Military Transport
In the 1850s, the U.S. Army was engaged in forcing the First Nations to cede their dominion over the vast lands of the Oregon and Washington Territories and move on to reservations. The army maintained posts at Fort Vancouver, the Cascades, and The Dalles. In late 1855 orders arrived to move the army's main base up from the Cascades to the Dalles, to be closer to the anticipated area of war operations in the next campaign season. Movement on the river was completely halted by the severe winter in January 1856, when the Columbia froze from bank to bank from the Gorge on down well below the mouth of the Willamette. No river traffic moved anywhere on the river, even down to Astoria. When the river was finally clear enough of ice, Belle and another boat, the Fashion started moving the Army's equipment up from Fort Vancouver.
On March 26, 1856, a war party of the First Nations attacked the town at Upper Cascades, burned most the buildings, and laid siege to the blockhouse at Fort Cascades, in so doing killing 11 civilians and 3 soldiers. Word soon reached Fort Vancouver, where the detachment was under the command of Lt. (later Genl.) Philip H. Sheridan, who loaded his troopers on Belle and steamed upriver to the Cascades. Meanwhile, other troops were coming downriver on Mary from The Dalles, and arrived at Upper Cascades. There was some fighting for a day or two around the lower Cascades, during which Belle acted as ammunition and supply transport. Due to military blunders the troops were not able to trap the First Nations war party at the Upper Cascades who simply melted back into the forest.
Read more about this topic: Belle Of Oregon City (sidewheeler)
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