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 Fé traders by next spring, in
place of only fifty made the present year. Santa Fé 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 Fé 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 Féans and Eutaw Indians.
The Spaniards had killed some Eutaws; and the head chief and
five other principal chiefs went to Santa Fé 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 passion, 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 Fé. Altogether they had killed ten or twelve
Spaniards. A war between the Indians and Santa Féans, 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 Fé. They made
up a company at Santa Fé, on receipt of the intelligence,
among whom were Messrs. Chavis, Armigo, and Percas, to
escort him to Santa Fé; and brought out fresh mules, and
everything they would probably need. Colonel Owens
accompanied them to Santa Fé, where a ball was to be given
him. They met Charles Bent, Mr. Alvarez (our consul at Santa
Fé), 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 Pawnee 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 unsurpassed 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 assume 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 grass--plenty of it--but is destitute of timber; here
we saw the first buffalo--they were poor and tough. We saw a
few of the Pawnee 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 quantities 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 destitute 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 grass, 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 grass, 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,