CHAPTER X THE WHITMAN MASSACRE-OREGON PREPARES FOR INDIAN WAR-NINE MEN LEAVE About five thousand persons arrived in Oregon overland in the immigration of 1847. With them the immigrants brought an epidemic of measles, accompanied by typhoid fever, which spread among the Indians. Among the Cayuses around the Whitman Mission the epidemic was especially severe and despite the most diligent and earnest efforts of Doctor Whitman hundreds of natives died. To meet the demands of immigrant trains the Whitman Mission had become a supply station. Worn from their long trip across the deserts of Southern Idaho and the toilsome ascent of the Blue Mountains, the immigrants found a haven of refuge at the mission, where they might regain strength for the journey down the Columbia. Thousands of immigrants passing through the country aroused the Indians who had been told by half-breeds that the Americans would take their lands and banish them. The epidemic of measles and typhoid, diseases which were new to the Indians, increased their confidence in the story of Joe Lewis, a half-breed, and they believed that under the guise of beneficial medicine Doctor Whitman was administering poison to the sick. Lewis had been supplied with food and clothing by Doctor Whitman, was, after a fashion, a member of the mission family and therefore in a position to carry out the despicable part he played. On the afternoon of November 29, 1847, the Cayuses, under the direction of Lewis, attacked the mission. Doctor Whitman while administering to a sick Indian, was struck in the head with a tomahawk. Indians fell upon the defenseless settlement and ten persons were massacred. The next day the murderers returned and killed two more, and again eight days later they came, dragged two sick men from their beds and added them to the number of victims. Those killed were Doctor and Mrs. Whitman, John and Francis Sager, two of seven Vol. I-6 1 orphan children adopted by the Whitmans, Andrew Rogers, Messrs. Saunders, Gillian, Marsh, Hoffman, Hall, Kimball, Young, Sails and Crockett Bewley. About forty women and children were carried away captive by the Indians. Three of the children died from ill treatment and some of the women and girls were subjected to an unspeakable captivity. Hall escaped and reached the Hudson's Bay post at Fort Walla Walla, near the mouth of the Snake River. Some writers say Hall was refused admission at the post, but in view of the action taken by McBean, chief factor in charge there, this seems wholly unlikely. Hall, badly frightened, set out down the river for Vancouver and either died from wounds received at the mission or was killed by hostile Indians. McBean at once dispatched an express to Vancouver with news of the massacre. Doctor McLoughlin had retired to Oregon City and Peter Skeen Ogden and James Douglas were in charge at Vancouver. McBean's express arrived at Vancouver the night of December 6th. The next morning Ogden began preparations to rescue the white women. Ogden knew the Indian character and upon arrival at the scene of the massacre sent a demand to the Cayuses to bring in the captives for ransom. After considerable negotiation Ogden obtained the release of fiftyseven persons, paying the Indians what they considered a good ransom. While Ogden was completing arrangements for his trip up the river, James Douglas wrote the following letter which was sent to Governor Abernethy by special messenger early the following morning: "George Abernethy, Esq. "Sir: Having received intelligence last night by special express from Walla Walla, of the destruction of the missionary settlement at Waiilatpu, by the Cayuse Indians of that place, we hasten to communicate the particulars of that dreadful event, one of the most atrocious that darkens the annals of Indian crime. "Our lamented friend, Doctor Whitman, his amiable and accomplished lady, with nine other persons have fallen victims to the fury of these remorseless savages, who appear to have instigated this appalling crime by a horrible suspicion which had taken possession of their superstitious minds, in consequence of the number of deaths from dysentery and measles, that Doctor Whitman was silently working the destruction of their tribe by administering poisonous drugs, under the semblance of salutary medicines. "With a goodness of heart, and benevolence truly his own, Doctor Whitman had been laboring incessantly since the appearance of the measles and dysentery among his Indian converts to relieve their sufferings; and such has been the reward of his generous labors. "A copy of Mr. McBean's letter, herewith transmitted, will give you all the particulars known to us of this indescribably painful event. "Mr. Ogden, with a strong party, will leave this place as soon as possible for Walla Walla, to endeavor to prevent further evil; and we beg to suggest to you the propriety of taking instant measures for the protection of Rev. Mr. Spalding, who, for the sake of his family, ought to abandon the Clearwater Mission, without delay, and retire to a place of safety as he cannot remain at that isolated station without imminent risk, in the present excited and irritable state of the Indian population. "I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant, "JAMES DOUGLAS." Douglas' letter reached the capital the day after the Provisional Legislature had assembled for its December session. Oregon faced an Indian war with $43.70 in her treasury and an outstanding indebtedness of $4,079.74. Some kind of a military expedition must be organized and sent into the hostile country. The Legislature applied to the Hudson's Bay Company for assistance. Governor Abernethy, Jesse Applegate and A. L. Lovejoy personally guaranteed the payment of $1,000 and the company agreed to outfit the volunteers. A loan commission was appointed and at once began soliciting funds. Willamette Valley people pledged $5,000 in cash and a large quantity of clothing, arms, blankets, ammunition, horses and other supplies. Oregon pioneers, accustomed to protecting their own lives and property, quickly responded to the call to arms and a company of riflemen soon was on its way up the river. Cornelius Gilliam was appointed colonel, and organized a regiment which, in the latter part of January, dispersed a band of Indians near The Dalles. The pursuit of this band lasted for several days and resulted in the capture of a large number of horses and the recovery of considerable stolen property. Gilliam lost four men killed. From his supply base at The Dalles, Gilliam gradually worked his way up the river and late in February encountered a strong force at the mouth of the Umatilla River. The Indians had chosen the ground and the volunteers made several charges before the hostiles were dislodged. They left eight dead and five wounded on the field. The volunteers had five wounded. Watching the exhausted immigrants pass through the country the Indians had concluded that the "Bostons were women" who could not fight. Soon after the mission massacre they had boasted that they would kill the soldiers with war clubs, go to the Willamette Valley, gather up the property of the settlers and force the white women to become their wives. The determined charges made by the volunteers in the Umatilla River fight awakened in the Indians a wholesome respect for the fighting capacity of the "Bostons." Waiilatpu was reached March 2d. It was a scene of desolation. Buildings had been burned, letters, books and papers were scattered about. Wolves had torn the dead bodies from their shallow graves. Deeper graves were dug by the soldiers and the mutilated bodies again were interred. From the camp at the mission, on the night of March 4th, Joe Meek, G. W. Ebberts, John Owens, Nathaniel Bowman, James Steel, Samuel Miller, Jacob Leabo, Dennis Buris and David Young quietly stole out into the darkness and took the trail for Washington. Meek carried an appeal for Federal assistance. Clothed in rags he reached his destination, presented the petition to President Polk and as the President's guest remained in Washington until the bill establishing the Territorial Government became a law. Mrs. Polk was a niece of Joe Meek's mother. After a week's stay at the mission camp the little army of 270 volunteers again took up the trail of the retreating hostiles and had advanced to the bank of the Touchet when they were attacked by a band of Palouse Indians-the mercenary allies of the Cayuse Tribe. This battle raged for some thirty hours when the Indians withdrew with a loss of four killed and fourteen wounded. The Cayuse war was at an end and March 20th the volunteers left for home. Just below the mouth of the Umatilla, while camp was being made for the night, Colonel Gilliam was instantly killed by the accidental discharge of a gun. The Cayuse war cost Oregon $109,311.50. As to the cause of the war a controversy arose and for many years charges and counter-charges were hurled back and forth between Catholic and Protestant, American and Hudson's Bay. The Catholic priests, Blanchet and Brouilette, were charged with having instigated the Whitman massacre, the former, according to the testimony of guests at the mission, having desired to buy the mission grounds and buildings. Whitman refused to sell the property and the Catholics told him to leave the country and warned him that the Indians were dangerous. Father Brouilette was on the ground during the massacre and assisted in the burial of the dead. Governor Abernethy, during an investigation held in Oregon City, testified that the priests took arms and ammunition up the river to The Dalles where they were seized by the troops and later delivered to Gen. Joseph Lane. Joel Palmer testified that the Indians admitted they had been hired by the priests to commit the crime and that they were paid by the baptising of their children, the ceremony having been performed at the scene of the massacre while the bodies of the victims remained unburied on the ground. In a deposition made before Justice of the Peace Walling, at Oregon City, December 12, 1848, one of the young women captives swore that following the massacre Bishop Blanchette told her she had better go and be the wife of Five Crows, and that when she refused, Father Brouilette said: “You must go, or he will come back and do us all an injury." She appealed to the priest for protection and he told his servant to take her to the chief's house and leave here there. Five Crows entered the house a little later and told the girl she did not have to be his wife and could return to the house of the priest. She returned immediately, was given protection for two days and again sent to the Indian's wigwam by the priests. For three weeks she was forced to endure the attentions of the Indian, the priests. forcing her to return every time she escaped. When Ogden obtained her release -by paying a larger ransom than he had to pay for any other captive-Father Brouilette made it appear that she had gone to Five Crows' lodge of her own free will. Though nearly all the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company in Oregon at that time, were Protestants, charges of Catholic control were made against that organization. A triangular fight developed, three main points of friction being presented. First of these was the question of national allegiance. Resentment over the boundary settlement may have lingered with some of the British people. If such was the case it must be charged to the unsatisfactory joint occupation arrangement. Next came the sectarian question. The Protestants were divided; the Catholics erred in trying to establish missions in localities already occupied by other religious sects; and last came the question of whether the country was to be exploited for the benefit of the rich Hudson's Bay Company or developed by American settlers, many of whom could see nothing but greed in the big company. The act creating Oregon Territory was approved August 14, 1848, and a short |