Letter

Geo. B. Currey to Samuel R. Curtis, May 3, 1864

HDQRS. EXPEDITION INTO THE INDIAN COUNTRY,

Camp No. 6, on Grande Ronde River, May 3, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I reached this camp, on Grande Ronde River, a: the eastern base of the Blue Mountains, on yesterday. I experienced no difficulty in crossing the Blue Mountains; had fair weather and much better roads than I expected before starting. Uma-how-lits (war chief of the Cayuse tribe) and ten of his warriors joined me at Lee’s encampment, on the Blue Mountains. They are fine-looking fellows, well mounted, and seem very anxious to return with some war trophies. I could have selected more Indians, but after making calculations concerning subsistence and the amount of transportation under my command, I did not deem it prudent to take more. I remained in camp to-day to permit the animals to rest and graze, as there was little feed upon the mountain. I start in the morning at 6 o’clock, my usual hour for commencing the day’s march.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. B. CURREY,
Captain, First Oregon Cavalry, Commanding Expedition.
Editor's Notes
From: Operations in Charleston Harbor, S.C., 1861. Summary: Captain Geo. B. Currey reports reaching Camp No. 6 on the Grande Ronde River after crossing the Blue Mountains and notes the joining of Cayuse warriors for his 1864 expedition into Indian territory.
Sources
The War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 1 View original source ↗