Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/16



8 THOMAS W. PROSCH

with a large force, having that purpose in view. For three weeks or more in November he was there, moving about, seeing the hostile Indians, approaching them, but in no case getting near enough to fight them. With him were three hundred and fifty regulars, and six companies of Oregon Mounted Volunteers under Col. J. W. Nesmith, the latter acting in conjunction with the Major's troops but independ- ently. Altogether there were more than six hundred men. Among the regular army officers was Phillip H. Sheridan, afterwards Lieutenant General of the army, but then a Lieu- tenant having a small company of dragoons under him. Much snow fell, and marching became difficult and almost impossible in consequence. The expedition was a complete failure, owing to the slowness, timidity and inefficiency of Major Rains. One Indian only was killed, and he a helpless old man, by an Indian with the soldiers. The latter lost several men by drowning. Fifty-four army mules were lost. The Oregon men suffered somewhat from the weather and in the matter of horses. Under misapprehension the Catholic Mission was burned by the volunteers. Major Rains wrote a bombastic letter to Chief Ka-mi-a-kin November 13th which, if received by the Indian, must have astonished and puzzled him. The authorities were also astonished and annoyed by this military fiasco. Captain E. O. C. Ord, a few years later a successful and distinguished general in the army of the Union, but then in this expedition having three howitzers to look after, at once filed charges against Major Rains, and demanded that he be tried by an army court. Rains was immediately trans- ferred to Fort Humboldt, California, by General Wool, who recognised his incapacity and placed him where he at least would do no harm. In 1861 Rains resigned, and entered the Confederate service, where he served during the four following years as a brigadier general.

Another party of Oregon Mounted Volunteers, at first under Major Chinn and later under Lieut. Col. J. K. Kelly, went up the Columbia by The Dalles to Walla Walla. It was said the