Walla Walla County, Washington - Chapter 6: Indi.-Vn Wars of the Fifties Continued, 1901

Governor Stevens reached Olympia early in January, 1856, and found that the storm of war was in full blast from east to west. The Sound Indians, aided by the Yakimas, had ranged over the greater part of the region adjacent to the sound and had killed many settlers. Governor Stevens, full of courage and resources, roused the disheartened settlers and set on foot measures for saving the territory by the equipment of an army of one thousand volunteers, organizing forces of friendly Indians, issuing script for meeting expenses, seizing necessary stores and implements, inducing the settlers to get back again upon their farms and plant their crops, and sending Secretary Mason to Washington to acquaint tlie government with their plight and needs. In the very midst of his appeal the Indians liy a sudden attack seized Seattle and destroyed the most of it. Nevertheless llie brave words and acts of the governor roused the faint-hearted and the territory speedily got it.self into a better jxisture of defen.se and finally of attack. The Washington volunteers were equipped and the Second Regiment, under command of Colonel B. F. Shaw, started in the summer of 1856 for Walla Walla.

Meanwhile the Oregon volunteers had been spending that dismal winter and spring at Vvalla Walla and vicinity. The first American fort of the regular army at Walla Walla was laid out on the location of McBride's stable, on^e of the old log buildings remaining there until a few years ago. The volunteers camped at a later time higher up the creek near the present location of the ranch of Patrick Lyons.

During the spring Colonel Kelly returned to Portland, leaving Colonel T. R. Cornelius in command. The detachment set forth from their camp on J^Iill creek on March loth and proceeded to the Yakima country, meeting and dispersing the Indians whom they met there, and then passing on to the Columbia : they returned to Oregon and disbanded. They had rendered signal service, having broken up the Indi.-in forces of both the Walla Walla and Yakima countries.

daring blows struck In- any of the Indians fell upon the settlers up and down the Columbia, near the Cascades. The famous old block house there is a souvenir of that epoch. Associatetl with it also is the memory of the fact that Pliil Sheridan fought there one of his first battles, distinguished, as he later was, for daredevil courage and impetuosity. That Cascades disaster was one of the most cruel and severe that the settlements had suffered.

The L'nited States troops at that time made The Dalles their chief headquarters and the force there had their hands full with wars and rumors of wars from ^^'alla Walla. Yakima and the Cascades. The ofificers more especially concerned with the campaign on the east side or the mountains were Colonel Wright, Colonel Steptoe and Major Raines. It is to be remembered that there were three distinct forces op- in the country, \\z. - L'nited States regulars, Oregon \-olunteers and W'ashington volunteers. Governor Curry, of Oregon, and Governor Stevens, of Washington, were in entire harmony, believing alike in a vigorous prosecution of the war, but the L'nited States - forces were entirely aloof from them in symjiathy of aim and action.

We have already outlined the achievements of the Oregon volunteers. In May Colonel Wright mo\-ed from The Dalles to Yakima. There he found a force of twelve hundred or more defiant Indians, whose evident strength seems to have led Colonel Wright to crave peace without a battle. He shaped his policies in the direction of acceding to the demand of the Indians that he withdraw from the country and exclude settlers therefrom.

In July the Second Regiment of \\'ashington volunteers, under Colonel B. F. Shaw, moved up the river and on July 8th camped on tlie place now owned liy the heirs of Alfred

Thomas, about two miles above A\'alla \\'alla. Learning that the hostiles were in force in the Grande Ronde valley. Colonel Shaw determined to move thither and strike. Pushing rapidly o\-er the mountains he encountered the savages on July 17th. and in the most decisive battle thus far fought he scattered them in all directions. The excellent Life of Governor Stevens, by his son, Hazard Stevens, contains a picturesque account of how Colonel Shaw, with his long, red beard and hair streaming in the wind, swept down like a hurricane upon the foe and drove them fifteen miles, clear across the valley. Colonel Shaw's own version is so clear and vivid that we believe our readers will enjoy its perusal. Alore clearly than any present description could, this account preserves the flavor of the time in which it happened; that time, which, only forty-five years ago, seems so remote from our own.

"\\'e arrived in the Grande Ronde valley on the evening of the sixteenth, and camped on a branch of the (irande Ronde river in the timber, sending spies in advance who returned and reported no fresh sign. On the morning of the seventeenth, leaving Major Blankenship, of the Central, and Captain Miller, of the Southern battalions, assisted by Captain DeLacy. to take up the line of march for the main valley. I proceeded ahead to reconnoitre, accompanied by Major Maxon, Michael ]vlarchmean. Captain John and Dr. I'.urns. After proceeding about fi\-e miles we ascended a knoll in the valley from which we disco\ere(l dust rising along the timber of the river. I immediately sent INIajor Maxon and Captain John forward to reconnoitre and returned to luuTy up the command w hich was not far distant. The command was ambush there. To avoid this, I charged down "I found the pack train, guard and rethe river towards the pack train. The war- serve encamped on a small creek not far from riors then split, part going across the river the crossing, as I had previously ordered them and part down toward the pack train. These to do, and learned that a body of the enemy were soon overtaken and engaged. Tlie charge had followed them up all day and annoyed was vigorous and so well sustained that they them, but had inllicted no damage beyond capwere broken, dispersed and slain before us. turing many of the animals which we had taken After a short time I sent Captain Miller to in charge and left behind. the left and },Iajor :\Ia.xon to the right, the "I learned also that Major Maxon had latter to cross the stream and cut them off from crossed the ri\er with a small jjarty and was a point near which a large body of warriors engaged with the enemy and wanted assisthad collected, apparently to fight, while I moved ance. I immediately dispatched a detachment forward with the commands of Captain Hen- inider Lieutenants Williams and Wait, sending ness and Lieutenant Powell to attack them in (he man who brouglit the information back front. The Major could not cross the river, with them as a guide. Thcv returned after dark witliout tinding tlie major, but brouglit in one of his men whom they found in the brush, and who stated tliat 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 IMiller 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 upon 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 concluded to return to camp, recruit for another expedition in conjunction with Captain Goff, who had, I presumed, returned from his expedition to the John Day's river.

"I should have mentioned previously that in the charge the command captured and afterw^ards destroyed about one hundred and fifty horse loads lacamas, dried beef, tents, some flour, coffee, sugar, and al)out one hundred pounds of ammunition and a great quantity of tools and kitchen furniture. We took also about two hundred horses, most of which were shot, there l)eing but about one hundred serviceable animals.

"There were present on the ground from what I saw, and from information received from two squaws taken prisoners, about three liundred 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, W' icecai, Watahsiuartih, Winimiswoot, Ca3-uses, Tahkin, Cayuse, the son of Peupeumoxmox, Walla Walla and other chiefs of less note.

"The whole command, officers and men, beliaved well. The enemy was run on the gallop fifteen miles, and most of those who fell were s!-.()t with the revolver. It is impossible 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 al)out that it was impossible to get count of them. When to these we added those killed by ^iajor 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 the signs went to show that they had gone a great distance from it.

"On the twenty-first instant we left the valley Iiy 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 Lieutenant Williams back with all my spare provisions and horses and continued my march. On Wild Horse creek I came across Mr. Fites, a pack n-.aster 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.

"1 learned that Major !\Iaxon 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 snuaws, 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 thougbt that it was a band of Indians hunting his trail. Conceiving himself cut off from tlie command, he thought it best to return to this camp, thinking that we would l)e on our way back to Grande Ronde with provisions and ammunition."

\\ hile Shaw was winning this ver\' impi>rtant victory, Go\-erjior Stevens was making every eft'ort to sustain the friendly faction of the Xez Perces under Lawyer, aided by William Craig, a white man wlio had been adopted by the Xez Perce tribe and who had been one of the greatest factors in sustaining Governor Stevens. To hold the Walla Walla country seemed to the governor the key of the situation, because thus only could he come in touch with these faithful Nez Perces. The moral effect of Shaw's victory proved so great that the governor decided to go in person to Walla Walla to hold another great council of the friendly and neutral tribes and to get as many as possible of the hostiles to attend the same. He seems t') ha\e had the double aim of giving the hostiles e\'ery reasonable chance to make peace and also of refuting the slanderous charges of Wool to the eft'ect that he was treating the hostiles cruelly and dishonestly. On August 3d he urgently advised Colonel Wright to establish a permanent garrison in the Walla Walla valley and requested also that he meet him in conference at The Dalles on September 14th. He also called out two hundred more \-olunteers to take the place of Shaw's force, whose term had expired.

And so Governor Stevens set forth again on another of those harrassing, exhaustive and dangerous expeditions to which fate seemed to have appointed him. Reaching Vancouver on August 13th, he met Colonel Wright, who informed him that he could not attend the proposed council, but would dispatch Lieutenant Colonel Steptoe with four companies of regulars to reach \\'al!a Walla in season for the meeting.

Ascending the river to The Dalles in company with Colonel W^right, and while there meeting the chief officers of the command. Governor Stevens, with the ardor and enthusiasm of his nature, and with his personal ascendency over men, so influenced them that for the time being he seemed to have won them over entirely to hearty co-nperatinn with him in his plans. In reality, however, tliev were at that very time under orders from General Wool to disband the volunteers and expel them from the country and to forbid white settlers to remain ;ni\-where in the n])]icr country, and to allow tlie Hudson's Bay ])Co])le only to occupy it. Wool's idea was to make the Cascade mountains the eastern frontier of American settlement ; a very wooly idea, if one may be par- donetl such a decrepit i)leasantry. Wright and Steptoe were ahnost guilty of dishonesty in allowing the gallant governor to proceed into the heart of the Indian country with such an erroneous impression of their real orders. Leaving The Dalles on August 19th the indefatigable little governor pushed on ahead of Steptoe. attended only by Pearson, a trusty scout, and with no escort except the "Bullpunchers" of his ox train, he reached Shaw's camp, two miles above \\'alla ^^'alla, on the -23d. On September 5th. .Steptoe reached \\'alla ^^'alla and established himself at a point four miles below Shaw's camp, said by Lewis Mc^Iorris to have been at the present garrison. The next day came Lawyer with a large force of Xez Perces, faithful still.

Governor Stevens was exceedingly anxious to have perfect harmony of action with the regulars and thereby present a united front to the enemy, manv of whom had drawn the cnnciusion that the regulars and volunteers were entirely different sets of people. He therefore requested Steptoe to move camp to a point near his own. On tb.e next morning Steptoe got under way and paused at the governor's tent, who supposed of course that he w-as going to make camp there. He was dum founded, as he well may have been, to discover that Steptoe was passing on from sight up the valley. This was the more startling, for on account of a report that volunteers below were being attacked, Shaw had gone down leaving Stevens with but ten men. However, it had now become necessary for Shaw and his force to leave permanently, and with this in \iew the governor requested Steptoe to return to his near vicinity; incredible as it may seem, Steptoe declined to do so, alleging that General Wool's orders did not authorize him to make any such arrangements. The governor, though it must have made his hot blood boil, had to retain a detachment of sixty-nine men and left Steptoe to his own devices, at a camp which was on tlie island on the present Gilkerson place. And now opens

Space does not permit us to gi\-e the details of this remarkable meeting, fully as ren^arkable as the one of the year before. The Kez Perces were in large force at first, and the faction under Lawyer was fully committed to the support of the whites. But a large number, e\en of the Xez Perces, led by Looking Glass,' Speaking Owl, Joseph, Red Wolf and Eagle-from-the-Liglit, were plainly at the \'erge of outbreak. Kamiakain, the redoubtable chief of the Yakimas, was coming out with a strong force. The scrowling Cayuses and the brawny Umatillas came whooping, 3-elling and firing the prairie grass. ]\Iurder was in the air. Governor Stevens sent an urgent re(iuest to Steptoe to come to the council with at least one company. Steptoe returned an answer to the effect that if the Indians were reall}- meditating an outbreak he had not enough force to defend both camps, and therefore he deemed it necessary for Stevens to move to him. instead of he to Stevens. The heart of the fiery go\-ern()r was almost broken at this humilialinn. hut he had to yield to necessity, and he adjourned the council to Steptoe's camp. On the march Kamiakain and Owhi, with one hundred and five warriors under the immediate command of Cualchen, the murderer of Bolon, met them. The fierce and threatening lt)oks of these Yakima braves did not reassure the little force and things looked exceedingly squally. On every day of the council but the first. Indians, armed to the teeth, took places near the governor, whh tlie evident design of murdering him and tl'.en attacking the force. Ixit tlie nerve and vigilance of tlie governor and those around him prevented. The faithful Nez Perces kept their drums heating all nigh.t and maintained a guard around Stevens" camp. As remarked before, the debt of gratitude to these Nez Perces is beyond computation. One of the remarkable features of the last days of the council was the speech of Spotted Eagle, a Nez Perce, and one Of the warm adherents of the whites. Governor Stevens mentioned this speech as one which, for feeling, courage and truth, he had never seen surpassed.

And now the council was ended, and what had been accomplished ? Nothing. They stood just where they were at first. Half the Nez Perces were determined to stand by the treaty, the other half not. All the other tribes were hostile. The governor repeated to them the terms of peace alone possible : "They must throw aside their gims and submit to the justice and mercy of the government, but as they were invited under safe conduct, they were safe in safe in council, and safe in going."

Governor Stevens naturally felt disappointed at the failure of his hopes, but having done all that man could do he had no cause to reproach himself. Whatever impediments had fallen in his way were due to the position of General Wool and the officers who felt compelled to echo his opinions. It may very properly be said here that \\'right and Steptoe discovered their errors soon and modified their lK)iicy. Wool ne\er did and in the early part of 1857 he was relieved of his command and was succeeded by General N. G. Clarke, who gave, as we shall learn later, a "new deal" to the impatient pioneers of Walla \\'alla and Other parts of the Inland Empire.

mi)\-e again westward. It must needs be that another battle be fought. Governor Stevens' own official report is the best summary of his return and of this last battle in Walla Walla:

"So satisfied was I that the Indians would c;.rry into effect their determination a\'owed in the councils in their own camps for several nights previously to attack me, that in starting I formed my whole party and moved in order of battle. I moved on under fire one mile to water, when forming a corral of the wagons and holding the adjacent hills and the brush on the stream by pickets, I made my arrangements to defend my position and fight the Indians. Our position in a low open basin five or six hundred yards across (he was attacked on what is now known as Charles Russell's ranch) was good, and with the aid of our corral we could defend ourselves against a vastly superior force of the enemy.

"The fight continued till late in the night. Two charges were made to disperse the Indians, the last led by Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw in person with twenty-four men; but, whilst driving before him some one hundred and fifty Indians, an equal number pushed into his rear, and he was compelled to cut his way through them towards camp, when drawing up his men, and aided by the teamsters and pickets who gallantly sprang forward, he drox'e the Indians back. in full charge upon the corral. Just before the charge the friendly Nez Perces, fifty i.i number, who had been assigned to hokl the ridge on the south side of the corral, were told by the enemy they came not to fight the Nez Perces but the whites. 'Go to your camp,' said they, 'or we will wipe it out." Their camp, with the women and children, was on a stream about a mile distant and I directed them to retire as I did not rerpiire their assistance and was fearful that mv men might not be able to

"Tt)\vards night I notifietl Lieutenant-Colonel Steptoe that I was fighting the Indians; that I should move the next morning and expressed the opinion that a company of his troops would he of service. In his reply he stated that the Indians had hurned up his grass and suggested that I should return to his camp, and place at his disposal my wagons, in order that lie might move his whole command and his supplies to the L'matilla or some other point, where sustenance could be found for his animals. To this arrangement I assented and Lieutenant-Colonel Steptoe sent to my camp Lieutenant Davidson, with detachments from the companies of dragoons and artillery with a mounted howitzer. They reached my camp about two o'clock in the morning, everything in good order and most of the men at the corral asleep. A picket had been driven in an hour and a half before by the enemy, that on the hill south of the corral, but the enemy was immediately dislodged and ground pits being dug, all the points were held. The howitzer having bten fired on the way out, it was believed nothing would be gained by waiting tUl morning and the whole force immediately returned to Lieutenant-Colonel Steptoe's camp.

"Soon after sunrise the enemy attacked the camp, but w^as soon dislodged by the howitzer and a charge by detachment from Steptoe's command. On my arrival at the camp I urged Lieutenant-Colonel Steptoe to build a block house immediately; to leave one company to defend it with all his supplies, then to march below and return with an additional force and additional supplies, and by a vigorous winter campaign to whip the Indians into submission. I placed at his disposal for the building my teams anti hulian employes. The block hou>e and stockade were built in a little more than ten days. My Indian store room was rebuilt at one corner of the stockade.

"In the action of the 19th, my whole force consisted of Gofif's company of sixtynine, rank and file, the teamsters, herders and Indian employes, numbering about fifty men. (3ur train consisted of about five hundred animals, not one of which was captured by the enemy. We fought four hundred and fifty Indians and had one man mortall}', one dangerously and two slightly wounded. We killed and wounded thirteen Indians. Onehalf the Xez Perces, one hundred and twenty warriors, all of the Yakimas and Palouses, tw(j hundred warriors: the great bulk of the Cayuses and L'matillas and an unknown number of the \\'alla Wallas and Indians from other bands were in the fight. The principal war chiefs were the son of Ouhi, Isle de Pere and Chief Ouoltomee; the latter of whom had two horses shot under him. and who showed me a letter from Colonel Wright acknowledging his valuable services in bringing about the peace of the Yakimas.

"I have failed, therefore, in making the desired arrangements with the Indians in the Walla Walla, and the failure, to be attributed in part to the want of co-operation with me as superintendent of Indian affairs on the part of the regular troops, has its causes also in the wlmle plan of operations of the troops since Colonel \\'right assumed command.

fected in consequence of the then chief of the Cayuses. L'mehowiish, and the friendly Cayuses going into the Nez Perce country contrary to my positive orders. I refused to allow them to go there in December last, say-i ing to them : T have ordered the Nez Percen to keep hostiles out of the country. If you go there your friends in the war party will come; they cannot be kept out. Through them disaffection will spread among a portion of the Xez Perces.' Umehowlish, my prisoner, was sent into the Xez Perce country by Colonel Wright, and from the time of his arrival there all the efforts made by Agent Craig to prevent the spread of disaffection were abortive. What I apprehended and predicted had already come to pass. Looking Glass, the prominent man of the lower Nez Perces, endeavored to betray me on the Spokane as I was coming in from the Blackfoot council, and I was satisfied from that time that he was only awaiting a favoraI)le moment to join bands with Kamaiakun in a w'ar upon the whites, and Colonel Wright's management of affairs in the Yakima furnished the opportunity.

"The war was commenced in the Yakima on our part in consequence of the attempt first to seize the murderers of the agent Bolon and the miners who had passed through their country; and, second, to punish the trilje for making common cause with them and driving Major Haller out of the country. It is greatly to be deplored that Colonel Wright had ni;)t first severely chastised the Indians, and insisted not only upon the rendition of the murderers, but upon the absolute and uncfMiditional submission of the whole tribe to the justice and mercy of the government. The long delavs which occurred in the Yakimas, the talking and not fighting, this attempt to pacify the Indians and not reducing them to submission, thus giving safe conduct to murderers and assassins and not seizing them for summary and exemplary punishment, gave to Kamaiakun the whole field of the interior, and l)y threats, lies and promises he has brought into the combination onehalf of the Nez Perce nation, and the least thing may cause the Spokanes, Cceur d'Alenes, Coh-illes and Okanogans to join them.

'T state boldly that the cause of the Nez Perces becoming disaffected and finally going into war, is the operations of Colonel Wright east of the Cascades - operations so feeble, so procrastinating, so entirely unequal to the emergency, that not only has a most severe blow been struck at the credit of the government and the prosperity and character of tliis remote section of the country, but the impression has been made upon the Indians that the people and the soldiers were a different people. I repeat to you officially that when the Indians attacked me, they expected Colonel Steptoe would not assist me, and when they awoke from their delusion, Kamaiakun said, T will now let these people know who Kamaiakun is." One of the good effects of the fight is, that the Indians have learned that we are one people, a fact which had not previously been made apparent to them by the operations of the regular troops.

"Is, sir, the army sent here to protect our people and punish Indian tribes, who without cause and in cold blood, and in spite of solemn treaties, murder our people, burn our houses and wipe out entire settlements? Ir, it the duty of General Wool and his officers to refuse to co-operate with me in my appropriate duties as sui)erintendent of Indian af-