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Washington Statesman
Walla Walla, Washington Territory
January 3, 1862
Vol. 1, No. 6
N. Northrop and R. R. Rees, Editors and Proprietors
p. 1, col. 4
SPEECH OF GEN. MCCLELLAN. — On the occasion of the presentation of a sword voted him by the common council of Philadelphia, Gen. McClellan replied as follows:
I ask you, sir, to give my warmest and deepest thanks to the honorable body you represent for this entirely unmerited compliment. I could thank you better if I thought that I deserved it, but I do not feel that I do. Nothing that I have yet accomplished, would warrant this high compliment. It is for the future to determine whether I shall realize the expectations which have been centered in me. I trust and feel that the day is not far distant when I shall return to the place dearest of all others to me, there to spend the balance of my life among the people from whom I have received this beautiful gift. The war cannot be long. It may be desperate. I ask in the future forbearance, patience and confidence. With these we can accomplish all, and while I know that, in the great drama which may have our hearts' blood, Pennsylvania will not play the least, I trust that, on the other hand, she will play the highest and noblest part.
I again thank you, and again ask you to convey to the council my most sincere thanks for the sword. Say to them that it will be my ambition to deserve it hereafter. I know I do not now.
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p. 2, col. 1-2
The Old Year
It is well at times to take a glance at the past, to sum up its history briefly, and see what it has entailed upon us. The retrospect at this time, is a painful one, and furnishes more cause for sorrow than for joy. The year that has just closed, has been one of intense interest to the American people, and frought with consequences of more than ordinary occurrance. During the year, the hopes and prospects of a great people, which at its commencement were bright and glittering, have been trembling in a most fearful balance. At times, we have seen the good old ship of State struggling against fearful chances, and through the eye of faith and hope alone, outriding the angry waves that have dashed against her. The crucible by which the perpetuity of our institutions and the maintenance of our once happy prospects and hopes, have been tried, is a most severe one. A resort to arms against a foreign foe, is always a dreadful necessity; but when the opposing armies are inheritors and brothers of one common country, and in many instances connected by ties of consanguinity — the holiest and most sacred known to the human family — then indeed the conflict assumes a most terrible aspect. In the tented field, the father has striven against the son, and the son against the father. Friends, connections and acquaintances, have opposed each other in deadly conflict, and have fallen. Hence, we allege that the old year has witnessed the most intense and deplorable struggle between man and man, involving the most direful consequences and the most unnatural opposition, of any stretching far back in the line of its predecessors. But whatever unfortunate causes contributed to incite such a struggle, and however lamentable and humiliating to the nation, on the part of the Federal government it has been a noble struggle. The first gun fired upon the defenseless walls of Sumter, inaugurated the drama of blood, and put to flight the last vestige of hope before that entertained by good men and true in all parts of the country, that actual war might be avoided and the differences settled by peaceful means. That action demonstrated a momentous crisis in the old year's history; and its scenes, together with the heroic defense of the fort by the gallant Anderson and his brave command, will in all future ages commemorate a most thrilling era in American history. It was the forerunner of decisive events immediately to follow. It sent a thrill of enthusiasm and decision through the great popular heart, and nerved it to deeds of daring heroism in behalf of the old flag, as with one accord and loud acclaim, the masses signified their undying devotion to the Union, and their readiness to do battle in its defense. And when the tocsin of war was sounded, forgetting and casting aside party differences and opinions, remembering only that their country called them to action, they nobly and unhesitatingly came forward and placed their offerings and services upon its altar. We doubt if the chronicles of military valor, of success and promptness in raising an almost numberless army, of readiness in furnishing the sinews of battle — will show another instance like that of our own during the past twelve-month, however far back in the pages of ancient history the search may extend. It is true, there are instances of triumphal marches, of grand and signal victories, of stately renown. We cannot boast of these. They are generally the results from experienced and sagacious leadership, rather than the effectiveness of an army or otherwise. It is true that our army has met with defeat hear and there, and the causes which led to it have been generally well defined. They certainly were not induced through the cowardice or inefficiency of soldiers in the ranks, nor from want of an adequate number of men to meet the foe, had they been wisely distributed. The discriminating judgment of the people has attributed these causes to their proper sources — here let them rest.
Although the battles for the supremacy of the Constitution and the Union have bee fiercely waged — oftentimes against great odds in men and circumstances — the present indications are that the Confederate army have been in sufficient engagements to convince them that their cause is a hopeless one that their attempt to destroy the glorious fabric which our fathers reared and which it is their duty to strengthen and perpetuate, can never be successful. We may confidently hope that "grim-visaged war will smooth his wrinkled front," and that ere the close of the year upon which we have just entered, peace and prosperity may again abound in our country.
Sail on, oh! Union, strong and great,The close of the old year has left us its usual examples and experiences; its lessons and suggestions. It has dealt kindly with some; harshly with others. Some have inherited all the good things which its reign had in most prolific store, and have basked in the sunshine of prosperity. Others have been coldly treated; the hard lot of adversity has fallen upon them and followed them through the year. Joy and gladness have attended some, like guardian angels, shedding over their lives a halo of pure delight, and giving promise of happy years in the future. With others, homes have been desolated, the old hearthstone corner vacated; husbands and sons have fallen in battle, and the wife and mother have been brought to mourn over the loss of cherished ones.
And then thou sail on, oh! Ship of State!
Our hopes, our fears, our prayers, our tears,
Are all with thee — are all with thee.
We know what workmen wrought thy keel,
What anvils forged thy ribs of steel;
What hammers rang, what pulses bet,
In what a furnace and what a heat,
Where shaped the ancors of thy hope.
Sail on, oh! Union, strong and great,
And then thou sail on, oh! Ship of State!
Life is a sea, as fathomless,And so the old year comes and goes. It comes in bright promises, and goes out without leaving us the anticipated fruition. In the buoyancy of our hope, we bid the old year a grateful farewell, and commence turning the pages of the book which the new year gradually unfolds. Let it be our ambition to record upon the unfolding leaves of that book, actions and deeds that the closing page will sum up creditably to ourselves.
As wide, as terrible, and yet sometimes
As calm and beautiful. The light of heaven
Smiles on it, and 'tis decked with every hue
Of glory and of joy. Anon, dark clouds
Arise, contending winds of fate go forth,
And Hope sits weeping o'er a general wreck.
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p. 2, col. 2
POWDER RIVER. — Mr. D. S. Littlefield, who arrived from Powder river yesterday, called upon us and furnished us some information from this locality. He is one of the party that left Portland last August, induced by one Adams, regarding the discovery of gold on the Malheur river, to undertake a prospecting trip in that section. — Failing to find paying diggings on the Malheur, the party continued their search and finaly struck it on Powder river. He showed us a specimen of the gold obtained there; it is coarse, and appears to be of a fine quality. The mines are situated on Griffin's gulch near Powder river. There are eleven men belonging to Mr. Littlefield's party, who will remain during the winter and they are the only miners on that gulch. He reports the diggings as yet in an embryo condition, none having worked sufficiently to determine what they will yield. More or less prospecting is being done on gulches and small streams putting into Powder river. A party of Oro Fino miners are prospecting in that section. — They report good prospects, but are looking for rich diggings. Littlefield states that there are not to exceed twenty men in the Grand Ronde valley, and a large proportion of these are men engaged in the prospective route to Salmon river and in building a mill. There are only two families settled in the valley. Mr. Stephen Coffin's mill is progressing, and will probably be competed in about three months. Mr. Littlefield will return in a few days with the winter's supply of provisions.
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LAST TRIP OF THE STEAMER. — It is altogether likely that the steamer has made her last trip from Deschuttes to the Old Fort, until the opening of navigation in spring. The boat which was due on Sunday did not arrive; and we may expect for a month or two at east, that our communication with the lower country will be restricted to the overland coaches. The passengers who went to the old fort to meet the steamer, returned to this city, and will leave for the Dalles to-day, overland.
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We have made arrangements to receive letters from the mines by every express. They will be written by a gentleman of confessed ability as a writer, and one who has had much experience in the line of collating news. We feel warranted in promising our readers some interesting sketches of the upper country, as well as a faithful chronicle of transpiring events.
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p. 2, col. 3
(The following story mentions J. M. Vansyckle, who was also mentioned in an earlier issue, and in the 1860 United States Census, Walla Walla Precinct, Walla Walla, Washington Territory, July 26, 1860. — C. S.)
The Old Fort.
A friend of ours the other day took a trip to the old fort, and in consequence of the non-arrival of the steamer at that place was obliged to return to this city. He is one of a class of mankind who possess the happy faculty of turning everything to some good account, and thus pleasantly discourses the trip:
There is at Wallula, formerly Fort Walla Walla, much more to entertain the traveler at this season of the year than one would naturally suppose from a first view of the place. As the stage from the valley rises the little hill and discloses all at one view this dilapidated looking place to the passenger, he very naturally says to himself, "uninviting looking place" — "have a poor time here, sure;" but these and kindred thoughts are speedily dispelled when he finds himself comfortably seated before a "rousing fire" at the hospitable inn of J. M. Vansyckle & Co. The ice runs too thick for the boat to come up, but we don't care much. There is plenty of smooth ice below the mouth of the Walla Walla, and we avail ourselves of the first opportunity to try our hands, or rather heels, at skating. This is excellent sport and good, healthy exercise; now and then we find ourselves horizontally inclined, with dizziness inn the head, and the stars twinkling and shining in the most wonderful manner. This latter is the result of amateur skaters, and old skaters long out of practice. But no matter — it is fun, and gives one a good appetite. Besides, an appetite seems to be almost indispensable, fore "mine host" will insist on setting the best table in the upper country, thereby absolutely compelling his patrons to consume a whole dollar's worth of viands at one fell swoop.
It was rather amusing to hear the weather speculations indulged in by the "oldest inhabitants" of that ancient looking place. Says one, "the stage will have to pass through ten feet of snow in places on its way to Walla Walla; for when the snow falls one inch in depth here, it invariably falls one foot at Walla Walla." "Horrible!" says a passenger; "can't you fall a foot on that, stranger?" "Not if the court knows herself," says the first. "Well," says the other, "we must get out of the sage-brush, snow or no snow; this won't take us to the big Willamette." So leaving our cozy corner, we tumble into the stage, bundle up in our blankets, and await our terrible fate among the snow-drifts on the way — all the while looking out for the ten foot spots! But the truth is, all the weather profits (sic) were at fault, as is usually the case; for we found just the reverse, with the exception that the decrease of snow on our way to Walla Walla was not in that extravagant proportion.
But what I wish to say in this connection particularly, is, that persons who have leisure to enjoy a sleigh-ride, have a look at the stars on the ice, or to recuperate the inner man in a sociable way, can't do better than take a trip to the "old fort."
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THE GRAND RONDE TRAIL. — It is somewhat amusing to notice in the allusions of the Mountaineer and Oregonian, to the new trail to the Grand Ronde valley, their occasional assertion that "a new trail to Salmon river has been found, thus cutting off Walla Walla." Now,it is our opinion that if either of the editors of these papers knew half as much about Walla Walla as do the settlers here, their opinions would undergo a decided change. Why, aside from the portage business at the Dalles, there is actually as much business done in Walla Walla in one day as there is in the Dalles in a week; and we venture the assertion that the cash sales made here every week will almost if not quite equal those made by the merchants of Portland. The Oregon Steam Navigation Company have been engaged all summer steaming their hundreds of tons of freight from Portland, through the Dalles, to this place, and our merchants are now kept busy every day in selling it out to miners and packers bound to Salmon river; and granting that they ought to know, we believe them when they assert that they can pay their freight on goods to the old Fort, haul them to this place, and then sell them at as low a rate as they can be sold for in the Grand Ronde valley — a point farther away from the mines than this place. We wish our friends of the Mountaineer and Oregonian all success in the completion of their road; but we advise them not to try to "cut off Walla Walla." The thing can't be did, gentlemen. The Grand Ronde valley possesses some very good natural advantages, and will in time make something of a place; but we cannot concede that its progress will in any way interfere with the prosperity of this place.
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THE NEW ROUTE. — The surveying party which was to have left this city a few weeks since to survey a route through to Salmon river across the mountains, direct from this point, are detained in consequence of the severe weather. We are assured by members of the party, that they are in readiness to undertake the matter so soon as the weather renders the trip practicable; and we have the utmost confidence in the success of the expedition.
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LEWISTON. — There is said to be considerable stir at this place on the subject of town lots. In spite of the interference of the agent, the people seem determined to make a town there anyhow, and are accordingly seizing every possible advantage in procuring building materials, which are extremely scarce, and making permanent improvements. In the meantime, the town consists principally of tents, which are occupied for the time being by those who intend to build.
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