An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 17

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146

USA > Washington > Kittitas County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 17
USA > Washington > Yakima County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 17
USA > Washington > Klickitat County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 17

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

EARLY DAYS IN WASHINGTON.

In such tedious manner the patient and pains- taking Stevens explained the treaties he wished the Indians to sign, clause by clause and item by item. At this stage of the negotiations the com- missioners contemplated two reservations-one in the Nez Perce country for the Nez Perces, Walla Wallas, Cayuses, Umatillas and Spokanes; one on Yakima river for the Yakimas, Palouses, Klickitats and other bands. Two days were con- sumed by the long speeches of the commissioners upon the various provisions of the treaty and the price offered by the government. The third (Friday) was at the request of Young Chief, given up for a holiday, but the Indians who theretofore had indulged freely. every evening after adjournment of the council in sports of all kinds, remained quiet all that day, no doubt deliberating upon the proposals of the commis- sioners, and in the case of the Cayuses at least, planning mischief.

The next day they met as usual. After some further talk upon the treaties, the commissioners urged the Indians to speak their minds freely, and some short speeches were made in opposition to parting with the lands. The speech of Peo- peo-mox-inox was especially noteworthy as a sar- castic arraignment of the whites, a delicate inti- mation of his distrust of the commissioners and an expression of reluctance to accept goods in payment for the earth.

That evening, Lawyer, head chief of the Nez Perces, came to Governor Stevens with informa- tion of a vile plot and a suggestion as to how it should be averted. Having become suspicious that mischief was brewing in the camp of the Cayuses, he sent a spy to discover their plot, and by this means found that for several nights the Cayuses had been considering the advisability of falling upon and massacring all the whites on the council ground. They had, on the day Young Chief had secured for a holiday, definitely determined to strike as soon as the consent of the Yakimas and Walla Wallas could be ob- tained. The massacre was to form the initial blow of a war of extermination against the white race, the second act of hostility planned being the surprise and capture of the post at The Dalles. "I will come with my family," said Lawyer, "and pitch my lodge in the midst of your camp, that those Cayuses may see that you and your party are under the protection of the head chief of the Nez Perces." By so doing, Lawyer averted the danger to Stevens, his party and guard, for the treacherous plotters were well aware that an attack on the whites could hardly be made without the killing of one or more of the Nez Perce defenders, and a con- sequent war with that numerous and powerful tribe. Having quietly caused the arms of the whites to be put in readiness against a possible attack, Governor Stevens proceeded with his council. Monday, June 30th, was consumed for

the most part in Indian speech-making, but dur- ing the next two days the commissioners were again the principal orators. Steachus, the friendly Cayuse, in a short speech, declared his unwillingness to be removed wholly from his own country, and stated that his heart was in one of three places-the Grand Ronde, the Touchet and the Tucanon.

As affording a glimpse of the inner workings of the council, Kip's report of the proceedings of Thursday, June 7th, is here reproduced :

Thursday, June 7th. Mr. McKay took breakfast with us. He is the son of the old Indian hunter so often men- tioned in Irving's "Astoria," and whose name is identified with pioneer life in this region. The council met to-day at twelve, and I went into the arbor, and taking my seat at the reporter's table, wrote some of the speeches deliv- ered. There is, of course, in those of the Indians, too much repetition to give them fully, but a few. extracts may show the manner in which those wearisome meetings were conducted day after day.

Governor Stevens. - "My brothers, we expect to have your hearts to-day. Let us have your hearts straight out."

Lawyer, the old Nez Perce chief .- The first part of his speech was historical, relating to the discovery of this country by the Spaniards, which is a favorite topic with the Indian orators. In course of it he thus narrates the story of Columbus and the egg, which he had heard from some of the missionaries:

"One of the head of the court said, 'I knew there was such a country.' Columbus, who had discovered it, said, 'Can you make an egg stand on its end?' He tried to make the egg stand, but could not do it. He did not understand how. It fell over. Columbus then showed them all that he could make it stand. He sat it down and it stood. He knew how, and after they saw it done, they could do it."

He thus described the manner in which the tribes of the east receded at the approach of the whites:

"The red man traveled away farther, and from that time they kept traveling away further, as the white people came up with them. And this man's people (pointing to a Delaware Indian who was one of the interpreters) are from that people. They have come on from the Great Lake, where the sun rises, until they are near us now at the setting sun. And from that country, somewhere from the center, came Lewis and Clarke, and that is the way the white people traveled, and came on here to my forefathers. They passed through our country, they became acquainted with our country and all our streams, and our forefathers used them well, as well as they could, and from the time of Columbus, from the time of Lewis and Clarke, we have known you, my friends; we poor people have known you as brothers."

He concluded by expressing his approval of the treaty, only urging that the whites should act toward them in good faith.

Governor Stevens .- "We have now the hearts of the Nez Perces through their chief. Their hearts and our hearts are one. We want the hearts of the other tribes through their chiefs."

Young Chief, of the Cayuses .- (He was evidently opposed to the treaty, but grounded his objections on two arguments. The first was, they had no right to sell the ground which God had given for their support unless for some good reason.) "I wonder if the ground has anything to say. I wonder if the ground is listening to what is said. I wonder if the ground would come alive and what is on it. Though I hear what the ground says. The ground says, 'It is the Great Spirit that placed me here. The Great Spirit tells me to take care of the Indians, to feed them aright. The Great Spirit appointed the roots to feed the Indians on.' The water says the same thing. 'The Great Spirit directs me. Feed the Indians well.' The grass

CENTRAL WASHINGTON.

. says the same thing. 'Feed the horses and cattle.' The ground, water and grass say, 'The Great Spirit has given us our names. We have these names and hold these names. Neither the Indians nor whites have a right to change these names.' The ground says, 'The Great Spirit has placed me here to produce all that grows on me, trees and fruit.' The same way the ground says, 'It was from me man was made.' The Great Spirit, in placing men on the earth, desired them to take good care of the ground and to do each other no harm. The Great Spirit said, 'You Indians who take care of certain portions of the country should not trade it off except you get a fair price.' "

The other argument was that he could not understand clearly what they were to receive.

"The Indians are blind. This is the reason we do not see the country well. Lawyer sees clear. This is the reason why I don't know anything about this country. I do not see the offer you have made to us yet. If I had the money in my hand I should see. I am, as it were, blind. I am blind and ignorant. I have a heart, but cannot say much. This is the reason why the chiefs do not under- stand each other right and stand apart. Although I see your offer before me, I do not understand it and I do not yet take it. I walk as it were in the dark, and cannot therefore take hold of what I do not see. Lawyer sees and he takes hold. When I come to understand your propositions I will take hold. I do not know when. This is all I have to say."

Five Crows. of the Walla Wallas .- "I will speak a few words. My heart is the same as Young Chief's."

General Palmer .- "We know no chief among the Walla Wallas but Peo-peo-mox-mox. If he has anything to say we will be pleased to hear it."

Peo-peo-mox-mox .- "I do not know what is straight. I do not see the offer you have made to the Indians. I never saw these things which are offered by my great father. My heart cried when you first spoke to me. I felt as if I was blown away like a feather. Let your heart be. to separate as we are and appoint some other time. We shall have no bad minds. Stop the whites from coming up here until we have this talk. Let them not bring their axes with them. The whites may travel in all directions through our country, we will have nothing to say to them, provided they do not build houses on our lands. Now I wish to speak about Lawyer. I think he has given his lands. That is what I think from his words. I request another 'meeting. It is not in one meeting only that we can come to a decision. If you come again with a friendly message from our great father, I shall see you again at this place. To-morrow 1 shall see you again, and to-morrow evening I shall go home. This is all 1 have to say."

General Palmer .- "I want to say a few words to these people, but before I do, if Kamiakin wants to speak, I would be glad to hear him."

Kamiakin, Yakima chief .- "I have nothing to say."

General Palmer .- "I would inquire whether Peo-peo- mox-mox or Young Chief has spoken for the Umatillas. I wish to know further, whether the Umatillas are of the same heart."

Owhi, Umatilla chief .- "We are together and the Great Spirit hears all that we say to-day. The Great Spirit gave us the land and measured the land to us this is the reason I am afraid to say anything about the land. I am afraid of the laws of the Great Spirit. This is the reason of my heart being sad. This is the reason I cannot give you an answer. I am afraid of the Great Spirit. Shall I steal this land and sell it? or what shall 1 do? This is the reason why my heart is sad. The Great Spirit made our friends, but the Great Spirit made our bodies from the earth, as if they were different from the whites. What shall I do? Shall I give the land which is a part of my body and leave myself poor and destitute? Shall I say I will give you my lands? I cannot say so. I am afraid of the Great Spirit. I love my life. The reason why I do not give my land away is, I am afraid I will be sent to hell. I love my friends. I love my life. This is the rea- son why I do not give my land away. I have one word

more to say. My people are far away. They do not know your words. This is the reason I cannot give you an answer. I show you my heart. This is all I have to say."

Governor Stevens .- "How will Kamiakin of Schoom speak?"

Kamiakin .- "What have I to be talking about?"

General Palmer .- "We have listened and heard our chiefs speak. The hearts of the Nez Perces and ours are one. The Cayuses, the Walla Wallas and the other tribes say they do not understand us. We were in hopes we should have but one heart. Why should we have more than one heart? Young Chief says he does not know what we propose to him. Peo-peo-mox-mox says the same. Can we bring these saw-mills and these grist-mills on our backs to show these people? Can we bring these blacksmith shops, these wagons and tents on our backs to show them at this time? Can we cause fields of wheat and corn to spring up in a day that we may see them? Can we build these schoolhouses and these dwellings in a day? Can we bring all the money that these things will cost, that they may see it? It would be more than all the horses of any one of these tribes could carry. It takes time to do these things. We come first to see you and make a bargain. We brought but few goods with us. But whatever we promise to give you, you will get.

"How long will these people remain blind? We come to try to open their eyes. They refuse the light. I have a wife and children. My brother here has the same. I have a good house, fields of wheat, potatoes and peas. Why should 1 wish to leave them and come so far to see you? It was to try to do you good, but you throw it away. Why is it that you do so? We all sometimes do wrong. Sometimes because our hearts are bad, and sometimes because we have bad counsel. Your people have some- times done wrong. Our hearts have cried. Our hearts still cry. But if you will try to do right, we will try to forget it. How long will you listen to this bad counsel and refuse to receive the light? I, too, like the ground where I was born. I left it because it was for my good. I have come a long way. We ask you to go but a short dis- tance. We do not come to steal your land. We pay you more than it is worth. There is the Umatilla valley, that affords a little good land between two streams and all around it is a parched up plain. What is it worth to you? What is it worth to us? Not half what we have offered you for it. Why do we offer so much? Because our great father told us to take care of this red people. We come to you with his message to try to do you good," etc., etc.

These extracts will give a specimen of the kind of "talk" which went on day after day. All but the Nez Perces were evidently disinclined to the treaty, and it was melancholy to see their reluctance to abandon the old hunting grounds of their fathers and their impotent strug- gle against the overpowering influences of the whites. The meeting closed to-day with an affecting speech by Governor Stevens, addressed to the chiefs who had argued against the treaty. I give it in part:

"I must say a few words. My brother and I have talked straight. Have all of you talked straight? Lawyer has and his people have, and their business will be finished to-morrow. Young Chief says he is blind and does not understand. What is it that he wants? Steachus says his heart is in one of these places-the Grand Ronde, the Touchet and the Tucanon. Where is the heart of Young Chief? Peo-peo-mox-mox cannot be wafted off like a feather. Does he prefer the Yakima to the Nez Perce reservation? We have asked him before. We ask him now. Where is his heart? Kamiakin, the great chief of the Yakimas, has not spoken at all; his people have no voice here to-day. He is not ashamed to speak? He is not afraid to speak? Then speak out. Owhi is afraid to, lest God be angry at his selling his land. Owhi, my brother, I do not think God will be angry with you if you do your best for yourself and your children. Ask yourself this question to-night: Will not God be angry with me if I neglect this opportunity to do them good? But Owhi

EARLY DAYS IN WASHINGTON.

says his people are not here. Why, then, did he tell us, come hear our talk? I do not want to be ashamed of him. Owhi has the heart of his people. We expect him to speak out. We expect to hear from Kamiakın and from Schoom. The treaty will have to be drawn up to-night. You can see it to-inorrow The Nez Perces must not be put off any longer. This business must De despatched. 1 hope that all the other hearts and our hearts will agree. They have asked us to speak straight. We have spoken straight. We have asked you to speak straight; but we have yet to hear from you."

The council then adjourned till six o'clock. In the evening I rode over as usual to the Nez Perces camp and found many of them playing cards in their lodges. They are the most inveterate gamblers, and a warrior will some- times stake on successive games, his arms and horses and even his wives, so that in a single night he is reduced to a state of primitive poverty and obliged to trust to charity to be remounted for a hunt. In the other camps everything seemed to be in violent confusion. The Cayuse and other tribes were very much incensed against the Nez Perces for agreeing to the terms of the treaty, but fortunately for them, and probably for us, the Nez Perces are as numer- ous as the others united.

Perceiving that the only hope of overcoming the opposition of the recusant Indians lay in acting upon the suggestion of Steachus, the com- missioners decided to offer a third reservation for the Cayuses, Umatillas and Walla Wallas in their own country. The offer was made in coun- cil Friday, June 8th, and explained in a lengthy speech by General Palmer. Some other conces- sions of less moment were also made to the Indians, and the result was quite satisfactory. All the chiefs gave their assent to the treaties as modified, except Kamiakin, who had maintained an attitude of sullen silence throughout the entire council and still obstinately refused to give the commissioners the slightest encourage- ment.

Just at the moment when the hopes of Ste- vens and Palmer were at their height and a suc- cessful termination of the business in hand seemed visible in the near prospect, a new ele- ment of difficulty was brought into the negotia- tions. A small party was seen approaching with much pomp and circumstance, painted, armed, singing a war song and flourishing at the end of a pole a horrible trophy of a recent combat. The leader was found to be none other than Looking Glass, war chief of the Nez Perces, who had long been absent in the buffalo country. He was not effusive in his greeting of the friends that gath- ered round him, and soon manifested his anger at their doings in a fierce little speech delivered from the saddle. "My people," said he, "what have you done? While I was gone you have sold my country. I have come home and there is not left for me a place on which to pitch my lodge. Go home to your lodges. I will talk with you."

Next day in council, the evil influence of this pettish old man was keenly felt. After Stevens had again explained the proposed treaties for his especial benefit, he made a violent speech against the sale of the lands. The Cayuses, ready to withdraw their assent, strongly supported him.

So emphatic were their and his assertions that he (Looking Glass) was head chief of the Nez Perces, that Lawyer, apparently angry, abruptly left the council and retired to his lodge.

After adjournment the Nez Perces convened in their camp and held a council among them- selves. The Cayuses did likewise. An exciting debate was indulged in in the former camp, and their council waxed warm, but in its outcome Lawyer was confirmed as head chief and Look- ing Glass was declared to be second in authority. A paper was prepared and sent to General Stevens affirming that the faith of the Nez Perces had been pledged and the treaty must be signed.

Peo-peo-mox-mox and Kamiakin had signed their respective treaties at the close of the council session of June 9th. Stevens states that the latter was no doubt influenced by the former to do so, but subsequent events go to show that both signed the treaty as an act of treachery, their purpose being to create in the breasts of the whites a feeling of security, while they were perfecting their Indian confederacy for a fell swoop upon the liated race. Little remained to be done except to secure the signatures of the Cayuses and Nez Perces, and when council con- vened on Monday, June 11th, Governor Stevens said simply: "We meet for the last time. Your words are pledged to sign the treaty. The tribes have spoken through their head chiefs, Joseph, Red Wolf, the Eagle, Ipsemaleëcon, all declar- ing Lawyer was the head chief. I call upon Lawyer to sign first." Lawyer did so, then Looking Glass, then Joseph and finally the signatures were obtained of all the subchiefs and principal men of both tribes, after which presents were made to the different bands.

"Thus ended in a most satisfactory manner," says .Governor Stevens' journal, "this great council, prolonged through so many days-a council which, in the number of Indians assembled and the different tribes, old difficulties and troubles between them and the whites, a deep- seated dislike to and determination against giv- ing up their lands and the great importance, nay, absolute necessity, of opening this land by treaty to occupation by the whites, that bloodshed and the enormous expense of Indian wars might be avoided, and in its general issuance and difficulty, has never been equalled by any council held with the Indian tribes of the United States.

"It was so considered by all present, and a final relief from the intense anxiety and vexa- tion of the last month was especially grateful to all concerned."

The treaties negotiated as the result of the great Walla Walla council of 1855 provided for the surrender by the Yakimas of an area some twenty-nine thousand square miles in extent, being substantially that embraced in Chelan, Yakima, Kittitass, Franklin and Adams, with

CENTRAL WASHINGTON.

large portions of Douglas and Klickitat counties. From it, however, was to be excepted and reserved the princely domain known as the Yakima reservation. The Nez Perces relin- quished the territory out of which were formed in large part the counties of Whitman, Garfield, Columbia and Asotin, in Washington ; Union and Wallowa, in Oregon, and Washington, Nez Perces and Idaho, in Idaho, retaining therefrom a very large reservation. This included not only the Nez Perce reserve as it was prior to its open- ing a few years ago, but in addition large tracts between the Alpowa and Snake rivers and the Wallowa valley. That the Wallowa was origi- nally included in the reservation was due to old Chief Joseph, and the surrender of it in 1863, against the wishes and advice of Chief Joseph, Jr., was one of the principal causes of the Nez Perce war in 1877. The Umatillas, Cayuses and Walla Wallas, by their treaty, gave up the territory embraced substantially in Walla Walla county, in Washington; Umatilla and Morrow counties, Oregon, also parts of Union and Gilliam counties in the latter state. Their original reservation was but little larger than that now known as the Umatilla reserve.

For the whole vast area ceded, the Indians were to receive about six hundred and fifty

thousand dollars, of which two hundred thousand dollars were to be paid the Yakimas in the form of annuities, with salaries for the head chiefs of five hundred dollars per annum for twenty years, and some special concessions in the way of houses, implements,. tools, etc. The compensa- tion of the Nez Perces was the same. The Umatillas, Cayuses and Walla Wallas were to receive one hundred thousand dollars; each of the head chiefs to have an annuity of five hundred dollars for twenty years, and special compensa- tion in the form of houses, tools, etc. Peo-peo- mox-mox, who was wily enough to drive a hard bargain, was granted the privilege of drawing his salary at once without waiting for the treaties to be formally ratified, and was given special concessions in the form of a yearly salary of one hundred dollars with a house and five acres of land for his son; also three yoke of oxen, three yokes and chains, one wagon, two plows, twelve hoes, twelve axes, two shovels, a saddle and bridle, a set of wagon harness and a set of plow harness. Thus for a mere pittance, in compari- son with its present value, was secured from the Indians their possessory right to a large portion of eastern Oregon and Washington and northern Idaho, a region rich in wealth already acquired and still richer in its possibilities.

CHAPTER IX.

THE YAKIMA WAR.

The Walla Walla council successfully termi- nated, Governor Stevens passed on to the north and east to continue the same kind of negotia- tions. He had not long departed before the great Yakima war burst suddenly over the Columbia plains; and to regions as far remote as Puget sound, Walla Walla and Rogue river, the horrors of war were simultaneously brought. The country was face to face with a widespread conspiracy to overthrow white occupancy and re-establish the uninterrupted reign of Indian barbarism over the entire Northwest.

This was the primary cause and purpose of that widespread and pervading outbreak. "While," says Evans, "many causes might be suggested as affecting the Indian mind and provoking hostility to American occupancy of the country; while it was precipitated by the perfidy of Indians who just before had joined in

treaties to allure the white race into a belief in their security; while those very Indians went to that council to begin war there by the murder of the commissioners-yet that war, so far as the Indians were concerned, was made on their part, not because of any personal outrages committed by the whites, not because of any injustice sought to be inflicted by virtue of those treaties, not because the terms of the treaties were unsat- isfactory, but solely· because it was the Indian purpose to exterminate the white settlement, to force the white race to abandon the territory. That war on the part of the Indians is perhaps sanctioned by what may be called patriotism. If merit it had, then is that merit obliterated by the perfidious cruelty which marked its declara- tion and commencement by them. On the part of the people and authorities of the territory, the Oregon-Washington Indian war resulted from

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An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 17

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company Number of Pages: 1146

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146