Oregon and Washington Volunteers/15

[Memorial of the legislative assembly of Oregon, relative to the service of Captain Olney’s company of mounted volunteers, passed January 23, 1856.]
 MEMORIAL.

To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled:  Your memorialists, the legislative assembly of the Territory of Oregon, would respectfully represent to your honorable body, that an amount of money is justly due and owing to certain citizens of this Territory, for services rendered to the United States in an expedition to punish the Winnas or Snake tribe of Indians for the outrageous and inhuman massacre of the Ward families and other immigrants in the year 1854, which said expedition was conducted by a United States army officer, commanding at Fort Dalles, in this Territory; and that the services were called for by Major G. J. Raines, and were, by his order, conducted for nearly two months in said expedition, when those citizens who entered said service were discharged by him without having received any remuneration whatever.

And your memorialists would further represent that certain other citizens did furnish valuable property for the use and benefit of said expedition, such as horses, saddles, guns, &c., and said property was used by, and turned over to, and kept, and still remains in possession of the United States, under control of the proper officers at Fort Dalles; and that said citizens have not yet been paid for either services or property, as above described; and as the commander at that post has refused and still continues to refuse to pay the above named just demand, therefore we, your petitioners, would respectfully ask your honorable body to provide means and direct the payment of such sums as shall be found justly due; and, in duty bound, will ever pray.

Passed the house January 22, 1856, and the council January 23, 1856. DELAZON SMITH, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

A. P. DENNISON, President of the Council.