Oregon Rangers
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Rangers were the first organized militia
of settlers in the Willamette Valley
of what became the U.S. state of Oregon
, but at the time was the Oregon Country
. Organized in 1844, the Provisional Government of Oregon never called the troops out to service. Later a second militia was formed in 1846 with the same name and some of the same members, lasting a few months.
, Recorder for the Provisional Government. In response to this attack, the government met March 9 to authorize the formation of a militia. Thus the first militia in Oregon was formed on March 23, 1844 under the command of Thomas D. Keizer, and called themselves the Oregon Rangers. A total of 25 men enlisted in the group including Webley John Hauxhurst
, Isaac Hutchens, John B. Keizer, Lindsay Applegate
, William Henry Gray
, John Ford, and Daniel Waldo
among others. This group could be called into service by any of the officers of the company or by any of the members of the Provisional Government’s
Executive Committee
. The government never called the group to action as the excitement from the Comstock incident had since calmed down.
Two years later the Oregon Rangers were revived. This group formed in May of 1846 with a meeting at Daniel Waldo’s farm. The group drew up an agreement between the participants to create a mounted rifle company. The agreement reads in part:
With the creation, they selected the officers of the company as follows: Captain Charles Bennett
, First Lieutenant A.A. Robinson, Second Lieutenant Isaac Hutchins, Third Lieutenant Hiram English, orderly sergeant Thomas Holt, second sergeant Thomas Howell, third sergeant S.C. Morris, fourth sergeant William H. Herron, first corporal P.C. Keizer, second corporal Robert Walker, third corporal B. Frost, fourth corporal John Rowe. The company totaled 45 men for the militia. They then drilled each Saturday at Waldo’s farm in the Waldo Hills east of the defunct Methodist Mission
. Many in the group had some military experience, including Bennett and Holt who had been in the Seminole War as dragoon
s.
had come to the east Willamette Valley in June 1846. They had come from The Dalles and camped on the Santiam River
. Soon rumors were floating around the pioneer settlements that these natives were stealing and eating the livestock of Hamilton Campbell. Campbell had purchased the cattle from the Methodist Mission when it was dissolved a few years earlier. Various other accusations of stealing were also levied. So a messenger was sent to Waldo’s farm, where the Oregon Rangers were drilling, to seek assistance. Captain Bennett was not there, and the company was drilling under first lieutenant Robinson. Soon about forty of the Rangers headed towards the area occupied by the natives, near what became Battle Creek in Marion County, Oregon
. This cavalry rode about 14 miles to the encampment and come upon the natives to the surprise of both parties. Soon a skirmish ensued and David Daily shot one of the natives. The Rangers soon retreated a short distance and then opened fire with their longer range rifles. After a short time the firing stopped and the two parties talked to each other. The natives were upset and angered by the seemingly unprovoked attack, and they denied any infractions against any of the settlers. There was no proof offered against them, so the Rangers offered a horse and some blankets as reparations for the injured native, who may have recovered. This was the only casualty of the skirmish. However, this poor judgment and action by the Rangers led to ridicule by fellow settlers and the company was disbanded.
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
of settlers in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
of what became the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, but at the time was the Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
. Organized in 1844, the Provisional Government of Oregon never called the troops out to service. Later a second militia was formed in 1846 with the same name and some of the same members, lasting a few months.
Formation
On March 4, 1844, a Molala or Clackamas Native American tribal member named Cockstock attacked and killed two settlers. One of these settlers was George LeBretonGeorge LeBreton
George W. LeBreton was a pioneer politician in the Oregon Country and served as the official recorder in the Provisional Government of Oregon....
, Recorder for the Provisional Government. In response to this attack, the government met March 9 to authorize the formation of a militia. Thus the first militia in Oregon was formed on March 23, 1844 under the command of Thomas D. Keizer, and called themselves the Oregon Rangers. A total of 25 men enlisted in the group including Webley John Hauxhurst
Webley John Hauxhurst
Webley John Hauxhurst, Jr. was a pioneer in Oregon Country. He helped build the first grist mill in Oregon, participated in the Willamette Cattle Company, and was a participant at the Champoeg meeting where he voted for the creation of a provisional government.-Early life:Hauxhurst was born in...
, Isaac Hutchens, John B. Keizer, Lindsay Applegate
Lindsay Applegate
Lindsay Applegate was a pioneer known for blazing the Applegate Trail, an alternative end of Oregon Trail in the U.S. state of Oregon. The trail was blazed with his brothers Charles and Jesse in 1846.-Early life:...
, William Henry Gray
William H. Gray (Oregon politician)
William Henry Gray was a pioneer of the Oregon Country in the present-day U.S. state of Oregon. He was an active participant in the efforts to organize a government in the region....
, John Ford, and Daniel Waldo
Daniel Waldo (Oregon pioneer)
Daniel Waldo was an American legislator in the Provisional Government of Oregon, the namesake for the Waldo Hills near Salem, Oregon, and the father of two prominent Oregon politicians. He was also a member of the Oregon Rangers militia and fought in the Cayuse War.-Early life:Waldo was born in...
among others. This group could be called into service by any of the officers of the company or by any of the members of the Provisional Government’s
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
Executive Committee
Executive Committee (Oregon Territory)
An Executive Committee was the title of a three-person committee which served as the executive Branch of the Provisional Government of Oregon in the disputed Oregon Country. This arrangement was announced on July 5, 1843, after three months of study by the Provisional Legislature at Champoeg...
. The government never called the group to action as the excitement from the Comstock incident had since calmed down.
Two years later the Oregon Rangers were revived. This group formed in May of 1846 with a meeting at Daniel Waldo’s farm. The group drew up an agreement between the participants to create a mounted rifle company. The agreement reads in part:
- “That we, as citizens of said territory, in pursuance of this duty, forthwith organize ourselves into a company of mounted riflemen, and pledge ourselves to abide by such rules, regulations and laws as may be adopted by a majority of the company.
- "Resolved, That this company shall be called “The Oregon Rangers.””
With the creation, they selected the officers of the company as follows: Captain Charles Bennett
Charles H. Bennett (soldier)
Charles H. Bennett was present at the discovery of gold that initiated the California gold rush in January 1848. Earlier he served in the United States Army and was captain of a militia unit of the Provisional Government of Oregon...
, First Lieutenant A.A. Robinson, Second Lieutenant Isaac Hutchins, Third Lieutenant Hiram English, orderly sergeant Thomas Holt, second sergeant Thomas Howell, third sergeant S.C. Morris, fourth sergeant William H. Herron, first corporal P.C. Keizer, second corporal Robert Walker, third corporal B. Frost, fourth corporal John Rowe. The company totaled 45 men for the militia. They then drilled each Saturday at Waldo’s farm in the Waldo Hills east of the defunct Methodist Mission
Methodist Mission
The Methodist Mission was founded in Oregon Country in 1834 by the Reverend Jason Lee. The mission was started to educate the Native Americans in the Willamette Valley and grew into an important center for politics and economics in the early settlement period of Oregon.-Foundation:In 1831, several...
. Many in the group had some military experience, including Bennett and Holt who had been in the Seminole War as dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s.
Battle Creek Incident
A small group of Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
had come to the east Willamette Valley in June 1846. They had come from The Dalles and camped on the Santiam River
Santiam River
The Santiam River is a tributary of the Willamette River, about long, in western Oregon in the United States. Through its two principal tributaries, the North Santiam and the South Santiam rivers, it drains a large area of the Cascade Range at the eastern side of the Willamette Valley east of...
. Soon rumors were floating around the pioneer settlements that these natives were stealing and eating the livestock of Hamilton Campbell. Campbell had purchased the cattle from the Methodist Mission when it was dissolved a few years earlier. Various other accusations of stealing were also levied. So a messenger was sent to Waldo’s farm, where the Oregon Rangers were drilling, to seek assistance. Captain Bennett was not there, and the company was drilling under first lieutenant Robinson. Soon about forty of the Rangers headed towards the area occupied by the natives, near what became Battle Creek in Marion County, Oregon
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
. This cavalry rode about 14 miles to the encampment and come upon the natives to the surprise of both parties. Soon a skirmish ensued and David Daily shot one of the natives. The Rangers soon retreated a short distance and then opened fire with their longer range rifles. After a short time the firing stopped and the two parties talked to each other. The natives were upset and angered by the seemingly unprovoked attack, and they denied any infractions against any of the settlers. There was no proof offered against them, so the Rangers offered a horse and some blankets as reparations for the injured native, who may have recovered. This was the only casualty of the skirmish. However, this poor judgment and action by the Rangers led to ridicule by fellow settlers and the company was disbanded.