Oregon Rangers - Formation

Formation

On March 4, 1844, a Molala or Clackamas Native American tribal member named Cockstock attacked and killed two settlers. One of these settlers was George LeBreton, Recorder for the Provisional Government. In response to this attack, the government met March 9 to authorize the formation of a militia. Thus the first militia in Oregon was formed on March 23, 1844 under the command of Thomas Dove Keizur, and called themselves the Oregon Rangers. A total of 25 men enlisted in the group including Webley John Hauxhurst, Isaac Hutchens, John B. Keizer, Lindsay Applegate, William Henry Gray, John Ford, and Daniel Waldo among others. This group could be called into service by any of the officers of the company or by any of the members of the Provisional Government’s Executive Committee. The government never called the group to action as the excitement from the Comstock incident had since calmed down.

Two years later the Oregon Rangers were revived. This group formed in May 1846 with a meeting at Daniel Waldo’s farm. The group drew up an agreement between the participants to create a mounted rifle company. The agreement reads in part:

“That we, as citizens of said territory, in pursuance of this duty, forthwith organize ourselves into a company of mounted riflemen, and pledge ourselves to abide by such rules, regulations and laws as may be adopted by a majority of the company.

"Resolved, That this company shall be called “The Oregon Rangers.””

With the creation, they selected the officers of the company as follows: Captain Charles Bennett, First Lieutenant A.A. Robinson, Second Lieutenant Isaac Hutchins, Third Lieutenant Hiram English, orderly sergeant Thomas Holt, second sergeant Thomas Howell, third sergeant S.C. Morris, fourth sergeant William H. Herron, first corporal P.C. Keizer, second corporal Robert Walker, third corporal B. Frost, fourth corporal John Rowe. The company totaled 45 men for the militia. They then drilled each Saturday at Waldo’s farm in the Waldo Hills east of the defunct Methodist Mission. Many in the group had some military experience, including Bennett and Holt who had been in the Seminole War as dragoons.