Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/137

Rh supplies, and forage scarce, was evacuated. Thus, Oregon began its military history with a few companies of artillerymen and riflemen to maintain the peace from Astoria to the South Pass, and from the forty-second to the forty-ninth parallel. The government was not prepared, nor was the army department equipped for such extensive and expensive service. The outlay was enormous in proportion to the population guarded; and to troops drawn from forts east of the Rocky Mountains, the transfer was unwelcome.

The Oregon trail, which for several seasons following the Cay use war had been practically deserted, after the passage of the rifle regiment began to be again traveled, and in 1852 the immigration to Oregon was large. Indian outrages increased, provoked not only by the invasion of every part of the country by explorers and settlers, but by the presence of soldiery,—the presumption being that fighters were here to fight, and the Indians desired to secure the advantage of a first blow.

Not only had the government provided fighting men, but peacemakers in the appointment, in 1850, of a superintendent of Indian affairs (Anson Dart, of Wisconsin), and three agents. It is not intended in this article to give a history of Indian treaties, but only to indicate the general course of events by referring to the effect of certain acts of government agents.

That part of the country most rapidly settling up was the rich and well watered valley region west of the Cascade Mountains and south of the Columbia River. No trouble was had with the Indians of the Willamette, they being but miserable fragments of tribes, more or less accustomed to white neighbors. But the Umpqua and Rogue River valleys and the coast region were unsubdued, and were inhabited by warlike tribes whose practice had been from time immemorial to rob and kill. White men,