The 1st Oregon cavalry remained at Walla Walla with little or nothing to do until the 28th of July. In the mean time Cornelius resigned, and Colonel Steinberger of the Washington regiment took command.[1] It had been designed that a portion of the Oregon regiment should make an expedition to meet and escort the immigration, and if possible to arrest and punish the murderers of the immigrants in the autumn of 1860. General Alvord ordered Lieutenant-colonel Maury, with the companies of Harris, Harding, and Truax, to proceed upon the errand.[2]
The history of the 1st Oregon cavalry from 1862 to 1865 is the history of Indian raids upon the mining and new farming settlements, and of scouting and fighting by the several companies. Like the volunteers of southern Oregon, they were called upon to guard roads, escort trains, pursue robber bands to their strongholds, avenge murders,[3] and to make explorations of the country, much of which was still unknown.
In January 1863 a call was made for six companies of volunteers to fill up the 1st regiment of Oregon cavalry, notwithstanding a very thorough militia organization had been effected under the militia law of 1862, which gave the governor great discretionary power and placed several regiments at his disposal. The work of recruiting progressed slowly, the dis-
- ↑ Colonel Justin Steinberger was of Pierce county, Washington Territory. He raised 4 companies of his regiment in California, and arrived with them at Vancouver on the 4th of May, relieving Colonel Cady of the command of the district. In July Brigadier-general Alvord arrived at Vancouver to take command of the district of Oregon, and Steinberger repaired to Walla Walla. Olympia Herald, Jan. 28, March 20, April 17, 1862; Olympia Standard, Aug. 9, 1862; Or. Statesman, June 30, 1862.
- ↑ The immigration of 1862 has been placed by some writers as high as 30,000, and probably reached 26,000. Of these 10,000 went to Oregon, 8,000 to Utah, 8,000 to California. Olympia Standard, Oct. 11 and 25, 1862. The greater portion of the so-called Oregon immigration settled in the mining region east of the Snake River and in the valleys of Grande Ronde, Powder River, John Day, and Walla Walla.
- ↑ The fate of many small parties must forever remain unknown.
Press, by J. C. Dow and T. W. Avery. Neither continued long. Other ephemeral publications appeared at Salem, Portland, and elsewhere. In 1865 Oregon had well established 9 weekly and 3 daily journals.
