An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, 1902
published by Western Historical Publishing Company

Richard M. Garrett, Modoc War veteran

Born in Sheridan county, Missouri, on June 10, 1834, he grew to early manhood there, acquiring a common school education. When he became nineteen he yielded to the promptings of his ambitious and daring spirit, which were summoning him westward, and came out to Oregon. The next year he journeyed southward to California, where he was engaged in freighting and packing into various mining camps in the mountains for the ensuing eleven years, and during that time he participated in the Modoc war, serving under General Crosby as a member of Captain Ballard's company. In 1864 he returned to Oregon and engaged in packing from Umatilla landing to various points in Idaho and Montana. In 1868 he settled on Powder river, where for a period of two years he followed trapping and hunting, afterward taking a quarter section of land about ten miles south of Baker City, and engaged in farming and stock raising. To this dual occupation he has devoted his energies assiduously ever since, though his present home consists of a quarter section other than that on which he first settled, but close to it. He carries hay and vegetables, and keeps about forty head of cattle and sixty heads of horses.

In Baker county, on April 2, 1876, our subject married Miss Louisa Hart, a native of England.

During the Modoc war, above referred to, Mr. Garrett endured many hardships, and his company sustained severe losses in several of the engagements in which it participated.

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