DOCUMENTS.

[In this department of the Quarterly there will appear material of the nature of primary sources for the history of the Pacific Northwest. The more extended documents, however, and collections having a unity will be reserved for the series, “Sources of the History of Oregon.”]

Correspondence of John McLoughlin, Nathaniel J. Wyeth, S. R. Thurston, and R. C. Winthrop, pertaining to claim of Doctor McLoughlin at the Falls of the Willamette—the site of Oregon City.

The following correspondence was published in the Milwaukee Star, April 10, 1850. The files of this paper are exceedingly scarce. The original copies of the letters were probably destroyed. A knowledge of their contents is essential to an understanding of very important, though not creditable, transactions in Oregon’s history. These letters also are an addition to the Wyeth material that the society has been making accessible to students of American history.

Chicopee, Mass., Nov. 16, 1850.

Capt. Nath. J. Wyeth:

My Dear Sir—You will excuse me, I am sure, when I assure you I am from Oregon, and her delegate to the Congress of the United States, for addressing you for a purpose of interest to the country which I belong.

I desire you to give me as correct a description as you can at this late period, of the manner in which you and your party, and your enterprise in Oregon, were treated by the Hudson’s Bay Company, and particularly by Doc. John McLoughlin, then its Chief Factor. This Dr. McLoughlin has, since you left the country, rendered his name odious among the people of Oregon, by his endeavors to prevent the settlement of the country, and to cripple its growth.

Now that he wants a few favors of our Government, he pretends that he has been the long-tried friend of Americans and American enterprise west of the mountains. Your early reply will be highly appreciated, both for its information, and your relation to my country.

I am, sir, yours very truly,

S. R. THURSTON.

Cambridge, Nov. 21, 1850.

Hon. Sam’l R. Thurston:

Dear Sir—Your favor of the 16th inst., was received on the 19th. The first time I visited the Columbia, in the autumn of 1832, I reached Vancouver with a disorganized party of ten persons, the remnant of twenty-four who left the States. Wholly worn out and disheartened, we were received cordially, and liberally supplied, and there the party broke up. I returned to the States in the Spring of 1833 with one man. One of the party, Mr. John Ball, remained and planted wheat on the Willamette a little above Camp du Sable, having been supplied with seed and implements from Vancouver, then under the charge of John McLoughlin, Esq., and this gentleman I believe to have been the first American who planted wheat in Oregon. I returned to the country in the autumn of 1834, with a large party and more means, having on the way built Fort Hall, and there met a brig which I sent round the Horn. In the winter and spring of 1835, I planted wheat on the Willamette and on Wappatoo Island.

The suffering and distressed of the early American visitors and settlers on the Columbia were always treated by Hudson’s Bay Company’s agents, and particularly so by John McLoughlin, Esq., with consideration and kindness, more particularly the Methodist Missionaries, whom I brought out in the autumn of 1834. He supplied them with the means of transportation, seeds, implements of agriculture and building, cattle and food for a long time.

I sincerely regret that the gentleman, as you state, has become odious to his neighbors in his old age.

I am your ob’t serv’t,

NATH. J. WYETH.

Cambridge, Nov. 28, 1850.

Hon. Robert C. Winthrop:

Dear Sir—I have received a letter from Sam’l R. Thurston, Esq., of which the following is a portion:

“I desire you to give me as correct a description as you can at this late period, of the manner in which you and your party, and your enterprise in Oregon, were treated by the Hudson’s Bay Company west of the Rocky mountains, and particularly by Dr. John McLoughlin, then its Chief Factor. This Dr. McLoughlin has since you left the country, rendered his name odious among the people of Oregon, by his endeavors to prevent the settlement of the country and cripple its growth. Now that he wants a few favors of our Government, he pretends that he has been the long-tried friend of Americans and American enterprise west of the mountains.”

I have written Mr. Thurston, in reply to the above extract, that myself and parties were kindly received, and were treated well in all respects by J. McLoughlin, Esq., and the officers of the Hudson’s Bay Co.; but from the tenor of his letter, I have no confidence that my testimony will be presented before any committee to whom may be referred any subjects touching the interests of said John McLoughlin, Esq.

The very honorable treatment received by me from Mr. McLoughlin during the years inclusive from 1832 to 1836, during which time there were no other Americans on the Lower Columbia, except myself and parties, calls on me to state the facts.

The purpose of this letter is to ask the favor of you to inform me what matter is pending, in which Mr. McLoughlin’s interests are involved, and before whom, and if you will present a memorial from me on the matters stated in Mr. Thurston’s letter as above.

Respectfully and truly your ob’t servant,

NATH. J. WYETH.

Washington, Dec. 28, 1850.

Dear Sir—I took the earliest opportunity to enquire of Mr. Thurston what there was pending before Congress or the Executive, in which Mr. McLoughlin’s character or interest were concerned. He would tell me nothing, nor am I aware of anything.

Respectfully your ob’t serv’t,

R. C. WINTHROP.

To N. J. Wyeth, Esq.

John McLoughlin, Esq.:

Dear Sir—On the 19th of December, 1850, I received a letter from Sam’l R. Thurston, delegate from Oregon, of which see copy No. 1, and by same mail an Oregon newspaper containing a communication over your signature, the letter [latter], I think, addressed in your handwriting.

From the tenor of Mr. Thurston’s letter, I presumed he wanted my testimony for some purpose not friendly to yourself. I answered his letter as per copy No. 2, but doubting if my testimony, except it suited his views, would be presented, and being ignorant of his intentions, I wrote the Hon. R. C. Winthrop, late Speaker of the House of Representatives, and at present a member of the Senate of the United States, as per copy, (No. 3) and received from him a reply as per copy (No. 4).

Should you wish such services as I can render in this part of the United States, I shall be pleased to give them in return for the many good things you did years since, and if my testimony as regards your efficient and friendly actions towards me and the other earliest Americans who settled in Oregon, will be of use in placing you before the Oregon people in the dignified position of a benefactor, it will be cheerfully rendered.

I am, with much respect, yours truly,

NATH. J. WYETH.

Mr. Thurston writes to Mr. Wyeth. “That Dr. McLoughlin has, since you left the country, rendered his name odious to the people of Oregon.” (That I have rendered my name odious to the people of Oregon, is what I do not know.) And “By his endeavors to prevent the settlement of the country, and to cripple its growth.” I say I never endeavored to prevent the settlement of the country, or to cripple its growth, but the reverse. If the whole country had been my own private property, I could not have exerted myself more strenuously than I did to introduce civilization, and promote its settlement. “Now that he wants a few favors of our Government, he pretends that he has been the long-tried friend of Americans and American enterprise west of the mountains.” Mr. Wyeth states how I acted towards him and his companions, the first Americans that I saw on this side of the mountains. Those that came since, know if Mr. Thurston represents my conduct correctly or not. As to my wanting a few favors, I am not aware that I asked for any favors. I was invited by the promises held out in Linn’s bill, to become an American citizen of this territory. I accepted the invitation and fulfilled the obligations in good faith, and after doing more, as I believe will be admitted, to settle the country and relieve the immigrants in their distresses, than any other man in it, part of my claim, which had been jumped, Mr. Thurston, the delegate from this territory, persuades Congress to donate Judge Bryant, and the remainder is reserved. I make no comment—the act speaks for itself, but merely observe, if I had no claim to Abernethy Island, why did Mr. Thurston get Congress to interfere, and what had Judge Bryant done for the territory to entitle him to the favor of our delegate. Mr. Thurston is exerting the influence of his official situation to get Congress to depart from its usual course, and to interfere on a point in dispute, and donate that island to Abernethy, his heirs and assigns, alias Judge Bryant, his heirs and assigns.

Yours respectfully.

JNO. McLOUGHLIN.

PUBLICATIONS

of the

Oregon Historical Society.

SOURCES OF THE HISTORY OF OREGON.

Volume I.

Number 1.—Journal of Medorem Crawford—An Account of His Trip Across the Plains in 1842. Price, 25 Cents.

Number 2.—The Indian Council at Walla Walla, May and June, 1855, by Col. Lawrence Kip—A Journal. Price, 25 Cents.

Numbers 3 to 6 Inclusive.—The Correspondence and Journals of Captain Nathaniel J. Wyeth, 1831-6.—A Record of Two Expeditions for the Occupation of the Oregon Country, with Maps, Introduction and Index. Price, $1.10.

This is of prime authenticity and authority, being nothing less than two hundred and forty-five letters written by Wyeth before, during, and after his expeditions, together with his original journal of them both, just as it was jotted down day by day. Nearly all of this is brand new matter, hidden from the public in manuscript all these years, and no more genuine “sources” of history of trade, settlement and adventure in the West will ever be forthcoming.—From the Nation (New York) issue of December 14, 1899.

“Seldom has a young historical society been able to illustrate the early annals of its locality by the printing of manuscripts so interesting and so important as The Correspondence and Journal of Captain Nathaniel J. Wyeth, 1831-6, which the Secretary of the Oregon Historical Society, Prof. F. G. Young, has just published as a part of his series of ‘Sources of the History of Oregon.’ He has been so fortunate as to find, in the possession of a lady in Massachusetts, letter books containing two hundred and forty-five of Wyeth’s letters, and his journals of the two expeditions—1832-1833 and 1834-1836—which he conducted from the East to the Oregon country, with a view to the occupation of the latter by the Americans of the United States. These Mr. Young has printed in a volume of two hundred and ninety-two pages, with two maps. It makes a contribution to the early history of the state which would alone justify the existence of the Oregon Historical Society.”—From the American Historical Review, October, 1899.

The Proceedings of the Oregon Historical Society for 1898-9. Including Paper by Silas B. Smith, on “Beginnings in Oregon,” 97 Pages. Price, 25 Cents.

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