Fort Dalles Records: Finding Aid mssFD
Gina C Giang
The Huntington Library
March 2020
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Fort Dalles records
Identifier/Call Number: mssFD
Physical Description:
22 Linear Feet
(18 boxes, 17 volumes, 3 rolls)
Date (inclusive): 1850-1885
Abstract: Fort Dalles was established in 1850 as
a supply depot for the United States Army on the Columbia River in Oregon. This collection
consists of official papers of the activities of the United States Army in the Pacific
Northwest, primarily in Oregon.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department.
For more information, contact Reader Services.
Conditions Governing Use
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Fort Dalles records, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from A.H. Blaker, March 1952.
Biographical / Historical
Fort Dalles was established in 1850 as a supply depot for the United States Army on the
Columbia River in Oregon. After the discovery of gold in 1855 at Fort Colville, Washington
Territory, Americans began to arrive in greater numbers and friction with the Native
Americans increased. During the Civil War the regular army was removed, and volunteer troops
from California, Oregon, and Washington took over the task of protecting the frontier
settlements. Although Fort Dalles was abandoned in 1866, Forts Simcoe, Vancouver, Yamhill,
and other military camps (whose records appear in this collection) were important centers of
military activity in the Pacific Northwest during the latter half of the nineteenth
century.
Scope and Contents
A collection of 3,070 items from 1850 to 1885, which consists of Fort Dalles official
records that document the activities of the U.S. Army in the Pacific Northwest, primarily in
Oregon from 1850 to 1885. The collection contains official correspondence, orders, post
returns, quartermaster reports, and two letter books largely for Fort Dalles, Oregon.
Subject matter in the collection includes the operation of Forts Dalles, Simcoe, Vancouver,
and Yamhill and also various Native American wars and campaigns, including the Yakima
expeditions from 1855 and 1858, the Snake/Shoshone campaigns from 1855 to 1864, the Modoc
War in 1873, the Nez Percé War, and the Bannock War in 1878. Significant persons represented
in the collection include John T. Apperson, Edward R.S. Canby, Chief Joseph, George B.
Currey, Oliver Otis Howard, Winfield Scott, and George Wright.
Processing Information
Processed by Huntington staff, circa 1960. In 2020, Gina C Giang created a finding aid
derived from a legacy summary report.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
General
Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssFD 1-1872.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bannock Indians Wars, 1878
Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon -- Dalles Region
Indians of North America -- Northwest,
Pacific
Indians of North America -- Wars --
1866-1895
Modoc War, 1872-1873
Shoshoni Indians -- Wars,
1863-1865
Yakama Indians -- Wars,
1855-1859
Dalles Region (Or.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Fort Dalles (Dalles, Or.) -- History -- 19th century --
Sources
Fort Simcoe (Wash.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Fort Yamhill (Or.) -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Vancouver Barracks (Wash.) -- History -- 19th century --
Sources
Orders (military records) -- Northwest, Pacific -- 19th
century
Apperson, John T., 1834-1917
Currey, George B.
Canby, Edward Richard Sprigg, 1817-1873
Howard, O.O. (Oliver Otis),
1830-1909
Joseph, Nez Percé Chief,
1840-1904
Scott, Winfield, 1786-1866
Wright, George, 1803-1865
United States. Army -- History -- 19th
century -- Sources
Box 3
1857 June 3-1858 January 28
Box 7
1863 May 11-1864 February
Box 13
1873 January 1-November 16
Box 16-18
1855-1873
Scope and Contents
Includes post returns, documents, invoices, returns, provision returns, Fort Walla
Walla, Washington, returns.
Volume 1-17
Order books, letter books, commissary book
