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The War of Griffin’s Pig: A Bibliography of the Anglo-American Northwest Boundary Dispute

John A. Drobnicki CUNY York College

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This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] The War of Griffin’s Pig: A Bibiiography of the Anglo-American Northwest Boundary Dispute

' John A. Drobnicki

Although the and Great Britain had signed the in 1846, which es- tablished America’s northwest boundary as the 49th parallel from the Rocky Mountains west to the channel separating from the mainland, in reality it did not settle their ongoing dispute. Specifically, there were differences in interpretation of the treaty regarding ownership of the , which lay in the middle of the aforementioned channel. The Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) had a fishing station and a sheep ranch on the largest of the islands, which itself was called San Juan (although the HBC referred to it as Bellevue Is- land). The United States, however, considered the islands to be part of the newly created Territory, and an early provocation occurred in 1855, when an American sheriff from Washington seized 35 Hudson’s Bay Company sheep as payment for “back taxes.” A Joint Boundary Commission met during 1857, but the boundary was not settled. The gold rush in the northwest had brought more settlers to the area, along with an increased pres- ence to protect them from Indian uprisings. The British, needless to say, considered the Amer- icans on San Juan to be squatters. Into this already tense situation stepped one American settier, Lyman A. Cutler (sometimes also spelled “Cutlar”), who was originally from . On ,1859, a frustrated arid an- noyed Cutler shot and killed a black pig that had repeatedly “trespassed” and eaten from his potato patch. He then went to the house of the pig’s owner, Charles Griffin, the Hudson com- pany agent on San Juan, and offered to pay $10 for the pig. Griffin informed Cutler that the pig was a prize breeder, rejected his offer, and demanded $100, which Cutler thought outrageous and refused to pay. The British wanted Cutler arrested and brought to Victoria for trial, but he refused to surrender. Thus began the so-called Pig War.'' Acting on his own authority and responding to pleas from American settlers. Brigadier Gen- eral William S. Harney, the commanding officer of the Pacific Coast forces, sent Captain George E. Pickett from the mainland along with a company of 50 men to establish a post on San Juan, while Vancouver’s governor. Sir , sent the frigate Tribune to Griffin Bay, where the American soldiers had made camp. (Pickett would later become a general in the Confederate army and lead the famous charge at Gettysburg.) By mid-August, the United States had nine companies there (over 400 men), along with eight cannon and over 100 civilians, while the British had eventually increased their forces to over 1,000 men, including five warships. On the brink of a shooting war, however, cooler heads prevailed. Captain Hornby, comman- der of the Tribune, resisted Douglas’ pressure to land troops and attack Pickett and was backed up by .Rear Admiral Baynes, commander of the British fleet in the Pacific. President , who had been surprised to learn of Harney’s actions, sent Lieutenant Gen- eral , the army chief of staff, to defuse the situation. After arriving in mid-Octo- ber, Scott (who had clashed with Harney during the Mexican War) met with both sides and negotiated a reduction in forces, leaving only one U.S. company there. Harney attempted to interfere with the agreed-upon joint occupation of 100 men for each side and was relieved of his command and reprimanded. The , of course, occupied America’s attention for the Bulletin of Bibliography Vol. 56, No. 2 next half decade, and when the United States and Britain negotiated the Treaty of Washing- ton in 1871 to settie outstanding ciaims between the two countries, they agreed to refer the San Juan issue to Kaiser Wilhelm I for arbitration. On 21 October 1872, the German emper- or’s decision placed the U.S. boundary to the west of the archipelago, giving the San Juan Is- iands to America, and the British withdrew their troops a month iater. Aithough the Pig War had lasted for over a decade, the total casualties consisted of one pig. The foliowing bibliography is limited to published materials about the Pig War itseif, including both primary materials and secondary sources, as well as some Internet sources and unpub- lished dissertations. It does not contain materials on the earlier boundary disputes over the Oregon Territory per se, aithough relevant material can be found in severai of the large collec- tions of documents. The manuscript and archival materials, which are principally located in the , can be accessed via the bibiiographies and notes in the published works.

NOTE

1. Historians have also used the phrase “Pig War” to refer to several other confrontations, including a dispute in 1841 between the Republic of and France's charge d’affaires there, as well as an economic dispute between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in 1906.

PRIMARY SOURCES Island; Accompanied by Map and Cross-Sections of Channels... Washington, DC: GPO, 1868. I. Memoirs/Documents ------. Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States. Over 350 vols. to date. Washington, Miller, David Hunter, ed. Northwest Water Boundary: DC: GPO, 1861- . Published annually since 1861, Report of the Experts Summoned by the German with slightly varying titles, this series presents the of- Emperor as Arbitrator under Articles 34-42 of the ficial documentary historical record of major U.S. Treaty of Washington of May 8, 1871, Prelimina^ to foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic His Award Dated October 21, 1872. Seattle: Univer- activities. sity of Washington Press, 1942. United States. North-West American Water Boundary. ------. Treaties and Other International Acts of the Maps Annexed to the Memorial and Reply of the United States of America. 8 vols. Washington, DC: United States' Government, Submitted to the Arbi- GPO, 1948. There are many relevant documents in tration and Award of His Majesty the Emperor of Vol. 8 (1858-1863), 281-448. Germany, under the Provisions of the Treaty of Moore, John Bassett, ed. History and Digest of the In- Washington, June 12, 1872. London: Harrison, ternational Arbitrations to Which the United States 1873.14 maps. Has Been a Party: Together with Appendices Con- United States. President. Message of the President of taining the Treaties Relating to Such Arbitrations, the United States Communicating. . . Information in and Historical and Legal Notes ori Other Interna- Relation to the Occupation of the Island of San tional Arbitrations Ancient and Modern, and on the Juan, in Puget Sound. 40th Congress, 2d session. Domestic Commissions of the United States for the Sen. Exec. Doc. No. 29,1868. Adjustment of International Claims. 6 vols. Wash- Wilson, Charles William. Mapping the Frontier: Charles ington, DC: pPO, 1898. Contains a section on “The Wilson's Diary of the Survey of the 49th Parallel, San Juan Water Boundary” in Vol. 1, 223-235, 1858-1862, While Secretary of the British Boundary which includes the background of the dispute, the Commission. Ed. George F. G. Stanley. Seattle: Uni- text of Kaiser Wilhelm’s decision, and several re- versity of Washington Press. 1970. lated documents. Peck, William A. The Pig War and Other Experiences of William Peck: Soldier 1858-1862, U.S. Army II. Newspapers of Engineers. San Juan Islands, Washington

Territory. ‘The Journal of William A. F^ck, Jr. Med- For contemporary newspaper accounts, researchers are

ford, OR: Webb Research Group, 1993. advised to consult (aside from the New York Times)

Richardson, James D. A Compilation of the Messages the British Co/on/sf (Victoria, V.I.: 1858-1860), which

and Papers of the Presidents Prepared under the Di- was continued by the Daily British Colonist rection of the Joint Committee on Printing, of the (1860-1866) and the Daily British Colonist and Victo-

House and Senate, Pursuant to an Act of the Fifty- ria Chronicle (1866-1872); and the Washington Second Cdngress of the United States.20 vols. New P/oneer (Olympia, WA: 1853-1854), which was con-

York: Bureau of National Literature, 1897. tinued by the Pioneer and Democrat (1854-1861), United States. Department of State. The Northwest The Overland Press (1861-1864), The Pacific Tri-

Boundary: Discussion of the Water Boundary Ques- bune (1864-1868), and The Weekly Pacific Tribune tion; Geographical Memoir of the Islands in Dispute; (1868-1879). See the cited article by Richard D. Ful- and History of the of San Juan ton for an excellent overview of the press war.

66 The War of Griffin’s^Ptg: A Bibliography

Internet at http://www.civmag.com/articles/C9812- SECONDARY SOURCES time.html. While this section is (hopefully) comprehensive in list- Gough, Barry . “British Policy in the San Juan Bound- ing the many sources specifically about the Pig Wat. it ary Dispute.” Pacific Northwest Quarteriy 62 (1971): includes only a small fraction of the many books about 59-68. the Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Vancouver, etc.) “The Great Pig War." Monkeyshines on America (Jan. and imperial rivalries. 1986): 15. Green, Lewis. “Yankees Go Home.” Saturday Evening Adams, George Rollie. “General William Selby Harney: Post 260 (Nov. 1988): 70-71.

Frontier Soldier, 1800-1889.” Ph.D. diss.. University Gregory, V. J. “Divided Waters.” Miiitary Review 44 (Feb. 1964): 87-96. of Arizona, 1983. Archer, Jules. Indian Foe, Indian Friend: The Story of ------. “T h e L a s t Sh o t .” Military Review 55 (Dec. William S. Harney. New York: Crowell-Collier Press, 1975): 49-55. Guterson, David. “Northwest Passage: The San Juans.” 1970. Bailey-Cummings, Jo, and Al Cummings. San Juan: The New York Times Magazine, 15 May 1994, S34. “Haller, Granville O.” In The Nationai Cyciopaedia of Powder-Keg Island. The Settler’s Own Stories. Friday

Harbor, WA: Beach Combers, 1987. Has chapters on American Biography. Vol. 11.1901; repr. Ann Arbor: “The War of the Pig” (33-56), “The Peaceful War University Microfilms, 1967,493.

Years” (57-90), and “The Encfof an Era” (91-98) and Haller, Granville Owen. The Dismissal of Major Granville O. Haller, of the Regular Army, of the intersperses excerpts from documents and reminis-

cences into the narrative. Also contains a useful list of United States by Order of the Secretary of War, in

commanding officers of the Americarv and British Speciai Orders, No. 331, of July 25th, 1863; Also, a Brief Memoir of His Miiitary Servipes, and a Few Ob- camps in an appendix, 181—182.

Ballaine, Wesley Charles. “Personalities in the Military servations. Paterson, NJ: Daily Guardian, 1863.

Occupation of .” Reserve Officer 15 Major (later ) Granville Haller was commander of the 4th Infantry. (Sept. 1938): 17-20. ______. “Reminiscences of the San Juan Island Im- Ballard, Dave. “Pig War Threatened.” Wiid West 2 (Apr. broglio.” Journal of the Military Service Institution of 1990):26-<33. Bave, Emelia L. San Juan Saga: A Unique History of the United States 25 (July 1899): 3 8-44. ------. San Juan and Secession: Possible Relation to the San Juan Islands and the Pig War Toid in Words

and Pictures from the Long-Running Histoiicai the War of the Rebeilion. Did General Harney Try to

Pageant. Rev. and enlarged 3d ed. Friday Harbor, Make Trouble with English to Aid the Conspiracy? A Carefut Review of His Orders and the Circumstances WA: Bave, 1976. Benson, C. C. “Pickett, George E.” In Dictionary of Attending the Disputed Possessions during the Year American Biography. Vol. 7, Part 2. Ed. Dumas Ma- 1859. [Tacoma?]: n.p., 1896; reprinted in Washing- ton State Geneaiogicat and Historicaf Review 1, no. lone. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1934, 570-571. 3(1983). Hawkins, R. S. “A Boundary Affair in the Far West.” Dallas. A. G. San Juan, Alaska, and the North-West Boundary. London: K. S. King and Co., 1873. Alexan- Royai Engineers Journal 98 (June 1984): 98-110.

der Dallas was one of the directors of the Hudson's Haydock, Michael D. “The San Juan Island’s ‘Pig War.’ ” Bay Company and Governor Douglas' son-in-law. American History 32 (Aug. 1997): 42 -4 6 ,5 4 .

Dawson, Will. The War That Was Never Fought. Howard, Kinsey. “Manifest Destiny and the

Princeton: Auerbach Publishers, 1971. British Empire’s Pig.” : The Magazine of Dunn, Jerry Camarillo, Jr. “War Games.” National Geo- Western History 5 (Autumn 1955); 19-23.

graphic Traveler 10(May-0une 1993): 108. Hunt. Herbert, and Floyd C. Kayler. Washington West Ebstein. Frederick H. “A Chapter of American History.” of the Cascades. Seattle: S. J Clarke, 1917.

Journal of the Military Service Institution of the Jordon, Mabel E. “The British on San Juan Island.” Canadian Geographical Journal 59 (July 1959): United States 12 (July 1891): 770-781. The author was a in the fast American garri- 14-19. son on San Juan before the British officially evacu- Kirzinger, Georg'e. “Pfg War Proves How Strange His- tory Can Be." Greensboro News & Record^ 10 June ated. Eisenhower. John S. D. Agent of Destiny: The Life and 1998, RIO. Times of General Winfield Scott. New York: Free Landes, Cheryl. “The San Juan Island Pig War.” Cana- Pf6SSi 1337 dian l/Vesf 10 (Summer 1994): 16-4 8. Long, John W., Jr. “The Origin and Development of the Fish, Andrew. “The Last Phase of the Oregon Bound-

ary Question The Struggle for San Juan Island.” San Juan Island Boundary Controversy.” Pacific A.M. thesis. University of Oregon, 1921; published in Northwest Quarterly 43 (July 1952): 187—213. ------. “The San Juan Island Boundary Controversy: A Quarterly of the Oiegon HistoriceJ Society 22 (Sept. Phase of 19th Century Anglo-American Relations.” 1921): 161-224. Fowler, Albert G. “The Other .” The Beaver 72 Ph.D. diss., Duke University, 1949. MacEwan, Grant. “Pig War on San Juan.” In Coyote (Dec. 1 9 9 2 -^ . 1993)r24-31.

Fulton, Richard D. “ ‘Consistent with Honor’: The Anglo- Music and Other Humorous Tales of the Early West,

American Press War over San Juan Island, 1859." by Grant MacEwan. Calgary; Rocky Mountain American F^riodtalsH (1993); 11-31. Books, 1993.

Goodheart, Adam. “For Want of a Pig...” Civilization 5 Magnuson. Warren G. “One-Shot Wat with England.” (Dec. 1998/Jan. 1999): 34-35. Also available on the American Heritage 11 (Apr. 1960); 6 2 -6 4 ,1 0 ^ 1 0 7 . Bulletin of Bibliography Voi. 56, No. 2

McCabe, J^mes O. The San Juan Island Boundary “Major General George E. Pickett”: http-J/www.ja- Question. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1964. vanet.com/~talosian/index.html. McElfresh, Douglas. “Spirit of Independence Can Still “The Pig War”: http://www.nps.gov/sajh/pig_war.htm. Be Felt in San Juan Islands." San Diego Union-Tri- “The Pig War of 1859”: http://spellbinder.dowco.com/ bune, 31 Aug. 1989, C4. pig.html. Part of the San Juan Island National Histor- McKay, Charles. “History of San Juan Island.” Wash- ical Park’s Web site. Also contains a valuable bibli- ington Historical Quarterly 2 (July 1908): 290-293. ography, particularly of unpublished manuscripts. McKay was a settler and blacksmith on San Juan Is- “The ‘Pig War,’ San Juan Island, 1859.” A reference bib- land. liography prepared by the U.S. Army Military History McKinney, John. “In a Pig’s Footsteps." Los Angeles Institute. Available on the Internet at http://carlisle- Times, 24 Oct. 1993, Sec. L, 21. www.army.mil/usamhi/refBibs/canada/pigwar.htm. Merk, Frederick. “The Oregon Pioneers and the Bound- “San Juan Historical Museum": http-J/www.sjmuseum. ary.” American Historical Review29 (1924): 681-699., org/museum 1.html. Miller, David Hunter. San Juan Archipelago: Study of “San Juan Island History and Photos”: http://www.fri- the Joint Occupation of San Juan Island. Bellows dayharbor.com/d-history.html. Falls, VT: Windham Press, 1943. “Wiiiiam Selby Harney.” A reference bibliography pre- Milton, William Fitzwilliam. A History of the San Juan pared by the U.S. Army Military History Institute. Water Boundary Question, as Affecting the Avaiiabie on the Internet at http-J/cariisie-www.army. of Territory between Great Britain and the United mil/usamhi/refBibs/biogs/harney.htm. States. London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, 1869. Murray, Keith A. The Pig War. Tacoma: Washington State Historical Society, 1968. HISTORIES OF THE HUDSON’S ------. “Pig War Letters: A Romantic Account of the BAY COMPANY San Juan Crisis.” Columbia 1 (Fall 1987): 11-20. Contains excerpts from letters written by Captain This section is by no means comprehensive but rather a Lewis C. Hunt to a Mrs. McBlair in New York. representative sample of the many books about the HBC. Neal, Harry E. “The Pig That Nearly Caused a War.” Army 24 (Feb. 1974): 39-^1. Morton, Arthur Silver. A History of the Canadian West to Nogaki, Sylvia Wieland. “U.S., Canada in Second Pig 1870-71: Being a History of Rupert's Land (the Hud- War.” Seattle Times, 26 Sept. 1989, F I, F6. son's Bay Company's Territory) and of the North- Owsley, Frank Lawrence. “Harney, William Selby.” In West Territory (Including the Pacific Slope). 2d ed. Dictionary of American Biography. Vol. 4, Part 2. Ed. Toronto: Published in cooperation with University of Allen Johnson and Dumas Malone. New York: Saskatchewan by University of Toronto Press, 1973. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1932,280-281. Newman, Peter Charies. Company of Adventurers. 3 “Queen Recalls the British Pig That Almost Caused a vols. New York: Viking, 1985-1991. War.” UPl wire service article, 7 Mar. 1983. ------. Empire of the Bay: An Illustrated History of the Raymond, Steve. “Charge Account: Exhibit Traces Hudson's Bay Company. New York: Viking Studio, Pickett’s Exploits.” Seattle Times, 28 Feb. 1995, E7. 1989. Reavis, L. U. The Life and Military Services of Gen. Rich, E. E. The History of the Hudson's Bay Company, William Selby Harney. St. Louis: Bryan, Brand, 1878. 1670-1870. 2 vois. London: Hudson’s Bay Record Richardson, David. Pig War Islands. Eastsound, WA: Society, 1958-59. Orcas, 1971. Tharp, Louise Hali. Company of Adventurers: The , W. N. Sir James Douglas. Toronto: Ryerson Story of the Hudson's Bay Company. Boston: Little, Press, 1930. Brown, 1946. Smith, Albert Goldwin. “Notes on the Problem of San Juan.” Pacific Northwest Quarterly, 31 (Apr. 1940): HISTORICAL PARK 181-186.

Tunem, Alfred. "The Dispute over the San Juan Island Thompson, Erwin N. San Juan Island National Histori-

Water Boundary.” Washington Historical Quarterly cal Park/Washington. Historic Resource Study se-

23 (Jan. 1932): 38-46; (Apr. 1932): 133-137; (July ries. Denver; Denver Service Center, National Park 1932): 196-204; (Oct. 1932): 286-300. Service, 1972.

Van Alstyne, Richard W. “International Rivalries in the United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Inte-

Pacific Northwest.” Oregon Historical Quarterly 46 rior and Insuiar Affairs. Establishing the San Juan Is- (1945): 185-218. land National Historical Park in the State of ------. “San Juan Island, Seizure of (July 1859).” In Washington, and for Qther Purposes. Report no.

Dictionary of American History. Vol. 6. Rev. ed. New 510. Washington, DC: GPO, 1965. York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1976, 214. ------. Subcommittee on Parks and Recreation. Pig

Woodbury, Chuck. “How One Pig Could Have Changed War National Historical Park. Hearing, Eighty-ninth

American History.” Out West, no. 15 (July 1991). Congress, first session, on S. 489, 17 April 1965.

Available on the Internet at httpy/vmw.outwestnews- Washington, DC: GPO, 1965. paper.com/ pigwars. html. FICTION WEB SITES Baker, Betty. The Pig War. Ilius. by Robert Lopshire. Fraley, Kevin. “The Pig War”: ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/ New York: Harper & Row, 1969. A chiidren’s picture pub/usgenweb/wa/sanjuan/military/ pigwar. txt. book based on the historical events.

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