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\"April 12, 1860 - laid upon the table, and ordered to be printed\" -- Title page.","@language":"en"}],"DigitalResourceOriginalRecord":[{"@value":"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/collections\/bcbooks\/items\/1.0221960\/source.json","@language":"en"}],"Extent":[{"@value":"269 pages : tables ; 22 cm","@language":"en"}],"FileFormat":[{"@value":"application\/pdf","@language":"en"}],"FullText":[{"@value":" 36th Congress, ) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.\n1st Session. \\\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nLETTER\nFROM\nTHE SECRETARY OF WAR,\nIn compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives, correspondence with General Harney, relating to affairs in the\nof Oregon.\nApril 12, 1860.\u2014Laid upon the table, and ordered to be printed\nWar Department, April 11, 1860.\nSir : I \"have the honor to transmit herewith copies of the papers\ncalled for by the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 2d\nultimo, by which the Secretary of War is requested to communicate\nto the House \"the official correspondence of Brigadier General William\nS. Harney, in command of the department of Oregon, relating to the\naffairs of that department.\"\nYery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nJOHN B. FLOYD,\nSecretary of War.\nHon. William Pennington,\nSpeaker of the House of Representatives.\nList of accompanying papers.\nI. Difficulties at San Juan Island.\n1. Mr. Marcy to Mr. Stevens, July 14, 1855.\n2. Same to Mr. Crampton, July IT, 1855.\n3. General Harney to Colonel Casey, July 18, 1859.\n4. Same to Captain Pickett, July 18, 1859.\n5. Same to General Scott, July 19,1859. 2 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n6. Mr. Drinkard to General Harney, September 3, 1859.\n7. General Harney to General Scott, August 1, 1859, enclosing\npetition of citizens at San Juan.\n8. Same to the Adjutant General, August 7, 1859.\na. From Colonel Casey, July 31, kwith enclosures from\nCaptain Pickett.\nb. From Captain Pickett, August 3, covering correspond\nence with Captain Hornby.\nc. Proclamation of Governor Douglas.\nd. Reply to same, August 6.\ne. To Captain Pickett, August 6.\n\/. To commander of the Pacific squadron, August 7.\ng. To General Clarke, August 7.\n9. Same to same, August 8, 1859.\n10. Mr. Drinkard to General Scott, September 16, 1859.\n11. General Harney to same, August 18, 1859.\na. To Colonel Casey, August 8.\nb. From same, August 12, covering correspondence with\nAdmiral Baynes.\nc. From same, August 14.\nd. To same, August 16.\ne. From Governor Gholson, August 11.\n\/. To Mr. Campbell, August 16.\n12. Same to the Adjutant General, August 25, 1859.\na. From Governor Douglas, August 13.\nb. Reply, August 24.\nc. Governor Douglas's message.\nd. Debate thereon.\ne. Article from the \"British Colonist.\"\n13. Same to same, August 29, 1859.\n14. Same to General Scott, August 30,1859, enclosing letters from\nColonel Casey, August 22.\n15. Same to Colonel Casey, September 2, 1859.\n16. Same to General Scott, September 14, 1859.\na. Affidavit of Mr. Hubbs.\nb. Affidavit of Mr. Cutler.\nc. Letter from Mr. Hubbs.\n17. Governor Gholson to General-Harney, August 21, 1859.\n18% General Harney to Mr. Floyd, October 10, 1859.\na. From Mr. Campbell, August 14.\nb. From same, August 30.\n19. General Scott to the Adjutant General, October 22, 1859.\n20. Same to same, October 26, 1859.\n21. Same to Mr. Floyd, October 27,-1859.\n22. General Harney to General Scott, October 29, 1859, enclosing\nletter from Colonel Casey, October 28.\n23. General Scott to Mr. Floyd, December 8, 1859.\na. Letter to Governor Douglas, October 25.\n6. Memorandum by Colonel Lay, October 26.\nc. From Governor Douglas, October 29.\nd. To same, November 2. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\ne. Projet of settlement.\n\/. From Governor Douglas, November 3.\ng. To same, November 5.\nh. Special orders, November 5.\ni. From,Governor Douglas.\nj. From same, November 7, with enclosure.\nk. To Governor Douglas, November 9, with enclosure.\nI. To Captain Hunt, November 9.\nm. To Colonel Casey, November 9.\nn. Colonel Thomas to General Harney, November 9.\no. General Scott to General Harney.\np. Special orders.\n24. General Harney to General Scott, November 17, 1859.\n25. Same to the Adjutant General, November 17, 1859.\n26. Same to same, January 24, 1860.\na. Resolutions of the legislature of Washington.\nII. Military affairs in the Department of Oregon.\n1. The Adjutant General to General Harney, September 14, 1858.\na. General orders, September 13.\n2. General Harney to General Scott, October 19, 1858.\n3. Same to same, October 24, 1859.\na. Orders, September 20.\nb. Orders, October 20.\n4. Same to same, October 29, 1858.\na. From Colonel Wright, October 28.\nb. Treaty with the Coeur d'Alenes.\nc. Treaty with the Spokanes.\nd. Treaty with the Nez Perces.\n5. Same to same, November 4, 1858.\n6. Same to same, November 5, 1858.\na. To Mr. De Smet, October 28.\n7. Same to same, November 22, 1858.\n8. Same to same, November 24, 1858.\n9. Same to same, November 27, 1858.\n10. Same to same, November 29, 1858.\na. From Captain Ingalls, November 22,1858.\nb. From Mr. Scholl, December 27, 1857.\nc. From Mr. Newell, December 31, 1857.\nd. From Mr. Palmer, January 3,1858.\ne. Distances from Vancouver to Salt Lake.\n11. Same to Adjutant General, December 6, 1858.\na. To Lieutenant Sill, December 2.\nb. From same, December 3.\nc. Charges against Lieutenant Sill.\n12. Same to same, December 8, 1853.\n13. Same to General Scott, January 20, 1859.\n14. The Adjutant General to General Harney, February 2, 1859.\n15. General Harney to General Scott, February 7, 1859.\n16. Same to same, same date. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n17. The Adjutant General to General Harney, February 19, 1859.\n18. Same to same, February 23, 1859.\n19. General Harney to Mr. Campbell, February 24, 1859.\n'20. Same to the Adjutant General, March 1, 1859.\n$1. Same to General Scott, March 7,1859.\na. From Lieutenant Scott, February 15.\n22. The Adjutant General to General Harney, March 18, 1859.\n23. General Harney to the Adjutant General, March 19, 1859.\na. From Major Alvord, March 18.\nb. Major Allen to Major Alvord, March 4.\nc. General Jesup to Colonel Swords, December 8, 1858.\n24. The Adjutant General to General Harney, March 19,1859.\n25. Same to same, March 30, 1859.\n26. Same to same, April 2, 1859.\n27. General Harney to the Adjutant General, April 5, 1859.\n28. Same to General Scott, April 6,1859.\na. From \" Gary,\" March 28.\n29. Same to same, April 16, 1859.\na. From Mr. Ruckell, January 31.\nb. From Captain Ingalls, March 9.\nc. To Major Wyse, March 10.\nd. From same, March 10.\ne. From Captain Ingalls, April 13.\n\/. Mr. Allen to Captain Ingalls, March 4.\ng. Colonel Swords to same, March 31.\nh. To Major Wyse, April 13.\ni. From same, April 13.\nj. Major Wyse to General Scott, April 13.\n30. Same to same, April 19, 1859.\n31. Same to same, April 21, 1859.\n32. Same to the Adjutant General, April 23, 1859.\n33. Same to General Scott, April 25, 1859.\n34. Same to Captain Wallen, April 28, 1859.\n35. The Adjutant General to General Harney, April 29, 1859.\na. To General Clarke, April 4.\n36. General Harney to the Adjutant General, May 7, 1859.\n37. The Adjutant General to General Harney, May 13, 1859.\na. Mr. Floyd to General Lawson, April 7.\n38. Same to same, May 13, 1859.\n39. General Harney to General Scott, May 21, 1859.\na. From Mr. Campbell, May 2.\n40. Same to same, June 1, 1859.\na. From Mr. De Smet, May 25.\nb. To Mr. Owen, May 28.\nc. From same, May 28.\nd. To same, May 28.\ne. To Mr. DeSmet, June 1.\n41. Same to same, June 3, 1859.\na. From Mr. De Smet, May 28.\n42. The Adjutant General to General Harney, July 2, 1859.\n43. Same to same, July 19, 1859.' AFFAIRS IN OREGON.. 5\n44. General Harney to General Scott, July 19, 1859.\n45. Same to same, July 20, 1859.\n46. Same to the Adjutant General, July 20, 1859.\n47. Same to General Scott, August 1, 1859.\n48. Same to same, August 3,1859.\n49. Same to the Adjutant General, August 5, 1859.\na. Charges against Lieutenant De Hart.\nb. To commander of Fort Vancouver, July 23.\nc. Order to Lieutenant De Hart, July 23.\nd. Lieutenant De Hart to post commander, July 23.\ne. Reply,\" July 24.\n\/. From Lieutenant De Hart, July 24.\ng. To commander of Fort Vancouver, July 30.\nh. Lieutenant De Hart to commander of Fort Yancouver,\nAugust 4.\ni. Same to General Scott, August 4.\nj. To Colonel Morris, August 4.\nk. Colonel Morris to Lieutenant De Hart, August 5.\n50. Lieutenant De Hart to General Scott, August 5, 1859.\n51. General Harney to General Scott, August 5, 1859.\n52. The Adjutant General to General Harney, August 10, 1859.\n53. Same to same, same date.\n54. General Harney to General Scott, August 15,1859.\na. From Captain Kirkham, August 4.\nb. From same, August 15.\nc. From Captain Ingalls, August 15.\n55. Colonel Merchant to the Adjutant General, August 17, 1859.\na. From Lieutenant Ihrie, August 1.\n56. General Harney to the Adjutant General, August 30, 185.9.\n57. Same to same, September 2, 1859.\n58. Same to General Scott, September 5, 1859.\n59. Same to same, September 15, 1859.\n60. The Adjutant General to General Harney, September 17,1859.\n61. Captain Wallen, to General Harney, August 16, forwarded\nSeptember 19, 1859.\n62. General Harney to the Adjutant General, September 19, 1859.\na. To Lieutenant Howard, August 13.\nb. From Captain Judah, September 12.\n63. The Adjutaut General to General Harney, October 4, 1859.\n64. General Harney to General Scott, October 6, 1859.\na. From Captain Wallen, October 1.\nb. From emigrants to Captain Wallen.\n65. Same to same, November 12, 1859.\na. From Mr. De'Smet, October 5.\n66. The Adjutant General to General Harney, November 19, 1859.\n67. General Harney to General Scott, November 22, 1859.\nG8. Same to the Adjutant General, December 9, 1859.\na. From General Scott, October 21.\nb. Post return of Fort Yancouver.\n69. The Adjutant General to General Harney, December 17, 1859.\n70. Same to same, same date. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n71. General Harney to General Scott, December 26, 1859.\na. Colonel Craig to Lieutenant Welcker, May 30.\nb. Lieutenant Welcker to Colonel Craig, August 2.\nc. Colonel Craig to Lieutenant Welcker, September 15.\nd. To Lieutenant Welcker, October 12.\ne. To same, December 24.\n\/. From same, December 26.\n72. Colonel Abert to Mr. Floyd, December 31, 1859.\n73. The Adjutant General to General Harney, January 12, 1860.\n74. General Harney to the Adjutant General, January 17, 1860.\na. From Captain Wallen, November 25, 1859.\nb. Lieutenant Bonnycastle, September 15, 1859.\nc. Mr. Scholl, December 3, 1859.\nd. Lieutenant Dixon, January \u2014, 1860.\ne. Lieutenant Houston, October 29, 1859.\n75. The Adjutant General to General Harney, January 18, 1860.\n76. Same to same, February 7, 1860.\n77. Colonel Craig to the Adjutant General, February 25, 1860.\na. From Lieutenant Welcker, August 1,1859.\nb. Agreement for occupancy of General Harney's property.\nc. From Lieutenant Welcker, October 5, 1859.\nd. From same, November 1, 1859.\nI. Difficulties at San Juan Island.\n1. Mr. Marcy to Mr. Stevens.\nDepartment of State,\nWashington, July 14, 1855.\nHe [the President] has instructed me to say to you that the officers\nof the Territory should abstain from all acts on the disputed grounds\nwhich are calculated to provoke any conflicts, so far as it can be done\nwithout implying the concession to the authority of Great Britain of\nan exclusive right over the premises.\nThe title ought to be settled before either party should exclude the\nother by force, or exercise complete and exclusive sovereign rights\nwithin the fairly disputed limits. Application will be made to the\nBritish government to interpose with the local authorities on the\nnorthern borders of our territory to abstain from like acts of exclusive\nownership, with the explicit understanding that any forbearance on\neither side to assert the rights, respectively, shall not be construed\ninto any concession to the adverse party.\nBy a conciliatory and moderate course on both sides, it is sincerely\nhoped that all difficulties will be avoided until an adjustment of the\nboundary line can be made in a manner mutually satisfactory. The AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 7\ngovernment of the United States will do what it can to have the line\nestablished at an early period.\nI am, sir, your obedient servant,\nW. L. MARCY.\nHis excellency I. I. Stevens,\nGovernor of Washington Territory, Olympia.\n2. Mr. Marcy to Mr. Crampton.\nDepartment of State,\nWashington, July 17, 1855.\nSir : I am under some apprehension that collision may take place\nbetween our citizens and British subjects in regard to the occupation\nof the disputed points along the line between Washington Territory\nand the British possessions on the north of it.\nIn the hope of avoiding such a difficulty, I have, by the direction\nof the President, addressed a letter to the governor of that Territory\non the subject, and herewith furnish you with an extract from it. I\npresume that the government of her Britannic Majesty will be willing\nto recommend to her subjects along the boundary in question a similar\ncourse until the line can be established. In that way I sincerely hope\nall collision may be avoided.\nI avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you, sir, the assurance of my high consideration.\nW. L. MARCY.\nJohn F. Crampton, Esq., &c, &c.\n3. General Harney to Colonel Casey.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., July 18, 1859.\nSir: By Special Orders No. 72, herewith enclosed, you will perceive\nthe general commanding has withdrawn the garrisons from Belling-\nham and Townsend, and has placed the steamer \"Massachusetts\"\nunder your orders for the better protection and supervision of the waters of Puget's Sound.\nTo carry out these instructions with more effect, the general commanding desires me to communicate to you the following directions :\nThe steamer ''Massachusetts | will proceed without delay to Belling-\nham, to be used in establishing company | D,\" 9th infantry, on San\nJuan island; after which she will convey company \"I\" of the 4th\ninfantry to Steilacoom, when the company you assign for service on\nthe steamer will be embarked under your supervision. Article 37,\ngeneral regulations: Troops on board of transports will, as far as\npracticable, govern in the disposition of the company on board. As\nno surgeon is available for the ship, medical attendance will be ob- 8 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\ntained at Fort Steilacoom or San Juan island, when required; medical\nsupplies, however, with directions for use, will be furnished by your \u25a0\nmedical officer for such probable cases of danger as will require immediate attention.\nAfter the ship has received the necessary stores and supplies, she\nwill be instructed to cruise in the sound among the islands frequented\nby the northern Indians, who will be warned not to come into any of\nthe waters under the jurisdiction of the United States, which embraces\nall the islands and currents to the east of the Straits of Haro.\nAny opposition by these Indians will be speedily checked, and the\nrequirements of these instructions will be maintained by force, if necessary. The ordinary rendezvous of the steamer Massachusetts, for\nwood and water, will be San Juan island; and should the commander\nof that island desire the assistance of any force from the ship for purposes connected with the defence of the island, the officer in command\nof the ship will be instructed to furnish the force and co-operate with\nthe troops in all measures requiring its,safety and protection. At the\nend of every two months tbe ship will visit Fort Steilacoom to obtain\nsupplies, and for the muster and inspection required by the regulations. The command on the steamer Massachusetts will be borne on\nthe post return of Fort Steilacoom, as a component part of its garrison.\nIn the ordinary cruising of the sound, the ship will be propelled by\nsail only, but at least four days' fuel for steam will be kept constantly\non board, to be used whenever necessity requires celerity of motion.\nThe ship will visit the light-houses on the sound in her cruises, and\nfurnish them any protection that may be needed. As the ship is\nmounted with eight thirty-two pounders, and the proper ammunition\nhas been provided, the crew will be instructed, under the direction of\nthe master of the vessel in their use, to obtain the most efficient action\nfrom all parties incases requiring it. Whenever circumstances occur\nrequiring a deviation from the tenor of these instructions, you are authorized to use your own discretion and judgment in the matter, reporting the occurrence to this office. The general commanding is pleased\nto communicate his confidence in the zeal, energy, and intelligence\nyou exercise in the discharge of your duties to the service, and he rests\nassured the details transmitted in this communication will be rendered\nwith satisfaction and advantage to such worthy qualities.\nI am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nA. PLEASONTON,\nCaptain Id Dragoons, Acting Ass't Adj't General.\nLieut. Colonel S. Casey,\n9th Infantry, commanding Fort Steilacoom, Puget's Sound. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n4. General Harney to Captain Pickett.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., July 18, 1859.\nCaptain: By Special Orders No. 72, a copy of which is enclosed, you\nare directed to establish your company at Bellevue or San Juan island,\nin some suitable position near the harbor at the southeastern extremity.\nThe general commanding instructs me to say the object to be attained\nin placing you thus is two-fold, viz : First. To protect the \"inhabitants of the island from the incursions of the northern Indians of\nBritish Columbia and the Russian possessions. You will not permit\nany force of these Indians to visit San Juan island or the waters of\nPuget Sound in that vicinity over which the United States have any\njurisdiction. Should these Indians appear peaceable you will warn\nthem in a quiet but firm manner to return to their country, and not\nvisit in future the territory of the United States; and in the event of\nany opposition being offered to your demands, you will use the most\ndecisive measures to enforce them; to which end the commander of the\ntroops stationed on the steamer Massachusetts will be instructed to\nrender every assistance and co-operation that will be necessary to enable your command to fulfil the tenor of these instructions.;\nSecond. Another serious and important duty will devolve upon you\nin the occupation of San Juan island, arising from the conflicting interests of the American citizens and the Hudson's Bay Company establishment at that point. This duty is to afford adequate protection to\nthe American citizens in their rights as such, and to resist all attempts\nat interference by the British authorities residing on Vancouver's\nisland, by intimidation or force, in the controversies of the above-\nmentioned parties.\nThis protection has been called for in consequence of the chief factor\nof the Hudson's Bay Company, Mr. Dallas, having recently visited\nSan Juan island with a British sloop-of-war, and threatened to take an\nAmerican citizen by force to Victoria for trial by British laws. It is\nhoped a second attempt of this kind will not be made, but to insure\nthe safety of our citizens the general commanding directs you to meet\nthe authorities from Victoria at once, on a second arrival, and inform\nthem they cannot be permitted to interfere with our citizens in any\nway. Any grievances they may allege as requiring redress can only\nbe examined under our own laws, to which they must submit their\nclaims in proper form.\nThe steamer Massachusetts will be directed to transport your command, stores, &c, to San Juan island, where you are authorized to\nconstruct such temporary shelter as the necessities of the service demand.\nAny materials, as doors, window-sash, flooring, etc., that can be\nrendered available will be taken with you from Fort Bellingham. To\nsecure to your command the vegetables of your garden a small detachment will be left to gather them when grown.\nThe general commanding is fully satisfied, from the varied experience and judgment displayed by you in your present command, that 10\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nyour selection to the duties with which you are now charged will advance the interests of the service, and that your disposition of the subjects coming within your supervision and action will enhance your\nreputation as a commander.\nIn your selection of a position, take into consideration that future\ncontingencies may require an establishment of from four to six companies retaining the command of the San Juan harbor.\nI am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\n' F ' K A. PLEASONTON,\nCaptain 2d Dragoons, Acting Assistant Adjutant General.\nCaptain George Pickett,\nCommanding company (< D,\" 9th Infantry,\nFort Bellingham, Puget's Sound.\n5. General Harney to General Scott.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., July 19, 1859.\nSir: * * * * * * ; * *\nOn the morning of the 9th instant I left Victoria and visited Belle-\nvue, or San Juan island, about ten miles to the east of Vancouver's\nIsland, on the opposite side of the Straits of Haro. This island is fifteen miles long and five or six broad. It contains fine timber, good\nwater, and grass, and is the most commanding position we possess on\nthe sound ; overlooking the Straits of Haro, the Straits of Fuca, and\nthe Rosario strait, it is the most suitable point from which to observe\nand prevent the northern Indians from visiting our settlements to the .\nsouth of it. At the southeastern extremity one of the finest harbors\non this coast is to be found, completely sheltered, offering the best\nlocation for a naval station on the Pacific coast.\nThe Hudson's Bay Company have an establishment on this island for\nthe purpose of raising sheep, which they export at eight dollars a\nhead. Twenty-five Americans, with their families, are also living\nupon the island ; and I was petitioned by them through the United\nStates inspector of customs, Mr. Hubbs, to place a force upon the island\nto protect them from the Indians, as well as the oppressive interference of the authorities of the Hudson's Bay Company at Victoria, with\ntheir rights as American citizens. Mr. Hubbs informed me that a\nshort time before my arrival the \"chief factor of the company at Victoria, Mr. Dallas, son-in-law of Governor Douglas, came to the island\nin the British sloop-of-war Satellite, and threatened to take one of the\nAmericans by force to Victoria for shooting a pig of the company. \u25a0\nThe American seized his rifle and told Mr. Dallas if any such attempt\nwas made he would kill him on the spot. The affair then ended.\nThe American offered to pay to the company twice the value of the\npig, which was refused.\nTo prevent a repetition of this outrage, I have ordered the company\nat Fort Bellingham to be established on San Juan island for the protection of our citizens, and the steamer Massachusetts is directed to AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 11\nrendezvous at that place with a second company to protect our interests in all parts of the sound.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nWILLIAM S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nThe Assistant Adjutant General,\nHeadquarters of the Army, New York City.\n6. Mr. Drinkard to General Harney.\nWar Department, September 3, 1859.\nSir : Your despatch of the 19th July last, addressed to the general-\nin-chief, has been forwarded to this department, and laid before the\nPresident for his consideration.\nThe President was not prepared to learn that you had ordered military possession to be taken of the island of San Juan or Bellevue.\nAlthough he believes the Straits of Haro to be the true boundary\nbetween Great Britain and the United States, under the treaty of June\n15, 1846, and that, consequently, this island, belongs to us, yet he\nhad not anticipated that so decided a step would have been resorted to\nwithout instructions. In cases respecting territory in dispute between\nfriendly nations it is usual to suffer the status of the parties to remain\nuntil the dispute is terminated one way or the other, and this more\nespecially whilst the question is pending for decision before a joint\ncommission of the two governments. If you had good reason to believe that the colonial authorities of Great Britain were about to disturb the status, by taking possession of the island and assuming jurisdiction over it, you were in the right to anticipate their action,\n***** The President will not, for the present,\nform any decided opinion upon your course on the statement of facts\npresented in your despatch. He will await further details, which he\nexpects to receive from you by the next steamer. He is especially\nanxious to ascertain whether, before you proceeded to act, you had\ncommunicated with Commissioner Campbell, who could not then have\nbeen distant from you, and who was intrusted by this government, in\nconjunction with the British commissioner, to decide this very boundary question.\nIn the meantime care ought to be taken to apprise the British\nauthorities that possession has thus been taken solely with the view of\nprotecting the rights of our citizens on the island, and preventing the\nincursions of the northern Indians into our territory, and not with any\nview of prejudging the question in dispute or retaining the island\nshould the question be finally decided against the United States.\nYery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nW. R. DRINKARD,\nActing Secretary of War\nBrigadier General Wm. S. Harney,\nCommanding department of Oregon, Fort Vancouver. 12\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n7. General Harney to General Scott.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., August 1, 1859.\nSir : I have the honor to enclose, for the information of the general-\nin-chief, a copy of a petition of the American citizens on San Juan\nisland, Puget's Sound, for protection from the constant incursions of\nmarauding Indians.\nThe requirements of this petition were anticipated by the establishment of company \"D,\" 9th infantry, upon the island, and the disposition of the steamer Massachusetts to act in concert with that company, as contained in Special Orders No. 72 from these headquarters,\na copy of which order has already been transmitted to your office.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nW. S. HARNEY, ;\nBrigadier General, Commanding. t\nAssistant Adjutant General,\nHeadquarters of the Army, New York City.\nla.\nSan Juan Island, July 11, 1859.\nTo General Harney, Commander-in-Chief\nof the Pacific division of the United States army:\nThe undersigned, American citizens on the island of San Juan, would\nrespectfully represent: That in the month of April, in the year one\nthousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, the house of the United States\ninspector of customs for this island was attacked and fired into in the\nnight by a party of Indians living on this island, and known as the\nClallams, and had it not been for the timely aid of the Hudson's Bay\nCompany, the inspector would have fallen a victim to their savage\ndesigns. In the month of July following we found on the beach, close\nto the above-mentioned Indian camp, the bodies of two white men,\napparently Americans, who had, when found, cotton cords about their\nnecks which had been used to conceal them under water. Last fall\nanother daring murder was committed in the middle of the day, and\nin the plain sight of us all here, without the slightest chance of our\nrendering them assistance. Only ten days ago another body was\nfound on our shore which had been the victim of foul play. Inclusive\nwith the above dangers that we are exposed to from our neighboring\nIndians, we are continually in fear of a descent upon us by the bands\nof marauding northern Indians, who infest these waters in large numbers, and are greatly retarding the progress of the settlement of this\nisland.\nAccording to the treaty concluded June 15,1846, between the United\nStates and Great Britain, (the provisions of which are plain, obvious,\nand pointed to us all here,) this and all the islands east of the Canal AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n13\nde Haro belong to us ; we therefore claim American protection in our\npresent exposed and defenceless position.\nWith a view of these facts, and for the essential advantage of having\nthis and the surrounding islands immediately settled, we most earnestly\npray that you will have stationed on this island a sufficient military\nforce fc> protect us from the above-mentioned dangers until we become\nsufficiently strong to protect ourselves.\nJ. M. Haggaret. Noil Ent.\nSamuel McCauley. Michael Farris.\nJ. E. Higgins. George Perkins.\nChas. H. Hubbs. Alex. McDonald.\n^\u2014L A. Cutlar. Peter Johnson.\nWilliam Butler. Angus McDonald.\nJ. D. Warren. William Smith.\nH. Wharton, jr. Charles McCoy.\nJohn Witty. D. W. Oakes.\nB. S. Andrews. Paul K. Hubbs, jr.\nJohn Hunter McKay. Paul K. Hubbs.\n8. General\nto the Adjutant General.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., August 7, 1859.\nColonel : I have the honor to enclose, for the information of the\nWar Department, a copy of a proclamation of Governor Douglas of\nher Britannic Majesty's island of Yancouver, also a copy of my reply\nto the same, with a copy of a letter I have addressed to the senior officer of our navy on this coast, requesting him to send a proper force to\nobserve the British vessels-of-war, which are being used to threaten,\nwith attempts to intimidate, our people on the Sound.\nI have also the honor to enclose a correspondence between Captain\nGeorge Pickett, 9th infantry, commanding on San Juan island, and\nCaptain Hornby, the senior officer commanding her Majesty's ships\n\"Tribune,\" ''Plumper,\" and \"Satellite.\"\nThe threatening attitude the British authorities have seen proper\nto assume has caused me to order Lieutenant Colonel Casey to reinforce Captain Pickett'with his three companies from Fort Steilacoom,\nwhich post will be occupied by four companies of the 3d artillery\nfrom Fort Yancouver until further orders.\nIn my report of July 19, 1859, to the headquarters of the army, I\nstated I had ordered the company from Fort Bellingham to San Juan\nisland to protect the American citizens residing on that island from\nthe insults and indignities which the British authorities of Vancouver's\nisland did not hesitate to offer them on every occasion. On my visit\nto San Juan island, mentioned in that report, the United States\ninspector of customs on the island, Mr. Hubbs, made an official complaint in behalf of the American citizens of the outrages perpetrated\nupon them by the British authorities of Vancouver's island, who are\nconnected with the Hudson's Bay Company establishment, and who 14\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nhave a sheep farm on the island. This company pretend to own the\nwhole island, which is some fifteen or twenty miles long, and five or\nsix broad\u2014while their improvements on the island are a few old\nhpuses and some small fields under enclosure.\nA week or ten days ago, before my arrival on that island, one of the\nAmericans shot a pig belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, after\nhaving been greatly provoked by the person in charge, to whom he\nhad applied to have the pig secured, as it damaged his fields. This\nrequest was treated with contempt, and the pig was shot, the American\noffering twice the value for the animal, which was refused. The next\nday the British ship-of-war \"Satellite,\" with Mr. Dallas on board,\nwho is the chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and a son-in-\nlaw of Governor Douglas, visited the island and threatened to take\nthe American to Victoria, by force, for trial. The American resisted,\nseized his rifle, and in return told Mr. Dallas he might take him, but\nhe would kill him first. I was also informed that the Hudson's Bay\nCompany had threatened at different times to send the northern Indians down upon them and drive them from the island. This statement has since been confirmed to me by some of the most reliable\ncitizens of the Sound. I felt it my duty, therefore, to give these citizens the protection they sought with just and pressing claims.\nGovernor Douglas is the father-in-law of Mr. Dallas, and, having\nthe local rank of vice-admiral, he commands the British navy in the\nSound. This accounts in some measure for the use of the British\nships-of-war in the supervision of the interests of the Hudson's Bay\nCompany. To attempt to take, by an armed force, an American\ncitizen from our soil, to be tried by British laws, is an insult to our\nflag and an outrage upon the rights of our people, that has aroused\nthem to a high state of indignation. I therefore most respectfully\nrequest the President to consider the necessities for an increased naval\nforce on this station, to give confidence to the people that their rights\nwill be respected.\nIt would be well for the British government to know the American\npeople of this coast will never sanction any claim they may assert to\nany other island in Puget's Sound than that of Vancouver's, south of\nthe 49th parallel and east of the Canal de Haro ; any attempt at possession by them will be followed by a collision.\nI desire to assure the department that while there is no one more\ndesirous than myself for an amicable settlement of the difficulties\nraised by the British authorities of Vancouver's island at this time, I\nshall use all the means at my command to maintain the position I\nhave assumed in regard to San Juan island ; being fully convinced\nthat whatever respect and consideration might have been yielded to\nthe statements of a doubtful claim advanced in due form have been\nforfeited by the overbearing, insulting, and aggressive conduct her\nMajesty's executive officers have displayed not only towards our citizens but to the officer commanding our troops at San Juan.\nI am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nW. S. HARNEY,\n_ \u00a3 [ _ V Brigadier General, Commanding.\nColonel S. Cooper, Adjutant General, Washington City, D. C. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n15\nFort Steilacoom, July 31, 1859.\nCaptain : I have the honor to report that I have despatched the Massachusetts to-day with Major Haller's company \"I,\" 4th infantry, for\nSan Juan island. I sent, also, on the same steamer, Lieutenant Shaaff\nand twenty men, to report for duty with the boundary commission,\nat Semiahmoo.\nI have directed the acting assistant quartermaster at this post to\nforward to San Juan the articles which Captain Pickett informed me\nhe required, and which could be spared from this post. I have also\ndirected the steamer to take from Fort Townsend a small boat and\nsome tarpaulines, which are much needed at San Juan.\nI have directed, in case contrary orders are not received from department headquarters, that the steamer Massachusetts shall stop at Fort\nTownsend, in returning to this post on the 31st proximo, (for the\nmuster and inspection of the company,) and take on board all the\npublic property and the detachment of men and convey them to this\npost.\nI directed that one sergeant and two privates be left there until\nfurther orders, to take charge of the public quarters and gardens.\nI have enclosed, for the information of the general, copies of communications which have passed between Captain Pickett and the\nagent of the Hudson's Bay Company at San Juan, also a note which\nI received from the captain. Not having been informed of the tenor\nof Captain Pickett's instructions, I could not, of course, advise him\nwith regard to them. The authorities on the other side are trying to\nbluff a little, but I do not apprehend anything serious.\nYery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nSILAS CASEY,\nLieutenant Colonel 9th Infantry, Commanding Post.\nCaptain Alfred Pleasonton,\nActing Assistant Adjutant General, U. S. A.,\nDepartment of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\n[Enclosures.]\n1. Captain Pickett to Colonel Casey, July 30.\n2. Mr. Griffin to Captain Pickett, July 30.\n3. Captain Pickett to Mr. Griffin, July 30.\n8 a.\nTT\nMilitary Camp,\nSan Juan Island, W. T, July 30, 1859.\nMy Dear Colonel : I have the honor to enclose you some notes which\npassed this morning between the Hudson's Bay authorities and myself.\nFrom the threatening attitude of affairs at present, I deem it my duty 16\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nto request that the Massachusetts may be sent at once to this point.\nI do not know that any actual collision will take place, but it is not\ncomfortable to be lying within range of a couple of war steamers.\nThe \" Tribune,\" a 30-gun frigate, is lying broadside to our camp,\nand from present indications everything leads me to suppose that they\nwill attempt to prevent my carrying out my instructions.\nIf you have any boats to spare I should be happy to get one at least.\nThe only whale boat we had was, most unfortunately, staved on the\nday of our departure.\nWe will be very much in want of some tools and camp equipage.\nI have not the time, colonel, to make out the proper requisition, but\nif your quartermaster can send us some of these articles it will be of\ngreat service,\nI am, sir, in haste, very truly, your obedient servant,\nG. E. PICKETT,\nCaptain 9th Infantry.\nLieutenant Colonel S. Casey,\n9th Infantry, Commanding Fort Steilacoom, W. T.\nP. S.\u2014The Shubrick has rendered us every assistance in her power ;\nand I am much indebted for the kindness of officers.\nBellevue Farm, San Juan, July 30, 1859.\nSir : I have the honor to inform you that the island of San Juan,\non which your camp is pitched, is the property and in the occupation\nof the Hudson's Bay Company, and to request that you and the whole\nof the party who have landed from the American vessels will immediately cease to occupy the same. Should you be unwilling to comply\nwith_ my request, I feel bound to apply to the civil authorities.\nAwaiting your reply,\nI have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,\nCHAS. JNO. GRIFFIN,\nAgent Hudson's Bay\nCaptain Pickett, &c, dc, dc.\n8 a.\n3.\nMilitary Camp,\nSan Juan, W. T., July 30, 1859.\nSir : Your communication of this instant has been received. I have\nto state in reply that I do not acknowledge the right of the Hudson's\nBay Company to dictate my course of action. I am here by virtue of AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n17\nan order from my government, and shall remain till recalled by the\nsame authority.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nGEORGE E. PICKETT,\nCaptain 9th V. S. Infantry, Commanding.\nMr. Charles J. Griffin,\nAgent Hudson!s Bay Company, San Juan Island, W. T.\n8 5.\nMilitary Post,\nSan Juan, W. T., August 3, 10 p. m.\nCaptain : I have the honor to report the following circumstances:\nThe British ships the \"Tribune,\" the \"Plumper,\" and the \"Satellite,\"\nare lying here in a menacing attitude. I have been warned off by the\nHudson's Bay agent; then a summons was sent me to appear before a\nMr. De Courcy, an official of her Britannic Majesty. To-day I received\nthe enclosed communications, and I also enclose my answer to same.\nI had to deal with three captains, and I thought it better to take\nthe brunt of it. They have a force so much superior to mine that it\nwill be merely a mouthful for them ; still I have informed them that\nI am here by order of my commanding general, and will maintain my\nposition if possible.\nThey wish to have a conjoint occupation of the island : I decline\nanything of that kind. They can, if they choose, land at almost any\npoint on the island, and I cannot prevent them. I have used the utmost\ncourtesy and delicacy in my intercourse ; and, if it is possible, please\ninform me at such an early hour as to prevent a collision. The utmost\nI could expect to day was to suspend any proceeding till they have time\nto digest a pill which I gave them. They wish to throw the onus on\nme, because I refused to allow them to land an equal force, and each of\nus to have military occupation, thereby wiping out both civil authorities.\nI say I cannot do so until I hear from the general.\nI have endeavored to impress them with the idea that my authority\ncomes directly through you from Washington.\nThe \" Pleiades\" left this morning for San Francisco with Colonel\nHawkins.\nThe excitement in Victoria and here is tremendous. I suppose some\nfive hundred people have visited us. I have had to use a great deal of\nmy peace-making disposition in order to restrain some of the sovereigns.\nPlease excuse this hasty, and, I am almost afraid, unintelligible,\nletter, but the steamer is waiting, and I have been writing under the\nmost unfavorable circumstances. I must add that they seem to doubt\nthe authority of the general commanding, and do not wish to acknowledge his right to occupy this island, which they say is in dispute,\nunless the United States government have decided the question with\nGreat Britain. *I have so far staved them off, by saying that the two\ngovernments have without doubt settled this affair ; but this state of\nH. Ex. Doc. 65 2 18\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\naffairs cannot last, therefore I most respectfully ask that an express be\nsent me immediately on my future guidance. I do not think there are\nany moments to waste. In order to maintain our dignity we must\noccupy in force, or allow them to land in equal force, which they can\ndo now, and possibly will do in spite of my diplomacy. \u2022.\nI have the honor to enclose all the correspondence which has taken\nplace. Hoping that my course of action will meet with the approval\nof the general commanding, and that I may hear from him in regard\nto my furture course at once,\nI remain, captain, your obedient servant,\nG. E. PICKETT,\nCaptain 9th Infantry, Commanding Post.\nCaptain A. Pleasonton,\nMounted Dragoons, Adjutant General,\nDepartment of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\n[Enclosures.]\n1. Captain Hornby to Captain Pickett, August 3.\n2. Captain Pickett to Captain Hornby, August 3.\n3. Captain Hornby to Captain Pickett, August 3.\n4. Same to same, August 3.\n5. Captain Pickett to Captain Hornby, August 3.\n8 ft.\n1.\nHer Majesty's Ship \" Tribune,\"\nGriffin Bay, Island of San Juan, August 3,1859.\nSir : Having received instructions from his excellency Governor I\nDouglas to communicate with you in reference to the landing of the\nUnited States troops under your command on the island of San Juan,\nI have the honor to propose a meeting should take place between yourself and any other officers of the United States military forces on the\none part, and captains of her Britannic Majesty's ships on the other,\n(on board, her Majesty's ship \" Tribune,\") at any hour that may be I\nconvenient to you, that we may, if possible, conclude such arrange-1\nments as will tend to preserve harmony between the subjects of the J\ntwo States in this island.\nI have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,\nGEOFFREY PHIPPS HORNBY, Captain.\nCaptain Pickett,\nCommanding Detachment United States Troops, Island San Juan.l AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n8 6.\n2.\n19\nMilitary Post,\nSan Juan, W. T, August 3, 1859.\nSir : Your communication of this instant, favored by Lieutenant\nDunlop, has been received. I have the honor to say, in reply, that I\nshall most cheerfully meet yourself, and whatever officers of her\nMajesty's service that you may select, in my camp at whatever hour\nyou may choose to designate. Be assured that my wish corresponds\nwith yours to preserve harmony between our respective governments.\nI remain, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nGEORGE E. PICKETT,\nCaptain 9th United States Infantry, Commanding.\nCaptain Phipps Hornby,\nCommanding her Britannic Majesty's Ship \"Tribune,\"\nHarbor of San Juan, W. T.\n8 5.\n3.\nHer Majesty's Ship \" Tribune,\"\nGriffin Bay, Island of San Juan, August 3, 1859.\nSir : In reply to your letter of this morning, I have to inform you\nthat I shall do myself the honor of calling on you at 2 p. m., in company with the captains of her Britannic Majesty's ships.\nI have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,\nG. PHIPPS HORNBY, Captain.\nCaptain Pickett,\nCommanding Detachment U. S. Troops, Island of San Juan.\n8 5.\n4.\nHer Majesty's Ship \" Tribune,\"\nSan Juan Island, August 3, 1859.\nSir: In accordance with your request for a written communication,\nI have the honor to transmit the substance of the declarations and\npropositions made by me to you to-day.\n) > Having drawn your attention to the extract of a despatch from Mr.\nMarcy, Secretary of State, to his excellency Governor Stevens, dated\nJuly 14, 1855, prescribing the conduct that should be pursued by the\nofficers of the United States in respect of the disputed grounds, I asked\nif that was the tenor of your present instructions, or if the relations of\nthe two States had been placed on other than a friendly footing by any\nof a more recent date.\nTo this you replied by referring to the date of the despatch. 20\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nI then asked you, in the name of Governor Douglas, the terms on\nwhich you had occupied the island of San Juan ; to which you replied\nthat you did so bv order of the \" general commanding,\" to protect it\nas a part of the United States territory, and that you believed he acted\nunder orders from the government at Washington.\nI then presented to you the governor's protest against any such\noccupation or claim. I represented to you that the fact of occupying\na disputed island by a military force necessitated a similar action on\nour part; that again involved the imminent risk of a collision between\nthe forces, there being a magistrate of each nation now acting on the\nisland, either of whom might call on those of their country for aid._\n|i prevent the chance ol such collision, I suggested that a joint military occupation might take place, and continue until replies could be\nreceived from our respective governments; and, during such times, that\nthe commanding officers of the forces should control and adjudicate\nbetween their respective countrymen, the magistrates being withdrawn\non both sides, or the action of their courts suspended for the time\nbeing, their employment not being necessary under a joint military\noccupation.\nI suggested this course as apparently the only one left (short of\nentire evacuation by the troops under your command) likely to produce the object so much to be desired, viz: the prevention of a collision\nbetween the forces or authorities of the two countries, landed or in the\nharbor of San Juan\u2014an event which must lead to still more disastrous\nresults, by permanently estranging the friendly relations subsisting\nbetween Great Britain and the United States of America.\nYou replied that you had not authority to conclude such terms, but\nsuggested the reference of them to General Harney and Governor\nDouglas, without interference in any way with our liberty of action.\nI pointed out that my proposition was strictly in accordance with\nthe principles laid down in Mr. Marcy's despatch, and that yours, on\nthe other hand, offered no security against the occurrence of some\nimmediate evil.\nThat as officers of the United States government had committed an\nact of aggression by landing an armed force on this island pending'\nthe settlement of our respective claims to its sovereignty, without\nwarning to us, and without giving you a discretionary power of\nmaking any necessary arrangements, that the United States and its\nofficers alone must be responsible for any consequences that might\nresult, either immediate or future.\nI agreed to your request to furnish you with the substance of the\nconversation in writing, and concluded by informing you that having\nnow made what seemed to me a most equitable and simple proposition,\nI reserved to myself, in the event of your non-acceptance of it, entire\nliberty of action either for the protection of British subjects and\nproperty, or of our claims to the sovereignty of the island, until they\nare settled by the Northwest Boundary Commission now existing, or\nby the respective governments.\nI believe I have now given you the substance of our conversation,\nand have only to add my regret that you were not able to agree to a AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 21\ncourse which it appears to me would totally avoid the risk of a collision.\nThe responsibility of any such catastrophe does not, I feel, rest on.\nme or on her Majesty's representative at Yancouver's island.\nI have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,\nGEOFFREY PHIPPS HORNBY,\nCaptain and Senior Officer.\nCaptain. George Pickett,\nCommanding Detachment of United States 9th Regiment.\nMilitary Post,\nIsland of San Juan, W. T., August 3, 11 p. m.\nSir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date, in reference to the conversation which was held\nto-day between ourselves and Captains Prevost and Richards. Your\nrecollection of said conversation seems to be very accurate. There is\none point, however, which I dwelt upon particularly, and which I\nmust endeavor, as the officer representing my government, to impress\nupon you, viz : That, as. a matter of course, I, being here under\norders from my government, cannot allow any joint occupation until\nso ordered by my commanding general, and that any attempt to make\nsuch occupation as you have proposed, before I can communicate with\nGeneral Harney, will be bringing on a collision which can be avoided\nby awaiting this issue. I do not for one moment imagine that there\nwill any difficulty occur on this island which will render a military\ninterference necessary ; and I therefore deem it proper to state that I\nthink no discredit can reflect upon us, or our respective flags, by\nremaining in our present positions until we have an opportunity of\nhearing from those higher in authority.\nI hope, most sincerely, sir, you will reflect on this, and hope you\nmay coincide with me in my conclusion. Should you see fit to act\notherwise, you will then be the person who will bring on a most\ndisastrous difficulty, and not the United States officials.\nI have thus hurriedly answered your communication, in order to\navoid any delay and its consequences.\nI remain, with much respect, your obedient servant,\nGEORGE E. PICKETT,\nCaptain 9th Infantry, Commanding Post.\nCapt. G. Phipps Hornby,\nCommanding her Britannic Majesty's ship \" Tribune,\"\nHarbor of San Juan, Washington Territory.\n. 22\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n8c.\nn and\nvice-\nBy James Douglas, C. B., governor and commander-in-chief in\nover the colony of Yancouver's island and its dependencies,\nadmiral of the same, &c.\nThe sovereignty of the island of San Juan and of the whole of the\nHaro archipelago\", has always been undeviatingly claimed to be in the\ncrown of Great Britain. Therefore, I, James Douglas, do hereby,\nformally and solemnly, protest against the occupation of the said\nisland, of any part of the said archipelago, by any person whatsoever,\nfor or on behalf of any other power, hereby protesting and declaring\nthat the sovereignty thereof by right now is, and always hath been,\nin her Majesty Queen Yictoria and her predecessors, Kings of Great\nBritain.\nGiven under my hand and seal, at Yictoria, Yancouver's island, on\nr n this second day of August, one thousand eight hundred and\nLL\u00ab S-J fifty-nine, and in the twenty-third year of her Majesty's reign.\nJAMES DOUGLAS.\n8d.\nHeadquarters Department op Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, August 6, 1859.\nSir : I have the honor to inform you of the receipt of an official\ncopy of a protest made by you to the occupation of San Juan island, in\nPuget's Sound, by a company of United States troops under my command.\nThis official copy was furnished by Captain Hornby, of her Majesty's\nship \"Tribune,\" to the United States officer in command at San Juan\nisland, Captain George Pickett, of the 9 th infantry of the American\narmy, together with a communication threatening a joint occupation\nof San Juan island by the forces of her Majesty's ships \"Tribune,\"\n\"Plumper,\" and \"Satellite,\" now in the harbor of that island by\nyour orders.\nAs the military commander of the department of Oregon, assigned\nto that command by the orders of the President of the United States,\nI have the honor to state, for your information, that by such authority\ninvested in me I placed a military command upon the island of San\nJuan to protect the American citizens residing on that island from the .\ninsults and indignities which the British authorities of Yancouver's\nisland and the establishment of the Hudson's Bay Company recently\noffered them, by sending a British ship-of-war from Yancouver's island\nto convey the chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company to San Juan\nfor the purpose of seizing an American citizen and forcibly transporting him to Yancouver's island to be tried by British laws.\nI have reported this attempted outrage to my government, and they AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 23\nwill doubtless seek the proper redress from the British government.\nIn the meantime, I have the honor to inform your excellency I shall\nnot permit a repetition of that insult, and shall retain a command on\nSan Juan island to protect its citizens, in the name of the United\nStates, until I receive further orders from my government.\nI have the honor to be, very respectfully, vour obedient servant,\nW. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General United States Army, Commanding.\nHis excellency James Douglas, C. B.,\nGovernor of Vancouver's Island, &c.,\nVice-Admiral of the same.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, August 6,1859.\n. Captain: The general commanding instructs me to inform you of\nthe receipt of Governor Douglas's protest to the occupation of San Juan\nisland, and directs me to enclose a communication, which you will request Captain Hornby, of her Majesty's ship \" Tribune,\" to transmit\nto Governor Douglas with all convenient despatch.\nThe general approves the course you have pursued, and further\ndirects that no joint occupation or any civil jurisdiction will be permitted on San Juan island by the British authorities under any circumstances.\nLieutenant Colonel Casey is ordered to reinforce you with his command as soon as possible.\nSend Lieutenant Howard to Fort Steilacoom in arrest.\nI am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nA. PLEASONTON,\nCapt. 2d Dragoons, Acting Asst. Adjt. General.\n' Captain George Pickett,\n9th Infantry, Com'g on San Juan Island, Puget's Sound, W. T.\n8\/.\nHeadquarters Department oi Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, August 7, 1859.\nI Sir : I have the honor to enclose for your information a copy of a\nproclamation of Governor Douglas, the executive officer of her Britannic Majesty's island of Yancouver, in Puget's Sound; also my reply-\nto this proclamation, as far as it affects the rights of American citizens whose interests have been confided to the protection of my command ; and I desire further to inform you that at this time I have a\ncompany of United States troops in possession of San Juan island, to 24 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nprevent any repetition of the insults that have been offered to our citizens by the British authorities of Yancouver's island. This company\nI have ordered to be strongly reinforced, which the British authorities\nhave threatened not to permit, but also to remove the present force\nfrom the island. This I do not believe they will attempt, but I shall\nmake every effort to meet and frustrate any designs to place such an\nindignity upon our flag ; and as we have no national vessel belonging\nto our navy*in the waters of Puget's Sound to observe the three British\nvessels of war that have been placed in a threatening attitude over\nthe harbor of San Juan island, I have the honor to request you, as\nthe commander of the United States naval forces on the Pacific, to\norder to Puget's Sound such force as you can render available to assist\nin the protection of American interests in that quarter, and to enable\nus to meet successfully any issue that may be attempted to be made\nout of the present impending difficulties.\nThis communication is transmitted through Brigadier General\nClarke, commanding department of California, not having the honor\nof your acquaintance or a knowledge of your station.\nI shall forward immediately a copy of this letter to the Secretary of\nWar, for the information of the President.\nI am, sir, with high regard, your obedient servant,\nW. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General United States Army, Commanding.\nThe Senior Oeeicer of the United States Navy,\nCommanding Squadron on the Pacific Coat.\nHeadquarters Department op Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, August 7, 1859.\nGeneral : I have the honor to enclose a communication for the senior\nofficer of the navy commanding on the Pacific coast, in which I have\nrequested a force from his command, to be stationed on Puget's Sound,\nto observe the British men-of-war that are assuming a threatening\nattitude towards a company of infantry I have placed on San Juan\nisland.\nI will thank you, general, to cause this communication to be transmitted to the proper officer of the navy at your earliest opportunity,\nas speedy action on his part will do much to allay the excitement\"\n^ , J? \"fast spreading among our people at the overbearing conduct\not the British authorities.\nI enclose for your information copies of Governor Douglas's proclamation, and my reply to the same.\nI enclose, also, an important communication for the Adjutant Gen- AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 25\neral, which should reach him as early as possible; perhaps an express\nline would be more certain and speedy than the mail.\nI am, general, with high respect, your obedient servant,\nW. S HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nBrigadier General N. S. Clarke,\nCommanding Department of California,\nSan Francisco, California.\n9. General Harney to the Adjutant General.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, August 8, 1859.\nColonel : In connexion with my report of yesterday's date, I desire\nto state that the island of San Juan has for months past been under\nthe civil jurisdiction of Whatcom county, Washington Territory\u2014a\njustice of the peace had been established on the island\u2014the people had\nbeen taxed by the county, and the taxes were paid by the foreigners\nas well as Americans. An inspector of customs, a United States officer\nof the Treasury Department, had been placed upon the island in the\ndischarge of his proper duties. The British authorities at Yancouver's\nisland were aware of all of these facts, and never attempted to exercise\nany authority on the island, except clandestinely, as reported yesterday in the case of the pig which was killed.\nWhen Governor Douglas heard of the arrival of Captain Pickett's\ncommand at San Juan, he appointed a justice of the peace and other\ncivil authorities at Yictoria, and sent them over in the British ship-of-\nwar \"Plumper\" to execute British laws in the island. Captain\nPickett refused to permit them to act as such, and I have sustained\nhim in his position. I believe I have now fully and fairly explained\nall the facts which have any bearing upon the occupation of San Juan\nisland, which was made an imperious necessity by the wanton and insulting conduct of the British authorities of Yancouver's island towards our citizens.\nI am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nW. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nColonel S. Cooper,\nAdjutant General United States Army, Washington City, D. C.\n10. Mr. Drinkard to General Scott.\nWar Department, September 1<\\ 1359.\nSir: The President has been much grailf^J at the alacrity with\nwhich you have responded to his wish that you would proceed to 26\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nWashington Territory to assume the immediate command, if necessary,\nof the United States forces on the Pacific coast.\nHe has directed me to call your special attention to the present\nthreatening attitude of the British and American authorities at and\nnear the island of San Juan. The two governments have differed on\nthe auestion of title to this island under the treaty concluded between\nthem at Washington on the 15th June, 184&._ The decision of this\nquestion depends on whether the treaty line, in passing \" from the\nmiddle of the channel, on the 49th parallel of latitude, which separates\nthe continent from Yancouver's island to Fuca straits,\" ought to be\nrun through the Canal de Haro or the Rosario strait. If through\nthe Canal de Haro, the island belongs to the United Sates ; but if\nthrough the Rosario strait, to Great Britain.\nThis is not the proper occasion to discuss the question of title. If it\nwere, it might be shown that all the territory which the American\ngovernment consented to yield, south of the 49th parallel of latitude,\nwas the Cape of Yancouver's island. The idea that the treaty intended\nto give Great Britain not only the whole of that large and important\nisland, but all the islands south of 49\u00b0 in the archipelago between the\nisland and the continent, was not, at the time, entertained either by.\nthe President or the Senate of the United States.\nIn order to prevent unfortunate collisions on that remote frontier,\npending the dispute, Mr. Marcy, the late Secretary of State, on the\n14th-of July, 1855, addressed a letter to the honorable Isaac I. Stevens,\nthen governor of Washington Territory, having a special reference to\nan \" apprehended conflict between our citizens and the British subjects on the island of San Juan.\" In this letter Governor Stevens is\ninstructed \" that the officers of the Territory should abstain from all\nacts on the disputed grounds which are calculated to provoke any conflict, so far as it can be done without implying the concession to the .\nauthorities of Great Britain of an exclusive right over the premises.\nThe title ought to be settled before either party should attempt to exclude the other by force, or exercise complete and exclusive sovereign\nrights within the fairly disputed limits.\" Three days thereafter, on\nthe 17th July, 1855, Secretary Marcy addressed a note to Mr. Crampton, then the British minister at Washington, communicating to'him\nthe material portion of his letter to Governor Stevens. Copies of both\nthese letters are herewith enclosed.\nThus matters stood until General Harney deemed it proper, for the\npurpose of affording protection to American citizens on the island and\nthe neighboring territories of the United States, to direct Captain\nGeorge E. Pickett, ninth infantry, \"to establish his company on Belle-\nvue, or San Juan island, in some suitable position near the harbor at\nthe southeastern extremity.\" At the same time the steamer '\u2022 Mas-1\nsachusetts \" was placed under the orders of Lieutenant Colonel Silas'\nCasey, 9th infantry, | for the better protection and supervision of the\nwaters of Puget's Sound,\" with instructions to cooperate with Captain\nPickett. These instructions were promptly executed. Captain Pickett\nimmediately proceeded to the island with his company and established\na military post at its southeastern extremity.\nIt is unnecessary for me to compile for you, from the papers in the AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 27\ndepartment, a statement of the condition of affairs in and near the\nisland of San Juan, because you will be furnished with copies of all\nthese papers. I would refer you especially to the two despatches of\nGeneral Harney, dated July 19 and August 7, and to my despatch to\nhim of the 3d instant, in reply to his of the 19th July. Suffice it to\nsay that they present a condition of affairs demanding the serious attention of this government.\nIt is impossible, at this distance from the scene, and in ignorance of\nwhat may have already transpired on the spot, to give you positive\ninstructions as to your course of action. Much, very much, must be\nleft to your own discretion, and the President is happy to believe that\ndiscretion could not be intrusted to more competent hands. His main\nobject is to preserve the peace and prevent collision between the British\nand American authorities on the island until the question of title can\nbe adjusted by the two governments. Following out the spirit of Mr. i\nMarcy's instructions to Governor Stevens, it would be desirable to pro- |\nvide, during the intervening period, for a joint occupation of the island, I\nunder such guards as will secure its tranquillity without interfering\nwith our rights. The President perceives no objection to the plan\nproposed by Captain Hornby, of her Majesty's ship \"Tribune,\" to\nCaptain Pickett; it being understood that Captain Pickett's company\nshall remain on the island to resist, if need be, the incursions of\nnorthern Indians on our frontier settlements, and to afford protection\nto American citizens resident thereon. In any arrangement which\nmay be made for joint occupation, American citizens must be placed\non a footing equally favorable with that of British subjects.\nBut what shall be your course should the forces of the two governments have come into collision before your arrival ? This would vastly\ncomplicate the case, especially if blood shall have been shed. In that\nevent, it would still be your duty, if this can, in your opinion, be\nhonorably done, under the surrounding circumstances, to establish a I\n\u25a0temporary joint occupation of the island, giving to neither party any \/\nadvantage over the other. It would be a shocking event if the two\nnations should be precipitated into a war respecting the possession of\na small island, and that only for the brief period during which the\ntwo governments may be peacefully employed in settling the question\nto which of them the island belongs.\nIt is a possible, but not a probable, case that the British authorities,\nhaving a.greatly superior force at their immediate command, may have\nattempted to seize the island and to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over\nit, and that our countrymen in those regions may have taken up arms\nto assert and maintain their rights. In that event the President feels\na just confidence, from the whole tenor of your past life, that you will\nnot suffer the national honor to be tarnished. If we must be forced\ninto a war by the violence, of the British authorities, which is not anticipated, we shall abide the issue as best we may without apprehension\nas to the result.\nI am, sir, very respectfullv, your obedient servant,\nW. R. DRINKARD,\nActing Secretary of War.\nLieutenant General Winpield Scott,\nCommander-in-Chief of the United States Army, Washington. 28\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n11\nGeneral Harney to General Scott.\nHeadquarters Department op Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, August 18, 1859.\nSir : Since my report of the 8th instant to the Adjutant General, a\ncopy of which was sent to your office, with accompanying papers, I\nhave received the enclosed correspondence from Lieutenant Colonel\nCasey, commanding on San Juan island, as a record of the events\nwhich have occurred at that place; in addition to which I have the\nhonor to report, for the information of the general-in-chief, my own\naction, based on the above correspondence, as shown by the enclosed\ncopies to Lieutenant Colonel Casey and Commissioner Campbell, and\nalso, a copy of a communication from his excellency Governor Gholson,\nof Washington Territory, containing an assurance of a cordial response\nby the people of this Territory whenever it may be necessary to apply\nfor their assistance.\nI enclose a list of the fleet and forces of her Britannic Majesty on\nservice in Puget's Sound, which have been made use of to threaten\nmy command occupying San Juan island. This armament, it will be\nseen, contains five vessels of war, one hundred and sixty-seven guns,\ntwo thousand one hundred and forty men, some six hundred of which\nare marines and engineer troops ; and when it is known that this force\nhas been employed from the 27th day of July until the 10th day of\nAugust, the day on which Colonel Casey, with reinforcements, reached\nthe island, in using every means in its power, except opening a fire,\nto intimidate one company of infantry but sixty strong, the conviction\nwill be universal that the cause which this large armament had been\ncalled upon to maintain must be totally deficient of right, justice, and\nintegrity.\nThe senior officer of three British ships-of-war threatened to land\nan overpowering force upon Captain Pickett, who nobly replied that\nwhether they landed fifty or five thousand men, his conduct would not\nbe affected by it; that he would open his fire, and, if compelled, take\nto the woods fighting ; and so satisfied were the British officers that\nsuch would be his course, they hesitated in putting their threat into\nexecution. For the cool judgment, ability, and gallantry which distinguished Captain Pickett in his command on San Juan island, I\nmost respectfully offer his name to the President of the United States\nfor his notice, by the preferment of a brevet, to date from the commencement of his service on San Juan island.\nOn the 14th of August Colonel Casey had five companies with him\non the island, and was busy placing in position eight thirty-two\npounders, taken from the steamer \"Massachusetts\" by my orders.\nBy this time four companies more have joined him, making in all nine\ncompanies\u2014say five hundred men. These, with the citizens on the\nisland, can now defend it until a diversion could be made in their\n\u2022 favor. From the height of the island above the water it presents many\nadvantages for shelter from the fire of a fleet, and no force could be\nlanded to dislodge Colonel Casey after his guns are in position and his\nintrenchments are completed. A detachment of engineer troops will AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n29\nproceed by the mail steamer in a day or two for service with Colonel\nCasey's command.\nThe visit of Colonel Casey to Esquimault harbor to see the British\nadmiral was not anticipated by me, and was a generous act of zeal on\nthe part of the colonel, tending, however, to produce confusion in the\nminds of the British authorities. I have directed that in future all\nofficial communications be referred directly to headquarters.\nSome Indian disturbances occurred at Whatcom, on the Sound,\nabout the fab instant, in which one man was killed. The steamer\nMassachusetts proceeded immediately to the spot and arrested the ringleaders. Four Indians were killed in the melee at Whatcom, and the\nremaining offenders have been turned over to the civil authority.\nThis prompt action has restored quiet to the country around Whatcom.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nW. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General Commanding.\nAssistant Adjutant General,\nHeadquarters of the Army, New York city.\n11\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, August 8, 1859.\nColonel : The general commanding instructs you to take such supplies from Bellingham and Townsend, for your command on San Juan,\nas it may require, and any deficiencies make up from Steilacoom.\nYou are authorized to strengthen your position on San Juan by the\nfour companies of the 3d artillery now en route to Steilacoom, should\nyou conceive the necessity demands it.\nIt is not the general's intention to reoccupy either Bellingham or\nTownsend ; consequently, as soon as you can conveniently do so, have\nall the public property from those posts transferred to San Juan and\nSteilacoom, according to the wants of the service.\nThe application for Mr. Goldsborough's services as clerk on the\nsteamer Massachusetts to the officer in charge of the public property\nhas been favorably endorsed and transmitted to the Adjutant General\nfor the approval of the Secretary of War, under General Orders No.\n13, from the War Department, of this year.\nMr. Goldsborough can be retained in the service until the application\nis acknowledged.\nI am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nA. PLEASONTON, j\nCaptain 2d Dragoons, Acting Assistant Adjutant General.\nLieutenant Colonel S. Casey,\n9th Infantry, commanding. United States troops,\nSan Juan Island, W. T. 30\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nlib.\nCamp Pickett,\nSan Juan Island, W. T, August 12, 1859.\nCaptain : I have the honor to report that, in obedience to orders\nreceived from department headquarters, I left Fort Steilacoom on the\nsteamer Julia on the 9th instant, (the morning after the receipt of the\norder,) with my command. In a short time after leaving we were met\nby the steamer \" Active,\" on her way to Fort Steilacoom, for the purpose of communicating to me the state of affairs on the island. I was\nstrongly and solemnly advised by Captain Alden, in view of the momentous consequences that might arise, not to land any troops on the\nisland, as this would be prevented by the British steamship-of-war\n\" Tribune,\" who, with her fires constantly kept up, was lying with\nher broadside on the landing.\nAlthough fully appreciating the terrible consequences of a hostile\ncollision with our quasi enemy, which would probably be no less than\ninvolving two great nations in war, I did not under the circumstances,\nhowever, consider myself at liberty to disregard my orders, and accordingly resolved to land under the guns of the frigate. The commencing hostilities should be on their side. We left Port Townsend\nabout twelve o'clock the night of the 9th, expecting to reach San Juan\nearly on the morning of the 10th. The fog, however, came up so\ndense that we did not make \"the island of San Juan until about seven\no'clock the morning of the 10th.\nAfter hugging the shore for a few miles, I was informed by the captain that we were but a short distance from Captain Pickett's camp,\nand that it was difficult to get along on account of the fog, and that,\nmoreover, the tide was so low that he would not have been able to\nhave gotten up to the wharf at the landing for several hours.\nFinding ourselves a smooth place near the land, with the coast so\ndepressed at the point as to make the ascent from the shore easy, I\nlanded the troops and howitzers, with orders to the senior officer to\nmove them to Captain Pickett's camp. I proceeded on the steamer\naround to the wharf, taking with me my adjutant and a small guard\nfor the howitzer ammunition and other public property.\nI found the Tribune lying as has been described. They did not interfere with the landing of our freight. Whether they would have\ninterfered with the landing of the troops I cannot say. It is Captain\nPickett's opinion that they would.\nBefore I had landed from the steamer, I received a message from\nCaptain Pickett, by one of his officers, requesting my presence at once\nin camp. The captain pointed out to me a British war steamer, ascertained afterwards to be the \"Satellite,\" which he was under the impression was about taking a position to shell the camp. The camp\nis situated on a narrow neck of land opposite to the harbor, and distant\nabout two-thirds of a mile. The \"Tribune,\" lying in the harbor, has\non board several hundred men, composed of marines, royal artillery,\nand sappers and miners. He expected the land attack from the harbor\nside, and was prepared to fire upon them with his howitzers and then AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n31\nspike them, deliver his fire with his musketry, and retreat to the\nwoods. Not having time to form any well-considered plan of my own,\nwith regard to the state of affairs, I did not countermand the directions that Captain Pickett had given.\nSeeing the danger of a collision at any moment, which would inevitably lead to war between two mighty nations connected by so many\ncommon bonds, and whichever way it might terminate would. be\neminently disastrous to the cause of civilization and the interests of\nhumanity, I resolved to make an attempt to prevent so great a\ncalamity. I sent an officer aboard the \" Tribune\" with a request\nthat Captain Hornby, the commander, would call on me at my camp\nfor .the purpose of a conference.\nThe message returned to me by Captain Hornby was, that he was\nmuch engaged at that time, and would come if he could conveniently,\nbut would be happy to see me on board his vessel. However, in a few\nhours the captain came, accompanied by Captain Provost, the British,\nand Mr. Campbell, the United States commissioner.\nI informed Captain Hornby that I had landed that morning with a\nforce of United States troops, and explained to him the reason why\nI had not landed at the wharf, under the guns of the frigate. I\nalso said to him that I regretted that Captain Pickett had been so much\nharassed and threatened in the position he had occupied.\nI inquired of Captain Hornby who the officer highest in command\nwas, and where he was to be found. He said it was Admiral Baynes,\nand that he was then on board the flag-ship \" Ganges,\" in Esquimault\nharbor. I intimated a wish to have a conference with the admiral, and\nthat I would go down to Esquimault the next day for the purpose of\nthe interview. Both the captain and the British commissioner seemed\npleased. The next day, accompanied by Captain Pickett (both of us\nin full uniform) and Mr. Campbell, I went down to Esquimault on the\nsteamer Shubrick. We anchored near the \" Ganges,\" and I sent to\nthe admiral, by an officer, the note marked \"A.\" I received in reply\nthe note marked \"B.\" The note marked \" C\" was taken on board by\nCaptain Pickett and handed to the admiral in person. The captain\nwas courteously received by the admiral. Governor Douglas was present in the cabin. After reading the note the admiral handed it to the\ngovernor. The governor inquired if I knew he was on board the\nship. The captain replied that he had no reason to suppose I did, but\nthat I had not sought an interview with him, but with the admiral.\nThe captain informed the admiral that the steamer was: then firing up,\nbut that I would be happy to wait should he then decide to give me the\nconference. It was declined, but the admiral reiterated his desire that\nhe would be happy to see me on board the ship. I was of the opinion\nthat I had carried etiquette far enough in going 25 miles to see a gentleman who was disinclined to come 100 yards to see me.\nThe proposition which I intended to have made the admiral was this:\nto calm the rising excitement on both sides among the people, and to\ngive time for the intentions of the home government to be made known\nin regard to the matter. I intended to propose that in case he, the admiral, would pass his word on honor that no threats should be made or\nmolestation given by the force under his command for the purpose of 32 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\npreventing Captain Pickett from carrying out the orders and instructions with which he is intrusted, I would recommend to the commanding\ngeneral the withdrawal of the reinforcement which had landed on the\nisland under my command, and that affairs should so remain until the\nsivereign authorities should announce their, intentions. I have so far\nhad no further intercourse with any of the officers of the fleet. Lieutenant Kellogg, 3d artillery, being at Fort Steilacoom on the reception\nof your order, I directed him to accompany me in charge of the artillery. I trust that, under the circumstances, the general commanding\nwill approve my course in the matter.\nThe I Massachusetts\" arrived to-day with Major Haller's command\non board. Inasmuch as most of the subsistence stores here are spoiled,\nhaving been damaged on board the \"Massachusetts\" before she landed\nthem at Bellingham Bay, and the articles of the quartermaster's department being required, I shall direct the \"Massachusetts\" to proceed, as\nsoon as the guns can be landed, to Fort Townsend, and take from there\nall the public property, leaving a sergeant and two or three privates\nto take care of the buildings and garden.\nI enclose a list of the ships and men which the British have in this\nvicinity. I would advise that the general send an officer express to\nSan Francisco, requesting the naval captain in command to send up\nany ships-of-war he may have on the coast. It is not pleasant to be at\nthe mercy of any one who is liable at any moment to become your open- >\nenemy. The British have a sufficient naval force here to effectually\nblockade this island when they choose. I do not know what the\nintentions of the British naval authorities with respect to this island\nare. I shall resist any attack they may make upon my position. I\nrequest that five full companies of regular troops, with an officer of\nengineers and a detachment of sappers, be sent here as soon as possible.\nLet Lieutenant Kellogg's be one of the companies. I have enclosed\ncopies of communications from Major Haller with regard to his operations with the Indians. I think the major exercised a commendable\nenterprise in his operations, and that there will be no further difficulty.\nYery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nSILAS CASEY,\nLieutenant Colonel 9th Infantry,\nCaptain Alfred Pleasonton,\nActing Assistant Adjutant General, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\n[Enclosures.]\n1. Colonel Casey to Admiral Baynes, August 11.\n2. Admiral Baynes to Colonel Casey, August 11.\n1 3. Colonel Casey to Admiral Bayne's, August 11.\n; 4. Statement of British forces at San Juan. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n33\n115.\n1\nUnited States Steamer Shubrick,\nEsquimault Harbor, W. T, August 11, 1859.\nLieutenant Colonel Casey, United States army, commanding the\nforces on San Juan island, presents his compliments to Admiral\nBaynes, commanding her Britannic Majesty's naval forces on the\nPacific coast, and would be happy to meet the admiral in conference\non board the United States steamer Shubrick, in the harbor, at his\nearliest convenience.\n115.\n2\n11 Ganges,\"\nEsquimault, W. T, August 11, 1859.\nRear-Adminal Baynes presents his compliments to Lieutenant\nColonel Casey, and regrets that circumstances prevent him doing himself the honor of meeting Lieutenant Colonel Casey on board the\nShubrick. But Rear-Admiral Baynes will have great pleasure in\nreceiving Lieutenant Colonel Casey, or any one who may wish to accompany him on board the Ganges.\nLieutenant Colonel Casey,\nUnited States Army.\nlib.\n3\nUnited States Steamer Shubrick,\nf Harbor, W. T.\nLieutenant Colonel Casey regrets that circumstances prevent Rear-\nAdmiral Baynes from accepting his invitation to meet him on board\nthe Shubrick according to his request.\nH. Ex. Doc. 65 3 34\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nHer Britannic Majesty's Fleet at Vancouver's Island and in its vicinity,\nRear-Admiral Baynes commanding.\nName of vessel.\nNo. of guns.\nMen.\nName of captains.\n84\n31\n21\n21\n840\n325\n325\n325\n125\nSlavel.\nGeoffrey Phipps Hornby.\nDe Courcey.\nJames Prevost.\n10\nRichards.\n167\n1,940\nThe Tribune, now at anchor in the harbor of San Juan has, in addition to her own crew, a detachment of sappers and miners and marines,\nbrought down from Frazer's river on the 30th July, by the steamer\nPlumper, numbering 200; total, 2,140.\nThe relative calibre of the Ganges guns unknown; she is one of\nthe old-fashioned line of battle-ships, thirty-five years old. Tribune\nhas twenty-two 32-pounders, nine 68-pounders, one of them a pivot-\ngun. Pylades and Satellite are 68-pounders, twenty broadside, one\npivot; they are the new class of corvettes, of which the English are\nbuilding a great number.\nPlumper is a surveying vessel; the armament is comparatively \\\nlight, the guns are all 32-pounders.\nOn board the fleet there are above five hundred troops, one hundred I\nof that number being sappers and miners, the rest marines.\nlie.\nHeadquarters Camp Pickett,\nSan Juan Island, W. T, August 14, 1859.\n\u25a0 Captain : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your two\ncommunications dated the 8th of August, and also Special Orders No.\n82. Since my last nothing of moment has transpired. The \"Tribune\" and I Satellite\" are now in the harbor, with their broadsides\non the landing. I have not been informed what the intentions of the\nBritish force in these waters are, but am of the opinion, however that\nthey have concluded to wait for further instructions from higher authority before any violence is attempted. However, it is a wise maxim\n\"to be prepared for the worst, while hoping for the best.\" I shall\naccordingly direct the four companies of artillery at Steilacoom to\njoin me at once. In a former communication I asked for five compa- AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n35>\nnies and an engineer officer, with a detachment of sappers. I would\nlike to have them sent around on board the United States steamer\n\" Active,\" which Captain Alden has kindly placed at my disposal for\ncarrying this despatch. The service of the engineer officer and the\ndetachment of sappers would most probably be required but a short\ntime. We are encamped in rather an exposed situation with regard\nto the wind, being at the entrance to the Straits of Fuca. The weather,\nat times, is already quite inclement. To maintain the object of our\noccupation I do Dot, however, from my present information, think\nit advisable to change my position. I have enclosed requisition for\n\"Sibley\" tents, with stoves and quartermaster's stores, which I would\nlike to be forwarded by the \" Active\" on her return. I have also\nenclosed a requisition for subsistence stores, which should be sent to\nFort Steilacoom as soon as they can be supplied from San Francisco.\nIn view of the possible contingencies of the service, it was my intention to draw from Steilacoom, as a depot, supplies as they would be\nneeded, The \"Massachusetts\" landed her guns and ammunition\nyesterday. I have directed that she leave to-day for Port Townsend\nand bring all the supplies from the port to this point, leaving there a\nsergeant and two men to take care of the public buildings and garden.\nI shall place the 32-pounders in position as soon as possible. With\nour present appliances I find them rather difficult to manage.\nYery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nSILAS CASEY, Lt. Col. 9th Infantry,\nCommanding U. S. troops on San Juan Island.\nCapt. Alfred Pleasonton, A. A. Adj't Gen'l,\nHeadquarters Dept of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\nlid.\nHeadquarters Department op Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., August 16, 1859.\nColonel : The general commanding has received your reports of the\n12th and 14th instants, and accompanying papers, and instructs me\nto reply as follows :\nThe supplies and stores required for the command at San Juan\nisland will be forwarded as soon as practicable ; the camp and garrison\nequipage will be shipped on the \"Active.\"\nThe course pursued by you in ordering the four companies from\nSteilacoom to San Juan island is approved.\nA detachment of engineers will be sent you by the mail steamer.\nIn the meantime have platforms made for your heavy guns, and cover\nyour camp as much as possible by intrenchment, placing your heavy\nguns in battery on the most exposed approaches; the howitzers to be\nused to the best advantage with the troops, or in the camp, according\nto circumstances.\nSelect your position with the greatest care to avoid the fire from the\nBritish ships. In such a position your command should be able to \u202236 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n-defend itself against any force the British may land. i The general has\nrequested a naval iorce from the senior officer on this coast, and has\nnotified General Clarke, as well as the authorities at Washington, of\nthe existing state of affairs on the sound. Troops and supplies will\nbe sent to you as fast as they can be collected.\nThe general regrets, under all the circumstances, your visit to Esqui-\nfciault harbor to see the British admiral, but is satisfied of your generous intention towards them. He instructs you for the future to refer\nall official communication desired by the British authorities to these\nheadquarters, informing them at the same time that such are your\norders. It is almost needless to inform you that the subjects of Great\nBritain on San Juan island will be treated with the same consideration and respect as that shown to our own citizens.\nI am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nA. PLEASONTON,\nCapt. 2d Dragoons, A. A. Adj't Gen'l.\nLieut. Col. S. Casey, 9th Infantry,\nCom'd'g U. S. Troops, San Juan Island, Puget's Sound.\n11 e.\nExecutive Oppice, Olympia, W. T.,\nAugust 11, 1859.\nSir : By yesterday's mail I had the honor of receiving your favor of\nthe ^th instant, enclosing copies of your \"orders to Colonel Casey,\"\n\"the proclamation of Governor Douglas, and your reply to the same.\"\nReciprocating the frankness of your communication, I have to reply\nthat, should the contemplated emergency arise, your just expectations\nof the course to be pursued by myself shall not be disappointed, and\nthat, in such an event, I have an abiding faith that the citizens of this\nTerritory will with enthusiastic alacrity respond to any call necessary\nfor the defence of individual rights, the rights of their country, or\ntheir country's honor.\nI am, general, most respectfully, your obedient servant,\nR. D. GHOLSON,\nGovernor Washington Territory.\nBrigadier General W. S. Harney,\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., August 16, 1856.\nMy Dear Sir : Your communication of the 14th instant has just\nbeen received, and I hasten to place you in possession of the facts connected with the occupation of San Juan island by some of the troops\nof my command. This step would have been taken before, but I was\ninformed you were en route to Washington. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nI enclose, for your information, a copy of a protest issued by Governor Douglas, commander-in-chief of the island of Yancouver, to the\noccupation of San Juan island, and claiming the sovereignty of said\nisland for the crown of Great Britain; also a copy of my letter to\nGovernor Douglas in reply to his protest.\nYou will perceive that in my reply to Governor Douglas I charge\nthe British authorities of Vancouver's island with having violated\nthe rights of American citizens on the island of San Juan in such a\nmanner and by such means as to leave me no other alternative than to\noccupy the island for the protection of American interests. In assuming this responsibility I was careful to state distinctly and fully to\nGovernor Douglas the position of my troops on the island of San Juan;\nand I reiterate to you that the relative claims of the two countries have\nhad nothing to do in the assignment of the troops in question. The\nBritish authorities chose to violate treaty stipulations made in good\nfaith, and maintained by the United States in'good faith, by attempting to arrest an American citizen on San Juan island to carry him to\nYictoria to be tried by British laws. To prevent a repetition of this\noutrage, until the government of the United States could be apprised\nof it, I have placed troops on the island, with such orders as I have\ndeemed necessary to effect this object.\nAmong other things you have been pleased to inform me that you\nhave authorized Colonel Casey to call for volunteers, and that you\n\"feel assured of my cordial co-operation whenever an emergency may\ndemand it.\"\nWith the question of boundary between the United States and Great\nBritain, I disclaim having done anything with respect to it in occupying San Juan island. Great Britain has no sovereignty over\nAmerican citizens on San Juan island, and every attempt made by\nher authorities to advance such claims I shall resist, until further\norders from the President, to whom I have submitted the whole matter;\nin the meantime I hope the labors of your joint commission will be\nprosecuted amicably and successfully, for I can assure you that no one\nis more desirous of facilitating your labors than myself.\nI am, sir, with high respect, your obedient servant,\nW. S: HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nArchibald Campbell, Esq.,\nUnited States Commissioner Northwest Boundary,\nHarbor San Juan Island, Puget's Sound.\n12. General Harney to the Adjutant General.\nHeadquarters Department op Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, August 25, 1859.\nColonel : I have the honor to enclose a copy of a despatch from his\nexcellency Governor Douglas, of her Britannic Majesty's island of\nYancouver j also a copy of my reply to the same, both of which papers 38\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nI request may be submitted for the information of the President of the\nUnited States, at your earliest convenience.\nGovernor Douglas denies that the British authorities of Yancouver s\nisland were cognizant of the outrage attempted upon an \u2022 American\ncitizen on San Juan island, as reported in my communication to the\nheadquarters of the army, of July 19, and my letter to you of the 7th\ninstant. This denial, couched as it is in strong language, does not\nexplain how a British ship-of-war did convey Mr. Dallas, the chief\nfactor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and son-in-law of Governor\nDouglas, to San Juan island ; that Mr. Dallas landed and threatened\nan American citizen by the name of Coulter, with imprisonment^ at\nYictoria, to which place he would be taken in the ship-of-war waiting\nfor him. This threat was not put into execution for the reason that\nCoulter told Mr. Dallas if it was attempted he would kill Mr. Dallas\non the spot. But Mr. Dallas having left the island in the ship-of-war,\nthe conclusion is irresistible that Mr. Dallas either had the ship-of-war\nunder his control by some direct authority from the British authorities, or he was acting independent of that authority in the exercise of\npowers delegated to him elsewhere.\nIf Mr. Dallas can use a British ship-of-war to overlook the interests\nof the Hudson's Bay Company on this coast, without the authority of\nGovernor Douglas or the British admiral, which is just what he has\ndone, according to the facts and Governor Douglas' despatch, then the\ninterests and rights of our citizens have been in greater jeopardy than\nI have heretofore supposed, and the necessity of retaining the occupation of San Juan island is still more imperative.\nGovernor Douglas has opposed the occupation of San Juan on the\nground of sovereignty, and lays great stress upon Mr. Marcy's despatch of July IT, 1855, to her Majesty's minister at Washington.\nIn a communication to Commissioner Campbell, of the northwest\nboundary survey, I have disclaimed any intention of asserting any\nsovereignty over thof\nactual war would confer, as regards keeping any action secret from the\nenemy. 3\nOur every_ manoeuvre is closely observed, and I have considered it\nbest to act with circumspection lest a conflict should be forced upon, us\nprematurely.\nThe general may rest satisfied that I shall give the whole master''\nmy best abilities, and I trust everything will come out right.\nVery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nSILAS CASEY,\nLieutenant Colonel 9th Infantry, Commanding Camp.\nCaptain Alfred Pleasonton, U. S. A.,\nActing Asst. Adjt. Gen., Dept. of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n14 6.\nHeadquarters Camp Pickett,\nSan Juan Island, W. T., August 22, 1859.\n\u2022 Captain : I have the honor to report that I received by the \" Northerner\" the general's instructions of the 17th and 19th instant.\nThe \" Massachusetts \" arrived on the night of the 21st, and she is\nnow unloading the government property from Fort Townsend. I will\ncause the freight of the \"Northerner \" to be placed on her, as directed.\nI had ordered Major Haller on shore with his company before receiving the general's instructions so to do. It was not my intention\nto place another company on at present. When I do, I shall be happy\n' to offer the position to Captain Pickett, as I am as fully impressed as\nthe general with the gallant behavior displayed by him during the\nlate difficulties on the island.\nI have placed Lieutenant Kellogg, with his company, oh duty in\ncharge of all the artillery. That leaves, including Major Haller's,\neight companies, which I have formed into an infantry battalion, and\nshall endeavor to have them efficiently exercised in drill.\nVery respectfullv, your obedient servant,\nSILAS CASEY,\nLieutenant Colonel 9th Infantry, Commanding Camp.\nCaptain Alfred Pleasonton,\nActing Asst. Adjutant General United States Army,\nDepartment of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\n15. General Harney to Colonel Casey.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, September 2, 1859.\nColonel : The general commanding instructs me to enclose, for your\ninformation, a copy of a communication he addressed to Governor\nDouglas, under date of the 24th of August, in answer to the governor's\nletter to himself of the 13th of that month, which you have doubtless\niseen, it having appeared in the Victoria papers.\nI From the tenor of this answer you will perceive it is not the intension of the general commanding to remove any portion of the present\nforce on San Juan island from that position until the orders of the\nPresident are communicated on the subject.\nYou are therefore instructed to make such preparations for the comfort, efficiency, and health of your command as will anticipate a period\nof at least six months.\nI am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nA. PLEASANTON,\nCaptain 2d Dragoons, A. A. Adjutant General.\n\u25a0<-\u2022 Ooxonel S. Casey,\niSmth Infantry, Commanding Camp Pickett,\nSan Juan Island, Puget's Sound. 52\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n16. General Harney to General Scott.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., September 14, 1859.\nStr : I have the honor to enclose, for the information of the general-\nin-chief, copies of two affidavits verifying the accusation of attempted\noutrage upon one of our citizens on San Juan island, which was\ncharged to the British authorities and the Hudson's Bay Company of\nVancouver's island in my communication to Governor Douglas of the\n6th of August.\nThe affidavit of Lyman A. Cutler, the person upon whom the outrage was attempted of being taken by force to Victoria for trial by\nBritish laws, fully and completely refutes the denial of Governer\nDouglas, transmitted in his communication of the 13th August, a\ncopy of which has been sent to you.\nThe want of propriety and good faith on the part of the British\nofficials is so apparent, in the course pursued by them towards ourselves in the matter of San Juan island, as to have forced Governor\nDouglas into a flimsy evasion of the facts which so strongly condemn\nthem, and it is not surprising that Governor Douglas should attempt\nto throw discredit upon my action in the occupation of San Juan after I\nbeing compromised by conduct he dares not acknowledge.\nGovernor Douglas speaks of the Hudson's Bay Company establishment as one of no significance or responsibility, and that its acts are I\nno more to be considered than those of any other of the inhabitants I\nof Vancouver's island. In the face of such a statement I consider it I\nmy duty to inform the general-in-chief that this insignificant company |\nhas a positive military organization, with a discipline exceeding in 1\nrigor that of our own service. The forts of this company on this coast 1\nare armed with guns of much heavier calibre than any we possess, and 1\nin its service are steamers that can readily be applied to war purposes. I\nThe authorities of this company have boldly claimed the exclusive 1\nownership of San Juan island, warning the United States officer, Captain Pickett, from the island, and threatening him, at the same time,\nwith the civil authorities if he did not obey. This was reported in I\nmy communication of the 7th of August to the Adjutant General, and J\naccompanying reports of Captain Pickett, copies of which have beer&i\nfurnished your office. This is the establishment whose acts Governor\nDouglas calls upon us to ignore, but which he carefully supports in I\nits aggressions by both the civil and naval forces under his orders.\nI trust the British government will see how useless it will be for\nthem to attempt to maintain a course of conduct that exposes them to\nthe reflection of having used unworthy means to obtain that to which\nthey have no claim, and showing the Hudson's Bay Company to be a\nwilling cat for extracting the chestnuts from the fire.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nW. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nAssistant Adjutant General,\nHeadquarters of the Army, New York City. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n16 a.\nWashington Territory, Whatcom County:\nt On this 7th day of September, A. D. 1859, appeared before the undersigned, a notary public in and for said county, Paul K. Hubbs, jr.,\nwho, being duly sworn, on his oath deposes and says: That he had\nan interview with General Harney while on his visit to this island,\nand stated to the general that there had been some trouble between\none of the American settlers and some of the officers of the Hudson's\nBay Company. Upon being asked by the general the cause of the\ntrouble, he said that a short time since Mr. Cutler, one of our citizens,\nhad shot a hog belonging to the said company, and immediately went\nto Mr. Griffin, the superintendent, and offered to pay for the hog.\nMr. Griffin became enraged, and declared that the Americans were a\npack of intruders, and said that he was a fool for ever allowing a\nUnited States inspector of customs to come on the island. In the\nafternoon of the same day the Hudson's Bay Company's steamer\nBeaver arrived from Victoria, with Mr. Dallas, a director of the Hudson's Bay Company, Dr. Solmie, a chief factor, and some other parties,\nwho, after holding an interview with Mr. Griffin, called on Mr. Cutler,\nand used some very threatening language, and, among other words,\nthey said that they had a posse on board, and would take him prisoner and carry him to Victoria for trial.\nPAUL K. HUBBS, Jr.\nSubscribed and sworn before me this 7th day of September, 1859.\nr I j HENRY R. CROSBIE,\nLL- S'J Notary Public.\n16 6.\nTerritory of Washington, County of Whatcom :\nLyman A. Cutler, being duly sworn, deposes and says: That he has\nbeen a resident of San Juan island since last April, at which time he\nlocated one hundred and sixty acres of land, agreeably to the preemption law, and upon which land he has ever since resided.\nThat on or about the 15th of last June he shot a hog belonging to\nthe Hudson's Bay Company ; that immediately after so doing he proceeded to the house of the agent of the Hudson's Bay Company on the\nisland, Mr. Griffin, and informed him of the fact, stating that it was\ndone in a moment of irritation, the animal having been at several\ntimes a great annoyance, and that morning destroyed a portion of his\ngarden ; he desired to replace it by another, or they could select three\nmen, and whatever valuation they might place on the animal he would\nat once pay. Mr. Griffin, very much enraged, said the only way it\ncould be settled would be by him (Cutler) paying one hundred dollars.\nHe replied he was astonished both at Mr. Griffin's conduct and his 54\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nproposal, and left him. The same afternoon Mr. Griffin, in company\nwith three other persons, came to his house. He afterwards learned\nthey were Mr. Dallas, one of the directors of the Hudson's Bay Company, Dr. Solmie, a chief factor, and a Mr. Fraser. Mr. Dallas asked\nhim if he was the man that killed the hog ; he answered, yes. Mr.\nDallas then, in a very supercilious manner, asked him how he dared\ndo it. lie replied that was not the proper way of talking to him ; that\nhe dared do whatever he thought was justifiable, and he had no cause\nto blame himself in the matter ; as soon as he had killed the animal\nhe went to Mr. Griffin and offered to make him a proper reparation\u2014\nthat he was ready to do it then ; had he chosen to have acted\notherwise, he could have said nothing about it, and Mr. Griffin would\nhave never known his loss ; the animal was so worthless he would\nnever have troubled himself about it. Mr. Dallas, in reply, stated\nthis was British soil, and if he, Cutler, did not make the reparation\ndemanded\u2014one hundred dollars\u2014he would take him to Victoria ;\ntheir steamer (the Hudson's Bay Company's steamer Beaver) was in\nport, and they had a posse at their command. He answered, Mr.\nDallas must be either crazy or deem him so, to pay one hundred\ndollars for an animal that was not worth ten ; and as for taking him\nto Victoria for trial, that could not be done ; when they brought their\nposse he would have his friends to resist them ; this was American\nsoil and not English ; and whilst he was willing to answer before any\nAmerican tribunal for what he had done, no English posse or authority\nshould take him before an English tribunal. Mr. Fraser commenced\nspeaking about its being British soil, &c. ; he (Cutler) declined, how-i\never, having any conversation with him on the matter ; he had said alls\nhe had to say about it. Dr. Solmie said nothing. Mr. Griffin simply\nasked him if he ever knew him (Griffin) to disturb any of the settlers\nor insult them ? he answered, never before that morning.\nAs they rode off one of the party remarked, \"You will have to I\nanswer for this hereafter,\" or words to that purport.\nTheir manner and language were both insulting and threatening.\nAfterwards, on the 2\u00a3tlTof June, the morning Captain Pickett landed,\nthe British steam frigateSatSrfite arrived and landed Mr. DeCourcy, who I\nwas installed as British magistrate for the island of San Juan, as Captain\nProvost publicly stated; at the time he left Yictoria nothing was known\nof the landing of the American troops ; it seemed evident that the\nmagistrate came over for the purpose of apprehending him, (Cutler ;)\nthat he understood process was issued by the said DeCourcy to compel\nhis attendance to answer to his charge ; that Captain Gordon, the\nEnglish constable, with a posse, came to his house during his absence,\non or about the 29th or 30th of July ; word was sent to him by Mr.\nCrosbie, the American magistrate, to come in and place himself under\nthe protection of Captain Pickett; that he came, staid one day, and\nreturned the next, Captain Pickett having informed him if they\nattempted in any way to interfere with him to send him word, and he\nshould be protected at all hazards. He is convinced that if troops had\nnot been on the island he would have been taken by force and carried\nbefore an English magistrate ; his reason for this belief is based en the\nfact that the English force on board the steam frigates Satellite and AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 55\nTribune had orders to obey any requisition that Mr. DeCourcy should\nmake on them.\nLYMAN A. CUTLER.\nSubscribed and sworn before me this 7th of September, 1859.\n[l. s.] HENRY R. CROSBIE,\nNotary Public.\nPort Townsend,\nWashington Territory, September 3, 1859.\nEsteemed Sir : I find that we have some disappointed or annoyed\ngentlemen (by the recent movement of General Harney) that are puffing the letter of Governor Douglas in reply to that of General\nHarney.\nThe general, it seems, did not say in his letter anything relative to\nthe inroads and murders committed by the northern Indians, but confined himself to the immediate subject of grief, that of threatened\ntaking of an American citizen to Yictoria for trial.\nHow beautifully the governor in his reply i finesses\" out of. In\nsubstance, he says that i the government did not threaten,\" &c, all of\nwhich is true theoretically ; but practically, the Hudson's Bay Company, with half a dozen armed steamers, the government governor\nbeing the head of the company, and his son-in-law, Mr. Dallas, the\nchief director and the power that practically moves the Hudson's Bay\nCompany and the governor, did land and go to 1 the man that shot\nthe boar,\" and threaten to take him on board their steamer (not the\ngovernment steamer, but that of the Hudson's Bay Company) to Victoria ; and finding they (five of them) could not do it, left with a\nthreat to send the \" Plumper,\" a British government frigate, for him,\nand, as I am reliably informed, did afterwards put the magistrate on\nthe island, who sent three times after him, every time being watched\nby our peace officers and posse with reliance on our government\nofficers and men.\nVery truly yours, &c,\nPAUL K. HUBBS.\nI am not personally acquainted with General Harney, but his\ntimely aid and position taken meets the unbounded admiration of the\ncitizens of this Territory.\nP. K. H.\nHis excellency the President, James Buchanan.\n17. Governor Gholson to General Harney.\nExecutive Office,\nOlympia, W. T, August 21,1859.\nSir : In view of the excited state of a portion of the people (Gov.\nD. included) on Vancouver's island, &c, I have thought that a 56\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\njudicious regard for the welfare of this Territory and the success of\nour arms, (should a collision occur,) perhaps, made it my duty to\ninform you that we have about (1,000) one thousandof small arms,\n(850) eight hundred and fifty muskets, (ordinary,) and (150) one\nhundred and fifty muskets, (rifled,) and (4) four twelve-pound mountain howitzers, and that for none of these have we a shot, shell, or\ncartridge. ,\nPermit me to say, general, that as we shall be wholly dependent\nupon your orders for a supply, (if I correctly understand the regulations of the War Department,) I shall be pleased (either now or at\nsuch time as your discretion may direct) to receive whatever supplies\nyou may think proper to order to this place.\nI have the honor to be, general, your most obedient servant,\nR. D. GHOLSON,\nGovernor of Washington Territory.\nBrig. Gen. W. S. Harney,\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon.\n[Endorsement.]\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., September 19, 1859.\nRespectfully forwarded for the information of the general-in-chief,\nwho is notified that eighty-five thousand rounds of ordinary muskets\nammunition, fifteen thousand of rifled musket, and two thousand\nrounds of mountain howitzer ammunition has been placed at Forti\nSteilacoom, subject to the requisition of Governor Gholson, in case of\nan emergency.\n, W. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\n18. General Harney to Mr. Floyd.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, October 10, 1859.\nSir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 3d of September last, transmitting the views of the\nPresident of the United States in reference to the military occupation\nof San Juan or Bellevue island, as reported in my despatch of the 19th \"\nof July last, addressed to the general-in-chief.\nSince the date of that despatch other events have transpired, which\nare conclusive in showing the intentions of the colonial authorities of\nGreat Britain were directed towards assuming a positive jurisdiction\nover the island of San Juan. These occurrences have all been reported\nin a regular course of correspondence to the general-in-chief, duplicates\nhaving been transmitted to the Adjutant General. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n57\nThe President expresses an anxiety to ascertain whether, before\nproceeding to act, I communicated with Commissioner Campbell, who\nwas intrusted by the government of the United States, in conjunction\nwith the British commissioner, to decide the boundary question. In\nreply, I desire to inform his excellency the President that no official\ncommunication had passed between Commissioner Campbell and myself, in reference to the boundary, previous to the occupation of San\nJuan island by Captain Pickett's company, for the reason that no\nexigency had arisen requiring it. In the personal interviews I have\nhad with Commissioner Campbell since my arrival on this coast, he\nhas always assured me that there could be but one solution of the\nboundary question under the treaty of June 15, 1846, and that was to\nbe obtained by taking the mid-channel of the 1 Canal de Haro,\" or\nStraits of Haro, as the boundary line between the United States and\nGreat Britain. He has several times stated that a strict construction\nof the treaty will not only give us the Haro group of islands, of which\nSan Juan is the most important, but also the Saturne island, which\nis yet nearer to Vancouver. This island, he said, he was willing to\ngive to Great Britain, under a liberal and generous construction of\nthe treaty.\nIn each of these interviews Commissioner Campbell has deplored\nthe course pursued by the British government in the opposition they\nmade to the settlements of this question, and the delays continually\nseized upon by the British commissioner to prevent coming to an early\ndecision. Commissioner Campbell appeared to be earnestly impressed\nwith the conviction that the British government intended to keep this\nan open question until some future time, when they could advance\ntheir claims to better advantage, as they had no foundation in justice\nor right. I saw Commissioner Campbell for the last time at Semiah-\nmoo, on the 7th day of July last; at that date neither he nor myself\nhad any knowledge to induce us to believe the colonial authorities of\nGreat Britain had attempted to assume jurisdiction over San Juan.\nWhen Captain Pickett's company arrived at San Juan,itappears Commissioner Campbell was making an exploration of the islands in the\nHaro group, and visited San Juan the day Captain Pickett landed; he\nrendered the captain every assistance, and approved the course that had\nbeen pursued. Captain Pickett landed on the 27th of July, and Commissioner Campbell remained in that vicinity until the 16th of August,\nwhen I received a private communication from him, a copy of_ which\nis enclosed. I immediately answered it officially, giving him my\nreasons in full for occupying San Juan ; this would have been done at\nthe time Captain Pickett's order was issued, but I did not know his\nwhereabouts until I received his communication. A copy of this\nanswer to the commissioner is also enclosed, and a copy of his reply\ndated the 30th of August.\nI would respectfully call the attention of the President to the unqualified denial of Governor Douglas, in his despatch of the 13th of August,\nthat any attempt had ever been made to arrest an American citizen\nand convey him to Victoria to be tried by British laws. At the very\nmoment this denial was being penned, three British ships-of-war\nwere in that harbor, by the orders of Governor Douglas, to support 58\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\na British stipendiary magistrate sent by Douglas to arrest the same\nAmerican citizen, (Cutler,) of San Juan, who would have been arrested\nbut for the positive interference of Captain Pickett; indeed, so pressing and urgent were the British to possess themselves of Cutler\nthat Captain Pickett did not hesitate to report his capture could only\nbe averted by occupying the island in force.\nSuch are the facts of the case, in which the British government furnished five ships-of-war, carrying one hundred and sixty-seven guns,\nand from two to three thousand men, to an unscrupulous colonial governor for the purpose of wresting from us an island that they covet.\nSuch punic faith should never be tolerated, however plausible the pretext upon which it may be founded.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nWM. S.HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nHon. Secretary of War,\nWashington City, D. C.\n18 a.\nSteamer Shubrick,\nSan Juan Harbor, August 14, 1859.\nMy Dear General : Captain Alden is about to leave the harbor for\nFort Yancouver, with despatches from Colonel Casey, and I take the\nopportunity of dropping you a line in relation to the state of affairs\nresulting from the landing of troops on the island of San Juan.\nWhen I learned from Captain Pleasonton that Captain Pickett's\ncompany was ordered to San Juan, I thought it was a very proper\nmovement for the protection of American settlers from northern\nIndians, and from the interference of the Hudson's Bay Company's\nagents, who had recently been threatening to take one of the settlers\nto Victoria for trial; and I did not anticipate from it any serious objection on the part of the British authorities of Vancouver's island\u2014\ncertainly no forcible opposition\u2014troops at various times heretofore\nhaving been sent there at intervals, in small detachments, for the protection of the settlers against the Indians.\nBut I happened to be making an exploration of the archipelago at\nthe time Captain Pickett arrived, and for several days after I\nwas anchored in this harbor; and I soon saw that it was going to\nproduce a great excitement unless managed with great discretion.\nBefore I saw Captain Pickett's instructions I did not suppose it possible that any collision could arise between the United States and Eng-~\nlish troops, and I took it for granted that his duties would be confined\nto the objects specified hereinbefore. While the boundary line still\nremains unsettled, and the commission appointed to determine the\nboundary line still existed, I did not suppose any resistance would be\nmade by Captain Pickett to the landing of the British troops, if they\nthought proper, as a matter of protection to English subjects on the\nisland, to station a force on the island. It did not seem to me, under AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n59\npresent circumstances, that we should be justified in going to the\nextent of refusing to allow them to land troops for peaceable purposes. I\nfound that Captain Pickett had different views, derived from your instructions, and he confidentially showed them to me. I perceived that they\nwere susceptible of the interpretation he gave them, though they were\nnot (directly mandatory on the subject; and supposing it possible, if\nnot probable, that you might have received instructions from the War\nDepartment for the occupation of the island, I felt a delicacy in interfering further in the matter lest I might be disturbing plans well considered by you and determined on by the government. At the same\ntime, as I had no intimation on the subject from the State Department,\nI felt considerably troubled lest there might be some misunderstanding.\nI was called upon officially by my colleague, Captain Prevost, the\nBritish commissioner for the settlement of the water boundary, to take\nsteps individually, or in concert with him, to protest against the armed\noccupation of the island, it being intimated that British troops would\nbe landed. As I did not consider it my duty, as a commissioner, to interfere with the operations of the military forces of either government, I\ndeclined to take the steps indicated. Thus far no serious results have\nfollowed from the presence of troops on the island ; but there is a good\ndeal of excitement among the authorities of Vancouver's island, and,\ndoubtless, a great deal of mortification, and, if I may be permitted to\nadvise, I would recommend caution, so as to prevent if possible any\ncollision, which, I think, under no circumstances ought to be allowed\nto occur.\nHowever certain may be your conviction that the boundary line,\naccording to the treaty, should run down the Canal de Haro\u2014and I\nhave never hesitated, when asked, to say that such is the ground I\nhave taken as commissioner, and that in this I believe I will be supported by the government\u2014still the question has not been authoritatively decided ; and unless you have some intimation from the War\nDepartment which has governed your actions, I fear that the decided\naction you have taken in declaring the island American territory may\nsomewhat embarrass the question. I shall be greatly relieved to learn\nthat you have some authority from the government for the decisive\nstep you have taken, though I do not pretend to ask or desire the information in my official capacity. I thought it possible, if you had\nno directions from home, that you might be in error on some point\nregarding the joint commission, and therefore have taken the liberty\nof letting you know that it still exists, notwithstanding the slow\nprogress made in settling the boundary question.\nI presume Colonel Casey has fully informed you of everything that\nhas taken place since his arrival, and therefore I need say nothing\nfurther.\nHoping you will excuse the liberty I have taken in writing you thus\nfreely, I am, my dear general, very respectfully and truly, your obedient servant,\nARCHIBALD CAMPBELL.\nBrigadier General W. S. Harney,\nUnited States Army. 60\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nNote by the Department of War.\u2014See General Harney's letter\nto Mr. Campbell, August 16, with No. 11 of these papers.\n18 6.\nCamp Semiahmoo, August 30, 1859.\nMy Dear General : I had the pleasure of receiving, on the 22d\ninstant, your letter of the 16th, placing me in possession of the facts\nconnected with the occupation of San Juan by some of the troops\nunder your command. For the trouble you have taken to furnish me\nthis information, in the midst of more pressing and important occupations, I beg to return you my sincere thanks. Had I known your\nviews earlier, I should have been free from the embarrassment expressed\nin my letter to you of the 14th instant. The rumor in regard to my\ndeparture for Washington city had no foundation whatever.\nIn a few days I contemplate a trip along or near the 49th parallel\nas far as Fort Colville. I shall return to this place, via the Columbia\nriver, towards the middle of October, by which time you will probably\nhave received answers to your despatches to Washington, which I trust\nmay be satisfactory to you. Looking forward with pleasure to meeting you at that time at Fort Vancouver, I am, my dear general, very\nrespectfully and truly, your obedient servant,\nARCHIBALD CAMPBELL.\nBrigadier General W. S. Harney,\nUnited States Army.\n19. General Scott to the Adjutant General.\nHeadquarters of the Army,\nPortland, Oregon, October 22, 1859.\nSir : The general-in-chief desires me to report, for the information\nof the Secretary of War, that he arrived in good health at Fort Yancouver on the night of the 20th instant, and had an interview with\nBrigadier General Harney the following morning.\nThe answer of that officer, of October 10, to the Secretary of War,\nin answer to his communication of September 3, gave an account of\nthe affairs existiog at the island of San Juan to that period, since\nwhen nothing of interest has occurred.\nCaptain Pickett, 9th infantry, the judge advocate of a general court-\nmartial,^ ordered by General Harney to convene at Fort Yancouver,\nwho arrived here yesterday, just from the island, reports everything\nquiet, and that the British vessels of war had all returned to their\nusual anchorage near Victoria except one\u2014the Satellite.\nThe steamer Northerner, on which the general is a passenger, leaves\nthis place this afternoon for Puget's Sound, and, on her arrival in those\nwaters, it is his intention to go on board the government steamer AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 61\nMassachusetts, at Port Townsend, and from thence open a correspondence with the British authorities. The general does not intend to\npass beyond the limits of the United States.\nCommissioner Campbell is on his way from Colville to Fort Vancouver, and may arrive at the latter place in a day or two.\nI have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nJ L. THOMAS,\nAssistant Adjutant General.\nColonel Samuel Cooper,\nAdjutant General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.\n20. General Scott to the Adjutant General.\nHeadquarters of the Army,\nFort Townsend, W. T, October 26, 1859.\nSir : By direction of the general-in-chief I enclose, for the information of the Secretary of War, a copy of his communication of yesterday's date to his excellency James Douglas, governor of Vancouver's\nisland, and its dependencies, containing a proposition to serve as a\nbasis for the temporary adjustment of the difficulties existing at the\nisland of San Juan between our government and that of Great Britain.\nLieutenant Colonel Lay, who was charged with the delivery of the\ncommunication, is momentarily expected, in the revenue cutter on this\nstation, with the governor's reply, and if received in time for the mail\na copy thereof will also be enclosed.\nThe general-in-chief further intends to send the substance of the\ncommunication by the overland mail'from San Francisco to the commanding officer of Fort Leavenworth, with instructions to telegraph\nthe same to the Secretary of War.\nThe steamer Northerner takes her departure from Fort Townsend\nthis morning, via Victoria, for San Francisco, where she is expected\nto arrive in ample time, with the mails, for the steamer to leave that\nport on the 5th proximo. This communication will be sent by the\nNortherner.\nI have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nL. THOMAS,\nAssistant Adjutant General.\nColonel S. Cooper,\nAdjutant General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. 62\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n21. General Scott to Mr. Floyd.\n[Telegram.]\nFuca Strait, October 27, via Leavenworth, November 24.\nHon. J. B. Floyd,\nSecretary [of War,] Washington.\nTwo days ago I despatched from Fort Townsend a communication.\nto Governor Douglas, proposing a temporary adjustment on the basis\nsuggested by the President in his instructions to me. There has been\nno answer yet. No doubt the proposition will be accepted. Every-,\nthing tranquil in these islands. \t\nu WINFIELD SCOTT.\n22. General Harney to General Scott.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, October 29, 1859.\nSir: I have the honor to enclose, for the information of the general-\nin-chief, a copy of a communication from Lieutenant Colonel Casey,\ncommanding on San Juan island, in which he reports that Rear-Admiral Baynes, commanding her Britannic Majesty's fleet on the Pacific\ncoast, was actually on board the British steamship-of-war \"Tribune,\"\nin the harbor of San Juan island, at the time Colonel Casey landed\nhis troops, and when Captain Hornby, of the British navy, the commander of the \"Tribune,\" informed the colonel, in presence of the,;\nBritish and American commissioners, that Admiral Baynes was then\nat Esquimault harbor, near Yictoria, Yancouver's island.\nI mentioned this fact to the general-in-chief, in conversation at the J\ntime of his arrival at this post, but I deem it of such importance in |\nshowing the duplicity and bad faith exercised towards us by both the\ncolonial and naval authorities of Great Britain in reference to San I\nJuan island, that I desire to place it on record.\nThis statement exposes three high officials of her Britannic Majesty's f\nservice, viz: the British commissioner, the admiral, and the senior\ncaptain of the navy in these waters, to th%imputation of having deliberately imposed a wilful falsehood upon the authorities of a friendly\nnation to advance the sinister designs of the British government in\nobtaining territory that rightfully belongs to the United States.\nIs it too much to suppose they would be guilty of like conduct should\nthey be permitted to assume a position in which it would aid their\npurposes ?\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nW. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nThe Assistant Adjutant General,\nHeadquarters of the Army, Port Townsend,\nPuget's Sound, W. T. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n63\nFort Vancouver, W. T., October 28, 1859.\nCaptain: In my communication of the 12th August, from San Juan\nisland, narrating the events which had transpired on that island, from\nthe time of my arrival with a reinforcement of three companies of\ninfantry from Fort Steilacoom, it will be seen that I had requested an\ninterview with Rear-Admiral Baynes, commanding her Britannic\nMajesty's fleet on the Pacific coast. As I did not in that communication state the principal reason which governed me in not proceeding\nto the flag-ship Gauges, for the purpose of having an interview with\nthe admiral on board that ship, in the harbor of Esquimault, I- have\nthought it due to myself that that reason should be made known to\nthe general commanding the department, and I would respectfully\nrequest that the following be considered a part of my communication\nof the 12th August, 1859, viz:\nSoon after my conference with Captain Hornby, I was informed by\nMr. Campbell, the United States commissioner, that Rear-Admiral\nBaynes was actually on board the British steamship Tribune, in the\nharbor of San Juan island, at the very time I was informed by Captain Hornby, in the presence of the British and American commissioners, that the admiral was at Esquimault harbor, twenty-five miles\ndistant.\nI was somewhat astonished at this, and considered that I had not\nbeen dealt by with that openness and candor which the object to be\nbrought about seemed to demand.\nI resolved, notwithstanding this, to comply with my promise to\nmeet the admiral at Esquimault harbor; but knowing what I did,\nthought it not incumbent on me to repair o... board the Ganges, for\nthe purpose of the contemplated interview.\nVery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nSILAS CASEY,\nLieutenant Colonel 9th Infantry, Commanding on San Juan.\nCaptain A. Pleasonton,\nActing Assistant Adjutant General,\nDepartment of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\n23. General Scott to Mr. Floyd.\nHeadquarters of the Army,\nAt Sea, December 8, 1859.\nSir : After the despatch of October 26, by Lieutenant Colonel\nThomas to the Adjutant General, I had no opportunity of communicating with the department before the steamer from San Francisco of\nthe 21st ultimo, and in her I embarked for home.\nThis letter will be accompanied by copies of my correspondence and 64\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\norders on the subject of the island of San Juan, while I was on the\nPacific coast, viz :\n1. My communication to Governor Douglas, October 25.\n2. Hasty memorandum by Lieutenant Colonel Lay, October 26.\n[Copies were communicated by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas's despatch.] I\n3. Governor Douglas to me, October 29.\n4. My letter to Governor Douglas, November 2; and\n5. Project of a temporary settlement, November 2.\n6. Governor Douglas to me, November 3.\n7. My letter to Governor Douglas, November 5.\n8. My special orders\u2014sending troops from San Juan, November 5.\n9. Governor Douglas to me, November 7.\n10. The same, enclosing deposition, &c, November 7.\n11. My letter to Governor Douglas, November 9.\n12. Extract of instructions to General Harney, November 9; and\n13. Extract of instructions to Captain Hunt furnished Governor\nDouglas, November 9.\n14. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas to Captain Hunt, November 9.\n15. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas to Lieutenant Colonel Casey, No- ]\nvember 9.\n16. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas to General Harney, November 9.\n17. My letter to General Harney, November 15.\n18. Special order, November 15.\nIt will be seen that the British governor having assured me that he I\nentertained no design of attempting the dislodgement by force of our |\ntroops from the disputed island, I immediately, in order to take from |\nour position every semblance of hostility or menace, took measures to I\nreduce that force to a single company of infantry, with its proper arms\nonly, (for the protection of American settlers,) with the understanding 1\nthat, in the same spirit, one of the vessels of war (the larger) in the j\nharbor of San Juan would also be sent off at an early day.\nAnd here it is proper to remark that, from the beginning of the\nrecent difficulties, there has virtually been a joint occupation of the\nisland by our troops in the land, and by one or more British vessels of 1\nwar in the harbor.\nI have the honor to be, sir, with high respect j your obedient servant, 1\nWINFIELD SCOTT.\nHon. John B. Floyd,\nSecretary of War.\n23 a.\nHeadquarters of the Army,\nFort Townsend, October 25, 1859.\nThe undersigned, lieutenant general and commanding in chief the!\narmy of the United States, having been drawn to this frontier by the]\napprehension of some untoward collision of arms between the forces of]\nthe United States and those of Great Britain in and about the island!\nof San Juan, the sovereignty of which is claimed by both nations, does| AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n65\nnot hesitate, in the great interests of peace assumed to be as important\nto one party as to the other, at once to submit for the consideration of\nhis excellency the following proposition, to serve as a basis for the\ntemporary adjustment of any present difficulty, until the two governments shall have time to settle the question of title diplomatically.\nWithout prejudice to the claim of either nation to the sovereignty of\nthe entire island of San Juan, now in dispute, it is proposed that each\nshall occupy a separate portion of the same by a detachment of infantry,\nriflemen, or marines, not exceeding one hundred men, with their\nappropriate army only, for the equal protection of their respective\ncountrymen in their persons and property, and to repel any descent\non the part of hostile Indians.\nIn modification of this basis any suggestion his excellency may\nthink necessary, or any addition he may propose, will be respectfully\nconsidered by the undersigned.\nThis communication will be handed to his excellency by Lieutenant\nColonel Lay, an aide-de-camp of the undersigned, who has the honor\nto subscribe himself,\nWith high respect, his excellency's obedient servant,\nWINFIELD SCOTT.\nHis excellency James Douglas, Esq., C. B.,\nGovernor of the Colony of Vancouver's Island\nand its dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same.\n^m\n23 b.\nHasty Memorandum.\nVictoria, Vancouver's Island,\nNight of October 26, 1859.\nHis excellency Governor Douglas authorizes me to say that, having\nyet had no time to consider in detail the proposition offered by Lieutenant General Scott, nor to consult with his official advisers here, he\nis at a glance satisfied that no obstacle exists to a completely amicable\nand satisfactory adjustment (continuing throughout the period of diplomatic discussion respecting the title to the island of San Juan,) either\nupon the plan suggested by General Scott, or some other that may be\nmutually agreed to after advisement.\nHis excellency has read this memorandum and retains a copy.\n% G. W. LAY,\nLieutenant Colonel U. S. Army.\n23 c.\nVictoria, Vancouver's Islanb,\nOctober 29, 1859.\n\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nAssistant Adjutant General,\nHeadquarters of the Army, Neio York City.\n68. General Harney to the Adjutant General.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., December 9, 1859.\nColonel: I have the honor to return Colonel Merchant's communication and enclosure, with the following explanation, in connexion\nwith the enclosed copies of letters from these headquarters 1\u00bb the\ncommander of Fort Vancouver, dated July 23 and August 4, 1859. 188 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nIn the letter of July 23, 1859, certain enlisted men were directed\nto be furloughed at dates anterior to that of the communication, for\nthe reason that the necessary orders had been given verbally, at the\nproper times, but were misunderstood, and these men were improperly\nreported on extra duty. Such reports entitled the men to an increase-\nof pay to which they had no just claim, and as soon as the facts were\ndiscovered the mistakes were corrected by the instructions of July 23.\nThe post return of Fort Vancouver for the month of July, 1859, is\ncorrect. A copy is enclosed, and any reports at variance with this\nshould be made to correspond.\nIt is proper on this occasion to call the attention of the War Department to the three officers whose reports Colonel Merchant considers irregular.\nFirst Lieutenant George Ihrie, who temporarily commanded \" B\"\nand \" D\" companies, has since tendered his resignation, and I trust,\nfor the honor of the service, it has been accepted. This resignation\nwas hastened by the fact of an officer having testified before, the\ngeneral court-martial which assembled for the trial of First'Lieutenant\nLyman M. Kellog, 3d artillery, that he would not believe Lieutenant\nIhrie under oath, in any matter in which he was at all interested.\nThe general opinion of Lieutenant Ihrie's character, with those in\nthe service who know him, is but little better than that above\nrecorded.\nThe second officer, who was commanding company \" A,\" 3d artillery, in the month of July, 1859, is First Lieutenant Lyman M.\nKellog. He has since been tried for drunkenness on San Juan island.\nThe proceedings in his case were sent direct to the Adjutant General\nby the court, and, from the heinousness of his offences, he has doubtless been sentenced to be dismissed the service.\nThe third officer referred to by Colonel Merchant is First Lieutenant\nHenry V. De Hart, who only reported for duty in this department on\nthe 10th day of July last, and was placed in arrest on the 31st of that\nmonth.\nThe short space of twenty days was sufficient for Lieutenant De\nHart to develop his character.\nHe began by writing an impertinent and disrespectful communication to his commander, myself, which was returned to him three times\nby my orders, for which he insulted my staff officer, Captain Pleasonton, attempting to hold him responsible for my acts, and charging\nhim with shielding himself behind his official position after insulting him.\nCharges have been duly preferred against Lieutenant De Hart for\nthis conduct, and were submitted to the War Department for its ac^\ntion. Nothing since has been heard from them ; but on. the arrival-\nof Lieutenant General Scott, he informed me the charges would not\nbe entertained by the War Department, and requested me to release\nLieutenant De Hart from arrest.\nI replied to the general-in-chief, through his staff officer, that I\nI could not consent to the release of Lieutenant De Hart, as it would\nbe impossible for me to maintain discipline if such outrageous conduct was permitted to pass unnoticed. AFFAIRS IN OREGON\n189\nThe general-in-chief then gave me a peremptory order to release\nLieutenant De Hart from arrest. A copy of this order is enclosed.\nI have now the honor to forward these charges against Lieutenant\nDe Hart, for the consideration of his excellency the President of the\nUnited States ; at the same time I submit my protest to the action of\nLieutenant General Scott in this case, for the following reasons, viz:\nFirst. It is seriously impairing the force of a vital military principle established for the government of the army in reference to staff\nofficers, in admitting the conduct of Lieutenant De Hart to be wanting in offence, or not in express violation of the rules of war and the\ncustom of our service, by claiming responsibility on the part of a staff\nofficer for the orders of his commander. In justice to the army, Lieutenant De Hart should be brought to trial.\nSecond. The act of Congress of the 29th of May, 1830, sections 1\nand 2, reads as follows :\n\" Whenever a general officer commanding an army, or a colonel\ncommanding a separate department, shall be the accuser or prosecutor\nof any officer in the army of the United States under his command,\nthe general court-martial for the trial of such officer shall be appointed by the President of the United States.\n\" The proceedings and sentence of the said court shall be sent\ndirectly to the Secretary of War, to be by him laid before the President for his confirmation or approval, or orders in the case.\"\nThis act of Congress deprives the general-in-chief of any action in\na case where the commander of a military department is the accuser\nof an officer in his command, and restricts the exercise of that power\nto the President in such cases. The general-in-chief, being deprived\nof the power of instituting a legal examination, is necessarily deprived\nby the law of the power of acquittal or interference under the same\ncircumstances. For Lieutenant General Scott to order the release of\nLieutenant De Hart, in opposition to my remonstrance, and before\nthe action of the President had been duly published, was an illegal\nand arbitrary exercise of power, prejudicial to the service by tending\nto lessen my influence and authority over the troops of this command.\nThe necessity for the law above quoted is obvious when we consider\nthe facilities such power would give a weak or envious commander-in-\nchief to injure an army in the field or separate military department\nin effecting purposes of his own detrimental to the honor and dignity\nof the service.\nThe law having assigned to the President the duty of deciding in\nthe case of difficulty between myself, as the commander of this department, and an officer of my command, I respectfully request that the\npioper legal investigation by court-martial may be instituted in the\nease of Lieutenant De Hart, as the only available means of maintaining discipline, and at the same time rendering justice to the parties\nconcerned.\nI am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nW. S. HARNEY, _\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nColonel S. Cooper,\nAdjutant General, U. S. Army, Washington City, D. C. 190\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nRemarks\nOn Brigadier General Harney's letter to the Secretary of War,\ndated December 9, 1859, which the Secretary has courteously caused\nto be sent to me, evidently against the wishes and expectations of the \u25a0\nwriter. . I\nThis act of the Secretary, with the rebuke that went direct from him |\ni,to Brigadier General H., on the 7th instant, may, it is hoped, some-.*\nI what disabuse the latter of the besotted notion that he and his princi-1\nI pal staff officer will be supported at Washington, no matter what j\nr blunder either of them may officially commit. I\nAt the foot of page 3 the brigadier general says that I had informed 1\nhim his charges against Lieutenant De Hart \" would not be entertained by the War Department.\" This is an error with a motive.\nWhat I did say, or authorized Lieutenant Colonel Thomas to say in|\nmy behalf, was simply this: that from some slight allusion to the I\ncharges against Lieutenant De H., volunteered by the acting Secretary!\nof War, in conversation with me at my last visit to Washington, I\nthought it doubtful whether a court would be ordered for the trial of1\nthe lieutenant on those charges ; and in the meantime, as the lieutenant's services were needed, I wished the brigadier general to suspend!\nthe arrest, and to have the credit of doing a generous act. But this!\nwas not to his taste, which satisfied me that his object was not discip-m\nline, but vengeance. Hence I ordered the suspension myself, anda\nadded, expressly, in the order, that in case the War Department*\nshould appoint a court for the trial of the lieutenant, his arrest coulda\nthen be renewed. Indeed, from the beginning I was surprised thatj\nthe prqsecutor should desire to place his charges before a court, as, to I\nme, it appeared certain that the accused would not be the greater sufM\nferer by an investigation.\nIn the next (4th) page of the letter the brigadier general protests (\/)\u25a0\nagainst that temporary release of the accused, on two grounds :\n1. That the suspension of the arrest \" seriously impaired the forcjS\nof a vital military principle,\" &c. There mignt be some little sense!\nor application in this ground of protest if I had pardoned, or attempted!\nto pardon, Lieutenant De Hart before trial; but it is utter nonsense!\nwhen it is recollected that my order in the case did nothing that couldjl\ndelay a trial for a moment, or cripple, in the case of guilt, the ultimate^\nvengeance of the law, but only relieved him from the private vengeanceJS\nof his prosecutor or prosecutors until a court could take him in hand.\nUnder this same head something is said about a l: violation of the*:\nrules of war and the custom of our service.\" According to these it I\nquite common to suspend the arrest of an officer in the long absence\nof any court, or to meet an exigency of the service, and I had the two\nmotives in my act, as well as a third, viz: to relieve a meritorious\nyoung officer from the persecution of his prosecutors.\n2. The second ground of protest set forth by the brigadier general\nis as curious as it is malignant. He cites the act of May 29, 1830\u2014a\nlaw expressly intended to protect the prosecuted against trial by courts\nappointed by prosecutors, (I) as if it could have any possible bearing Hsaai\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n191\non my act in the case under consideration ; for I neither appointed a\ncourt nor placed the lieutenant beyond the reach of his prosecutor;\nand yet that act is treated as an acquittal \" of the accused before trial\nor before the action of the President!\" But, again, this blundering\nwas not without a motive. It is used as a vehicle for insinuation\nagainst \" a weak or envious (!) commander-in-chief,\" having \"purposes of his own detrimental to the honor and dignity of the service!\"\nIn the several quotations from the letter in question, it is plainly\nseen why the letter was clandestinely sent (over my head) to Washington, against the prescribed and indispensable rules of military correspondence.\nIn dismissing this most nauseating subject, I beg permission to add,\nthat the highest obligations of my station compel me to suggest a\ndoubt whether it be safe in respect to our foreign relations, or just to\nthe gallant officers and men in the Oregon department, to leave them\nEager, at so great a distance, subject to the ignorance, passion, and\ncaprice of the present headquarters of that department.\nRespectfully submitted to the Secretary of War.\nWINFIELD SCOTT.\nNew York, February 14, 1860.\n68 a.\nHeadquarters of the Army,\nPortland, Oregon, October 21, 1859.\nGeneral: The general-in-chief directs me to say that you will\nrelease from arrest, and restore to duty, Lieutenant Henry V. De Hart,\n3d artillery, until you are made acquainted with the decision of the\nPresident on the charges you have forwarded against the lieutenant.\nShould a general court-martial be ordered for his trial, he can, on the\nmeeting of the court, be again placed in arrest.\nI have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nL. THOMAS,\nAssistant Adjutant General.\nBrigadier General W. S. Harney,\nCommanding Department of Oregon, Fort Vancouver. 192\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n1 1 II\n\u2022ustapajsiing\nj 0, ; j \u00ab\ni\n-\n<\nm\n|a\n\u25a0pjooi(jo pouorasiuiuioo\n\u00ab \u00ab - j s j j\n1\"\n\u25a0nam pajsiiug\n: S CT |S | - j\n\u25a0sjooiyo panoissinitnoo\n- \u00bb : j * 1 :\ni\nW\n\u2022TOOI\nj 8 \u00ab | \u00a7 | !\n,u8\u00ab.anguooW,S8\u00ab8ui\niir 1 - 1 i\n'^PIS\n\u20223AB3nnom!AV\n: * : 1 A\n\u20223AB8I I{l!M\n: s j | s | i\n\u202290IAI9S poipuiap uo\n:8~-| 8 | j\n1\nIB10X\n\u201efl. | a | :\n\u00a7M\nM -h : | \u00ab\n\u20228AE8IJnoqi.M\n\u20229AB3I IPIM\n!- M - 1 !\n\u202290IAJ9S pgqowgp uq\n\u2022 -\u2022^faj i\n1\n1\n\u25a0IBJOJ,\n2|3 | S | -S\n\u2022jiiouioiiyuooao JS9WB nj\nj g co | co | |TB\n\u2022ws\n:S \u00ab |.S j :>\n\u2022i&npXnBpjoBJjxano\nj \u00a3 2 | 3 | ; M\n\u25a0x.\u00abp\u00ab*| sg' | 8 | ^\n|\nTBlox\n\u2022uoisuadsns jtojsajjEui 1 : \u00ab I j \u00ab 1 :\n\u20223ioTg | ; j : | i | j\n\u2022Ainp JOJ rH CO \u00ab | CO | \n\" :\n\u2022src.10d.103\na * 1 a\nrt\n\u2022sjucoSjog\n\u00a3 \"*\u2022\n2\n\u2022sp\u00abA\\9js [bjhIsoh\n\u2022SjaB3gj9S 99UBUPX0\n-\n1 ~\n-lS9i JO JBJS pgaoiSSIUIUIOD-KOM\ni **\n1\n\u2022pouoissimuioo [ejox *\"\u25a0 1 \u00b0*\n\u00ab :\n\u2022sui9j[Bqng\na CT 1 i\n\u2022SHIBjdBO\n5C\u00abgj. \u00bb\n\u2022 sjaoyjo jjbjs p3}U9caiSaa;\nCT j\n\u2022Si90IgO PJ91J IB}n9UlI\u00a79'a: m\n1 \"\n' saodo35jaio)s X.u:ii|ij\\r\n\u2022aauBupio |\n\u25a0juamjiBdop Abj\n\u2022JU9UIiaEd9p lB0ip9J\\[ rt\nrt\nnU9UrWBd9p9DU9JS!Sqng|\n\u2022,U9mWBd9P S;J9,SB.U49\u00bbBn0\n\u2022saunjduroo jo sjana'I\n&\n1\n_\ni \u2022\n.\ni\n: J\nH. Ex. Doc. 65 13 \u25a0i\n194\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n\u2022PUBTJ\naosu\njujaijsod^OTiqjo -o\u00ab\n5\n1\niz\n\u00abg\n\u2022UIBJIIIOIV I \u2022\n1 1\n\u2022Piajd | : :\n\u2022a\u00ab9h j \\\n\u2022uoijOT \u00a7 jsoi jo p9iira | : :\n! 1\n1\nlis\n\u2022apreaotAiasuQ | j j\ni 1\n5\n\u20229Iq09D.Aa9g. | : :\ni |\n\u2022pajmli.-jj sjmJDOH *\" S S 8\n\u2022uoijsb n| papnnoAi | : : : | : 1\n1\no\n,3 1 : :\n: | : |\n\u2022aoiAiasjouopBijclxa | : gj\nM i 1\nMl\n1\n5\n\u2022oiy '.-jsbosip uiojj : :\n1\nspuncM\/cac^MOBJTl\n1\n~\nSlp'p9\u00ab8JSUBn'p9uSlS9a 1 \\ \\\n|\nj\n\u20229jB39JS3y : p\n: 1\n1\nw\n\u2022U01JJ9S9P raoij : rt\nII 1 1\n\u2022P9U!or| : :\n1\n\u00bb\n\u2022pajsiiaa-aa 1 : :\n\u25a0jnainiSai oi[i a; pojsi 1113\n1\n\u2022sjodop enoJl simjoojj\n1\n\u2022sjDDiyo paaoisSimuioQ\n1 i\nI>si^i\nI|\ns\n1\nif\n|\n^\na AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n195\n1\nSick from Fort Cascades, W. T.\nLeft as hospital Stewart wjB^ffls' company went to Fort Hoskins.\nBert on duly when liis company went to Fort Cascades, W. T.\nAwaiting opportunity to join his company.\nSick from Fort Cascades, W. T.\nSent from Port Cascades, W. T.j awaiting opportunity to join company.\nDo! do!\nScut sick from Fort Cascades, W. T.\nDo. do.\nIn confinement, awaiting opportunity to join company.\nl>o. do!\nIn confinement, awaiting opportunity to join band.\nIn.confinement, awaiting opportunity to join company.\n1\nQ O\nill:\n1\n do\t\nJuly 22,1859\n!!!!! do!!!!!!\nJuly 28,1859\nI\nKfatt* ooooocoooo\nfc 5\nIs :\n||f.*\n\u2022<\u00ab gs? u\ng I\nGeorge F. B. Dandy\t\nChaplain and schoolmaster.\nRev. John McCarty, (Protestant Episcopal.)\nAbsent on detached service.\nf|\n|\ni\n5\" |t\na\ni AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n199\n69. The Adjutant General to General Harney.\nAdjutant General's Office,\nWashington, December 17, 1859.\nGeneral: Your letter of September 19, 1859, reporting the failure\nof First Lieutenant John C. Howard, 9th infantry, to appear before\nthe general court-martial appointed by you for his trial, and recommending that his name be dropped from the rolls of the army, was\nduly laid before the Secretary of War, and has been returned to this\noffice with the following endorsement :\n\" War Departmet, December 8, 1859.\n\" The case is not considered to require the action recommended by\nthe department commander.\n\"J. B. FLOYD,\nu Secretary of War.\"\nI have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient\nservant,\nE. D. TOWNSEND,\nAssistant Adjutant General.\nBrigadier General W. S. Harney,\nU. S. A., Com'g Dep't of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\n70. The Adjutant General to General Harney.\nAdjutant General's Office,\nWashington, December 17, 1859.\nGeneral : I have the honor to transmit to you several communications which have been received at the War Department, presenting\nclaims to the site of Fort Cascades, Washington Territory, respecting\nwhich the following decision has been given :\n\" War Department, July 16, 1859.\nI In view of the adverse claims relative to the occupation of Fort\nCascades, Washington Territory, by the government, the whole subject will be referred to the commanding officer of the deparment of\nOregon for further investigation and adjustment, subject to the approval of this department, both as regards damages forthe past and\nthe terms of occupation for the future. The claimants will, therefore,\npresent their claims in a definite shape to that officer. The government will not desire to purchase, but may lease for a period of ten\nyears, if required so long for military purposes.\n\"W. R. DRINKARD,\n''Acting Secretary of War.\"\ngfc*. 200\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nI regret to add that the foregoing decision was, through madveit-\nence, overlooked in this office until a few days ago. W? .J\nYou will also find herewith the proceedings of the board ot officers\nappointed by you the 2d of March last to examine into the claim ot\nMr. G. W. Johnson to the site of Fort Cascades. The orders of the\nWar Department upon these proceedings are endorsed upon the record.\nI am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\n5 E. D. TOWNSEND,\nAssistant Adjutant General.\nBrigadier General W. S. Harney,\nCom'g Dep't of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\n71. General Harney to General Scott.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., December 26, 1859.\nColonel : I have the honor to return the enclosed letter from Lieu- I\ntenant Welcher, referred to by the Secretary of War, for the purpose I\nof ascertaining the value of the improvements on the tract of land J\nrecommended by Lieutenant Welcher as an appropriate site for an\narsenal at this point.\nIn reply to the Secretary, I desire to inform him that on the 12th 1\nof October last I caused a note to be addressed to Lieutenant Welcher, 1\na copy of which is enclosed, stating the cost of the improvements had a\nbeen three thousand four hundred and eighty dollars, and for this sum J\nI was willing to relinquish the place to the government. In the mat- I\nter of lease, until the title has been secured by the government I|\nshould not have asked more than the sum I agreed to pay the Hudson J\nBay Company for their \"possessory rights,\" viz: five dollars perl\nyear. As those rights have expired, according to a late decision of I\nthe State Department, I shall not ask any rent of the government for I\nthe occupation of the property should it be determined to accept it. \u2022\nThe title to the land is not encumbered by any other claim ; half\nthe land is enclosed by a good cedar post fence, besides the other improvements that have been placed upon it. These improvements consist of a good dwelling-house, containing seven rooms and a kitchen, I\nwith outhouses, stables for three horses, with covers for vehicles, and\na large cistern. The title to this property can be confirmed to the -\u25a0\nUnited States sooner than any other piece of property in this vicinity.\nThe position which was at first contemplated for the arsenal site has,--\nthree or four different claimants, including the mission claim, besides?\nbeing inferior in point of locality to the place now under consideration.\nEarly in October Lieutenant Welcker was so well satisfied of the fitness of the position, and his convictions that the department would authorize its purchase on the terms proposed, that,-with my permission,\nhe took possession of the premises for some weeks, when he suddenly\ncame to me and said he had received an answer from the colonel of\nordnance to his proposition to procure the land for arsenal purposes, AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n201\nwhich answer, he stated, contained several objections to the proposals, and declined to entertain it.\nHaving implicit confidence in Lieutenant Welcker's word, I believed the colonel of ordnance had formed his plans, and that Lieutenant Welcker was instructed accordingly, for the latter quitted the\npremises and commenced building upon the original site proposed.\nOn receiving the endorsements of the Secretary of War, with that of\nthe colonel of ordnance made upon Lieutenant Welcker's letter of the\n2d of August, I found the colonel of ordnance had been grossly misrepresented to me by Lieutenant Welcker, and that, instead of entertaining the opinion Lieutenant Welcker had expressed to me, he had\nauthorized a lease to be obtained of the property for a term of years\nuntil the title could be confirmed to the United States. I regret to\nreport that Lieutenant Welcker never made any offer to lease the\nproperty, or spoke of the authority which had been given him to\ndo so.\nI called upon Lieutenant Welcker for an explanation of the authority by which he commenced to build, and his answer is not at all\nsatisfactory. This correspondence is enclosed, and, in connexion\nwith the endorsement of Colonel Craig, exposes Lieutenant Welcker\nto the imputation of having told a deliberate and wilful falsehood to\nhis commanding officer in the line of his duty.\nI have directed Lieutenant Welcker to stop building, as he is not\nregarding the instructions of the colonel of ordnance in so doing,\nhaving commenced two houses out of all proportion to the wants of\nhimself and his detachment.\nI cannot understand the inducement Lieutenant Welcker has had\nto cause him to conduct himself as he has done, and I trust the\nSecretary of War will give this subject an early attention.\nI am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nWM. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nColonel S. Cooper,\nAdjutant General, Washington City, D. C.\n71a.\nOrdnance Office, Washington May SO, 1859.\nSir : You have been informed verbally in regard to the building of\na new arsenal at Vancouver, and to the difficulty of obtaining a valid\nand satisfactory title to the site. If this difficulty shall continue, and\nthe wants of the service shall in the meantime render it necessary to\nenlarge the operations and increase the supplies at the department,\nyou are authorized to make the following temporary arrangements,\nor such of them as you may find to be necessary, before you can go on\nwith the permanent buildings, bearing in mind, however, that such\narrangements are only for temporary purposes, to be superseded by\nthose of the permanent arsenal, to be built as soon as possible after\nthe title to the site is acquired.\nYou may increase the detachment of ordnance to fifteen men, by\nenlistment or transfer, and may have the following grades, to wit: &M\n202\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n1 master workman, 4 mechanics, 5 artificers, and 5 laborers. You\nmay put up temporary shops for armorers, blacksmiths,- and carriage\nmakers, and a temporary laboratory ; also temporary shelter for the\nenlisted men and officers of the ordnance department if necessary, and\nsuch temporary storerooms as may be absolutely necessary for the\nshelter and preservation of the ordnance stores at the depot.\nI enclose a list of building materials pertaining to the arsenal in\nWashington Territory, which are now in store at Benicia, and all Or\nany portion of which you can obtain by requisition on Captain Oa\\-\nlender when you may want them for use at Vancouver.\nIf, after you take charge of the depot, you should find it necessary\nfor the service of the post to do your own hauling, you may purchase\na horse and cart, or two horses and a wagon, if less will not answer.\nThe funds which will be turned over to you will be sufficient for\npresent expenditures, and you will have the opportunity to prepare:\nestimates for what may be required in future.\nRepectfully, your obedient servant,\nH. K. CRAIG,\nColonel of Ordnance.\nLieutenant W. T. Welcker,\nNew York City.\n716.\nVancouver Depot, W. T., August 2, 1859.\nCaptain : Having been informed by General Harney of his unwillingness to transfer to the ordnance department, for the purposes of an\narsenal site, a tract of land of 100 acres lying near a mile east of Fort\nVancouver, and which tract is his private property, subject to the\nclaims of the Hudson's Bay Company, I have visited said tract and\nseen the improvements thereon, and having been directed in conversation by General Harney to furnish him with a communication stating\nwhether I deemed said tract desirable for the purposes of the ordnance\ndepartment, I have the honor to present this and to say that I deem\nthe tract more suitable for an arsenal than the present ordnance\nreserve, as it is a little more remote from the buildings and people of\nthe town and fort of Vancouver and consequently a better situation\nfor magazines of powder. This tract is also a much more beautiful,\nsituation, in my opinion, than the present reserve and it possesses the.\nadditional and great advantage of not being claimed by any other\nparty, while to twenty acres of the present reservation there are, I am\ntold, two, if not three, claimants.\nI am authorized by Lieutenant Till, of the ordnance corps, to state\nthat he concurs in these views.\nRespectfully, your obedient servant,\nWM. T. WELCKER,\nFirst Lieut-. Ordnance, Commanding Depot.\nCaptain A. Pleasanton,\n2d Dragoons, A. A. Adjutant General Department of Oregon. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n203\n[Endorsements.]\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, September 20,1859.\nThis, communication is respectfully transmitted for the consideration of the War Department, with the information that I am willing\nto transfer the 100 acres spoken of for the purpose of an arsenal,\nshould the department be disposed to return to me the cost of the improvements I have placed upon the land in fences and buildings.\nI agree with Lieutenant Welcker in the opinion of its fitness for\narsenal purposes, and having procured it for amusement at a nominal\nvalue I shall be satisfied with the amount I have placed upon it.\nWM. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nAdjutant General's Office, November 1, 1859.\nRespectfully referred to the colonel of ordnance.\nS. COOPER,\nAdjutant General.\nOrdnance Office, November 2, 1839.\nAn appropriation for an arsenal in Washington Territory was made\nby act of August 30, 1856, and General Wool set apart a portion of\nthe land at Fort Vancouver for it. Measures were at once taken for\nthe erection of the necessary buildings when the Hudson's Bay Company objected to our going on till their possessory claim under treaty\nhad been quieted, and consequently the ordnance, men, and stores\nhave never been duly sheltered there.\nOn the 1st of August last Lieutenant Welcker sent me a copy of\nthis letter and said he was told by General Harney that he had a\nlease of this 100 acres from the Hudson's Bay Company for five years\nat $5 a year. In reply I reminded Lieutenant Welcker of the joint\nresolution of Congress, September 11,1841, forbidding the expenditure\nof money on any site purchased till the Attorney General shall certify\nthe validity of title, and as till then none but the most temporary\nbuildings should be erected, I authorized him to lease from the general this 100 acres, with the buildings thereon, to the end of the term\nof the general's lease from the Hudson's Bay Company. I have had\nno reply yet, but presume the offer has been made.\nFrom what Lieutenant Welcker has written to me I think 100 acres\nof General Harney's would afford a most eligible site for the contemplated arsenal, and as the lease itself would present no obstacle to its\npurchase, I would recommend that as soon as a definite nrice has been\nagreed upon, some one learned in the law be emplojed to investigate\nand certify the title and prepare and I have the deed executed by the\ngeneral and Mrs. Harney, and the papers forwarded to this office to\nbe submitted to the Attorney General through the Secretary of War.\nH; K. CRAIG, Colonel of Ordnance. 204\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n71c\nOrdnance Office,\nWashington, September 15, 1859.\nSir : I have received your letter of the 1st August, in relation to\nthe selected site for the arsenal at Fort Vancouver; to your having\nproposed to an officer of the Hudson's Bay Company for them to quitclaim the site so selected ; to claims set up by citizens^ of the United\nStates to the twenty-acre site selected outside, and adjoining the original Fort Vancouver reservations, and which twenty acres you consider\nalmost essential (for reasons you give) as the part on which to erect I\nthe arsenal buildings, and also in relation to a tract of one hundred i\nacres owned by General Harney, and known as the \"Dundas Castle\" ]\nplace, lying about one mile east of Fort Vancouver, which he offers jj\nto sell to the United States as the site for the arsenal, at about what \u25a0\nit cost him, which he thinks is from $1,200 to $1,500, to which offer\nhe requests an early reply.\nThe joint resolution of Congress, of the 11th September, 1841, provides that no money shall be expended upon any site or land purchased^\nfor arsenels, armories, forts, &c, until the written opinion of the At-1\ntorney General shall be had in favor of the validity of the title. This\nwould forbid not only the paying of General Harney for the land until I\nthe deed, made and executed by himself and his wife, shall have been i\nsent on, accompanied by a brief of title and papers referred to in it, i\nand then investigated and certified as above, but no money it will be\nseen could be expended in the erection of buildings on the site until ]\nall this was done; and from examples we have already had, it is not f\nprobable that the certificate could be obtained for many months.\nAs to the twenty-acre tract I think we are sufficiently protected!\nfrom any extravagant claims by donation or pre-emption settlers by I\nthe 14th section of the act of 27th September, 1850, yet until the!\nlands already selected shall have been legally confirmed to us for an\narsenal, or the titles thereabouts shall have been so quieted that we can \u00a7\npurchase a valid fee simple title, nothing more than the most tempo-J\nrary shelter for our stores and employes must be built. It may how-J\never be well if General Harney will lease to us. the one hundred acres 1\nwith the buildings thereon at a reasonable rent, to enter upon such a\nlease; and if you, on the spot, see no objection to it, I hereby author- 1\nize it, say for a term to the end of his lease from the Hudson's Bay\nCompany. If this is done you may then add the necessary temporary\nstructures to those already there.\nI am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,\nH. K. CRAIG,\nT. TTT m ,\u201e Colonel of Ordnance.\nLieutenant W. T. Welcker,\nOrdnance Depot, Fort Vancouver, W. T. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n205\n71 d.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W.T., October 12, 1859.\nSir : General Harney desires me to say the cost of the improvements\non the plape you are desirous to obtain for an arsenal site is $3,480,\nand for this sum he is willing to relinquish it to the government.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nA. PLEASONTON,\nCaptain 2d Dragoons, A. Ass't Adj't Gen'l.\nFirst Lieutenant W. T. Welcker,\nOrdnance Department, Commanding Vancouver Arsenal.\n71 e.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., December 24, 1859.\nSir : The general commanding instructs you to stop all building\non account of the Ordnance department, the War Department not\nhaving determined upon a site for an arsenal at this point.\nYou are further instructed to report by what authority you commenced to build, and also to furnish this office copies of all communications you have received from the colonel of ordnance on the subject.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nA. PLEASONTON,\nCaptain 2d Dragoons, A. Ass't Adj't Gen'l.\nFirst Lieutenant W. T. Welcker,\nOrdnance Department, Fort Vancouver, W. T.\n71\/.\nVancouver Depot, W. T.,\nDecember 26, 1859.\nSir : I have received your communication of the 24th instant, informing me of the order of the department commander to me to stop\nall building on account of the Ordnance department, and to report by\nwhat authority I commenced to build, and to furnish your office with\ncopies of all communications I have received from the colonel of ordnance, on the subject.\nI obey this order, but I do so under protest. I cheerfully recognize\nthe right of the department commander to order any issues of ordnance stores which he thinks proper, but I feel it to be my duty to\nprotest, in a respectful but most emphatic manner, against this interference with my special duties as the agent of the Ordnance bureau &*m\n2C6\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nmy\ninstructions from the\nat this point, and against his overhauling\nchief of ordnance.\nI was sent here by the Ordnance department to carry out (in addition to furnishing the troops of this military department with ordinance supplies) certain designs of its chief, and it is impossible for me\nto do this in a successful manner if I am to receive orders on the subject from two separate and independent sources.\nI have stopped work on the buildings I commenced to build by the\nauthority of the chief of ordnance.\nI transmit herewith a copy of instructions received from the Ordnance bureau while in New York, and I forwarded on Saturday last, I\nto your office, a copy of a letter received from Colonel Craig, since I\nwas here, in which he says, | yet until the land already selected shall >|\nhave been legally confimed to us for an arsenal, or the titles there-ii\nabouts shall have been so quieted that we can purchase a valid feei\nsimple title, nothing more than the most temporary shelter for ourjl\nstores and employes must be built.\"\nIt may be well to state that the effect of this order of supervision\nis to leave the larger part of my command very uncomfortably and I\ninadequately quartered, while a few days, say four or five, would\nhave finished the building, so that not only all of the present detachment, but all whom I expect to join it, would have been comfortably\nhoused.\nRespectfully, your obedient servant,\nWM. T. WELCKER,\nFirst Lieut. Ordnance, Commanding the Depot.\nCaptain A. Pleasonton,\nA. A. Adjt. General, Dept. Oregon.\n72. Col. Abert to Mr. Floyd.\nBureau of Topographical Engineers,\nWashington, December 31, 1859.\nSir: I have the honor to acknowledge the reference to this bureau\n\"for an examination and report on the maps\" transmitted to the\nWar Department by Brigadier General Harney, commanding department of Oregon, and recommended by him to be published for the information ot the army and the country generally.\nThe maps of Father De Smet contain many valuable details which\nshould be embodied in a new edition of the War Department maps;\nthe geographical positions are, however, extremely erroneous.\nThe explorations of Commander Wilkes, Governor Stevens, J. C.\nFremont, Captain Stansbury, and others, over portions of the country\nembraced by the general map of Father De Smet, all of whom have\nhad instruments, scientific men, and other means for determining\nwith great accuracy the latitude, longitude, and topography of the\ncountry, have superseded much of the information contained in the\ngeneral map of Father De Smet. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nIt is admitted that the sketch maps may be of value for reference\nand for future use, but it is manifest that in their present condition\nthe department should not publish them, for the reason that they are\ndevoid of scientific value, and that more correct maps have been\nalready published.\nThis bureau would do an injustice to the Reverend Father, if it\nshould fail at the occasion now presented to acknowledge his kindness\nin permitting copies of the maps prepared by him to be taken by\nCaptain J. H. Simpson, corps topographical engineers, whilst on the\nmarch with the troops for Utah.\nCaptain Simpson took copies of the general map and the map indicating the positions of the Indian tribes and missions, &c.\nGreat merit is justly accorded to the Reverend Father De Smet for\nthe valuable information he has collected, and which he has so freely\nand kindly offered for the use of the War Department.\nRespectfully, sir, your obedient servant,\nJ. J. ABERT,\nColonel, Commanding Topographical Engineers.\nHonorable John B. Floyd,\nSecretary of War.\n73. The Adjutant General to General Harney.\nAdjutant General's Office,\nWashington, January 12, 1860.\nGeneral : I am instructed by the Secretary of War to say that the\nexpenses of the quartermaster's department within the limits of your\ncommand must be reduced. No expenditures that are not absolutely\nessential to the efficiency of the service will be sanctioned, otherwise,\nit will be necessary to resort to a deficiency bill to meet the expenses\nof the army, and this the Secretary is determined that he will under\nno circumstances, except in an unforseen exigency, ask for.\nThe Secretary of War further directs that you cause estimates to be\nprepared, on the most economical scale, of the moneys required for disbursements in the quartermaster's department, in the department of\nOregon, during the residue of the present fiscal year.\nThese estimates to be forwarded to the quartermaster general as\nsoon as practicable, and to specify in detail the object for which the\nfunds will be needed ; beyond the amounts thus estimated for, no expenditures will be made or debts incurred.\nI have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient\nservant,\nS. COOPER, Adjutant General.\nBrigadier General W. S. Harney,\nCommanding Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver. W. T. 208\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n74. General Harney to the Adjutant General.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., January 17, I860.\nColonel : I have the honor to enclose, for the information of the\nWar Department, the following-named reports of the expedition made\nfrom this command, the past summer, to open a wagon road to the\nSalt Lake from the Dalles of the Columbia river ; and also to protect\nthe emigration from the western States to Oregon and Washington\nTerritory, viz:\n1. General report of Captain Henry D. Wallen, 4th infantry, commanding.\n2. Report of Lieutenant John C. Bonnycastle, 4th infantry, of the\ncountry from Crooked River canon to the Dalles.\n3. Report of Lewis Scholl, guide and topographer, of the country\nfrom Harney lake, through the valley of the Owhyee river, to Salt\nLake.\n4. Report of Brevet Second Lieutenant J. H. Dixon, corps of topographical engineers, of the discharge of the duties appertaining to his\ndepartment, with his views of the country and route.\n5. Report of Second Lieutenant David C. Houston, corps of engineers, upon the use of the pontoon equipment in the crossing of rivers,\n&c.\n6. Copy of the map of the department of Oregon, with the different\nroutes and topographical features of the country marked out upon it,\nfrom the different maps of the several exploring parties.\nLieutenant Dixon is now preparing a complete map of the country,\nas well as the various rivers, mountains, lakes, and valleys, in detail,\nwhich will be submitted as soon as it is finished.\nIt will be perceived from these reports that there exists a succession\nof large and fertile valleys from the Columbia river to the Great Salt\nLake, susceptible of maintaining large populations, and which will\nsoon become occupied whenever the facilities offered by good roads are\npresented. The distance from the Dalles to the Great Salt Lake is\nthe shortest and most accessible of any other known route, as indicated by the reports of Lieutenant Bonnycastle and Lewis Scholl.\nThe importance of this enterprise, in connexion with affording proper\nprotection to the emigrants, is such that I have determined to send a\ncommand over this route the coming season to complete the road and\naid the emigration. Not a single life was lost in the past year by the\nemigrants from Indians.\nTo enable the emigrants moving into Oregon to do so more expeditiously, I shall cause a route to be opened from the lake, named as\nHarney lake upon the map, to the juncture of the road from Eugene\ncity, up the middle fork, to where it crosses Fremont's road of 1843,\nsouth of Diamond peak. Lieutenant Dixon speaks favorably of the\ncountry from what he observed ; and, from all the information I can AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\ngather, an excellent road, not exceeding one hundred mile;\n209\nwill\nI am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nWM. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General, Commanding.\nColonel S. Cooper,\nAdjutant General U. S. Army, Washington City, D. C.\n74 a.\nGeneral report of Captain Henry D. Wallen, 4th regiment infantry,\nUnited States army, in command of the wagon road expedition from\nthe Columbia river to the valley of the Great Salt Lake.\nFort Vancouver, W. T.,\nNovember 25, 1859.\nCaptain: I have the honor to submit, together with the accompanying map, the following report of the expedition under my command ;\nthe orders and instructions under which it was organized and conducted are as follows:\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., April 27, 1859.\nSpecial Orders No. 40.\nI. To increase the facilities of communication between the Columbia\nriver and the valley of the Great Salt Lake, in connexion with the\noverland route to the frontiers of the western States, the following\ncommand will be organized at Fort Dalles, to move from that point\nby the 1st of June next, for the purpose of opening a good wagon road\nto the Snake river, in the vicinity of the mouth of the Malheur river,\nand from thence to a point called \"City Rocks,\" at the junction of the\nroad from Forts Laramie and Bridger with the road from Fort Hall\nto the Salt Lake City, viz:\nCompanies \" E \" and \" H,\" of the 1st dragoons ; company \" H,\"\n4th infantry; detachment of engineers, company \"A,\" Captain Henry\nD. Wallen, 4th infantry, commanding.\nDetailed instructions will be given Captain Wallen.\nII. Brevet Second Lieutenant Joseph Dixon, corps of topographical engineers, will report for duty with this command.\nThe detachment of engineers will be provided with the necessary\nfloats and implements to facilitate the passage of any streams this\ncommand may be required to cross.\nIII. The quartermaster, subsistence, ordnance, and medical departments at Fort Vancouver will furnish four months' supplies to this\ncommand, with the necessary transportation, assistance, and means to\nH. Ex. Doc. 65 14 210\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nenable it to accomplish in a complete and thorough manner the requirements of this order.\nIV. The medical director will designate in time an officer of his\ndepartment to accompany this expedition. m\nV. Company \" G,\" 3d artillery, will relieve company \"H,' 4th\ninfantry, by the 25th of May next, at Fort Cascades.\nBy order of General Harney.\nA. PLEASONTON,\nCaptain 2d Dragoons, A. A. Adjt. General.\nCommanding Officer,\nFort Cascades, W. T.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, April 28, 1859. |\nCaptain : The general commanding instructs me to enclose a copy\nof Special Orders No. 40 from these headquarters, assigning you to 9\ncommand designed to open a road from the Dalles to the Great Saljl\nLake valley, communicating also with the western States through*\nthe South Pass of the Rocky mountains.\nThe portion of the road from the Dalles to the Snake river remains\nto be explored ; you are therefore directed to ascertain if a wagon roa\ning amongst them ; his own statements were contradictory. The In- \u2022\ndians here are large and well made. A few trifling presents with\nblankets and tobacco took them by surprise, and after giving me a\ngeneral idea of the country, I left them in our camp. Their advice I\nmistrusted, and instead of keeping a due souther^ direction, toward\nwhich several Indian trails pointed, I followed a due southeast course, I\nover a very rocky but level country, occasionally crossing deep ravines,\nwhich are all headed from the few springs and creeks we had encamped\non the previous night. These ravines can all be avoided by keeping a\nmile or two more westward. Towards south and southeast, to all ap- -\npearances, a level prairie ranges ; berries abound in all the ravines I\ncrossed to-day ; antelopes were seen in every direction. On a high\nplateau, near a few springs, and amidst a heavy shower, I encamped.\nThis far all the animals had a most excellent opportunity to improve,\nand only the negligence of the man having had orders to take sufficient horse-shoe nails for a trip of twenty-five days, especially for the\ndragoon horses, gave rise to much ill feeling amongst the men.\nJuly 31.\u2014I travelled over a country with about the same features as\nthe previous day\u2014a level country, but covered with small round stones.\nIn about ten miles from camp I arrived at a fine stream, and travelled\nten miles in close proximity to this stream. We passed various deserted Indian encampments. The valley widened the further we advanced, and by noon we arrived in a most beautiful prairie about ten\nmiles wide, into which innumerable small streams emptied. Game\nabounds here. A high snow peak, with its abrupt bluff, is the eastern boundary of the fine prairie in a distance of about fifteen miles.\nTowards the southwest low, rolling hills are seen. .We encamped at\nanother fine stream emptying also in this prairie only three miles\nfrom the previous one. Here quite an exciting scene took place. An\nIndian had encamped only a few moments before our arrival in sight-. : AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n233\nHis pack animals were to all appearance turned out but a few minutes\nwhen his squaw noticed us. The next moment she caught the nearest\npony, and, without bridle or saddle, rode in full gallop towards the\nnearest mountain. Tim Indian took advantage of our admiration\nabout the horsemanship displayed by hi^lMeman, lassoed the best\nhorse in the small band, and followed her footsteps. A well-selected\nstock of winter supplies they left behind\u2014buffalo robes, elk and deer\nand antelope skins ; kaus kamas, and every variety of wild berries\nconstituted their larder. Our animals, well secured for the night, .\nmade several attempts to stampede.\nAugust 1.\u2014To-day I kept a due southeast course, avoiding many\nrocky ridges, which ran in all directions in ascending towards the\nnext mountain range. I reached two low hills, between which I gave\ndirections to pass, when, to my surprise* \u25a0<&& both eminences, I discovered Indians looking over some boulders at us bel#^. I immediately ascended the hill with the detachment to our left to gain a\nplain view of surrounding country. The Indians seeing this manoeuvre,\ndarted in full tilt down the hill to the right, and joined their brethren in our immediate neighborhood, yelling and howling like wild\nbeasts; they surrounded us. Many were on foot selecting the best\nhiding places behind the rocks. I halted, and gave directions to close\nthe column. Captain Graham and five privates in front, their hands\non their sabres ; then the pack animals and the two packers, and the\nrear consisted of the four remaining dragoons, with their Sharp's rifles\nin hand. This little band rode on, whilst*!,, with only two Indians,\nboldly rode up to the greatest number of Jjgiians holding consultation. They received us coldly and with frowns. The Snake Indians\nexplained to them our visit into their mountains, and, ere many minutes passed, we had smoked a pipe and made friendship at my expense\nof a pair of new red blankets, tobacco, and other minor articles. I\ngave it to them freely, regretting, however, the loss of this another\npair of fine blankets, which can illy be afforded to be spared in these\nhigh mountain regions during the cold nights.\nThey showed me their trail to reach Great Salt lake, and advised\nme to keep it, also informed me that only three days' travel ahead\nseveral white Bostons were inhabiting a log-house. Thji-fugitive Indian of yesterday informed me that the Mormons had told them the\nsoldiers would come during the summer and kill them all. By giving\nme all the information of thdfc country, they advised me to keep a\ndue south direction, to avoid several very deep ravines not far distant.\nIn a general direction southwest, I crossed to-day many fine streams,\nrunning all north in narrow defiles of basaltic rock.\nAugust 2.\u2014By a gradual ascent, crossing many small ravines, the\ntrail leads in about twelve miles to .a very deep canon. The trail\nwinds its zigzag way both down and up. Eleven miles further brought\nme in the immediate vicinity of a snow-field. Grass abounds over all\nthe hills and dales, and ricb^joil extends both over high and low\nland.\nAugust 3.\u2014To-day I am obliged to change my general course. The\nhigh mountain range, with its seven isolated peaks, form here,\ntowards east, a right angle, and a broad and deep gorge cuts the moun- 234 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\ntain in twain and crosses the country. There are only three deep\nravines, which can by a liberal appropriation be made practicable for\nwagons. These three ravines contain mountain' torrents, with very\nswift currents.\nOur eamp at night was on the slope of the steep bank of the best\nravine, as close as possible to the water. The banks of this river are\ncovered with large cottonwood trees.\nAugust 4.\u2014The trail leads in a nearly due east direction, and crosses\na beautiful level country, covered with most luxuriant grass, very\noften crossing small and large creeks. Travelling only four miles\ndistance from the low mountain range running due east, I passed six\nsmall creeks and valleys, glad with the green grass, a true sign of a\nhigh latitude, and encamped near several rivulets with crystal water.\nAugust 5.\u2014The same due east course I pursued to-day, and crossed\ncreeks at short intervals. Descending from the higher plateau, I arrived in a broad valley. The vegetation changed here entirely; miles\nof artemisia and heavier sage covers the surface. Basalt and volcanic\nrocks are in close proximity near the small river. A solitary high\nblack butte stands on the right bank, and the surrounding level country\nis covered with a number of small and large perforated black stones,\nno doubt thrown from the crater of .this isolated peak. The valley up\nthe creek due south is about three miles wideband stretches far away.\nHigher hills, covered with a reddish, barren sandstone, descend on\nboth sides to the valley's edge. After ten miles' brisk trot, crossing a\nsmall rivulet about half way, I encamped on the opposite side of the\nvalley. Here I reconnoitred towards south and east, but finding no\nsigns of any trail, I- directed, next morning, August 6, my course\nnorthwest for about seven miles, when I entered the valley of the\nSnake river again. To-day I kept in close proximity to the mountain\nrange, and arrived, crossing only one large creek, in the evening near\nthe old emigrant road on Rock creek.\nThe Indian trail follows along the foothills as far as Swamp creek,\na distance of about forty miles, thence across the Raft River valley,\nsouth of Colonel Lander's wagon road.\nOn the 7th and 8th of August I continued my march on the dusty\nold road, and arrived in the raft camp, happily, that same afternoon,\nas our stock of provision was entirely exhausted by liberal issues to\nthe begging Indians.\n\u2022 Thus far, the entire distance from leaving the Owyhee river, a most\nexcellent wagon road can be made, with the only exception of three\ndeep canons near the Seven-peak hills. On various'places such a road\nmust necessarily pass and deviate a short distance either to the right\nor left from the course I pursued.\nFor agricultural purposes there can be no better soil found in Oregon. Water is at very short intervals, and of the purest kind. The\nemigrant road should be laid through the country I traversed, avoiding the Snake river entirely from the Owyhee river to Harney lake.\nAccording to astronomical observations taken near Lake Harney, and\nothers near the mouth of Malheur river, Fort Boisee don't exceed\nsixty miles; and from my actual observations from a high plateau\nnear Lake Harney the road would pass through a well-watered and AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 235\nfine grazing country. I would also state that the Blue Mountain\nrange does not connect with the so-called winter ridge, but, like the\nSnake river, turns suddenly due east.\nI left Raft river the 10th of August, and pursuing the same old\nIndian trail which I found near the \" Sublettes Cut-off,\" I arrived\nthat night at the Summit springs, travelling through a very favorable\ncountry all day for running a wagon road. From these springs,\nturning downwards into a broad open valley the succeeding day,\nthence across a divide to Deep creek and Hansel's springs, on the old\nCalifornia wagon road.\nA good wagon road can be constructed, cutting through about six\nmiles of heavy sage, north of the sink of Deep creek ; thence to Blue\nand Mountain spring, to the Bear river. A most excellent wagon road\nalready exists. I attach herewith a table of distances from the Owyhee\nriver to the Bear river ferry; and I presume the distance from the\nOwyhee river to Harney lake is not above sixty miles ; and thence to\nFort Dalles, only one hundred and eighty miles. The entire distance\nby land from Fort Dalles to Great .Salt Lake valley is six hundred\nand thirty miles.\n26th July 16 miles.\n27th \" 26 \"\n28th \" 19 \"\n29th \" 22 \"\n30th \" 18 \"\n31st \" 24 \"\n1st Augusts 23 \"\n2d \" 23 \"\n3d \" 11 \"\n4th \" 24 \"\n5th \" 25 \"\n6th \" 19 \"\n7th \" 30 \"\n8th \" 25 \"\n9th \" \t\n10th \" 24 \"\n11th \" 25 \"\n\u202212th \" 29 \"\n13th \" 7 \"\nTotal \/ 390 miles.\nRespectfully, your obedient servant,\nL. SCHOLL.\nCaptain Alfred Pleasonton,\n2d Dragoons, A. Asst. Adjt. General,\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T. 236\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n74 d.\nOffice of Military Roads, Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T., January, 1860.\nCaptain : I have the honor to submit the following preliminary\ntopographical report on the result of the explorations conducted by\nme as topographical engineer on the wagon road expedition to the\nvalley of the Great Salt lake, under the command of Captain H. D.\nWallen, 4th infantry, in the year 1859.\nThis report is divided as follows :\n1st. The routes explored and discussion of the merits of different\nroutes.\n2d. A, table of distances and altitudes; B, table of latitudes,\nlongitudes, and variations of the compass.\nThe method pursued in determining the data upon which are based\nthe maps and reports of the survey are wholly of practical character.\nI have carefully avoided all narratives of the daily incidents of the\nexpedition; and I have found it necessary to defer to some subsequent\nreport the tables of astronomical and meteorological observations, as\nwell as the result of our collections and observations in mineralogy,\ngeology, botany, and the itinerary of the route.\nThe table of distances and altitudes which is appended to this\nreport were determined by Mr. Streeter and myself with as much\naccuracy as our time permitted.\nThe distances were measured by an odometer, which was carefully\ncompared with the measurements by the chain from time to time.\nAlso a complete compass line, from Fort Dalles to the ferry on I\nBear river, was run by Mr. Streeter, who devoted himself zealously\nand assiduously to the care of the compass and odometer, and taking\nnumerous bearings each day on all the mountain peaks and prominent\nlandmarks along the route.\nThe altitudes were determined by barometrical observations made\nby myself, and. are only offered of the best indications that we have.\nWe had two mountain and one aneroid barometers when we left\nFort Dalles, but the aneroid barometer proved to be so inferior an\ninstrument that the observations taken with it were not used.\nThe table of latitudes and longitudes, and variations of the compass,\nwere determined by myself with as great accuracy as my instruments\nand means at hand allowed.\nThe sextant was one by Gamby, and worked in admirable adjustment during the whole trip. The latitudes were deduced principally\nfrom observations made on Polaris; at other times on north and south\nstars near the meridian, or by meridian altitudes of the sun.\nThe longitudes are chronometric, the chronometers being three box\nchronometers, purchased in San Francisco from Messrs. Barret &\nSherwood; the one used directly for observations was by Charles\nFrodshaw, No. 1974, and it was carefully compared every day with\nthe other two.\nThe chronometers were carried by hand from day to day with great\ncare. AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 237\nThe variations of the compass were determined from observations\nmade with a schmalealder on the sun, either at noon, sunrise, or\nsunset.\nThe map is on a scale of 1 to 1-200,000, showing the main route\npassed over by large red and blue lines, as well as the routes requiring\nfuture examination by dotted lines. The map has a meagre and\nskeleton appearance to the general eye, as we were careful not to\ninclude anything that was not wholly founded on positive data and\nactual operation in the field.\nIt is to the skill of Mr. de Girardin, supported by the pleasure he\nfelt in the execution of his duty, that I am indebted for the continuous\ntopographical sketches, representing with great accuracy the features\nof the country through which we passed.\nTo the officers and men, both civil and enlisted, who always\nthroughout the expedition lent me their, cordial assistance, I would\nhere return my sincere thanks.\nCopies of my orders and instructions are transmitted herewith.\nVery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nJOSEPH DIXON,\nBrevet 2d Lieutenant Top. Engineers.\nCaptain A. Pleasonton,\n2d Dragoons, A. A A. General,\nDepartment of Oregon.\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, April 27, 1859.\nSpecial Orders No. 40.\nI. To increase the facilities of communication between the Columbia\nriver and the valley of the Great Salt lake, in connexion with the\noverland route to the frontiers of the western States, the following\ncommand will be organized at Fort Dalles, to move from that point\nby the first of June next, for the purpose of opening a good wagon\nroad to Snake river, and from thence to a point called City Rocks, on\nthe junction of the road from Forts Laramie and Bridger with the\nroad from Fort Hall, to Salt Lake City.\nII. Brevet Second Lieutenant Joseph Dixon, corps of topographical\nengineers, will report for duty with the expedition.\nBy order of General Harney.\nA. PLEASONTON,\nCaptain 2d Dragoons, A. A. A. General. 238 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n[Extract.]\nHeadquarters Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, W. T, May 7, 1859.\nSpecial Orders No. 46.\nIV. Brevet Second Lieutenant J. Dixon, corps of topographical\nengineers, will proceed to San Francisco to obtainthe necessary instruments of his department for service with Captain Wallen's command.\nBy order of General Harney.\n. A. PLEASONTON,\nCaptain 2d Dragoons, A. A. A. General.\nMay 16, 1859.\nSir : Having been assigned to duty with the command organized\nunder Special Orders No. 40 of 1859, headquarters department of\nOregon, for the purpose of opening a wagon road from Fort Dalles, on\nthe Columbia river, to Salt Lake City, you are provided with the requisite astronomical and surveying instruments to enable you to execute the duties specified in the instructions of the department commander. Herewith is enclosed a check on the assistant treasurer of\nthe United States at San Francisco, California, for the sum of two\nthousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) out of the appropriation made\nfor surveys for military defences, geographical explorations, and re-^|\nconnoissances for military purposes and surveys with armies in the;!\nfield, payable to you or your checks, to meet the authorized expenses:!\nof the outfit, and of the duties to which you have been assigned by\nthe department commander, for which funds you will be accountable,\nto the United States Treasurer at Washington, D. C.\nYou will please render me, when practicable, monthly reports of\nyour progress, and transmit through me the usual monthly statements\nand quarterly returns and accounts to the Bureau of Topographical\nEngineers, required by the army regulations.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nGEORGE THOM,\nCaptain Topographical Engineers.\nBrevet Second Lieutenant J. Dixon,\nCorps of Topographical Engineers.\nGeneral description of the country along the road.\nIn glancing at the topographical features of the country passed over\nin our outward journey from Fort Dalles, Oregon, to the valley of the\nGreat SalUake, the first great peculiarity that strikes the attention is\nthe natural division of the route into five sections, which present char-\nacteristypjfetinct from each other in every respect. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nFIRST SECTION.\nBetween Fort Dalles and the point where we crossed the Des Chutes\nriver, near the mouth of the Warm Spring river. Distance seventy\nmiles. General direction, south. The line surveyed in this section\nfollows for sixty miles the usual travelled route to 'the Indian reservation near Warm Spring river.\nCommencing at the steamboat landing at the City of the Dalles,\nOregon, the road ascends the bluff of the Columbia river, in southeast\ndirection, by a dry ravine ; at this point the bluff is divided into three\nbenches, but the summit can be reached by gradual ascent, and without much trouble. From the summit of the bluff the general direction of the road is nearly due south, crossing a small stream with\nnarrow but fertile bottoms, oalled Three Mile creek, about three miles\nabove its junction with the Columbia river, and from thence over a\n.ridge, the height of which is about twelve hundred feet above the level\nof the sea, to a rapid running stream, called Five Mile creek. The\nvalley of this stream, though gravelly, appeared fertile. From this\ncreek the road ascends a long and steep hill, leaving the old trail to\nthe right, and crossing the beautiful but narrow valley of Eight Mile\ncreek, about one mile below the crossing of the old trail. From this\ncreek, by a lateral defile, the road ascends a long and high ridge, from\nthe summit of which fine views are had of the dark fir-covered Cascade\nrange, and good bearings of the prominent mountain peaks, Hood,\nAdams, and Jefferson. From the summit of this ridge the road descends to a wide and smooth valley, containing several fine ranchos\non the banks of a clear stream, called Fifteen Mile creek. This country\naffords excellent grazing lands ; the grass is highly nutritious, there\nis plenty of timber for all practical purposes, and the soil along the\nstreams is fertile and productive. The road this far had passed over\na hilly country.\nFrom this valley we entered by a dry ravine into a beautiful giwe\nof pine trees, and from this point we passed over a gently undulating\ncountry, covered with bunch grass, interspersed with patches of Fre-\nmontia ; also a large portion of the country was covered with lowland\nrounded mounds, with an altitude from four to five feet, and a diameter from twenty to twenty-five feet. They appeared in great numbers\non the hillside as well as on the prairie. There has been much speculation in reference to their origin, but it still remains a mystery.\nThese mounds give place to fields of lava on the summit of the'TOinafe\ntains north of Tysch creek, which renders the road very rough in\nsome places.\nThe valley of the Tysch i#|$bout fifteen hundred feet below the\nsummit of the mountains, and the descent to it so very rough and\nsteep that it is even difficult to conceive how heavily loaded wagons\ncan pass over it. The banks of the Tysch are fringed with willow,\nalder, and cottonwood ; the valley i&flom one to two miles wide, covered with a luxuriant growth^^\" good grass, as are also the hills on\neither side. The Tysch rises in the Cascade range, and flows with a\nrapid current over a rocky bed into the Des Chutes river. _\nThe southern branch of this stream, which is called White river, is 240\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON\nabout forty yards wide, and about two feet deep ; it flows with rapid\ncurrent over a pebbly bed, and enters the main stream about eight\nmiles above its junction with the Des Chutes. The southern bluff ot\nthe valley is nearly as steep and difficult to pass over as the northern\nFrom the summit of the southern bluff to the northern base of the\nMutton mountains,' a distance of about twelve or fifteen miles, there\nis a beautiful plain called Tysh prairie, elevated about two thousand\ntwo hundred feet above the level of the sea. This plain is covered\nwith bunch grass, and here and there a few cedar trees. Oak Grove\ncreek skirts the southern edge of this prairie, with its bottoms covered\nwith beautiful groves of oak trees. By following up this stream about\nfour miles, the mountains can be crossed by a much better pass than\nthat where the old Indian trail crosses them. A magnificent panorama bursts forth upon the view from-the summit of the Mutton\nmountains; the surrounding lay spread before us for more than\na hundred miles ; several of the great snow peaks rise majestically\nabove the rolling sea of the dark fir-covered Cascade range. From\nthe pass in the Mutton mountains to the canon of the Warm Spring\nriver the road passes over a high plain covered with. good bunch\ngrass, interspersed with frequent beds of volcanic rocks and a few\nscattered cedar trees, as well as several springs of cold water.\nThe descent into the canon of Warm Spring river is so very steep\nand rocky that it is nearly impassable for wagons.\nThe Warm Spring river rises in the Cascade range, and flows\nthrough a narrow and deep canon, with sides in many places vertical\nor even . overhanging, and from three to four hundred feet high.\nThese vertical cliffs extend down in some places even to the water's\nedge, rendering it impossible to follow its banks to the junction of the\nDes Chutes river. But, to the left of the canon, the country is of a\nmore gently undulating character, and heavily-loaded wagons can pass\nover it with very little trouble to the point where we crossed the Des\nChutes river, near the mouth of the Warm Spring river. This section of the route is abundantly watered with numerous streams which\npour down from the neighboring mountains.\nThese streams flow through narrow chasm-like valleys from eight\nto twelve hundred feet below the plains. At the verge of these plains\nthere generally commences vertical precipices of basaltic rocks, which\nleave only here and there a place where they can be entered on horseback. The road across the country, which would otherwise be very\ngood, is rendered nearly impracticable for wagons on this account.\nOf the eastern side of the Des Chutes canon but little was known until\nwe passed over it this summer ; much of it is high plateau, the greater\nportion of which is level. As the greater number of the tributaries\nof this river flow from the Cascade range, the numerous lateral canons\nwhich furrow the western side, and render it nearly impracticable for\na wagon road, do not exist to such an extent on the eastern side.\nThe Des Chutes river, where we crossed it, flows through a deep canon\nwith a rapid current, and it is said to be broken by many rapids, which\nhave given it the name of Des Chutes. It is about two hundred and\nfifty feet wide, and from six to eight feet deep ; its banks are fringed AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n241\nwith willows and cottonwood ; its bottoms are very narrow sterile\nand bare. '\nSECOND SECTION.\nBetween the Des Chutes river and the western base of the Blue\nmountains. Distance, 250 miles. General direction, southeast.\nThe ascent from the eastern bank of the Des Chutes to the table\nlands east of the above-named stream was very steep, and in some\nplaces quite rocky, rendering it nearly impracticable for heavily loaded\nwagons to reach the summit of the bluff, which is about eight hundred\nfeet above the river. From the edge or the top of the canon of Des\nChutes to Oswego creek the road passed over high table lands, covered with bunch grass and scattered cedar trees. In order to avoid a\ndeep canon which intervenes between these two points, it makes a long\ndetour to the north. The descent from the plain into the valley of\nOswego creek is in some places very steep, but a good road can be\nmade with little labor.\nFrom this valley we crossed a low ridge of sandstone into a beautiful and level valley from one to two miles wide, and covered with a\nluxuriant growth of fine grass.\nBy following up this valley about five miles we came to a remarkable pass, leading through a broken range of low mountains into a large;\nsand plain covered with artemisias, the first we had seen since we-,\nstarted.\nNear the centre of this plain we came to a cold spring of pure water-\ngushing out of a ledge of sandstone. From this spring to the western.\nspur of the Blue mountains, a distance of about twenty-four miles, the\/\ncountry is level, covered with fine bunch grass and scattered groves of\ncedar trees ; the soil is of a light gravelly character ; there are occasional outcrops of trap and other volcanic products.\nThe banks of the streams are generally fringed with willow, cotton-\nwood, and alder, and the bottoms fertile. The western spur of the\nBlue mountains, which has been referred to before, is a branch of the\nmain chain, and dividing the headwaters of the John Day and\nCrooked rivers; this spur extends down the north side of Crooked\nriver nearly to the Des Chutes.\nWe crossed this spur or chain at a remarkable depression, being about\n4,000 feet above the level of the sea. The mountains are covered\nwith a dense growth of timber, (fir and pine,) extending to the summit of the highest pinnacles.\nThe ascents are gradual and the road is very good. From the summit down into the valley of Cottonwood creek the road is good, with\na gradual descent.\nCottonwood creek is a mountain stream, flowing in a southern direction over a rocky bed into Crooked river. It has but little timber\non its banks, with the exception of cottonwood; its bottoms are narrow\nand sterile.\nFrom the above-named stream to Achera creek, we crossed a low\nsandy ridge, covered with cedar trees and artemisia. We forded Achera\nH. Ex. Doc. 65 16 242\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\ncreek about one mile above its junction with Crooked river. The\nvalley of Crooked river near the mouth of Achera creek is about five\nmiles wide, low and sandy, covered'with artemisia and fremontia, but\nvery little grass.\nCrooked river at this point makes a large bend toward the south,\nand to avoid this current, we crossed the mountains by a good road.\nThe mountain sides are rich and productive, being covered with a\nluxuriant growth of excellent grass, wild pea vine, and red clover.\nThe rocks displayed on the mountains as we approached the summit,\nwhich is about 4,330 feet above the sea, was a compact trap, decomposed\non the exposed surface. We reached the valley of Crooked river again\nby a ravine which was so narrow in some places that there was scarcely\nroom for wagons to pass.\nThe general direction of the valley of Crooked river is nearly northwest, but on account of the tortuous course of the river through its\nsterile valley, it well deserved its name. The bottom lands of the\nvalley will average from half a mile to a mile in width, and the surface consists of a very light and porous soil, but the road is generally\ngood. Groves of alder and cottonwood, with dense thickets of willows,\nexist on its banks. The hills which enclose this valley are generally\nlow and sandy, covered with a growth of stunted cedars and scattered\npines. The plains back of the hills are mainly formed of immense\nteds of trap, and clothed with a carpet of luxuriant bunch grass,\n(festuca,) which is almost universal on the plains and mountains of\nthis region, and is always nutritious, even in a dry state.\nMost of the tributaries of this river form narrow canons through\nthe igneous rocks, and possess little soil capable of cultivation.\nWe left the valley of the Crooked river a few miles below its forks,\nby a lateral canon, and reached by almost imperceptible ascent a high\nprairie, somewhat cut up by gentle valleys. From this prairie to\nBuck creek, which is the headwater of the southern branch of Crooked\nriver, a distance of about thirty-five miles, the road passes over an\nundulating country, the soil of which is of a light and sandy character, with outcrops of trap and lava. The road crossed several small\nstreams, which are evidently tributaries of the southern branch of\nCrooked river. Although the surface of this region is undulating,\nthe general slopes are so uniform that from high eminences the appearance is that of a nearly level country.\nThere extends from this undulating region a sloping plain to the\nwide valley in which the southern branch of Crooked river takes its\nrise, and from this plain an extensive panoramic view is obtained of\nthe lofty and dark range of the Blue mountains, with lesser ranges\nintermediate ; also to the south, and in front of us, lay spread out a\nvast sage plain, extending as far as the eye could reach, bounded by a\nbroken range of low mountains.\nThis plain is destitute of vegetation, with the exception of artemisia ; even the banks of the small streams that meander through it are\nlined with a white effervescence like snow, instead of their usualfoliage.\nThe elevation of this plain above the sea is four thousand three hundred and thirty-five feet, and it is dotted with several small lakes with\nlow and alkaline banks. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n243\nThe soil of the surrounding hills has a dry and calcined appearance\nFrom Buck creek to Lake valley, a distance of about forty-five miles\"\nthe country is an uninterrupted dense field of artemisia, having in\nsome places such a luxuriant growth that it was very difficult and laborious to force our way through it. This region is a high plateau\nconstituting the dividing ridge between the waters of Crooked river\nand the small streams which flow in an opposite direction, losing\nthemselves either in the sand, or in the chain of lakes situated in the\nabove-named valley.\nThe ascent to the summit of the dividing ridge is so remarkably\nuniform, and the depression so gentle in its declivity, that it rendered\nit difficult to define the exact position of the dividing crest, which is\nabout 4,765 feet above the sea.\nThe chief supply of water along the travelled route on this plateau\ndepends on small lakes, which have a disagreeable alkaline taste.\nThe soil is thin and stony, and in many places large outcrops of trap\nand lava are visible.\nThe road descends from the summit of this divide by long and gentle reaches in a large saline valley or basin, being in many places for\nmiles as level as a house floor. Here the vegetation consisted chiefly\nof fremontia, with smaller saline shrubs. Here the surface was\nwhitened with fields of alkali, resembling very much fields of snow.\nIn many places there were isolated peaks, terminating in almost perfect craters of an oval or circular form. These peaks are composed of\na brown colored scoriaceous lava, evidently the production of modern\neruptions.\nThis valley or basin is about 80 miles in length from east to west,\nand about 50 in width. There are situated in this valley several lakes.\nSome of them are very shallow, and the water is so strongly impregnated with alkali as to be totally unfit for use. Near the centre of\nthis valley we came to a much larger lake than any we had yet seen.\nIt was spread out over a length of about 18 miles, and in breadth\nabout ten miles. It had every appearance of being very deep, and the\nwater was so salty that our animals would not drink it. There was a\nconsiderable stream flowing into it from the north, but from all appearances there was no outlet. Its shores were low and sandy.\nThis lake, when first presented to our view, was a handsome sheet\nof water, and we gave it the name o.f Lake Harney, in honor of the\npresent commander of the department of Oregon. Some observations\nmade on the banks of a small lake two miles east of Lake Harney the\naltitude was 4,196 feet above the level of the sea, the latitude 43\u00b0 12'\n25\" north, and the longitude 118\u00b0 41' 40\" west of Greenwich.\nWe travelled from Lake Harney to the western base of the Blue\nmountains, in a northern direction, over an extremely level country,\nand in many places resembling very much the flat sandy bed of shallow lakes.\nI From this plain, looking towards the north and east, we had a fine\nview of the Blue mountains, sweeping far away to the south, and appearing to terminate in isolated peaks about sixty miles below; and\nstill at a greater distance to the south stood out clear to the sky a\nlone mountain, with a pure mantle of snow, and, from the best ex* 244\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nanimation that our time permitted, we were inclined to believe that it\nis entirely isolated from the main chain of the Blue mountains. The\nroad from Lake Harney to Stillwater slough, a distance of about fourteen miles, is level and good, with the exception of drifting sand,\nwhich rendered it heavy in some places.\nThe country is partially covered with artemisia and fremontia.\nThe above-named slough was very deep and narrow, having no perceptible current; its banks were fringed with dense groves of willows.\nFrom this slough to the base of the mountains, a distance of about\neighteen miles, the country is a beautiful level valley, covered with a\nluxuriant growth of bunch grass, wild pea vines, and red clover, interspersed with fields of camass on a rich soil, abundantly watered by\nnumerous mountain streams, all of which converged toward the southern end of the valley, where they lose themselves in a large marsh.\nThis savanna, or meadow, is bounded on the north and east by the\nBlue mountains, the canons of which are well timbered with pine and\ncottonwood.\nThis wide savanna, or grassy meadow, or rather a succession of\nmeadows, of rich soil, separated by lines of cottonwood trees, growing\nalong the many streams that flow from the surrounding range of\nmountains, make a picture that would delight the eye of a farmer, if\nhe could be content to live in such seclusion as it imposes. Game\nalong this section is also abundant\u2014antelope, deer, and several species of grouse, prairie chickens, ducks, geese, &c.\nIn conclusion, we would say, for emigrants who may take this\nroute, or are desirous of reeruiting their animals, or troops on scouting\nexpeditions, this section presents many advantages, such as permanent\nwater, plenty of good grass, the canons and mountain slopes covered\nwith timber, pine, fir, cedar, cottonwood, and willows, and last, and\nmost important of all, a good road.\nTHIRD SECTION.\n_ Between the western base of the Blue mountains and the Owyhee\nriver, near its junction with Snake river. Distance, 143 miles. Gen*\neral direction: first, northeast; second, southeast.\nThis section may be subdivided into the mountain or hilly division\nand the lower or valley division.\nBy referring to the map it will be perceived that there is but one\nmain mountain mass or chain of the Blue mountains, and that there\nis a continuous range, presenting but few depressions or openings,\ndividing the waters flowing into the Snake river from those flowing\ninto the Columbia river and the chain of lakes in Lake valley.\nIt will be observed that there are two secondary ranges or spurs\nbranching off from the main chain, one dividing the headwaters of\nthe John Day and Des Chutes rivers, which is called the western\nspur, and the other dividing the waters of the Burnt and Malheur\nrivers, which is called the eastern spur.\nIn locating the Blue mountains and its spurs we were very careful\nin taking as many bearings as possible of all the mountain peaks and\nprominent landmarks, as well as determining the position of the AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 245\npoints where we crossed them, with as much accuracy as our instruments would give and our time permitted. From the western spur\nof the Blue mountains there are many secondary spurs extending\ndown towards the Malheur river, between which there are flowing\nmany small streams which enter into the Malheur river.\nThe ascent of the Blue mountains is about six miles long, and\nvery steep and rocky in some places, rendering it both laborious and\ntedious to reach the summit, which is about 6,265 feet above the level\nof the sea. The principal rocks displayed on the summit are a dark\nslate-stone, and trap on either side.\nThe view from the mountain top, looking toward the east, was\nrugged and wild in the extreme. The whole face of the country, as\nfar as the eye could reach, was broken up into mountains and narrow\nvalleys, or canons, through which mountain torrents rushed, foaming\nand roaring, over their rocky beds. But, looking toward the southwest from the same spot, the scene is quite to the reverse ; there one\nbeholds a plain as boundless as the ocean, alternating with lakes and\nprairies covered with waving grass, and numerous streams winding\ntheir serpentine courses through it, between banks fringed with willow\nand cottonwood thickets.\nWe descended the Blue mountains by a very circuitous and precipitous route ; we often had to make sharp turns to avoid high cliffs and\ndeep gorges, which rendered the country rugged and wild beyond\ndescription. The descent brought us to the rocky bed of a small mountain brook flowing in a northeast direction into the Malheur river.\nThe bed of this brook was rocky, principally with the debris of quartz,\nwhich had good indications of gold. We crossed the little brook\nabout five miles from the canon of the Malheur river, but the canon\nwas so narrow, and the rocks, by falling from the cliffs above, had so\ncompletely blocked it up, that we were forced to cross the small spurs\nof the main mountains to our right by a very rough and rocky road,\nand reach the river further below, where the canon had widened out\ninto a valley, nearly one mile wide, that was covered with some good\ngrass. We crossed the river at a good ford, and travelled down the\nvalley on its left bank, but we had not gone far when we discovered a\nblack gorge with high precipices of basaltic rocks, between the walls\nof which the river flowed with a rapid current over a rocky bed, and\nthe banks were so rugged as to render it impossible to follow it any\nfurther. So, turning to the north, we descended diagonally the eastern spur of the Blue mountains, over a heavy rolling country, covered\nwith good grass, but very rocky.\nThe mountain tops were well timbered with pine and cedar. We\ntravelled on the southern side of the eastern spur of the Blue mountains until we entered the narrow valley of the northern branch of the\nMalheur river, by the worst road we had yet seen. This stream flows\nwith a rapid current over a rocky bed, clearing a way through for\nitself, and leaving the mountains on either side towering thousands of\nfeet above its narrow bottoms.\nOur road followed the direction of this stream for some distance,\nsometimes finding room along the borders of the river, and then nearly\nto the tops of the hills, by ascents and descents so precipitous as to 246\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nrender it decidedly bad and dangerous for wagons. Finding it impossible to follow this stream to its junction with the Malheur river,\nwe turned again to the north and travelled over the most rugged\ncountry that we had ever seen, to a small creek, the banks of which\nwere fringed with birch, cottonwood, and willow; this being the first\nbirch tinber we had seen on our journey, we gave to this stream the\nname of Birch creek.\n\u25a0 The bottoms of this stream are narrow, but are covered with a\nluxuriant growth of good grass, as well as the mountain sides that\nbound it. From this creek it was necessary to cross a range of hills\nnearly as high as the Blue mountains. The road went up diagonally,\nbut the ascent was by far the most toilsome operation that we had\never undertaken.\nThe mountains were rugged and destitute of timber, with the exception of a few stunted cedar trees, but they were covered with a luxuriant\ngrowth of good bunch grass. The view from this mountain top\nshowed a country broken still, but on a much smaller scale than that\nwe had passed over. There appeared to be but very little order or\nregularity to the rolling sand hills in front of us, but the whole had the\nappearance of the surface of a large boiling caldron suddenly stricken\nmotionless.\nFrom the summit of this ridge we descended by a rocky ravine into\nthe broken sandy country below, and then we wound our way around\nsand hills, over a sandy plain covered with artemisia, to the valley\nof the Malheur river once more.\nIt will be observed that the road in this division passes over a\nmountainous country, the streams flowing rather in ravines than\nvalleys, and the road is decidedly bad and dangerous, but entirely impracticable for heavily loaded wagons, without much labor ; but still\nit presents some advantages, such as plenty of good water ; the moun*\ntain slopes are covered with a luxuriant growth of good bunch grass,\nand the gulches are filled with pine, cottonwood, and willow. Game\nis also plenty\u2014antelope, deer, grouse, prairie chickens, etc. There\nare also found in great abundance in the numerous streams several\nspecies of the mountain and salmon trout.\nSECOND DIVISION.\nThis portion of the section may be called the lower or valley division,\nas it is much lower than the first division, and being principally in the\nvalleys of the Malheur and Snake rivers.\nThe Malheur river, about eight miles above the point where we came\nto it, debouches from a black gorge of high precipices formed of basaltic\nrocks, and following up this stream it is found to be shut in among\nlofty mountains, confining its narrow valley (or more properly canon)\nin a very rugged country. The river flows through this gorge or\ncanon with a rapid current, over a rocky bed, but below the gorge it\nhas a slow and sluggish current.\nThe river was in July about sixty feet wide, and from two to three\nfeet m depth; its banks were fringed with willow and cottonwood.\nBelow the gorge the valley opens out into a broad plain, increasing AFFAIRS IN OREGON. 247\nin width down to Snake river, with the exception of a few places where\nthe hills extend down, and the basaltic rocks infringe upon the stream\nin salient points. The bottoms were covered with sage bushes, with\noccasional intervening patches of grass, which, however, become less\nfrequent as the river descends. The country on the right side of the\nriver presents itself as a high plateau, intersected by deep canons extending back several miles. This plateau, like the rest of the country\neast of the mountains, is covered everywhere with the same interminable\nfield of sage, and occasionally large outcrops of lava and other volcanic\nproductions.\nThe country on the left side of the river below the mountains consists of low masses of sandy hills. We travelled down the valley\nmostly on the left side of the river, the road rising and falling on the\nsides of the hills until we reached the point where the old emigrant\nroad to Walla-Walla crosses it. We crossed the river at the old ford,\nwhich is by no means a good one,' and followed up a dry sandy hollow\nuntil we reached the summit of the dividing ridge between the Malheur\nriver and the Owyhee; the rocks displayed on the summit were of a\ncoarse granular sandstone. From the top of the ridge we crossed a\nsandy plain covered with sage bushes by a succession of gentle descents\nto the Owyhee river.\nIt will be perceived that the road in this division is level and good,\nwith the exception of some places where it is rendered quite heavy by\nthe sand, j There is but very little grass, and no game except sage-\ncocks, which are in great abundance.\nFOURTH SECTION.\nFrom the Owyhee river to the summit of the dividing ridge 1\nthe waters of the Snake river and the valley of the Great Salt lake.\nDistance, 300 miles. General direction, southeast.\nBy referring to the map it will be perceived that this section may\nbe subdivided into two divisions, the first including that portion between the Owyhee river and the headwaters of Swamp creek, the\nsecond including the remainder of the section. Although these two\ndivisions are entirely included in the valley of Snake river, they differ\nfrom each other in several characteristics.\nFIRST DIVISION.\nThe general appearance of the valley of Snake river between the\nnorthern bank of the river and the distant Salmon River mountains\nis one vast high plain, broken and rent into chasms and deep ravines,\ncovered with black volcanic rocks and artemisia.\nThe country on the southern side of the river along the line of the\nroad is a barren valley, varying in width from five to sixty miles.\nFrom the Owyhee to the lower end of the first canon of the Snake\nriver, a distance of about 60 miles, the valley is narrow and broken\nup into bare sand hills, but its general character is that of an inclined\nplane sloping down towards the river, and extending back to the\nriver chain of mountains. The country between the lower end of the 248\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nabove-named canon and Burnt Mountain creek is a high sage plain,\nbroken up into deep canons. This plain is formed by successive layers of basaltic rocks, interstratified with clay, stone, and conglomerates.\nThere are also many isolated masses of coarse conglomerates, broken\nup into turret-shaped heaps, colored by some ferruginous substances\nfrom a brilliant red to a deep black.\nThis plain or plateau is perfectly bare with the exception of artemisia ; not a tree can be seen as far as the eye can reach.\nBurnt Mountain creek takes it name from two lone buttes situated\nnear the point where it empties into Snake river, which are covered\nwith piles of scoriaceous basalt of a reddish tinge, interspersed with\nblack volcanic rocks, which give them the appearance of old furnaces\nsurrounded by ashes and blackened by smoke. From Burnt Mountain creek to Bruneau river the country has truly a melancholy and\nstrange appearance; it is whitened with fields of alkali; the river\nbanks are sterile and destitute of both timber and grass, and the plain,\nsloping back to the distant mountains, is sterile and darkened with\ngloomy and barren artemisia.\nThe country between Bruneau river and the headwaters of Swamp\ncreek, and stretching over an immense region to the south, is one\nvast sage desert, heaved up into wide table lands, from which there\nbursts forth low hills and isolated buttes, covered with volcanic ashes\nand lava of different colors. This region is also broken up into ,\nmany lateral ravines, some of which are dry and destitute of either\ntimber or grass, whilst through the others flow small streams, with:|\nnarrow bottoms, and scanty grass.\nThis country is destitute of timber, with the exception of the small\nwillows along the banks of the streams and the stunted cedars on the I\nrocky shores of Snake river and the distant mountain slopes.\nAt some distance from the river there appears to be a series of sand\nfields and drifts, extending nearly across this region.\nThe principal rocks are basaltic conglomerates, which are very\nabundant near the river, rendering the road very rough in many\nplaces. The bottoms of Snake river occur at wide intervals from each\nother, and are narrow and sterile. Some of them are white fields of\nalkali, whilst others are covered with a thin clothing of saline shrub\nand a rough grass of an alkaline quality. The road follows up the\nleft bank of Snake river, leaving it in no places more than eight miles,\nand in some places it winds its way between the bluffs and the river, I\nwhere there is scarcely room for wagons to pass. It is generally level,\nbut is quite rocky in several places, whilst a large portion of it passes\nthrough a sandy country, which renders it very heavy and fatiguing.\nIn taking a general view of the valley of Snake river between the\nMalheur river and the headwaters of Swamp creek, it presents a vast\nand barren plain, where there does not occur for a distance of 260\nmiles a ^fertile spot of ground large enough to produce grain and pasturage in sufficiently large quantities to allow even a temporary repose of a small train. This route, which would otherwise be a very\ngood one for emigrants and troops on scouting expeditions, is rendered nearly useless on account of the great scarcity of grass.\nBy referring to the map, it will be perceived that there is a trail AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n249\nalong the distant mountains on the right, and from the general character of the country it is reasonable to believe that this trail, passing\nnear the heads of the streams flowing into Snake river, would be a\nmuch better road than the one we have followed. This trail, if it can\nbe followed with wagons, is much shorter than the route'we have\npassed over.' It is on a direct line with the road we travelled to Lake\nHarney and the headwaters of Swamp creek; or, if it is practicable to\nGross the Goose Creek mountains, still better, intersecting the emigrant road to California near the City of Rocks, and there is no reason to apprehend any insurmountable obstacle in view as we passed\naround it; but as the country is broken, only actual explorations\ncan determine its practicability. This route, however, cannot be more\ndifficult than the one we followed, and it certainly would not be one-\nhalf the distance.\nHere it may be remarked, as every traveller on this western slope\nof our continent has observed, that the usual order of the distribution\nof good and bad soil is often reversed, the river and creek bottoms\nbeing often sterile and darkened with the gloomy and barren artemisia, while the mountains are fertile and covered with rich grass,\npleasant to the eye and good for animals.\nIt will be observed by following the above-mentioned trail to the\nvicinity of Lake Harney and then turning to the left and travelling\nin a westerly direction, crossing the Cascade range by a trail near\nDiamond Peak, which is at present travelled and is said to be practicable, the emigrants can reach the valley of the Willamette by a much\nnearer route than either of the others that are at present travelled.\nFor working parties on construction, or to emigrants who are desirous of recruiting their animals, or to troops on scouting expeditions,\nI am confident that this route would present many advantages far\nsuperior to either of the others, such as plenty of wood and water,\nluxuriant growth of fine bunch grass, which is always nutritious,\neven in a dry state.\nSNAKE RIVER.\nThe altitude of Snake river near the point where the Owyhee river\nempties into it is about 2,120 feet above the level of the sea. From\nthis point to the foot of Salmon falls, a distance of about 140 miles,\nthe river flows with gentle current, forming several large islands,\nwhich are covered with tall rough grass and thickets of willow bushes.\nThe river was, in July, about four feet below high water mark, but\nstill it appeared to be very deep, and from 400 to 500 yards wide. Its\naltitude near the foot of Salmon falls is about 2,896 feet above the\nlevel of the sea. The Salmon falls are a succession of rapids, and are\nabout 15 miles in length. The altitude of the river, near their head,\nis about 3,226 feet above the sea. The great canon of Snake river\ncommences about 10 miles above the point where the Salmon Fall\nriver empties into Snake river, and extends up the river about 60 miles.\nThis canon is about 800 feet deep. Near the mouth of Rock creek its\nsides are nearly perpendicular, and are formed of basaltic rocks underlaid with claystone. 250\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nThe Great Shoshonee falls of Snake river occur about eight miles\nabove the mouth of Rock creek. The river is about six hundred feet\nwide above the falls, and is immediately contracted at the falls in the\nform of a lock by jutting piles of scoriaceous basaltic to a space of\nabout three hundred feet, between which the river rushes, dividing\n\u2022itself into two branches, one falling over a precipice one hundred and\neighty feet in height, and the other one hundred and sixty feet, over\nwhich the foaming river presents a wild and grand appearance beyond\ndescription.\nThe elevation of the river at the upper end of the canon is about four\nthousand two hundred and ninety-six feet above the level of the sea.\nThe river from the upper end of the canon to the mouth of Swamp\ncreek (the point where we left it) flows with gentle current through\nnarrow bottoms with scanty vegetation.\nSECOND DIVISION.\nFrom the headwaters of Swamp creek to the dividing ridge between\nthe waters of Snake river and the valley of the Great Salt lake.\nThe country between the headwaters of Swamp creek and the point\nwhere the Lander's Cut-off crosses Raft creek is slightly undulating,\nwith several outcrops of rocks. This portion of the route passing over\nthe base of the mountains is relieved from the interminable fields of\nartemisia, (sage,) which flourish in such great abundance along the\nbanks of Snake river.\nI would here remark, that I have been informed that in the valley\nof the Great Salt lake wheat is grown on the ground that once produced this shrub. If this be true it certainly relieves the soil from\nmuch of the sterility that has been imputed to it. But be this as it\nmay, there is one thing certain, that the mountain slopes of this country are always covered with a luxuriant growth of excellent grass.\nThe country between Raft creek and the crest of the dividing ridge\npresents a wide plain, raising gradually up to the summit of this\nridge, or, rather, a succession ol plains, separated by lines and groves\nof willow thickets, growing along the numerous streams flowing from\nthe surrounding mountains into Raft creek.\nThe mountain sides and ravines are covered with groves of cedar\ntrees, with a few scattered pines. The banks of the many streams are\nfringed with cottonwood and willow, and the bottoms are covered with\na luxuriant growth of fine grass.\nThe road is good ; it follows along the base of the mountains,\ncrossing Raft creek at the point where Lander's Cut-off crosses it, and\nfollowing up the right bank of this stream, and intersecting the\nemigrant road to California near the summit of the dividing ridge.\nFIFTH SECTION.\nFrom the summit of the dividing ridge, between the waters of\nSnake river and the valley of the Great Salt lake, to Bear river. Distance, sixty-six miles. General direction, southeast.\nThe country from Cedar springs, which are near the dividing AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n251\nridge, to a small creek with narrow bottoms called Deep creek, is a\nlevel sage plain, with an alkaline soil and scanty grass.\nFrom the above-named stream to the valley of Bear river the\ncountry consists of a series of rolling prairie hills, with occasional\nsmall groves of cedar trees. It is also covered with a rich and luxuriant growth of grass at every point.\nThe valley of Bear river is from ten to twelve miles wide at the\nferry. \u25a0 It is very level, and from the right bank of the river to the\nfoot hills it is covered with sage bushes and the soil is of an alkaline\ncharacter. The soil from the left bank of the river to the base of the\nmountains appears to be of a fertile character and the vegetation such\nas is usually found in good ground. The river flows with a gentle\ncurrent at the ferry, and is 60 yards wide and from eight to ten feet\ndeep.\nFrom Cedar springs we followed the old emigrant road to California\nacross Deep creek and by HenselFs, Blue, and Emigrant springs to\nthe ferry of Bear river, crossing the Riviere aux Roseaux at the\nbridge. This is a good and easily-travelled wagon road in all seasons\nof the year.\nHOMEWARD JOURNEY.\nOn our homeward journey we returned by nearly the same road\nthat we travelled to the city of the Great Salt lake as far as the\nford of the Malheur river.\nFrom the ford of the Malheur river we followed the old emigrant\nroad via Grand Ronde to McKay's agency on the Umatilla river, and\nfrom thence by the usual travelled road from Fort Walla-Walla to\nFort Dalles.\nThe country along this route has been so thoroughly examined and\nso fully described by various surveying parties who enjoyed superior\nadvantages to myself, from the number of their instruments and\nassistants, that any further description of it on my part would be\naltogether unnecessary.\nIn conclusion I would say that this country, like all the rest of the\nmountainous regions on this part of the Pacific slope, possesses a good\nsoil, covered with nutritious grass, and a dense forest, embracing\nmany varieties of trees. The country is broken, many of the streams\nflowing rather in ravines than valleys, and the road is decidedly bad\nand dangerous for wagons, requiring considerable labor and expense\nto make it a good and easily-travelled wagon road.\nGENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE MERITS OF THE DIFFERENT ROUTES.\nFrom the South Pass to the State of Oregon and the Territory of\nWashington there are at present two travelled routes, one following\ndown the valley of the Snake river, crossing the Blue mountains via\nGrand Ronde into the valley of the Columbia, the other following\ndown the valley of the Humboldt and entering into the State ot\nOregon by what is known as the great Oregon canon.\nTo the first of these routes there has been and always will be 1m- 252 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nportant and insurmountable objections, as nearly three hundred miles\nof it passes through the sterile valley of Snake river, which is nearly\ndestitute of one of the most indispensable articles^ to emigrants or\ntroops, that is, grass. Besides these objections, it makes a long\ndetour to the north, crossing the Blue mountains by a rough and\nrugged pass into the valley of the Columbia river.\nThe second route passes entirely too far to the south to ever be a\ngood thoroughfare to the State of Oregon and the Territory of Washington.\nThe proposed route indicated on the map obviates all of the above-\nmentioned difficulties in passing near the headwaters of the numerous\nstreams flowing into Snake river from the south. It offers to the\ntrains going to and from the valley of the Great Salt lake, as well\nas those coming through the South Pass, a continuous supply of the\nindispensable articles of wood, water, and grass. The route proposed,\nas will be perceived by referring to the map, leaves Fort Dalles and\nfollows the usual travelled road to Fort Walla-Walla as far as the\nDes Chutes river, crossing this stream at the bridge near its junction\nwith the .Columbia river, and from thence passing up the eastern side\nof the Des Chutes river and intersecting the road that we passed over\nthis summer near the point where it enters the valley of Trout or\nOswego creek.\nThis part of the route was examined by Lieutenant Bonnycastle, of\nthe fourth infantry, who reports it to be an easily-travelled wagon\nroad, and having plenty of wood, water, and grass for large trains.\nFrom the valley of Trout creek to Lake Harney, as has been mentioned before in the report, there is a good wagon road, with abundance of wood, water, and grass.\nThe country from Lake Harney to the forks of the Owyhee and\nKearney rivers, a distance of about sixty-five miles at the furthest,\nhas not been examined, but from the general appearance of it on both\nsides, much of which was in view as we passed around it this summer,\nit is a level plain, possessing all the requisites necessary for the traveller in this remote region.\nThe country from the forks of the Owyhee and Kearney rivers was\nexamined by Mr. Scholl, the chief guide of the expedition, and he reports that the wagons could have passed over it without any difficulty,\nwith the exception of three canons or ravines, which require working ; and he also reports that the soil is fertile in many places, and\nthat the mountain slopes and valleys are covered with a luxuriant\ngrowth of grass, and there is plenty of wood and water.\nIt will also be readily observed, by referring to the map, that the\nproposed route from Fort Dalles to the headwaters of Swamp creek,\nor still better, if practicable, intersecting the Emigrant road to California near the City of Rocks, is a central one and much nearer than\neither of the others, and that all of it has been examined with the exception of the small portion from Lake Harney to the Owyhee river. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nAPPENDIX \"A.\"\n253\nDistances and altitudes ^from Fort Dalles, Oregon, to Great Salt Lake\nGity.\nThree-mile creek .\nFive-mile creek ..\nEight-mile creek .\nFifteen-mile creek\nTyshe valley\t\nWhite river\t\nOak Grove creek .\nQuartz creek\t\nWarm Springs riv\u00ab\nCrossing of the Des Chutes river!\n..do..\nTrout or Oswego creek\t\nSandstone springs\t\nCedar springs\t\nWillow creek \t\nCottonwood creek ...\nAchera creek\t\nAntelope springs\t\nCrooked river, 1st\t\nCrooked river, 2d ....\nCrooked River caflon .\nPine grove\t\nThree-pine creek\t\nSpring valley\t\nBuck creek\t\nDividing ridge\t\nRound lake |\n11 miles from Round lake\t\nLake Whapenpa\t\nStampede lake\t\nStillwater slough .\t\nCamp Surprise -.\nSmall creek, north side of Big\nmeadows \t\nSummit of Blue mountains\t\nCarrot creek\t\nMalheur river -\t\nRock Creek canon \t\nSouth bend of Malheur river..\nBirch creek .......\t\nIcesprings\t\nMalheur river \t\nCrossing of Malheur river\t\nOwyhee river\t\nBig Rock creek\t\n17.50\n7.50\n11. 00\n10.75\n11.25\n9.00\n10.50\n12.75\n15.00\n5.00\n2.00\n17.00\n13.00\n11.00\n12.50\n30.00\n30.50\n43.50\n51.25\n60.25\n69.50\n70.00\n87.50\n95.00\n106.00\n188. 00\n205. 00\n218.00\n229. 00\n238. 75\n249. 75\n259.50\n283. 25\n298.00\n316.00\n321.50\n331.50\n336.50\n351.00\n367. 00\n'5.00\n848\n1,411\n1,264\n1,246\n2,281\n2,829\n1,504\n1,286\n1,278\n1,827\n1,907\n2,722\n3,517\n2,910\n2,800\n4,372\n3,649\n4,671\n4,477\n4,287\n5.25\n380.\n25\n4,799\n15.50\n395.\n75\n5,034\n26.00\n421.\n75\n2,458\n25.50\n447.\n25\n2,107\n17.50\n17.50\n464.\n482.\n25\n2,121\n2,407\nHourly observations for three\ndays with two\nbarometers.\nShowers of rain.\nNear the ford.\nLeft bank.\nRight bank.\nSpring, half-way.\nTo barometer observations. 254\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nAPPENDIX A\u2014Continued.\n1859.\nJuly 24\nI\nHot springs \t\nOld Iron springs\t\nBurnt Mountain creek\t\nBruneau river ..\t\nCamp Reyriolds, (on Snake river)\nRattlesnake meadows\t\nTop of canon of Snake rivei\nSalmon Falls river\t\nRock creek, 1st\t\nRock creek, 2d..\t\nSnake river.... ....\nSwamp creek \t\nRaft creek, 1st .__'_\t\nRaft creek, 2d\t\nCedar springs, (onCalifor'aroad)l\nHensell's spring\t\nBear River ferry\t\nMud springs\t\nPhilip's village\t\nGreat Salt Lake City ...\n22.00\n11.00\n24.00\n20.00\n15.00\n18.00\n16.50\n20.25\n23.00\n17.25\n20.75\n19.25\n13.25\n19.00\n24.00\n32.00\n34.00\n27.00\n26.00\n515. 25\n539. 25\n559. 25\n574.25\n592. 25\n608. 75\n629.00\n052. 00\n669.25\n690.00\n709. 25\n722. 50\n741.50\n765.50\n797. 50\n831.50\n858. 50\n884. 50\n902.50\n2,442\n2,468\n2,660\n2,829 |\n2,847\n2,879 I\n3,102\n2,513\n3,753\n3,994\n3,990\n4,367\n4,297\n4,314\n5,439\n5,393\n4,334\n4,470\n4,327\n4,351 Farmington\nOgden City.\nPebbly spring\nBrigham City\nBear River ferry\nEmigrant's spring\nHensell's spring\nCedar springs\nRaft creek \t\nDividing ridge between Raft\ncreek and Swamp creek\nSwamp creek\nSnaki\nRock creek, h\nRock creek, 2<\nSalmon Falls i\nTop of caE\nRattlesnal\nCamp Rey\nTop of hill between Camp Rey\nnolds and Bruneau river\nBruneau river.\nBurnt Mountain creek\t\nTop of hill between canon\nCreek and Iron spring!\nOld Iron sprinj\nHot sprin\nBig Rock\nOwyl\nCross\nPowde\nGrand Ronde ..\nGrand Ronde ri1\nSummit of Blue mountains\t\nLee'd encampment.\t\nSmall creek foot of mountains.\nUmatilla\nUmatilla river, (McKay's)\nUmatilla, (1st\nUmatilla, (2d crossing)\u2014\nButler creek\t\nWell's springs\nWillow creek\nRock creek\nDes Chutes\nDalles 256\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nAPPENDIX \"B.\"\nTable of latitudes, longitudes, and variations of the compass determined\non the line of travel of the wagon road expedition to the valley of the\nGreat Salt lake, and prepared by Brevet Second Lieut. Joseph Dixon,\ntopographical engineer of the expedition.\nPlace of observation.\n1859.\nJuly 3\nThree-mile creek, near Fort Dalles.\n(>ak Grove creek\t\nQuartz springs\t\nCrossing of Des Chutes.\nTrout or Oswego creek.\nSandstone springs.\t\nWillow creek \u2014\nCottonwood creek\t\nAntelope springs\t\nCrooked River canon\t\nBuck creek\t\nLake Whatumpa, ..\t\nStampede lake\t\nStill water slough\t\nSurprise creek\t\nCarrot creek, in the Blue mountains.\nRight bank of Malheur river\nRock Creek canon\t\nIce springs \t\nLeft bank of Malheur river .\nGreat Rock creek\t\nHot spriDgs on Snake river..\nBurnt Mountain creek..\t\nBruneau river..\nRattlesnake\nSalmon Falli\nRock creek, 1st\nRock creek, 2d.\nSnake river\t\nSwamp creek\t\nRaft creek\t\n120 56\n121 04\n120 42 07\nsadows\n43 16 12\n43 12 25\n43 46 32\n43 55 53\n43 43 44\n119 05 15\n118 42 40\n118 37 45\n118 15 45\n43 22 49\n43 03 01\n42 57 44\n114 20 32\n113 45 05\n113 24 33\n113 08 15\nHOMEWARD JOURNEY.\nDate.\nPlace of observation.\nLatitude.\nLongitude.\nVariation.\n1859.\nSept. 13\nOld Iron spring, on Snake river\t\nFord of the Owyhee river\t\nFord of the Malheur river\t\nBirch creek of Snake river\t\nBranch of Powder river\t\n43\n43\n43\n44\n44\n45\n45\n45\n45\n45\n18\n46\n57\n16\n46\n16\n20\n32\n40\n40\n33\n51\n43\n09\n03 1\n16 1\n27\n41\n52\n30\n\u201e , j\no '\n16\n24\n25\n116 47 45\n116 57 08\n18 04\n18 04\n18 09\n28\nOct. 2\n3\n4\nGrand Ronde valley\t\nGrand Ronde river \t\nLee's encampment, Blue mountains.\nFirst camp, Umatilla rivei \t\nNear McKay's agency on the Umatilla\t\n117 32 57\n117 47 17\n18 20\n19 00\n19 20\n20 00\n8 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n257\n14 e.\nFort Cascades, W. T., October 29, 1859.\nCaptain : In accordance with your direction, I submit the following\nreport concerning the means used on the recent expedition to Salt\nLake to effect the crossing of rivers.\nThe detachment of engineer troops under my command were provided with India-rubber pontons or floats, which were used in the construction of bateaus. These pontons when inflated are cylindrical in\nform, with the ends shaped somewhat like the bow of a boat. Each\nponton is twenty feet in length, twenty inches in diameter, and is in\nthree compartments. There are loops on each side of the pontons for\nthe purpose of fastening them together, and loops on the top to which\npoles may be attached to stiffen the bateaus. The following figures\nwill show the construction of the pontons and the method of joining\nthem together:\n1\n20\/eef.\n\\ Q\n\u25a1\n\u25a1\n\u25a1\n\u25a1\n\"\/I\n1\nI\n16 \\\n\u25a1 j|\n\u25a1\n\u25a1\n\u25a1\nm\n^q^q^j^CROZ\nThe pontons are fastened together either by straps or ropes\u2014straps\nare the better. The poles are also strapped on, being fastened to the\nouter loops. Notches are cut on the poles, or staples driven in, to\nprevent the straps from slipping. Poles are run through the loops at\nthe ends of the pontons, which assist to stiffen the bateaus. A canvas\ndeck is stretched over the bateaus to protect the India-rubber cloth.\nThe weight required to submerge a bateau is about 2,600 pounds for\neach ponton. A bateau intended to transport a wagon requires five\npontons. These willsafely bear the wagon, its load, and as much\nmore of ordinary freight as there is room for. In a perfect arrangement a platform would be used to support the wagon, but, where trans-\nH. Ex. Doc. 65 17 258\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nportation is limited, three or four short planks placed transversely and\ntwo placed lengthwise are sufficient. These, with two planks to run\nthe wagon on and off the bateaus, are all that are absolutely necessary. Much time, however, would be saved by a more perfect arrangement. In crossing streams with a moderate current paddles may be\nused, but, where the current is swift, a rope is necessary.\nAt the crossing of the Des Chutes river, which is about eighty yards\nwide, a rope one inch in thickness was securely fastened to a tree on\nthe opposite side of the river. The other end of this rope, the length\nof which was considerably greater than the width of the stream, was\nattached to the bateau which was connected with our side by a smaller\nrope. In this way, by paying out the small rope, the loaded bateau\nwas carried over by the force of the current alone. The empty bateau\nwas hauled back by a yoke of oxen ; with one bateau the whole command, of nearly three hundred men, thirty wagons, with their loads,\nand a large quantity of additional freight was ferried over in three\ndays, with frequent interruptions from the swimming of animals at\nthe ferry. One accident occurred, the upsetting of a wagon; the\ncause of this was, that the bateau, as at first used, consisted of only\nfour pontons, and was found to be too narrow to afford the requisite\nstability. An additional ponton was added, and, for greater security,\npart of the load taken from each wagon and placed beneath it. The\nwagon covers were taken off, as they presented a large surface to the\nwind ; after this no difficulty was experienced. The arrangement was\nintended originally to be used with a pack train, in reference to the\ncontemplated expedition against the northern Indians last fall, but in\nthe hands of one who has used them wagons can be crossed safely and\nrapidly.\nThe average weight of a ponton collapsed is ninety-six pounds, and\nwith the straps, a pair of bellows, and the canvass-bag in which it is\ncarried, aboutone hundred and six pounds. The entire weight of a\nbateau of five pontons, with its platform and the planks for running\nthe wagons on and off the bateau, is about one thousand three hundred and fifty pounds. This, with the necessary rope, is, in ordinary\ncircumstances, a light load for one wagon. If this ponton equipage\nwere to be prescribed for general use, one wagon should be used exclusively for its transportation, and this wagon would be so constructed\nas to admit of its being taken apart and used as a platform.\nWith a pack train four pontons are sufficient for one ferry, and can\neasily be carried on four mules with all the appurtenances, rope excepted. The engineer detachment was also provided with two India-\nrubber boats, each ten feet long. These consist of India-rubber covers\nstretched over extension frames. On each side is a cylinder which,\nwhen inflated, gives great buoyancy and stability. They were not\nused on the expedition, as it was found that the ponton bateau answered\nthe purposes of a boat much better than they. Three pontons make a\nvery excellent boat. Two of them, in the hands of an Indian, are\nequal to a canoe.\nThe pontons were also used to construct a bridge over a slough\nabout twenty feet wide, which was too deep to be forded. As we had\nnot sufficient plank for a flooring, the pontons were covered with wil- AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n259\nlows and grass; earth was thrown over them, and the bridge answered\nevery purpose. The pack mules went over it J&fded. One horse\njumped off the bridge, being frightened by the undulating motion\nwhich is inseparable from bridges of this kind. All the other streams\nthat we crossed during the expedition were fordable at the season of\nthe year when we reached them.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nD. C. HOUSTON,\nSecond Lieutenant Enqineers.\nCapt. H. D. Wallen,\n4th Infantry, Commanding Wagon Road Expedition to Salt Lake.\n75. The Adjutant General to General Harney.\nAdjutant General's Office,\nWashington, January 18, 1859.\nGeneral: Your letter of the 6th ultimo, enclosing a charge and\nspecification against First Lieutenant Joshua W. Sill, ordnance corps,\nwas duly laid before the Secretary of War, and I now have the honor\nto transmit a copy of \"Special Orders\" No. 8 of this date from the\nWar Department, appointing a general ceurt-martial for the trial of\nthat officer.\nBe pleased to cause the accompanying parcel containing a copy of\n\" Special Orders\" No. 8, and the charge exhibited against Lieutenant\nSill, to be handed to the officer selected by you to serve as judge\nadvocate of the court.\nThe Secretary of War conceives that as Lieutenant Sill is charged\nwith important public duties involving the expenditure of a considerable amount of government fiinds, the period of his arrest should be\nlimited to the time occupied in his trial.\nI am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\nS. COOPER,\nAdjutant General.\nBrig. Gen. W. S. Harney,\nCommanding Department of Oregon, fort Vancouver, W. T.\n76. The Adjutant General to General Harney.\nAdjutant General's Office,\nWashington, February 7, 1860.\nSir; The Secretary of War has considered your application to bring\nlaeutenant De Hart to a court-martial, and General Scott's order to\nyou to release him from arrest. 260\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nThe Secretary perceives that the lieutenant has committed a grave\nbreach of discipline in assuming to make any personal demand on your\nstaff officer respecting your orders. But he must agree with the\ngeneral-in-chief that the lieutenant had good cause to complain ot the\norders without he had not merited censure, and that your reprimand\nwas not in a proper style. The Secretary regrets to be compelled to\nexpress his disapprobation of it, and he does not see that he can reverse\nthe decision of the general-in-chief. BH\nThe Secretary observes that you take no notice of the matter referred\nto you for explanation, viz: your furloughs to the enlisted men reported\nto be employed in your private service. He desires to have an explana- '\ntion from you in regard to those charges.\nI am, sir, very respectfullv, your obedient servant,\nS. COOPER,\nAdjutant General.\nBrig. Gen. W. S. Harney, j\nU. S. Army, Commanding Department of Oregon,\nFort Vancouver, Washington Territory.\n11. Colonel Craig to the Adjutant General.\nOrdnance Office,\nWashington, February 25, 1860.\nSir : After carefully reading General Harney's letter in relation to\nthe site of an arsenal near Vancouver, with the enclosures therein\nreferred by you to this office, I return them with the following\nremarks:\nUnder authority of the act of August 30,1856, appropriating money I\nfor the erection of suitable magazines and other arsenal buildings in\nWashington Territory, arrangements were made by the Ordnance\ndepartment for the erection of such buildings on a portion of the\nmilitary reserve at Fort Vancouver, which had been selected for the\npurpose by Lieutenant Colonel Ripley, then principal ordnance officer\nin the Pacific department, and had been set aside as an arsenal site\nby General Wool, then commanding that military department. A\ndifficulty having arisen soon after as to the title of the United States I\nto that site, it was deemed advisable to suspend the execution of the-\narrangements which had been made for the erection of permanent\nbuildings until the question of title could be settled. Lieutenant\nWelcker, on being ordered to the command of the ordnance depot\nat Fort Vancouver, by Special Orders No. 84, of May 12, 1859,\nwas informed of all this, and was instructed as to the course he should\npursue in case the difficulty of obtaining a valid title should continue,\nand the.wants of the service should in the meantime render.it necessary to enlarge the operations and increase the supplies at the depot.\nThose instructions are contained in full in the letter to him from this\noffice, of May 30,1859, and authorize him to make such arrangements AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n261\nas the necessities of the service may require, by erecting certain temporary buildings, to be superseded by permanent ones when a title to\nthe reserve shall be acquired.- This precaution was taken to avoid the\npossible loss to the government of valuable buildings and improvements, in case the land on which they were built should be hereafter\nadjudged to belong to others. After his arrival at Vancouver's depot,\nLieutenant Welcker reported to this office, by letter dated August 1,\n1859, (and enclosed herewith,) that a portion of the site for the arsenal\n(twenty acres) which had been added to the. original reserve was\nclaimed by two or three citizens under the donation law, and that he '\nhad taken measures for obtaining from the Hudson's Bay Company a\nquit-claim to the ground set aside for the arsenal site. He then, for\nthe first time, mentioned and recommended as a desirable site, superior\nto the one which had been set aside for the purpose, General Harney's\ntract, which he stated to be subject to the possessory rights of the\nHudson's Bay Company, like the rest of the land in that vicinity. Ho\nstated that General Harney was willing to transfer this tract to the\nOrdnance department at its cost, supposed to be $1,200 or $1,500, and\nsubsequently corrected, by a letter dated September 1, 1859, stating\nthat it was about twice that amount. General Harney, on the 12th\nof October following, informed Lieutenant Welcker that the amount\nwas $3,480. Lieutenant Welcker's letter of the 1st of August, 1859,\nwas answered by the letter to him from this office of September 15,\n1859, informing him that he could neither purchase General Harney's\ntract nor erect thereon any buildings but the most temporary shelter\nfor ordnance stores and employes until after a deed of conveyance to\nthe United States had been executed and pronounced valid and satisfactory by the Attorney General; but that he might, if he, on the\nspot, saw no objection to it, lease the tract at a reasonable rent from\nGeneral Harney for a term to the end of his lease from the Hudson's\nBay Company, and might erect thereon the necessary temporary structures: Before the letter of the 15th of September, 1859, from the\nOrdnance office to Lieutenant Welcker could have reached him, that\nofficer, as will be seen by his letter herewith enclosed, dated October\n15, 1859, had taken possession of General Harney's tract by his permission and authority, if not at his instance, (as the letter will explain,) with the assurance that he had no doubt that the War Department would take the place. The conditions on which that possession\nwas taken were, that Lieutenant Welcker should hold undisturbed\ncontrol and possession until informed by the Colonel of Ordnance\nwhether it was the intention of the War Department to purchase the\ntract with its improvements or not; that if the purchase was determined upon, General Harney should give a valid and perfect title,\nsubject only to the possessory rights of the Hudson's Bay Company,\nfor the sum of $3,480 ; that if the purchase was not determined upon,\nor if the Hudson's Bay Company failed to give a quit-claim for their\npossessory rights, the tract of land was to be vacated, and its possession restored to General Harney, or his agent; and that in the event\nof non-purchase, the United States were to be at no charge or expense\nin consequence of the agreement.\u2014(See agreement herewith, dated 262\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nFort Vancouver, Washington Territory, October 8, 1859.) The authority to lease having been previously given to Lieutenant Welcker\nby my letter of September 15, 1859, no reply was deemed necessary\nto his letter of October 15, 1859, and none was made. When^my\nletter of the 15th of September reached Lieutenant Welcker, he abandoned and turned over to General Harney the tract which had been\nconditionally taken possession of, regarding the instructions in that\nletter as disapproving of a purchase of that tract. He so reported to\nthis office by his letter of the 1st of November, 1859, herewith en^\nclosed, in which he also reports that he is making the necessary temporary arrangements for sheltering the public property and employes\non the arsenal reserve, and that as we are to retain the reserve there\nwould be no advantage, but the reverse, in renting General Harney's\nplace. Lieutenant Welcker's operations in the erection of any buildings were arrested by General Harney's order of the^lst of December, 1859, which is among the papers accompanying his letter referred\nby you to this office.\nThe foregoing summary of the facts in this case is given to enable\nthe proper authority to judge how far General Harney may be justified in the course he has pursued, and in the harsh and opprobrious\nimputation he has cast upon Lieutenant Welcker in his letter to you.\nI can see nothing in Lieutenant Welcker's course of conduct to justify\nthe use of such language respecting him. The error of that officer\nwas in proceeding to take possession of General Harney's tract, and\nto make arrangements for its occupancy, before receiving an answer\nto his letter of August 1, 1859, suggesting a change of the site\nwhich had been previously selected and set apart for the purpose, and\nthe extent of that error is to be judged in connexion with the agency\nof General Harney in the matter, as reported in Lieutenant Welcker's\nletter of the 15th of October, 1859. He was not directed to make a\nlease, but only intrusted with authority to do so if he saw no objection to it. No purchase of General Harney's tract could or can be\nlegally made without a law authorizing such purchase, and there is\nno such law; nor could or can any contract to that effect be made\nunder the 904th paragraph of Army Regulations. The course of General Harney, in stopping the erection of buildings at the ordnance\ndepot in Washington Territory, without directions for the purpose from the War Department, is in direct violation of the regulation of that department of 7th April, 1843, published from the Adjutant General's office on the 8th-of that month, which is in these words:\n\" To prevent any conflict from arising among the different corps of\nthe army in relation to quarters, barracks, arsenals, &c., the Secretary of War has laid down the following rules, which will govern\nall cases, except where a deviation may, under special circumstances, be\nfound necessary, when directions for the purpose will be given by the\nWar Department: 1. Arsenals, being under the control of the Ordnance\ndepartment, will not be interfered with by any other branch of the\nservice;\" which regulation was reiterated in the 2d article of the\nordnance regulations prepared in accordance with the act of Congress\nof February 8, 1815, and published by the Secretary of War for\nthe government of all concerned, and has not been repealed. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n263\nI request that this report may be laid before the Secretary of War\nor whomsoever the letter of General Harney may be submitted to and\nI unite with him in requesting early attention to.the case.\nVery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nH. CRAIG,\nColonel of Ordnance.\nCol. S. Cooper,\nAdjutant General U. S. Army.\nVancouver Depot, W. T.,\nAugust 1, 1859.\nColonel : I have the honor to report my arrival at this post on the\nnight of the 26th of July past.\nI have relieved Lieutenant Sill of the charge of the stores and\nfunds and the command of the detachment, which consists of an\nacting sergeant and three men.\nI find a small cabin on the ordnance reserve, erected by Lieutenant\nSill, with the assistance of the detachment, in which are quartered\nthe two unmarried. men, while the acting sergeant has erected\nanother, at his own expense, near the first. The remaining soldier,\nwith his family, is in the village of Vancouver, where he pays rent,\nhe informs me, at the rate of eight dollars a month.\nLieutenant Sill has no quarters at all, but is permitted, by the\nkindness of Mr. Graham, to have rooms in Hudson's Bay Company's\nfort. The same courtesy has been extended to me.\nBy reference to the map of this reserve, you will perceive a twenty-\nacre tract, in addition to the portion of the original tract set aside for\nordnance purposes by General Wool. This addition I made myself,\nwhen stationed here before, by order of Lieutenant Colonel Ripley.\nIt is a parallelogram, with its length perpendicular to the main body\nof the reservation. I learn, since my arrival, that these twenty acres\nare claimed by two citizens, and perhaps a third, under the donation\nlaw. This ground was so shaped as to take in the continuation, as far\nas convenient, of a beautiful bench, upon which the officers' quarters\nof Fort Vancouver are situated, and is, in my opinion, almost essential to the building of the arsenal. This bench continues parallel to\nthe Columbia river, about half a mile distant, for a mile or two. Between it and the river there is low ground, much of which is subject\nto overflow in high water, and from it backwards the plateau is\ncovered with fir timber.\nI have had an informal interview with James A. Graham^ esq.,\na chief trader in the Hudson's Bay Company, and representative of 264\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\ntheir interests here, and proposed to him to give the ordnance department a quit-claim to the ground set aside for an arsenal. He would\nor could not give me a decided reply himself, but requested me to\naddress him a letter on the subject, which I have done; and he\npromises to consult Mr. Dallas, the agent for their company m this\nregion, when he goes to Victoria shortly, and thinks it probable they\nmay be able to give me an answer, though it is not improbable that\nthe matter will have to be referred to Sir George Simpson, in Canada.\nGeneral Harney has a tract of 100 acres of land, lying about one\nmile east of Fort Vancouver, which is his private property, subject,\nhowever, to the possessory rights of the Hudson's Bay Company, like\nthe rest of the land in this vicinity, which tract he proposes to turn\nover to the ordnance department for.an arsenal site. It is on the\ncontinuation of the bench referred to above, and would be known to\nColonel Ripley by the name of the \" Dundass Castle \" place. There\nis a fence enclosing one-half of the tract; a house of wood planks,\nintended for a stable and barn, but which is now occupied as lodgings by some men; and there is in process of erection a dwelling-\nhouse of planks, with kitchen attached. This land, and the improvements on it, I understand from the general, he is willing to transfer\nto the ordnance department, if desired, at cost, which, he told me, he\nthought was near $1,200 or $1,500. I examined the spot, and I\nthink it would be advantageous to the department to pnrchase, for\nI do not think the United States can possibly put up on the present\nreserve the same improvements for anything like the sum which, I\nunderstand, the land and improvements both can be procured for;\nand the situation I think superior to the present one, because much\nmore handsome,, having fine ornamental trees on it, and a beautiful\nview from it. It is separated from the town and fort, which I think\nvery important, and no portion of it is claimed by any other person.\nI am told by General Harney.that he has a lease from the Hudson's\nBay Company for five years, at five dollars a year. General Harney\ndirected me to send him a communication, stating whether I thought\nthe place desirable for an arsenal, and my reasons, which I did. I\ntransmit a copy of the document. He intends sending it, with his\nremarks, to the Secretary of War, and I .presume it will go on this\nmail. The delay necessary for your decision to arrive here, if made,\nby return mail, (which I respectfully beg may be the case,) will not\nbe more time, nor so much, as it would have taken me to put up\nsimilar improvements ; besides, I am awaiting the answer from the\nHudson's Bay Company.\nI believe I have stated my views on this subject clearly, and I submit it to your superior judgment to decide ; but I hope I will be\nexcused if I take the liberty of recommending in the strongest manner that the department will make an immediate decision for it or\nagainst it, as delay is very much to oe deprecated, and nothing can be\ndone until I hear from you. In the meantime the affairs of the depot\nand the interests of the ordnance service are in a very bad way I\nno proper storehouse for the stores ; no sufficient quarters for even\nthe small detachments here ; none for myself; no means of repairs ;\u2022 AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n265\nof making ammunition ; and the old storehouse which I have totally\nunguarded, as 1 have not men enough yet to do that duty.\nRespectfully, your obedient servant,\nWM. S. WELCKER,\nFirst Lieut. Ordnance, Commanding Vancouver Depot.\nColonel H. K. Craig,\nChief of Ordnance, Washington, D. C.\nP. S.\u2014Will the colonel please inform me whether the War Department has confirmed the ordnance reserve, and particularly the twenty\nacres additional, and how to proceed with respect to the claimants to it ?\nIs the reservation on the Willamette river of twenty acres still in possession of the Ordnance or War Department ? I do not think it a good\nposition any how, as it is up a small river not navigable for large ships.\nThe Cascades of the Columbia is in many respects a good position for\nan arsenal, but has an objection which I think insuperable\u2014its great\ndampness. It is in the mountains, whose tops collect and retain the\nclouds which come.up from the sea ; and the rains there are much\nheavier than elsewhere in this region, making a bad place for powder\nmagazines and stores, of arms. The title to the post reserve is there\nalso disputed by several citizens. Vancouver was selected by Colonel\nRipley, and I think is the best place. I must again urge upon the\ndepartment the necessity of prompt decision as to whether General\nHarney's place be taken or the present reserve ; both are claimed by\nthe Hudson's Bay Company.\nRespectfully, your obedient servant,\nWM. T. WELCKER,\nFirst Lieutenant Ordnance.\nColonel H. K. Craig,\nChief of Ordnance.\n11 b.\nKnow all men by these presents, that this agreement, made and entered into this the eighth day of October, A. D. 1859, between\nBrigadier General William S. Harney, United States army, on his\nown part, and Lieutenant William T. Welcker, ordnance corps\nUnited States army, on the part of the United States, witnesseth\nand agreeth as follows :\n\u2022 First. The said General William S. Harney is to deliver and turn\nover his tract of ninety-eight acres of land, more or less, lying near\none mile east of Fort Vancouver, Washington Territdfy, with the\nhouses, barns, stables, fences, and improvements of whatsoever nature,\non and belonging to said land, to said Lieutenant Welcker and the\nordnance soldiers under his command, for the uses and purposes of 266\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\na United States arsenal; said Lieutenant Welcker to have and hold\nundisturbed control and possession until such time as he shall be informed by the Colonel of Ordnance whether it is the intention of the\nWar Department to purchase the said tract of land, with its improvements, or not.\nSecond. In case the purchase is determined upon, General Harney\nis to give to the United States a good and perfect title to the said land,\nsubject only to the possessory rights of the Hudson's Bay Company,\nfor and in consideration of the sum of money which said land and\nimprovements have cost him, and which sum is three thousand four\nhundred and eighty dollars.\nThird. If the purchase be not determined upon, or if it be refused\nby the War Department, then Lieutenant Welcker and the soldiers\nunder his command are to vacate the premises, and deliver .them to\nGeneral Harney or his agent; and also, if the authorities of the Hudson's Bay Company shall fail to give to the United States a quit-claim\nof their possessory rights to said tract of land, then Lieutena^B\nWelcker is to vacate said premises and restore the possession to General Harney, or the person whom he shall appoint to receive them.\nFourth. It is understood that if the United States do not purchase\nthe said tract of land, they are to be at no charge or. expense in consequence of this arrangement.\nWM. S. HARNEY,\nBrigadier General United States Army.\nW. T. WELCKER,\nFirst Lieutenant Ordnance.\nFort Vancouver, W. T. October 8, 1859.\n77 c.\nVancouver Depot,\nWashington Territory, October 15, 1859.\nColonel : I have the honor to report that I and my detachment are\nquartered at General Harney's place. This arrangement has been\nmade provisionally, and subject to your approval. General Harney\nsent for me towards the end of last month, and'said that his improvements were near finished, and if I chose I could occupy the place at.\nonce, as he did not doubt the War Department would take the place.\nAs two of the men had no quarters at all, but were paying rent in the\ntown while working for the United States, and as the others were not\nso well quartered as they could be at the above-mentioned place, and.\nall scattered, none being near where I was staying, ,1 thought it well\nto accept the offer, subject to your approval, and on the condition that\nthere should be no charge against the United States. I enclose a copy AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n267\nof the articles of agreement. The sum of money which is demanded\nby the_owner for the place\u2014$3,480\u2014was inserted since the articles\nwere signed, as at that time he said he did not know the amount.\nThe dwelling-house is of fir timber weather boarding, and is in two\nparts: the main house and an L. The first part has two rooms below\nand two above, with a hall below and one above ; two brick chimneys,\nand the rooms and halls papered. The \" L\" part has a large dining-\nroom, a pantry room, kitchen, and servants' room, and detached sink.\nThe barn or stable is a plank house, 24 by 18 feet, and, two stories\nhigh. About twenty acres are enclosed by a fence, which on two sides\nis plank, and the rest of posts, and poles nailed to them. There are\nabout 98 acres (I am told) in all, with a considerable amount of timber\nupon it.\nThere is no water nearer than the river, which is the case with the\nwhole military establishment here, town and viciil^. The quartermaster here, Captain Ingalls, tells me that he is going to undertake\nan artesian well, as the present well\u2014which, I forgot to mention, is at\nFort Vancouver\u2014does not work well.\nThe house upon General Harney's place is not finished, there being\nno shutters to the windows, no mantel-pieces to the fireplaces, and\nsome few other things to be done. I have one man, with his family,\noccupying the servants' quarters and kitchen of the house, while I\nhave fitted up the building intended for a stable as quarters for the\nrest of the men.\nI have done this with their own labor, and material left on the\nplace by General H., with the exception of about a dozen planks. I\nneed scarcely remind the department of additional and large appropriations for the arsenal here being necessary, for but li$|p could be\ndone with the amount on hand, wherever the site may be fixed. Not\nonly is there an immediate demand for an arsenal here, but that\narsenal should be a large one, and, as far as possible, self-sustaining.\nThere is, practically, no land communication with California, and\nthe recent and still pending trouble out here with the British forces\nplaces in a strong light the great mistake of depending upon sea communication.\nThere is one more point t^phich I beg your attention. I have\ndone everything in my power; jdsiraise the detachment to fifteen men\nsince my arrival, but I have only seven, of whom one is now on his\nfinal furlough. The officers of the line will not consent to transfer\nany man who is of any account, and I can do very little enlisting. I\ncannot get mechanics, even the least accomplished, to think of it. I\nwould consequently request you to have men sent out from the Atlantic side. And I think fifteen men are not sufficient for the guard and\npolice of the establishment. If one or two men go on the sick report,\nthere could be no means of keeping up a guard, even if I had fifteen\nmen. My storehouse is in a very unsafe situation, and has been robbed\ni once or twice. I think that forty or fifty ordnance soldiers could be\nemployed in future at this station, to the interest and economy of the\ngovernment. For the present, Major John F. Reynolds, of the artil- 268\nAFFAIRS IN OREGON.\nlery, has stationed a sentinel over my storehouse. This is only a temporary accommodation, however.\nRespectfully, your obedient servant, \u201e.\u201e_\n| pi WM. T. WELCKER,\nFirst Lieutenant of Ordnance.\nColonel H. K. Craig,\nChief of Ordnance, Washington, D. C.\nP. S.\u2014Since writing the above I have found, I think, that there'can\nbe found an abundance of water, within thirty feet of the surface, at\nGeneral Harnev's place.\n' % WM. T. W.\nVancouver Depot,\nWashington Territory, November 1, 1859.\nColonel : By last mail I informed you that, with my detachment, I\nhad taken possession, provisionally, of General Harney's place ; but\nas soon as I received your disapproval of the idea of purchase, it was\nabandoned and turned over to the owner. My detachment are in the\nsame situation as before, but as for myself, I have not yet been able\nto find any quarters anywhere.\nI am now building upon the arsenal reserve a temporary cottage\nfor quarters for the ordnance officer, and a plank house for the ordnance men. I have not rented General Harney's place, as there could\nbe no advantage in so doing, as we are to retain the reserve ; but, on\nthe contrary, it would be highly disadvantageous, being a mile from\nthe ordnance stores and office.\nThe cottage I shall build in the most economical manner, of planks\nand fir lumber, using whatever of the lumber on hand that is fit. I\npropose a small house, one and a half story, with a parlor, bed-room,\ndining-room, and kitchen on the first floor, and attic rooms above ; to\nbe finished inside with paper, or muslin tacked to the boards. The\nmen's quarters to be 90 feet by 25, with a plain verandah in front. I\nwill divide the house by partitions into five tenements, 12 feet wide\nfor married men, which will leave a hall 30 by 25 feet for the bachelors.\nThis house will be one and a half story, giving attics above, and the\ntenements for the married men to be divided into front room and\nkitchen. I am also putting up a cheap stable for two horses which I\nhave purchased, saddle and harness rooms, &c., &c.\nAs soon as these buildings are finished I shall proceed, as the\nweather permits, to put up shops, a laboratory, and a fence around\nthe part of the reserve upon which the buildings will be. The fence\nwill be near a mile and a half in extent necessarily, and will be an\nitem of some expense, though made in the cheapest manner.\nI must beg you, colonel, to excuse a detailed plan and estimates for\nthese purposes, as, in the press of business, I cannot prepare them before the mail goes, and time presses. AFFAIRS IN OREGON.\n269\nI have on hand of the appropriation for arsenals $2 610 25 and\nrequest, for the present, $5,000 more. A magazine of greater dimensions than is here now is becoming daily of more necessity and if the\ntitle is not soon obtained from the Hudson's Bay Company, it will be\nnecessary to put up one of wood. Shops are very much needed especially saddlers', as the dragoons are making continual requisitions for\nthe materials and tools of such; and in consequence of the purcbas\nmade and probable, I have to request that vou will add $500 to $2i\nupon my estimate for this quarter for the purchase of\nterials to.issue \"\nases\n; :00\ntools and ma-\nI beg you, colonel, to have the money, or, rather, the treasury warrant, sent by return steamer, as I fear 1 shall be entirely out of money\nby that time.\nRespectfully, your obedient servant,\nWILLIAM T. WELCKER,\nFirst Lieutenant Ordnance, commanding Vancouver Depot.\nColonel H. K. Craig,\nChief of Ordnance, Washington, D. C.\nP. S.\u2014I have the honor to enclose the enlistment of Benjamin Jones,\nenlisted the third day of November.\nW. T. W. 36th Congress, > HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.\n1st Session. $\n\u00bb' Ex. Do\n\u00bb No. 87\nERROR IN THE PRINT OF EX. DOC. No. 65, RELATING TO\nDIFFICULTIES ON SAN JUAN ISLAND.\nLETTER\nTHE SECKETAKY OF WAR,\nCAIiMNS\nAttention to an error in the printing of Ex. Doc. No. 65, of the present\nMat 25, 1860.\u2014Laid upon the table, and ordered to be printed.\nWar Department, May 23, 1860.\nSir: On page 37 of House Executive Document No. 65, of the present session, containing the correspondence of this department with\nBrigadier General Harney, respecting the late difficulties at San Juan\nisland, and military affairs in the department of Oregon, there appears\", as a part of a letter from General Harney to Mr. Campbell,\ncommissioner of the northwest boundary, the following sentence :\n\" Among other things, you have been pleased to inform me that\nyou have authorized Colonel Casey to call for volunteers, and that you\n' feel assured of my cordial co-operation whenever an emergency may\nrequire it.' \"\nThis sentence forms, in the original, the second paragraph of the\nletter, on page 36, from Governor Gholson to General Harney, from\nwhich it has been transposed by a mistake on the part of the printer.\nThis error is of some moment, as it places the commissioner appointed\nto settle the disputed boundary in the light of having authorized a\ncall for volunteers to aid in taking possession of one of the points in\ndispute; and I therefore beg leave to request that it may be brought to\nthe attention of the House of Representatives.\nVery respectfully, your obedient servant,\nJOHN B. FLOYD,\nSecretary of War.","@language":"en"}],"Genre":[{"@value":"Pamphlets","@language":"en"},{"@value":"Correspondence","@language":"en"}],"Identifier":[{"@value":"F5049.15 .U559 1860:2","@language":"en"},{"@value":"I-0128","@language":"en"}],"IsShownAt":[{"@value":"10.14288\/1.0221960","@language":"en"}],"Language":[{"@value":"English","@language":"en"}],"Notes":[{"@value":"Other Copies: http:\/\/www.worldcat.org\/oclc\/18887093","@language":"en"}],"Provider":[{"@value":"Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library","@language":"en"}],"Publisher":[{"@value":"Washington : [publisher not identified]","@language":"en"}],"Rights":[{"@value":"Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy, or otherwise distribute these images please contact digital.initiatives@ubc.ca.","@language":"en"}],"Series":[{"@value":"United States. Congress. House documents","@language":"en"}],"SortDate":[{"@value":"1860-12-31 AD","@language":"en"},{"@value":"1860-12-31 AD","@language":"en"}],"Source":[{"@value":"Original Format: University of British Columbia. Library. Rare Books and Special Collections. F5049.15 .U559 1860:2","@language":"en"}],"Subject":[{"@value":"Oregon question","@language":"en"}],"Title":[{"@value":"Affairs in Oregon. Letter from the Secretary of War, communicating, in compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives, correspondence with General Harney relating to affairs in the department of Oregon","@language":"en"}],"Type":[{"@value":"Text","@language":"en"}],"Translation":[{"@value":"","@language":"en"}],"@id":"doi:10.14288\/1.0221960"}