San Juan Island Dispute (Pig War)
In 1846 US and Great Britain signs the Treaty of Washington which set the northern boundary, of the US, at the 49th parallel. This treaty recognized only one channel that passes through the San Juan Islands. However, there were 2 channels and depending on how one interprets the treaty gave the Islands to either country. (The Islands were first claimed by the British and were used primarily to raise sheep)
Between 1856 and 1857 US forces begin to build forts to protect white settlers from Indian raids around the Puget Sound region.
On June 15, 1859 Lyman Cutler shots and kills a Hudson's Bay Company boar, on the San Juan Islands. Reason are many for this action but basically US settlers didn't like the British and wished the Islands to be part of the US.
On July 9 Gen. William Harney pays a courtesy call to the governor of Vancouver's Island and learned about the shooting of the boar. Harney then went on to the Islands and instructed the settlers to petition for military protection against Indian raids.
Several days later Harney orders Capt. George Pickett to the Islands to protect against the raids and to prevent arrest of any American by British authorities. Capt. Pickett and Company D, 9th Infantry lands at Griffin Bay on July 27.
On July 30th the British had moved 2 warships to the Islands with orders to land their marines and drive off the American.
On August 10th Company I, 4th Infantry, under the command of Maj. Granville Haller lands under the cover of fog. Other US troops also landed at this time. At the height of the conflict the US had 461 troops and the British had 5 warships and 2140 troops.
On September 3 the British ambassador, in Washington, DC received information about the shooting of the boar. He then went to the US Secretary of State and was assured that Harney had acted on his own and that the American government had no prior knowledge of it. President James Buchanan then orders his Assistant Secretary of War to warn Harney against any further action.
President Buchanan then ordered Gen. Winfield Scott to go to the Pacific Northwest and put Harney in check. Gen. Scott arrived at Ft. Vancouver on October 20th. While there he meet with both Harney and Pickett. Harney protested Scott's visit and Pickett informed Scott that all was quiet around the Islands.
By October 25th Scott arrived at Ft. Townsend and made it his official headquarters. He then proceed to exchange correspondence with the British governor in which it was agreed that a joint occupation of the Islands was the best for the protection of both nations citizens from Indian raids.
With this agreement Scott ordered Col. Silas Casey, senior commander of US forces in the Puget Sound region, to remove all US troops except for one company. The new officer in charge of US troops in the Islands would be Capt. Lewis Hunt, Company C, 4th Infantry. Scott left the area on November 9th.
Harney waited until Scott was back in Washington before he reversed the agreement. He ordered Lewis off the Islands and Pickett back on. Pickett was also ordered to turn over the Islands to the government of Whatcom County. When President Buchanan heard of this he again told the British government that Harney had acted on his own and that they wish to proceed with the plan worked out by Gen. Scott.
In a letter dated June 8, 1860 Harney was relived of command and was ordered to turn command of the District of Oregon, Department of the Pacific over to the next senior officer. The Pig War was over.
Because of the Civil War and events in Europe it wasn't until November 20, 1868 that the US and British governments agreed to let the King of Prussia decide who owned the Islands.
On October 21, 1871 the Prussian decision was published and on November 8 the British Admiralty issued orders to get their troops off American territory.
NAMES OF U.S. GARRISON COMMANDERS
July 1859 - August 1859 Capt. George E. Pickett
August 1859 - October 1859 Lt. Col. Silas Casey
October 1859 - November 1859 Capt. Granville O. Haller
November 1859 - April 1860 Capt. Louis C. Hunt
April 1860 - July 1861 Capt. George E. Pickett
July 1861 - November 1861 Capt. Thomas C. English
November 1861 - February 1862 1st Lt. Augustus Robinson
February 1862 - October 1865 Capt./Maj. Lyman Bissell
October 1865 - June 1867 Capt. Thomas Grey
June 1867 - July 1868 Maj. Harvey A. Allen
July 1868 - September 1868 Capt. Thomas Grey
September 1868 - November 1868 Capt. Azor H. Nickerson
November 1868 - January 1869 2nd Lt. John P. Peterson
January 1869 - January 1872 Capt. Joseph T. Haskell
January 1872 - September 1872 1st Lt. E.B. Hubbard
September 1872 - July 1874 1st Lt. James A. Haughey
OFFICIAL NAMES OF THE AMERICAN ENCAMPMENT
July 1859 - August 1859 Military Post, San Juan Island
August 10, 1859 - May 1863
Camp Pickett
June 1863 - September 1865 San Juan Island
October 1865 - February 1867 U.S. Forces on San Juan Island
March 1867 - November 23, 1868 Camp Steele
November 23, 1868 - July 1874 Camp San Juan Island
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