348 Stella M. Drumm went boldly to the Indians and demanded restoration. He succeeded in recovering only about five hundred dol- lars worth of his goods. Completely dispirited, he di- vided what he had among his men, in compensation for their services, and shortly afterwards the whole party started back to St. Louis. When they reached the mouth of the Nodaway they found encamped the overland ex- pedition of the Pacific Fur Company, in charge of Wilson P. Hunt. McClellan was happy to find in the party his old friend and partner Ramsay Crooks, who had joined the enterprise in Canada. It needed but little persuasion to induce McClellan to accept a few shares and become a partner in expedition. About this time McClellan wrote to his brother William the following letter : "Six days ago I arrived at this place from my settlement, which is two hundred miles above on the Missouri. My mare is with you at Hamilton, having two colts. I wish you to give one to brother John, the other to your son James, and the mare to your wife. If I possessed anything more except my gun at present, I would throw it into the river, or give it away, as I intend to begin the world anew tomorrow." When McClellan and party reached Astoria, in Janu- ary, 1812, he was haggard, emaciated and in rags. While he had proven a very valuable man to the enterprise, he soon became dissatisfied with his position in the company and resigned his interest. Although in Astoria only a short time he decided to return with Reed and party, whom Mr. Hunt sent with dispatches to Mr. Astor on March 22, 1812. When Reed and his party reached The Dalles they were robbed and attacked by the Indians. Reed was badly wounded and the tin box containing the dispatches was captured by the Indians. The bright, shiny tin box, coveted by the Indians, was the cause of the trouble. The important dispatches being lost the object of the journey
