, and in pursuing and arresting highwaymen, whiskey-sellers, and horse-thieves, with which the whole upper country was infested at this period of its history, and who could seldom be ar- rested without the assistance of the cavalry, whose horses they kept worn down by long marches to re- cover both private and government property.
On the 13th of June an expedition set out, whose object was to find and punish the Snakes, consisting of companies A, D, and E, with a train of 150 pack- mules under Colonel Maury from the Lapwai agency. Following the trail to the Salmon River mines, they passed over a rugged country to Little Salmon River, and thence over a timbered mountain ridge to the head waters of the Payette.15 The command then proceeded by easy marches to Boisé River to meet Major Lugenbeel, who had left Walla Walla June 10th by the immigrant road to establish a govern- ment post on that river near the line of travel. On July 1st, the day before Maury's arrival, the site of the fort was selected about forty miles above the old Hudson's Bay Company's fort, and near the site of the present Boise City.16 While at the encampment
15 Or. Argus, July 27, 1863, contains a good description of this country, by J. T. Apperson, lieutenant.
16 The immigration of 1863 was escorted, as that of the previous year had been, by a volunteer company under Captain Medorum Crawford, who went east to organize it, congress having appropriated $30,000 to meet the expense; $10,000 of which was for the protection of emigrants by the Fort Benton and Mullan wagon-road route. See Cong. Globe, 1862-3, part ii. app. 182, 37th cong. 3d sess .; letter of J. R. McBride, in Or. Argus, May 16, 1863. The immigration was much less than in the previous year, only about 400 wagons. Among them was a large train bound for the town of Aurora, founded by
496
MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS.
on Salmon Falls Creek, Curry with twenty men made an expedition across the barren region between Snake River and the Goose Creek Mountains,17 toward the Owyhee, through a country never before explored. At the same time the main command proceeded along to Bruneau River, on which stream, after a sep- aration of eleven days, it was rejoined by Curry, who had travelled four hundred miles over a rough vol- canic region.18 After an expedition by Lieutenant Waymire19 up Bruneau River, the troops returned to Fort Walla Walla, where they arrived on the 26th of October.
In March Maury was promoted to the colonelcy of the regiment, C. S. Drew to be lieutenant-colo- nel, and S. Truax to be major. Rhinehart was made regimental adjutant, with the rank of captain, and took command of company A, Harris having re- signed at the close of the Snake River expedition. Rinearson was stationed at Fort Boisé to complete its construction. Lieutenants Caldwell, Drake, and Small were promoted to the rank of captain; second lieutenants Hopkins, Hobart, MeCall, Steele, Hand, and Underwood to the rank of first lieutenants. Those who had been promoted from the ranks were Way- mire, Pepoon, Bowen, and James L. Curry.
The first expedition in the field in 1864 was one under Lieutenant Waymire consisting of twenty-six men, which left The Dalles on the 1st of March, en-
Dr Keil in Marion county several years before, upon the community system. Deady's Hist. Or., MS., 78.
17 The reports of the expedition and the published maps do not agree. The latter place the Goose Creek Mountains to the south-east. Captain Curry, however, travelled south-west toward a chain of mountains nearly parallel with the range mentioned, which on the map is not distinguished by a name, in which the Bruneau and Owyhee rivers take their rise.
18 Curry says: 'With the exception of two camps made near the summit of Goose Creek Mountains, the remainder were made in fissures in the earth so deep that neither the pole star nor the 7-pointers could be seen.' The whole of Curry's report of this expedition is interesting and well written. See Rept of Adjutant Gen. of Or., 1866, 28.
19 Wayinire, in Historical Correspondence, MS .; S. F. Evening Post, Oct. 28, 1882.
497
WAYMIRE'S EXPEDITION.
camping on the 17th on the south fork of John Day River, thirty-three miles from Canon City. This temporary station was called Camp Lincoln. From this point he pursued a band of Indian horse-thieves to Harney Lake Valley, where he found before him in the field a party of miners under C. H. Miller.20 The united force continued the search, and in three days came upon two hundred Indians, whom they fought, killing some, but achieving no signal success. Early in June, General Alvord made a requisition upon Governor Gibbs for a company of forty mounted men, to be upon the same footing and to act as a de- tachment of the 1st Oregon cavalry, for the purpose of guarding the Canon City road. The proclama- tion was made, and Nathan Olney of The Dalles ap- pointed recruiting officer, with the rank of 2d lieuten- ant. The term of service required was only four months, or until the cavalry which was in the field should have returned to the forts in the neighborhood of the settlements and mines. The people of The Dalles, whose interests suffered by the frequent raids of the Indians, offered to make up a bounty in addition to the pay of the government. The company was raised, and left The Dalles July 19th, to patrol the road between The Dalles and the company of Captain Caldwell, which performed this duty on the south fork of John Day River.
In the summer of 1864 every man of the Oregon cavalry was in the field. Immediately after Lieuten- ant Waymire's expedition a larger one, consisting of companies D, G, and part of B, was ordered to Crooked River, there to establish headquarters. With them went twenty-five scouts from the Warm Spring reservation, under Donald McKay, half- brother of W. C. McKay. This force left The Dalles April 20th, under the command of Captain Drake,
20 Joaquin Miller, anthor subsequently of several poetical works, stories, and plays. He had but lately been editor of the Democratic Register of Eu- gene City, which was suppressed by order of Col. Wright for promulgating disloyal sentiments.
HIST. OR. VOL. II. 32
49S
MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS.
being reinforced at Warm Spring by Small's com- pany from Vancouver, and arriving at Steen's old camp May 17th, where a depot was made, and the place called Camp Maury. It was situated three miles from Crooked River, near its juncture with Des Chutes, in a small canon heavily timbered with pine, and abun- dantly watered by cold mountain springs. The scouts soon discovered a camp of the enemy about fourteen miles to the east, who had with them a large number of horses. Lieutenants McCall and Watson, with thirty-five men and some of the Indian scouts, set out at ten o'clock at night to surround and surprise the savages, but when day dawned it was discovered that they were strongly intrenched behind the rocks. McCall directed Watson to advance on the front with his men, while he and Mckay attacked on both flanks. Watson executed his duty promptly, but McCall, be- ing detained by the capture of a herd of horses, was diverted from the main attack. On hearing Watson's fire he hastened on, but finding himself in the range of the guns had to make a detour, which lengthened the delay. In the mean time the Indians concentrated their fire on those who first attacked, and Watson was shot through the heart while cheering on his inen, two of whom were killed beside him, and five others wounded. The Indians made their escape. On the 20th of May Waymire, who had relieved Watson at Warm Spring, was ordered to join Drake's command, and on the 7th of June all the companies concentrating at Camp Maury proceeded to Harney Valley, where it was intended to establish a depot, but finding the water in the lake brackish and the grass poor, the plan was abandoned. Somewhere in this region Drake expected to meet Curry, who with A and E compa- nies, ten Cayuse scouts under Umhowlitz, and Colo- nel Maury had left Walla Walla on the 28th of April, by way of the immigrant road for Fort Boise and the Owyhee, but two weeks elapsed before a junction was made.
499
CURRY'S EXPEDITION.
Curry's expedition on reaching old Fort Boisé was reenforced by Captain Barry of the 1st Washington infantry, with twenty-five men. A temporary depot was established eight miles up the Owyhee River and placed in charge of Barry. The cavalry marched up the west bank of the river to the mouth of a tribu- tary called Martin Creek, formed by the union of Jordan and Sucker creeks, near which was the cross- ing of the road from California to the Owyhee mines, beginning to be much travelled.21
On the 25th of May, Curry moved west from the ferry eight miles, and established a camp on a small stream falling into the Owyhee, which he called Gibbs Creek, in honor of Governor Gibbs. Here he began building a stone bridge and fortifications, which he named Camp Henderson, after the Oregon congress- man; and Rhinehart was ordered to bring up the sup- plies left with Barry, the distance being about one hundred miles between the points. When Rhinehart came up with the supply train he found Curry ab- sent on an exploring expedition. Being satisfied from all he could learn that he was not yet in the heart of the country most frequented by the predatory Ind- ians, where he desired to fix his encampment, Curry made an exploration of a very difficult country to the south-west.22
On this expedition, Alvord Valley, at the eastern base of Steen Mountain, was discovered;23 and being satisfied that hereabout would be found the head-
21 This road was from Lassen Meadows on the Humboldt, via Starr City, and Queen River. It was 180 miles from the Meadows to this ferry, and 65 thence to Boonville in Idaho. Portland Oregonian, June 25, 1864.
22 The report of this exploration is interesting. A peculiar feature of the scenery was the frequent mirage over dried-up lakes. 'While on this smooth surface,' he says, speaking of one on the east of Steen Mountain, 'the mirage made our little party play an amusing pantomime. Some appeared to be high in the air, others sliding to the right and left like weavers' shuttles. Some of them appeared spun out to an enormous length, and the next group spindled up: thus a changeable, movable tableau was produced, represent- ing everything contortions and capricious reflections could do.' Report of Captain Curry, in Rept Adjt Gen. Or., 1866, 37-8.
23 This statement should be qualified. Waymire discovered the valley, and Curry explored it.
500
MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS.
quarters of a considerable portion of the hostile Ind- ians, Curry determined to move the main command to this point, and to this end returned toward camp Henderson by another route, hardly less wearisome and destitute of water than the former one. The place selected for a permanent camp was between some rifle-pits dug in the spring by Waymire's command and the place where he fought the Indians, on a small creek coming down from the hills, which sank about three miles from the base of the mountains. Earth- works were thrown up in the form of a star, to con- stitute a fort easily defended. Through this enclosure ran a stream of pure water, and there was room for the stores and the garrison, the little post being called Camp Alvord. Here were left Barry's infan- try and the disabled cavalry horses and their riders; and on the 22d of June Curry set out with the main cavalry to form a junction with Drake, somewhere in the vicinity of Harney Lake, which junction was effected on the 1st of July at Drake's camp on Rattle- snake Creek, Harney Valley.
For a period of thirty days captains Drake and Curry acted in conjunction, scouting the country in every direction where there seemed any prospect of finding Indians, and had meantime been reënforced by Lieutenant Noble with forty Warm Spring Indians, which brought the force in the field up to about four hundred. Small parties were kept continually mov- ing over the country, along the base of the Blue Mountains, on the head waters of the John Day, and over toward Crooked River, as well as southward toward the southern immigrant trail, which was more especially under the protection of Colonel Drew. Mining and immigrant parties from California were frequently fallen in with, nearly every one of which had suffered loss of life or property, or both, and wherever it was possible the troops pursued the Ind- ians with about the same success that the house-dog pursues the limber and burrowing fox. Few skir-
501
INDIANS ON JORDAN CREEK.
mishes were had, and not a dozen Indians killed from April to August. In the mean time all the stock was driven off from Antelope Valley, a settled re- gion sixty-five miles east of The Dalles, and about the same distance west of the crossing of the south fork of the John Day; and nothing but a continuous wall of troops could prevent these incursions.
About the 1st of August Curry, who with Drake had been scouting in the Malheur mountains, sepa- rated from the latter and returned toward Camp Alvord. Before he reached that post he was met by an express from Fort Boisé, with the information that a stock farmer on Jordan Creek, a branch of the Owyhee, had been murdered, and his horses and cat- tle driven off. Twenty-one miners of the Owyhee district had organized and pursued the Indians eighty miles in a south-west direction, finding them encamped in a deep cañon, where they were attacked. The Indians, being in great numbers, repulsed the miners with the loss of one killed24 and two wounded. A second company was being organized, 160 strong, and Colonel Maury had taken the field with twenty-five men from Fort Boisé. Curry pushed on to Camp Alvord, a distance of 350 miles, though his command had not rested since the 22d of June, arriving on the 12th with his horses worn out, and 106 men out of 134 sick with dysentery.25 The Warm Spring Indians, who were constantly moving about over the country, brought intelligence which satisfied Curry that the marauding bands had gone south into Nevada. Con- sequently on the 2d of September, the sick having partially recovered, the main command was put in motion to follow their trail. Passing south, through the then new and famous mining district of Puebla Valley, where some prospectors were at work with a sınall quartz-mill, using sage-brush for fuel, a party
24 M. M. Jordan, the discoverer of Jordan Creek mines, was killed.
25 In the absence of medicines, Surgeon Cochrane's supply being exhausted, and himself one of the sufferers, an infusion of the root of the wild geranium, found in that country, proved effective.
502
MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS.
of five Indians was captured forty miles beyond. Surmising that they belonged to the band which attacked the rancho on Jordan Creek, they would have been hanged but for the interference of the miners of Puebla, who thought they should be more safe if mercy were shown. Yielding to their wishes, the Indians, who asserted that they were Pah Utes, were released. But the mercy shown then was atro- ciously rewarded, for they afterward returned and murdered these same miners.26 The heat and dust of the alkali plains of Nevada retarding the convales- cence of the troops, Curry proceeded no farther than Mud Lake, returning by easy marches on the west side of Steen Mountain to Camp Alvord September 16th, breaking camp on the 26th and marching to Fort Walla Walla, the infantry and baggage-wagons being sent to Fort Boisé. Curry took the route down the Malheur to the immigrant road, where he was met October 14th by an express from district headquar- ters directing him if possible to be at The Dalles before the presidential election in November, fears being entertained that disloyal voters would make that the occasion of an outbreak. If anything could infuse new energy into the Oregon cavalry, it was a prospect of having to put down rebellion, and Curry was at Walla Walla twelve days afterward, where the com- mand was formally dissolved, company A going into garrison there, the detachment of F to Lapwai, and company E to The Dalles, where the election proceeded quietly in consequence. Drake's command remained in the field until late in autumn, making his head- quarters at Camp Dahlgren, on the head waters of Crooked River, and keeping lieutenants Waymire, Noble, and others scouring the country between the Cascade and Blue mountains.
While these operations were going on in eastern Oregon, that strip of southern country lying along
26 Report of Captain Curry, in Rept Adjt Gen. Or., 1866, 46.
503
ON THE CALIFORNIA FRONTIER.
the California line between the Klamath Lakes and Steen Mountain was being scoured as a separate district-being in fact a part of the district of Califor- nia. Toward the last of March, Colonel Drew, at Camp Baker in Jackson county, received orders from the department of the Pacific to repair to Fort Klam- ath, as soon as the road over Cascades could be trav- elled, and leaving there men enough to guard the government property, to make a reconnoissance to the Owyhee country, and return to Klamath post.
The snow being still deep on the summit of the mountains, in May a road was opened through it for several miles, and on the 26th the command left Camp Baker, arriving at Fort Klamath on the 28th. The Indians being turbulent in the vicinity of the fort, it became necessary to remain at that post until the 28th of June, when the expedition, consisting of thirty- nine enlisted men, proceeded to Williamson River, and thence to the Sprague River Valley, over a suc- cession of low hills, covered for the most part with an open forest of pines.27 He had proceeded no farther than Sprague River when his march was interrupted by news of an attack on a train from Shasta Valley proceeding by the way of Klamath Lake, Sprague River, and Silver Lake to the John Day Mines.28 Fortunately Lieutenant Davis from Fort Crook, Cal- ifornia, with ten men came up with the train in time to render assistance and prevent a massacre. The
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