The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society Part 21

OREGON MATERIAL TAKEN FROM A FILE OF AN INDEPENDENCE (MO.) AND WESTON (MO.) PAPER FOR 1844 AND 1845; ALSO SOME MINOR EXTRACTS FROM OTHER PAPERS IN THAT VICINITY.

During this time these towns were important outfitting points for Oregon pioneers. The Oregon fever was raging throughout the surrounding country, the frontier counties of Missouri. The newspapers, Democratic and Whig, in this vicinity appreciated the interest in the Oregon Country and in the movement of emigration thither. Their columns were open to reports of travelers returning from the Columbia. Letters sent back by pioneers in the Willamette Valley seemed to be in great demand. The doc.u.ments printed below contain two noteworthy letters from persons who were in the great migration of 1843. Contemporary sources of the history of that epochal event are especially valuable.

[These extracts were made from the files of these papers in the possession of the Missouri Historical Society, Saint Louis, Mo.]

From the _Independence Journal_, September 12, 1844.

(Vol. I, No. 1, G. R. Gibson, editor.)

"Civis," in a communication, dwells upon the importance of the Independence trade in outfitting Santa Fe traders. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars are annually expended at Independence for this purpose. There are good reasons for believing that in a few years it will quadruple that amount.

Concerning the outfitting of the Oregon pioneers, he says:

"The Oregon emigrants will, no doubt, continue to rendezvous near this place, and will number annually 1,500 persons, the outfit for which number will cost $50,000, and all of which our citizens may furnish."

Mountain trade, now of inconsiderable importance, will be worth $10,000 per annum. "Civis" is urging the establishment of a turnpike to the Missouri River.

From the _Independence Journal_, September 12, 1844.

OREGON TERRITORY.

Last Sat.u.r.day's _Expositor_ contains a long letter from Peter H. Burnett, dated Linnton, Oregon, July 25, 1844, which we shall publish in our next; not having received it in time for this week's paper.

From the _Independence Journal_, September 12, 1844.

OREGON EMIGRANTS.

We have news from the Oregon emigrants up to the 3d of August, at which time they left Fort Laramie. They expected to reach their destination about the beginning of October.

They were deficient in breadstuffs and could not procure any at the fort without money. They expected to obtain a supply at Buffalo, five or six days' journey from the fort. Some fears were entertained that the Sioux Indians would steal their stock, and otherwise give them trouble. Altogether they appear to have got along very well, considering the unusual weather they experienced between this and the Big Platte.

The _Independence Journal_ of September 19, 1844, gives Peter H.

Burnett's letter, written from Linnton, Oregon, July 25, 1844. [This letter was printed in the June QUARTERLY, 1903, pages 181-184 of this volume. It was taken from the _Ohio Statesman_, which quoted it from the _Washington Globe_.]

In the _Independence Journal_, September 19, 1844, under the caption of "Independence: Its Trade and Prospects," the high state of prosperity of the town is spoken of. Wagon makers are employed to build seventy-five wagons for the Santa Fe traders by next spring, in place of only fifty made the present year. Santa Fe road within the State must be improved. United States Government should give it a port of entry, and the State legislature should locate a branch of State Bank there to accommodate Santa Fe traders and commerce of western part of State.

From the _Independence Journal_, October 24, 1844.

Mr. Gilpin, of this place, who went out to Oregon about eighteen months since, arrived on Tuesday last with several other persons. They left Bent's Fort on the 22d of September. All was quiet and well at the fort, but there was a difficulty between the Santa Feans and Eutaw Indians.

The Spaniards had killed some Eutaws; and the head chief and five other princ.i.p.al chiefs went to Santa Fe to receive compensation. The Governor gave them what he could, or what he thought was enough, and, refusing to give more, the head chief, in a pa.s.sion, pulled his beard, when he seized his sword and killed him and another, and the guards, being called, fell upon the other four and killed them. The Indians who accompanied them immediately left, and killed, on their retreat, several Spaniards who were going from Taos to Santa Fe. Altogether they had killed ten or twelve Spaniards. A war between the Indians and Santa Feans, of course, was expected. Some Spaniards, who were out on a buffalo hunt, met Colonel Owens' company at the Cimmaron, and dispatched immediately an express to Santa Fe. They made up a company at Santa Fe, on receipt of the intelligence, among whom were Messrs. Chavis, Armigo, and Percas, to escort him to Santa Fe; and brought out fresh mules, and everything they would probably need. Colonel Owens accompanied them to Santa Fe, where a ball was to be given him. They met Charles Bent, Mr. Alvarez (our consul at Santa Fe), and Mr. Ferguson, at Choteau's [Chouteau's] Island, about three days' travel this side of Bent's Fort. Mr. St.

Vrais [Vrain?] was this side of Corn Creek with waggons, going on well. Doctor Connolly, with Lucas, was between Ash Creek and p.a.w.nee Fork, twenty-five miles ahead of Mr.

Speyers' company, which was near Walnut Creek. Mr. Speyers'

mules were poor and much worn out; they had left several on the road, beside ten or fifteen lost shortly after they left Independence. All the teams of Messrs. Bent and Connolly were in good order, and they were getting along well.

We are indebted to a Spaniard, who accompanied Mr. Gilpin, for the foregoing. We have not heard anything of particular importance from Oregon. Mr. Gilpin brought a large number of letters, but we have not, as yet, been favored with the perusal of any. The emigrants, we understand, were generally getting along well.

The _Independence Journal_, October 31, 1844, under the heading "Oregon and Colonel Polk," gives an extract of a speech delivered by Colonel Polk in Congress on a bill for extending jurisdiction of the laws of the United States over all the people of Oregon Territory, and directing officers of the Government to take possession of the mouth of Columbia River, and establish a fort there. This, it says, will show whether he (Polk) is for immediate occupation of it or not; and that his opinions coincide with Mr. Clay's upon this subject. Gives an extract of Polk's speech to substantiate its claim that Polk was no more radical than Clay on this Oregon question. (_Independence Journal_ was supporting candidacy of Clay.)

_Weston Journal_, January 4, 1845 (Vol. 1, No. 1), Geo. R. Gibson, editor (the same who edited _Independence Journal_ in 1844), in leader: "To the Patrons of the _Journal_," he refers to recent political campaign, and says, among other things:

We shall advocate the annexation of Texas, but we wish to do it without dishonor and by common consent. We shall advocate the occupation of the Oregon Territory, and the erection of a chain of posts from Missouri to the mountains; to protect and extend facilities to companies, etc. Proposes to open correspondence as soon as possible with mountain traders and the settlers in Oregon.

The _Weston Journal_ prospectus contained regularly this paragraph:

From the great intercourse between this place and the mountains, the editor will pay special attention to the news from that quarter, the Oregon Territory, and the whole Indian country. The Oregon Territory, attracting at the present time the public attention, the patrons of the _Journal_ may expect to find in its columns everything of interest which may be gathered either from public or private resources, relative to a country of such vast extent, varied scenery, and diversified soil and climate.

From the _Weston Journal_, January 4, 1845.

LETTER FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, EMIGRATION, ETC.

We publish the subjoined letter, received by one of our citizens a few days since, from a gentleman who accompanied the Oregon emigration last year [1843]. We give it entire, that our readers may have all the information that can be gathered from this section of the country. It is not so favorable, in some respects, of the Oregon Territory, as the accounts of others, but it is by no means disparaging. Mr.

Gilpin thinks that corn can be raised to advantage, and says that the reason why they have none, is--because they plant none. It is undoubtedly a fine country for all the small grains and is unsurpa.s.sed as a grazing country. The emigrants who went out the past season have made a great change in business, and money now circulates on the Columbia as well on this side of the mountains, and everything begins to a.s.sume the appearance of civilization, business, trade, and the refinements this side the mountains. We see that Mr. Cushing, our minister to China, has returned by way of the city of Mexico; and here we have a letter from one of our enterprising citizens from the _halfway house_--the Sandwich Islands.

We have been in the habit of looking to Europe for Asiatic news; let our government establish a chain of posts from this to Oregon, an overland mail will speedily follow, and the China and East India trade will pour into our channels of commerce from the gorges of the Rocky Mountains: and a journey from New York to China, by way of Oregon, will be less thought of than it formerly was to Saint Louis. The Government should consider that a little enterprise will place the East India trade at our door; and the sooner the better. We hope Congress, this winter, will take active measures to bring about such a state of things. What is a few thousand dollars compared with the object to be acquired?

LAHIANA, MAUI, Sandwich Islands, July 17, 1844.

_J. Wells, Esq._--

DEAR SIR: In a few days the first ship that has left this place for the States, since my arrival here, will sail, and I take this opportunity to tell you something of my journey and Oregon, etc., though probably you have heard all the news long before you get this. I should have written you ere this, had an opportunity offered. But to tell you of the trip: I left the Shawnee mission on the 29th of May; our route was through the Caw Indian country, which is good, has considerable timber, and is well watered. It is a bad country for wagons to travel through, having so many sloughs and bad creeks; the teams were often stalled, and made very slow progress. We had three rivers and creeks to cross before we reached the Platte River. The Platte River has good gra.s.s--plenty of it--but is dest.i.tute of timber; here we saw the first buffalo--they were poor and tough. We saw a few of the p.a.w.nee Indians. They are fine looking fellows, and no doubt, live well on buffalo meat; they are quite treacherous. We reached the crossing of Platte on the twenty-sixth day of July, a little more than one month out.

The traveling up the Platte is very good, level, and hard.

We struck from this to the north fork of the Platte, one day's travel. On the 13th of July we arrived at the crossing of Laramie's Fork, at the fort of the American Fur Company; before arriving here we saw many splendid sights; also many of the dog towns that you have heard of. I saw quant.i.ties of the dogs; they are small, round animals, the size of a cat.

Certain it is that there are owls that visit them, also rattlesnakes, but for what reason is a matter of dispute.

After we left Laramie we came to the Black Hills, the worst of all traveling,--hilly, sandy, and full of wild sage--'tis death on a wagon. The country is all of this barren, sandy kind, until we reach Fort Hall and dest.i.tute of timber.

Arrived at Fort Hall the 13th of September, after experiencing some cold rains, snow, hail, etc. At Fort Hall we could get no provisions, and were obliged to go down the river (Snake), and depend on getting fish to subsist on; this was the reason of my going to Oregon instead of California. The country down Snake River is hilly, rocky, sandy, no timber, but an abundance of sage, until we get to the Blue Mountains; here is plenty of pine, the country very broken, and bad traveling, though the wagons went through.

After getting through the Blue Mountains we came to a splendid country of gra.s.s, where there were thousands of Indian horses grazing. About twenty miles from this, we come to the Walla Walla Valley. There is a missionary establishment here. They raise grain and vegetables, but no timber, except for firewood. About twenty miles from this we came to the Columbia River. Many of the emigrants sold their cattle here, and went down the river by water, as they could not cross the Cascade mountains with their wagons, though they could go down one hundred miles farther and then take water, as many did. The country on the Columbia is only fit for grazing, being good gra.s.s, but sandy soil. On the 3d of November arrived at Fort Vancouver, just as the rainy season had commenced; and it was very disagreeable and rained most of the time I was there. I then went to the Willamette Falls; quite a town here--forty houses, four stores, two sawmills, one flour mill, and another to be erected soon.

This country is not capable of half as large a settlement as people represent; there is much timber, and it can not be cleared in many years, so as to be capable of great production; and what prairie there is will not produce as much as your land; but the wheat is better. Neither do many think the soil will last long, but that it is rather shallow; and there is much fever and ague. Besides, the winters are so wet 'tis impossible to do much out of doors.

It has the advantage that grain (wheat) is worth eighty cents per bushel, and cattle will winter themselves. Take it all in all, 'tis nothing like your country.

After my arrival there, finding that I could not get to California until spring, I concluded to take a vessel for the Sandwich Islands, and then go from here to California, so I concluded to stay. It [this] is a fine climate--a perpetual summer, and little rain. The natives require but little clothing, and, in fact, some of them do not wear any.

I hardly know what to write about Oregon, or what you would like to know; though if I was where you are, and should see some one from Oregon, I could ask him a hundred questions, as you could me. The report of Wilkes that you had is very correct. There are thousands of salmon here [Oregon]--some wild game, plenty of ducks, geese, and swans, and some good wet places to raise more of them--as there must be some wet places, being so much rain in the winter, and no snow.

There is scarcely any corn raised--it will not do well. I saw a little, but it was poor. Most other kinds of grains do well. There is no money in Oregon; although most of those who have been farming a few years have made property, as grain is high and cattle take care of themselves, and sell high. Oxen are worth $75 to $125 per yoke; beef, six cents per pound. Many of the people who went to California have left it and gone to Oregon. I saw many of them while there, and they gave as one of the reasons of leaving--trouble with the Spaniards.

Truly yours,

JOHN BOARDMAN.

From the _Weston Journal_, January 11, 1845.