Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-09-09
sUFFERINGs OF OREGON EMIGANTs.
PROM THE oauAwkA (rII. SPECTATOR

my pen In hand 10 write you few lines, inform you that
Of us still remain this side Of the grave anSgve you
some information Of the country, and roublesnce
left the States have waited long time, until cold have
something worth writing about.
When we parted with you took journey for lregon,
and had pleasant trip but travelled very slowly when
reached the Umatia river turned and wentto Dr.
Witman's. where spent the @winter. We lad I
very pleasant winter. On the first of March, hs46, /
started for the Willamette Valley, and in tlrteen
daysw arrived at the Falls, where had 10 stop AMI
strut "a boat In about two weeks had compiled
boat and then started down the Columbia, and aId
Oregon city on the oath of April. Here spent hekum-
and in the fall moved up the Willamette the Mho-
dist Institute and spent the fall and winter In the sp1g Of
ls47 we went 10 our claim the Cafosea and though
were done moving III
Dr. Whitman down and wanted me to rinaeaiss
build two mills for the Mission and being satisfied when
doing WE'LL consented go and spend years in working
for Mission On the last Of September started for
Oregon City About the first of October took at
the city, with six Wallawaa Indians, for the Falls, which
reached the 5h Next day the dust rise from
coming from the States started to meet them,
and the first persons met John and Nancy Findley,
driving the loose cattle After passing few words with them
went and met the wagons. The first driven by VIM.
McCav. In this wagon found one whom had never
pected again in this world Here aunt Jane Find
ley, sitting in the wagon, almost out with travelling.
She WIS surrounded with host of little chdren-,hee Of
Levi hussels, four Of Dunlaps and one of McCaws-al
Dependant upon their grandmother to be taken OLA bur-
den for the stoute person Then rode James L. Fndey
In
John IunIap, and Mton-DunRp had been sick for several
days This very solemn meeting of friends After
bacing myself up well could, led this little
my family The caravan soon passed on to camp, but
John and Nancy Findley remained and took with US and
in the evening went with them to the camp.
A dsy afterwards we another caravan, in which
David Fndey and his family they had buried their
youngest child three days before Putnam had taken the
road TO the Cascades Thus friends scattered along
the road, trying find the Willamette Valley. We
of tn ms 10
up o. Columbia river After bidding farewell toour friends
p goods aboard Of small boat, dug out Of while
CEDAR and started with four Indians With hard labor
got about half way through the Big Falls and camped among
the rocks by the waters edge In the morning got nd
carry OF goods about the upper end of the
Falls, and took bur little children and made way
rocks and through sand meanwhile the Indians pulled
our boat up through the Falls We then went aboard and
proceeded on our way Dechuss Falls and camped Next
morning made our portage and made way up
the river, passing through many dangers only by the
river but by being amost without food except bought
from the Indians apng the river We ran out Of PROVISIONS
and had buy dried salmon Our children suffered very
much with the coli. In days after leaving the Falls
| arrived at Fort Wallawala
On Sabbath morning the team came for US, with prov-
sons and on Mnday reached the Mission where the
Do:tor and Mrs Whitman, and Mr. Andrew Rodgers
with great friendship We found Mr. Rogers very unwc
bat on the rd Several families had stopped here for the
winter Tie Cayuse Indians dying very fast with the
measles and dyseniery In about two weeks the Doctor
famly look them lived Mar
garet taken down the Sih Of November and being
delcte situation the disease very bard with her. and
resulted in the death Of the child which born the l4th
and WIS buried next day. When taken TO the grave
Salvne taken down, supposed, with the measles
and never rose again in five six DAYS became speech
less and died on the ninth day after she taen Our
other thildren-John Law, A. Rogers, and Nancy Anna
were oil taken sick, but Nancy able TO be about all the
time | was also sick Tor several days.
In The last company there afbreed came to the
n The 0neH
was at work for Indian named Tamsicky, narrowing
in wheat and told him that the Doctor and Mrs Whitman
scattering poison into the air and would kill them all
off that he was not working for him, but for the Doctor
that be 1.-THE Doctor knew they would all die, and he would
get their wheat and all they had He then proposed that
they would agree it, he would help them 10 kill the Doctor
and his wife, and all the Americans in their country As
they had disposition murder, and wanted satisfaction for
the loss Of women and Children was difficult matter &c
intite them against the Americans.
On the 29h day Of November the Indians convened for the
purpose, apparently, Of burying their dead, anG continued
coming in nearly all day. About one or two O'Clock Margare
got up and went into the paror 10 the sick chdcnth
first she had walked for three weeks The Doctor and h
wife were in the room, and Indian to the door an,
spoke the Doctor who went out into the kitchen Mrs
w. now boted the door, and the firing soon commenced
Kimble, Camfed, and Huffman dressing beei in tn
yard Sanders in the school room, and the othtr mel
were Al their work was in nv room, the bed Th
Indians commenced all at nearly the same moment The
killed the Doctor and wounded the three a, the bcd
killed vounc man in the with the Doctor AM MI
Clyean tie tailor Margaret came back into our own loom
asked her what the matter she answered that the In
dams had risen to kill u.s. constant firing nov KEEP
up. Sanders killed in attempting TO get TO hs family
Knbe got into the house with his broke and got
stairs with the children. Mrs. Whitman being informed h'
her husband was not yet dead, with the assistance Of aoht
woman she dragged him into the paor. His bead was pad
mangled and his throat cut She shot in the breast an
Nh Rodgers got her up stairs and be- by presenting gun
the head of the stairs kept the Indians down but about
set they promised that il Mr. r. and the rest would con
down and no to the house where the emgrants were The
would not XIII any Mr.. r., with the assistance
Indian got Mrs Whitman down, but had they
outside Of the house than the Indians fired several balls n
Mrs Whitman and kicked her bleeding body into the nu
They shot Mr. Rodgers three times, and left him to die
few minutes before this last occurrence, had lifted ~
floor and got under, with our three children, and put
y boards back in their place We lay there listening to
ringthe of women and children-the groans !
y dyng-not knowing how soon our turn would come
y were, however, not discovered.
i When il had become dark, and all quiet concu
a. ed to leave every thing take children, and start for
~ Fort, which twenty-five miles Distant knowing that
u we remained until morning death would be our Iorho
d Taking John Law on my back and A. Rogers in arm
~ started The first step made outside in the bio
nu Of orphan boy Some Of the murdered had the hea
~ split open some lying in the mud dlsemboweled III
an night travelled only miles, We bid in the brus
ny about fifty feet from the road where all the next day,
cd heard the Indians passing and repasng When dark ca
ne on started for the Fort and got three miles further
nt gave out and again hid in the brush, and then pe
ny another mournfu day the Indian country When MS
OIL came on, finding that Margaret unable TO travel to
~ John Law my back and started for Fort Walawaa
ne twenty miles distant When had arrived within SIX mi
4. till