The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-27
THE EARLY SIXTIES.
How the Pioneers @Roughed IT.
on Puget Sound.
ALLEN wEIR's "REMINISCENCES.
zhe Occupation of San Juan Island
Port Townsend in 1s6O-Ths
yigilantes at Dungeness.
Paper read before the State Historical Society
at Tacoma, March %.

our early frontier life will necessarily per-
ish. even as tradition, unless the personal
recollections of those now living be
handed down to future generations
through some such medium as ours. 1t ia
in the hope of being able to contribute
few stray fragments to the historical data
being collected that do myself the honor
of responding to your kind and generous
invitation to present this second paper for
the archives of the Washington State His.
torical Society.
Judge Evans admirable address unon
the discovery and remote history of the
country now within our national and state
domain north of the Columbia river has
brought out new and interesting data
valuable especially IN its compilation from
hitherto disjointed and fragmentary items
of record. Following the period therein
referred to. when the Lewis and Clarke
expedition, in 1S04-5. added so much to our
national claim of ownership and gave us
geographical river and county names. was
along term OF years, during which little
indeed was done to people the soil of this
Northwest with the VIII tie race.
In 1869, my grandfather, William
Weir, came across the Rocky mountains
from the Upper Mississippi valley with
squad of hunters and trappers in the en-
ploy of the Missouri Fur Company, and
remained several months in the Lower
Willamette valley and along the Column
bia. Little exploring was done by the
party, but grandfather predicted splen-
did future for the wild region then visited.
Scarcely particle of history was made in
all the region thereafter until De Smet
and Marcus Whitman and other bold mis-
sonaries visited the wild, untutored saw
ages during the ''thirtiesn and "forties."
Then came the Hudson Bay Company
people, who established trading post at
Steilacoom, and the old Nesqually block
house became forerunner of the civilza-
ton of the paleface.
The occupancy of San Juan island by
British and American military forces dur
ing the boundary dispute and the troubles
brought on by that meddlesome pig which
Henry Cutler killed are matters more or
less familiar to early pioneers. The COM
mon, everyday razor back scrub pigs of
the East had their part in de veloping that
inhospitable shore whereon the pilgrims
sought religious freedom; the pigs brought
to South American shores by De Soto
were deemed of sufficient Importance to be
mentioned in history; but it remained for
aPuget sound pig to cause international
troubles between England and America.
Who knows how nearly that perverse pig
came to being enrolled along with Bos-
tons Revolutionary tea as part of the
worlds historic exhibit of war-breeding
relics? In 1859, while both the British
and Americans were claiming title
to San Juan island, and the British
had given privileges of occupancy and Gull
30 h. H,xIu
Henry Cutler was one of the American
occupants of the island. He had been
greatly annoyed by pig belonging to en-
ployes of the Hudson Bay Company; and
finally. to protect his crops, shot the ami
NAL, after having vainly tried to get the
owners to take it up. He went and offered
10 pay double the value of the pig, but the
money was refused. The next day the
British ship-of-war Satellite appeared on
the scene, having on board Mr.. Dallas,
who was the chief factor of the Hudson
Bay Company, and was also son-in-law of
Sir James Douglas, governor of British
Columbia. Mr. Dallas went ashore to
take Cutler by force to Victoria to be tried
for the otfense. Mr.. Cutler, with true
Yankee grit, picked up his gun
and deied the Britisher, re-
making that they might take him
but they would have to kill him first.
Thereupon Dallas returned to Victoria,
and Governor Douglas issued a proclama-
ton in due form and ponderosity, assert
ing British ownership of San Juan island,
and protesting against its occupancy for
or on behalf of any other power. A copy
OF this document was sent to iBrigadier-
General W. S. Harvey, then commanding
the department of Oregon, at Fort Van
couver He also despatched three war
vessels, the Tribune, Plumper and Satel-
lite, 10 invest the little island. Meantime,
the American residents of the island were
domlneered over in most insulting man.
ner by the British, and they sent petit
ton to General Harvey, which the latter
responded to by sending Captain George
Pickett, Ninth Infantry, with a force of
soldiers, TO occupy the island and protect
American settlers. The threatening att
tude of the British and the
receipt of the Douglas proclama-
ton caused General Harvey to
reinforce Captain Pickett with three COM
panies from Fort Steilacoom, and to order
four companies to Steilacoom from the
Third artillery at Fort Vancouver. The
British commandant Captain Horribly,
called upon the Americans 10 withdraw
from the island, and threatened to bonn
hard them in case they refused. Captain
Pickett stood his ground. and called upon
Lleutenant-Colonel Casey at Fort Stella
COON Tor the active cooperation OF all his
Tor ces, and also for the aid of the United
States steamer Massachusetts,. General
Harvey sent report of the matter TO the
war department at Washington City, in
which he said: THE attempt TO take by
armed force an American citizen from our
Foil, to be tried by British laws, is an in
suit TO our flag and an outrage upon the
nights of our people" Excitement in Vic
toria and on the American side
was at fever heat. To compli-
cate matters, President Buchanan
rebuked General Harvey for placing
an armed force on the island; but the inn
petuous old general replied to Governor
Douglas that he (Harneyl was in COM
nand by authority of the United States,
and, said he, Il placed military COM
mand upon the island of San Juan to pro-
tect the American citizens residing on
that island from the insults and indigni-
ties which the British authorities of Van
couver island and the establishment OF the
Hudson Bay Company recently offered
them by sending 4 British ship-of-war
from Vancouver island to convey the
factor of the Hudson Bay Company TO San
Juan for the purpose OF seizing an Amer
lean citizen and forciblv transport
ing him TO Vancouver island to he
tried by British laws" He added:
~ shall not permit repetition of that in
tult, and shall retain command on San
Juan island to protect ITS citizens in the
further orders from my government
President Buchanan sent General Scott
out To adjust the matter, which was final
iy effected by Joint occupancy with mill
tary forces until, under the treaty Of
WpShirtrrcn Fi.v fISBn the Controversy