CITY
URJER:
OREGON CITY, OREGON, FRIDAYJANUARY 2, 1903
v.
20th YEAR, NO. 34
CO
HISTORY OF FIRST OREGON
cAlvary, company b, by
one of the few sur
viving members-
An Interesting Sketch of the
Work of That Famous
Organization Now Ah
" most Extinct-
Reunion of Sur
. Ivors Held at
. Capitol.
As many of the boys who made up
tbe First Oregon Regiment were na
tive sons of Clackamas county and as
many of them and their children
vet live in this . county and
Oregon City we reproduce this
splendidly written history of that old
Regiment. The hair of the "boys in
blue" are whitening with the frosts of
many winters. There are a few of them
left. They are dropping by the wayside
with wonderful rapidity, but the memor
ies of their glorious deeds in camp, on
the trail and on the battle field will
never be forgotten while men read his
tory and love chivalry and martial
Talor. (Ed.) .
The surviving members of Co. B, 1st
Oregon Cavalry, in response to a call
issued by Hon. Charles B. Montague,
late 1st sergeant Of the company, held a
reunion meeting on September 19, 1902,
at I o'clock d. m. in the senate cham
ber of the state capital, Salem, Oregon.
Sergeant J. B. Dimick, of the ptoram
committee, called the meeting to order
and, after stating the object of the meet
ing, introduced Gov. T. T. Geer who in a
brief but eloquent address bid the "old
boys" a hearty welcome. The governor
Bpoke of the time of over forty years ago
when Co, B, then 100 strong, were seen
by him as they drilled over v very
ground where our magnificent state
house now stands. He spoke of the
pride he then felt for Marion county's
company of the 1st Oregon Cavalry and
his pleasure now under such changed
conditions to bid the survivors of that
dear old company a most hearty wel
come.
Hon. Charles B. Montague responded
in part as follows :
"There wero only about 700 men and
19 commissioned officers in the whole of
Oregon and Washingto in 1861." The
regular force in ;ho country had been
mnch reduced by the draft made upon
it to increase the army in tbe East.
Fears were entertained by the people
' and the military authorises were ap
prehensive that the Indians, learning
that civil war existed, might return td
hostilities.
"Although no violent outbreaks oc
curred here in 1861, murders had been
committed on the Barlow route to The
Dalles ; two citizens of Lewis county
Jarvis Briggs, and his son aged 28 years
were murdered by Indians. Many
murders-by Modocs and Pitt River and
Other savages occurred in Southern Ore
gon. In anticipation of similar occur
rences Col. Wright, commander of the
district of Oregon and Washington, sta
tioned at Vancouver barracks, In June,
18 1, made a reqisition on Governor
Whitaker for a cavalry company. It
was proposed that the company be en
listed for three years unleEB sooner dis'
charged ; should they be mustered in
the service of the United States on the
same footing as members of the regular
army with the exception that the mem'
bers furnish their own horses for which
thev wre to receive compensation for
use and in case of loss in service. A,
P. Dennison was appointed enrolling of'
ficer. Many suspected the officer ae
well as the governor as being in sym
pathy with tbe rebellion which hindered
the success of the undertaking which
was finally ordered discontinued and
the enlisted men disbanded. In the
meantime Col. Wright was transferred
to California and was placed in com
mrnd of the department of the Pacific.
"As the regular troops were withdrawn
from the several posts in Oregon and
Washington, he replaced them with yol
unteer companies from California
and Forts Yamhill, Dalles, Colville,
Walla '.Walla and Steilacom, were all
garrisoned by companies of the 4-tb
California Volunteers.
"The attempt to enlist men by the
state authority having failed the war
department in November, 1801, or in
other words President Lincoln, at tbe
requestjof Col. E. E. Baker made TbomaB
R. Cornelius colonel and directed him
to raise ten companies of cavalry for ser
vice in th3 United States for three years
unless sooner .discharged. This regi
ment being, as we supposed, a portion
of 500,000 whose enlistment was author
ized by the last congress.
"Volunteers for themselves and
horses were to receive $31 per month
$100 bounty at discharge and a land
war ant for 100 acres of land. Notwith
standing wagaa on tbe firm and in the
mines were much higher men enlisted
in the hopes of going East to fight.
"James A. Waymire, now one of the
superior judges of California, a former
member of Co. B, 1st Oregon Calvary,
says in his historical correspondence.
'It was thought as soon as we should .
become disciplined if the war shoula
continue we could be taken aast, or
should there be no war on this coast.
E. J. Harding was appointed enrolling
officer at Salem and on the fifteenth of
November the first names were en
rolled. The Jacksonville company was
mustered into the service first and be
came Co. A. The Marion county com
pany second and became Co. B of the 1st
Regiment of Oregon Cavalry whose few
survivors are now present in this mag
nificent state house, through the court
esy of the distinauished Governor of
Oregon, who has doubly honored Co.
B in not only granting us the state house
to meet in but by giving us as patriotic,
eloquent and cordial an address of,
welcome,as I ever listened to on any occasion.
"From November, 1861, to the latter
part of May, 1802, we were stationed at
this city of Salem and a few miles be
low. ' We had neither arms nor equip
ments. The .Vancouver authorities
seemed to ignore onr ' requisitions for
supplies of all or any kinds. Without
arms, clothes, or equipage of any kind,
rotten nork and wormy bread for our
scanty ration and our horses (The cav
alrymman's pride) eating the very stalls
of the stables down for lack of forage,
you can imagine the condition of Co. B
during that long hard winter of 1861 and
1862. The hardest ever .known in Ore
gon. But Co. B was loyal to the core.
Ragged, sometimes hungry, but be it
said to the credit of the of tbe good peo
pie of Salem they stood by us to the ex
tent that were neither quite starving nor
quite naked, and the patriotic farmers
of the county shared with us their laet
ton of fodder and last bushel of grain for
our horses.
"Six companies A, B, D, E, F, G
were fully organized. The regimeut was
ordered to Foit Vancouver the last of
May, 1862, when for the first time it was
clothed wit hUnited States uniform and
armed with old-fashioned muzzle-load'
ing rifles and revolvers and sabers,
Soldiers' clothes are numbered 1, 2, 3,
4, but our boys took any number of the
different parts, of the full uniform as
naaied out to them and. to look back
r ' t
now over the iorty years that have m
tervened and remember as we all do the
misfits that we found ourselves fit out
with a No." 4 pair of pants on the
smallest man and a No. 1 on the largest
and so on with all the different garments
it was surely a comical sight; but it
was the army blue and all were proud
of it. But later in the day when
mounted on lour fine horses and the
West Point reviewing officer for the firBt
time saw the Rough Riders of Uregon
in'the saddle be expressed his wonder
and admiration at their horsemanship
and soldierly appearance.
The regiment reached Fort Walla
Walla in June, and the latter part of
July A, B and D companies, under com
mand of Lieut. Col. R. F. Maney, were
ordered out on the immigrant route to
escort and protect the large immigration
of that year through the different tribes
of hostile Indians that their j,route led
them through and to arrest and punish
murderers and other law-breakers.
"The history of Co. B from that date
of its muster out of Bervice in 1866 was
conspicuous even among the companies
of that gallant regiment. It was almost
constantly in active service, its duty be
ing to fight hostile Indians, avenge mur
der, escort immigration .trains, pursue
robber bands to their strongholds, and
make explorations in Eastern Oregon,
Washington and Idahq. How well they
performed that duty let the fertile fields,
the thousands of happy homes, and tbe
cattle and sheep on a thousand hills,
bear witness; and now, in conclusion,
let me say to .your excellency that, not
only in behalf of my late comrades of
Co. B (of whom only a few survive to
meet ns today) but for every' comrade of
that gallant but to the general public al
most forgotten regiment, we thank you
for the many courtesies that you have
extended to us, as well as for hearty and
patriotic address of welcome."
A letter from President W. H. Weh
rung of the Oregon State Board of Agri
culture was read ; it was an invitation to
tbe veterans to attend tbe State Fair
(then being held). A vote of thanks
was given the Oregon State Board of
Agriculture and the invitation was ac
cepted. The roll of tbe company was then
called by Sergeant Montagus and Jthe
request was made by Sergeant Dimick
that when the name of an absent com
rade was called that any one present,
knowingany thing of the history of pres
ent whereabouts of the comrade, make
the same knot- n to the end that it be
made a matter of record.
The result of the roll call was as fol
lows: Strength of company when mus
tered into service, 100; after tbe expira
tion of forty years present and accounted
for as living, 24; killed in action while in
service or died since mustered out, 53 ;
total present or accounted for as living
or dead, 77; not accounted for but sup
posed to be dead, 23; total, 100.
The question of calling for a reunion
of the survivors of the 1st Oregon Cav
alry was discussed. Sergeant Dimick
stating in subatauce kthat the 1st Oregon
Infantry was composed of the boys who
were too young to enlist in the 1st Ore
gon Cavalry and that their services were
so closely connected that a U. S. blanket
often covered members of both regi
ments. The motion to call for a joint
re-union of those two old regiments was
carried unanimously.
SergeaTnts Montague and Dimick were
authorized to set the time and issue the
call to be held in Salem during the win
ter of 1902-1903.
A vote of thanks was extended to
Governor Geer and Secretary of State
Dunbar for their kindness and ' many
courtesies extended.
Sergeant J B. Dimick was elected
secretary and general statistician for the
company and was! requested to furnish
the Oregon Statesman with a copy of
the proceedings of the meetings.
After a general handshake and prom
ise to be at the next reunion the meeting
was declared adjourned.
J. B. Dimick, Secretary.
HON. J. R DIMICK.
AN OLD PIONEER OF THE
WILLAMETTE VALliEY.
AINTERS AGAINST
CARPENTERS.
FEDERATED TRADE UNION
AND TEXTILE UNION
ENDORSE THE
" PAINTERS.
Johnson and Andrews Appeal
From Decision and Ask That
Charter be Taken From
Painters Union.
Story of an Interesting Life as
Described by HiimelfAs Sol
dier, Citizen and States
man He Has Mad His
Mark Among Men.
At the request of the Courier, Hon. J .
B. Dimick, of Marion county, has writ
ten for publication a short sketch of his
eventful life. We publish it just as it
came from his pen. Mr. Dimick, while
not a 'citizen of this county, lives just
over the line in Marion, and has many
ties and interests in common with our
people.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
I was born in Boone county, Illinois,
September 26, 1840. Crossed the plains
by ox team with my parents in 1847.
Sterted from St. Joseph, Missouri, May
2d, and a' rived at Phillip Foster's, In
Willamette valley, November 22d. Had
22 days floundering through the lain,
mud and snow in- the Cascade moun
tains, over what was known as the Bar
low road ; an experience never to be for
gotten, and I hope never to be repeated.
Father moved on up to near where the
town of Molalla now stands, and getting
his worn-out and -sick children (there
were six, of whom I was the youngest),
under a roof, saddled his horse and went
over to French Prairie, and there, for
two yoke of cattle and a pair of new
boots, purchased the farm which has
been the home of the family to this day.
Those were trying timei to the young
as well as to the older, or heads of
familes. Our farm was situated on the
During the past two months there haB
been quite a good deal of friction between
the Painters union and the Carpenters
union. The matter came about by
Johnson and Andrews who were the con
tractors on the Garde building employ
ing non anion painters on the work.
The matter was taken up by the pain
ters nnion and Johnson and Andrews
were censured by them as being unfair
union men. This act ion. by the carpenters
union of which the contracting firm
were members in good standing declined
to endoree and there tbe matter has
stood for some time. Within tbe past
week the Federatud Trade nnion which
is the largest in the city and the
Textile nnion Which is the next largest
has endorsed the action of the Painters
union, and a circular letter has been
issued to all union men and employers
of union labor declaring the firm of
Johnson and Andrews unfair to union
labor. The carpenters union have not
yet and Bay they will not submit to thi
action and Johnson and Andrews have
appealed the case to the National Feder
ated Trades union and among other
things nek that the charter of tbe Pain
ters union of Oregon City be revoked
claiming that they are not working and
governing themselves according to union
law. There the matter will stand until
the national body acts.
; . N
i . .' ' V -', ,
; :
i. IT"'-
, '? & '
h
, r t I i , i
Democratic Call.
Persuant to an adjournment of the
Democratic executive committee of
Clackamas county, at their last meet
ing in Oregon City on October 25th,
1902, there will be a meeting of the
said committee in said city on Friday
the 9th day of January 1902. Every
member of the committee is urged to be
tresent as much business of importance
is to be t ran e acted. All other Demo
crats who wiBh to do so are urged to at'
tend.
R. B. BEAUE,
Chairman,
E. Mass, Secretary.
Big Suit Filed.
John M. Labertaux began suit in the
state circuit court last Friday, against
theO. W. P. & Railroad Co for ten
thousand dollars damage on account of
personal injuries sustained. Labertanx
in his complaint recites that on Novem
bar 7th, 1902 he signalled a car at the
corner of Hawthorne avenue and forty'
fourth ttreet, Portland ; and undertook
to set aboard. Before he bad time to
do so, he avers, the car suddenly started
and he was thrown violently to the
ground. He asserts that he was struck
on the back of tbe head near tbe base of
the brain and was rendered unconscious.
Since, he says his eyesight has been
badly affected and he is unable to per
form any work. O'Day and Tarpley, of
Portland, will appear as attorneys for
the plaintiff.
Money to loan; 6 and
real-estate security.
4t
7 per cent, on
O. II. Dye.
main road (if it could be called a road),
on wljich all travel passed between Ore'
gon City (or the Falls, as it was called
in those days), to Salem. These were
the principal towns at that time, and I
am safe in saying that ten Indiana to
one white man passed our cabin home.
I remember seeing our neighbors mount
their horses, equipped with trusty rifle
powder-horn and bullet-pouch and ride
away to fight the hostile Indians.
Back from tbe borders of oui settle
ment, and when scarcely 9 years old I
with others of my neighbors, walked to
Oregon City to witness the execution of
the murderers of the Whitman family,
The gallows stood at the upper end of
now Main street, near the woolen mills
Trouble was expected, and the settlers
went there prepared, but none came
and from that time the many bands of
Vulley Indians feared and respected tbe
homes of the white man, and all felt
mpre safe.
Nothing occurred in my pioneer life
as a boy, worth noticing until I was in
my 18th year. This being a new cjun'
try, everything was wide open, so to
speak ; whisky was cheap, and sold, or
more properly speaking, was given away
at every town or trading post, with the
result that nearly everybody drank it,
It was on the table, in the harvest fields,
at every gathering of all or any kind
In fact, to drink liquor on all occasions
was the general rule among most men
and boys not yet in their 'teens. It was
right here on the 14th day of August,
1858, that I did tbe most far-reaching
act of my life, I, with several of my
friends and neighbors, signed a temper
ance pledge, and have kept it faithfully
until this day; and now, in my 63d
year, can look back and truthfully say
that all I am, all I have ever been, or
all I may ever hop to be, has received
its main support from that one great,
solid foundation stone.
Along in tbe early '60'a the efforts of
the settlers to inaugurate a system of
public schools began to bear fruit, to the
extent that a three-months school was
taught in the winter, to which the large
boys and girls could attend, and the
same legth of time ' in the summer for
the small children. This was made nec
essary by the fact that the older chil
dren had to work on the farms in sum
mer, and the distance to school was too
far for the little ones in winter. Ia
tended school daring these times a
much as was possible; but at best, made
little advancement. In 1858-1859 at
Salem. In 1859 was called home to the
bedside of my invalid mother. When
her sufferings were over and her pain
racked body laid to rest, I returned to
resume my studies. But all seemed,
changed. Apply myself as I would, I
could make but little headway in my
school work ; and when the mutterings
of civil war, supplemented with tbe
drum beat to arms reached my ears, my
student days were numbered. Tbe first
recruiting office for a company of cav
alry was opened in Salem, and I was
among the first to enroll my name, and
then all the dreams of my early life took
a sudden change. My life as a soldier
was somewhat of a disappointment. In
place of being sent East to participate
in the great drama of war, and meeting
the Nation's foes on those terrible bat
tlefields, where "Greek meet Greek,"
we were compelled by force of circum
stances to confine our military operations
to tbe Pacific coast. But when we re
member that our services here relieved
Sheridan, an Auger, an Ingalls and a
Grant, and gave them to our armies in
the EaBt, we feel that our services here
were far from being barren of result
While a member pf Company B, First
Oregon Cavalry, I was kept almoBt con
stantly in the field. And one of the
greatest compliments I ever received, was
when the captain of another company
complained to Col. Maury that he nearly
always met Sergeant Dimick in com
mand of detachment sent out from the
main command, and received the reply
that when he sent Sergeant Dimick in
command to perform a certain work, it
was always well done ; and that the ser
geant always brought his command back
in good condition. In tbe fall of 18G4 a
regiment of infantry was ordered raited
in Oregon, and I was ordered on de
tached service and required to report to
Lieut. McCown, later captain, at Oregon
City, in the recruiting service. I ar
rived in Oregon City the evening of No
vember 1st, and met Lieutenant Mc
Cown on Main street, near Bell's drug
store, which was also the postoffice.
We repaired to the room rented as a re
cruiting office (tbe old bar-room in
Bohn's hotel on Main street), and there
behind closed doors held our first "coun
cil of war," with the result that early
next morning "Old Glory" hung out
over the sidewalk, and I, mounting my
horse and with a liberal supply of post
ers, proceeded to canvass the country
districts of tbe county. How well we
succeeded, let the noble, manly-, sol
dierly boys, whose names we enrolled,
and finally became members of Co, E,
First Oregon Infantry (some of whom I
have the pleasure of meeting when I
visit Oregon City), bear witness. ' Now,
right here let me recall the fact that the
WE OLD RELIABLE
MX
si
KG PO
as
Absolutely: Purer
THERE TS NO SUBSTITUTE
witness that nobler, braver boys nevet
wore the blue than Clackamas county
sent to the front in those dark and try
ing days of 1861-1865.
The history of my life since the close
of the war is soon told. While I waa
offered and urged to accept a commis
sion in the regular army at my muster
out of the volunteer service, I refused
to entertain the thought, but went home
to my farm that had waited my coming.
Bince the death of my mother and father,.
and together with my good wife began the
work of building up for ourselves and.
children an ideal American home. Re
membering the many disadvantages that
had beset me thus far through life on,
account of my limited education, nerved
me to the work of building up and fos
tering the educational work and inter
ests in my district and state. And.
among the many acts in that direction.
I can recall none with more pride and
satisfaction than when in the perform
ance of my duty as a director of our
Hubbard school district in em; loying at
a teacher the present editor and proprie
tor of the Oregon City Courier. Thig.
was many years ago, and the little boys
and girls who had the advantage of his.
instruction and example as a teacher
who have, since become noble types of.
man and womanhood, will bear me out
in the belief that we "builded well," and
bad found the right man for the place.
Thig was way back in the early '80s, and?
Mr. Westover was then just out of bis
'teens; and now again after many years
spent in his "old Kentucky home," we
welcome him back, now in the full vigor
of his matured manhood, to this new,
and we believe, fertile field of useful
ness. May his business venture be i
most pleasant days of my soldier life.' financial success, and the highest honors
were spent in Oregon City. And now, and a successful democracy be some of
when I have occasion to visit that beau- his gathering.
tiful city and again hear the ever-rumblings
of those gigantic falls, and min
gling with their never-ceasing roar I
again seem to hear the footsteps and
the voices of dear old friends, long since
gone to their reward. But my heart
always beats harder and quicker when
with pride I call to mind that I have
sent forth a son who has served the sons
and daughters of those old-time friends
so acceptably that he has three times
been called by their suffrage to the high
est place of honor and trust in the mu-
municipal government of their city,
Clackamas County's .Company E,
First Oregon Infantry, was mustered
into the service of the United States
and sent immediately to post of duty at
Fort Colville, Washington. The duties
of tke company were varied, but nothing
out of the usual order for soldiers sta
tioned on tbe frontier.
On the close of the war in the East,
and on being relieved by a company oj
the Fourteenth United States Infantry,
we received marching orders to report
at Fort Vancouver, to be musterrd out
of service.
The closing scene of my soldier life
can never be forgotten. As I stood in
tbe door of the adjutant general's office
and handed to each of those noble boys
their honorable discharge from the ser
vice of the United States those boys
who had shared with me the hardships,
privations and dangers of our soldier
life, my feelings can better be imag
ined than described. But as each one
took his discharge papers from my band,
to start anew in the great drama of life,
I felt that wherever they went, or
wherever they might be found in the
years tcr come, there I was sure of a
true friend and comrade. When tbe
last discharges had been handed out,
we boarded the same boat and In due
time was landed at the dock li Oregon
City ; and be it'remembered to the credit
of the good and patriotic citizens of Ore
gon Citv. they met "the boys" at the
dock, headed by a band of music, and
escorted them to Washington Hall,
where a sumptuous feast and h' arty
welcome home greeted them all. Ai.d
now right here let me say that T was
closely csnnected in service also v.hh
Clackamas Connty's Co. Eof the First
Before the breaking out of the civlfc
war I was a Free State Democrat, but at
the close of the war was proud to allign
myself with the great party as led by
Abraham Lincoln . Was elected to the
state senate in 1880, and took my seat as
a republican. For vears I have wit.
nessed the leaders of the party steering:
away from the ancient landmarks, Ig
noring and trampling under foot the
traditions and principles that gave it its
standing among the common people;'
and, finally, when the dear old name
was all that was left me to fight for, saw
the leaders of tbe party surrender it, to.
be used as a football by the shylocks,.
boodlers, corporations aud t:usta. With
a tear for the past, and a determination
to do right for the future, I gave my
voice and my vote for Hon., William J
Bryan and the principles of the National
Democratic party.
I was the unanimous choice of the
Democratic party In Marion couuty for
high legislative honors in 1900, and again
in 1902, and while our banner went down
to defeat in the past, there lingers no
sting or trace of dishonor; and while
my age and infirmatives may prevent
me sharing in the honor of carrying our
banner in the campaign to follow, I shall
always be found hoping, praying and
working for tbe "good time a coming,"
when the lauiels of victory encircle our
banner. J. B. Dimick.
Hubbard, Ore., Dec. 25, 1902 .
Married.
At the Congregational manse on tbe
evening of December 23, Mr. O. D.
Dickerson and Mrs. Amanda Wilcox,
Rev. E. 8. Bollinger officiating.
At the same place by the same, Dec.
27, Mr. Felix Victor St. Martin and IOfj
Thomas Hinman, Tbe bride Is tie
daughter of Mrs. M. A. Thomas, of
Gladstone. Mr. St. Martin has exten
sive interests in Boise, Idaho, where
tiny will reside.
Writ It 1903,
To all of our more than ten thousand
readers, we wish a prosperous Naw
Ye .r. May the horn of plenty he x
full trl vnr tinmofl nn,l A
te n led school at Willamette University Qregon Cavalry ; and I aniroud to hear o( h(ippineeg never enjilj(