USA > Washington > Lincoln County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 9
USA > Washington > Adams County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 9
USA > Washington > Douglas County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 9
USA > Washington > Franklin County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 1 > Part 9
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GENERAL HISTORY.
in this fight and doing good execution. Other United States vessels, including the Active and Massachusetts, were conspicuous in defense of the town. It was aboard the Decatur that the sanguinary Patkanim delivered the heads of In- dians for which a bounty was offered. Pat- kanim had entered into a contract with the ter- ritorial government by which he was to receive eighty dollars apiece for all heads of Indian chiefs, and twenty dollars for the heads of war- riors. Subsequently these ghastly trophies were forwarded to Olympia. In this horrible hunt for hostile heads Patkanim was assisted by eighty warriors of the Snoqualimich and Skokomish tribes, and, also, a chief called John Taylor. The United States navy at that time rendered most valuable services in repulsing Indian attacks along the shore-line of Puget Sound. Working in conjunction with the land forces of the whites the guns of the ships at times did terrible execution among the painted savages. On the morning of October 22, 1856, a party of Indians surrendered to the com- mander of the Massachusetts and were taken to Victoria. It was generally supposed that the severe treatment accorded unfriendly Indians on the Sound would result in the abandonment of depredations in that vicinity. But on August II, 1857, a party of savages landed at Whidby Island, killed a man named I. N. Eby, decapi- tated him and looted his house before an alarm could be given. Nor was this the extent of later depredations. It became necessary for vessels heavily armed to cruise in the sound and through Fuca Strait.
Our territorial limitations demand that we return to the Yakima country where Indian hos- tilities were renewed. In October, 1855 rumors were rife of a combination of Oregon and Yakima Indians. It was reported, also, that the Des Chutes, Walla Wallas and Cayuses were inclined to be unfriendly. To prevent such a combination Indian Agent Olney had heen sent from The Dalles to Walla Walla. It was con- strued as an unfavorable circumstance that
Peupeumoxmox should have been found on the north side of the Columbia. Other signs indi- cated the truculency of Peupeumoxmox, and he even denied that he had ever sold the Walla Walla valley. To Olney it seemed apparent that the chief was preparing to join the Ya- kimas in a war against the whites. It was de- cided in conference between Agent Olney and Mckinlay, Anderson and Sinclair, officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, to destroy the amunition in Walla Walla to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Indians. It was, therefore, thrown into the river. All whites were then ordered to leave the country, and this order included Sinclair, who abandoned prop- erty in the fort valued at $37,000.
To a winter campaign against the Indians in the Yakima valley, Colonel Nesmith was stoutly opposed. He directed attention to the fact that his horses and men were exhausted, some of the latter being severely frost-bitten and otherwise unfit for duty. One hundred and twenty-five of them had been discharged. How- ever, Governor Curry ordered Major M. A. Chinn to proceed to Walla Walla and join Nesmith. This order was followed by a general uprising of the Indians. Chinn resolved to fortify the Umatilla agency, and await rein- forcements, believing it impossible to form the contemplated union with Nesmith. Accord- ingly Chinn, who had arrived at the agency November 18. 1855, where he found the build- ings destroyed, erected a stockade and named the same Fort Henrietta, in honor of the wife of Major Haller. Later Kelly arrived and suc- ceeding reinforcements gave him four hundred and seventy-five men. The first sally from Walla Walla was made on December 2. The force of three hundred and ninety-nine men was met by Chief Peupeumoxmox, who carried a white flag at the head of a band of warriors. Following a conference the Indians were held as prisoners and, during a subsequent attack on Waiilatpi, were killed. The truculent chief of the Walla Wallas met his death early in the
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GENERAL HISTORY.
insurrection of which he was the instigator. The fight at Waiilatpu continued through the 7th, 8th and 9th, the fortunes of war being tem- porarily with the Indians. Reinforcements for Kelly arrived on the Ioth, from Fort Henrietta, thus enabling the whites to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and continue the pursuit of the Indians until nightfall. Kelly then built Fort Bennett, two miles above Waiilatpu.
It is impossible to attempt a description of the battle between the upper and lower cascades of the Columbia river without being brought face to face with another blunder of General Wool. However valuable may have been his services during the Mexican war, and no one could justly censure any portion of his career in those campaigns, truth compels the state- ment that General Wool's knowledge of Indian warfare was limited. Undoubtedly his inten- tions were the best, but he appears singularly unfortunate in a number of his military orders while at the head of the troops in Washington and Oregon.
About the middle of December, 1855, Kelly received news of the resignation of Colonel Nesmith. The latter was succeeded by Thomas R. Cornelius, and Kelly, anxious to return to civil duties, gave his command to Davis Layton. A. M. Fellows took the place of Captain Ben- nett, Fellows being succeeded by A. Shepard, and the latter by B. A. Barker. Thus was effected a partial reorganization of the volun- teer forces in the Walla Walla valley. On the return of Governor Stevens, who arrived in camp December 20, he expressed himself as highly gratified by the assistance rendered us by the Oregon trooops. During the ten days he remained in the Walla Walla valley, a com- pany of home-guards, composed of French Canadians, was formed and officered by Sidney E. Ford, captain, Green McCafferty, first lieu- tenant. It was decided, after discussion with the Oregon volunteers, to intrench Walla Walla and hold the same until the regular trooops were prepared to prosecute another campaign.
Similar means of defense were provided for the Spokane and Colville.
Before his return to Olympia Governor Stevens expressed his appreciation of the serv- ices of sixty-nine Nez Perce volunteers in a substantial manner. He directed that they be cordially thanked, mustered out of service and their muster rolls forwarded to Olympia for future payment. No one can gainsay this judicious measure, for it was of the utmost im- portance to retain the friendship of any tribe of Indians disposed to be at all friendly toward the whites. In return for the generous treatment by Governor Stevens the Nez Perces coven- anted to furnish horses with which to mount the Oregon volunteers.
The return of Governor Stevens and Kelly, the one to Olympia, the other to Oregon City, was marked in each instance by a series of pub- lic ovations from the people. January 19, 1856, the governor was received with a salute of thirty-eight guns; Kelly was given a public banquet and escorted to the hall, an honor worthily bestowed on one who, without doubt, had prevented a dangerous coalition between the Indians of Northern Washington and Southern Oregon. But the praiseworthy efforts of Oregon were not to cease at this point. A proclamation was issued by Governor Curry on January 6, 1856, asking for five companies to be recruited in Yamhill, Polk, Clackamas, Marion and Linn counties, supplemented by forty men to round out the skeltonized company of scouts under Captain Conoyer. These troops arrived at Walla Walla about March I.
Nine days later the campaign was opened by Colonel Cornelius who started with six hundred men. The plan was to proceed along the Snake and Columbia rivers to the Palouse and Ya- kima ; thence to Priest's Rapids and down the east bank of the Columbia to the mouth of the Yakima. During this march a few Indians were found, but no heavy engagement followed, and the command reached the Yakima March 30. Here ominous reports were received. Be-
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GENERAL HISTORY.
tween the two cascades of the Columbia were a number of settlements. These had been at- tacked by hostile Indians.
One blunder of General Wool's, to which attention has been called, was made at this junc- ture. On his arrival from California he had found at Vancouver three companies of in- fantry. He ordered two of these to repair to Fort Steilacoom. The territory of the hostile Klikitats and Yakimas adjoined a portage be- tween the cascades, on which portage a large quantity of government stores was exposed. This was a strong inducement to the Indians to attack the point, and it should have been heav- ily guarded. On the contrary the company at the Cascades, on March 24. was sent away, with the exception of eight men under com- mand of Sergeant Matthew Kelly. The latter was a member of the 4th infantry. The upper and lower ends of the portage were connected by a wagon road. The stream above the port- age was named Rock Creek, on which was a saw mill. In this vicinity were a number of families and the trading post of Bradford & Company. An island in the river was con- nected with the mainland by a bridge. The first steamer to run on the Columbia, trading be- tween The Dalles and the Cascades, was the Mary. This craft was at her landing near Rock Creek. The block-house was located about midway between the two cascades and near it lived the families of George Griswold and W. K. Kilborn.
General Wool, after giving his orders. which resulted so disastrously, had returned to California. The force of Colonel Wright had moved from The Dalles; his rear left un- guarded. At the upper settlement of the Cas- cades, on the morning of March 26. a force of Klikitats and Yakimas appeared with hostile demonstrations. Some of the settlers had gone to their daily avocations. but the hour being early, the crew of the Mary had not reached the boat. The Indians who had taken their po- sition under cover of darkness opened the
fight, if such an attack on almost defenseless settlers could be termed a fight, with a rapid rifle fire from the brush. One of the whites was shot dead and a number wounded at the first volley. It developed into an Indian massacre accompanied by all the horrid features inci- dental to such scenes, and those who fell vic- tims to rifle balls were immediately toma- hawked and scalped. Among the first to fall was the family of B. W. Brown. Himself, wife, a young boy and his sister, eighteen years of age, were slain and thrown into the river.
Bradford & Company's store, a log struc- ture, appeared to be the only place of refuge, and to this fled the workmen on the bridge and a number of settlers. Then began the memor- able siege of the Cascades. Of the forty people gathered in the store building eighteen were able to make a defensive showing, and armed with nine government rifles which, with some ammunition, had been left of the store to be for- warded to Vancouver, they replied to the fire of the enemy to the best of their ability. All ad- vantages of position were with the hostiles. They were concealed on higher ground and, ap- parently, had the settlers at their mercy. It was in the first onslaught of this savage attack that James Sinclair, one of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany's agents, was killed. He was shot through an open door in a manner similar to the assas- sination of Lieutenant Slaughter.
Providentially the steamer Mary was not captured. An attack was made upon the boat and the fireman, James Linsay, shot through the shoulder. A negro cook, having been wounded, leaped into the stream and was drowned. One Indian was shot and killed by the engineer. Buskminister. and John Chance, son of the steward, killed another hostile. To effect the escape of the boat it became necessary for Har- din Chenoweth, the pilot, to manipulate the wheel while lying prone on the floor of the pilot house. The families of Sheppard and Vander- pool ventured from the shore in skiffs, and were picked up in midstream. The gallant little
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GENERAL HISTORY.
Mary was then off up the river for succor. Sev- eral fatalities afterward occurred among the settlers and a number of hairbreadth escapes are recorded. The Indians fired the mill and lumber yards and tried desperately to burn the log store. The absence of water was added to the elements of horror surrounding the be- seiged settlers. Within the store one man was dead. Sinclair, and four others severely wounded. A few dozen bottles of ale and whis- key comprised the liquids available for thirty- nine people, the greater number being women and children.
In this dire emergency justice demands that credit be given to a Spokane Indian in the party who risked his life to procure water from the stream. At first he succeeded in getting water only sufficient for the wounded, but the suc- ceeding day he was enabled to fill two barrels and convey them inside the store. Meanwhile the imprisoned settlers were harassed by fears for the safety of the Mary. The capture of this boat meant utter failure to receive reinforce- ments and relief.
.
The attack on the block-house below Brad- ford & Company's store was simultaneous with the assault above. The garrison comprised nine persons, five of whom only were inside the structure at the time of the unexpected attack. The Indians had massed themselves on an ad- jacent hill. One of the garrison who had been caught outside the block-house was shot through the hip, but managed to crawl to the door, where he was admitted. Cannon was brought to bear on the enemy, and soon afterward the neighboring settlers came running to the rude fort for protec- tion. A number of them were killed, but such as reached the fort alive were taken inside. Dur- ing four hours a heavy fire was kept up by both sides, and an attempt to fire the block-house at night was repulsed. The Indians prowled about with horrid yells, and did what damage they could do to surrounding property. Some pro- visions were procured on the 27th from an ad-
jacent house by three soldiers. The congres- sional report of "Indian Hostilities in Oregon and Washington Territories," II-12, gives the names of the plucky garrison of this block- house. They were M. Kelly, Frederick Beman, Owen McManus, Lawrence Rooney (killed in the first attack), Smiley, Houser, Williams, Roach and Sheridan. On the second day of the fight the latter four went out and returned with the dead and wounded.
An attack on the Lower Cascades did not result in loss of lives. Many of the settlers were warned of the assault on the block-house by a half-breed boy, who informed W. K. Kil- born and urged him to leave the neighborhood. Kilborn owned a Columbia river freight boat, and by means of this craft he saved the lives of his own family and those of several others. Ar- riving at Vancouver Kilborn apprised the resi- dents of that place of the outbreak. This news threw the people into consternation, and they expected momentarily to be attacked. The dif- ficult problem presented was to send reinforce- ments to the Cascades and retain, at the same time, sufficient force to protect Vancouver. To the Hudson's Bay Company's fort, for greater safety, Colonel Morris removed the women and children of the garrison. In his "History of Washington, Idaho and Montana," Hubert Howe Bancroft states that Coloneil Morris "refused arms to the captain of the volunteer home guards in obedience to the orders of General Wool." Mr. Bancroft says further :
"I take this statement from a correspondent of the Olympia Pioneer and Democrat of April 25, 1856, who says that Kelly, of the volun- teers, went to the officer in command at that post and requested to be furnished with arms, as all the arms in the country had gone to furnish a company in the field-Captain Maxon's. 'He was insulted-told to mind his own business.' A few days later a consignment of arms from the east arrived. for the use of the territory, and the settlers were furnished from that supply."
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GENERAL HISTORY.
If such was the order of General Wool it certainly exhibits a marked degree of hostility toward the volunteers of Washington and Ore- gon, and unpleasantly emphasized one more blunder on the part of the veteran of the Mexi- can war. It will be noted in another portion of this chapter that the brunt of the fighting in the various Indian outbreaks fell upon volunteers. The efforts of the regulars were purely sup- plementary and were not conducted with the success worthy of the most ordinary tactician.
Lieutenant Philip Sheridan, of whom we now hear for the first time in connection with military movements, on the morning of the 27th left on the steamer Belle for the Cascades. With him were a small detachment of one company assigned by General Wool for the protection of Vancouver. Fugitives were met, in the river; some of them on a schooner, others in a batteau. The men among these settlers, flying for their lives, immediately volunteered to re- turn and participate in the punishment of the hostiles, an exhibition of manliness which fully illustrates the spirit which invariably animated the Washington and Oregon volunteers, despite the severe and unwarranted strictures of Gen- eral Wool. A reconnoitre was made by Sheri- dan on arriving at the lower end of the portage, and the condition of affairs at the Cascades and the block-house was gleaned from some Cas- cade Indians. On the Washington side of the Columbia Sheridan landed his men: the boat being sent back for more ammunition to Van- couver. Two of Sheridan's men were shot down while effecting a landing. Relief of the block-house was not effected immediately as the party was unable to advance during the day.
On the steamer Fashion another relief party was enroute from Portland. Thirty men had been recruited by Benjamin Stark and H. P. Dennison on the 26th, and this number was in- creased by other volunteers from Vancouver. It was midnight, the 26th, that Colonel Wright received news of the attack on the Cascades. He had removed from The Dalles with his
troops to Five-Mile Creek, where he was en- camped. With two hundred and fifty men he went back to The Dalles, boarded the steamers Mary and Wasco, and reached the Cascades on the morning of the 28th. At the latter place it was the belief of the garrison that the Mary had been captured by the Indians. With only four rounds of ammunition left, and in ignor- ance of the arrival of Sheridan. the settlers in their desperation had determined to board a government flat-boat and go over the falls rather than fall into the hands of the Indians. The pleasure with which they caught sight of the Mary and WVasco rounding the bend of the river can be better imagined than described. With the timely arival of these troops the In- dians disappeared. Under command of Colonel Steptoe two companies of the 9th infantry, a detachment of dragoons and the 3rd artillery advanced to the block-house and from this point to the landing below. Lieutenant Sheridan's command coming up at the same time alarmed the Indians and they vanished with remarkable celerity. Colonel Steptoe lost one soldier and one liostile was killed. Subsequently nine In- dians who were identified as having engaged in the massacre at the Cascades were captured and executed.
It was the opinion of Governor Stevens, formed after his return to Olympia, that Indian hostilities in the immediate future were to be confined to the Yakima country and Walla Walla valley. January 21, 1856, in a special message addressed to the legislative assembly, he dwelt with great earnestness on the desirabil- ity of acquiring title to the country unincum- bered by Indian claims. This had been the mo- tive of his recent trip to the country of the Nez Perces, Coeur d'Alenes and other tribes far to the eastward of the Cascade range. He said that nearly all the different tribes whom he had interviewed had been, apparently, quite willing to concede this point. But the governor added that he had been deceived in this respect. and that it would now be necessary to send soldiers
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GENERAL HISTORY.
from the Sound into the Indian country east of the Cascades. Furthermore he was opposed to treaties and favored extermination.
In this conclusion Governor Stevens was, as events subsequently proved, greatly de- ceived. So far from confining their depreda- tions to the Walla Walla valley the Indians were even then making preparations to raid the coast of the Sound. Althogh the ensuing war was, for a period, confined to the country north of the Steilacoom, terror ran riot in other iso- lated and unprotected localities. Many mur- ders were committed and a great deal of valu- able property destroyed by the remorseless sav- ages. Then it was that Governor Stevens re- turned to Olympia and ordered a portion of the southern battalion to the Sound country, During the spring of 1856 a decisive engage- ment with the Indians was had at White river, resulting in the complete rout of the savages, although they outnumbered the whites two to one. Governor Stevens proclaimed martial law. Fighting occurred on John Day river and in June, 1856, Major Layton captured thirty- four warriors. A spirited engagement between the Indians and Colonel Shaw took place on the Grand Rond, but following this the hostiles broke up into small bands, but sufficiently ag- gressive to create considerable activity among the troops. One of the most effective methods adopted to dishearten the enemy was that of stopping supplies and capturing the Indians' horses in various raids. Some of the savages were neutral; nearly all of them needy; and during a vigorous march through the country overtures made by the United States were, in a large number of cases, accepted. Of the Wasco, Des Chutes, Tyghe and John Day tribes, nine hundred and twenty-three surren- dered, and four hundred of the more truculent Yakimas and Klikitats surrendered to Colonel Wright. Following this they received gov- ernment aid.
While these scenes were being enacted on the Sound it had been impossible for Governor
Stevens to deploy troops east of the Cascade range. Of this fact the Indians in that country took advantage. It required the best diplomatic efforts of Lieutenant-Colonel Graig to hold the Nez Perces and Spokanes to their allegiance, and finally, July 24, Captain Robie informed Colonel Shaw that the Nez Perces had become recalcitrant, declared hostile intentions and re- fused all offers of government supplies. It was at this annoying juncture of affairs that Gov- ernor Stevens decided to go to Walla Walla and hold a council. He found conditions de- cidedly worse than had been reported. Al- though Colonel Wright had been pressed to join the council he declined, urging that it would be better to establish at Walla Walla a strong military post with Stepoe in command.
This council was not crowned with the most satisfactory results. The Cayuses, Des Chutes and Tyghes, although they arrived in the vicinity of the meeting place, were disposed to be sullen and unfriendly. They refused to pay a visit to Governor Stevens, exhibited signs of hostility by firing the grass and otherwise gave evidence of malevolence. Kamiakin and Owhi, Yakimas and Qualchin, of the Cœur d'Alenes, also refused to attend and passed their time sowing seeds of dissension whenever and wherever opportunity offered. On the 11th of September the council opened and closed dis- mally on the 17th. It became necessary for Governor Stevens to remove to the immediate vicinity of Steptoe's camp through fear of vio- lence from the Indians. No pipe of peace was smoked and no satisfactory results achieved. The Indians demanded to be left in peaceful possession of all the country claimed by them as "domains," and declared most emphatically that no other terms would be accepted. It was with no little difficulty that Governor Stevens succeeded in getting out of the country alive. His train was attacked on its way back to The Dalles and two of the escort killed. Following this humiliating repulse of the governor, and after his return to the Sound, Colonel Wright
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GENERAL HISTORY.
marched to Walla Walla and ordered all the chiefs to meet him in council. It was, evident- ly, the intention of Wright to adopt drastic measures, but few Indians attended the coun- cil, and, like the preceding one, it bore no fruit. Those who came said, sullenly, that they were opposed to confirmation of the Walla Walla treaty. Troops were at once thrown into the various posts, including Mill Creek, Fort Dalles and the Cascades settlement, and preparations made to secure all from invasion during the approaching winter.
Throughout this summer and while at- tempts were being made to pacify the Indians east of the Cascade range, hostilities continued on the Sound. The Puyallups and Nisquallies, at a council held at Fox Island, August 4th, convinced Governor Stevens that an injustice had been done them through the limitations of their reservation. An enlargement was recom- mended by the governor, and a resurvey or- dered, which absorbed thirteen donation claims. Subsequently congress appropriated $5,000 to- ward improvements.
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