personal memoirs-1-第11部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



intelligence　that　the　Yakimas　had　been　joined　by　the　Cascade　Indians

when　the　place　was　first　attacked。　　I　also　told　him　it　was　my　belief

that　when　he　pushed　down　the　main　shore　the　latter　tribe　without

doubt　would　cross　over　to　the　island　we　had　just　left；　while　the

former　would　take　to　the　mountains。　　Steptoe　coincided　with　me　in

this　opinion；　and　informing　me　that　Lieutenant　Alexander　Piper　would

join　my　detachment　with　a　mountain'　howitzer；　directed　me　to　convey

the　command　to　the　island　and　gobble　up　all　who　came　over　to　it。



Lieutenant　Piper　and　I　landed　on　the　island　with　the　first　boatload；

and　after　disembarking　the　howitzer　we　fired　two　or　three　shots　to

let　the　Indians　know　we　had　artillery　with　us；　then　advanced　down　the

island　with　the　whole　of　my　command；　which　had　arrived　in　the　mean

time；　all　of　the　men　were　deployed　as　skirmishers　except　a　small

detachment　to　operate　the　howitzer。　　Near　the　lower　end　of　the　island

we　met；　as　I　had　anticipated；　the　entire　body　of　Cascade　Indianmen；

women；　and　childrenwhose　homes　were　in　the　vicinity　of　the

Cascades。　　They　were　very　much　frightened　and　demoralized　at　the　turn

events　had　taken；　for　the　Yakimas　at　the　approach　of　Steptoe　had

abandoned　them；　as　predicted；　and　fled　to　the　mountians。　　The　chief

and　head…men　said　they　had　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　capture　of　the

Cascades；　with　the　murder　of　men　at　the　upper　landing；　nor　with　the

massacre　of　men；　women；　and　children　near　the　block…house；　and　put

all　the　blame　on　the　Yakimas　and　their　allies。　　I　did　not　believe

this；　however；　and　to　test　the　truth　of　their　statement　formed　them

all　in　line　with　their　muskets　in　hand。　　Going　up　to　the　first　man　on

the　right　I　accused　him　of　having　engaged　in　the　massacre；　but　was

met　by　a　vigorous　denial。　　Putting　my　forefinger　into　the　muzzle　of

his　gun；　I　found　unmistakable　signs　of　its　having　been　recently

discharged。　　My　finger　was　black　with　the　stains　of　burnt　powder；　and

holding　it　up　to　the　Indian；　he　had　nothing　more　to　say　in　the　face

of　such　positive　evidence　of　his　guilt。　　A　further　examination　proved

that　all　the　guns　were　in　the　same　condition。　　Their　arms　were　at

once　taken　possession　of；　and　leaving　a　small；　force　to　look　after

the　women　and　children　and　the　very　old　men；　so　that　there　could　be

no　possibility　of　escape；　I　arrested　thirteen　of　the　principal

miscreants；　crossed　the　river　to　the　lower　landing；　and　placed　them

in　charge　of　a　strong　guard。



Late　in　the　evening　the　steamboat；　which　I　had　sent　back　to

Vancouver；　returned；　bringing　to　my　assistance　from　Vancouver；

Captain　Henry　D。　Wallen's　company　of　the　Fourth　Infantry　and　a

company　of　volunteers　hastily　organized　at　Portland；　but　as　the

Cascades　had　already　been　retaken；　this　reinforcement　was　too　late　to

participate　in　the　affair。　　The　volunteers　from　Portland；　however；

were　spoiling　for　a　fight；　and　in　the　absence　of　other　opportunity

desired　to　shoot　the　prisoners　I　held　（who；　they　alleged；　had　killed

a　man　named　Seymour）；　and　proceeded　to　make　their　arrangements　to　do

so；　only　desisting　on　being　informed　that　the　Indians　were　my

prisoners；　subject　to　the　orders　of　Colonel　Wright；　and　would　be

protected　to　the　last　by　my　detachment。　　Not　long　afterward　Seymour

turned　up　safe　and　sound；　having　fled　at　the　beginning　of　the　attack

on　the　Cascades；　and　hid　somewhere　in　the　thick　underbrush　until　the

trouble　was　over；　and　then　made　his　way　back　to　the　settlement。　　The

next　day　I　turned　my　prisoners　over　to　Colonel　Wright；　who　had　them

marched　to　the　upper　landing　of　the　Cascades；　where；　after　a　trial　by

a　military　commission；　nine　of　them　were　sentenced　to　death　and　duly

hanged。　　I　did　not　see　them　executed；　but　was　afterward　informed

that；　in　the　absence　of　the　usual　mechanical　apparatus　used　on　such

occasions；　a　tree　with　a　convenient　limb　under　which　two　empty

barrels　were　placed；　one　on　top　of　the　other；　furnished　a　rude　but

certain　substitute。　　In　executing　the　sentence　each　Indian　in　turn

was　made　to　stand　on　the　top　barrel；　and　after　the　noose　was　adjusted

the　lower　barrel　was　knocked　away；　and　the　necessary　drop　thus

obtained。　　In　this　way　the　whole　nine　were　punished。　　Just　before

death　they　all　acknowledged　their　guilt　by　confessing　their

participation　in　the　massacre　at　the　block…house；　and　met　their　doom

with　the　usual　stoicism　of　their　race。









CHAPTER　VI。



MISDIRECTED　VENGEANCEHONORABLE　MENTIONCHANGE　OF　COMMANDEDUCATED

OXENFEEDING　THE　INDIANSPURCHASING　A　BURYING…GROUNDKNOWING　RATS。



While　still　encamped　at　the　lower　landing；　some　three　or　four　days

after　the　events　last　recounted；　Mr。　Joseph　Meek；　an　old　frontiersman

and　guide　for　emigrant　trains　through　the　mountains；　came　down　from

the　Dalles；　on　his　way　to　Vancouver；　and　stopped　at　my　camp　to

inquire　if　an　Indian　named　Spencer　and　his　family　had　passed　down　to

Vancouver　since　my　arrival　at　the　Cascades。　　Spencer；　the　head　of　the

family；　was　a　very　influential；　peaceable　Chinook　chief；　whom　Colonel

Wright　had　taken　with　him　from　Fort　Vancouver　as　an　interpreter　and

mediator　with　the　Spokanes　and　other　hostile　tribes；　against　which

his　campaign　was　directed。　　He　was　a　good；　reliable　Indian；　and　on

leaving　Vancouver　to　join　Colonel　Wright；　took　his　family　along；　to

remain　with　relatives　and　friends　at　Fort　Dalles　until　the　return　of

the　expedition。　　When　Wright　was　compelled　to　retrace　his　steps　on

account　of　the　capture　of　the　Cascades；　this　family　for　some　reason

known　only　to　Spencer；　was　started　by　him　down　the　river　to　their

home　at　Vancouver。



Meek；　on　seeing　the　family　leave　the　Dalles；　had　some　misgivings　as

to　their　safe　arrival　at　their　destination；　because　of　the　excited

condition　of　the　people　about　the　Cascades；　but　Spencer　seemed　to

think　that　his　own　peaceable　and　friendly　reputation；　which　was

widespread；　would　protect　them；　so　he　parted　from　his　wife　and

children　with　little　apprehension　as　to　their　safety。　　In　reply　to

Meek's　question；　I　stated　that　I　had　not　seen　Spencer's　family；　when

he　remarked；　〃Well；　I　fear　that　they　are　gone　up；〃　a　phrase　used　in

that　country　in　early　days　to　mean　that　they　had　been　killed。　　I

questioned　him　closely；　to　elicit　further　information；　but　no　more

could　be　obtained；　for　Meek；　either　through　ignorance　or　the　usual

taciturnity　of　his　class；　did　not　explain　more　fully；　and　when　the

steamer　that　had　brought　the　reinforcement　started　down　the　river；　he

took　passage　for　Vancouver；　to　learn　definitely　if　the　Indian　family

had　reached　that　point。　　I　at　once　sent　to　the　upper　landing；　distant

about　six　miles；　to　make　inquiry　in　regard　to　the　matter；　and　in　a；

little　time　my　messenger　returned　with　the　information　that　the

family　had　reached　that　place　the　day　before；　and　finding　that　we　had

driven　the　hostiles　off；　continued　their　journey　on　foot　toward　my

camp；　from　which　point　they　expected　to　go　by　steamer　down　the　river

to　Vancouver。



Their　non…arrival　aroused　in　me　suspicions　of　foul　play；　so　with　all

the　men　I　could　spare；　and　accompanied　by　Lieutenant　William　T。

Welcker；　of　the　Ordnance　Corpsa　warm　and　intimate　friendI　went　in

search　of　the　family；　deploying　the　men　as　skirmishers　across　the

valley；　and　marching　them　through　the　heavy　forest　where　the　ground

was　covered　with　fallen　timber　and　dense　underbrush；　in　order　that　no

point　might　escape　our　attention。　　The　search　was　continued　between

the　base　of　the　mountain　and　the　river　without　finding　any　sign　of

Spencer's　family；　until　about　3　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　when　we

discovered　them　between　the　upper　and　lower　landing；　in　a　small　open

space　about　a　mile　from　the　road；　all　deadstrangled　to　death　with

bits　of　rope。　　The　party　consisted　of　the　mother；　two　youths；　three

girls；　and　a　baby。　　They　had　all　been　killed　by　white　men；　who　had

probably　met　the　innocent　creatures　somewhere　near　the　blockhouse；

driven　them　from　the　road　into　the　timber；　where　the　cruel　murders

were　committed　without　provocation；　and　for　no　other　purpose　than　the

gratification　of　the　inordinate　hatred　of　the　Indian　that　has　often

existed　on　the　frontier；　and　which　on　more　than　one　occasion　has

failed　to　distinguish　friend　from　foe。　　The　bodies　lay　in　a

semicircle；　and　the　bits　of　rope　with　which　the　poor　wretches　had

been　strangled　to　death　were　still　around　their　necks。　　Each　piece　of

ropethe　unwound　strand　of　a　heavier　piecewas　about　two　feet　long；

and　encircled　the　neck　of　its　victim　with　a　single　knot；　that　must

have　been　drawn　tight　by　the　murderers　pulling　at　the　ends。　　As　there

had　not　been　quite　enough　rope　to　answer　for　all；　the　babe　was

strangled　by　means　of　a　red　silk　handkerchief；　taken；　doubtless；　from

the　neck　of　its　mother。　　It　was　a　distressing　sight。　　A　most　cruel

outrage　had　been　committed　upon　unarmed　peopleour　friends　and

alliesin　a　spirit　of　aimless　revenge。　　The　perpetrators　were

citizens　living　near　the　middle　block…house；　whose　wives　and　children

had　been　killed　a　few　days　before　by　the　hostiles；　but　who　well　knew

that　these　unoffending　creatures　had　had　nothing　to　do　with　those

murders。



In　my　experience　I　have　been　obliged　to　look　upon　many　cruel　scenes

in　connection　with　Indian　warfare　on　the　Plains　since　that　day；　but

the　effect　of　this　dastardly　and　revolting　crime　has　never　been

effaced　from　my　memory。　　Greater　and　more　atrocious　massacres　have

been　committed　often　by　Indians；　their　savage　nature　modifies　one's

ideas；　however；　as　to　the　inhumanity　of　their　acts；　but　when　such

wholesale　murder　as　this　is　done　by　whites；　and　the　victims　not　only

innocent；　but　helpless；　no　defense　can　be　made　for　those　who

perpetrated　the　crime；　if　they　claim　to　be　civilized　beings。　　It　is

true　the　people　at　the　Cascades　had　suffered　much；　and　that　their

wives　and　children　had　been　murdered　before　their　eyes；　but　to　wreak

vengeance　on　Spencer's　unoffending　family；　who　had　walked　into　their

settleme