Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/140

 132 F. G. YOUNG. their patrimony vanishing, were inflamed by the insult and outrage of characters of which no community is entirely rid. Local outbreaks in 1853 and 1854 in the Rogue River Valley and along the Snake, were followed in 1855 by a concerted movement, including nearly all the tribes, to dislodge the white man from his foothold in the Pacific Northwest. 3 Several circumstances conspired to throw the burden of this struggle between the races in this region during the terri- torial decade upon the volunteer forces of the settlers drawing their support from the resources of the home community alone. The regiment of national troops that should have arrived in time to forestall the Cayuse outbreak of 1847, came .straggling across the plains in the late fall of 1849. And such a sorry spectacle did it make a few months later, because of wholesale desertions due to the craze for gold mining in California, and so without tact was it handled among the proud-spirited frontiersmen, that their delegate requested the withdrawal of all federal troops. This was complied with. So, when the storm of Indian fury broke anew, it found this community again without national pro- tection. 4 After fighting her own battles some four years, a small force of national troops was again on the scene, but its presence amounted to little more than a nullity for relieving the Ore^onians of the burdens of defense. The commander of the national regiment took the position that his main duty was to protect the Indians against settlers. With such a de- gree of estrangement there was little co-operation in a large task. 5 3 Beginning with the fall of 1850, there had been minor depredations and encounters each year, especially along the trail to California and on the south- west coast. Victor's Early Indian Wars of Oregon, pp. 267-307. 4 Op. cit., pp. 267-306. 5 The reports to the Secretary of War of the operations during these years teem with communications of crimination and recrimination. The following from the message of Governor George L. Curry to the Oregon Legislative Assembly on December 10, 1856, indicates somewhat of the feeling and situation. (Gov- ernor Curry, though an appointee of the President, kept the confidence of the people and their military operations were regular and under his general orders.) He says: "The inactive and imbecile policy pursued by the officer commanding