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If such was the order of General Wool it certainly exhibits a marked degree of hostility toward the volunteers of Washington and Oregon, and unpleasantly emphasized one more blunder on the part of the veteran of the Mexican 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 supplementary 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 return 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 General Wool. A reconnoitre was made by Sheridan 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 Cascade Indians. On the Washington side of the Columbia Sheridan landed his men; the boat being sent back for more ammunition to Vancouver. 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 en route from Portland. Thirty men had been recruited by Benjamin Stark and H. P. Dennison on the 26th. and this number was increased 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 encamped. 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 ignorance 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 Wasco rounding the bend of the river can be better imagined than described. With the timely arrival of these troops the Indians 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 hostile was killed. Subsequently nine Indians 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 desirability of acquiring title to the country unencumbered by Indian claims. This had been the motive 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
On the steamer Fashion another relief party was en route from Portland. Thirty men had been recruited by Benjamin Stark and H. P. Dennison on the 26th. and this number was increased 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 encamped. 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 ignorance 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 Wasco rounding the bend of the river can be better imagined than described. With the timely arrival of these troops the Indians 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 hostile was killed. Subsequently nine Indians 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 desirability of acquiring title to the country unencumbered by Indian claims. This had been the motive 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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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 deceived. So far from confining their depredations to the Walla Walla valley the Indians were even then making preparations to raid the coast of the Sound. Although the ensuing war was, for a period, confined to the country north of the Steilacoom, terror ran riot in other isolated and unprotected localities. Many murders were committed and a great deal of valuable property destroyed by the remorseless savages. Then it was that Governor Stevens returned to Olympia and ordered a portion of the southern battalion to the Sound country. During the spring of 1856 a decisive engagement 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 aggressive 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 surrendered, and four hundred of the more truculent Yakimas and Klikitats surrendered to Colonel Wright. Following this they received government 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 refused all offers of government supplies. It was at this annoying juncture of affairs that Governor Stevens decided to go to Walla Walla and hold a council. He found conditions decidedly worse than had been reported. Although 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 Cceur 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 dismally on the 17th. It became necessary for Governor Stevens to remove to the immediate vicinity of Steptoe's camp through fear of violence 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 succeeeded 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 Wrigfht
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marched to Walla Walla and ordered all the chiefs to meet him in council. It was, evidently, the intention of Wright to adopt drastic measures, but few Indians attended the council, 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 attempts 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 recommended by the governor, and a resurvey ordered, which absorbed thirteen donation claims. Subsequently congress appropriated $5,000 toward improvements.
The story of the capture and execution of Leschi is, perhaps, one of the most sensational Indian episodes in the career of Governor Stevens. Leschi, together with Nelson, Stahi, Quiemuth and the younger Kitsap, had been ringleaders in the attack on the Decatur, in the Sound, and now Governor Stevens desired to try them for murder. These Indians had attended the council with Colonel Wright, in the Yakima country, and Wright had paroled them. At that period an attempt was being made to quiet the Indians east of the Cascade range. In the opinion of Wright, of whom these five savages had been demanded, it would be unwise at this juncture to give them over to certain execution, but the governor was insistent in his demands, and again made requisition for the hostiles. To this demand nearly all the army officers were opposed, believing the policy to be unwise.
In November Leschi was arrested. Sluggia and Elikukah, two of his own people, betrayed him into the hands of the whites. At that period Leschi was an outcast and, practically, outlawed by both Yakimas and whites. The traitorous Sluggia and Elikukah found him and handed him over to Sydney S. Ford who forwarded him on to Olympia. Leschi was now to stand trial for the killing of A. B. Moses. At the first trial, November 14, the jury failed to agree. March 18, 1857, a second trial was had, resulting in conviction. June 10 was the day set for his execution. The attorneys engaged for Leschi's defense appealed the case to the supreme court, and this appeal served as a stay of proceedings and deferred execution beyond the day assigned. However, the verdict of the lower court was sustained and January 22, 1858, was set as the day for the hanging of Leschi. McMullin, who had succeeded Stevens, was now governor of Washington. Friends of Leschi appealed to him for pardon; seven hundred settlers vigorously protested. The execution was to be at Steilacoom and on the day set there was a large audience. This time, however, the death penalty was delayed by friends of the condemned by a most peculiar legal manipulation. Shortly before the time for the execution the sheriff and his deputy were placed under arrest by a United States marshal. The charge against the prisoners was that of selling liquor to Indians. In vain an attempt was made to reach the sheriff and secure the death warrant, without which it would be impossible to strangle Leschi legally. But that officer was retained in close custody until the period set for Leschi's hanging had passed. The "United States marshall" in these proceedings was Lieutenant McKibben, stationed at Fort Steilacoom, who had been appointed for that express purpose. All in all this coup was in the nature of a ruse on the part of the regular army, between whom and the citizens of the territory there was at all times considerable friction.
Indignation at this perversion of justice and
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palpable miscarriage of law ran high among the people. Public meetings of protest were held and the legislature appealed to. This body proceeded to adjust matters in a most strenuous manner, repealing certain laws and enacting new ones until the legal coils around Leschi were deemed sufficiently strong to insure his punishment. Again the prisoner was tried and, although his counsel demurred to the jurisdiction of the court, he was overruled and February 19, 1858, the Indian who had so successfully fought off the hounds of law was hanged. It is a matter of historical record that few of the more active Indian participants in the various outbreaks on the Sound escaped. Three of them were assassinated by white men in revenge for the murder of friends; a number were hanged at Fort Steilacoom; one of his own people killed Kitsap in June, 1857, on Muckleshoot prairie, and Leschi's friends revenged themselves by taking the life of the treacherous Sluggia. Comparative peace was restored to the Sound country, yet the horrors of the outbreak were long remembered. To the Puyallup and upper White River valley many of the settlers did not return until 1859.
Patkanim, the horrible blood-hunter, who, for American gold, trafficked in human heads as nonchalantly as he would deal in wolf-pelts, did not long survive the war. The following estimation of this barbarian is given by the Pioneer and Democrat under date, January 21, 1859: "It is just as well that he is out of the way, as, in spite of everything, we never believed in his friendship."
Indemnity claims following Indian troubles on the Sound amounted to some twelve thousand dollars, which sum was appropriated by congress. But the actual expenses incidental to the conduct of this war, a war in behalf of the peace and prosperity of Washington and Oregon, approached quite nearly six million dollars, or exactly $5,931,424.78, divided as follows: Washington, $1,481,475.45; Oregon, $4,449,949.33. Payment of $1,409,604.53 was made to the Oregon, and $519,593.06 to the Washington volunteers. At that period the eminent editor and publicist, Horace Greeley, had not advised the young men of the country to "go west," and he was unkind enough to say, in the New York Tribune: "The enterprising territories of Oregon and Washington have handed into congress their little bill for scalping Indians and violating squaws two years ago. After these (the French spoilation claims) shall have been paid half a century or so, we trust the claims of the Oregon and Washington Indian fighters will come up for consideration."
The scene of Indian troubles now removes itself to a point in eastern Washington more immediately identified with the limitations of this history. In April, 1858, the mines in the vicinity of Colville had become attractive to "stampeders," and two white men pushing on into the "gold country," had been slain by a party of savages belonging to the Palouse tribe. A petition for troops, signed by forty residents of Colville, had been forwarded to Colonel Steptoe. The latter informed General Clarke of the fact and advised that an expedition be sent north to punish the savages and protect the settlers. Adding to the crime of murder the Palouses had gone down into the Walla Walla country and driven away a band of government cattle. The Palouses who, it was claimed, had killed the Colville miners, were found by Colonel Steptoe at the Alpowah. Steptoe had left Walla Walla May 6, 1858, with one hundred and thirty dragoons en route for the country of the Nez Perces. On approach of the whites the Indians fled. Because Steptoe placed no confidence in a report he received on the 16th that the Spokanes were making arrangements to attack him he, unfortunately, found himself surrounded with a force of six hundred miscellaneous "braves," including warriors of the Cceur d'Alenes, Palouses, Spokanes and Nez Perces. They were attired in war paint and had chosen a position where
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from three sides they could assault Steptoe's detachment of troops. During a short parley the Spokanes confirmed the reports that they were on the war path, and announced that they purposed to do considerable fighting before the whites would be permitted to ford the Spokane river. Doubtless the Indians were emboldened in their conduct by the fact that these dragoons of Steptoe's were without other means of defense than their small arms. For this inexcusable blunder no reason has ever been assigned, and none could be that would, at this day, be acceptable to a military man. The savages rode along side by side with the troops and hurled at them insults and cries of defiance. At nightfall the chiefs demanded to know the reason for this invasion of their country.
No explanation was made that in any way pacified the chiefs, although Steptoe said that, having learned of trouble near Colville he was on his way thither to inquire into the cause of it. The chiefs pointed out the fact that he was not on the Colville road at all. Unfortunately he had been led astray by a guide. Timothy, by name. Without suitable arms, and otherwise unprepared for fighting, Steptoe decided to retreat. He began his return to the Palouse on the 17th. A few miles away a party of Cceeur d'Alenes were gathering roots, and to them the Spokanes appealed asking their assistance in bagging an enemy whom the Spokanes, particularly, did not intend to allow to leave the country alive. A Cceeur d'Alene chief, named Vincent, attempted to hold a parley with Colonel Steptoe, but firing was commenced by the Palouses and the skirmish soon resolved itself into a general engagement. Encumbered by a pack train, which it was necessary to guard; passing over ground rough and most favorable for Indians and their mode of warfare Steptoe's command labored under a serious disadvantage, and were in no condition for any effective fighting. The savages charged a company commanded by Lieutenant Gregg, but the prompt support given by Lieutenant Gaston repulsed the Indians and they suffered severely at this point. Twelve of them were killed, including Jacques Zachary, brother-in-law of Vincent; James and Victor, the latter one of the powerful chiefs of the Coeur d'Alenes. Later on, while attemping to reach a stream of water, Lieutenant William Gaston and Captain Oliver H. P. Taylor were killed. The result of this "Battle of Steptoe Butte," fought at a place seven miles from the present town of Colfax, must be, impartially, recorded as a defeat for the whites. On the morning of the 19th the retreating troops reached Snake river and from this point continued on to Walla Walla.
The animosity of the Indians exhibited in this disaster has been variously explained. The most plausible reason for it lies, probably, in the fact that the Creur d' Alenes bad been told of the proposed government road through their country, from the Missouri to the Columbia river. This was subsequently completed by Lieutenant Mullan, from Fort Walla Walla to Fort Benton.
In June, 1858, active preparations were made to avenge the defeat of Steptoe. Quite a large body of troops were mobilized at Fort Walla Walla, some of them being brought from San Francisco and other California points; some from the Sound. Here for a period of time they were industriously drilled in the tactics of Indian warfare.This was to be an expedition against the Cceur d' Alenes and Spokanes; another was being put in motion against the Yakimas. The campaign plan was to have Major Garnett move toward Colville with three hundred men, co operate with Captain Keyes, and "round up" the tribes of Indians. Major Garnett was to leave August 15; Captain Keyes left Walla Walla on the 7th. Fort Taylor was built at the junction of Tucannon and Snake rivers, which, with its six hundred and forty acres of reservation, was intended as a permanent post. Here Colonel Wright arrived August 18. The expedition
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consisted of one hundred and ninety dragoons, four hundred artillery and ninety infantry, the latter armed with Sharpe's rifles. Seventy-six miles north from Fort Taylor Indians appeared on the hills and fired on a company of Nez Perces Indians who had been enlisted as volunteers by the whites and uniformed as regular soldiers. Soon afterward the hostiles retreated. They reappeared on September 1, in force, and one of the most important battles of this particular Indian war was fought. The victory was plainly with the whites, the savages losing twenty killed and many wounded.
But the Indians were desperate. Colonel Wright resumed his march September 5th, and was again attacked by the enemy. Shells from the howitzers burst among them ; the fire of the whites was deadly, and defeat of the Indians complete. On September 10 the Cceur d'Alenes surrendered, and the redoubtable Vincent was not the least active in inducing this submission. They had attempted to stay the progress of civilization through their wilderness and civilization would not be stayed. Whatever of home or country they once had was gone. Henceforth enterprise, industry and intelligence were to supplant barbaric ignorance and Indian squalor.
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