[Governor Curry’s letter to the President of the United States, dated September 25, 1854.] edit
Territory of Oregon,
Executive Office, Salem, September 25, 1854.
Sir: I have the honor to state that on the 28th ultimo, in the vicinity of Fort Boisé, a post of the Hudson Bay Company, situated some six hundred and fifty miles from this place, and four hundred and fifty from the Dalles of the Columbia river, a party of the immigration, numbering between twenty and thirty souls, were massacred by the We-net Indians, one of the numerous bands of the Sho-sho-nes, or Snake tribe. The women, after suffering the most revolting treatment, were killed by torture, and the little children of the party burned to death. The first version received of this melancholy news was, in substance, that the men of the company had been shot down while engaged in driving their teams, unarmed and unsuspicious of danger.
The receipt of such news at Fort Dalles caused the officer in charge of that post to despatch a small force of regular troops, with a company of immigrants and citizens of that vicinity, commanded by Nathan Olney, esq., consisting of thirty-seven men, who volunteered for the service, in pursuit of the Indians. Almost simultaneous I received the intelligence of the massacre of the women and children and information from Mr. Olney, desiring assistance. I therefore issued a proclamation on the 18th instant calling for the enrolment of two companies of volunteers[.]
Public feeling had been so intensely excited by this most unprecedented outrage, that I should have been deemed indifferent to the interests of the Territory and the discharge of my duty had I taken no official action towards the apprehension or punishment of the perpetrators of the outrage, and I should have felt myself derelict to the responsibilities resting upon me.
Understanding that there was an abundance of subsistence, munitions of war, camp equipage, and all the requisites for the outfit of such an expedition at Fort Dalles, it was my hope that through these means I would be enabled to facilitate the undertaking, so that the force could have gone forward with all possible despatch and accomplished effective service before the setting in of winter. I regret to state, however, that the chief in command at Vancouver declined the co-operation I had so certainly expected, even to the supplying the munitions of war so essential to the equipment of the expedition, alleging, among other reasons, that it was not an emergency that warranted such an enterprise; that the force already out was thought to be quite adequate for the occasion, &c.
No doubt the supplies necessary—subsistence, ammunition, means of transportation, &c.—could have been obtained in time from the settlements at large, though not soon enough, I was apprehensive, to get the expedition, in an efficient condition, across the Blue mountains before the period would have elapsed beyond which travel over these mountains would be extremely hazardous, if not utterly impracticable. Under these circumstances I was constrained to abandon the undertaking, and the enrolment, which had been responded to in the most gallant manner, was countermanded on the 23d instant by proclamation.
I feel it my duty to observe that Indian depredation upon life and property has also been committed the present season upon the other two immigrant trails conducting into this valley, and respectfully submit whether the melancholy occurrences that have befallen the immigration of the present year do not demonstrate the absolute necessity of the establishment of a military post at some point near Fort Boisé, were it only to be kept up during the clement seasons of the year. If this is judged to be unadvisable, it would be well to have detachments from the posts at the northern extremes of the Territory make excursions into the interior, along the immigrant road, as far as Fort Hall at least, while the immigrants are en route, which would have a most salutary effect upon the Indians, and a very great tendency to check their disposition to acts of violence and depredation.
It is very sincerely to be regretted that the troops at Forts Vancouver and Dalles, instead of the inactive life they have been accustomed to, had not made such excursions the present year, which, it is quite probable, would have saved us from the appalling calamity which has so shocked our whole community.
I beg to remark that the people of this Territory do not appear to be satisfied that the military force now in the field is by any means adequate to the emergency, nor calculated to inflict a punishment upon our Indian enemies commensurate with the magnitude of their crime. Its character, at least, does not suggest such a gratifying belief. With the exception of the few volunteers with it, the detachment is composed of men unacquainted with equestrian exercises, altogether unsuited to the service in which they are engaged, as are the entire forces of Forts Vancouver and Dalles, unadapted to efficient operations against Indians, consisting, as they do, of artillery and infantry detachments; troops of a character more proper to protect a commercial seaboard than an extensive Indian frontier.
If furnished with the requisite munitions of war the people of Oregon are competent to protect themselves from Indian aggression; nor do they wish the general government to maintain military posts within their settlements rather than on the frontier or in the interior of the Indian country, where such establishments are eminently needed; where incalculable benefit would be sure to result from the moral effect alone of their existence.
I have the honor to enclose herewith copies of the proclamations alluded to, and such correspondence as properly pertain to this communication.
I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEO. L. CURRY,
Acting Governor of Oregon.
The President of the United States.