Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/208



198 ANDREW FISH

that. Governor Douglas displayed the expected belligerency and eventually four hundred and sixty-one soldiers landed with howitzers and fifty tons of ammunition. The story of the disembarkation of the re-inforcements under Colonel Casey almost beneath the noses of the British ships of war is an exciting one. It will be noted that the American occupa- tion was purely military, whereas the British attempt had been civil in character. It happened, however, that a magistrate of Whatcom County, Mr. Henry R. Crosbie, paid a visit to San Juan on July 29, as he says,

"finding there was an English official claiming to be the civil authority of the island, I remained as such [that is as magistrate] on the part of the United States."

From that point, then, the American occupation was both military and civil, with the military predominating.

2. GOVERNOR DOUGLAS' BELLIGERENT RESPONSE.

The agent of the Company, Mr. Griffin, on Pickett's land- ing, protested that the island was the property of Hudson's Bay Company, and that if the occupation on the part of Pickett did not cease he would "feel bound to apply to the civil authorities." The Captain replied that he was there by order of his government and would "remain till recalled by the same authority." On the following day reinforcements began to move from Steilacoom.

By July 29th the great news had reached Victoria. The excitement was intense. Douglas called on the Senior Naval Officer of Vancouver Island, Captain Michael De Courcy, "in the name of the Queen" to assist him in this crisis. "I beg," he says, "you will immediately despatch a powerful vessel of war to San Juan, and instruct the officer in command to pre- vent the landing of any further armed parties of United States soldiers for purposes of occupation, and also the erection of