USA > Idaho > The history of Idaho > Part 3
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Things continued in this unsatisfactory condition until 1842, when Dr. White came to Oregon with other emigrants. The Doc- tor held some kind of a commission from the U. S. government as an Indian Agent. He was expected to treat and keep peace with the Indians, but he had no troops for protection and neither money nor goods to satisfy the Indians. In the meantime, Dr. Whitman had received orders from the head mission in Boston to abandon his missionary post. After talking the matter over with Dr. White, he concluded that by going east he might induce the government to render some needed assistance in the way of furnishing troops for protection and means to pay the Indians for their claims to the land. He also believed the home mission in Boston would be willing to pay for at least a part of the land. So he lost no time in pre- paring for the trip overland. William Geiger was placed in charge of the mission and Mrs. Whitman also remained at the mission.
It seems almost impossible to imagine how Dr. Whitman could leave his wife at that dangerous place and undertake such a long, hard trip. But Dr. Whitman was a brave, good man and believed it his duty to go and plead for the white settlers of the west.
On October 3rd, 1842, accompanied by A. L. Lovejoy, an Amer- ican, and two or three half-breed guides, he started on his long journey. They crossed the Blue Mountains via old Fort Hall and His-2
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Fort Benton to Santa Fe. At Santa Fe Lovejoy and the guides stopped and Whitman joined a trading company going to St. Louis. He arrived at St. Louis in March, 1843, and hurried on to Washing- ton. There he found that he was not alone in his desire to help the western settlers. Petitions had been pouring in to Congress from Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and other States, insisting upon the United States taking the necessary steps to occupy Oregon. When Dr. Whitman learned what influence had been brought to bear on Con- gress, and without success, he began for the first time to realize how hopeless it was for him to plead for aid for Oregon.
His mission in Washington resulting in a failure, he turned to the home mission in Boston. From there he received the discouraging answer: "If you cannot protect yourself and make your missionary post self-sustaining, abandon it." This was certainly cold comfort and enough to discourage any man. But Dr. Whitman with his in- domitable will, determined not to give up. He went to his old home in New York and from the sale of a small amount of property which he had left there when he first went West, managed to get enough money to buy an outfit for himself and a nephew to return to Oregon. They started out alone with saddle and pack horses. At the Platte River they overtook some emigrants and traveled with them to his mission near where Walla Walla now stands.
In the meantime, all had not been serene at the mission. The Indians had made a raid on the mission and burned the grist mill and some other buildings. Mrs. Whitman, Mr. Geiger and the other occupants of the mission had made their escape under cover of the night through the bushes to the Hudson Bay fort at Wallula on the Columbia River. The Hudson Bay Company took them in and later furnished them transportation to the Methodist mission at The Dalles, where Mrs. Whitman remained until her husband re- turned the following year.
About the time this raid was made, the Nez Perce Indians at Lapwai showed hostile demonstrations towards Rev. Spalding and his wife. Indian Agent White, hearing of this trouble, called to- gether some of the influential citizens who were well known to the Indians. Several of these men belonged to the Hudson Bay Com- pany. These men went to the Whitman mission first, but the In- dians would not talk with them. They then proceeded to the Lapwai mission, and after several days council with the head chiefs, suc- ceeded in getting them to agree to keep peace with the whites.
Agent White is certainly entitled to great credit for his manage- ment of this affair, and all the men with him well deserve our praise. It is a well-known fact that on such occasions the Indians expect presents and a promise of more in the future. Agent White did
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CAPTAIN WYETH'S EXPEDITIONS
not have the means to make contributions. However, it seems he had in some way managed to secure about fifty garden hoes and some medicine, and these he left to be distributed among the In- dians after making the peace treaty. These presents were to be given by Mr. Spalding to the Indians who would work. This pleased the Indians very much.
. After the treaty they had a feast and smoked the pipe of peace. The agent and his men then returned to the Whitman mission and after much talk, the Cayuse Indians finally gave their pledge to keep peace with the Americans.
On the return of the agent to The Dalles, he found there had been some disturbance at this agency with the Indians. After a four days' conference with these Indians, he finally persuaded them to agree to keep peace with the Americans. Other disturbances be- tween the Indians and the missionaries at Astoria were settled by Agent White.
It is wonderful how Agent White succeeded in quieting these dis- turbances when we consider he was not provided with either money or protection to enforce his will. He seems to have been a man of wonderful resources and equal to every emergency.
About the first of October, 1843, Dr. Whitman arrived at the Whitman mission. The only encouragement he had received for his long, hard trip was the large number of emigrants who had come to Oregon that year. At least eight or nine hundred people had come to the far western country. Of these about two hundred and sixty-five were men. The majority of these emigrants would rest for a while at the Whitman mission and then move on to the Willamette Valley. The Doctor failed to induce any of them to settle at his mission. He remained, however, at his post of duty in spite of the danger from hostile Indians and many other difficulties. Rev. Spalding also still worked faithfully at his mission in Lapwai.
As we intended to give only a brief history of Oregon, we will now pass rapidly on.
CHAPTER IV.
SETTLEMENT OF THE BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN-CAYUSE WAR-MURDER OF DR. WHITMAN- MEEK'S TRIP TO WASHINGTON-CONGRESS PASSES ACT ORGANIZING OREGON TERRITORY-JOSEPH LANE APPOINTED GOVERNOR-JO- SEPH MEEK APPOINTED U. S. MARSHAL-ARRIVAL AT OREGON CITY.
Early in the year 1846, a treaty was made between Great Britain and the United States. This treaty gave to the United States all land south and west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast, between the 42nd and the 49th parallels, except the holdings of the Hudson Bay Company and the holdings of the Puget Sound Agri- cultural Company, with an agreement that the United States might purchase these holdings in the future if they desired. This treaty was concluded at Washington, D. C., June 15, 1846, was ratified by the Senate June 18, 1846, approved by the President June 19, 1846, and proclaimed August 5, 1846. (See Revised Statutes of the United States, pages 320, 321 and 322, Articles I, II, III and IV.)
July 1, 1863, a treaty of agreement was made by the United States with Great Britain to purchase the Hudson Bay Company's and the Puget Sound Agricultural Company's land holdings, at a valuation to be fixed by the commissioners. This, however, was not done until September 10, 1863. (See pages 346, 347 and 348, Re- vised Treaties of the United States.) The value of the Hudson Bay Company's property was fixed at four hundred and fifty thousand dollars gold coin, and the holdings of the Puget Sound Agricultu- ral Company's at two hundred thousand dollars. One-half of these amounts was to be paid in one year, and the remainder to be paid in two years from the date of the award. So it was some time be- fore all British claims were extinguished in the Northwestern Ter- ritory. The old Hudson Bay fort at Vancouver was, however, oc- cupied by the United States several years before this final adjust- ment was made.
We must now turn our attention to the emigration to Oregon and the troubles with the Indians there.
Emigrants still continued to come overland to Oregon in consid- erable numbers. No disturbance of any great importance occurred until the fall of 1847. That year many of the emigrants who came had the measles. The Indians contracted this disease and many of them died, owing to their custom of taking cold water baths while having a high fever. In vain Dr. Whitman remonstrated with them
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BOUNDARY LINE SETTLED
and tried to relieve them with proper remedies, but they would not heed his advice. The cold water baths were continued, resulting in the death of many of the Indians. The good Doctor and his wife were unceasing in their efforts to assist the sick Indians. There were also at this time about sixty emigrants at the mission who ex- pected to spend the winter there. This also seemed to arouse the anger of the Indians, and they began accusing the Doctor and his wife of bringing people there to take their land and of poisoning the Indians so that the white men could have the land.
On the afternoon of the 29th of November, 1847, while Doctor and Mrs. Whitman were attending the sick in their home, and sev- eral of the white men stopping there were dressing a beef which they had killed, a number of Cayuse warriors came upon them and perpetrated one of the most fearful massacres of innocent, defence- less people. They killed Dr. Whitman and his wife and eleven of the men and boys. Two young girls who were sick upstairs were left uncared for until they died, making a total of fifteen innocent people murdered. About thirteen people escaped by running to the brush and hiding. They gradually made their way to the Hudson Bay Company's fort at Wallula, where they were kindly treated. A few of those who escaped, made their way to the Lapwai mission. The remainder of the people at the Whitman mission, about thirty- four in number, mostly women and girls, were taken prisoners and treated in a most heartless manner.
While this cruel work was going on at the Whitman agency, Dr. Spalding of the Lapwai agency was down the Umatilla River on some business and did not hear of the massacre until the next day. He managed to elude the Cayuse Indians by leaving his horse and taking to the brush, hiding in the daytime and traveling at night. Without food, sore-footed and worn, he finally reached Snake River, near where Lewiston now stands. Here he met a few friendly Nez Perce Indians who set him across the river. These Indians told him that his wife and children had been removed from the mission but they could not or would not tell him where. So he went on, not knowing where to find them. Finally he was overtaken by two friendly Nez Perce squaws on horseback, who told him that his wife and children had been taken to William Craig's place several miles away and were safe. Mr. Spalding was nearly worn out, starved and foot-sore, having had to throw away his old boots. One of the squaws, seeing his pitiable condition, allowed him to ride be- hind her and took him safely to his wife and children.
Mr. Craig, who had protected Mrs. Spalding and her children, was a good and intelligent white man who had come into the Nez Perce country some years before. His wife was a half-breed woman.
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
The Indians seem to have liked Mr. Craig and his wife and wanted him to settle among them. He and his wife were very kind to Mr. Spalding and family and took care of them until at last the Indians consented to their leaving the ranch and returning to the white settlement.
As soon as the news of the Whitman massacre reached Fort Van- couver, James Douglas, who was then in command (Dr. McLough- lin having resigned some time before), sent a special messenger to Governor Abernathy at Oregon City informing him of the mas- sacre and also that Peter Skean Ogden, second in command of the Hudson Bay Company, would leave Fort Vancouver as soon as pos- sible with a small party of men for the scene of the massacre. The legislature of the Provisional Government was called in session im- mediately and Governor Abernathy stated to them what had oc- curred. The government was without money and no place to bor- row. There were no United States troops, no organized militia and but few men who could be spared from the other settlements, for all had to constantly guard their homes lest the Indians should come upon them at any time. They had neither arms nor ammunition, excepting what the emigrants had brought across the plains, and yet in spite of all these adverse conditions, the legislature with the assistance of the women of Oregon did devise ways and means to equip a company and start them out the second day after receiv- ing the news of the massacre. And later they sent other volunteers to the scene of the trouble. But before the volunteers could reach the mission with their slow mode of transportation, Mr. Ogden with his small party from Vancouver had arrived, held a council with the Indians and succeeded in having them surrender to him all of the captive women and children taken at the Whitman station. He also persuaded the Nez Perce Indians to bring the Rev. Spalding, his wife and children and other captives they held, down to old Fort Wallula where they were met by Captain Ogden with his party and all the captives from the Whitman mission.
Captain Ogden was a man of great ability and undaunted cour- age. In negotiating with the Indians for the release of the cap- tives and in order to save their lives and have them released as soon as possible, he gave to the Cayuse Indians, for the release of all their white prisoners, about fifty blankets, fifty shirts, some handkerchiefs, a quantity of tobacco and a few guns and ammuni- tion. A smaller amount was given to the Nez Perce Indians for the release of the prisoners taken at the Lapwai mission. It should be stated that Captain Ogden in negotiating for the ransom of these prisoners, did not promise the Indians that the Americans would not make war on them for the atrocities they had committed. The Whit-
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BOUNDARY LINE SETTLED
man mission captives were surrendered to Captain Ogden December 29, 1847, having been in captivity one month.
Having arrived at Fort Wallula, Captain Ogden had boats pre- pared and started out with the captives, about fifty-seven in all. He landed them safely at Oregon City and left them in care of Gover- nor Abernathy, who, with the assistance of the good people of Ore- gon, cared and provided for them. James Douglas and Captain Ogden certainly deserve the everlasting gratitude of the American people for the wisdom and bravery they displayed in rescuing these captives from the Indians.
The volunteers proceeded into the country occupied by the Cay- use Indians and had a few running fights with them, killing a few and capturing some of their horses.
Believing that the actual murderers at the Whitman massacre had gone to the mountains and not being prepared to follow such a long distance, it was decided after a short campaign to leave a por- tion of the volunteers at the Whitman station permanently or until the United States government should furnish protection, and the re- mainder of the company returned to Oregon City, where they dis- banded.
In the meantime, preparations were being made to send Joseph L. Meek to Washington to try and persuade the President and Con- gress to do something for Oregon in the way of organizing a ter- ritorial government and giving them some protection.
Joseph Meek started on this long journey March 4, 1848. He was accompanied by eight men who desired to return to the East. His route was across the Blue Mountains via old Fort Boise, Fort Hall, Bear River Station, Fort Bridger, Fort Laramie, the Platte and Ash Hollow. Each of these stations was occupied by trapping traders. Fortunately Mr. Meek had been a trapper some years be- fore, so found friends at each station who were glad to have him and his companions rest for a few days with them and furnished them with fresh horses and supplies. Mr. Meek and his companions were compelled to leave their horses at Bear River and make snow shoes of willows to cross the Rocky Mountains, carrying with them only their guns and blankets. For food they secured what they could in the snowy country with their guns and at this time of the year, game was very scarce. Two of the men stopped at old Fort Boise and two more at Bear River, reducing his party to five.
On the 4th of May, Meek and his party arrived at the Missouri River where he met a party of emigrants bound for Oregon. At this place Meek separated from his companions and went on to Washington alone. He arrived there about the 25th of May, 1848.
He at once called upon President Polk and delivered the official
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
documents he carried, from Governor Abernathy and from the Ore- gon legislature. He explained in detail the situation of the people in the Northwest and all about the country. President Polk not only listened to all Mr. Meek had to say about the country, but treated him in a royal manner, having him make his home at the White House while in Washington.
It is said that Jo Meek was a cousin to the President's wife and this assisted him in his talk with the President. But one thing is certain, Jo Meek was one of the most noble of men, brave, strong, honest, untiring, kind-hearted and possessed of a great amount of natural ability.
Meek's arrival had the effect of arousing the authorities at Wash- ington and on the 29th of May, 1848, President Polk sent a special message to both branches of Congress, uring them to pass an act creating a government for Oregon and provide protection for the people. On August 14, 1848, the act was passed, commonly called the Organic act of Congress, creating and organizing the Territory of Oregon, which territory included all west of the Rocky Moun- tains to the Pacific Ocean, and north to the 49th parallel, and south to the 42nd parallel, or to the California line. General Joseph Lane, who had served in the Mexican war, was appointed Governor for Oregon, and Joseph L. Meek was appointed United States Marshal. They started soon after for Oregon, overland, with a small escort of United States troops. They took the route via California, and had a hard trip. Some of their escort were killed by Indians and some deserted. They arrived at San Francisco in February, 1849, and took a steamer for Oregon, arriving at Oregon City March 2nd, 1849. The people received them with great enthusiasm. Governor Abernathy immediately turned over the Provisional Government to Governor Lane.
On the 3rd of March, 1849, Governor Lane issued his proclama- tion declaring the territory organized and under the control and laws of the United States. This occurred one day before the close of President Polk's administration.
CHAPTER V.
GOVERNOR LANE AND OREGON-CAPTURE OF THE WHITMAN MURDER- ERS-TRIAL, CONVICTION AND EXECUTION.
General Lane's office as Governor of Oregon had connected with it the office of Superintendent of Indian Affairs. He deemed it nec- essary for the safety of the people of Oregon to have the leaders of the Whitman massacre captured and punished. In October, 1849, five of the leaders were captured and brought to The Dalles. Gover- nor Lane immediately went to The Dalles with a small escort and brought the Indians to Oregon City where they had a fair trial with good counsel, before a judge and a jury. They were all con- victed of murder in the first degree, upon the testimony of the sur- vivors of the Whitman massacre, and were sentenced to be hanged. The sentence was carried out in a short time.
A few months after Governor Lane's arrival, two companies of United States troops were landed at Vancouver. These troops came by water; later other troops came by land. The United States sol- diers aided by Governor Lane's excellent executive ability, kept the Indians at least partly subdued so that the farmers had a little time to look after their farms.
We have already given more space than we intended to the early history of Oregon, and must omit many important facts, or an- other volume will be necessary for the history of Idaho.
I met many brave, kind and generous people, both men and women, during my residence in Oregon, beginning in 1853 and ending in 1862, with an occasional short visit since, and I would like to say something good and kind about each and all of them, and especially those with whom I was associated during the Indian war of 1855 and 1856, but space forbids. I shall ever cherish kind thoughts for all of them.
CHAPTER VI.
ORGANIZATION OF WASHINGTON, IDAHO, MONTANA AND WYOMING TER- RITORIES.
On March 3, 1853, Congress passed an act known as the Organic act, creating and organizing the Territory of Washington, giving all the territory west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean to Washington, save and except that part which now constitutes the State of Oregon. On March 3, 1863, Congress passed the Organic act creating and organizing the Territory of Idaho, taking in all that portion of Washington west of the Rocky Mountains save and except that portion which now constitutes the present State of Wash- ington, and also taking in a large tract east of the Rocky Moun- tain range. The eastern boundary is described as follows: Be- ginning at a point on the 49th parallel of latitude at the 27th degree of longitude west of Washington, thence south along said degree of longitude to the northern boundary of Colorado Territory. This eastern boundary of Idaho appears to have extended over on the east side of the Rocky Mountain range and taken in quite a large strip of what was then known as the Louisiana purchase. This made Idaho a very large Territory, but it was not allowed to remain so large long.
On March 17, 1864, Congress passed an act creating and organiz- ing the Territory of Montana. This included all that portion of the northeastern portion of Idaho east of the Bitter Root and the Rocky Mountain range, and leaving the line between Idaho and Montana to follow along the summit of the Bitter Root Mountains. Later, in 1868, Congress organized the Territory of Wyoming and took another portion from the southeastern part of Idaho. Since this division, Idaho has been allowed to remain intact, although not in a very handsome shape, being three hundred miles wide at the south end and less than sixty miles at the north end. Hence our designation as the Pan-handle State. Several attempts to still fur- ther divide our State were made, but were unsuccessful.
We have now come to the history of Idaho proper.
CHAPTER VII.
EARLY SETTLERS-INDIAN TREATIES-MORMON SETTLEMENTS-DISCOV- ERY OF GOLD AT FLORENCE, BOISE BASIN AND OTHER PLACES.
The first American settlers in Idaho of which we have any posi- tive record were the Reverend Spalding and his family. This pio- neer missionary established a Presbyterian mission in the fall of 1836 on the Clearwater River, about twelve miles above where the city of Lewiston now stands. This mission he called Lapwai.
In the year 1839, Rev. Spalding succeeded in having a small printing press brought to this lonely mission from a mission in Hon- olulu. This was the first printing press brought to the Northwest and was a great assistance to Rev. Spalding for he was thus able to print the New Testament and some other books into the Indian language. The Rev. Spalding did some excellent work among the Indians, but in 1847 was forced to leave his mission on account of hostilities owing to some misunderstanding for which Mr. Spalding was not at all responsible. He and his wife went to the Willamette Valley and made that place their home.
In 1849, the Rev. Spalding taught school in Linn County, Oregon. The writer's wife was one of his pupils. At that time she was Miss Louisa Griffin, the daughter of Captain B. B. Griffin, who crossed the plains in 1848 and in 1852 removed to Jackson County, where I met his daughter soon after the close of the Indian war of 1855-6, and we were married August 7th, 1856, and are both here yet.
The Hudson Bay Company had men trapping in what is now Idaho, early in the twenties, and built old Fort Boise in 1835. Cap- tain Nathaniel Wyeth built old Fort Hall in 1834. None of these were permanent settlers and all left at an early date, except a few Canadian Frenchmen who were closely allied to the Indians.
Mr. William Craig, of whom we have spoken before, settled with- in the limits of what is now the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in the early forties, and it seems he was the first permanent white set- tler in what is now Idaho.
As early as 1805, when Lewis and Clark made their great ex- ploring trip from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean, they passed through the Nez Perce country, met many of the Indians, traded with them, found them friendly to the whites, and very intelligent people. Lewis and Clark left their saddle and pack horses with these Indians while they made their trip to the Columbia, sailing down the Clearwater, Snake and on to the Columbia river in canoes.
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