Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/945

Rh to get it, for lumber, flour, salmon, beef, potatoes, cabbage, onions, cheese, cranberries and turnips. Whatever any settler had, he traded to Capt. Kilbourne for furniture, and the brig- Henry sped away to California stowing along with the vegetables an invoice of that first almanac ever adapted to the meridian of California. This was the beginning of an important trade between the two states.

The brig Henry was also the first ship to bring out any goods for women's wear, delaines, muslins, cambrics, cassimeres, cottons, shawls, hose and handkerchiefs. Clothing had been so scarce that Mr. Straight, elected to the legislature in 1845, was distressed because he had no coat, and feared he would have to sit in his shirt sleeves; but Mr. Moss, fortunately owning a spare coat, sold it to him for forty dollars.

There were now five stores in Oregon City, kept by the Hudson's Bay Company, Abernethy, Couch, Moss and Robert Caufield, who had just arrived with two wagon loads of goods hauled over rivers, plains and mountains all the way from Cincinnati. Pettygrove had gone to Portland.

In December, 1847, the Oregon legislature met at the Methodist church in Oregon City, and the governor read his message, making special mention of excitement among the Indians on account of the increasing immigration. Here at 2 p. m. on the second day of the session. Governor Abernethy presented a second, and special message, announcing the actual outbreak of Indian hostilities in the Whitman massacre at Walla Walla, word of which had been brought by a panting messenger from Fort Vancouver. Only a few weeks before, Dr. Whitman had been in Oregon City, urging the governor to make a special effort to arouse Congress for the protection of Oregon. Scarcely had the governor given his emergency message before James W. Nesmith was on his feet with a resolution for the dispatch of a company of riflemen to The Dalles, to wait for reinforcements. The governor called a meeting that night, a company of forty-five was organized, and the next day at noon, December 9, 1847, they set out in boats cheered by the city cannon and shouts of spectators. Above them floated a flag presented by the women of Oregon City. Already three commissioners had gone ahead of them to obtain a loan of supplies from the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver. Chief factor James Douglas, who had succeeded Dr. McLoughlin in command, politely but firmly declined to let them have anything except on their personal credit, and, in order properly to equip the company, Jesse Applegate, Asa L. Lovejoy, and Governor Abernethy, signed a note for a thousand dollars, and giving them their outfits, sent the volunteers on to The Dalles. Returning immediately to Oregon City, the commissioners called a meeting of merchants and citizens that night, at which a thousand dollars was pledged for the war, and later raised to $3,600 from all parts of the valley. These loans were for the most part in wheat, provisions of all kinds, arms and ammunition, leather, clothing, whatever could be used, lead, horses, bridles, trail-ropes, etc. A few days later Governor Abernethy issued a proclamation calling for more men, each man to furnish his own horse, arms, clothing and blankets and this company also was dispatched to the field, the women of Oregon City presenting a second flag to Capt. Thomas McKay and his company of Canadian Frenchmen passing through to the seat of war.

Two special messengers were dispatched to Washington, Joe Meek by land and Judge Thornton by sea, to notify the president and congress, and to obtain assistance. Also letters and messengers were sent to the American consul at Honolulu, and to the United States naval and land forces in California. But, unknown to Oregon, war had been declared with Mexico, instead of obtaining help from CaliforniaCailfornia [sic], a ship was on its way north calling for help down there.

In the meantime, Peter Skeen Ogden, the same diplomatic Ogden who thirty years before paved the way for the original treaty with Indians at Oregon City, had gone from Fort Vancouver with blankets and other commodities to ransom the captive women and children held by the Cayuse Indians. On a Sunday morn-