Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/222



On the second of May, Lee wrote to Adjutant- General Lovejoy : " We leave tomorrow for Fort Waters, with a pack horse to each mess, and five provision and one ord nance wagon. Des Chutes and John Day rivers are both to be ferried in small canoes, which will greatly retard our progress." 11

On the fifth, and before Lee s arrival at Fort Waters, Captain Maxon wrote to Lovejoy that he had come from The Dalles in eight days without any serious loss one wagon broken down, one horse lost by breaking his leg, and one by running away, but three good horses belong ing to the regiment were found on the road. "The signs for a fight were very encouraging after passing Willow creek, but the devils feared to attack us, so we lost the glory. * * We are here doing nothing. I have

been very anxious to go after the Indians for several days, but am overruled. Some think we are not able to cope with them. I believe, with plenty of ammunition we can whip a thousand easy, and am willing to try it any time, rather than the murderers should get away. The mur derers are on Snake river, about seventy-five miles away- We have already lost every horse almost, and I fear the consequences now. A majority seem determined to await Colonel Lee s arrival. I am for walking into them at once." 1 In a postscript was added that the friendly Cayuses were " mad " about something ; and Peu-peu-mox-mox " very sulky yet. It would be better for us if they were all our open enemies."

Lieutenant-Colonel Waters, about the same date, wrote to the adjutant-general that on a late inspection of the commissary department he had discovered fraud of the basest kind had been practiced upon the government and the army by citizens of the Wallamet valley. Several barrels of flour, so laboriously brought there by Max on s company, proved to be mixed with coarse shorts in the

n Oregon Archives, MS. 936. 12 Oregon Archives, MS. 853.