The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-09-16
From the oquawka (lll.) Spectator.
saaerihss Of Oregon Entgrants-

lenee, | take my pen in hand 10 write you a
iew lines, 10 inform you that some of US still
remain on this side Of the grave. and give you
aoase infosInasion OF the country, aud our tou.
bles since we left the States. | have waited a
long time, until could have something worth
writing about.
When we parted with you we took our Jour
ney for Oregon, and had very pleasant trip,
hut travelled very slowly. When we reached
the Umatilla river We turned and went to DIR.
IWhitman's, where we spent the winter. We
had a very pleasant winter. On the first OF
| March, lsI6, We started for the Willamette
Valley, and in thirteen days We arrived at the
Falls, where we had TO stop and construct a
boat. In about two weeks we had completed
our boat, and then started down the Columbia,
aud asriyed al Oregon city on the 9th Of April,
Here We spent the summer, aud ia the fall
moved up the w allamstte to the Methodist In
siitute, and spent the fall and winter. In the
spring OF lo4i, We went 10 our claim the
CalifOsea, and thought we were done moving
| DIR. Whitman came down aud wanted me TO
undertake to build two mills for the Mission;
aud, not being satisfied when doing well, con-
scented To 20 and spend two years in working
for the Mission. On the last of September we
started for Oregon City. About the first Of
October We took water at the city, with six
w allawalla Indians, for the Falls, which we
| reached on the 9TH. Next day We saw the dust
rise from caravan coming from the States. |
started 10 meet them, and the first persons |
met were John aud Nancy Findley, driving the
loose cattle. After passing q few words with
them went on and met the wagons. The first
was driven by VIM. McCaw. In this wagon
found whom had never expected 10 see
again in this world Here was aunt Jane Find
ley. sitting in the wagon. almost worn out with
travelling. She was surrounded by q host of
little ehildren-three of Levi RHsssll's, four Of
Dunlap's, aud one Of McCaw's-sll dependant
upon their grandmother 10 be taken care ola
| burden for the stoatest person. Then rode up
James l.. Findley and his wife, in good health;
then came Alexander Finley, John Danlap, and
MiltOn-Dunlap had been sick for several days.
This was very solemn meeting Of friends.
After bracing myself up we'll as l could, led
this little caravan on to my family. The cara
van soon passed on 10 camp, bat John and \ an
cy Findley, remained and took tea with as, and
| la the evening We went with them TO the camp.
A day or two Afterwards we met another car
avian, ia which were David Findley andh is fam
lily; they had buried their youngest child three
days before. Patnsm had taken the road TO the
Cascades. Thus our friends were scattered
along the road, trying TO find the Willamette
Valley. Wo now hirsd unosirer crew Uf fBSis-
ans TO take Us to Fort w allswalla, up the Col
umbia river. After bidding farewell to our
friends, we put our goods aboard Of small boat
dug oui Of a white cedar, and started with four
Indians. With hard labor we got shout half way
through the Big Falls, and camPed smong the
rocks By the waters edge. In the morning We
rot Indians 10 carry some Of our goods sbou, to
the upper end Of the Falls, and took our fouT
little children and made our way over rocks aud
through sand; meanwhile the Indians pulled
our boat up through the Falls, We then went
aboard and proceeded ON our way 10 Derautes'
| Falls, and csmped. Next morning made our
| portsge and went on; so made cur way up the
river, passing through many dangers, not only
| by the river, but by being almost without food,
except as we bought from the Indians along the
river. We ran out Of provisions, and had TO
| buy dried salmon. Our children suffered very
much with the cold In ten days after leaving
the Falls We arrived at Fort Wailswaia.
On Sabbath morning the team came for US,
with provisions, and on Monday noon we resch-
ed the Mission, where the Doctor and Mrs.
Whitman, aud Mr.. Andrew Rodgers met us
with great Friendship. We found Mr.. Rodgers
very nnwell, bat on the mend. Several iami-
lies had stopped here for the winter. The Ca
| yuse Indians were dying very fast with the inca
sles and dysentery. la about two weeks the
Doctors family took them, and, as welyed in
an adjoining room. Margaret was taken down
| on the Sth Of November, and, being in a deli
| cate situation. the disease went very hard With
her, and resulted in the death Of the child which
| was born on the l4th, and was buried next day.
When il was taken to the grave Salyijane was
taken down, as We supposed with the measles.
and never rose again; iu hve or six days she
became speechless, and died on the ninth day
after she was taken. Our other children-John
Law, A. Rogers. and Nancy Anna-were all
taken sick, but Nancy was able to be about all
the time. was also sick for several days.
/ In the last company there was a half-breed
came TO the Doctors, and hired to work through
the winter. One day he was at work for an In
dian named Tamsicky, narrowing in wheat, and
told him that the Doctor and Mrs. Whitman
were scattering poison into the air, and would
kill them all off, that he was not working fol-
him, but for the Doctor; that he (the Doctor
knew they would all die, and he would get theil
wheat and all they had. lie then proposed tha
II they would agree TO II, he would help then
TO Kill the Doctor and his wife, and all the Amer
> leans I'm their country. As they had a DISPOSE
ton to murder, and wanted satisfaction for tbs
loss Of women and children, IL was no difficult
matter to incite them against the Americans.
On the 29th Of November the Indians conye
ned for the purpose, apparently, OF burying thei
: dead, and continued corning IN nearly all day
About one CT two o. clock Margaret got up an,
. went into the parlor 10 see the sick children
! the first she had walked for three weeks. Tit
Doctor and his wife wefs in the room, and al
| Indian came TO the door and spoke 10 the Doc
| tor who went out into the kitchen. Mrs. w
now bol.ed the door, and the frng soon com
menced. Kimble, Camheld and Huffman wen
dressing beef in the yard, Sanders was in tn
school.room, and The other men were at thel
| work | was IN my room, on the bed. The In
dians commenced on all at nearly the same mo
ment. They killed the Doctor and wounded tn
three men at the beef and killed young man II
: the room with the Doctor and Mr. Gillyesn tn
! tailor Margaret came back into our own room
b | I asked her what was the matter; she snswere'
| that the Indians had risen 70 kill Us. coastan
!, | firing was now kept up. Sanders was killed u
attempting to get 10 his family; kimble got int
the house with his ann broke, and got mp stair
with the children. Mrs. Whitman being inform
. ed that lie. husband was not yet dead, with tn
assistance CT another woman she dragged hlr
). 4 into the purlor. His head was badly mangie
|, and his throat cut. She was shot IN the breast
| and Mr.. Rodgers got her up stairs, and he, b
presentilii gun at the head OF the stars, kef
: The Indians down; but about sunset they promi'
ed that il Mr.. r. and the rect would come dow
y and go tofshe House where the emlgIants were
) they would not Kill any more. Dir. X. with IN
!, assistance. of on Indian, got Mrs. Whitms
down, but no sooner had they got outside oil IN
house thar, the Indians fired several balls int
Mrs. whitman. and kicked her bleeding body IL
J, TO the miat. They shot Mr.. Rodgers threetlme
u and left h m 10 die. A few minutes before tn
Hast occurrence, I had lifted up the floor and W
cot under, with our three children, and put tn
tboar.is bads< in their place. We laythefe lister
ling 10 the firins the screams OF women an
children--the groans of the dying-not known
how soon our turn would come. We were, nov
q lever, not discovered.