10 Conservative.
mand , nt 37) couts per bushel a price
which I think quite reasonable.
You intimtito that Fort Kearney is
not on the route the Oregon emigrants
take. The Missouri river is crossed by
those people at very many points , and
from some experience , and much information
mation from others , I am satisfied that
a better starting point for the troops
could not be selected. It should be ob
served by the department of war that
many local causes will influence opin
ions in this new and prosperous portion
tion of .the country , such as ferry priv
ileges , contracts for supplies of all sorts ,
&c. , and therefore caution should be
exercised in adopting measures on the
suggestions of persons not well known
to the government. Respectfully ,
Your obedt. servt. ,
O. WHARTON ,
Lt.-Col. First dragoons ,
Commanding.
Brig.-Gen. Jones ,
Ad j utant- General ,
Washington , D. 0.
20.
Headquarters , Fort Leaveiiworth , )
November 0 , 1847. )
Sir : I informed you a few days ago
that I had written to Lieutenant-Colo
nel Powell , commanding the Oregon bat
talion , to know whether ho could ac
commodate his battalion comfortably
this winter. On the 2d instant I re
ceived his reply in which ho says : "there
are already some sixty good substantial
log cabins , with straw and dirt roofs ,
nearly completed , and that niy entire
command will in a very short time bo in
comfortable quarters. "
Lieutenant-Colonel Powell having
thus reported I shall not deem it neces
sary , or proper , to make any change for
the winter in the location of his com
mand. Respectfully ,
Your obedt. servt. ,
C. WHAUTON ,
Lt.-Col. First dragoons ,
Commanding.
Brig.-Gen. Jones ,
Adjutant-General , U. S. A.
Washington , D. C.
27.
Headquarters Fort Leaveiiworth ,
November 18 , 1847.
Sir : My position is a most einbarras
sing one. I have been charged by orders
from your office with duties which had
previously been assigned Brig. General
Arbucklo , in reference to military oper
ations on the Oregon and Santa Fe
routes , and , yet , I have not infrequently
been without the authority , except by
assuming responsibilities , to effect ob
jects necessary to the discharge of those
duties. At this moment the Third mili
tary department is without a command
ing officer , General Arbucklo , having on
the 15th ult. issued an order relinquish
ing the command of it , and without
designating the officer to release him.
The commanders on the Oregon and
Santa Fo routes have only been informed
by letter from mo of the charge given
me in reference to their respective com
mands , for , what orders could I issue ?
I understand that Lieut. Colonel Gilpiu ,
since his departure hence , has , in viola
tion of my orders , directed the two
Hone companies of his battalion to win
ter at Fort Maun on the Arkansas in
stead of repairing to Fort Scott , as I had
directed. I derived this information yes
terday from a volunteer just in from
Santa Fo , but , I had heard several days
previously of a similar statement. His
horses , in my opinion , under such ar
rangement of his forces for the winter ,
must perish. He does not , or , rather ,
thus far , has not communicated with mo
since his departure. His command has
been provided with rations to May 81 ,
next.
Lieut. Colonel Powell , commanding
the Oregon battalion , I informed you
some days ago , had made several detach
ments from his command. After Gen
eral Arbucklo relinquished to me the
control of operations on * the Oregon and
Santa Fe routes , I wrote Colonel Powell ,
stating the fact , and requested , that he
would make no detachments , except in
case of emergency without consulting
me. One of those detachments has re
cently returned , the one against the
Sioux , and as I expected , without seeing
an Indian. This information is derived
from Assistant Surgeon Walker , just
from Fort Kearney. Lieut. Colonel
Powell , I learn also , has ordered Lieut.
Woodbury of the engineers to Washing
ton , without consulting me for what ,
doubtless , Lieut. Woodbury will be able
to inform you.
I have no desire to have any command
the department does not design for me ,
but , I feel it a duty I owe the service , as
well as myself , to represent this anomal
ous state of things.
Pray , is it not possible to send me
some officer to aid me in my various and
conflicting duties ? Respectfully ,
YourObdt. Servt. ,
C. WHAUTON ,
Lieut. Colonel First Dragoons ,
Commanding.
Brig. General Jones ,
Adjutant General ,
Washington , D. C.
28.
Hd. Qrs. Batt. Mo. Md. Vols. , )
Fort Kearney , Mo. Ter. , >
January 24 , 1848. )
. Sir : By your letter of instruction
dated Juno 1 , 1847 , you say : "The act
referred to appropriates a sum not ex
ceeding $2,000 for the purchase from
the Indian tribes , of each of the sites to
be selected for military posts.
"This money will bo disbursed by the
assistant quartermaster , under the di
rection of the commanding officer , who
is authorized to enter into a treaty with
the Indians for the purchase of the
ground for those sites , which .will be as
extensive as the appropriation will pro
cure. "
I would respectfully suggest for the
consideration of the department , the pro
priety of allowing the money thus appro
priated , to be expended in the purchase
of Indian goods , suited to their taste
and wants. From the knowledge I have
of the character of the tribes with whom
I have to treat , I feel assured that with
$500 in goods , judiciously selected , lean
procure more territory than with the
$2,000. I am induced thus to believe ,
from the fact , that I have seen them ,
when an ounce of vermillion , or beads
of assorted colors , was presented in one
hand , and a $10 gold piece in the other ,
and they uniformly chose the former.
Should the money be expended in the
purchase it will do the Indians no good ,
from the fact that they are totally igno
rant of its value ; consequently to the
traders and sharpers in their country the
benefit of the expenditure must accrue.
The foregoing is respectfully submit
ted for the consideration of the depart
ment. I have the honor to bo , sir ,
Your most Obedt. , Servt. ,
LUDWELL E. POWELL ,
Lieut. Col. , Bat. Mo. Md. Vols. ,
Commanding.
Hon. Wni. L. Marcy ,
Secretary of War ,
Washington , D. O.
Having been a trader with the Indian
tribes of the plains and Rocky mountains
for sixteen years , I take pleasure in con
curring with Lieut. Colonel Powell in
the above suggestions.
A. W. SUBLETTE ,
Capt. Co. A , Bat. Mo. Md. Vols. (
29.
Roster of the battalion of Missouri
Mounted volunteers under the command
of Lieut. Colonel L. E. Powell , which
left Fort Leavenworth , September 5 ,
1847 , to establish the first of the military
posts on the Oregon route.
Officers and men , 468 ; horses , 464.
Captains. D. .McCausland , James
Craig , Andrew W. Sublette , R. M.
Stewart , W. H. Rodgers.
First Lieutenants. T. L. Mara , A.
Lefaire , F. M. Impey , H. Smith.
Second Lieutenants. J. S. Jones , , H.
Thomas , R. J. Watson , S. Lingelfelter.
Brevet Second Lieutenants. S. Mac-
kett , Thos. L. Young , W. Mara , J. M.
Searcy.
First Lieutenant T. J. Todd , Adjutant.
Captain Stewart Van Vliet , U. S. A.
Quartermaster.
Assistant Surgeon J. Walker , Medical
Officer.
First Lieutenant Daniel P. Woodbury ,
Engineer Officer.
NOTES FROM ! THE RETURNS OF ABOVE
BATTALION.
First return is dated Fort Kearney ,
Missouri river , September 80,1847. Ar-