Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 14.djvu/278



238 LOWNSDALE LETTER TO THURSTON

Commissioners were appointed by the legislative body who had declared war to negotiate a loan of one hundred thousand dollars from the Hudson's Bay Company, being the only chance of the kind in Oregon to carry on the war but will you be surprised when I say they refused to loan ; but be not surprised they would not let it go, yet had abundance and to spare ; neither would they let a single man in their employ go to the campaign, but, in everything, opposed the going to war. Doctor McLaughlin being the controlling genius of all the French and half-breeds forbid them to go, but this stirred up the American feelings a little and after he saw the Americans were determined to avenge what had been done by these merciless bands and what was being said about the part the Jesuits had taken in the case, he called Peter H. Burnett, one of his counsellors, and advised with him what should be done ; he being not only acquainted with the American character but also hearing, as he was an American, what they said about it, and as a good Christian of the same order with himself and the priests, he wished his advice. His advice was : if you can let a few go, I can fix it so as to have its effect, and they stay as long as will give the coloring to it, as being favorable to the American cause, and after a service of about two months they can return home, and I will do the same myself, for you know it is necessary for me to not lose my American character.

In accordance, Captain Thos. McKay was ordered by the doctor to raise a company of men and make as great a show as possible from among the French Catholics and volunteers for but two months, for it will take you about three weeks to march there at this season of the year and three weeks to come back and unless you get into close quarters you can evade the fighting our Indians ; and this will entitle the Catholics to have their land donated to them whether they are citizens or not.

"Yes," says Peter H. Burnett, "and I will go out home and make a hue and cry and make believe I shall go to war too." And sure enough he did for at that time there was a man left by Colonel Gillam to take up a list of a company in Tuality plains and Burnett took occasion to make a fiery speech and proposed to march at once but never would agree to put his name on the list. (That would bind him.) Yet 45 others did and he, with about fifteen of the company, started to go to the rendezvous at Portland when, (whether by design to flustrate the meeting of the company or whether it was through fear to face the foe, we cannot say, but one thing is certain,