Page:History of Oregon volume 1.djvu/727

676 and after making their appeal to the people they resigned, and another board was appointed by legislative act, consisting of A. L. Lovejoy, Hugh Burns, and W. H. Willson. The new commissioners were not able to collect funds, but were obliged to take orders on the stores in Oregon City, in consequence of which it was impossible for the commissary-general to obtain articles for the use of the army, money being required to purchase axes and spades to make a road for the wagons to pass up the Columbia River; and the commissioners were in some cases obliged to discount twenty-five per cent of the subscriptions, in order to obtain cash. What the commissioners could not furnish, the volunteers and the citizens supplied out of their private resources, taking receipts for any considerable amount of property.

The company destined for the Dalles were chiefly from the late settlers. It took somewhat longer to move men located on farms far up the valley. They did move, however, with surprising quickness, considering the difficulties to be overcome.

On the day following the departure of the Dalles company, the legislature proceeded to elect officers for the army, the election resulting in the choice of Cornelius Gilliam, colonel commandant, James Waters, lieutenant-colonel, H. A. G. Lee, major, and Joel Palmer, commissary-general. Their next act was to pass a bill to provide for a messenger to be sent to the United States, their choice falling on Joseph L. Meek, who