Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/270



privates and non-cocomissioned officers in accordance with an act passed twenty-eight of December, 1847, allowing one dollar and fifty cents per day, amounts to one hun dred and nine thousand three hundred and eleven dol lars and fifty cents; in addition to this will be the pay of the officers and persons employed in the several depart ments connected with the army. This will devolve upon you to arrange during your present session; until it is done the total expenses of the war cannot be ascertained."

Many of the volunteers being in immediate need of pay ment, he recommended that a law should be enacted authorizing the issuance of scrip made redeemable as early as possible, and bearing interest until paid, as it ultimately would be, by the United States. As is usual in such cases, many persons were compelled or persuaded to part with their scrip for less than its face value to others who could afford to wait, and thus were deprived of the compensation intended for their severe fatigues and hard ships.

A resolution was adopted by the legislature early in Feb ruary, 1849, calling for reports "from the adjutant-general of the names, number, and grade, with the number in each grade of all military officers in the territory since the twenty-second day of December, 1847, with the date of their commissions, together with a complete roll of all officers and men engaged at any time since the tenth of December, 1847, by the war department, their rank, grade, and time of service, how long each actually served, and whether any, arid who, quit the service without being duly discharged by the proper officer; what proclamations and military orders have been issued since the twenty- eighth of December, 1847, by the governor or commander- in-chief of the militia, and whether the same have been recorded, and if not, why not; what orders he had issued as received from the governor or commander-in-chief, and whether they have been recorded, and if not, why not; whether he issued forms to all officers required