commissioners. According to Newell, Colonel Gilliam was
"much displeased," and threatened to march to battle on
the morrow. "This army," he remarks, "is composed of
different kinds of men. Some have come to behave le
gally; others to plunder; and others for popularity. To
do what we ought is easy, if we could act together. Cap
tain McKay and company deserve credit. In fact, nearly
all the officers seem to wish to do for the best."
This criticism, confided only to a private diary, was un doubtedly honest, and might well have applied to any army in such circumstances. Yet he nowhere implies that the men of Gilliam s command, as a whole, were un patriotic or disloyal to their duty. He does, however, often imply that petulance and indiscretion on the part of their commander produced discord and disorder. Still it is well to remember that Newell belonged to the peace commission expressly in his character of a friend to the Indians, and as understanding their ideas, which Gilliam and the ma jority of the volunteers were unable to do. It was natually out of the question for Newell and Gilliam to agree.
However, the colonel did not march to battle on the sixth as threatened. Instead, about noon, Craig and Gervais re turned with information that two hundred and fifty friendly Nez Percés and Cayuses were near, who, in the afternoon were brought to camp, the army saluting and cheering in
rendered needed assistance, providing the party with four good mules, by which means four were mounted at a time, so that by taking each his turn in walking they got on very well to the Platte, where the travel was improved, but subsistance scarce. At Fort Laramie fresh mounts were obtained from the French trader in charge, Papillion, who warned them to look out for the Sioux at Ash Hollow, a favorite ambush. While attempting to pass this village in a snowstorm, which he relied upon to conceal the party, Meek heard himself hailed by his familiar title of "Major," and to his great satisfaction found himself accepting the proffered hospitalities of Le Beau, a Frenchman well know to him in his trapper s life. Le Beau offered to escort the party beyond the village, which kindness was gladly accepted, and one night journey, after parting with their friend, brought them out of the dangerous neighborhood. Meek arrived on the fourth of May at the Missouri river, where im migrants to Oregon and California were then crossing, and where he parted from the other members of his party. The remainder of his journey to Washington was soon accomplished, and on the twenty-ninth of May President Polk laid before both houses of congress a special message on Oregon affairs. Many amusing incidents of Meek s mission are related in Mrs. Victor s River of The West.
