, 1866-01-12
RoRr HAILA MALLA.

Department-or raiher upon the Individual
who lately had the honor to command this
immediate district Governed BY no higher
motive than prejudice against the people
of Walla Walla. the late District commander
industriously applied himself to the work of
dismantliDg Fort Walla Walla. Uunder
his orders, all the troops, with the exception
of corporal's guard, scarce sufficient to pro.
tect the public property, were ordered away,
and the post left to go to ruin. This, too,
in the face of the fact that troops, particularly
cavalrymen, can be Wintered at Fort Walla
Walla, at an infinitely cheaper rate than at
any other point east of the mountains. As
illustrating what slight regard the late Acci-'
dental commander paid to economy, when
the qualification of his spleen was in the way,
we have the fact that the cavalry horses now
being Wintered at Fort Dallss, are fed on
grain that was grown in Walla Walla Valley.
This grain cost the contractors in this mar.
ket an average of one-and>a-half cents per
pound; but on being delivered at Fort Dallss
the figures had run up to fOur-and>a-half
cents. We by no means find fault with the
contractors. After paying the cost of teams
ing and freight bills, they made nothing
more than fair per ceutage on the transAc-
tiOn. The fault is with the commander
In not ordering the mounted troops to reu-
dezvOuS at Fort Walla Wslla, where be knew
subsistence could be had in abundance at a
very much lower figure than at post located
in district Of country almost destitute Of
agricultural resources The stationing of
these troops at 8 point where they could
have been subsisted at the least possible ex-
pense to the Government, would have thrown
few dollars in the way of Walla Walla-
the soldiers would have spent their spare
greenbaoks with onr merchants - and to
guard against this contingency the dirty Col
onel, disregarding his duty to the Govern
ment, ordered them to Fort Dalles From
the first occupation of the country by the
military down to date, it has been the uni>
form opinion of officers Of training and edu-
cation that this is the best possible point
from which to direct operations against the
Indians. The opinion of all the more i'm
pOrtant officers, from StsPtoe down 70 the lG,
mented Wright, all runs in one current, and
that is in favor Of keeping military estsbr
lishment at Fort Walla Walla. Disregard
ing the counsel of these distinguished sol>
diers, skilled in the art Of war, the late Acci.
dental commander set himself studiously to
work for the single purpose of dismantling the
post, and this to crafty a feeling of dislike
he had IN some way imbibed against the peo-
pie Of our town. Carrying out this policy
he has left public property of an aggregate
value of hundreds of thousands of dollars,
without even 4 military guard, and attended
with the dangers incident to large number
of uuOccupied buildings. The present COM
mander Capt. Noble, is doing all that be can
for the protection of the property committed
to his care but stripped of soldiers, he is
measureably poWerless, aud for the most part
is compelled to trust to luck Fort Wslla
Walla tONdGy will furnish comfortable quar-
ters for six companies OftrOOps, with stable
aa Il Al II
which can be subsisted at a much lower cost
to the Government than at less favored local.
tiles. Dirty Curry knew this, but to crafty
his private spleen he has left Fort Walla
Walla literally deserted habitatiOn.