hubert howe bancroft - Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History ...

464 MILITARY
Stewart. Fort Point was not occupied until February
15, 1861, when, by order of General Scott, it was
garrisoned by two companies of the 3d artillery, numbering
160 men, officered by lieutenants Kellogg,
in the Yakima Indian war, which broke out in October, which several times
called Wool to Oregon, and was the cause of much &ngry correspondence
between high officials, as I have related in my histories of Oregon and Washington.
Wool had more than once insisted upon the need of increasing the
army to meet the demands of the extended frontier to be defended, and in
1855 two regiments of infantry were added, the 9th and 10th, the former
being intended for the Pacific department, and particularly for service in
Oregon and Washington. It numbered 811 men, drilled in Hardie's * shanghai
tactics, armed with minie rifles, and trained to travel all day at the rate
of five milea an hour. It embarked at Fortress Monroe about the 12th of
December, 1855, and arrived at San Francisco and Fort Vancouver in January,
by steamers Great Republic and Oregon. The commanding officer of this regiment
was Colonel George Wright, afterwards so thoroughly identified with
the Pacific coast. The other commissioned officers were Maj. R S. Garnett,
captains H. M. Black, G. E. Pickett, and D. Woodruff and lieuts D. R
McKibbin, Churchill, Hodges, and Gentry. They served in the Yakima war,
with various fortunes, and were stationed at Vancouver, Fort Bellingham,
Fort Townsend near Port Townsend, on the Muckelshoot prairie near Seattle,
at forts Simcoe, Walla Walla, and Dalles, Thejr acted an important part in
the development of the country, and with their high-hearted commander
should be remembered with esteem by those who have fallen heirs to the
benefits conferred. The prosecution of Indian wars with foot troops being
found generally impracticable, seven companies of the 1st dragoons were
ordered from Fort Union, on the Rio Grande, to the Pacific division, arriving
late in 1856 at their several posts; four companies, commanded by Maj. J.
'H. Carleton and captains Davidson, Northrop, and Ewell, all under Maj. K
Steen, took post at Tucson; one company, Capt Radford (detached), under
Lieut Mercer, was posted at San Diego; ana two companies, Maj. W. H.
Grier and Captain Whittlesey, under Maj. G. A. H. Blake, at Fort Tejon,
To this command were attached lieuts Ogle, adjutant, Magruder, quartermaster,
and Gregg, Williams, and Pender.
The vigilance committee episode in California history, involved in an unexpected
manner the reputation of Wool and an officer then off the U. S.
army list of which he is now the head, W. T. Sherman. Sherman had returned
to S. F., after an absence of three years, and having resigned and
turned civilian and banker, had accepted a few days previous to the murder
of James King of William, the position of maj. gen. of the 2nd division of
militia, embracing S. F. The action of the committee being in a legal sense
unlawful, Gov. Johnson could not do less than endeavor to prevent the
hanging of the murderer who had been taken from the hands of the constituted
authorities. He therefore issued his proclamation, and while assuming
to be performing his duty as a defender of the peace, made his arrangements
for the spilling of a good deal of blood, Sherman entering hot-headedly
into the plan, and Wool seeming to encourage it. There has always been a
controversy over Wool's share in it, Sherman asseverating that he gave his
promise to furnish assistance, and Wool denying it My own • opinion is
that Wool's first impulse was toward suppression of the committee, but he
knew he had not the authority to issue arms and ammunition to the state
without the order of the pres t of the U. 8., and although so far from the
seat of government that he did not know but a general of division might
venture to do it, he could not but remember the manner in which the secretary
of war had rebuked his forwardness in the matter of the Walker expedition,
and besides the Oregon legislature had aaked for hia removal. Then