, 1859-06-10

Eaton has been grumbling at the extreme
low price ever since) one or two tents at
SIG each, and some pork at $40 per barrel,
and some fresh pork at from l2i TO 80
cents per pound, (but the few pounds
bought at 80 cents per pound, were pur-
chased in the hostile country, the owner
killing valuable breeding hogs to supply the
volunteers,) l also purchased II large
amount Of -four at from $ll to SIG per
barrel, aud by these prices am willing to
stand. | also purchased a pistol fur gal
liant oJiccr 1eh0 needed il, of Mr.. Geo Gal
logher at 500, but none could be purchas-
cd elsewhere and this was the lowest price
this gentleman would take. ! purchased
very little clothing, but no coats at $25
In January 1856 was appointed Quar-
termaster General, and after the first six
weeks of my appointment, l ceased almost
entirely making purchases, or creating in
debteiness of any kind, my time being oc-
cupied with my clerks in my Office, in pac-
ing in proper shape the accounts then being
created from one end Of the Territory to
the other, by field and company eiicers,
agents Of the QnartermaSter'S department,
aids, the volunteers, people engaged in bull
ding biock.houses aud opening military
roads, eNrcssmcn, &C., and 0! the S247,.
900 OF scrip Issued aud charged to nay ac-
counts, not $40, 900 Of it is based upon in-
dcbtedness created by me, nearly the whole
of it being based upon certificates and
vouchers issued by the persons aboyeuamcd.
Nevertheless, | audited and placed in prop
or shape all Of these accounts, and belicyf
they were honest and just. l merely fafti
20 this fact to show that if there was
wrong committed, the whole people of the
Territory were engaged in il; but such is
not the fact, the debt is a just and honesi
one. and the different officers TO whom !
refer, were Trustworthy and honest men,
doing all in their power TO make as cconom-
ical purchases as the emergency Of the time
would permit-and our citizens from whom
these purchases were made, stand second
to none in patriotism, honor and integrity
On page SO, the Auditor selects single
instance of $50 per day being paid for ex.
preSsmen, thereby intimating that this price
was the usual price paid, and quoting it as
he refers. In justice to Mr. n. b. Colfey,
the expressmen to whom he alludes, and
the reader will pardon me if give short
account of the hazardous undertaking for
which he received this amount, and will
then ask what one Of You would have un.
dertaken to perform the service discharged
by Mr. Coffey on that occnsion?-it being
Que of the most dangerous and at the same
time extraordinary services performed dur
ing the whole war
In the early summer Of 1856, when the
war was at its height, when Northcraft and
White were murdered in the very vicinity
of Olympia, and travelling through the
Oldest settlements had become extremely
dangerous, it was deemed necessary to send
an express with important information to
Col Wright across the mountains, appris-
ing him of the movement of Col Shaw
across the Cascades into the Yakima coun-
TRIP. For this most hazardous service, vol
unteers from the camp at Monigomery'S,
were solicited, and the gallant Coffey was
found willing to risk his life in this duty,
only asking that he be allowed one man to
accompany him-well knowing that but a
few months previous that a large force un-
der Captains Mallory aud Hays had under
taken to cross the mountains ut the very
point where he would be compelled to cross,
aud after reaching the summit Of the noun.
tains, finding that the Indians were guard
ing the Na-chess pass, and that they were
in large numbers, thought it prudent to fall
back 10 the west side OF the mountains
The dangers and hardshps he underwent
before he reached his journeys end are well
known TO many-constantly meeting and
hiding from the hostile Indians as he pass.
ed over tue mountains. He had scarcely
reached the other side of the mountains
when he was hotly pursued by large force
well mounted, and only escaped with hi,
life by abandoning his horse, blankets and
every thing but his rife and revolver, and
taking to the hills and the woods, and trav.
elling ouly at night, and by this means
eluded his pursuerS and carried his express
safely to Col. Wright, returning through
the hostile country by the way of the
Dalles aud reaching Olympia in IA days
Surely there is hot man in the country
that will say he did not earn ull that he
was paid for this hazardous undertaking.
But the reader may ask, why were not
these facts made known to the Auditor
BY the annexed voucher it will be seel
that they were, but the same prejudice thai
prompted him to make false statements il
other particulars, has influenced him in thi.
particular; in fact, it is characteristic of biz
whole report. 1t is well known that thu
regular service paid Pearson $500 pei
month, IN cash, for two trips per mouth
from the Dalles to the Walla-walla, anc
that Col Steptoe offered $500 to the SAINT
cXprcssman to carry Il letter across the
Rocky Mountains, which was refused
Pearson demanding $1,000. These prices
were, of course, based upon the risk OF the
service. The usual pricc paid by voun
teers to expressmen was from Sc to SIS pei
day, and the case of ColTey was almost thC
only instance iu which those prices were de