| OCR Text |
Show - Eighty Years Ago England and United StatesWere States StatesWere StatesWere Were on the Verge of Another War-and War and War - and ItAll It ItAll ItAll All Was the Result of the of a Pif Pig ! I By ELMO SCOTT WATSONRelea WATSONneiea WATSON Relea ( ( < Relca neiea ed by Wcttern Weslern western Ne vspapcr vspaper Un on i ) iI iN N VIEW of the recent recentVISit recentvisit recentvisit HN IN I VISit of the King Kmg and andQueen andQueen andQueen Queen of England , with withall withall withall all the British American Amencan goodvlll goodwill good goodwill , will vlll which it is supposed to tohave tohave tohave have engendered it is inter mter- mter inter- mterestmg interesting interesting - esting estmg to recall that Just lust ] ust 80 80years 80years 80years years ago the two countnes countries countrieswho , who " , ho had been opponents intwo m in mtwo intwo two v . wars ars were on the verge vergeof vergeof vergeof of another And it all started startedWIth startedwith startedwith WIth a pig ' Of course , this ammal animal animalwhich , whIch was the property of a aBnton aBriton aBriton Bnton Briton was only a Imnor minor Imnoractor minoractor minoractor actor in m an the mternatIonal international mternatIonaldrama internationaldrama internationaldrama drama But its death at the thebands thehands thehands bands hands of an American proved provedto to be the first incident mCldent in m a acham achain achain cham chain of events which , for a atune atime atime tune time , seemed to be leadmg leading leadmgmevItably leadinginevitably leadinginevitably mevItably inevitably to hostilities hoshhhes The ThecrIsIs Thecrisis Thecrisis crIsIs came about in m tIllS this tIllSmanner thismanner thismanner thismannerDuring manner mannerDurmg mannerDuring During Durmg the 10 years which fol followed followed followed lowed the close of the MexIcan MexIcanwar Mexicanwar Mexicanwar war the rapid settlement of CalI Cab CalIiorma Cabiornia Calllornia iorma iornia and the Oregon country by bythe bythe bythe the Americans Amencans resulted in m consld consid conslderable considerable considerable erable friction fnctlon be between beeen \\een een \ \ them and andthe andthe andthe the English residents of the Pa Paclfic Pacific Pacific clfic cific NorthwestSo Northwest orth\vest orth vest orthvestSo \ So it came about that San Juan JuanIsland Juanisland Juanisland Island which whuch hes lIes off the coast of ofthe ofthe ofthe the present state of Washmgton Washington Washmgtonand Washingtonand Washingtonand and over which the Hudson s Bay Baycompany Baycompany Baycompany company asserted a propnetary proprietary propnetaryfIght proprietaryright proprietaryright fIght right became a reason for dls dis dlspute dispute dispute pute \ when hen some American farm farmers farmers farmers ers and small - n-erchants n erchants merchants - some some25 25 m in number settled there firm firmm firmin firmin m in the belief that it belonged to tothe tothe tothe the United Umted States DIsagreements Disagreementsover over the most trifling trIflmg things thmgs arose arosealmost arosealmost arosealmost almost immediately It is Impos ImpossIble impossable impossible sIble sable to say who was most to toblame toblame toblame blame for the bad feeling that thatsprang thatsprang thatsprang sprang up between bet\\een bet een \ the arrogant arrogantHudson arrogantHudson arrogantHudson Hudson s Bay men and the trucu truculent truculent truculent lent Americans But affairs grad gradually gradually gradually ually drifted from bad to worseFmally worseFinally worse worseFinally Finally Fmally one spring sprmg morning mornmg m in m1859 1859 a certain certam L E Cutter an anAmerIcan anAmerican anAmerican AmerIcan found a pig belongmg belonging belongingto belongmgto to the Hudson s Bay company companyrootIng companyrooting companyrooting rootIng in m an his hiscornfield . -cornfield cornfield .comfield comfield - In the thefirst thefirst thefirst first flush of his has anger he shot shotthe shotthe shotthe the beast then decided he had hadacted hadacted hadacted acted too hastily So he went to tothe tothe the local H B C agent and of offered offered offered fered to pay him the value of the thepIg thepig thepig pIg His offer was refused and andwhen andwhen andwhen when the matter was reported to toSupermtendent toSuperintendent toSuperintendent Supermtendent Superintendent Dallas at Victoriaon Vlctonaon Vlctona Victoria on Vancouver island Dallas 1m am 1mmedIately ammediately immediately medIately hastened to San Juan JuanIsland Juanisland Juanisland Island and threatened to arrest arrestCutter arrestCutter arrestCutter Cutter and take tahe him back to VIC VICtOrIa Victoria Vietona tOrIa for trial under British law ' ' No Arrest for 111m Him 111mOf Himof HimOf Of course such a threat was a a"erItable averitable averitable "erItable erItable veritable " red rag to the Amen Amencan Amencan Amencan can He seized his rifle and told toldDallas toldDallas toldDallas Dallas that if he tried to make makean makean makean an arrest heould he \ - would \\-ould ould suffer the thesame thesame thesame same fate as the - - BrItIsh BrItIshpig Britishpig Britishpig pig Dallas was : . bufRciently .ufficlently ufficlently sufficiently 1m im 1mpressed impressed impressed pressed by Cutter s determmed determined determinedair determmedaIr aIr so that he hastily returned to toVictOrIa toVictoria toVictoria toVictoriaMeanwhile VictOrIa VictOrIaMeanwhIle Meanwhile the other AmerIcans Americanson on the island sent a message to tothe tothe tothe the military commander of the thedepartment thedepartment thedepartment department of the Columbia at atFort atFort atFort Fort Vancouver Wash telling tellmg of ofthe ofthe ofthe the indignities mdlgmtIes indagmties they had sui suf suifered suffered suffered fered at the hands of the H B C Cagents Cagents Cagents agents including mcludIng Dallas threat to toarrest toarrest toarrest arrest Cutter and demandIng demandIngthat demandingthat demandingthat that their government give gave them themprotectIon themprotection themprotection protectIon The department com corn commander cornmander cornmander mander was Brig Brag Gen WIllIam WilliamS S Harney a successful IndIan IndIanfighter Indianfighter Indianfighter fighter and typical hard boiled of officer officer officer ficer of the old army Also he hewas hewas hewas was a man accustomed to actmg acting actmgpromptly actingpromptly actingpromptly promptly if of not always wIselySo wiselySo wisely wiselySo So without waiting wanting \ aItmg to consult consultlus consulthis consulthis lus his superiors m in the war depart department department department ment Harney ordereda ordered a company companyof companyof of infantry to San Juan island to toprotect toprotect toprotect protect the inhabitants mhabltants from thedepredations the thedepredations depredatIons of the northern In Indlans In Indeans Indians dlans deans troubhngthem troublIngthem who had been troublIng them protection to afford adequate protec tIon to the American cit Clt zens m an mtheir antheir intheir their rights as such Also to toresist toresist toresist resist all attempts at mterference interference mterferenceby interferenceby interferenceby by means of force or mtImldatIon intimidation intimidationin mtImldatIonm m in the controversies of the above- above abovementIoned abovementioned above-mentioned above mentioned - - mentIoned parties by the BntIsh British BntIshauthorItIes Britishauthorities Britishauthorities authorItIes residing on Vancouver VancouverIsland Vancouverisland Vancouverisland Island IslandAccordmgly islandAccordingly Accordingly Accordmgly on July 27 1859 1859Company 1859Company 1859Company Company D of the Ninth mth Umted United UmtedStates UnitedStates UnitedStales States infantry commanded by Capt byCapt George E Pickett landed landedon on bythe San Juan island welcomed by the huzzas of the Americans on onthe onthe onthe the disputed terrain terram ImmedIate Immediately ly afterwards Captain Pickettshowing PIckett PIckettshoWIng Pickettshowing diplomatic dIplomatlc shoWIng a fine disregard for dip dIp- - . lomatic lomatlc amenities amemtles Issueda issued a proc lamatlOn lamatton proclamation proclamatlOn proclamatton placing placmg the island un der under the jurisdiction Iurasdiction of the Umted United UmtedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States Then he selecteda selected a good gooddefensive goodd"fenslve goodd'fensave d"fenslve dfenslve d'fensave dfensave " ' position for his campwIth campwith camp campwith with a view to the establIshment establishmentof of a force of five or six sax compa compames companies compames mes nies for a lon long stayOf stayof stay stayOf Of course the news of his has ac actIon actton action tIon tton was carried carrIcd to the BrItIsh BrItIshat Britishat at Victoria immediately unmedlately and an.d . It Itcaused itcaused itcaused caused Everyone a great stir there Every one from Sir James Douglas Douglasgovernor Douglasgovernor Douglasgovernor governor of the crown colony of olBritish ofBrItish BrItish Columbia down to the thelowhfst thelow11Pst theIowliost low11Pst Iowliost citizen declared that I VANCOUVER VANCOUVER VANCOUVERISLAND VANCOUVERISLAND ISLAND ISLANDBELLINGNAM ( BELLINGNAM ) a aVICTORIA VICTORIA VICTORIASAN SAN JUAN JUANISLAND ISLAND ISLANDa ISLANDWASHINGT . " , a WASHINGTON WASHINGT ON ONSEATTLE ( SEATTLE ) Li Capt Pickett s action was not notonly notonly notonly only a violation Vloatlon violataon ] of the treaties be between between between tween the United Umted States and andGreat andGreat andGreat Great Britain in m regard to settle settlement settlement settlement ment of disputes over title to the thenorthwestern thenorthwestern thenorthwestern northwestern country but all m in maU inall inall aU all it was a most unheard of pro proceedmg proceeding proceedmg proceedmgSir ceedmg ceeding ceedmgSir ceedingSir Sir James Douglas had at hIS hISdIsposal hisdisposal hisdisposal dIsposal enough troops to sweep sweepthe sweepthe sweepthe the insignificant mSlgmficant little Amertcan American Amertcanforce Americanforce Americanforce force into mto the sea and if il the Yan Yankees Yankees Yankees kees were foolish foohsh enough to re re51St resist resist 51St sist they would jolly lolly well deserve deservethe deservethe deservethe the treatment that they got etc etcetc etcetc etcetc etc , etc All of which was duly dulyreported dulyreported reported to Captain Captam Pickett who whocalmly whocalmly cplmy calmly ] went ahead putting puttmg hIS hIScamp hiscamp hiscamp camp in orderBritish order orderBritish , British Warship Warslup Appears AppearsOn AppearsI AppearsOn AppearsOn I On July 30 his lus orderly told hIm hImthat himthat himthat that a ship was in m sight and at atthe atthe the same time handed him a let letter letter ter When Pickett stepped out of ofhis ofhis his tent he saw a British warshIp warshIpbearmg warshipbearing warshipbearing bearmg bearing down upon the island It Itwas Itwas Itwas was the Tribune a 31 gun fng frig fngate frigate frigate ate from the naval station at Es EsqUlmalt Esquimalt Esquimalt qUlmalt quimalt near VIctOriaThIS VictoriaThis Victoria VictoriaThis This looked loohed as though the BrIt BrItIsh Britash British Ish ash really meant to make good goodtheir goodtheir goodtheir their threats But Pickett was wasundaunted wasundaunted wasundaunted undaunted by this show of force forceOrdermg forceOrdering forceOrdering Ordermg Ordering his men to run theIr theIronly theironly theironly only piece of artillery a lIttle lIttleSI littlesin littlesix SI sin pounder to a place where It Itcould itcould itcould could s-w s w S\\ Seep sweep \ - , eep the islands island s only onlywharf onlywharf onlywharf wharf he instructed mstructed his force of of66 66 men to stand to arms ready readyfor readyfor readyfor for instant mstant actIonBut actionBut action actionBut But suddenly the sails salls of the theTrIbune theTribune theTribune TrIbune TrIbuneere were \\ere ere Acre \ furled and she shedropped shedropped dropped anchor broadside on a ashort ashort ashort short distance off shore There Thereshe Thereshe she lay grim and forebodmg foreboding forebodmgwhIle forebodingwhile forebodingwhile whIle Pickett seeing seemg that no 1m am 1mmediate ammediate immediate mediate trbubleas trouble trbuble \ was \\as as vvas \ lIkely lake'y lakey like ' tore toreopen toreopen toreopen open the envelope the orderl orderly ) had hadhanded hadhanded hadhanded handed him ham In it was a letter letterfrom letterfrom letterfrom from the agent of the Hudson s sBay sBay sBay Bay company informing mformmg him that thatSan thatSan thatSan San Juan island belonged to thei theT the i T 4 4'P 'P P 'Pav ' av Y al alF F . 1'r 1r ' \ 'company company ' company and ordering ordermg him to toleave toleave toleave leave immediately If he did not notthe notthe notthe the letter said the company companywould companywould companywould would appeal to the cIvilauthon cavilauthora civil cavil authon authora authontIes authoraties authonties tIes at Victoria to force him ham to go goThe The captain captam wrote a letter In an Inreply anreply inreply reply in v . which Ahach hch ! he denied the ngJ-t ngJ t ragit ngJtof ragitof ngrtof - of the Hudson s Bay company to todictate dictate his has course of action pomt point pomted pointed pointed ed out that he was there upon uponorders uponorders uponorders orders from his government and andaffirmed andaffirmed andaffirmed affirmed his has intention mtentIon of staymg staying staymguntil stayinguntil stayinguntil until he was recalled by the same sameauthonty sameauthority sameauthority authonty authority Then he wrote a re report report report port of what had happened to Ho.rney Horney Harney toHomey toHo.rney toHarney . and ended it at wItha with a re request request request quest for a supply ofmdow of \/mdow mdow window windowsashes \ / windowsashes mdowsashes sashes and doors which he said saidwere saidwere saidwere were needed to make his has men mencomfortable mencomfortable mencomfortable comfortable during the autwnn autumn autwnnand autumnand autumnand and winter wmterl wmterlOn 1 ! 1On On August 3 two more BrItIsh BritishAarships Britishwarships Aarships \ arshlp ! > dropped anchor along alongside alongside alongside side theSatellite the Tribune They were the Satellite 21 guns and the Plump Plumper . . er 10 guns Pickett s only re response response response sponse to this blggelj biggei bigger ; threat was wasto to bring brmg up two mouitain mou'1tam mou1tam mouvtain ' howItz howItzers howitzers howitzers ers place them beside his has SIX SIXpounder sixpounder sixpounder pounder and train tram them on the theshIps theships theships shIps shIps'lhereupon shipsthereupon hereupon 'lhereupon lhereupon thereupon 1 ' Cap Captain tam Hornby the thesemor thesenior thesenior semor senior British naval officer m in mvlted invoted mvited vlted voted the American Amencan captain captam to tocome tocome tocome come aboard the Tribune for a aconference aconference aconference conference on this matter of who whoowned whoowned whoowned owned San Juan island Pickett declined declmed the invitation mVltatIon but askedthe asked askedthe : the three naval captains to a con conTerence conference ; ference Terence in m his camp His mvIta invita invitation mvitation I ItIon tIon was accepted and the BntIsh British Britishofficers Britishofficers . officers demanded that the Urnt Unit Urnted United United ed States troops be wIthdrawnWhen withdrawnWhen withdrawn withdrawnWhen When Pickett declined declmed to do dothat dothat dothat that they next proposed that thattroops thattroops thattroops troops of both nations occupy the theIsland theisland theisland Island jointly Jomtly lointly Pickett refused to toaccept toaccept toaccept accept any such arrangement and andadded andadded andadded added that |
