Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 724.
 
MAJOR N. A. CORNOYER

     a California pioneer of 1849 was born in Sinclair county, Illinois,
November 11, 1820, and is the only surviving son of Narcisse and Mary A.
(Bernier) Cornoyer, both of whom were natives of Canada, who came to the United
States in 1812. Soon after his arrival here the father of our subject took part
in the war and was with General Jackson at New Orleans, and was also in the
Black Hawk war. He died in 1841, at the age of sixty-six years. The mother of
our subject died in 1836, at the age of thirty-six.
     Our subject attended the common schools in Illinois and later was sent to
St. Mary's College in Missouri, where he finished his education. After his
return from school he engaged in clerking in a store and was then made Deputy
Sheriff of the county, which position he held for several years. In 1849 he was
one of the many young men stricken with the gold fever, but when he arrived in
California his wild experiences on the way had cooled his ardor somewhat and he
only remained a short time and came on to Oregon. Our subject settled in
Marion county and commenced farming and continued until 1852, when the Indians
became so troublesome that he was obliged to give up his farming interests and
went to defend his home, in the Rogue river war in 1852. In 1855-56 the Umatilla
Indians again made a break and our subject went out again, enlisting in the
First Oregon Mounted Volunteers as a private but was soon promoted to be Major
of his regiment.  He has seen some hard service in the Indian wars and is known
to history as the officer who captured Chief Peu-Peu-Mox-Mox.
      Upon this occasion he was out upon a scouting expedition and saw a band of
Indians, which he started to pursue, when the great warrior advanced with a
white flag and surrendered to the Major. Soon after the force under Major
Cornoyer engaged in battle with a hostile band of Indians and as the chief tried
to make his escape he was shot and killed by the guards. After the return of our
subject from the Indian wars he was elected Sheriff of Marion county and
was re-elected to the same office and then came to the mines of eastern Oregon,
where he engaged in trading and mining quartz, continuing for three years,
although he did not make this business successful. Finding it necessary to make
a new start in life he engaged as superintendent of farming on the Umatilla
reservation, under Major Banhardt, and worked for two years at the Umatilla
agency, and in 1871 he was appointed the Government agent there. He held that
position for four years, when he resigned, but was recalled and held the
position for four years more. He was considered a very useful and important man
there, possessing the power to influence the Indians, and at one time was able
to suppress an uprising and induce the Indians to believe that the soldiers were
there for their protection instead of their subjection, in this way saving many
innocent lives. Ever since coming to the county he has possessed the confidence
of the Umatillas, and to this day they go to him for advice and to show their
gratidude to him for the kind services rendered them; while agent they made him
a present of 160 acres of land, letting him choose it himself. He is now living
on this farm, improving it, and will soon prove up his right and get his deed.
Beside this 160 acres he has his old home farm of 200 acres.
     In 1851 Major Cornoyer married Miss Mary S. Bellegue, a native of Oregon,
born in 1830. Her father came to the State at an early day and married a half
breed, her grandmother being a full-blooded Indian squaw. Major and Mrs.
Cornoyer have had twelve children, but only five are yet living, as follows:
Mrs. E. J. Summerville, Mrs. Joseph Forrest, Mrs. Alexander Kirk, Mrs. Daniel
Kirk and the only son, G. F. Cornoyer, all owning farms in Umatilla county and
all prosperous. The Major is a member of the Oregon War Veterans, the only
secret society to which he belong. In his religious belief he is a Roman
Catholic. In politics he is a strong Republican, although reared a Democrat
until the breaking out of the war, when he changed his belief for that which he
now holds.

*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2009 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.