regular army. "I have good reason to believe," wrote
Lamerick to the governor, " that General Wool has issued
orders to the United States troops not to cooperate with
the volunteers. But," he added, "the officers of Fort Lane
told me they would, whenever they met me, most cordially
cooperate with any volunteers under my command."
Captain Smith of Fort Lane had been directed to make a junction with Colonel Buchanan s force at Port Orford, whence the united forces were to repair to the mouth of the Illinois river to meet Superintendent Palmer and the Indians of the Rogue-river valley, with whom a council would be held. The time seemed propitious for making propositions of peace, and the superintendent, who had all the Indians of Oregon, and some of those of Washington, on his hands in a state of insurrection, was anxious to get these troubles settled for the good of all concerned, him self included, for if he could not control his wards some one else would be found who could be induced to under take it.
In the contention between the adherents of General Wool and the governors of Oregon and Washington as to the best methods of restoring peace, Palmer had adopted the views of the regular army that the volunteer service kept up the irritation, and prevented a peace which was desired by the Indians. That the Indian leaders did not desire a peace, except on their own terms the absolute possession of the country he did not believe. But the volunteers had many times called out to them to come and have a peace talk, which advances had invariably been met with scoffs and taunts anything but indicatory of a disposition to yield. And so the fighting went on ; because the volunteers believed in preventing robberies and massacres instead of chastising, in a half-hearted way, the perpetrators after the crimes had been committed. But now the United States authorities were making ready to try the effect of their policy in bringing about the settle ment of the Indian question in Oregon.
