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diff --git a/old/orig4362-h/p1.htm b/old/orig4362-h/p1.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..22365ad --- /dev/null +++ b/old/orig4362-h/p1.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3132 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>MEMOIRS OF GENERAL SHERIDAN, Vol. I., Part 1</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + body {background:#faebd7; margin:10%; text-align:justify} + P { + text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; } + HR { width: 33%; text-align: center; } + blockquote {font-size: 95% } + .figleft {float: left;} + .figright {float: right;} + .toc { margin-left: 15%; margin-bottom: 0em;} + CENTER { padding: 10px;} + // --> +</style> + +</head> +<body> + + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + + <a href="p2.htm">Next Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="4362-h.htm">Main Index</a> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + + + +<br><br><br><br> + + + +<center><h1>PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF + +<br>P. H. SHERIDAN</h1></center> + + +<br><br> + +<center><h2>VOLUME I.</h2></center> + +<center><h2>Part 1.</h2></center> +<br><br> + + + + +<br><hr> +<br> + + + +<br><br> + + +<center><img alt="Cover.jpg (168K)" src="images/Cover.jpg" height="963" width="650"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<center><img alt="Spines.jpg (76K)" src="images/Spines.jpg" height="1425" width="597"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<center><img alt="Titlepage.jpg (28K)" src="images/Titlepage.jpg" height="1039" width="650"> +</center> +<br><br> + +<a name="Frontpiece"></a> +<br><br> + +<center><img alt="Frontpiece.jpg (70K)" src="images/Frontpiece.jpg" height="1007" width="541"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + + + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + + +<a href="#ch1">CHAPTER I.</a><br> +Ancestry—Birth—Early Education—A Clerk in a <br> +Grocery Store—Appointment—Monroe Shoes—Journey <br> +to West Point—Hazing—A Fisticuff Battle Suspended<br> +—Returns to Clerkship—Graduation<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch2">CHAPTER II.</a><br> +Ordered to Fort Duncan, Texas—"Northers"—Scouting <br> +Duty—Hunting—Nearly Caught by the Indians—<br> +A Primitive Habitation—A Brave Drummer Boy's Death<br> +—A Mexican Ball<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch3">CHAPTER III.</a><br> +Ordered to Fort Reading, Cal.—A Dangerous Undertaking<br> +—A Rescued Soldier—Discovering Indians<br> +—Primitive Fishing—A Deserted Village<br> +—Camping Opposite Fort Vancouver<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch4">CHAPTER IV.</a><br> +"Old Red"—Skillful Shooting—The Yalima War<br> +—A Ludicrous Mistake—Cut-mouth John's Encounter<br> +—Father Pandoza's Mission—A Snow-Storm <br> +—Failure of the Expedition<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch5">CHAPTER V.</a><br> +An Indian Confederation—Massacre at the Cascades <br> +of the Columbia—Plan to Relieve the Block-House<br> +—A Hazardous Movement— A New Method of Establishing <br> +Guilt—Execution of the Indian Murderers<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch6">CHAPTER VI.</a><br> +Misdirected Vengeance — Honorable Mention <br> +—A Change of Command—Educated Oxen—Feeding <br> +the Indians—Purchasing a Burying-Ground<br> +—Knowing Rats<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch7">CHAPTER VII.</a><br> +Learning the Chinook Language—Strange Indian Customs<br> +—Their Doctors—Sam Patch—The Murder of a Woman<br> +—In a Tight Place—Surprising the Indians<br> +—Conflicting Reports of the Battle of Bull Run<br> +—Secession Question in California—Appointed<br> +a Captain—Transferred to the East<br> +<br> +<a href="#ch8">CHAPTER VIII.</a><br> +Auditing Accounts—Chief Quartermaster and Commissary <br> +of the Army of Southwest Missouri—Preparing for <br> +the Pea Ridge Campaign—A Difference with General <br> +Curtis—Ordered to the Front—Appointed a Colonel<br> +<br> +<br> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS </h2> + + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + + + +<a href="#Frontpiece">Steel Portrait—General P. H. Sheridan</a> <br> +<br> + +<a href="#p048">Lieutenant Williamson's Trail from Fort Reading, Cal., <br> +to Fort Vancouver </a> <br><br> +<a href="#p077">Lieutenant Sheridan's Fight at the Cascades<br> +of the Columbia in 1856</a> <br> + + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + +<br> +<br> + +<br><br><br><br> + +<center><h2>VOLUME I.</h2></center> + +<center><h2>PART 1.</h2></center> +<br><br> +<center><h3>By Philip Henry Sheridan</h3></center> +<br><br> + + + +<center><h2>PREFACE</h2></center> +<br> +<p>When, yielding to the solicitations of my friends, I finally decided +to write these Memoirs, the greatest difficulty which confronted me +was that of recounting my share in the many notable events of the +last three decades, in which I played a part, without entering too +fully into the history of these years, and at the same time without +giving to my own acts an unmerited prominence. To what extent I have +overcome this difficulty I must leave the reader to judge.</p> + +<p>In offering this record, penned by my own hand, of the events of my +life, and of my participation in our great struggle for national +existence, human liberty, and political equality, I make no +pretension to literary merit; the importance of the subject-matter of +my narrative is my only claim on the reader's attention.</p> + +<p>Respectfully dedicating this work to my comrades in arms during the +War of the Rebellion, I leave it as a heritage to my children, and as +a source of information for the future historian.</p> + +<p>P. H. SHERIDAN.</p> + +<p>Nonguitt, Mass., August 2, 1888</p> + +<br><br><br><br> + + +<center><h1>PERSONAL MEMOIRS</h1></center> +<br> +<center><h2>P. H. SHERIDAN.</h2></center> +<br><br><br><br> + + +<center><h2>PART I.</h2></center> +<br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch1"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2></center> +<br> +<p>ANCESTRY—BIRTH—EARLY EDUCATION—A CLERK IN A GROCERY +STORE—APPOINTMENT—MONROE SHOES—JOURNEY TO WEST +POINT—HAZING—A FISTICUFF BATTLE—SUSPENDED—RETURNS TO CLERKSHIP—GRADUATION.</p> + +<p>My parents, John and Mary Sheridan, came to America in 1830, having +been induced by the representations of my father's uncle, Thomas +Gainor, then living in Albany, N. Y., to try their fortunes in the +New World: They were born and reared in the County Cavan, Ireland, +where from early manhood my father had tilled a leasehold on the +estate of Cherrymoult; and the sale of this leasehold provided him +with means to seek a new home across the sea. My parents were +blood relations—cousins in the second degree—my mother, whose +maiden name was Minor, having descended from a collateral branch of +my father's family. Before leaving Ireland they had two children, +and on the 6th of March, 1831, the year after their arrival in this +country, I was born, in Albany, N. Y., the third child in a family +which eventually increased to six—four boys and two girls.</p> + +<p>The prospects for gaining a livelihood in Albany did not meet the +expectations which my parents had been led to entertain, so in 1832 +they removed to the West, to establish themselves in the village of +Somerset, in Perry County, Ohio, which section, in the earliest days +of the State; had been colonized from Pennsylvania and Maryland. At +this period the great public works of the Northwest—the canals and +macadamized roads, a result of clamor for internal improvements—were +in course of construction, and my father turned his attention to +them, believing that they offered opportunities for a successful +occupation. Encouraged by a civil engineer named Bassett, who had +taken a fancy to him, he put in bids for a small contract on the +Cumberland Road, known as the "National Road," which was then being +extended west from the Ohio River. A little success in this first +enterprise led him to take up contracting as a business, which he +followed on various canals and macadamized roads then building in +different parts of the State of Ohio, with some good fortune for +awhile, but in 1853 what little means he had saved were swallowed up +—in bankruptcy, caused by the failure of the Sciota and Hocking +Valley Railroad Company, for which he was fulfilling a contract at +the time, and this disaster left him finally only a small farm, just +outside the village of Somerset, where he dwelt until his death in +1875.</p> + +<p>My father's occupation kept him away from home much of the time +during my boyhood, and as a consequence I grew up under the sole +guidance and training of my mother, whose excellent common sense and +clear discernment in every way fitted her for such maternal duties. +When old enough I was sent to the village school, which was taught by +an old-time Irish "master"—one of those itinerant dominies of the +early frontier—who, holding that to spare the rod was to spoil the +child, if unable to detect the real culprit when any offense had been +committed, would consistently apply the switch to the whole school +without discrimination. It must be conceded that by this means he +never failed to catch the guilty mischief-maker. The school-year was +divided into terms of three months, the teacher being paid in each +term a certain sum—three dollars, I think, for each pupil-and having +an additional perquisite in the privilege of boarding around at his +option in the different families to which his scholars belonged. +This feature was more than acceptable to the parents at times, for +how else could they so thoroughly learn all the neighborhood gossip? +But the pupils were in almost unanimous opposition, because Mr. +McNanly's unheralded advent at any one's house resulted frequently in +the discovery that some favorite child had been playing "hookey," +which means (I will say to the uninitiated, if any such there be) +absenting one's self from school without permission, to go on a +fishing or a swimming frolic. Such at least was my experience more +than once, for Mr. McNanly particularly favored my mother's house, +because of a former acquaintanceship in Ireland, and many a time a +comparison of notes proved that I had been in the woods with two +playfellows, named Binckly and Greiner, when the master thought I was +home, ill, and my mother, that I was at school, deeply immersed in +study. However, with these and other delinquencies not uncommon +among boys, I learned at McNanly's school, and a little later, under +a pedagogue named Thorn, a smattering of geography and history, and +explored the mysteries of Pike's Arithmetic and Bullions' English +Grammar, about as far as I could be carried up to the age of +fourteen. This was all the education then bestowed upon me, and +this—with the exception of progressing in some of these branches by +voluntary study, and by practical application in others, supplemented +by a few months of preparation after receiving my appointment as a +cadet—was the extent of my learning on entering the Military +Academy.</p> + +<p>When about fourteen years old I began to do something for myself; Mr. +John Talbot, who kept a country store in the village, employing me to +deal out sugar, coffee, and calico to his customers at the munificent +salary of twenty-four dollars a year. After I had gained a +twelve-months' experience with Mr. Talbot my services began to be sought by, +others, and a Mr. David Whitehead secured them by the offer of sixty +dollars a year—Talbot refusing to increase my pay, but not objecting +to my advancement. A few months later, before my year was up, +another chance to increase my salary came about; Mr. Henry Dittoe, +the enterprising man of the village, offering me one hundred and +twenty dollars a year to take a position in the dry-goods store of +Fink & Dittoe. I laid the matter before Mr. Whitehead, and he +frankly advised me to accept, though he cautioned me that I might +regret it, adding that he was afraid Henry (referring to Mr. Dittoe) +"had too many irons in the fire." His warning in regard to the +enterprising merchant proved a prophecy, for "too many irons in the +fire" brought about Mr. Dittoe's bankruptcy, although this misfortune +did not befall him till long after I had left his service. I am glad +to say, however, that his failure was an exceptionally honest one, +and due more to the fact that he was in advance of his surroundings +than to any other cause.</p> + +<p>I remained with Fink & Dittoe until I entered the Military Academy, +principally in charge of the book-keeping, which was no small work +for one of my years, considering that in those days the entire +business of country stores in the West was conducted on the credit +system; the customers, being mostly farmers, never expecting to pay +till the product of their farms could be brought to market; and even +then usually squared the book-accounts by notes of hand, that were +often slow of collection.</p> + +<p>From the time I ceased to attend school my employment had +necessitated, to a certain degree, the application of what I had +learned there, and this practical instruction I reinforced somewhat +by doing considerable reading in a general way, until ultimately I +became quite a local authority in history, being frequently chosen as +arbiter in discussions and disputes that arose in the store. The +Mexican War, then going on, furnished, of course, a never-ending +theme for controversy, and although I was too young to enter the +military service when volunteers were mustering in our section, yet +the stirring events of the times so much impressed and absorbed me +that my sole wish was to become a soldier, and my highest aspiration +to go to West Point as a Cadet from my Congressional district. My +chances for this seemed very remote, however, till one day an +opportunity was thrown in my way by the boy who then held the place +failing to pass his examination. When I learned that by this +occurrence a vacancy existed, I wrote to our representative in +Congress, the Hon. Thomas Ritchey, and asked him for the appointment, +reminding him that we had often met in Fink & Dittoe's store, and +that therefore he must know something of my qualifications. He +responded promptly by enclosing my warrant for the class of 1848; so, +notwithstanding the many romances that have been published about the +matter, to Mr. Ritchey, and to him alone, is due all the credit—if +my career justifies that term—of putting me in the United States +Army.</p> + +<p>At once I set about preparing for the examination which precedes +admission to the Military Academy, studying zealously under the +direction of Mr. William Clark; my old teachers, McNanly and Thorn, +having disappeared from Somerset and sought new fields of usefulness. +The intervening months passed rapidly away, and I fear that I did not +make much progress, yet I thought I should be able to pass the +preliminary examination. That which was to follow worried me more +and gave me many sleepless nights; but these would have been less in +number, I fully believe, had it not been for one specification of my, +outfit which the circular that accompanied my appointment demanded. +This requirement was a pair of "Monroe shoes." Now, out in Ohio, +what "Monroe shoes" were was a mystery—not a shoemaker in my section +having so much as an inkling of the construction of the perplexing +things, until finally my eldest brother brought an idea of them from +Baltimore, when it was found that they were a familiar pattern under +another name.</p> + +<p>At length the time for my departure came, and I set out for West +Point, going by way of Cleveland and across Lake Erie to Buffalo. On +the steamer I fell in with another appointee en route to the academy, +David S. Stanley, also from Ohio; and when our acquaintanceship had +ripened somewhat, and we had begun to repose confidence in each +other, I found out that he had no "Monroe shoes," so I deemed myself +just that much ahead of my companion, although my shoes might not +conform exactly to the regulations in Eastern style and finish. At +Buffalo, Stanley and I separated, he going by the Erie Canal and I by +the railroad, since I wanted to gain time on account of commands to +stop in Albany to see my father's uncle. Here I spent a few days, +till Stanley reached Albany, when we journeyed together down the +river to West Point. The examination began a few days after our +arrival, and I soon found myself admitted to the Corps of Cadets, to +date from July 1, 1848, in a class composed of sixty-three members, +many of whom—for example, Stanley, Slocum, Woods, Kautz, and +Crook—became prominent generals in later years, and commanded divisions, +corps, and armies in the war of the rebellion.</p> + +<p>Quickly following my admission I was broken in by a course of hazing, +with many of the approved methods that the Cadets had handed down +from year to year since the Academy was founded; still, I escaped +excessive persecution, although there were in my day many occurrences +so extreme as to call forth condemnation and an endeavor to suppress +the senseless custom, which an improved civilization has now about +eradicated, not only at West Point, but at other colleges.</p> + +<p>Although I had met the Academic board and come off with fair success, +yet I knew so little of Algebra or any of the higher branches of +mathematics that during my first six months at the Academy I was +discouraged by many misgivings as to the future, for I speedily +learned that at the January examination the class would have to stand +a test much severer than that which had been applied to it on +entering. I resolved to try hard, however, and, besides, good +fortune gave me for a room-mate a Cadet whose education was more +advanced than mine, and whose studious habits and willingness to aid +others benefited me immensely. This room-mate was Henry W. Slocum, +since so signally distinguished in both military and civil capacities +as to win for his name a proud place in the annals of his country. +After taps—that is, when by the regulations of the Academy all the +lights were supposed to be extinguished, and everybody in bed—Slocum +and I would hang a blanket over the one window of our room and +continue our studies—he guiding me around scores of stumbling-blocks +in Algebra and elucidating many knotty points in other branches of +the course with which I was unfamiliar. On account of this +association I went up before the Board in January with less +uneasiness than otherwise would have been the case, and passed the +examination fairly well. When it was over, a self-confidence in my +capacity was established that had not existed hitherto, and at each +succeeding examination I gained a little in order of merit till my +furlough summer came round—that is, when I was half through the +four-year course.</p> + +<p>My furlough in July and August, 1850, was spent at my home in Ohio, +with the exception of a visit or two to other Cadets on furlough in +the State, and at the close of my leave I returned to the Academy in +the full expectation of graduating with my class in 1852.</p> + +<p>A quarrel of a belligerent character in September 1851, with Cadet +William R. Terrill, put an end to this anticipation, however, and +threw me back into the class which graduated in 1853. Terrill was a +Cadet Sergeant, and, while my company was forming for parade, having, +given me an order, in what I considered an improper tone, to "dress" +in a certain direction, when I believed I was accurately dressed, I +fancied I had a grievance, and made toward him with a lowered +bayonet, but my better judgment recalled me before actual contact +could take place. Of course Terrill reported me for this, and my ire +was so inflamed by his action that when we next met I attacked him, +and a fisticuff engagement in front of barracks followed, which was +stopped by an officer appearing on the scene. Each of us handed in +an explanation, but mine was unsatisfactory to the authorities, for I +had to admit that I was the assaulting party, and the result was that +I was suspended by the Secretary of War, Mr. Conrad, till August 28, +1852—the Superintendent of the Academy, Captain Brewerton, being +induced to recommend this milder course, he said, by my previous good +conduct. At the time I thought, of course, my suspension a very +unfair punishment, that my conduct was justifiable and the +authorities of the Academy all wrong, but riper experience has led me +to a different conclusion, and as I look back, though the +mortification I then endured was deep and trying, I am convinced that +it was hardly as much as I deserved for such an outrageous breach of +discipline.</p> + +<p>There was no question as to Terrill's irritating tone, but in giving +me the order he was prompted by the duty of his position as a file +closer, and I was not the one to remedy the wrong which I conceived +had been done me, and clearly not justifiable in assuming to correct +him with my own hands. In 1862, when General Buell's army was +assembling at Louisville, Terrill was with it as a brigadier-general +(for, although a Virginian, he had remained loyal), and I then took +the initiative toward a renewal of our acquaintance. Our renewed +friendship was not destined to be of long duration, I am sorry to +say, for a few days later, in the battle of Perryville, while +gallantly fighting for his country, poor Terrill was killed.</p> + +<p>My suspension necessitated my leaving the Academy, and I returned +home in the fall of 1851, much crestfallen. Fortunately, my good +friend Henry Dittoe again gave me employment in keeping the books of +his establishment, and this occupation of my time made the nine +months which were to elapse before I could go back to West Point pass +much more agreeably than they would have done had I been idle. In +August, 1852, I joined the first class at the Academy in accordance +with the order of the War Department, taking my place at the foot of +the class and graduating with it the succeeding June, number +thirty-four in a membership of fifty-two. At the head of this class +graduated James B. McPherson, who was killed in the Atlanta campaign +while commanding the Army of the Tennessee. It also contained such +men as John M. Schofield, who commanded the Army of the Ohio; Joshua +W. Sill, killed as a brigadier in the battle of Stone River; and many +others who, in the war of the rebellion, on one side or the other, +rose to prominence, General John B. Hood being the most distinguished +member of the class among the Confederates.</p> + +<p>At the close of the final examination I made no formal application +for assignment to any particular arm of the service, for I knew that +my standing would not entitle me to one of the existing vacancies, +and that I should be obliged to take a place among the brevet second +lieutenants. When the appointments were made I therefore found +myself attached to the First Infantry, well pleased that I had +surmounted all the difficulties that confront the student at our +national school, and looking forward with pleasant anticipation to +the life before me.</p> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch2"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>ORDERED TO FORT DUNCAN, TEXAS—"NORTHERS"—SCOUTING +DUTY—HUNTING—NEARLY CAUGHT BY THE INDIANS—A PRIMITIVE HABITATION—A BRAVE +DRUMMERBOY'S DEATH—A MEXICAN BALL.</p> + +<p>On the 1st day of July, 1853, I was commissioned a brevet second +lieutenant in the First Regiment of United States Infantry, then +stationed in Texas. The company to which I was attached was +quartered at Fort Duncan, a military post on the Rio Grande opposite +the little town of Piedras Negras, on the boundary line between the +United States and the Republic of Mexico.</p> + +<p>After the usual leave of three months following graduation from the +Military Academy I was assigned to temporary duty at Newport +Barracks, a recruiting station and rendezvous for the assignment of +young officers preparatory to joining their regiments. Here I +remained from September, 1853, to March, 1854, when I was ordered to +join my company at Fort Duncan. To comply with this order I +proceeded by steamboat down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New +Orleans, thence by steamer across the Gulf of Mexico to Indianola, +Tex., and after landing at that place, continued in a small schooner +through what is called the inside channel on the Gulf coast to Corpus +Christi, the headquarters of Brigadier-General Persifer F. Smith, who +was commanding the Department of Texas. Here I met some of my old +friends from the Military Academy, among them Lieutenant Alfred +Gibbs, who in the last year of the rebellion commanded under me a +brigade of cavalry, and Lieutenant Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, of the +Mounted Rifles, who resigned in 1854 to accept service in the French +Imperial army, but to most of those about headquarters I was an +entire stranger. Among the latter was Captain Stewart Van Vliet, of +the Quartermaster's Department, now on the retired list. With him I +soon came in frequent contact, and, by reason of his connection with +the Quartermaster's Department, the kindly interest he took in +forwarding my business inaugurated between us—a lasting friendship.</p> + +<p>A day or two after my arrival at Corpus Christi a train of Government +wagons, loaded with subsistence stores and quartermaster's supplies, +started for Laredo, a small town on the Rio Grande below Fort Duncan. +There being no other means of reaching my station I put my small +personal possessions, consisting of a trunk, mattress, two blankets, +and a pillow into one of the heavily loaded wagons and proceeded to +join it, sitting on the boxes or bags of coffee and sugar, as I might +choose. The movement of the train was very slow, as the soil was +soft on the newly made and sandy roads. We progressed but a few +miles on our first day's journey, and in the evening parked our train +at a point where there was no wood, a scant supply of water—and that +of bad quality—but an abundance of grass. There being no +comfortable place to sleep in any of the wagons, filled as they were +to the bows with army supplies, I spread my blankets on the ground +between the wheels of one of them, and awoke in the morning feeling +as fresh and bright as would have been possible if all the comforts +of civilization had been at my command.</p> + +<p>It took our lumbering train many days to reach Laredo, a distance of +about one hundred and sixty miles from Corpus Christi. Each march +was but a repetition of the first day's journey, its monotony +occasionally relieved, though, by the passage of immense flocks of +ducks and geese, and the appearance at intervals of herds of deer, +and sometimes droves of wild cattle, wild horses and mules. The +bands of wild horses I noticed were sometimes led by mules, but +generally by stallions with long wavy manes, and flowing tails which +almost touched the ground.</p> + +<p>We arrived at Laredo during one of those severe storms incident to +that section, which are termed "Northers" from the fact that the +north winds culminate occasionally in cold windstorms, frequently +preceded by heavy rains. Generally the blow lasts for three days, +and the cold becomes intense and piercing. While the sudden +depression of the temperature is most disagreeable, and often causes +great suffering, it is claimed that these "Northers" make the climate +more healthy and endurable. They occur from October to May, and in +addition to the destruction which, through the sudden depression of +the temperature, they bring on the herds in the interior, they are +often of sufficient violence to greatly injure the harbors on the +coast.</p> + +<p>The post near Laredo was called Fort McIntosh, and at this period the +troops stationed there consisted of eight companies of the Fifth +Infantry and two of the First, one of the First Artillery, and three +of the Mounted Rifles. Just before the "Norther" began these troops +had completed a redoubt for the defense of the post, with the +exception of the ditches, but as the parapet was built of sand—the +only material about Laredo which could be obtained for its +construction—the severity of the winds was too much for such a +shifting substance, and the work was entirely blown away early in the +storm.</p> + +<p>I was pleasantly and hospitably welcomed by the officers at the post, +all of whom were living in tents, with no furniture except a cot and +trunk, and an improvised bed for a stranger, when one happened to +come along. After I had been kindly taken in by one of the younger +officers, I reported to the commanding officer, and was informed by +him that he would direct the quartermaster to furnish me, as soon as +convenient, with transportation to Fort Duncan, the station of my +company.</p> + +<p>In the course of a day or two, the quartermaster notified me that a +Government six-mule wagon would be placed at my disposal to proceed +to my destination. No better means offering, I concluded to set out +in this conveyance, and, since it was also to carry a quantity of +quartermaster's property for Fort Duncan, I managed to obtain room +enough for my bed in the limited space between the bows and load, +where I could rest tolerably well, and under cover at night, instead +of sleeping on the ground under the wagon, as I had done on the road +from Corpus Christi to Laredo.</p> + +<p>I reached Fort Duncan in March, 1854., and was kindly received by the +commanding officer of the regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson +Morris, and by the captain of my company ("D"), Eugene E. McLean, and +his charming wife the only daughter of General E. V. Sumner, who was +already distinguished in our service, but much better known in after +years in the operations of the Army of the Potomac, during its early +campaigns in Virginia. Shortly after joining company "D" I was sent +out on scouting duty with another company of the regiment to Camp La +Pena, about sixty or seventy miles east of Fort Duncan, in a section +of country that had for some time past been subjected to raids by the +Lipan and Comanche Indians. Our outpost at La Pena was intended as a +protection against the predatory incursions of these savages, so +almost constant scouting became a daily occupation. This enabled me +soon to become familiar with and make maps of the surrounding +country, and, through constant association with our Mexican guide, to +pick up in a short time quite a smattering of the Spanish language, +which was very useful to one serving on that frontier.</p> + +<p>At that early day western Texas was literally filled with game, and +the region in the immediate vicinity of La Pena contained its full +proportion of deer, antelope, and wild turkeys. The temptation to +hunt was therefore constantly before me, and a desire to indulge in +this pastime, whenever free from the legitimate duty of the camp, +soon took complete possession of me, so expeditions in pursuit of +game were of frequent occurrence. In these expeditions I was always +accompanied by a soldier named Frankman, belonging to "D" company, +who was a fine sportsman, and a butcher by trade. In a short period +I learned from Frankman how to approach and secure the different +species of game, and also how to dress and care for it when killed. +Almost every expedition we made was rewarded with a good supply of +deer, antelope, and wild turkeys, and we furnished the command in +camp with such abundance that it was relieved from the necessity of +drawing its beef ration, much to the discomfiture of the disgruntled +beef contractor.</p> + +<p>The camp at La Pena was on sandy ground, unpleasant for men and +animals, and by my advice it was moved to La Pendencia, not far from +Lake Espantosa. Before removal from our old location, however, early +one bright morning Frankman and I started on one of our customary +expeditions, going down La Pena Creek to a small creek, at the head +of which we had established a hunting rendezvous. After proceeding +along the stream for three or four miles we saw a column of smoke on +the prairie, and supposing it arose from a camp of Mexican rancheros +catching wild horses or wild cattle, and even wild mules, which were +very numerous in that section of country along the Nueces River, we +thought we would join the party and see how much success they were +having, and observe the methods employed in this laborious and +sometimes dangerous vocation. With this object in view, we continued +on until we found it necessary to cross to the other side of the +creek to reach the point indicated by the smoke. Just before +reaching the crossing I discovered moccasin tracks near the water's +edge, and realizing in an instant that the camp we were approaching +might possibly be one of hostile Indians—all Indians in that country +at that time were hostile—Frankman and I backed out silently, and +made eager strides for La Pena, where we had scarcely arrived when +Captain M. E. Van Buren, of the Mounted Rifle regiment, came in with +a small command, and reported that he was out in pursuit of a band of +Comanche Indians, which had been committing depredations up about +Fort Clark, but that he had lost the trail. I immediately informed +him of what had occurred to me during the morning, and that I could +put him on the trail of the Indians he was desirous of punishing.</p> + +<p>We hurriedly supplied with rations his small command of thirteen, +men, and I then conducted him to the point where I had seen the +smoke, and there we found signs indicating it to be the recently +abandoned camp of the Indians he was pursuing, and we also noticed +that prairie rats had formed the principal article of diet at the +meal they had just completed. As they had gone, I could do no more +than put him on the trail made in their departure, which was well +marked; for Indians, when in small parties, and unless pressed, +usually follow each other in single file. Captain Van Buren followed +the trail by Fort Ewell, and well down toward Corpus Christi, day and +night, until the Indians, exhausted and used up, halted, on an open +plain, unsaddled their horses, mounted bareback, and offered battle. +Their number was double that of Van Buren's detachment, but he +attacked them fearlessly, and in the fight was mortally wounded by an +arrow which entered his body in front, just above the sword belt, and +came through the belt behind. The principal chief of the Indians was +killed, and the rest fled. Captain Van Buren's men carried him to +Corpus Christi, where in a few days he died.</p> + +<p>After our removal to La Pendencia a similar pursuit of savages +occurred, but with more fortunate results. Colonel John H. King, now +on the retired list, then a captain in the First Infantry, came to +our camp in pursuit of a marauding band of hostile Indians, and I was +enabled to put him also on the trail. He soon overtook them, and +killing two without loss to himself, the band dispersed like a flock +of quail and left him nothing to follow. He returned to our camp +shortly after, and the few friendly Indian scouts he had with him +held a grand pow-wow and dance over the scalps of the fallen braves.</p> + +<p>Around La Pendencia, as at La Pena, the country abounded in deer, +antelope, wild turkeys, and quail, and we killed enough to supply +abundantly the whole command with the meat portion of the ration. +Some mornings Frankman and I would bring in as many as seven deer, +and our hunting expeditions made me so familiar with the region +between our camp and Fort Duncan, the headquarters of the regiment, +that I was soon enabled to suggest a more direct route of +communication than the circuitous one then traversed, and in a short +time it was established.</p> + +<p>Up to this time I had been on detached duty, but soon my own company +was ordered into the field to occupy a position on Turkey Creek, +about ten or twelve miles west of the Nueces River, on the road from +San Antonio to Fort Duncan, and I was required to join the company. +Here constant work and scouting were necessary, as our camp was +specially located with reference to protecting from Indian raids the +road running from San Antonio to Fort Duncan, and on to the interior +of Mexico. In those days this road was the great line of travel, and +Mexican caravans were frequently passing over it, to and fro, in such +a disorganized condition as often to invite attack from marauding +Comanches and Lipans. Our time, therefore, was incessantly occupied +in scouting, but our labors were much lightened because they were +directed with intelligence and justice by Captain McLean, whose +agreeable manners and upright methods are still so impressed on my +memory that to this day I look back upon my service with "D" Company +of the First Infantry as among those events which I remember with +most pleasure.</p> + +<p>In this manner my first summer of active field duty passed rapidly +away, and in the fall my company returned to Fort Duncan to go into +winter quarters. These quarters, when constructed, consisted of "A" +tents pitched under a shed improvised by the company. With only +these accommodations I at first lived around as best I could until +the command was quartered, and then, requesting a detail of wagons +from the quartermaster, I went out some thirty miles to get poles to +build a more comfortable habitation for myself. In a few days enough +poles for the construction of a modest residence were secured and +brought in, and then the building of my house began. First, the +poles were cut the proper length, planted in a trench around four +sides of a square of very small proportions, and secured at the top +by string-pieces stretched from one angle to another, in which +half-notches hack been made at proper intervals to receive the +uprights. The poles were then made rigid by strips nailed on +half-way to the ground, giving the sides of the structure firmness, +but the interstices were large and frequent; still, with the aid of +some old condemned paulins obtained from the quartermaster, the walls +were covered and the necessity for chinking obviated. This method of +covering the holes in the side walls also possessed the advantage of +permitting some little light to penetrate to the interior of the +house, and avoided the necessity of constructing a window, for which, +by the way, no glass could have been obtained. Next a good large +fire-place and chimney were built in one corner by means of stones +and mud, and then the roof was put on—a thatched one of prairie +grass. The floor was dirt compactly tamped.</p> + +<p>My furniture was very primitive: a chair or two, with about the same +number of camp stools, a cot, and a rickety old bureau that I +obtained in some way not now remembered. My washstand consisted of a +board about three feet long, resting on legs formed by driving sticks +into the ground until they held it at about the proper height from +the floor. This washstand was the most expensive piece of furniture +I owned, the board having cost me three dollars, and even then I +obtained it as a favor, for lumber on the Rio Grande was so scarce in +those days that to possess even the smallest quantity was to indulge +in great luxury. Indeed, about all that reached the post was what +came in the shape of bacon boxes, and the boards from these were +reserved for coffins in which to bury our dead.</p> + +<p>In this rude habitation I spent a happy winter, and was more +comfortably off than many of the officers, who had built none, but +lived in tents and took the chances of "Northers." During this period +our food was principally the soldier's ration: flour, pickled pork, +nasty bacon—cured in the dust of ground charcoal—and fresh beef, of +which we had a plentiful supply, supplemented with game of various +kinds. The sugar, coffee, and smaller parts of the ration were good, +but we had no vegetables, and the few jars of preserves and some few +vegetables kept by the sutler were too expensive to be indulged in. +So during all the period I lived at Fort Duncan and its sub-camps, +nearly sixteen months, fresh vegetables were practically +unobtainable. To prevent scurvy we used the juice of the maguey +plant, called pulque, and to obtain a supply of this anti-scorbutic I +was often detailed to march the company out about forty miles, cut +the plant, load up two or three wagons with the stalks, and carry +them to camp. Here the juice was extracted by a rude press, and put +in bottles until it fermented and became worse in odor than +sulphureted hydrogen. At reveille roll-call every morning this +fermented liquor was dealt out to the company, and as it was my duty, +in my capacity of subaltern, to attend these roll-calls and see that +the men took their ration of pulque, I always began the duty by +drinking a cup of the repulsive stuff myself. Though hard to +swallow, its well-known specific qualities in the prevention and cure +of scurvy were familiar to all, so every man in the command gulped +down his share notwithstanding its vile taste and odor.</p> + +<p>Considering our isolation, the winter passed very pleasantly to us +all. The post was a large one, its officers congenial, and we had +many enjoyable occasions. Dances, races, and horseback riding filled +in much of the time, and occasional raids from Indians furnished more +serious occupation in the way of a scout now and then. The proximity +of the Indians at times rendered the surrounding country somewhat +dangerous for individuals or small parties at a distance from the +fort; but few thought the savages would come near, so many risks were +doubtless run by various officers, who carried the familiar +six-shooter as their only weapon while out horseback riding, until +suddenly we were awakened to the dangers we had been incurring.</p> + +<p>About mid-winter a party of hostile Lipans made a swoop around and +skirting the garrison, killing a herder—a discharged drummer-boy—in +sight of the flag-staff. Of course great excitement followed. +Captain J. G. Walker, of the Mounted Rifles, immediately started with +his company in pursuit of the Indians, and I was directed to +accompany the command. Not far away we found the body of the boy +filled with arrows, and near him the body of a fine looking young +Indian, whom the lad had undoubtedly killed before he was himself +overpowered. We were not a great distance behind the Indians when +the boy's body was discovered, and having good trailers we gained on +them rapidly, with the prospect of overhauling them, but as soon as +they found we were getting near they headed for the Rio Grande, made +the crossing to the opposite bank, and were in Mexico before we could +overtake them. When on the other side of the boundary they grew very +brave, daring us to come over to fight them, well aware all the time +that the international line prevented us from continuing the pursuit. +So we had to return to the post without reward for our exertion +except the consciousness of having made the best effort we could to +catch the murderers. That night, in company with Lieutenant Thomas +G. Williams, I crossed over the river to the Mexican village of +Piedras Negras, and on going to a house where a large baille, or +dance, was going on we found among those present two of the Indians +we had been chasing. As soon as they saw us they strung their bows +for a fight, and we drew our six-shooters, but the Mexicans quickly +closed in around the Indians and forced them out of the house—or +rude jackal—where the "ball" was being held, and they escaped. We +learned later something about the nature of the fight the drummer had +made, and that his death had cost them dear, for, in addition to the +Indian killed and lying by his side, he had mortally wounded another +and seriously wounded a third, with the three shots that he had +fired.</p> + +<p>At this period I took up the notion of making a study of ornithology, +incited to it possibly by the great number of bright-colored birds +that made their winter homes along the Rio Grande, and I spent many a +leisure hour in catching specimens by means of stick traps, with +which I found little difficulty in securing almost every variety of +the feathered tribes. I made my traps by placing four sticks of a +length suited to the size desired so as to form a square, and +building up on them in log-cabin fashion until the structure came +almost to a point by contraction of the corners. Then the sticks +were made secure, the trap placed at some secluded spot, and from the +centre to the outside a trench was dug in the ground, and thinly +covered when a depth had been obtained that would leave an aperture +sufficiently large to admit the class of birds desired. Along this +trench seeds and other food were scattered, which the birds soon +discovered, and of course began to eat, unsuspectingly following the +tempting bait through the gallery till they emerged from its farther +end in the centre of the trap, where they contentedly fed till the +food was all gone. Then the fact of imprisonment first presented +itself, and they vainly endeavored to escape through the interstices +of the cage, never once guided by their instinct to return to liberty +through the route by which they had entered.</p> + +<p>Among the different kinds of birds captured in this way, +mocking-birds, blue-birds, robins, meadow larks, quail, and plover were the +most numerous. They seemed to have more voracious appetites than +other varieties, or else they were more unwary, and consequently more +easily caught. A change of station, however, put an end to my +ornithological plans, and activities of other kinds prevented me from +resuming them in after life.</p> + +<p>There were quite a number of young officers at the post during the +winter, and as our relations with the Mexican commandant at Piedras +Negras were most amicable, we were often invited to dances at his +house. He and his hospitable wife and daughter drummed up the female +portion of the elite of Piedras Negras and provided the house, which +was the official as well as the personal residence of the commandant, +while we—the young officers—furnished the music and such +sweetmeats, candies, etc., for the baille as the country would afford.</p> + +<p>We generally danced in a long hall on a hard dirt floor. The girls +sat on one side of the hall, chaperoned by their mothers or some old +duennas, and the men on the other. When the music struck up each man +asked the lady whom his eyes had already selected to dance with him, +and it was not etiquette for her to refuse—no engagements being +allowed before the music began. When the dance, which was generally +a long waltz, was over, he seated his partner, and then went to a +little counter at the end of the room and bought his dulcinea a plate +of the candies and sweetmeats provided. Sometimes she accepted them, +but most generally pointed to her duenna or chaperon behind, who held +up her apron and caught the refreshments as they were slid into it +from the plate. The greatest decorum was maintained at these dances, +primitively as they were conducted; and in a region so completely cut +off from the world, their influence was undoubtedly beneficial to a +considerable degree in softening the rough edges in a half-breed +population.</p> + +<p>The inhabitants of this frontier of Mexico were strongly marked with +Indian characteristics, particularly with those of the Comanche type, +and as the wild Indian blood predominated, few of the physical traits +of the Spaniard remained among them, and outlawry was common. The +Spanish conquerors had left on the northern border only their +graceful manners and their humility before the cross. The sign of +Christianity was prominently placed at all important points on roads +or trails, and especially where any one had been killed; and as the +Comanche Indians, strong and warlike, had devastated northeastern +Mexico in past years, all along the border, on both sides of the Rio +Grande, the murderous effects of their raids were evidenced by +numberless crosses. For more than a century forays had been made on +the settlements and towns by these bloodthirsty savages, and, the +Mexican Government being too weak to afford protection, property was +destroyed, the women and children carried off or ravished, and the +men compelled to look on in an agony of helplessness till relieved by +death. During all this time, however, the forms and ceremonials of +religion, and the polite manners received from the Spaniards, were +retained, and reverence for the emblems of Christianity was always +uppermost in the mind of even the most ignorant.</p> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch3"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>ORDERED TO FORT READING, CAL.—A DANGEROUS UNDERTAKING—A RESCUED +SOLDIER—DISCOVERING INDIANS—PRIMITIVE FISHING—A DESERTED +VILLAGE—CAMPING OPPOSITE FORT VANCOUVER.</p> + +<p>In November, 1854, I received my promotion to a second lieutenancy in +the Fourth Infantry, which was stationed in California and Oregon. In +order to join my company at Fort Reading, California, I had to go to +New York as a starting point, and on arrival there, was placed on +duty, in May, 1855, in command of a detachment of recruits at +Bedloe's Island, intended for assignment to the regiments on the +Pacific coast. I think there were on the island (now occupied by the +statue of Liberty Enlightening the World) about three hundred +recruits. For a time I was the only officer with them, but shortly +before we started for California, Lieutenant Francis H. Bates, of the +Fourth Infantry, was placed in command. We embarked for the Pacific +coast in July, 1855, and made the journey without incident via the +Isthmus of Panama, in due time landing our men at Benecia Barracks, +above San Francisco.</p> + +<p>From this point I proceeded to join my company at Fort Reading, and +on reaching that post, found orders directing me to relieve +Lieutenant John B. Hood—afterward well known as a distinguished +general in the Confederate service. Lieutenant Hood was in command +of the personal mounted escort of Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, who +was charged with the duty of making such explorations and surveys as +would determine the practicability of connecting, by railroad, the +Sacramento Valley in California with the Columbia River in Oregon +Territory, either through the Willamette Valley, or (if this route +should prove to be impracticable) by the valley of the Des Chutes +River near the foot-slopes of the Cascade chain. The survey was +being made in accordance with an act of Congress, which provided both +for ascertaining the must practicable and economical route for a +railroad between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean, and for +military and geographical surveys west of the Mississippi River.</p> + +<p>Fort Reading was the starting-point for this exploring expedition, +and there I arrived some four or five days after the party under +Lieutenant Williamson had begun its march. His personal escort +numbered about sixty mounted men, made up of detachments from +companies of the First Dragoons, under command of Lieutenant Hood, +together with about one hundred men belonging to the Fourth Infantry +and Third Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Horatio Gates Gibson, +the present colonel of the Third United States Artillery. Lieutenant +George Crook—now major-general—was the quartermaster and commissary +of subsistence of the expedition.</p> + +<p>The commanding officer at Fort Reading seemed reluctant to let me go +on to relieve Lieutenant Hood, as the country to be passed over was +infested by the Pit River Indians, known to be hostile to white +people and especially to small parties. I was very anxious to +proceed, however, and willing to take the chances; so, consent being +finally obtained, I started with a corporal and two mounted men, +through a wild and uninhabited region, to overtake if possible +Lieutenant Williamson. Being on horseback, and unencumbered by +luggage of any kind except blankets and a little hard bread, coffee +and smoking-tobacco, which were all carried on our riding animals, we +were sanguine of succeeding, for we traversed in one day fully the +distance made in three by Lieutenant Williamson's party on foot.</p> + +<p>The first day we reached the base of Lassan's Butte, where I +determined to spend the night near an isolated cabin, or dugout, that +had been recently constructed by a hardy pioneer. The wind was +blowing a disagreeable gale, which had begun early in the day. This +made it desirable to locate our camp under the best cover we could +find, and I spent some little time in looking about for a +satisfactory place, but nothing better offered than a large fallen +tree, which lay in such a direction that by encamping on its lee side +we would be protected from the fury of the storm. This spot was +therefore fixed upon, and preparation made for spending the night as +comfortably as the circumstances would permit.</p> + +<p>After we had unsaddled I visited the cabin to inquire in regard to +the country ahead, and there found at first only a soldier of +Williamson's party; later the proprietor of the ranch appeared. The +soldier had been left behind by the surveying party on account of +illness, with instructions to make his way back to Fort Reading as +best he could when he recovered. His condition having greatly +improved, however, since he had been left, he now begged me in +beseeching terms to take him along with my party, which I finally +consented to do, provided that if he became unable to keep up with +me, and I should be obliged to abandon him, the responsibility would +be his, not mine. This increased my number to five, and was quite a +reinforcement should we run across any hostile Indians; but it was +also certain to prove an embarrassment should the man again fall ill.</p> + +<p>During the night, notwithstanding the continuance of the storm, I had +a very sound and refreshing sleep behind the protecting log where we +made our camp, and at daylight next morning we resumed our journey, +fortified by a breakfast of coffee and hard bread. I skirted around +the base of Lassan's Butte, thence down Hat Creek, all the time +following the trail made by Lieutenant Williamson's party. About +noon the soldier I had picked up at my first camp gave out, and could +go no farther. As stipulated when I consented to take him along, I +had the right to abandon him, but when it came to the test I could +not make up my mind to do it. Finding a good place not far off the +trail, one of my men volunteered to remain with him until he died; +and we left them there, with a liberal supply of hard bread and +coffee, believing that we would never again see the invalid. My +reinforcement was already gone, and another man with it.</p> + +<p>With my diminished party I resumed the trail and followed it until +about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when we heard the sound of voices, +and the corporal, thinking we were approaching Lieutenant +Williamson's party, was so overjoyed in anticipation of the junction, +that he wanted to fire his musket as an expression of his delight. +This I prevented his doing, however, and we continued cautiously and +slowly on to develop the source of the sounds in front. We had not +gone far before I discovered that the noise came from a band of Pit +River Indians, who had struck the trail of the surveying expedition, +and were following it up, doubtless with evil intent. Dismounting +from my horse I counted the moccasin tracks to ascertain the number +of Indians, discovered it to be about thirty, and then followed on +behind them cautiously, but with little difficulty, as appearances of +speed on their part indicated that they wished to overtake Lieutenant +Williamson's party, which made them less on the lookout than usual +for any possible pursuers. After following the trail until nearly +sundown, I considered it prudent to stop for the night, and drew off +some little distance, where, concealed in a dense growth of timber, +we made our camp.</p> + +<p>As I had with me now only two men, I felt somewhat nervous, so I +allowed no fires to be built, and in consequence our supper consisted +of hard bread only. I passed an anxious night, but beyond our own +solicitude there was nothing to disturb us, the Indians being too +much interested in overtaking the party in front to seek for victims +in the rear, After a hard-bread breakfast we started again on the +trail, and had proceeded but a short distance when, hearing the +voices of the Indians, we at once slackened our speed so as not to +overtake them.</p> + +<p>Most of the trail on which we traveled during the morning ran over an +exceedingly rough lava formation—a spur of the lava beds often +described during the Modoc war of 1873 so hard and flinty that +Williamson's large command made little impression on its surface, +leaving in fact, only indistinct traces of its line of march. By +care and frequent examinations we managed to follow his route through +without much delay, or discovery by the Indians, and about noon, +owing to the termination of the lava formation, we descended into the +valley of Hat Greek, a little below where it emerges from the second +canon and above its confluence with Pit River. As soon as we reached +the fertile soil of the valley, we found Williamson's trail well +defined, deeply impressed in the soft loam, and coursing through +wild-flowers and luxuriant grass which carpeted the ground on every +hand.</p> + +<p>When we struck this delightful locality we traveled with considerable +speed, and after passing over hill and vale for some distance, the +trail becoming more and more distinct all the time, I suddenly saw in +front of me the Pit River Indians.</p> + +<p>This caused a halt, and having hurriedly re-capped our guns and +six-shooters, thus preparing for the worst, I took a look at the band +through my field-glass. They were a half-mile or more in our front +and numbered about thirty individuals, armed with bows and arrows +only. Observing us they made friendly demonstrations, but I had not +implicit faith in a Pit River Indian at that period of the settlement +of our country, and especially in that wild locality, so after a +"council of war" with the corporal and man, I concluded to advance to +a point about two hundred yards distant from the party, when, relying +on the speed of our horses rather than on the peaceable intentions of +the savages, I hoped to succeed in cutting around them and take the +trail beyond. Being on foot they could not readily catch us, and +inasmuch as their arrows were good for a range of only about sixty +yards, I had no fear of any material damage on that score.</p> + +<p>On reaching the place selected for our flank movement we made a dash +to the left of the trail, through the widest part of the valley, and +ran our horses swiftly by, but I noticed that the Indians did not +seem to be disturbed by the manoeuvre and soon realized that this +indifference was occasioned by the knowledge that we could not cross +Hat Creek, a deep stream with vertical banks, too broad to be leaped +by our horses. We were obliged, therefore, to halt, and the Indians +again made demonstrations of friendship, some of them even getting +into the stream to show that they were at the ford. Thus reassured, +we regained our confidence and boldly crossed the river in the midst +of them. After we had gained the bluff on the other side of the +creek, I looked down into the valley of Pit River, and could plainly +see the camp of the surveying party. Its proximity was the influence +which had doubtless caused the peaceable conduct of the Indians. +Probably the only thing that saved us was their ignorance of our +being in their rear, until we stumbled on them almost within sight of +the large party under Williamson.</p> + +<p>The Pit River Indians were very hostile at that time, and for many +succeeding years their treachery and cruelty brought misfortune and +misery to the white settlers who ventured their lives in search of +home and fortune in the wild and isolated section over which these +savages roamed. Not long after Williamson's party passed through +their country, the Government was compelled to send into it a +considerable force for the purpose of keeping them under control. +The outcome of this was a severe fight—resulting in the loss of a +good many lives—between the hostiles and a party of our troops under +Lieutenant George Crook. It finally ended in the establishment of a +military post in the vicinity of the battle-ground, for the permanent +occupation of the country.</p> + +<p>A great load was lifted from my heart when I found myself so near +Williamson's camp, which I joined August 4, 1855, receiving a warm +welcome from the officers. During the afternoon I relieved +Lieutenant Hood of the command of the personal escort, and he was +ordered to return, with twelve of the mounted men, over the trail I +had followed. I pointed out to him on the map the spot where he +would find the two men left on the roadside, and he was directed to +take them into Fort Reading. They were found without difficulty, and +carried in to the post. The sick man—Duryea—whom I had expected +never to see again, afterward became the hospital steward at Fort +Yamhill, Oregon, when I was stationed there.</p> + +<p>The Indians that I had passed at the ford came to the bluff above the +camp, and arranging themselves in a squatting posture, looked down +upon Williamson's party with longing eyes, in expectation of a feast. +They were a pitiable lot, almost naked, hungry and cadaverous. +Indians are always hungry, but these poor creatures were particularly +so, as their usual supply of food had grown very scarce from one +cause and another.</p> + +<p>In prosperity they mainly subsisted on fish, or game killed with the +bow and arrow. When these sources failed they lived on grasshoppers, +and at this season the grasshopper was their principal food. In +former years salmon were very abundant in the streams of the +Sacramento Valley, and every fall they took great quantities of these +fish and dried them for winter use, but alluvial mining had of late +years defiled the water of the different streams and driven the fish +out. On this account the usual supply of salmon was very limited. +They got some trout high up on the rivers, above the sluices and +rockers of the miners, but this was a precarious source from which to +derive food, as their means of taking the trout were very primitive. +They had neither hooks nor lines, but depended entirely on a +contrivance made from long, slender branches of willow, which grew on +the banks of most of the streams. One of these branches would be +cut, and after sharpening the butt-end to a point, split a certain +distance, and by a wedge the prongs divided sufficiently to admit a +fish between. The Indian fisherman would then slyly put the forked +end in the water over his intended victim, and with a quick dart +firmly wedge him between the prongs. When secured there, the work of +landing him took but a moment. When trout were plentiful this +primitive mode of taking them was quite successful, and I have often +known hundreds of pounds to be caught in this way, but when they were +scarce and suspicious the rude method was not rewarded with good +results.</p> + +<p>The band looking down on us evidently had not had much fish or game +to eat for some time, so when they had made Williamson understand +that they were suffering for food he permitted them to come into +camp, and furnished them with a supply, which they greedily swallowed +as fast as it was placed at their service, regardless of possible +indigestion. When they had eaten all they could hold, their +enjoyment was made complete by the soldiers, who gave them a quantity +of strong plug tobacco. This they smoked incessantly, inhaling all +the smoke, so that none of the effect should be lost. When we +abandoned this camp the next day, the miserable wretches remained in +it and collected the offal about the cooks' fires to feast still +more, piecing out the meal, no doubt, with their staple article of +food—grasshoppers.</p> + +<p>On the morning of August 5 Lieutenant Hood started back to Fort +Reading, and Lieutenant Williamson resumed his march for the Columbia +River. Our course was up Pit River, by the lower and upper canons, +then across to the Klamath Lakes, then east, along their edge to the +upper lake. At the middle Klamath Lake, just after crossing Lost +River and the Natural Bridge, we met a small party of citizens from +Jacksonville, Oregon, looking for hostile Indians who had committed +some depredations in their neighborhood. From them we learned that +the Rogue River Indians in southern Oregon were on the war-path, and +that as the "regular troops up there were of no account, the citizens +had taken matters in hand, and intended cleaning up the hostiles." +They swaggered about our camp, bragged a good deal, cursed the +Indians loudly, and soundly abused the Government for not giving them +better protection. It struck me, however, that they had not worked +very hard to find the hostiles; indeed, it could plainly be seen that +their expedition was a town-meeting sort of affair, and that anxiety +to get safe home was uppermost in their thoughts. The enthusiasm +with which they started had all oozed out, and that night they +marched back to Jacksonville. The next day, at the head of the lake, +we came across an Indian village, and I have often wondered since +what would have been the course pursued by these valiant warriors +from Jacksonville had they gone far enough to get into its vicinity.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p048"></a><img alt="p048.jpg (55K)" src="images/p048.jpg" height="1029" width="395"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>When we reached the village the tepees—made of grass—were all +standing, the fires burning and pots boiling—the pots filled with +camas and tula roots—but not an Indian was to be seen. Williamson +directed that nothing in the village should be disturbed; so guards +were placed over it to carry out his instructions and we went into +camp just a little beyond. We had scarcely established ourselves +when a very old Indian rose up from the high grass some distance off, +and with peaceable signs approached our camp, evidently for the +purpose of learning whether or not our intentions were hostile. +Williamson told him we were friendly; that we had passed through his +village without molesting it, that we had put a guard there to secure +the property his people had abandoned in their fright, and that they +might come back in safety. The old man searchingly eyed everything +around for some little time, and gaining confidence from the +peaceable appearance of the men, who were engaged in putting up the +tents and preparing their evening meal, he concluded to accept our +professions of friendship, and bring his people in. Going out about +half a mile from the village he gave a peculiar yell, at which +between three and four hundred Indians arose simultaneously from the +ground, and in answer to his signal came out of the tall grass like a +swarm of locusts and soon overran our camp in search of food, for +like all Indians they were hungry. They too, proved to be Pit +Rivers, and were not less repulsive than those of their tribe we had +met before. They were aware of the hostilities going on between the +Rogue Rivers and the whites, but claimed that they had not taken any +part in them. I question if they had, but had our party been small, +I fear we should have been received at their village in a very +different manner.</p> + +<p>From the upper Klamath Lake we marched over the divide and down the +valley of the Des Chutes River to a point opposite the mountains +called the Three Sisters. Here, on September 23, the party divided, +Williamson and I crossing through the crater of the Three Sisters and +along the western slope of the Cascade Range, until we struck the +trail on McKenzie River, which led us into the Willamette Valley not +far from Eugene City. We then marched down the Willamette Valley to +Portland, Oregon, where we arrived October 9, 1855.</p> + +<p>The infantry portion of the command, escorting Lieutenant Henry L. +Abbot, followed farther down the Des Chutes River, to a point +opposite Mount Hood, from which it came into the Willamette Valley +and then marched to Portland. At Portland we all united, and moving +across the point between the Willamette and Columbia rivers, encamped +opposite Fort Vancouver, on the south bank of the latter stream, on +the farm of an old settler named Switzler, who had located there many +years before.</p> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch4"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>"OLD RED"—SKILLFUL SHOOTING—YAKIMA—WAR—A LUDICROUS +MISTAKE—"CUT-MOUTH JOHN'S" ENCOUNTER—FATHER PANDOZA'S +MISSION—A SNOW-STORM—FAILURE OF THE EXPEDITION.</p> + +<p>Our camp on the Columbia, near Fort Vancouver, was beautifully +situated on a grassy sward close to the great river; and—as little +duty was required of us after so long a journey, amusement of one +kind or another, and an interchange of visits with the officers at +the post, filled in the time acceptably. We had in camp an old +mountaineer guide who had accompanied us on the recent march, and who +had received the sobriquet of "Old Red," on account of the shocky and +tangled mass of red hair and beard, which covered his head and face +so completely that only his eyes could be seen. His eccentricities +constantly supplied us with a variety of amusements. Among the +pastimes he indulged in was one which exhibited his skill with the +rifle, and at the same time protected the camp from the intrusions +and ravages of a drove of razor-backed hogs which belonged to Mr. +Switzler. These hogs were frequent visitors, and very destructive to +our grassy sward, rooting it up in front of our tents and all about +us; in pursuit of bulbous roots and offal from the camp. Old Red +conceived the idea that it would be well to disable the pigs by +shooting off the tips of their snouts, and he proceeded to put his +conception into execution, and continued it daily whenever the hogs +made their appearance. Of course their owner made a row about it; +but when Old Red daily settled for his fun by paying liberally with +gold-dust from some small bottles of the precious metal in his +possession, Switzler readily became contented, and I think even +encouraged the exhibitions—of skill.</p> + +<p>It was at this period (October, 1855) that the Yakima Indian war +broke out, and I was detached from duty with the exploring party and +required by Major Gabriel J. Rains, then commanding the district, to +join an expedition against the Yakimas. They had some time before +killed their agent, and in consequence a force under Major Granville +O. Haller had been sent out from the Dalles of the Columbia to +chastise them; but the expedition had not been successful; in fact, +it had been driven back, losing a number of men and two mountain +howitzers.</p> + +<p>The object of the second expedition was to retrieve this disaster. +The force was composed of a small body of regular troops, and a +regiment of Oregon mounted volunteers under command of Colonel James +W. Nesmith—subsequently for several years United States Senator from +Oregon. The whole force was under the command of Major Rains, Fourth +Infantry, who, in order that he might rank Nesmith, by some +hocus-pocus had been made a brigadier-general, under an appointment +from the Governor of Washington Territory.</p> + +<p>We started from the Dalles October 30, under conditions that were not +conducive to success. The season was late for operations; and worse +still, the command was not in accord with the commanding officer, +because of general belief in his incompetency, and on account of the +fictitious rank he assumed. On the second day out I struck a small +body of Indians with my detachment of dragoons, but was unable to do +them any particular injury beyond getting possession of a large +quantity of their winter food, which their hurried departure +compelled them to abandon. This food consisted principally of dried +salmon-pulverized and packed in sacks made of grass-dried +huckleberries, and dried camas; the latter a bulbous root about the +size of a small onion, which, when roasted and ground, is made into +bread by the Indians and has a taste somewhat like cooked chestnuts.</p> + +<p>Our objective point was Father Pandoza's Mission, in the Yakima +Valley, which could be reached by two different routes, and though +celerity of movement was essential, our commanding officer +"strategically" adopted the longer route, and thus the Indians had +ample opportunity to get away with their horses, cattle, women and +children, and camp property.</p> + +<p>After the encounter which I just now referred to, the command, which +had halted to learn the results of my chase, resumed its march to and +through the Klikitat canon, and into the lower Yakima Valley, in the +direction of the Yakima River. I had charge at the head of the +column as it passed through the canon, and on entering the valley +beyond, saw in the distance five or six Indian scouts, whom I pressed +very closely, until after a run of several miles they escaped across +the Yakima River.</p> + +<p>The soil in the valley was light and dry, and the movement of animals +over it raised great clouds of dust, that rendered it very difficult +to distinguish friend from foe; and as I was now separated from the +main column a considerable distance, I deemed it prudent to call a +halt until we could discover the direction taken by the principal +body of the Indians. We soon learned that they had gone up the +valley, and looking that way, we discovered a column of alkali dust +approaching us, about a mile distant, interposing between my little +detachment and the point where I knew General Rains intended to +encamp for the night. After hastily consulting with Lieutenant +Edward H. Day, of the Third United States Artillery, who was with me, +we both concluded that the dust was caused by a body of the enemy +which had slipped in between us and our main force. There seemed no +alternative left us but to get back to our friends by charging +through these Indians; and as their cloud of dust was much larger +than ours, this appeared a desperate chance. Preparations to charge +were begun, however, but, much to our surprise, before they were +completed the approaching party halted for a moment and then +commenced to retreat. This calmed the throbbing of our hearts, and +with a wild cheer we started in a hot pursuit, that continued for +about two miles, when to our great relief we discovered that we were +driving into Rains's camp a squadron of Nesmith's battalion of Oregon +volunteers that we had mistaken for Indians, and who in turn believed +us to be the enemy. When camp was reached, we all indulged in a +hearty laugh over the affair, and at the fright each party had given +the other. The explanations which ensued proved that the squadron of +volunteers had separated from the column at the same time that I had +when we debouched from the canon, and had pursued an intermediate +trail through the hills, which brought it into the valley of the +Yakima at a point higher up the river than where I had struck it.</p> + +<p>Next day we resumed our march up the valley, parallel to the Yakima. +About 1 o'clock we saw a large body of Indians on the opposite side +of the river, and the general commanding made up his mind to cross +and attack them. The stream was cold, deep, and swift, still I +succeeded in passing my dragoons over safely, but had hardly got them +well on the opposite bank when the Indians swooped down upon us. +Dismounting my men, we received the savages with a heavy fire, which +brought them to a halt with some damage and more or less confusion.</p> + +<p>General Rains now became very much excited and alarmed about me, and +endeavored to ford the swift river with his infantry and artillery, +but soon had to abandon the attempt, as three or four of the poor +fellows were swept off their feet and drowned. Meantime Nesmith came +up with his mounted force, crossed over, and joined me.</p> + +<p>The Indians now fell back to a high ridge, on the crest of which they +marched and countermarched, threatening to charge down its face. +Most of them were naked, and as their persons were painted in gaudy +colors and decorated with strips of red flannel, red blankets and gay +war-bonnets, their appearance presented a scene of picturesque +barbarism, fascinating but repulsive. As they numbered about six +hundred, the chances of whipping them did not seem overwhelmingly in +our favor, yet Nesmith and I concluded we would give them a little +fight, provided we could engage them without going beyond the ridge. +But all our efforts were in vain, for as we advanced they retreated, +and as we drew back they reappeared and renewed their parade and +noisy demonstrations, all the time beating their drums and yelling +lustily. They could not be tempted into a fight where we desired it, +however, and as we felt unequal to any pursuit beyond the ridge +without the assistance of the infantry and artillery, we re-crossed +the river and encamped with Rains. It soon became apparent that the +noisy demonstrations of the Indians were intended only as a blind to +cover the escape of their women and children to a place of safety in +the mountains.</p> + +<p>Next morning we took up our march without crossing the river; and as +our route would lead us by the point on the opposite bank where the +Indians had made their picturesque display the day before, they at an +early hour came over to our side, and rapidly moved ahead of us to +some distant hills, leaving in our pathway some of the more +venturesome young braves, who attempted, to retard our advance by +opening fire at long range from favorable places where they lay +concealed. This fire did us little harm, but it had the effect of +making our progress so slow that the patience of every one but +General Rains was well-nigh exhausted.</p> + +<p>About 2 o'clock in the afternoon we arrived well up near the base of +the range of hills, and though it was growing late we still had time +to accomplish something, but our commanding officer decided that it +was best to go into camp, and make a systematic attack next morning. +I proposed that he let me charge with my dragoons through the narrow +canon where the river broke through the range, while the infantry +should charge up the hill and drive the enemy from the top down on +the other side. In this way I thought we might possibly catch some +of the fugitives, but his extreme caution led him to refuse the +suggestion, so we pitched our tents out of range of their desultory +fire, but near enough to observe plainly their menacing and +tantalizing exhibitions of contempt.</p> + +<p>In addition to firing occasionally, they called us all sorts of bad +names, made indecent gestures, and aggravated us, so that between 3 +and 4 o'clock in the afternoon, by an inexplicable concert of action, +and with a serious breach of discipline, a large number of the men +and many of the officers broke en masse from the camp with loud yells +and charged the offending savages. As soon as this mob got within +musket-shot they opened fire on the Indians, who ran down the other +face of the ridge without making the slightest resistance. The hill +was readily taken by this unmilitary proceeding, and no one was hurt +on either side, but as Rains would not permit it to be held, a large +bonfire was lighted on the crest in celebration of the victory, and +then all hands marched back to camp, where they had no sooner arrived +and got settled down than the Indians returned to the summit of the +ridge, seemingly to enjoy the fire that had been so generously built +for their benefit, and with renewed taunts and gestures continued to +insult us.</p> + +<p>Our camp that night was strongly picketed, and when we awoke in the +morning the Indians still occupied their position on the hill. At +daylight we advanced against them, two or three companies of infantry +moving forward to drive them from the summit, while our main column +passed through the canon into the upper Yakima Valley led by my +dragoons, who were not allowed to charge into the gorge, as the +celerity of such a movement might cause the tactical combination to +fail.</p> + +<p>As we passed slowly and cautiously through the canon the Indians ran +rapidly away, and when we reached the farther end they had entirely +disappeared from our front, except one old fellow, whose lame horse +prevented him keeping up with the main body. This presented an +opportunity for gaining results which all thought should not be lost, +so our guide, an Indian named "Cut-mouth John," seized upon it, and +giving hot chase, soon, overtook the poor creature, whom he speedily +killed without much danger to himself, for the fugitive was armed +with only an old Hudson's Bay flint-lock horse-pistol which could not +be discharged.</p> + +<p>"Cut-mouth John's" engagement began and ended all the fighting that +took place on this occasion, and much disappointment and discontent +followed, Nesmith's mounted force and my dragoons being particularly +disgusted because they had not been "given a chance." During the +remainder of the day we cautiously followed the retreating foe, and +late in the evening went into camp a short distance from Father +Pandoza's Mission; where we were to await a small column of troops +under command of Captain Maurice Maloney, of the Fourth Infantry, +that was to join us from Steilicom by way of the Natchez Pass, and +from which no tidings had as yet been received.</p> + +<p>Next morning the first thing I saw when I put my head out from my +blankets was "Cut-mouth John," already mounted and parading himself +through the camp. The scalp of the Indian he had despatched the day +before was tied to the cross-bar of his bridle bit, the hair dangling +almost to the ground, and John was decked out in the sacred vestments +of Father Pandoza, having, long before any one was stirring in camp, +ransacked the log-cabin at the Mission in which the good man had +lived. John was at all times a most repulsive looking individual, a +part of his mouth having been shot away in a fight with Indians near +Walla Walla some years before, in which a Methodist missionary had +been killed; but his revolting personal appearance was now worse than +ever, and the sacrilegious use of Father Pandoza's vestments, coupled +with the ghastly scalp that hung from his bridle, so turned opinion +against him that he was soon captured, dismounted, and his parade +brought to an abrupt close, and I doubt whether he ever after quite +reinstated himself in the good graces of the command.</p> + +<p>In the course of the day nearly all the men visited the Mission, but +as it had been plundered by the Indians at the outbreak of +hostilities, when Father Pandoza was carried off, little of value was +left about it except a considerable herd of pigs, which the father +with great difficulty had succeeded in accumulating from a very small +beginning. The pigs had not been disturbed by the Indians, but the +straggling troops soon disposed of them, and then turned their +attention to the cabbages and potatoes in the garden, with the +intention, no doubt, of dining that day on fresh pork and fresh +vegetables instead of on salt junk and hard bread, which formed their +regular diet on the march. In digging up the potatoes some one +discovered half a keg of powder, which had been buried in the garden +by the good father to prevent the hostile Indians from getting it to +use against the whites. As soon as this was unearthed wild +excitement ensued, and a cry arose that Father Pandoza was the person +who furnished powder to the Indians; that here was the proof; that at +last the mysterious means by which the Indians obtained ammunition +was explained—and a rush was made for the mission building. This was +a comfortable log-house of good size, built by the Indians for a +school and church, and attached to one end was the log-cabin +residence of the priest. Its destruction was a matter of but a few +moments. A large heap of dry wood was quickly collected and piled in +the building, matches applied, and the whole Mission, including the +priest's house, was soon enveloped in flames, and burned to the +ground before the officers in camp became aware of the disgraceful +plundering in which their men were engaged.</p> + +<p>The commanding officer having received no news from Captain Maloney +during the day, Colonel Nesmith and I were ordered to go to his +rescue, as it was concluded that he had been surrounded by Indians in +the Natchez Pass. We started early the next morning, the snow +falling slightly as we set out, and soon arrived at the eastern mouth +of the Natchez Pass. On the way we noticed an abandoned Indian +village, which had evidently not been occupied for some time. As we +proceeded the storm increased, and the snow-fall became deeper and +deeper, until finally our horses could not travel through it. In +consequence we were compelled to give up further efforts to advance, +and obliged to turn back to the abandoned village, where we encamped +for the night. Near night-fall the storm greatly increased, and our +bivouac became most uncomfortable; but spreading my blankets on the +snow and covering them with Indian matting, I turned in and slept +with that soundness and refreshment accorded by nature to one +exhausted by fatigue. When I awoke in the morning I found myself +under about two feet of snow, from which I arose with difficulty, yet +grateful that it had kept me warm during the night.</p> + +<p>After a cup of coffee and a little hard bread, it was decided we +should return to the main camp near the Mission, for we were now +confident that Maloney was delayed by the snow, and safe enough on +the other side of the mountains. At all events he was beyond aid +from us, for the impassable snowdrifts could not be overcome with the +means in our possession. It turned out that our suppositions as to +the cause of his delay were correct. He had met with the same +difficulties that confronted us, and had been compelled to go into +camp.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile valuable time had been lost, and the Indians, with their +families and stock, were well on their way to the Okenagan country, a +region into which we could not penetrate in the winter season. No +other course was therefore left but to complete the dismal failure of +the expedition by returning home, and our commander readily gave the +order to march back to the Dalles by the "short" route over the +Yakima Mountains.</p> + +<p>As the storm was still unabated, it was evident our march home would +be a most difficult one, and it was deemed advisable to start back at +once, lest we should be blocked up in the mountains by the snows for +a period beyond which our provisions would not last. Relying on the +fact that the short route to the Dalles would lead us over the range +at its most depressed point, where it was hoped the depth of snow was +not yet so great as to make the route impassable, we started with +Colonel Nesmith's battalion in advance to break the road, followed by +my dragoons. In the valley we made rapid progress, but when we +reached the mountain every step we took up its side showed the snow +to be growing deeper and deeper. At last Nesmith reached the summit, +and there found a depth of about six feet of snow covering the +plateau in every direction, concealing all signs of the trail so +thoroughly that his guides became bewildered and took the wrong +divide. The moment I arrived at the top my guide—Donald Mc Kay—who +knew perfectly the whole Yakima range, discovered Nesmith's mistake. +Word was sent to bring him back, but as he had already nearly crossed +the plateau, considerable delay occurred before he returned. When he +arrived we began anew the work of breaking a road for the foot troops +behind us, my detachment now in advance. The deep snow made our work +extremely laborious, exhausting men and horses almost to the point of +relinquishing the struggle, but our desperate situation required that +we should get down into the valley beyond, or run the chance of +perishing on the mountain in a storm which seemed unending. About +midnight the column reached the valley, very tired and hungry, but +much elated over its escape. We had spent a day of the most intense +anxiety, especially those who had had the responsibility of keeping +to the right trail, and been charged with the hard work of breaking +the road for the infantry and artillery through such a depth of snow.</p> + +<p>Our main difficulties were now over, and in due time we reached the +Dalles, where almost everyone connected with the expedition voted it +a wretched failure; indeed, General Rains himself could not think +otherwise, but he scattered far and wide blame for the failure of his +combinations. This, of course, led to criminations and +recriminations, which eventuated in charges of incompetency preferred +against him by Captain Edward O. C. Ord, of the Third Artillery. +Rains met the charges with counter-charges against Ord, whom he +accused of purloining Father Pandoza's shoes, when the soldiers in +their fury about the ammunition destroyed the Mission. At the time +of its destruction a rumor of this nature was circulated through +camp, started by some wag, no doubt in jest; for Ord, who was +somewhat eccentric in his habits, and had started on the expedition +rather indifferently shod in carpet-slippers, here came out in a +brand-new pair of shoes. Of course there was no real foundation for +such a report, but Rains was not above small things, as the bringing +of this petty accusation attests. Neither party was ever tried, for +General John E. Wool the department commander, had not at command a +sufficient number of officers of appropriate rank to constitute a +court in the case of Rains, and the charges against Ord were very +properly ignored on account of their trifling character.</p> + +<p>Shortly after the expedition returned to the Dalles, my detachment +was sent down to Fort Vancouver, and I remained at that post during +the winter of 1855-'56, till late in March.</p> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch5"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>AN INDIAN CONFEDERATION—MASSACRE AT THE CASCADES OF THE +COLUMBIA—PLAN TO RELIEVE THE BLOCKHOUSE—A HAZARDOUS FLANK MOVEMENT—A NEW +METHOD OF ESTABLISHING GUILT—EXECUTION OF THE INDIAN MURDERERS.</p> + +<p>The failure of the Haller expedition from lack of a sufficient force, +and of the Rains expedition from the incompetency of its commander, +was a great mortification to the officers and men connected with +them, and, taken together, had a marked effect upon the Indian +situation in Oregon and Washington Territories at that particular +era. Besides, it led to further complications and troubles, for it +had begun to dawn upon the Indians that the whites wanted to come in +and dispossess them of their lands and homes, and the failures of +Haller and Rains fostered the belief with the Indians that they could +successfully resist the pressure of civilization.</p> + +<p>Acting under these influences, the Spokanes, Walla Wallas, Umatillas, +and Nez Perces cast their lot with the hostiles, and all the savage +inhabitants of the region east of the Cascade Range became involved +in a dispute as to whether the Indians or the Government should +possess certain sections of the country, which finally culminated in +the war of 1856.</p> + +<p>Partly to meet the situation that was approaching, the Ninth Infantry +had been sent out from the Atlantic coast to Washington Territory, +and upon its arrival at Fort Vancouver encamped in front of the +officers' quarters, on the beautiful parade-ground of that post, and +set about preparing for the coming campaign. The commander, Colonel +George Wright, who had been promoted to the colonelcy of the regiment +upon its organization the previous year, had seen much active duty +since his graduation over thirty years before, serving with credit in +the Florida and Mexican wars. For the three years previous to his +assignment to the Ninth Infantry he had been stationed on the Pacific +coast, and the experience he had there acquired, added to his +excellent soldierly qualities, was of much benefit in the active +campaigns in which, during the following years, he was to +participate. Subsequently his career was brought to an untimely +close when, nine years after this period, as he was returning to the +scene of his successes, he, in common with many others was drowned by +the wreck of the ill-fated steamer Brother Jonathan. Colonel Wright +took command of the district in place of Rains, and had been at +Vancouver but a short time before he realized that it would be +necessary to fight the confederated tribes east of the Cascade Range +of mountains, in order to disabuse them of the idea that they were +sufficiently strong to cope with the power of the Government. He +therefore at once set about the work of organizing and equipping his +troops for a start in the early spring against the hostile Indians, +intending to make the objective point of his expedition the heart of +the Spokane country on the Upper Columbia River, as the head and +front of the confederation was represented in the person of old +Cammiackan, chief of the Spokanes.</p> + +<p>The regiment moved from Fort Vancouver by boat, March 25, 1856, and +landed at the small town called the Dalles, below the mouth of the +Des Chutes River at the eastern base of the Cascade Range, and just +above where the Columbia River enters those mountains. This +rendezvous was to be the immediate point of departure, and all the +troops composing the expedition were concentrated there.</p> + +<p>On the morning of March 26 the movement began, but the column had +only reached Five Mile Creek when the Yakimas, joined by many young +warriors-free lances from other tribes, made a sudden and unexpected +attack at the Cascades of the Columbia, midway between Vancouver and +the Dalles, killed several citizens, women and children, and took +possession of the Portage by besieging the settlers in their cabins +at the Upper Cascades, and those who sought shelter at the Middle +Cascades in the old military block-house, which had been built some +years before as a place of refuge under just such circumstances. +These points held out, and were not captured, but the landing at the +Lower Cascades fell completely into the hands of the savages. +Straggling settlers from the Lower Cascades made their way down to +Fort Vancouver, distant about thirty-six miles, which they reached +that night; and communicated the condition of affairs. As the +necessity for early relief to the settlers and the re-establishment +of communication with the Dalles were apparent, all the force that +could be spared was ordered out, and in consequence I immediately +received directions to go with my detachment of dragoons, numbering +about forty effective men, to the relief of the middle blockhouse, +which really meant to retake the Cascades. I got ready at once, and +believing that a piece of artillery would be of service to me, asked +for one, but as there proved to be no guns at the post, I should have +been obliged to proceed without one had it not been that the regular +steamer from San Francisco to Portland was lying at the Vancouver +dock unloading military supplies, and the commander, Captain Dall, +supplied me with the steamer's small iron cannon, mounted on a wooden +platform, which he used in firing salutes at different ports on the +arrival and departure of the vessel. Finding at the arsenal a supply +of solid shot that would fit the gun, I had it put upon the steamboat +Belle, employed to carry my command to the scene of operations, and +started up the Columbia River at 2 A.M. on the morning of the 27th. +We reached the Lower Cascades early in the day, where, selecting a +favorable place for the purpose, I disembarked my men and gun on the +north bank of the river, so that I could send back the steamboat to +bring up any volunteer assistance that in the mean time might have +been collected at Vancouver.</p> + +<p>The Columbia River was very high at the time, and the water had +backed up into the slough about the foot of the Lower Cascades to +such a degree that it left me only a narrow neck of firm ground to +advance over toward the point occupied by the Indians. On this neck +of land the hostiles had taken position, as I soon learned by +frequent shots, loud shouting, and much blustering; they, by the most +exasperating yells and indecent exhibitions, daring me to the +contest.</p> + +<p>After getting well in hand everything connected with my little +command, I advanced with five or six men to the edge of a growth of +underbrush to make a reconnoissance. We stole along under cover of +this underbrush until we reached the open ground leading over the +causeway or narrow neck before mentioned, when the enemy opened fire +and killed a soldier near my side by a shot which, just grazing the +bridge of my nose, struck him in the neck, opening an artery and +breaking the spinal cord. He died instantly. The Indians at once +made a rush for the body, but my men in the rear, coming quickly to +the rescue, drove them back; and Captain Doll's gun being now brought +into play, many solid shot were thrown into the jungle where they lay +concealed, with the effect of considerably moderating their +impetuosity. Further skirmishing at long range took place at +intervals during the day, with little gain or loss, however, to +either side, for both parties held positions which could not be +assailed in flank, and only the extreme of rashness in either could +prompt a front attack. My left was protected by the back water +driven into the slough by the high stage of the river, and my right +rested secure on the main stream. Between us was only the narrow +neck of land, to cross which would be certain death. The position of +the Indians was almost the exact counterpart of ours.</p> + +<p>In the evening I sent a report of the situation back to Vancouver by +the steamboat, retaining a large Hudson's Bay bateau which I had +brought up with me. Examining this I found it would carry about +twenty men, and made up my mind that early next morning I would cross +the command to the opposite or south side of the Columbia River, and +make my way up along the mountain base until I arrived abreast the +middle blockhouse, which was still closely besieged, and then at some +favorable point recross to the north bank to its relief, endeavoring +in this manner to pass around and to the rear of the Indians, whose +position confronting me was too strong for a direct attack. This +plan was hazardous, but I believed it could be successfully carried +out if the boat could be taken with me; but should I not be able to +do this I felt that the object contemplated in sending me out would +miserably fail, and the small band cooped up at the block-house would +soon starve or fall a prey to the Indians, so I concluded to risk all +the chances the plan involved.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><a name="p077"></a><img alt="p077.jpg (31K)" src="images/p077.jpg" height="353" width="535"> +</center> +<br><br><br><br> + +<p>On the morning of March 28 the savages were still in my front, and +after giving them some solid shot from Captain Dall's gun we slipped +down to the river-bank, and the detachment crossed by means of the +Hudson's Bay boat, making a landing on the opposite shore at a point +where the south channel of the river, after flowing around Bradford's +Island, joins the main stream. It was then about 9 o'clock, and +everything had thus far proceeded favorably, but examination of the +channel showed that it would be impossible to get the boat up the +rapids along the mainland, and that success could only be assured by +crossing the south channel just below the rapids to the island, along +the shore of which there was every probability we could pull the boat +through the rocks and swift water until the head of the rapids was +reached, from which point to the block-house there was smooth water. +Telling the men of the embarrassment in which I found myself, and +that if I could get enough of them to man the boat and pull it up the +stream by a rope to the shore we would cross to the island and make +the attempt, all volunteered to go, but as ten men seemed sufficient +I selected that number to accompany me. Before starting, however, I +deemed it prudent to find out if possible what was engaging the +attention of the Indians, who had not yet discovered that we had left +their front. I therefore climbed up the side of the abrupt mountain +which skirted the water's edge until I could see across the island. +From this point I observed the Indians running horse-races and +otherwise enjoying themselves behind the line they had held against +me the day before. The squaws decked out in gay colors, and the men +gaudily dressed in war bonnets, made the scene most attractive, but +as everything looked propitious for the dangerous enterprise in hand +I spent little time watching them. Quickly returning to the boat, I +crossed to the island with my ten men, threw ashore the rope attached +to the bow, and commenced the difficult task of pulling her up the +rapids. We got along slowly at first, but soon striking a camp of +old squaws who had been left on the island for safety, and had not +gone over to the mainland to see the races, we utilized them to our +advantage. With unmistakable threats and signs we made them not only +keep quiet, but also give us much needed assistance in pulling +vigorously on the towrope of our boat.</p> + +<p>I was laboring under a dreadful strain of mental anxiety during all +this time, for had the Indians discovered what we were about, they +could easily have come over to the island in their canoes, and, by +forcing us to take up our arms to repel their attack, doubtless would +have obliged the abandonment of the boat, and that essential adjunct +to the final success of my plan would have gone down the rapids. +Indeed, under such circumstances, it would have been impossible for +ten men to hold out against the two or three hundred Indians; but the +island forming an excellent screen to our movements, we were not +discovered, and when we reached the smooth water at the upper end of +the rapids we quickly crossed over and joined the rest of the men, +who in the meantime had worked their way along the south bank of the +river parallel with us. I felt very grateful to the old squaws for +the assistance they rendered. They worked well under compulsion, and +manifested no disposition to strike for higher wages. Indeed, I was +so much relieved when we had crossed over from the island and joined +the rest of the party, that I mentally thanked the squaws one and +all. I had much difficulty in keeping the men on the main shore from +cheering at our success, but hurriedly taking into the bateau all of +them it could carry, I sent the balance along the southern bank, +where the railroad is now built, until both detachments arrived at a +point opposite the block-house, when, crossing to the north bank, I +landed below the blockhouse some little distance, and returned the +boat for the balance of the men, who joined me in a few minutes.</p> + +<p>When the Indians attacked the people at the Cascades on the 26th, +word was sent to Colonel Wright, who had already got out from the +Dalles a few miles on his expedition to the Spokane country. He +immediately turned his column back, and soon after I had landed and +communicated with the beleaguered block-house the advance of his +command arrived under Lieutenant-Colonel Edward J. Steptoe. I +reported to Steptoe, and related what had occurred during the past +thirty-six hours, gave him a description of the festivities that were +going on at the lower Cascades, and also communicated the +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.</p> + +<p>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 children—whose 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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch6"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>MISDIRECTED VENGEANCE—HONORABLE MENTION—CHANGE OF COMMAND—EDUCATED +OXEN—FEEDING THE INDIANS—PURCHASING A BURYING-GROUND—KNOWING RATS.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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 Corps—a warm and intimate friend—I 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 dead—strangled 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 +rope—the unwound strand of a heavier piece—was 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 people—our friends and +allies—in 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.</p> + +<p>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 +settlement under the protection of a friendly alliance, was an +unparalleled outrage which nothing can justify or extenuate. With as +little delay as possible after the horrible discovery, I returned to +camp, had boxes made, and next day buried the bodies of these hapless +victims of misdirected vengeance.</p> + +<p>The summary punishment inflicted on the nine Indians, in their trial +and execution, had a most salutary effect on the confederation, and +was the entering wedge to its disintegration; and though Colonel +Wright's campaign continued during the summer and into the early +winter, the subjugation of the allied bands became a comparatively +easy matter after the lesson taught the renegades who were captured +at the Cascades. My detachment did not accompany Colonel Wright, but +remained for some time at the Cascades, and while still there General +Wool came up from San Francisco to take a look into the condition of +things. From his conversation with me in reference to the affair at +the Cascades, I gathered that he was greatly pleased at the service I +had performed, and I afterward found that his report of my conduct +had so favorably impressed General Scott that that distinguished +officer complimented me from the headquarters of the army in general +orders.</p> + +<p>General Wool, while personally supervising matters on the Columbia +River, directed a redistribution to some extent of the troops in the +district, and shortly before his return to San Francisco I was +ordered with my detachment of dragoons to take station on the Grande +Ronde Indian Reservation in Yamhill County, Oregon, about twenty-five +miles southwest of Dayton, and to relieve from duty at that point +Lieutenant William B. Hazen—late brigadier-general and chief signal +officer—who had established a camp there some time before. I +started for my new station on April 21, and marching by way of +Portland and Oregon City, arrived at Hazen's camp April 25. The camp +was located in the Coast range of mountains, on the northeast part of +the reservation, to which last had been added a section of country +that was afterward known as the Siletz reservation. The whole body +of land set aside went under the general name of the "Coast +reservation," from its skirting the Pacific Ocean for some distance +north of Yaquina Bay, and the intention was to establish within its +bounds permanent homes for such Indians as might be removed to it. +In furtherance of this idea, and to relieve northern California and +southwestern Oregon from the roaming, restless bands that kept the +people of those sections in a state of constant turmoil, many of the +different tribes, still under control but liable to take part in +warfare, were removed to the reservation, so that they might be away +from the theatre of hostilities.</p> + +<p>When I arrived I found that the Rogue River Indians had just been +placed upon the reservation, and subsequently the Coquille, Klamath, +Modocs, and remnants of the Chinooks were collected there also, the +home of the latter being in the Willamette Valley. The number all +told amounted to some thousands, scattered over the entire Coast +reservation, but about fifteen hundred were located at the Grande +Ronde under charge of an agent, Mr. John F. Miller, a sensible, +practical man, who left the entire police control to the military, +and attended faithfully to the duty of settling the Indians in the +work of cultivating the soil.</p> + +<p>As the place was to be occupied permanently, Lieutenant Hazen had +begun, before my arrival, the erection of buildings for the shelter +of his command, and I continued the work of constructing the post as +laid out by him. In those days the Government did not provide very +liberally for sheltering its soldiers; and officers and men were +frequently forced to eke out parsimonious appropriations by toilsome +work or go without shelter in most inhospitable regions. Of course +this post was no exception to the general rule, and as all hands were +occupied in its construction, and I the only officer present, I was +kept busily employed in supervising matters, both as commandant and +quartermaster, until July, when Captain D. A. Russell, of the Fourth +Infantry, was ordered to take command, and I was relieved from the +first part of my duties.</p> + +<p>About this time my little detachment parted from me, being ordered to +join a company of the First Dragoons, commanded by Captain Robert +Williams, as it passed up the country from California by way of +Yamhill. I regretted exceedingly to see them go, for their faithful +work and gallant service had endeared every man to me by the +strongest ties. Since I relieved Lieutenant Hood on Pit River, +nearly a twelvemonth before, they had been my constant companions, +and the zeal with which they had responded to every call I made on +them had inspired in my heart a deep affection that years have not +removed. When I relieved Hood—a dragoon officer of their own +regiment—they did not like the change, and I understood that they +somewhat contemptuously expressed this in more ways than one, in +order to try the temper of the new "Leftenant," but appreciative and +unremitting care, together with firm and just discipline, soon +quieted all symptoms of dissatisfaction and overcame all prejudice. +The detachment had been made up of details from the different +companies of the regiment in order to give Williamson a mounted +force, and as it was usual, under such circumstances, for every +company commander to shove into the detail he was called upon to +furnish the most troublesome and insubordinate individuals of his +company, I had some difficulty, when first taking command, in +controlling such a medley of recalcitrants; but by forethought for +them and their wants, and a strict watchfulness for their rights and +comfort, I was able in a short time to make them obedient and the +detachment cohesive. In the past year they had made long and +tiresome marches, forded swift mountain streams, constructed rafts of +logs or bundles of dry reeds to ferry our baggage, swum deep rivers, +marched on foot to save their worn-out and exhausted animals, climbed +mountains, fought Indians, and in all and everything had done the +best they could for the service and their commander. The disaffected +feeling they entertained when I first assumed command soon wore away, +and in its place came a confidence and respect which it gives me the +greatest pleasure to remember, for small though it was, this was my +first cavalry command. They little thought, when we were in the +mountains of California and Oregon—nor did I myself then dream—that +but a few years were to elapse before it would be my lot again to +command dragoons, this time in numbers so vast as of themselves to +compose almost an army.</p> + +<p>Shortly after the arrival of Captain Russell a portion of the Indians +at the Grande Ronde reservation were taken down the coast to the +Siletz reservation, and I was transferred temporarily to Fort +Haskins, on the latter reserve, and assigned to the duty of +completing it and building a blockhouse for the police control of the +Indians placed there.</p> + +<p>While directing this work, I undertook to make a road across the +coast mountains from King's Valley to the Siletz, to shorten the haul +between the two points by a route I had explored. I knew there were +many obstacles in the way, but the gain would be great if we could +overcome them, so I set to work with the enthusiasm of a young +path-finder. The point at which the road was to cross the range was rough +and precipitous, but the principal difficulty in making it would be +from heavy timber on the mountains that had been burned over years +and years before, until nothing was left but limbless trunks of dead +trees—firs and pines—that had fallen from time to time until the +ground was matted with huge logs from five to eight feet in diameter. +These could not be chopped with axes nor sawed by any ordinary means, +therefore we had to burn them into suitable lengths, and drag the +sections to either side of the roadway with from four to six yoke of +oxen.</p> + +<p>The work was both tedious and laborious, but in time perseverance +surmounted all obstacles and the road was finished, though its grades +were very steep. As soon as it was completed, I wished to +demonstrate its value practically, so I started a Government wagon +over it loaded with about fifteen hundred pounds of freight drawn by +six yoke of oxen, and escorted by a small detachment of soldiers. +When it had gone about seven miles the sergeant in charge came back +to the post and reported his inability to get any further. Going out +to the scene of difficulty I found the wagon at the base of a steep +hill, stalled. Taking up a whip myself, I directed the men to lay on +their gads, for each man had supplied himself with a flexible hickory +withe in the early stages of the trip, to start the team, but this +course did not move the wagon nor have much effect on the demoralized +oxen; but following as a last resort an example I heard of on a +former occasion, that brought into use the rough language of the +country, I induced the oxen to move with alacrity, and the wagon and +contents were speedily carried to the summit. The whole trouble was +at once revealed: the oxen had been broken and trained by a man who, +when they were in a pinch, had encouraged them by his frontier +vocabulary, and they could not realize what was expected of them +under extraordinary conditions until they heard familiar and possibly +profanely urgent phrases. I took the wagon to its destination, but +as it was not brought back, even in all the time I was stationed in +that country, I think comment on the success of my road is +unnecessary.</p> + +<p>I spent many happy months at Fort Haskins, remaining there until the +post was nearly completed and its garrison increased by the arrival +of Captain F. T. Dent—a brother-in-law of Captain Ulysses S. +Grant—with his company of the Fourth Infantry, in April, 1857. In the +summer of 1856, and while I was still on duty there, the Coquille +Indians on the Siletz, and down near the Yaquina Bay, became, on +account of hunger and prospective starvation, very much excited and +exasperated, getting beyond the control of their agent, and even +threatening his life, so a detachment of troops was sent out to set +things to rights, and I took command of it. I took with me most of +the company, and arrived at Yaquina Bay in time to succor the agent, +who for some days had been besieged in a log hut by the Indians and +had almost abandoned hope of rescue.</p> + +<p>Having brought with me over the mountains a few head of beef cattle +for the hungry Indians, without thinking of running any great +personal risk I had six beeves killed some little distance from my +camp, guarding the meat with four Soldiers, whom I was obliged to +post as sentinels around the small area on which the carcasses lay. +The Indians soon formed a circle about the sentinels, and impelled by +starvation, attempted to take the beef before it could be equally +divided. This was of course resisted, when they drew their +knives—their guns having been previously taken away from them—and some of +the inferior chiefs gave the signal to attack. The principal chief, +Tetootney John, and two other Indians joined me in the centre of the +circle, and protesting that they would die rather than that the +frenzied onslaught should succeed, harangued the Indians until the +rest of the company hastened up from camp and put an end to the +disturbance. I always felt grateful to Tetootney John for his +loyalty on this occasion, and many times afterward aided his family +with a little coffee and sugar, but necessarily surreptitiously, so +as not to heighten the prejudices that his friendly act had aroused +among his Indian comrades.</p> + +<p>The situation at Yaquina Bay did not seem very safe, notwithstanding +the supply of beef we brought; and the possibility that the starving +Indians might break out was ever present, so to anticipate any +further revolt, I called for more troops. The request was complied +with by sending to my assistance the greater part of my own company +("K")from Fort Yamhill. The men, inspired by the urgency of our +situation, marched more than forty miles a day, accomplishing the +whole distance in so short a period, that I doubt if the record has +ever been beaten. When this reinforcement arrived, the Indians saw +the futility of further demonstrations against their agent, who they +seemed to think was responsible for the insufficiency of food, and +managed to exist with the slender rations we could spare and such +indifferent food as they could pick up, until the Indian Department +succeeded in getting up its regular supplies. In the past the poor +things had often been pinched by hunger and neglect, and at times +their only food was rock oysters, clams and crabs. Great quantities +of these shell-fish could be gathered in the bay near at hand, but +the mountain Indians, who had heretofore lived on the flesh of +mammal, did not take kindly to mollusks, and, indeed, ate the +shell-fish only as a last resort.</p> + +<p>Crab catching at night on the Yaquina Bay by the coast Indians was a +very picturesque scene. It was mostly done by the squaws and +children, each equipped with a torch in one hand, and a sharp-pointed +stick in the other to take and lift the fish into baskets slung on +the back to receive them. I have seen at times hundreds of squaws +and children wading about in Yaquina Bay taking crabs in this manner, +and the reflection by the water of the light from the many torches, +with the movements of the Indians while at work, formed a weird and +diverting picture of which we were never tired.</p> + +<p>Not long after the arrival of the additional troops from Yamhill, it +became apparent that the number of men at Yaquina Bay would have to +be reduced, so in view of this necessity, it was deemed advisable to +build a block-house for the better protection of the agents and I +looked about for suitable ground on which to erect it. Nearly all +around the bay the land rose up from the beach very abruptly, and the +only good site that could be found was some level ground used as the +burial-place of the Yaquina Bay Indians—a small band of fish-eating +people who had lived near this point on the coast for ages. They +were a robust lot, of tall and well-shaped figures, and were called +in the Chinook tongue "salt chuck," which means fish-eaters, or +eaters of food from the salt water. Many of the young men and women +were handsome in feature below the forehead, having fine eyes, +aquiline noses and good mouths, but, in conformity with a +long-standing custom, all had flat heads, which gave them a distorted and +hideous appearance, particularly some of the women, who went to the +extreme of fashion and flattened the head to the rear in a sharp +horizontal ridge by confining it between two boards, one running back +from the forehead at an angle of about forty degrees, and the other +up perpendicularly from the back of the neck. When a head had been +shaped artistically the dusky maiden owner was marked as a belle, and +one could become reconciled to it after a time, but when carelessness +and neglect had governed in the adjustment of the boards, there +probably was nothing in the form of a human being on the face of the +earth that appeared so ugly.</p> + +<p>It was the mortuary ground of these Indians that occupied the only +level spot we could get for the block-house. Their dead were buried +in canoes, which rested in the crotches of forked sticks a few feet +above-ground. The graveyard was not large, containing probably from +forty to fifty canoes in a fair state of preservation. According to +the custom of all Indian tribes on the Pacific coast, when one of +their number died all his worldly effects were buried with him, so +that the canoes were filled with old clothes, blankets, pieces of +calico and the like, intended for the use of the departed in the +happy hunting grounds.</p> + +<p>I made known to the Indians that we would have to take this piece of +ground for the blockhouse. They demurred at first, for there is +nothing more painful to an Indian than disturbing his dead, but they +finally consented to hold a council next day on the beach, and thus +come to some definite conclusion. Next morning they all assembled, +and we talked in the Chinook language all day long, until at last +they gave in, consenting, probably, as much because they could not +help themselves, as for any other reason. It was agreed that on the +following day at 12 o'clock, when the tide was going out, I should +take my men and place the canoes in the bay, and let them float out +on the tide across the ocean to the happy hunting-grounds:</p> + +<p>At that day there existed in Oregon in vast numbers a species of +wood-rat, and our inspection of the graveyard showed that the canoes +were thickly infested with them. They were a light gray animal, +larger than the common gray squirrel, with beautiful bushy tails, +which made them strikingly resemble the squirrel, but in cunning and +deviltry they were much ahead of that quick-witted rodent. I have +known them to empty in one night a keg of spikes in the storehouse in +Yamhill, distributing them along the stringers of the building, with +apparently no other purpose than amusement. We anticipated great fun +watching the efforts of these rats to escape the next day when the +canoes should be launched on the ocean, and I therefore forbade any +of the command to visit the graveyard in the interim, lest the rats +should be alarmed. I well knew that they would not be disturbed by +the Indians, who held the sacred spot in awe. When the work of +taking down the canoes and carrying them to the water began, +expectation was on tiptoe, but, strange as it may seem, not a rat was +to be seen. This unexpected development was mystifying. They had +all disappeared; there was not one in any of the canoes, as +investigation proved, for disappointment instigated a most thorough +search. The Indians said the rats understood Chinook, and that as +they had no wish to accompany the dead across the ocean to the happy +hunting-grounds, they took to the woods for safety. However that may +be, I have no doubt that the preceding visits to the burial-ground, +and our long talk of the day before, with the unusual stir and +bustle, had so alarmed the rats that, impelled, by their suspicious +instincts, they fled a danger, the nature of which they could not +anticipate, but which they felt to be none the less real and +impending.</p> + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch7"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>LEARNING THE CHINOOK LANGUAGE—STRANGE INDIAN CUSTOMS—THEIR DOCTORS +—SAM PATCH—THE MURDER OF A WOMAN—IN A TIGHT PLACE—SURPRISING THE +INDIANS—CONFLICTING REPORTS OF THE BATTLE OF BULL RUN—SECESSION +QUESTION IN CALIFORNIA—APPOINTED A CAPTAIN—TRANSFERRED TO THE EAST.</p> + +<p>The troubles at the Siletz and Yaquina Bay were settled without +further excitement by the arrival in due time of plenty of food, and +as the buildings, at Fort Haskins were so near completion that my +services as quartermaster were no longer needed, I was ordered to +join my own company at Fort Yamhill, where Captain Russell was still +in command. I returned to that place in May, 1857, and at a period a +little later, in consequence of the close of hostilities in southern +Oregon, the Klamaths and Modocs were sent back to their own country, +to that section in which occurred, in 1873, the disastrous war with +the latter tribe. This reduced considerably the number of Indians at +the Grande Ronde, but as those remaining were still somewhat unruly, +from the fact that many questions requiring adjustment were +constantly arising between the different bands, the agent and the +officers at the post were kept pretty well occupied. Captain Russell +assigned to me the special work of keeping up the police control, and +as I had learned at an early day to speak Chinook (the "court +language" among the coast tribes) almost as well as the Indians +themselves, I was thereby enabled to steer my way successfully on +many critical occasions.</p> + +<p>For some time the most disturbing and most troublesome element we had +was the Rogue River band. For three or four years they had fought +our troops obstinately, and surrendered at the bitter end in the +belief that they were merely overpowered, not conquered. They openly +boasted to the other Indians that they could whip the soldiers, and +that they did not wish to follow the white man's ways, continuing +consistently their wild habits, unmindful of all admonitions. +Indeed, they often destroyed their household utensils, tepees and +clothing, and killed their horses on the graves of the dead, in the +fulfillment of a superstitious custom, which demanded that they +should undergo, while mourning for their kindred, the deepest +privation in a property sense. Everything the loss of which would +make them poor was sacrificed on the graves of their relatives or +distinguished warriors, and as melancholy because of removal from +their old homes caused frequent deaths, there was no lack of occasion +for the sacrifices. The widows and orphans of the dead warriors were +of course the chief mourners, and exhibited their grief in many +peculiar ways. I remember one in particular which was universally +practiced by the near kinsfolk. They would crop their hair very +close, and then cover the head with a sort of hood or plaster of +black pitch, the composition being clay, pulverized charcoal, and the +resinous gum which exudes from the pine-tree. The hood, nearly an +inch in thickness, was worn during a period of mourning that lasted +through the time it would take nature, by the growth of the hair, +actually to lift from the head the heavy covering of pitch after it +had become solidified and hard as stone. It must be admitted that +they underwent considerable discomfort in memory of their relatives. +It took all the influence we could bring to bear to break up these +absurdly superstitious practices, and it looked as if no permanent +improvement could be effected, for as soon as we got them to discard +one, another would be invented. When not allowed to burn down their +tepees or houses, those poor souls who were in a dying condition +would be carried out to the neighboring hillsides just before +dissolution, and there abandoned to their sufferings, with little or +no attention, unless the placing under their heads of a small stick +of wood—with possibly some laudable object, but doubtless great +discomfort to their victim—might be considered such.</p> + +<p>To uproot these senseless and monstrous practices was indeed most +difficult. The most pernicious of all was one which was likely to +bring about tragic results. They believed firmly in a class of +doctors among their people who professed that they could procure the +illness of an individual at will, and that by certain incantations +they could kill or cure the sick person. Their faith in this +superstition was so steadfast that there was no doubting its +sincerity, many indulging at times in the most trying privations, +that their relatives might be saved from death at the hands of the +doctors. I often talked with them on the subject, and tried to +reason them out of the superstitious belief, defying the doctors to +kill me, or even make me ill; but my talks were unavailing, and they +always met my arguments with the remark that I was a white man, of a +race wholly different from the red man, and that that was the reason +the medicine of the doctors would not affect me. These villainous +doctors might be either men or women, and any one of them finding an +Indian ill, at once averred that his influence was the cause, +offering at the same time to cure the invalid for a fee, which +generally amounted to about all the ponies his family possessed. If +the proposition was accepted and the fee paid over, the family, in +case the man died, was to have indemnity through the death of the +doctor, who freely promised that they might take his life in such +event, relying on his chances of getting protection from the furious +relatives by fleeing to the military post till time had so assuaged +their grief that matters could be compromised or settled by a +restoration of a part of the property, when the rascally leeches +could again resume their practice. Of course the services of a +doctor were always accepted when an Indian fell ill; otherwise the +invalid's death would surely ensue, brought about by the evil +influence that was unpropitiated. Latterly it had become quite the +thing, when a patient died, for the doctor to flee to our camp—it +was so convenient and so much safer than elsewhere—and my cellar was +a favorite place of refuge from the infuriated friends of the +deceased.</p> + +<p>Among the most notable of these doctors was an Indian named Sam +Patch, who several times sought asylum in any cellar, and being a +most profound diplomat, managed on each occasion and with little +delay to negotiate a peaceful settlement and go forth in safety to +resume the practice of his nefarious profession. I often hoped he +would be caught before reaching the post, but he seemed to know +intuitively when the time had come to take leg-bail, for his advent +at the garrison generally preceded by but a few hours the death of +some poor dupe.</p> + +<p>Finally these peculiar customs brought about the punishment of a +noted doctress of the Rogue River tribe, a woman who was constantly +working in this professional way, and who had found a victim of such +prominence among the Rogue Rivers that his unlooked for death brought +down on her the wrath of all. She had made him so ill, they +believed, as to bring him to death's door notwithstanding the many +ponies that had been given her to cease the incantations, and it was +the conviction of all that she had finally caused the man's death +from some ulterior and indiscernible motive. His relatives and +friends then immediately set about requiting her with the just +penalties of a perfidious breach of contract. Their threats induced +her instant flight toward my house for the usual protection, but the +enraged friends of the dead man gave hot chase, and overtook the +witch just inside the limits of the garrison, where, on the +parade-ground, in sight of the officers' quarters, and before any one could +interfere, they killed her. There were sixteen men in pursuit of the +doctress, and sixteen gun-shot wounds were found in her body when +examined by the surgeon of the post. The killing of the woman was a +flagrant and defiant outrage committed in the teeth of the military +authority, yet done so quickly that we could not prevent it. This +necessitated severe measures, both to allay the prevailing excitement +and to preclude the recurrence of such acts. The body was cared for, +and delivered to the relatives the next day for burial, after which +Captain Russell directed me to take such steps as would put a stop to +the fanatical usages that had brought about this murderous +occurrence, for it was now seen that if timely measures were not +taken to repress them, similar tragedies would surely follow.</p> + +<p>Knowing all the men of the Rogue River tribe, and speaking fluently +the Chinook tongue, which they all understood, I went down to their +village the following day, after having sent word to the tribe that I +wished to have a council with them. The Indians all met me in +council, as I had desired, and I then told them that the men who had +taken part in shooting the woman would have to be delivered up for +punishment. They were very stiff with me at the interview, and with +all that talent for circumlocution and diplomacy with which the +Indian is lifted, endeavored to evade my demands and delay any +conclusion. But I was very positive, would hear of no compromise +whatever, and demanded that my terms be at once complied with. No +one was with me but a sergeant of my company, named Miller, who held +my horse, and as the chances of an agreement began to grow remote, I +became anxious for our safety. The conversation waxing hot and the +Indians gathering close in around me, I unbuttoned the flap of my +pistol holster, to be ready for any emergency. When the altercation +became most bitter I put my hand to my hip to draw my pistol, but +discovered it was gone—stolen by one of the rascals surrounding me. +Finding myself unarmed, I modified my tone and manner to correspond +with my helpless condition, thus myself assuming the diplomatic side +in the parley, in order to gain time. As soon as an opportunity +offered, and I could, without too much loss of self-respect, and +without damaging my reputation among the Indians, I moved out to +where the sergeant held my horse, mounted, and crossing the Yamhill +River close by, called back in Chinook from the farther bank that +"the sixteen men who killed the woman must be delivered up, and my +six-shooter also." This was responded to by contemptuous laughter, so +I went back to the military post somewhat crestfallen, and made my +report of the turn affairs had taken, inwardly longing for another +chance to bring the rascally Rogue Rivers to terms.</p> + +<p>When I had explained the situation to Captain Russell, he thought +that we could not, under any circumstances, overlook this defiant +conduct of the Indians, since, unless summarily punished, it would +lead to even more serious trouble in the future. I heartily seconded +this proposition, and gladly embracing the opportunity it offered, +suggested that if he would give me another chance, and let me have +the effective force of the garrison, consisting of about fifty men, I +would chastise the Rogue Rivers without fail, and that the next day +was all the time I required to complete arrangements. He gave me the +necessary authority, and I at once set to work to bring about a +better state of discipline on the reservation, and to put an end to +the practices of the medicine men (having also in view the recovery +of my six-shooter and self-respect), by marching to the village and +taking the rebellious Indians by force.</p> + +<p>In the tribe there was an excellent woman called Tighee Mary (Tighee +in Chinook means chief), who by right of inheritance was a kind of +queen of the Rogue Rivers. Fearing that the insubordinate conduct of +the Indians would precipitate further trouble, she came early the +following morning to see me and tell me of the situation Mary +informed me that she had done all in her power to bring the Indians +to reason, but without avail, and that they were determined to fight +rather than deliver up the sixteen men who had engaged in the +shooting. She also apprised me of the fact that they had taken up a +position on the Yamhill River, on the direct road between the post +and village, where, painted and armed for war, they were awaiting +attack.</p> + +<p>On this information I concluded it would be best to march to the +village by a circuitous route instead of directly, as at first +intended, so I had the ferry-boat belonging to the post floated about +a mile and a half down the Yamhill River and there anchored. At 11 +o'clock that night I marched my fifty men, out of the garrison, in a +direction opposite to that of the point held by the Indians, and soon +reached the river at the ferryboat. Here I ferried the party over +with little delay, and marched them along the side of the mountain, +through underbrush and fallen timber, until, just before daylight, I +found that we were immediately in rear of the village, and thence in +rear, also, of the line occupied by the refractory Indians, who were +expecting to meet me on the direct road from the post. Just at break +of day we made a sudden descent upon the village and took its +occupants completely by surprise, even capturing the chief of the +tribe, "Sam," who was dressed in all his war toggery, fully armed and +equipped, in anticipation of a fight on the road where his comrades +were in position. I at once put Sam under guard, giving orders to +kill him instantly if the Indians fired a shot; then forming my line +on the road beyond the edge of the village, in rear of the force +lying in wait for a front attack, we moved forward. When the hostile +party realized that they were completely cut off from the village, +they came out from their stronghold on the river and took up a line +in my front, distant about sixty yards with the apparent intention of +resisting to the last.</p> + +<p>As is usual with Indians when expecting a fight, they were nearly +naked, fantastically painted with blue clay, and hideously arrayed in +war bonnets. They seemed very belligerent, brandishing their muskets +in the air, dancing on one foot, calling us ugly names, and making +such other demonstrations of hostility, that it seemed at first that +nothing short of the total destruction of the party could bring about +the definite settlement that we were bent on. Still, as it was my +desire to bring them under subjection without loss of life, if +possible, I determined to see what result would follow when they +learned that their chief was at our mercy. So, sending Sam under +guard to the front, where he could be seen, informing them that he +would be immediately shot if they fired upon us, and aided by the +cries and lamentations of the women of the village, who deprecated +any hostile action by either party, I soon procured a parley.</p> + +<p>The insubordinate Indians were under command of "Joe," Sam's brother, +who at last sent me word that he wanted to see me, and we met between +our respective lines. I talked kindly to him, but was firm in my +demand that the men who killed the woman must be given up and my +six-shooter returned. His reply was he did not think it could be done, +but he would consult his people. After the consultation, he returned +and notified me that fifteen would surrender and the six-shooter +would be restored, and further, that we could kill the sixteenth man, +since the tribe wished to get rid of him anyhow, adding that he was a +bad Indian, whose bullet no doubt had given the woman her death +wound. He said that if I assented to this arrangement, he would +require all of his people except the objectionable man to run to the +right of his line at a preconcerted signal. The bad Indian would be +ordered to stand fast on the extreme left, and we could open fire on +him as his comrades fell away to the right. I agreed to the +proposition, and gave Joe fifteen minutes to execute his part of it. +We then returned to our respective forces, and a few minutes later +the fifteen ran to the right flank as agreed upon, and we opened fire +on the one Indian left standing alone, bringing him down in his +tracks severely wounded by a shot through the shoulder.</p> + +<p>While all this was going on, the other bands of the reservation, +several thousand strong, had occupied the surrounding hills for the +purpose of witnessing the fight, for as the Rogue Rivers had been +bragging for some time that they could whip the soldiers, these other +Indians had come out to see it done. The result, however, +disappointed the spectators, and the Rogue Rivers naturally lost +caste. The fifteen men now came in and laid down their arms +(including my six-shooter) in front of us as agreed, but I compelled +them to take the surrendered guns up again and carry them to the +post, where they were deposited in the block-house for future +security. The prisoners were ironed with ball and chain, and made to +work at the post until their rebellious spirit was broken; and the +wounded man was correspondingly punished after he had fully +recovered. An investigation as to why this man had been selected as +the offering by which Joe and his companions expected to gain +immunity, showed that the fellow was really a most worthless +character, whose death even would have been a benefit to the tribe. +Thus it seemed that they had two purposes in view—the one to +propitiate me and get good terms, the other to rid themselves of a +vagabond member of the tribe.</p> + +<p>The punishment of these sixteen Indians by ball and chain ended all +trouble with the Rogue River tribe. The disturbances arising from +the incantations of the doctors and doctresses, and the practice of +killing horses and burning all worldly property on the graves of +those who died, were completely suppressed, and we made with little +effort a great stride toward the civilization of these crude and +superstitious people, for they now began to recognize the power of +the Government. In their management afterward a course of justice +and mild force was adopted, and unvaryingly applied. They were +compelled to cultivate their land, to attend church, and to send +their children to school. When I saw them, fifteen years later, +transformed into industrious and substantial farmers, with neat +houses, fine cattle, wagons and horses, carrying their grain, eggs, +and butter to market and bringing home flour, coffee, sugar, and +calico in return, I found abundant confirmation of my early opinion +that the most effectual measures for lifting them from a state of +barbarism would be a practical supervision at the outset, coupled +with a firm control and mild discipline.</p> + +<p>In all that was done for these Indians Captain Russell's judgment and +sound, practical ideas were the inspiration. His true manliness, +honest and just methods, together with the warm-hearted interest he +took in all that pertained to matters of duty to his Government, +could not have produced other than the best results, in what position +soever he might have been placed. As all the lovable traits of his +character were constantly manifested, I became most deeply attached +to him, and until the day of his death in 1864, on the battle-field +of Opequan, in front of Winchester, while gallantly leading his +division under my command, my esteem and affection were sustained and +intensified by the same strong bonds that drew me to him in these +early days in Oregon.</p> + +<p>After the events just narrated I continued on duty at the post of +Yamhill, experiencing the usual routine of garrison life without any +incidents of much interest, down to the breaking out of the war of +the rebellion in April, 1861. The news of the firing on Fort Sumter +brought us an excitement which overshadowed all else, and though we +had no officers at the post who sympathized with the rebellion, there +were several in our regiment—the Fourth Infantry—who did, and we +were considerably exercised as to the course they might pursue, but +naturally far more so concerning the disposition that would be made +of the regiment during the conflict.</p> + +<p>In due time orders came for the regiment to go East, and my company +went off, leaving me, however—a second lieutenant—in command of the +post until I should be relieved by Captain James J. Archer, of the +Ninth Infantry, whose company was to take the place of the old +garrison. Captain Archer, with his company of the Ninth, arrived +shortly after, but I had been notified that he intended to go South, +and his conduct was such after reaching the post that I would not +turn over the command to him for fear he might commit some rebellious +act. Thus a more prolonged detention occurred than I had at first +anticipated. Finally the news came that he had tendered his +resignation and been granted a leave of absence for sixty days. On +July 17 he took his departure, but I continued in command till +September 1, when Captain Philip A. Owen, of the Ninth Infantry, +arrived and, taking charge, gave me my release.</p> + +<p>From the day we received the news of the firing on Sumter until I +started East, about the first of September, 1861, I was deeply +solicitous as to the course of events, and though I felt confident +that in the end the just cause of the Government must triumph, yet +the thoroughly crystallized organization which the Southern +Confederacy quickly exhibited disquieted me very much, for it alone +was evidence that the Southern leaders had long anticipated the +struggle and prepared for it. It was very difficult to obtain direct +intelligence of the progress of the war. Most of the time we were in +the depths of ignorance as to the true condition of affairs, and this +tended to increase our anxiety. Then, too, the accounts of the +conflicts that had taken place were greatly exaggerated by the +Eastern papers, and lost nothing in transition. The news came by the +pony express across the Plains to San Francisco, where it was still +further magnified in republishing, and gained somewhat in Southern +bias. I remember well that when the first reports reached us of, the +battle of Bull Run—that sanguinary engagement—it was stated that +each side had lost forty thousand men in killed and wounded, and none +were reported missing nor as having run away. Week by week these +losses grew less, until they finally shrunk into the hundreds, but +the vivid descriptions of the gory conflict were not toned down +during the whole summer.</p> + +<p>We received our mail at Yamhill only once a week, and then had to +bring it from Portland, Oregon, by express. On the day of the week +that our courier, or messenger, was expected back from Portland, I +would go out early in the morning to a commanding point above the +post, from which I could see a long distance down the road as it ran +through the valley of the Yamhill, and there I would watch with +anxiety for his coming, longing for good news; for, isolated as I had +been through years spent in the wilderness, my patriotism was +untainted by politics, nor had it been disturbed by any discussion of +the questions out of which the war grew, and I hoped for the success +of the Government above all other considerations. I believe I was +also uninfluenced by any thoughts of the promotion that might result +to me from the conflict, but, out of a sincere desire to contribute +as much as I could to the preservation of the Union, I earnestly +wished to be at the seat of war, and feared it might end before I +could get East. In no sense did I anticipate what was to happen to +me afterward, nor that I was to gain any distinction from it. I was +ready to do my duty to the best of my ability wherever I might be +called, and I was young, healthy, insensible to fatigue, and desired +opportunity, but high rank was so distant in our service that not a +dream of its attainment had flitted through my brain.</p> + +<p>During the period running from January to September, 1861, in +consequence of resignations and the addition of some new regiments to +the regular army, I had passed through the grade of first lieutenant +and reached that of captain in the Thirteenth United States Infantry, +of which General W. T. Sherman had recently been made the colonel. +When relieved from further duty at Yamhill by Captain Owen, I left +for the Atlantic coast to join my new regiment. A two days' ride +brought me down to Portland, whence I sailed to San Franciso, and at +that city took passage by steamer for New York via the Isthmus of +Panama, in company with a number of officers who were coming East +under circumstances like my own.</p> + +<p>At this time California was much agitated—on the question of +secession, and the secession element was so strong that considerable +apprehension was felt by the Union people lest the State might be +carried into the Confederacy. As a consequence great distrust +existed in all quarters, and the loyal passengers on the steamer, not +knowing what might occur during our voyage, prepared to meet +emergencies by thoroughly organizing to frustrate any attempt that +might possibly be made to carry us into some Southern port after we +should leave Aspinwall. However, our fears proved groundless; at all +events, no such attempt was made, and we reached New York in safety +in November, 1861. A day or two in New York sufficed to replenish a +most meagre wardrobe, and I then started West to join my new +regiment, stopping a day and a night at the home of my parents in +Ohio, where I had not been since I journeyed from Texas for the +Pacific coast. The headquarters of my regiment were at Jefferson +Barracks, Missouri, to which point I proceeded with no further delay +except a stay in the city of St. Louis long enough to pay my respects +to General H. W. Halleck.</p> + + +<br><br><br><br> +<center><h2><a name="ch8"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2></center> +<br> + +<p>AUDITING ACCOUNTS—CHIEF QUARTERMASTER AND COMMISSARY OF THE ARMY OF +SOUTHWEST MISSOURI—PREPARING FOR THE PEA RIDGE CAMPAIGN—A +DIFFERENCE WITH GENERAL CURTIS—ORDERED TO THE FRONT—APPOINTED A +COLONEL.</p> + +<p>Some days after I had reached the headquarters of my regiment near +St. Louis, General Halleck sent for me, and when I reported he +informed me that there existed a great deal of confusion regarding +the accounts of some of the disbursing officers in his department, +whose management of its fiscal affairs under his predecessor, General +John C. Fremont, had been very loose; and as the chaotic condition of +things could be relieved only by auditing these accounts, he +therefore had determined to create a board of officers for the +purpose, and intended to make me president of it. The various +transactions in question covered a wide field, for the department +embraced the States of Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Arkansas, +and all of Kentucky west of the Cumberland River.</p> + +<p>The duty was not distasteful, and I felt that I was qualified to +undertake it, for the accounts to be audited belonged exclusively to +the Quartermaster and Subsistence departments, and by recent +experience I had become familiar with the class of papers that +pertained to those branches of the army. Indeed, it was my +familiarity with such transactions, returns, etc., that probably +caused my selection as president of the board.</p> + +<p>I entered upon the work forthwith, and continued at it until the 26th +of December, 1861. At that date I was relieved from the auditing +board and assigned to duty as Chief Commissary of the Army of +Southwest Missouri, commanded by General Samuel R. Curtis. This army +was then organizing at Rolla, Missouri, for the Pea Ridge campaign, +its strength throughout the campaign being in the aggregate about +fifteen thousand men.</p> + +<p>As soon as I received information of my selection for this position, +I went to General Halleck and requested him to assign me as Chief +Quartermaster also. He was reluctant to do so, saying that I could +not perform both duties, but I soon convinced him that I could do +both better than the one, for I reminded him that as Chief +Quartermaster I should control the transportation, and thus obviate +all possible chances of discord between the two staff departments; a +condition which I deemed essential to success, especially as it was +intended that Curtis's army should mainly subsist on the country. +This argument impressed Halleck, and becoming convinced, he promptly +issued the order making me Chief Quartermaster and Chief Commissary +of Subsistence of the Army of Southwest Missouri, and I started for +Rolla to enter upon the work assigned me.</p> + +<p>Having reported to General Curtis, I quickly learned that his system +of supply was very defective, and the transportation without proper +organization, some of the regiments having forty to fifty wagon each, +and others only three or four. I labored day and night to remedy +these and other defects, and with the help of Captain Michael P. +Small, of the Subsistence Department, who was an invaluable +assistant, soon brought things into shape, putting the transportation +in good working order, giving each regiment its proper quota of +wagons, and turning the surplus into the general supply trains of the +army. In accomplishing this I was several times on the verge of +personal conflict with irate regimental commanders, but Colonel G. M. +Dodge so greatly sustained me with General Curtis by strong moral +support, and by such efficient details from his regiment—the Fourth +Iowa Volunteer Infantry—that I still bear him and it great affection +and lasting gratitude.</p> + +<p>On January 26, 1862, General Curtis's army began its march from Rolla +to Springfield, Missouri, by way of Lebanon. The roads were deep +with mud, and so badly cut up that the supply trains in moving +labored under the most serious difficulties, and were greatly +embarrassed by swollen streams. Under these circumstances many +delays occurred, and when we arrived at Lebanon nearly all the +supplies with which we had started had been consumed, and the work of +feeding the troops off the country had to begin at that point. To +get flour, wheat had to be taken from the stacks, threshed, and sent +to the mills to be ground. Wheat being scarce in this region, corn +as a substitute had to be converted into meal by the same laborious +process. In addition, beef cattle had to be secured for the meat +ration.</p> + +<p>By hard work we soon accumulated a sufficient quantity of flour and +corn meal to justify the resumption of our march on Springfield; at +or near which point the enemy was believed to be awaiting us, and the +order was given to move forward, the commanding general cautioning +me, in the event of disaster, to let no salt fall into General +Price's hands. General Curtis made a hobby of this matter of salt, +believing the enemy was sadly in need of that article, and he +impressed me deeply with his conviction that our cause would be +seriously injured by a loss which would inure so greatly and +peculiarly to the enemy's benefit; but we afterward discovered, when +Price abandoned his position, that about all he left behind was salt.</p> + +<p>When we were within about eight miles of Springfield, General Curtis +decided to put his troops in line of battle for the advance on the +town, and directed me to stretch out my supply trains in a long line +of battle, so that in falling back, in case the troops were repulsed, +he could rally the men on the wagons. I did not like the tactics, +but of course obeyed the order. The line moved on Springfield, and +took the town without resistance, the enemy having fled southward, in +the direction of Pea Ridge, the preceding day. Of course our success +relieved my anxiety about the wagons; but fancy has often pictured +since, the stampede of six mule teams that, had we met with any +reverse, would have taken place over the prairies of southwest +Missouri.</p> + +<p>The army set out in pursuit of Price, but I was left at Springfield +to gather supplies from the surrounding country, by the same means +that had been used at Lebanon, and send them forward. To succeed in +this useful and necessary duty required much hard work. To procure +the grain and to run the mills in the country, replacing the +machinery where parts had been carried away, or changing the +principle and running the mills on some different plan when +necessary, and finally forward the product to the army, made a task +that taxed the energy of all engaged in it. Yet, having at command a +very skillful corps of millwrights, machinists, and millers, detailed +principally from the Fourth Iowa and Thirty-sixth Illinois volunteer +regiments, we soon got matters in shape, and were able to send such +large quantities of flour and meal to the front, that only the bacon +and small parts of the ration had to be brought forward from our +depot at Rolla. When things were well systematized, I went forward +myself to expedite the delivery of supplies, and joined the army at +Cross Hollows, just south of Pea Ridge.</p> + +<p>Finding everything working well at Cross Hollows, I returned to +Springfield in a few days to continue the labor of collecting +supplies. On my way back I put the mills at Cassville in good order +to grind the grain in that vicinity, and perfected there a plan for +the general supply from the neighboring district of both the men and +animals of the army, so that there should, be no chance of a failure +of the campaign from bad roads or disaster to my trains. Springfield +thus became the centre of the entire supply section.</p> + +<p>Just after my return to Springfield the battle of Pea Ridge was +fought. The success of the Union troops in this battle was +considerable, and while not of sufficient magnitude to affect the +general cause materially, it was decisive as to that particular +campaign, and resulted in driving all organized Confederate forces +out of the State of Missouri. After Pea Ridge was won, certain +efforts were made to deprive Curtis of the credit due him for the +victory; but, no matter what merit belonged to individual commanders, +I was always convinced that Curtis was deserving of the highest +commendation, not only for the skill displayed on the field, but for +a zeal and daring in campaign which was not often exhibited at that +early period of the war. Especially should this credit be awarded +him, when we consider the difficulties under which he labored, how he +was hampered in having to depend on a sparsely settled country for +the subsistence of his troops. In the reports of the battle that +came to Springfield, much glory was claimed for some other general +officers, but as I had control of the telegraph line from Springfield +east, I detained all despatches until General Curtis had sent in his +official report. He thus had the opportunity of communicating with +his superior in advance of some of his vain subordinates, who would +have laid claim to the credit of the battle had I not thwarted them +by this summary means.</p> + +<p>Not long afterward came the culmination of a little difference that +had arisen between General Curtis and me, brought about, I have since +sometimes thought, by an assistant quartermaster from Iowa, whom I +had on duty with me at Springfield. He coveted my place, and finally +succeeded in getting it. He had been an unsuccessful banker in Iowa, +and early in the war obtained an appointment as assistant +quartermaster of volunteers with the rank of captain. As chief +quartermaster of the army in Missouri, there would be opportunities +for the recuperation of his fortunes which would not offer to one in +a subordinate place; so to gain this position he doubtless intrigued +for it while under my eye, and Curtis was induced to give it to him +as soon as I was relieved. His career as my successor, as well as in +other capacities in which he was permitted to act during the war, was +to say the least not savory. The war over he turned up in Chicago as +president of a bank, which he wrecked; and he finally landed in the +penitentiary for stealing a large sum of money from the United States +Treasury at Washington while employed there as a clerk. The chances +that this man's rascality would be discovered were much less when +chief of the departments of transportation and supply of an army than +they afterward proved to be in the Treasury. I had in my possession +at all times large sums of money for the needs of the army, and among +other purposes for which these funds were to be disbursed was the +purchase of horses and mules. Certain officers and men more devoted +to gain than to the performance of duty (a few such are always to be +found in armies) quickly learned this, and determined to profit by +it. Consequently they began a regular system of stealing horses from +the people of the country and proffering them to me for purchase. It +took but a little time to discover this roguery, and when I became +satisfied of their knavery I brought it to a sudden close by seizing +the horses as captured property, branding them U. S., and refusing to +pay for them. General Curtis, misled by the misrepresentations that +had been made, and without fully knowing the circumstances, or +realizing to what a base and demoralizing state of things this course +was inevitably tending, practically ordered me to make the Payments, +and I refused. The immediate result of this disobedience was a +court-martial to try me; and knowing that my usefulness in that army +was gone, no matter what the outcome of the trial might be, I asked +General Halleck to relieve me from duty with General Curtis and order +me to St. Louis. This was promptly done, and as my connection with +the Army of Southwest Missouri was thus severed before the court +could be convened, my case never came to trial. The man referred to +as being the cause of this condition of affairs was appointed by +General Curtis to succeed me. I turned over to the former all the +funds and property for which I was responsible, also the branded +horses and mules stolen from the people of the country, requiring +receipts for everything. I heard afterward that some of the blooded +stock of southwest Missouri made its way to Iowa in an unaccountable +manner, but whether the administration of my successor was +responsible for it or not I am unable to say.</p> + +<p>On my arrival at St. Louis I felt somewhat forlorn and disheartened +at the turn affairs had taken. I did not know where I should be +assigned, nor what I should be required to do, but these +uncertainties were dispelled in a few days by General Halleck, who, +being much pressed by the Governors of some of the Western States to +disburse money in their sections, sent me out into the Northwest with +a sort of roving commission to purchase horses for the use of the +army. I went to Madison and Racine, Wis., at which places I bought +two hundred horses, which were shipped to St. Louis. At Chicago I +bought two hundred more, and as the prices paid at the latter point +showed that Illinois was the cheapest market—it at that time +producing a surplus over home demands—I determined to make Chicago +the centre of my operations.</p> + +<p>While occupied in this way at Chicago the battle of Shiloh took +place, and the desire for active service with troops became uppermost +in my thoughts, so I returned to St. Louis to see if I could not get +into the field. General Halleck having gone down to the Shiloh +battle-field, I reported to his Assistant Adjutant-General, Colonel +John C. Kelton, and told him of my anxiety to take a hand in active +field-service, adding that I did not wish to join my regiment, which +was still organizing and recruiting at Jefferson Barracks, for I felt +confident I could be more useful elsewhere. Kelton knew that the +purchasing duty was but temporary, and that on its completion, +probably at no distant date, I should have to join my company at the +barracks; so, realizing the inactivity to which that situation of +affairs would subject me, he decided to assume the responsibility of +sending me to report to General Halleck at Shiloh, and gave me an +order to that effect.</p> + +<p>This I consider the turning-point in my military career, and shall +always feel grateful to Colonel Kelton for his kindly act which so +greatly influenced my future. My desire to join the army at Shiloh +had now taken possession of me, and I was bent on getting there by +the first means available. Learning that a hospital-boat under +charge of Dr. Hough was preparing to start for Pittsburg Landing, I +obtained the Doctor's consent to take passage on it, and on the +evening of April 15, I left St. Louis for the scene of military +operations in northeastern Mississippi.</p> + +<p>At Pittsburg Landing I reported to General Halleck, who, after some +slight delay, assigned me to duty as an assistant to Colonel George +Thom, of the topographical engineers. Colonel Thom put me at the +work of getting the trains up from the landing, which involved the +repair of roads for that purpose by corduroying the marshy places. +This was rough, hard work, without much chance of reward, but it, was +near the field of active operations, and I determined to do the best +I could at it till opportunity for something better might arise.</p> + +<p>General Halleck did not know much about taking care of himself in the +field. His camp arrangements were wholly inadequate, and in +consequence he and all the officers about him were subjected to much +unnecessary discomfort and annoyance. Someone suggested to him to +appoint me quartermaster for his headquarters, with a view to +systematizing the establishment and remedying the defects complained +of, and I was consequently assigned to this duty. Shortly after this +assignment I had the satisfaction of knowing that General Halleck was +delighted with the improvements made at headquarters, both in camp +outfit and transportation, and in administration generally. My +popularity grew as the improvements increased, but one trifling +incident came near marring it. There was some hitch about getting +fresh beef for General Halleck's mess, and as by this time everybody +had come to look to me for anything and everything in the way of +comfort, Colonel Joe McKibben brought an order from the General for +me to get fresh beef for the headquarters mess. I was not caterer +for this mess, nor did I belong to it even, so I refused point-blank. +McKibben, disliking to report my disobedience, undertook persuasion, +and brought Colonel Thom to see me to aid in his negotiations, but I +would not give in, so McKibben in the kindness of his heart rode +several miles in order to procure the beef himself, and thus save me +from the dire results which be thought would follow should Halleck +get wind of such downright insubordination. The next day I was made +Commissary of Subsistence for the headquarters in addition to my +other duties, and as this brought me into the line of fresh beef, +General Halleck had no cause thereafter to complain of a scarcity of +that article in his mess.</p> + +<p>My stay at General Halleck's headquarters was exceedingly agreeable, +and my personal intercourse with officers on duty there was not only +pleasant and instructive, but offered opportunities for improvement +and advancement for which hardly any other post could have afforded +like chances. My special duties did not occupy all my time, and +whenever possible I used to go over to General Sherman's division, +which held the extreme right of our line in the advance on Corinth, +to witness the little engagements occurring there continuously during +the slow progress which the army was then making, the enemy being +forced back but a short distance each day. I knew General Sherman +very well. We came from near the same section of country in Ohio, +and his wife and her family had known me from childhood. I was +always kindly received by the General, and one day he asked me if I +would be willing to accept the colonelcy of a certain Ohio regiment +if he secured the appointment. I gladly told him yes, if General +Halleck would let me go; but I was doomed to disappointment, for in +about a week or so afterward General Sherman informed me that the +Governor of Ohio would not consent, having already decided to appoint +some one else.</p> + +<p>A little later Governor Blair, of Michigan, who was with the army +temporarily in the interest of the troops from his State, and who +just at this time was looking around for a colonel for the Second +Michigan Cavalry, and very anxious to get a regular officer, fixed +upon me as the man. The regiment was then somewhat run down by +losses from sickness, and considerably split into factions growing +out of jealousies engendered by local differences previous to +organization, and the Governor desired to bridge over all these +troubles by giving the regiment a commander who knew nothing about +them. I presume that some one said to the Governor about this time, +"Why don't you get Sheridan?" This, however, is only conjecture. I +really do not know how my name was proposed to him, but I have often +been told since that General Gordon Granger, whom I knew slightly +then, and who had been the former colonel of the regiment, first +suggested the appointment. At all events, on the morning of May 27, +1862, Captain Russell A. Alger—recently Governor of +Michigan—accompanied by the quartermaster of the regiment, Lieutenant Frank +Walbridge, arrived at General Halleck's headquarters and delivered to +me this telegram:</p> + +<blockquote> +<br>(By Telegraph.) +<br>"MILITARY DEPT OF MICHIGAN, +<br>"ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, +<br>"DETROIT, May 25, 1862. +<br> +<br>GENERAL ORDERS NO. 148. +<br> +<br>"Captain Philip H. Sheridan, U. S. Army, is hereby appointed +Colonel of the Second Regiment Michigan Cavalry, to rank from +this date. +<br> +<br>"Captain Sheridan will immediately assume command of the +regiment. +<br> +<br>"By order of the Commander-in-Chief, +<br>"JNO. ROBERTSON, +<br>"Adjutant-General." +</blockquote> +<p> +I took the order to General Halleck, and said that I would like to +accept, but he was not willing I should do so until the consent of +the War Department could be obtained. I returned to my tent much +disappointed, for in those days, for some unaccountable reason, the +War Department did not favor the appointment of regular officers to +volunteer regiments, and I feared a disapproval at Washington. After +a further consultation with Captain Alger and Lieutenant Walbridge, I +determined to go to the General again and further present the case. +Enlarging on my desire for active service with troops, and urging the +utter lack of such opportunity where I was, I pleaded my cause until +General Halleck finally resolved to take the responsibility of +letting me go without consulting the War Department. When I had +thanked him for the kindness, he said that inasmuch as I was to leave +him, he would inform me that the regiment to which I had just been +appointed was ordered out as part of a column directed to make a raid +to the south of the enemy, then occupying Corinth, and that if I +could turn over my property, it would probably be well for me to join +my command immediately, so that I could go with the expedition. I +returned to my tent, where Alger and Walbridge were still waiting, +and told them of the success of my interview, at the same time +notifying them that I would join the regiment in season to accompany +the expedition of which Halleck had spoken.</p> + +<p>In the course of the afternoon I turned over all my property to my +successor, and about 8 o'clock that evening made my appearance at the +camp of the Second Michigan Cavalry, near Farmington, Mississippi. +The regiment was in a hubbub of excitement making preparations for +the raid, and I had barely time to meet the officers of my command, +and no opportunity at all to see the men, when the trumpet sounded to +horse. Dressed in a coat and trousers of a captain of infantry, but +recast as a colonel of cavalry by a pair of well-worn eagles that +General Granger had kindly given me, I hurriedly placed on my saddle +a haversack, containing some coffee, sugar, bacon, and hard bread, +which had been prepared, and mounting my horse, I reported my +regiment to the brigade commander as ready for duty.</p> + + + +<br><br> + + + +<center> +<table summary="" cellPadding=4 border=3> +<tr><td> + + <a href="p2.htm">Next Part</a> +</td><td> + <a href="4362-h.htm">Main Index</a> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + + + +</body> +</html> + + + |