Daily national Democrat., 1861-01-04
Oregon in Early Times.
AN INCIDENT AT wALLA wALLA.

1t may be proper to state, says the Port
land Advertiser, that the substance of thi.
sketch was published in journal of limited
circulation, some thirteen years ago, when
there were fewer people in Oregon than now
The author of it, one of the editors of this pa
per, hopes its republication now, may not be
without interest to the general reader.
Fort Walla Walla which was destroyed 10y
the Indians in the war of 1855, was among
tho earliest posts established west Of the Rocky
Mountains by the Northwest Company, and
with the union of the two companies 1T OF
course passed into the control of the Hudson
Bay Company. A. Mckinley, Esq, then of
the H. b. Company, now a citizen of Yamhill
county, and much esteemed by all who know
him, was in charge of Fort Walla Walla for
several years, and it is our present purpose to
speak of an exciting occurrence that took
place there during the period of his admins
tration of its affairs. The Indians around this
post, the Nez Perces, Cayuse, and Walla Wal
las, were of a brave and warllie character,
this latter feature has been considerably soft
ened however by their contact with civiliza-
tion. Still they are distinguished for their
courage, and the Nez Perces for some traits
nober than this. Mr.. Pamburn, the prede-
cessor of Mr.. Mckinley, had experienced some
one occasion been overpowered and bound by
them in an endeavor to oblige him to give a
higher price for their peltries, in which how
ever they failed, as Mr.. Pambrun's mental
power proved decidedly superior to his phys
ical strength.
1t was in the summer of lS43, we believe.
that young chief, the son of the principal
chief of the Walla Wallas, one day entered
the Fort, and appropriated to himself some
articles of little value-a piece of wood, if we
mistake not, from lot of which, lying therein
the Indians had been in the habit of taking
pieces whenever they chose for the purpose of
making whip handles. The practice had been
positively forbidden, as the wood was of a
particular kind and of service to the compa-
ny. 1t was in an eXpostulation with the young
chief, that young Mr.. P, clerk in the
compan's employ, received signal affront
which occasioned a rencounter and the chas
tisement of the Indian. AT this time, there
were perhaps half dozen whites at the Fort
and although the buildings were enclosed by
"stockades," yet there were no means of eff
fectually securing the entrances, the stock
ade was of recent construction, and the gates
had not been made, nor were they until
year after. Consequently it was compara-
lively speaking, q defenceess position. Thus
it was when on the next day, the Indians,
some of each tribe, crowded into the estab-
lishment to revenge themselves in the death
OF MIR. T. Talking could achieve nothing,
every consistent means was resorted to in
vain to appease the turbulent multitude. The
men belonging to the Fort were at work in
the field, even could their presence have effec-
ted any good in the issue The Indians were
brandishing their weapons and seemed to be
I'm .,ftl tlai.. !
to exercise it in summary manner Already
had Mr.. Mckinley suffered indignites, and
young T was defending himself as we'll as
he was able, with his back against the wall,
when by one of those brilliant and lucky
thoughts, generally occasioned by geat emer-
gencies the whole appearance Of things was
changed, and the object of the savages defeat
ed 1t was at this iuncture that Mr. McKin-
ley suddenly started from the crowd that sur
rounded him, into the adjoining room the
store room seized upon keg of powder, a
steel and flint, and returning, instantly placed
the keg in the centre of the room and knock
ed in its head-it was all the work of a mo-
ment. There he stood over the opened keg
of powder with flint and steel in either
hand, and dense mass of Indians around
him.
"Now," said he, "kill him, if you will, p
pointing to T., "but that moment / kill
you all Two of us can die where there are
many braoes to die with us"
The proposed slaughter was on too exten-
sive scale for the Indians. panic seized
them, they turned in dismay and rushed pre-
cpitately from the house Thus, by presence
of mind and cool determination was the effu-
sion of blood prevented, and the authority of
Mr. Mckinley as chief of the post greatly
augmented. 1t is needless to state that differ
ences were soon adjusted to the satisfaction of
all concerned.