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 22

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 22
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 22

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"Tom McDowell and Jehu Switzler and another man to me before unknown, were on their way from the Upper to the Lower Cascades, but before they had proceeded far they discovered hostile Indians. Being themselves unarmed, they made a desperate effort to reach the blockhouse, which they did in safety. They proved to our small force a valuable acquisition. The three gallantly aided us during the defense. After they had got in, the door was made secure by a bolt, and then a strong chain was drawn tight across. That being com- pleted, we gave our savage enemy a treat of canister shot. fourteen rounds in all. from our six-pounder gun, after which they precipitately retired. But we still, while in reach, presented them with a few shells. They retired back of the hills, out of range of our guns, to torture and put to a horrible death our unfortunate comrade (Lawrence Rooney). whom they had captured. We could not see them at it, but we heard his piercing screams. After they had accomplished this last inhuman and diabolical cruelty, the main portion left and went to the lower landing."

The second day the Indians returned to the siege. The men in the blockhouse were thus pre- vented from getting water, of which the wounded especially were in dire need. Their necessities were relieved by the gallantry of Sergeant Williams and William Houser, who made their way to a saloon near by and succeeded in procuring some potables, butt no water, also a small box of crackers. Next morning, the third day after the attack, relief came.

The movements by which the horrible siege at the Cascades was raised must now receive brief treatment. The beleaguered people managed to send an express to Colonel Wright, who had pro- ceeded a few miles on his way to the Walla Walla country, apprising him of what was happening in the rear. He forthwith turned back. Word also

INTRODUCTORY

reached Vancouver, conveyed by fugitives from the Lower Cascades, and soon Lieutenant Philip Sheri- dan, who later immortalized his name in the Civil War, was sent to the rescue with forty men. He descended the river in the steamer Belle, reached the Lower Cascades early in the morning of the 2tth, disembarked the men at a convenient place and sent the steamer back for volunteer assistance. It is worthy of mention that two volunteer com- panies were equipped in Portland and Vancouver and came to the scene, but were unable to engage actively in any conflict. Sheridan's position, after landing, was such that he could not advance upon the Indians in his front without crossing over a narrow neck of ground. He soon learned that the foe was on this narrow strip also.

"After getting well in hand everything con- nected with my little command," says Sheridan, "I advanced with five or six men to the edge of a growth of underbrush to make a reconnoissance. We stole along under cover of this underbrush until we reached the open ground leading over the cause- way or narrow neck .before mentioned, when the enemy opened fire and killed a soldier near my side by a shot which just grazed the bridge of my nose, struck him in the neck, opening an artery and breaking the spinal cord. He died instantly. The Indians at once made a rush for the body, but my men in the rear, coming quickly to the rescue, drove them back; and Captain Dall's gun (a cannon bor- rowed from an ocean steamer) being now brought into play, many solid shot were thrown into the jungle where they lay concealed, with the effect of considerably moderating their impetuosity. Fur- ther skirmishing at long range took place at inter- vals during the day, but with little gain or loss, however, to either side, for both parties held posi- tions which could not be assailed in flank, and only the extreme of rashness in either could prompt a front attack. My left was protected by the back- water driven into the slough by the high stage of the river, and my right rested securely on the main stream. Between us was the narrow neck of land, to cross which would be certain death. The posi- tion of the Indians was almost the counterpart of ours."

Both belligerents remained in their respective positions all day and all night, but Sheridan had in the meantime conceived the plan of crossing the command in a bateau, which he had brought with him, to the south side of the Columbia, make his way up the mountain's base to a point opposite the middle blockhouse, cross there to the north bank and endeavor to get to the rear of the Indian posi- tion. How this hazardous plan was executed is best told in Sheridan's own language :

"On the morning of the 28th the savages were still in my front, and, after giving them some solid shot from Captain Dall's gun, we slipped down to the river bank and the detachment crossed by means

of the Hudson's Bay boat, making a landing on the opposite shore at a point where the south channel of the river, after flowing around Bradford's island, joins the main stream. It was then about nine o'clock and everything thus far proceeded favora- bly. But an examination of the channel showed that it would be impossible to get the boat up the rapids along the mainland, and that success could only be assured by crossing the south channel just below the rapids to the island, along the shore of which there was every probability we could pull the boat through the rocks and swift water until the head of the rapids was reached, from which point to the blockhouse there was swift water.

"Telling the men of the embarrassment in which I found myself, and that, if I could get enough of them to man the boat and pull it up the stream by a rope to the shore, we would cross to the island and make the attempt, all volunteered to go, but as ten men seemed sufficient, I selected that number to accompany me. Before starting, however, I deemed it prudent to find out if possible what was engaging the attention of the Indians, who had not vet discovered that we had left their front. I therefore climbed up the abrupt mountain side which skirted the water's edge, until I could see across the island. From this point I observed the Indians running horse-races and otherwise enjoying themselves behind the line they had held against me the day before. The squaws decked out in gay colors, and the men gaudily dressed in war bonnets, made the scene very attractive, but, as everything looked propitious for the dangerous enterprise in hand, I spent but little time in watching them and quickly returning to the boat, I crossed to the island with my ten men, threw ashore the rope attached to the bow and commenced the difficult task of pulling her up the rapids. We got along slowly at first, but soon striking a camp of old squaws, who had been left on the island for safety and had not gone over to the mainland to see the races, we utilized them to our advantage. With unmistakable threats and signs, we made them not only keep quiet, but also give us much-needed assistance in pulling vigor- ously on the tow-rope of our boat.

"I was laboring under a dreadful strain of mental anxiety during all this time, for had the Indians discovered what we were about, they could easily have come over to the island in their canoes, and by forcing us to take up our arms to repel their attack, doubtless would have obliged the abandon- ment of the boat, and that essential adjunct to the final success of my plan would have gone down the rapids. Indeed, under such circumstances, it would have been impossible for ten men to hold out against the two or three hundred Indians; but the island forming an excellent screen to our movements, we were not discovered, and when we reached the smooth water at the upper end of the rapids, we quickly crossed over and joined the rest of the men

THE YAKIMA WAR

who in the meantime had worked their way along the south bank of the river parallel with us. I felt very grateful to our old squaws for the assistance they rendered. They worked well under compul- sion and manifested no disposition to strike for higher wages. Indeed, I was so much relieved when we had crossed over from the island and joined the rest of the party, that I mentally thanked the squaws, one and all. I had much difficulty in keeping the men on the main shore from cheering at our success, but hurriedly taking into the bateau all of them it would carry, I sent the balance along the south bank, where the railroad is now built, until both detachments arrived at a point opposite the blockhouse, when, crossing to the north bank, I landed below the blockhouse some little distance and returned the boat for the balance of the men, who joined me in a few minutes."

Hardly had Sheridan landed and effected com- munication with the beleaguered blockhouse, when the advance of Wright's returning command under Lieutenant-Colonel Edward J. Steptoe arrived. A conference between Sheridan and Steptoe resulted in the former's being sent with a reinforcement to the island he had just left to capture the Cascade Indians, who, it was thought, would flee to the island, while the Yakimas would retreat into the interior of their own country. As expected, the Yakimas and Klickitats fled precipitately on the ap- proach of Steptoe's command, and the Cascades, deserted by their quondam allies. fell into the power of Sheridan. Some of them were tried by military commission. Being under treaty, they were ad- judged guilty of treason in fighting and nine were summarily hanged. The remainder of the Cascades were kept on the island under military surveillance.

April 28th Colonel Wright with five companies started into the Yakima country, and camping on the Naches river on the 18th of May, he remained there about a month. He was visited at intervals by chiefs professing a desire for peace, but the Indian plan was to affect to have two parties, one wishing hostilities to cease, the other advocating the continuance of the war. Their strategy con- sisted in the use of dilatory tactics, playing one party in their own ranks against another and making representations, true or false, which would stay the hand of their opponent until they couldl collect supplies. In this they succeeded admirably.

"The history of Wright's operations, as given in his reports." writes Mrs. Victor, "shows a summer spent in trailing Indians from place to place, from fishery to fishery, and over mountains before thought impassable for troops, dragging after them their season's supplies and accomplishing nothing but to collect the noncombatants of the disaffected tribes upon a reservation in Oregon, where they were secure from the turmoil of war and at liberty to spy on either side."

As before stated, Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw, of 6

the Washington volunteers, started for the Walla Walla country early in June. Arriving at the Yakima country while Wright was there, he offered to co-operate with the regulars, which offer was declined. He therefore continued his march to the Columbia at a point opposite the mouth of the Uma- tilla river. Seventy-five men of his command, under Captain Goff, had been sent to co-operate with Major Layton, of the Oregon volunteers, in raiding the John Day country. By capturing horses and supplies, these forces compelled many Indians, some of whom were supposed to be hostile and some who might at any time be indticed to become so, to seek the protection of the Warm Springs reservation.

Acting upon Governor Stevens' instructions to "spare no exertion to reduce to unconditional sub- mission any hostiles within reach," Colonel Shaw determined to attack a force of the enemy whom he ascertained to be encamped in the Grand Ronde valley. Pushing rapidly over the mountains, he encountered the hostiles July 17th, and in a decisive battle drove them as fugitives in every direction. The story of this fight is vividly told by the colonel himself in the following language :

We arrived in the Grande Ronde valley on the even- ing of the 16th and camped on a branch of the Grande Ronde river in the timber, sending spies in advance, who returned and reported no fresh signs. On the morning of the 17th, leaving Major Blankenship, of the central, and Captain Miller, of the southern battalion, assisted by Cap- tain DeLacy, to take up the line of march for the main valley, I proceeded ahead to reconnoiter, accompanied by Major Maxon, Michael Marchmean, Captain John and Doctor Burns. After proceeding about five miles we ascended a knoll in the valley, from which we discovered dust rising along the timber of the river. I immediately sent Major Maxon and Captain John forward to recon- noiter and returned to hurry up the command, which was not far distant. The command was instantly formed in order ; Captain Miller's company in advance, supported by Maxon's, Henness' and Powell's companies, leaving the pack train in charge of the guard under Lieutenant Good- man, with a detachment of Goff's company, under Lieu- tenant Wait, and Lieutenant Williams' company in reserve with orders to follow on after the command.

The whole command moved on quietly in this order until within one-half mile of the Indian village, when we discovered that the pack train had moved to the left, down the Grande Ronde river. At this moment a large body of warriors came forward singing and whooping, and one of them waving a white man's scalp on a pole. One of them signified a desire to speak, whereupon I sent Cap- tain John to meet him, and formed the command in line of battle. When Captain John came up to the Indians they cried out one to another to shoot him, whereupon he retreated to the command and I ordered the four compa- nies to charge.

The design of the enemy evidently was to draw us into the brush along the river, where from our exposed position they would have the advantage, they no doubt having placed an ambush there. To avoid this I charged down the river toward the pack train. The warriors then split, part going across the river and part down toward the paek train. These were soon overtaken and engaged. The charge was vigorous and so well sustained that they were broken, dispersed and slain before us. After a short time I sent Captain Miller to the left and Major Maxon to the right ; the latter to cross the stream and to cut them off

INTRODUCTORY

from a point near which a large body of warriors had col- Jected, apparently to fight, while I moved forward with the commands of Captain Henness and Lieutenant Powell to attack them in front. The major could not cross the river, and on our moving forward the enemy fled after firing a few guns, part taking to the left and part continuing for- ward.

Those who took to the left fell in with Captain Miller's company, who killed five on the spot, and the rest were not less successful in the pursuit, which was continued to the crossing of the river, where the enemy had taken a stand to defend the ford. Being here rejoined by Captain Miller and by Lieutenant Curtis, with part of Maxon's com- pany, we fired a volley and I ordered a charge across the river, which was gallantly executed. In doing this Pri- vale Shirley, ensign of llenness' company, who was in front, was wounded in the face. Several of the enemy were killed at this point. We continued the pursuit until the enemy had reached the rocky canyons leading toward the Powder river, and commenced scattering in every direction, when, finding that I had but five men with me and the rest of the command scattered in the rear, most of the horses being completely exhausted, I called a halt and fell back, calculating to remount the men on the captured horses and continue the pursuit after night.

I found the pack train, guard and reserve encamped on a small creek not far from the crossing, as I had previously ordered, and learned that a body of the enemy had fol- lowed them up all day and annoyed them but had inflicted no damage beyond capturing many of the animals which we had taken in charge and left behind.

I learned also that Major Maxon had crossed the river with a small party and was engaged with the enemy and wanted assistance. I immediately despatched a detach- ment under Lieutenants Williams and Wait, sending the man who brought the information back with them as a guide. They returned after dark without finding the major. but brought in one of his men whom they found in the brush and who stated that one of the major's men was killed and that the last he saw of them they were fighting with the Indians. At daylight I sent out Captain Miller with seventy men, who scouted around the whole valley without finding him, but who unfortunately had one man killed and another wounded whilst pursuing some Indians. I resolved to remove camp the next day to the head of the valley, where the emigrant trail crosses it, and continue the search until we became certain of their fate. The same evening I took sixty men, under Captain Henness, and struck up on the mountains and crossed the heads of the canyons to see if I could not strike his trail. Finding no sign, I returned to the place where the major had last been seen, and there made search in different directions and finally found the body of one of his men (Tooley) and where the major had encamped in the brush. From other signs it became evident to me that the major had returned to this post by the same trail by which we first entered the valley.

Being nearly out of provisions, and unable to follow the Indians from this delay, I conchided to return to camp, recruit for another expedition in conjunction with Captain Goff, who had, I presume, returned from his expedition to the John Day river.

I should have mentioned previously that in the charge the command captured and afterward destroyed about one hundred and fifty horse loads of lacamas, dried beef, tents, some flour, coffee, sugar and about one hundred pounds of ammunition and a great quantity of tools and kitchen fur- niture. We took also about two hundred horses, most of which were shot, there being about one hundred service- able animals.

There was present on the ground from what I saw, and from information received from two squaws taken prisoner, about three hundred warriors of the Cayuse, Walla Walla, Umatilla. Tyh, John Day and Des Chutes tribes, commanded by the following chiefs: Stock Whitley

and Simmistastas, Des Chutes and Tyh; Chickiah, Plyon, Wicecai, Watahstuartih, Winmiswot, Cayuses; Tahkin, Cayuse, the son of l'eo-peo-mox-mox; Walla Walla and other chiefs of less note.

The whole command, officers and men, behaved well. The enemy was run on the gallop fifteen miles, and most of those who fell were shot with a revolver. It is impossi- ble to state how many of the enemy were killed. Twenty- seven bodies were counted by one individual, and many others were known to have fallen and been left, but were so scattered about that it was impossible to get count of them. When to these we add those killed by Major Maxon's command on the other side of the river we may safely conclude that at least forty of the enemy were slain and many went off wounded. When we left the valley there was not an Indian in it and all signs went to show that they had gone a great distance from it.

On the 21st instant we left the valley by the emigrant road and commenced our return to camp. During the night Lieutenant Hunter, of the Washington territory volunteers, came into camp with an express from Captain Goff. I learned to my surprise that the captain and Major Layton had seen Indians on John Day's river, had followed them over to Burnt river and had a fight with them, in which Lieutenant Eustus and one private were killed, and some seven Indians. They were shaping their course for the Grande Ronde valley, and had sent for provisions and fresh horses. I immediately sent Lieuten- ant Williams back with all my spare provisions and horses and continued my march. On Wild Horse creek I came across Mr. Fites, a pack master who had been left in camp, who informed me, to my extreme satisfaction, that Major Maxon and his command had arrived safe in camp and were then near us with provisions and ammunition. These I sent on immediately to Captain Goff. I learned that Major Maxon had been attacked in the valley by a large force of Indians on the day of the fight; had gained the brush and killed many of them: that at night he tried to find our camp, and hearing a noise like a child crying, probably one of the captured squaws, had concluded that my command had gone on to Powder river and that the Indians had returned to the valley by another canyon. He moved his position that night and the next day saw the scout looking for him, but in the distance thought that it was a band of Indians hunting his trail. Conceiving him- self cut off from the command: he thought it best to return to this camp, thinking that we would be on our way back to Grande Ronde with provisions and ammunition.

Meanwhile Governor Stevens was making every effort to sustain the friendly faction of the Nez Perces under Lawyer, and in this he was receiving the hearty co-operation of William Craig, a white man who had been adopted into the tribe. In Gov- ernor Stevens' opinion an important incident in preserving the friendship of the Nez Perces was the holding of the Walla Walla valley. He seems to have determined to follow up the moral advantage gained by Shaw's victory by holding a council with all the Indians, friendly, neutral and hostile, whom he could induce to meet him in the Walla Walla country. Wishing to present a solid front against the Indians he endeavored strenuously to secure the hearty co-operation of the regulars. He accordingly held a conference with Wright at Vancouver, at which he learned that the colonel could not be present in person at the council but would send Lieutenant-Colonel Steptoe with four companies to reach the scene in time. Everything seemed propitious for a friendly co-operation. The

THE YAKIMA WAR

regular officers were, however, acting with duplic- ity, for they had received orders from General Wool such as would prevent any real co-operation with Stevens.

At the close of his pow-wow campaign in the Yakima country, Wright, having failed to find any enemy to oppose, had reported to General Wool that the war was at an end. The latter had, on the 2d of August, issued an order to Wright in which he said :

"The general congratulates you on your suc- cessful termination of the war with the Yakimas and Klickitats. *

* With the least possible delay you will conduct an expedition into the Walla Walla country. No emigrants or other whites, except the Hudson's Bay Company, or persons having ceded rights from the Indians, will be permitted to settle or remain in the Indian country, or on land not ceded by treaty, confirmed by the senate and approved by the president of the United States, ex- cepting the miners at the Colville mines. Those will be notified, however, that, if they interfere with the Indians, or their squaws, they will be punished and sent out of the country. It appears that Colonel Shaw, from Puget sound, with his volun- teers, has gone to the Walla Walla country. Colonel Wright will order them out of the country by way of Fort Dalles. If they do not go imme- diately, they will be arrested, disarmed and sent out."

Had Stevens known of this order, he would not have relied on the regulars for assistance. But being ignorant of it, he proceeded into the heart of the Indian country without hesitation. Lieutenant- Colonel Steptoe left The Dalles with four companies August 20th, and on the 5th of the following month he established a camp five miles below the council ground. Stevens had made arrangements for "send- ing home the volunteers, to be mustered out of the service on the arrival in the valley of the regular troops," and thus unconsciously saved Steptoe one task enjoined upon him by Wool's order.

On the evening of September 10th, Governor Stevens, now ready for the council, requested two of Steptoe's companies of troops and some moun- tain howitzers. Steptoe refused on the ground that he could not furnish them in consistency with the directions of his superior, and Stevens retained Captain Goff's company of volunteers as guards. The council opened on the 11th. It was decidedly stormy from the beginning. and by the 13th con- ditions became so alarming that Governor Stevens again addressed Steptoc, advising him that half the Nez Perces were hostile. as were practically all the other tribes, and stating that he deemed a company of regulars essential to his safety. Step- toe again refused and advised the governor to adjourn council to his (Steptoe's) camp. This under the circumstances Stevens could not help but do. While en route he met Kamiakin, who, he

thought, would surely have attacked him had he known in time of his intended march. "Kamiakin," wrote he to the secretary of war, "had unquestion- ably an understanding, as subsequent events showed, with all the Indians except the friendly Nez Perces (about one-half the nation) and a small number of friendly Indians of other tribes, to make an attack that day or evening upon my camp. He found me on the road, to his great surprise, and had no time to perfect his arrangements. I had learned in the night that Kamiakin had camped on the Touchet the night before, and that he would be in this day. The council opened on the 10th. All the Indians were camped near. Kamiakin and his band were only separated from the council grounds by a narrow skirt of woods in the bottom of Mill creek."

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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 22

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