An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 19

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1172

USA > Washington > Skagit County > An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 19
USA > Washington > Snohomish County > An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 19

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).

The same incidents and those immediately fol- lowing them are narrated in greater detail in an article in the Portland Daily Standard of the time:

In the engagement at the Yakima river (mentioned in Major Rains' despatch), Captain Bennett's company (Com- pany F) and part of the Clackamas company ( Company C) took part and were the first to cross the river and charge the enemy, who fled with great rapidity, so much so that the disabled state of the horses of the volunteers rendered pursuit unsuccessful. Captain Cornelius' company (Com- pany D) having become separated from the main body of the volunteers in the engagement at the river, encountered a superior force of Indians and fought them nearly a half day. He kept them at bay and succeeded in taking some cattle and driving them into camp that night. . Two of his men were severely wounded. The damage inflicted upon the Indians was not known. In the attack the next day at the mountain gorge spoken of by Major Rains, otherwise called the Two Buttes, the number of Indians was not less than five hundred. About one hundred and fifty were counted upon the top of the hill, and the remainder were in the brush. By some misunderstanding of the orders given to surround them, a gap was left open; and those made their escape. Two only were killed. Pursuit was of no avail.

The regulars and volunteers encamped near the mis- sion, which, having been abandoned, it was conjectured that the main force of the Indians had either gone to the Naches pass to attack Captain Maloney, or up the Colum- bia to Priests' rapids. Colonel Nesmith, with a command of two hundred and fifty men, proceeded toward the pass, and after an absence of three days returned without hav- ing seen the enemy. He found the snow so deep as to prevent the forage of his animals, and was compelled to

return. He found caches of Indian provisions, which he destroyed, and several Indian mares and colts, which were killed, as they would be of no service to the volunteers. Some wild Indian cattle were also found and killed, which furnished subsistence for the troops. In and about the mission were found vegetables and a variety of useful articles.

On Colonel Nesmith's return, a council of officers was held, by which it was deemed inexpedient to proceed to Walla Walla, owing to the scarcity of forage, the weak condition of the animals, and the difficulty of crossing the Columbia with the sick and wounded. It was decided to return to The Dalles and recruit. After burning the mis- sion and a house owned by Kamiakin, the whole force, regulars and volunteers, took up their line of march for The Dalles. On their way they met Captain Wilson's command (Company A) with the pack train of supplies, which train had suffered great loss of animals and supplies by reason of the snows in the mountains, which in some places were four or five feet in depth. The expedition reached the Klickitat river, about twenty-five miles distant from The Dalles, on the 17th, and there encamped. The most cordial co-operation had existed between the regular and volunteer officers. All seemed animated with a com- mon interest in accomplishing the ends and objects of the campaign.

Mention should be made of the fact that while Major Rains was at the Ahtanum mission he received a letter from Kamiakin, head chief of the Yakimas, making overtures of peace and friendship on certain terms. The reply of Rains was certainly vigorous enough and gave the chief an unequivocal statement of his position and intentions. It read as follows :

HEADQUARTERS YAKIMA EXPEDITION, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION, November 13, 1855. KAMIAKIN, HYAS TYEE OF THE YAKIMA INDIANS:

Your talk by Padre Pandezy is just received. You know me and I know you. You came among the white people and to my house at The Dalles with Padre Pandozy and gave me a horse, which I did not take, as Panawok had given Lieutenant Wood another horse for him. You came in peace-we come in war. And why? Because your land has drunk the blood of the white man, and the Great Spirit requires it at your hand.

You make the sign of the cross, and pray to the God of truth for mercy, and yet you lie when you say you "were very quiet, the Americans were our friends; our hearts were not for war," until Governor Stevens changed your feelings ; for long before the treaty, which you agreed to, you proposed to the Walla Walla chief, Peo-peo-mox- mox, to go to war, and kill off all the whites. He told us so. You have been preparing for this purpose a very long time; and your people agreed with the Cayuses, at the Walla Walla council, before the treaty was made, to mur- der all the whites there, which was only prevented by the Nez Perces disagreeing.

You know that you murdered white men going to the mines who had done you no injury, and you murdered all persons, though no white man had trespassed upon your lands. You sent me a delegation to stop Hamilton and Pierce from settling in your country. I wrote them a letter and they left. You murdered your agent Bolon for telling you the truth-that the troops would come upon you for these murders. Has his death prevented their coming? I sent a handful of soldiers into your country to inquire into the facts. It was not expected that they should fight you, and they did right to return back. Your foul deeds were seen by the eye of the Great Spirit, who saw Cain when he killed his brother, Abel, and cursed him for it. Fugitives and vagabonds shall you also be, all that

THE YAKIMA WAR

remain of you, upon the face of the earth, as well as all who aid or assist you, until you are gone.

You say now, "If we will be quiet and make friendship, you will not war with us, but give a piece of land to all the tribes." We will not be quiet, but war forever, until not a Yakima breathes in the land he calls his own. The river only will we let retain this name to show to all people that here the Yakimas once lived.

You say that you will fight us with thousands, and if vanquished. those of you that remain will kill all your women and children, and then the country will be ours. The country is ours already, as you must see from our assembled army; for we intend to occupy it, and make it too hot to hold you. We are braves, and no brave makes war with women and children. You may kill them as you say, but we will not; yet we are thirsting for your blood, and want your warriors to meet us, and the warriors of all tribes wishing to help you, at once to come. The snow is on the ground, and the crows are hungry for food. Your men we have killed; your horses and your cattle do not afford them enough to eat. Your people shall not catch salmon hereafter for you, for I will send soldiers to occupy your fisheries, and fire upon you. Your cattle and your horses, which you got from the white man, we will hunt up, and kill and take them from you. The earth, which drank the blood of the white man, shed by your hands, shall grow no more wheat nor roots for you, for we will destroy it. When the cloth that makes your clothing, your guns and your powder are gone, the white man will make you no more. We looked upon you as our children and tried to do you good. We would not have cheated you. The treaty which you complain of. though signed by you, gave you too much for your lands, which are most all worthless to the white man; hut we are not sorry, for we are able to give, and it would have benefited you. After you signed the treaty with Governor Stevens and General Palmer, had you told us that you did not wish to abide by it, it would have been listened to. We wanted to instruct you in all our learning; to make axes, plows and hoes to cultivate the ground; blankets to keep you from the cold; steamboats and steam wagons which fly along swifter than the birds fly, and to use the lightning which makes the thunder in heavens to carry talk and serve as a servant. William Chinook, at The Dalles; Lawyer, chief of the Nez Perces; Steachus, and Weattinattitimine, hyas tyee of the Cayuses, and many others of their people, can tell you what I say is true. You, a few people, we can see with our glasses a long way off, while the whites are as the stars in the heavens, or leaves of the trees in summer time. Our warriors in the field are many, as you must see ; but if not enough, a thousand for every one more will be sent to hunt you, and to kill you ; and my advice to you, as you will see, is to scatter yourselves among the Indian tribes more peaceable, and there forget you ever were Yakimas. (Signed ) G. J. RAINS, Major U. S. A., Brigadier-General W. T., Commanding Troops in the Field.

While these events were transpiring in the Yakima country, a movement had been made by Major Mark A. Chinn, who, with Company B, Oregon volunteers, proceeded to the mouth of the Des Chutes, where Company H, under command of Captain Taylor, was encamped. Proceeding toward the Walla Walla country with both companies, he arrived at Wells Springs on the 17th of November. Here he was met by a messenger from Narcisse Raymond, a French settler in Walla Walla valley, with the following communication addressed to the commander in charge of the forces en route to Walla Walla :

November 14, 1855.

Sir: However urgent and important the news I have to communicate. I almost despaired to despatch any from want of hands who were willing to risk life at this critical time; but Mr. McBean came to my assistance and offered the services of his son, John, who, in company with another man, will be the bearer of this. The news is gloomy and very different from what I had reason to expect when I left The Dalles on my way hither. Serpent Jaune ( Peo- peo-mox-mox) has shown his colors, and is a declared foe to the Americans. He has taken possession of the fort and pillaged it, government as well as lludson's Bay Company's property ; has placed himself on the south side of the Walla Walla river, on the hills, guarding the road with a force, it is said, of a thousand.

The young men on the Umatilla river are disposed for war, and John Whitford and Tolman instigate them to it. The chiefs of that place, at least the majority of them, are on the balance, and have not yet decided; but Stockalah and Walattelekt, with their people, have joined the Cay- uses, and are doing all in their power to have them join against the Americans. The chiefs of this valley have remained firm and will not join the unfriendly Indians. Their conduct since Mr. Olney's departure has been praise- worthy, and they did all they could to prevent Mr. Brooks' house from being burned and pillaged, but in vain. The chief, Howlish Wampool, did it at the risk of his life.

Two Nez Perce chiefs now here, Joseph and Red Wolf, desire me to tell you that all their tribe is for peace; that they will suffer no hostile Indians to remain among them. In justice to Pierre (Walla Walla chief), I beg to say that he stuck to his charge until forced away by Serpent Jaune and his people, but not until they had robbed three differ- ent times out of the fort. He was alone, and. of course, could not prevent them. As affairs stand, it is my humble opinion that it might not be prudent to make your way hither with the force at your command of one hundred and fifty men. I have requested the bearers of this despatch to proceed to The Dalles with the letters to the respective addresses to Messrs. Olney and Noble; and placed as we are, a mere handful of men, destitute of ammunition, the sooner assistance is tendered to us the better, for Serpent Jaune daily threatens to burn our houses and to kill us, and he is not the only enemy we have to dread.

In haste. I remain, sir.

Respectfully, your obedient humble servant, NARCISSE RAYMOND.

The Commander-in-charge coming to Fort Walla Walla.

Mr. Raymond and all the other settlers of the Walla Walla and Umatilla valleys had been directed by Indian Agent Nathan Olney to withdraw from the country as soon as a sufficient escort should arrive for them, and it was with intent to furnish this escort that Major Chinn was marching when he received the startling intelligence contained in the letter just quoted. This information determined him to delay his march until he had received rein- forcements and artillery, so he moved next day to the Umatilla and established there a station which became known as Fort Henrietta. It was situated where plenty of water and timber could be obtained, as well as sufficient grass for horses, and it con- sisted of a tract one hundred feet square, picketed in with large, split timber, with bastions of round logs in two of the angles, also two corrals for horses and cattle. Major Chinn sent at once to Colonel Nesmith for the requisite reinforcements and artillery. On the 19th and 20th of November,

INTRODUCTORY

the colonel sent forward three companies consist- ing of one hundred and seventy men. He endeav- ored to procure the howitzers from the regular army, but General Wool had just arrived on the scene and his advent brought to an abrupt termina- tion all hope of further co-operation between regt- lars and volunteers. The howitzers were, of course, refused.

"The arrival of General Wool." says Evans, "defeated every project which looked to a winter campaign against the Indians. He even suggested that the combination of the commands of Rains and Nesmith, in the Yakima country, had been injurious to the service because the Indians were so over- awed by such a force, seven hundred men, that they fled tipon the approach of the troops. General Wool ordered the regulars from Fort Dalles to Fort Van- couver, except a small garrison. He censured Major Rains for calling for volunteers, and also for going into the Yakima country to make war against the hostiles. He accused the territorial authorities of sinister and dishonest motives. While not accusing the whites in Washington territory of murdering Indians, as he did charge the whites with in the Rogue river country, yet he maintained that the war should only be carried on upon the defensive. To any proposition of the territorial authorities to chastise the Indians for past misdeeds, he was opposed, and should use his efforts to defeat them. In fact, he was so bitterly prejudiced against the two territories, their official authorities, their volun- teers and their people, that his sympathies were entirely with that savage race which it was his highest duty to keep in subjection. For the people who had the right to rely upon him for protection. he had no word of encouragement, no disposition to assist. At that time he was a greater marplot to the regaining of peace, and a more bitter foe to the Oregon and Washington people, than any hostile chief bearing arms against them."

However, such succor as was in the power of Nesmith was, as before stated, promptly despatched to Fort Henrietta. The three companies joined Major Chinn on the ?9th of November, but the com- mand was at once assumed by Lieutenant-Colonel Kelly, who accompanied the reinforcements. Decem- ber 2d, Kelly took the field with about three hundred and fifty men. designing to make a swift march to Fort Walla Walla and surprise the Indians who were supposed to be in possession of it. Kelly found "it had been pillaged by Indians, the build- ings much defaced and the furniture destroyed." Of his subsequent movements Colonel Kelly thus writes in his official report :

On the morning of the 5th. t despatched Second Major Chinn, with one hundred and fifty men, to escort the bag- gage and pack trains to the mouth of the Touchet, there to await my return with the remainder of the forces under my command. On the same morning t marched with about two hundred men to a point on the Touchet river

about twelve miles from its month, with the view of attacking the Walla Walla Indians, who were supposed to be encamped there. When I was near to and making to- wards the village. Peo-peo-mox-mox. the chief of the tribe, with five other Indians, made their appearance under a flag of truce. He stated that he did not wish to fight; that his people did not wish to fight; that on the following day he would come and have a talk and make a treaty of peace. On consultation with Hon. Nathan Olney, Indian Agent, we concluded that this was simply a ruse to gain time for removing his village and preparing for battle. I stated to him that we had come to chastise him for the wrongs he had done to our people, and that we would not defer making an attack on his people unless he and his five followers would consent to accompany and remain with us until all difficulties were settled. I told him that he might go away under his flag of truce if he chose; but, if he did so, we would forthwith attack his village. The alternative was distinctly made known to him; and, to save his people, he chose to remain with us as a hostage for the fulfillment of his promise, as did also those who accompanied him. Ite at the same time said that on the following day he would accompany us to his vitlage; that he would then assemble his people and make them deliver up all their arms and ammunition, restore the property which had been taken from the white settlers, or pay the full value of that which could not be restored; and that he would furnish fresh horses to remount my command, and cattle to supply them with provisions, to enable us to wage war against other hostile tribes who were leagued with them. Having made these promises, we refrained from making the attack, thinking we had him in our power, and that on the next day his promises would be fulfilled. I also permitted him to send one of the men who accompanied him to his village to apprise the tribes of the terms of the expected treaty, so that they might be prepared to fulfill it.

On the 6th, we marched to the village and found it entirely deserted, but saw the Indians in considerable force on the distant hills, and watching our movements. I sent out a messenger to induce them to come in, but could not do so. And I will here observe that I have since learned, from a Nez Perce boy, who was taken at the same time with Peo-peo-mox-mox, that, instead of sending word to his people to make a treaty of peace, he sent an order for them to remove their women and children and prepare for battle. From all t have since learned. I am well persuaded that he was acting with duplicity, and that he expected to entrap my command in the deep ravine in which his camp was situated, and make his escape from us. We remained at the deserted village until about one o'clock in the after- noon ; and, seeing no hope of coming to any terms, we proceeded to the mouth of the Touchet with a view of going from thence to some spot near Whitman's station, where I had intended to form a permanent camp for the winter.

On the morning of the ith, the command set out early for Whitman's station, Peo-peo-mox-mox and the other Indian hostages being still with the white men. Soon after a crossing of the Touchet had been effected, the battle began. There is dif- ference of opinion as to who fired the first shot. Kelly's report states that the Indians did, but Gil- bert quotes A. P. Woodward as asserting that to his knowledge one Jont, of Company B. committed the first hostile act. The question is of importance only as it bears upon the larger one of whether or not Peo-peo-mox-mox and his people were acting in good faith in negotiating for peace. At any rate the firing soon became general, and all the com- panies except A and F, which were ordered to

THE YAKIMA WAR

remain with the baggage, began chasing the Indians eagerly. "A running fight was the consequence, the force of the Indians increasing every mile. Several of the enemy were killed in the chase before reach- ing the farm of LaRocque, which is about twelve miles from the mouth of the Touchet. At this point they made a stand, their left resting on the river covered with trees and underbrush, their center occupying the flat at this place, covered with clumps of sage brush and small sand knolls, their right on the high ridge of hills which skirt the river bottom."

The few white men who outran their companions and reached this vicinity first were compelled by the murderous fire from savage guns to fall back, but soon rallied and made a charge upon the Indians in the brush, in which charge Lieutenant Burrows, of Company H, was killed, and Captain Munson, Sergeant-Major Isaac Miller and Private G. W. Smith were wounded. Reinforcements of whites arriving. the Indians were compelled to fall back two miles to a farmhouse, in attempting to carry which Captain Bennett, of Company F. and Private Kelso, of Company A, were killed.

Continuing the narrative of the engagement. Colonel Kelly says in his report: "Howitzer found at Fort Walla Walla. under charge of Captain Wil- son, by this time was brought to bear upon the enemy. Four rounds were fired when the piece burst, wounding Captain Wilson. The Indians then gave way at all points ; and the house and fence were seized and held by the volunteers, and bodies of our men were recovered. These positions were held by us until nightfall, when the volunteers fell slowly back and returned unmolested to camp."

During the first day's engagement, at about the hottest part of the action, an event occurred which. though not mentioned in Kelly's official report, has been the theme of much discussion. Pen-pen-mox- mox and his companions in captivity were, with one exception, killed by the guards and volunteers sur- rounding them, and whether this action was justi- fiable from the fact that the prisoners attempted to escape, or was wholly unwarranted, will never be ascertained with certainty. The eye witnesses of the affair are not in accord as to the facts. Indeed. it is quite probable that no one of them is able to give an absolutely correct and detailed statement of all that happened, such was the confusion and ex- citement prevailing at the time. Of this affair. Gilbert says :

"The following is an account of it as given to the writer by Lewis MeMorris, who was present at the time and saw what he narrated. The hospital supplies were packed on mules in charge of Mc- Morris, and had just reached the LaRocque cabin. where the first engagement had taken place. The surgeon in charge had decided to use it as a hospital in which to place those wounded in the battle and McMorris was unpacking the mules. Near it the

unfortunate J. M. Burrows lay dead, and several wounded were being attended to. The combatants had passed on up the valley, and the distant deto- nations of their guns could be heard. The flag of truce prisoners were there under guard and every one seemed electrified with suppressed excitement. A wounded man came in with a shattered arm dangling at his side and reported Captain Bennett killed at the front. This added to the excitement, and the attention of all was more or less attracted to the wounded man, when some one said: 'Look out, or the Indians will get away!' At this seem- ingly everyone yelled, 'Shoot 'em! Shoot 'em!' and on the instant there was a rattle of musketry on all sides.

"What followed was so quick, and there were so many acting, that MeMorris could not see it in detail, though all was transpiring within a few yards of and around him. It was over in a minute. and three of the five' prisoners were dead, another was wounded, knocked senseless and supposed to be dead, who afterwards recovered consciousness, and was shot to put him out of misery, while the fifth was spared because he was a Nez Perce. McMorris remembers some of the events that marked the tragedy, however, such as an impression on his mind of an attempt by the prisoners to escape. that started the shooting ; that everybody was firing because they were excited, and the target was an Indian : that he saw no evidence of an attempt to escape, except from being murdered ; that they were killed while surrounded by and mingled among the whites ; and that but one Indian offered to defend his life. The prisoner offering resistance was a powerful Willamette Indian called 'Jim' or 'Wolf Skin,' who, having a knife secreted upon his person, drew it and fought desperately. "I could hear that knife whistling in the air,' said MeMorris, 'as he brandished it, or struck at the soldier with whom he was struggling.' It lasted but a moment, when another soklier, approaching from behind, dealt him a blow on the head with a gun that broke his skull and stretched him apparently lifeless upon the ground. All were scalped in a few minutes, and later the body of Yellow Bird, the great Walla Walla chief, was mutilated in a way that should entitle those who did it to a prominent niche in the ghoulish temple erected to commemorate the infamous acts of soulless men."

Gilbert also states that MeMorris' account was confirmed by G. W. Miller and William Nixon. both of whom were present.

A. P. Woodward, now living at Athena, and who was near by when the chief was killed, tells us that the facts, briefly stated, were these: When asked what should be done with the prisoners. Colonel Kelly had tokl the guard he "didn't care a damn." The prisoners were neither tied nor in any way confined, but were mingled with the volunteers. When the firing became warm, and several wounded

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 19

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1906 Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1172

Author: Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1172