'Che Conservative *
euro hay for the winter and in this belief -
liof I concur. I do not perceive that
any good results will arise to the Oregon
emigration by the troops going so far at
this late season , or at the period when
they will bo able to start ( after awaiting
tlio declared election of the Lieutenant-
Colonel ) . The emigrants of this year
cannot certainly bo benolited. My own
opinion is that it would bo best for the
troops to winter at the mouth of Table
creek. There a blockhouse has been
erected , and a very largo quantity of
lumber , &c. remains with which the
troops could erect temporary quarters
that , with a supply of stores , could be
made comfortable. Forage could be
procured from the opposite county. I
should bo glad to receive the views of
the department on this point by return
of mail , if possible. I have written
amidst many interruptions as the ap
pearance of this sheet will indicate.
Respectfully ,
Your obdt. servt. ,
O. WIIAHTOX ,
Lt.-Col. First dragoons ,
Commanding.
Brig.-Gon. Jones ,
Adjutant-General ,
Washington , D. C.
28.
A. G. O. , WASHINGTON , August 20,1847.
Colonel : Your letter of the 8d in
stant has been submitted to the secre
tary of war and your suggestions in
reference to the Oregon battalion are
approved. Accordingly you will order
it to halt and winter at Table creek ,
whence the commanding officer will bo
directed to proceed as soon in the spring
of 1848 as the season will permit , to exe
cute the instructions heretofore given
him. As regards escorts for the Santa
Fe trains , my letter of the 2flth ultimo
( which you had not received at the date
of your communication ) , will have ap
prised you that a battalion of five com
panics ( one of artillery , two of horse
and two of fool ) , has been called for
from Missouri to protect the govern
ment supplies in crossing the prairies
and it is believed this force will bo fully
adequate for the purposes.
I am , colonel , &c. ,
R. JONES ,
Adjutant-General
Lt.-Col. C. Whartou ,
First dragoons ,
Fort Leavenworth , Mo
24.
W. D. , A. G. O. , Washington ,
October 18 , 1847.
Colonel : Since sending you the in
structions of August 20 , directing on
your recommendation , that the Missouri
battalion of volunteers for the protec
tion of Oregon emigrants , winter at
Table creek , the subject has been pre
sented to the secretary of war whether ,
owing to the late period at which the
battalion was completed , anything
would be gained by sending the troops
to that point. They will arrive at a
late period , and then have to construct
quarters with , perhaps , but scant } ' ma
terials ; and although huts may bo
erected for the men , it will be very dif
ficult to protect the horses and largo
number of cattle during a rigorous win
ter. The providing of forage and other
supplies , owing to the early period at
which the upper Missouri closes will be
attended with great expense and incon
venience.
Under those circumstances it is sug
gested for consideration whether the
battalion had not better winter at Fort
Leavenworth , where there is commod
ious barracks and ample stable room ,
&c. ? It cannot be doubted , it is pre
sumed , that the battalion can be sup
plied at much less expense at Fort Leav
enworth than at Table creek. Another
important consideration is that some
additional provision must bo made in
the spring preparatory for the forward
movement , and as all supplies will bo
drawn from below , the troops , by being
at Fort Leavenworth , can the more read
ily make their arrangements for a very
early start on the Oregon route. These
important considerations outweigh the
advantages of the distance gained by
the troops being at Table creek , which
is not in the direct route traveled by the
emigrants , though the distance to Grand
Island is less than from Fort Leaven
worth to the same place. If therefore
the battalion has not proceeded to Table
creek let it winter at Fort Leavenworth ,
and even if it has advanced , it is highly
probable that due regard to economy ,
the convenience of the service and the
comfort of the men , may require that it
return to that post. In any event ( and
you must decide ) , you will be careful to
see that all necessary preparations are
made during the winter that the battal
ion may be pushed forward in the
spring as early as possible.
lam , colonel , &c. ,
R. JONES ,
Adjutant-General.
Lt.-Col. C. Wharton ,
First dragoons ,
Fort Leavenworth , Mo.
25.
Headquarters Fort Leaveuworth ,
October 27 , 1847.
Sir : I received last evening your
communication in reference to "the
Oregon battalion. " In a former letter
I informed you of its departure hence
several weeks ago , and it was after its
departure that , owing to your instruc
tions of the 20th of August last , based
on my recommendation , I ordered it to
go into winter quarters at Table creek.
So far as I have been informed the
measure has been deemed judicious and
instead of "scanty materials" to con
struct quarters , &c. , as stated in your
communication , I personally know that
the command has the lumber , &o. ,
on the spot for the permanent work con
templated. It will be the fault of the
commander if the troops are not made
comfortable for the winter. But it is
necessary to inform you that I learn
unofficially , or rather incidentally , that
Lieutenant-Colonel Powell has been
distributing his command to a degree to
retard the advancement even of temporary
ary accommodations. I learn that , af
ter detaching a company , agreeable to
your orders , to attend the Pottawatta-
mie emigration ho sent a company , on
the requisition of the engineer oificer ,
to Grand Island as an escort , for the
purposes of a survey of the vicinity.
Again , I learn , that ho has detached , at
the instance of Major Harnoy , superin
tendent of Indian affairs , "heavy de
tachments from the remaining compan
ies , moving against the Sioux. The
latter expedition was got up at the sug
gestion of Major Harnoy and loft about
a week since. The season is so late and
the distance so great that no possible
good can result from it. " This is the
language of Captain VanVliet , assistant
quartermaster , to me under date of the
18th instant and received yesterday. I
concur in the captain's opinion , sus
tained by a gentleman of great exper
ience on the frontier , formerly an In
dian agent and every way worthy of
confidence. These movements may
keep back the arrangements for winter
accommodations , but , it is to be sup
posed , that Lieutenant-Colonel Powell
would scarcely order them without ref
erence to the necessity of ulterior meas
ures for the accommodation of his
troops. You allude to the necessity of
making arrangements in the spring for
the further movement of this command.
Permit me to remind you that when it
left hero it started with no expectation
of going into winter quarters at Table
creek. I have before me a communica
tion , just received from the assistant
commissary , showing that some of the
subsistence supplies which accompanied
the battalion were for one year , and
none for less than nine months. All the
arms and ammunition provided by the
government a very large amount also
went with the command. I consider
therefore that the supplies originally
intended for the objects of the battal
ion are with it and the only question is
can the command bo comfortably quar
tered this winter at its present position ,
agreeable to * my recommendation ? I ,
think if it is not thus accommodated it
will be its own fault. But that there
may be no doubt on the subject I have
this morning sent by express to Lieuten
ant-Colonel Powell to get an explicit
answer from him on this point ; and to
ask him what he needs for a move
ment early in the spring.
Assistant-Surgeon Walker , of this
command , was here yesterday , and ho
informed me that a contract had boon
made for , I think , 20,000 bushels of corn
for Lieutenant-Colonel Powell's com-
