, 1866-03-09
LEcTuREs nY RNv.. .. u. sFAulpNe.
S7e The whitman Massacre. 's.,


After visiting the sick IN the Indian camp, on
the Umatilla, and administering to them as q
liainer 70 his children, DR., Whitman took tea
With the Bishop Blanchette aud Gen. Brouilette,
who chad arrfvedna At the UfBalilla from Walla
Malla on Saturday. The General assured him
tnat ne would be over 10 Wauletpu (the Doctor 8
statiou) on Tuesday. The Doctor returned 10
our camp about sundown; was much encour-
aged thought the Bishop and the General were
disposed to arrange matters as to our future
mission fields on the most satisfactory terms
and that We had everything to HOBO ffnn the
bronitette's visir nn Tnpsday The-ssvers SICK
ness among the emigrants OF his place, from the
measles, the sick children in his own family,
three OF them dangerously sick and died after
! they were captives, made it necessary for the
Doctor to return that night; and although more
ht for bed of rest from increasing labors and
cares without sleep among the Indians, with :he
crowds OF emigrants, way-worn, destitute and
| SICK coming passing, or pleading to stop over
WINTER the good Doctor, our dear brother the
Indians friend, the emigrants ever ministeriug
angel Of mercy, the American patriot and saw
| iour OF Oregon, took me by the hand and bid
me farewell more hopeful than had seen him.
(and Brouilctte refers to this-oh, the wretch
ttat could create false hope to make human
anguish the deeper mounted his borrowed muln
gave whip, and was out of sight. Eighteen
years have passed away aud have seen him NO
more, and shall not till meet him, by the grace
OF our Lord, in the streets of the new JeTusa-
lem, where are no more deaths and all tears are
wiped away. He had about twentv.eight miles
to ride and did not reach his home till the
dawn OF thc29tb, the bloody 10th Of November
1871. And now | come to the details of that
and the eight following bloody days. And NV
heart slckens and my hand tTembles even at this
late date, as attempt to write that bloody trag-
edy. Not so much on account of the fearful
terrible work Of the immediate agents the ma
ked, painted savages; strong men, Young men,
American citizens, fathers, husbands, allured
hewcd down, ripped OPEN a husbands heart
converted into football in sight of the help!ess
wife, the terrified daughter forced into the arms
of the naked savage to be his wife, who has
just shot down her father who lies gaspiug at
her feet helpless women, young women, girls
SO young the knile had to be used WrthinC in
the hands Of unrestrained brutality hogs run.
ming about and dogs with parts of human heads
and human lungs in their mouths: and-ob nv
God has hell swallowed up the earth with
all, and in the midst Of all, the priest of God
in the veStmcnts Of God, administering the holy
ordinance Of baptism upon the blo0d-staiurd
children Of these bloody Sayeges the screams
of the young women, his church music SEEM
ingly as a reward to these painted demons for
what they had done say shudder to attempt
recital, not SO much on account Of the horri-
pie character Of The tragedy as from the conyic
from beginning to end. The details of that
tragedy, which ]. Ross Browne saws and proba- /
bly, with truth, involved this country in a twelve
years war, aud the causes that appear to have
led to it, Have received from eye-witnesses who
escaped, from emigrdnts, from reports Of the
army, and from the trial Of the five Indians
who were executed at Oregon City. Much Of
this testimony is given under the oath Of the
widows and daughters, who were fearful suGer-
ers, and the few men who escaped. would 60
to an Individual and take down in writing what
he or she knew, and then go before a magistrate
and the individual would make oath to the state
mcnt the officer certifying. These dep0sitions
and facts were collected Immediately after the
massacre, but the way TO lay them before the
public has never appeared fairly open until now.
The late remarkable treatment by one depart
ment of the Government of the Protestant mis-
sionaries at Lapwai |. T.; the manifest false
statements Of high officials concerning the mas
sacre of DR.. w and his fellow sufferers; de-
sire to correct false statements concerning the
first settlement of this coast q desire to answer
the oft-repeated question, "What good have
missions done ?" and desire to bring before
the public the hazardous, hercuean, unrewarded
labors of DR.. Whitman to save Oregon to his
country, and his every ready, angelic beneYo-
lence to the yearly tide Of Way-wOrn emigration,
have induced me to lav the facts before the pub
lie in connection with the history of the mis-
sions.
On arriving at home Monday morning, on that
fatal GOTH the Doctor and his wife were seen in
tears and much agtated. The Doctor sent for
Findley, Ia Hudson Bay half-breed with Cav
use wife, who lived in a lodge about one hun
dred wards distant) uFindley, l understand
the Indians are to kill me and Mr.. Spaulding, do
YOU know?" i should know, Doctor you
have nothing to fear there is no danger" Oh,
the wretch that could thus throw them of their
guard The sayages were that moment in coun-
sci in his lodge. Early in the morning an In
dian came in for coffin aud winding sheet and
the Doctor to assist in burying child. Veal
WAYS furnished these, aud assisted in burying
the dead if possible. On returning from the
grave, the Doctor was much excited, and said
to his wife f" What does this mean: ogly-one
Indian at the grave while multitudes are collect
ing on foot and on horse2' But beef had been
brought in, shot down and was being dressed,
and was thought to have been the cause.
1t is desirable to describe the premises, and
the number of families stopping at the station
to winter. The Doctors adobe dwelling house
stood on the north bank of Walla Walla river,
twenty-five miles from old Fort Walla Walla,
ohe-half mile above the mouth of Pasha or Mill
creek, facing the west, Well finished, and fur
nished with good library and large cabinet
of choice specimens. Connected with the north
end was a large Indian room, and an ell extend
ing from the east seventy feet, consisting of
kitchen, sleeping-room, cook-room, schooi-room
and church. onel hundred yards east stood
large adobe building, At a point forming a tri-
augle with the above line, stood the mill, gran
airy bishops. A saw-mill and dwelling-house
Is miles mp Mill creek +. Fort Golville 200 miles
north the mission station of Rev. Messrs. Eels
and Walker among the Spokane and Flathead
Indians, lao miles north our mission at the
Dalles l75 miles west; my own station among
the Nez Perces on Clearwater river, at the mouth
Of Lapwai, ITO miles east. There were con-
nected with or stopping at the Wauletpu or
Whitman station, at the time of the massacre,
seyenty-two souls, mostly American emigrants
on their way from the States to the settlements
in the Willamette Valley, compelled to stop to
winter on account Of sickness, give-out teams
or the lateness Of the seasOn-distributed as
follows At the saw-miI there were living Mr..
and Mrs, Young, from Missouri, three grown
sons Mr.. Smith and wife, Illinois, Eve children,
oldest, daughter l6. In the blacksmith shop,
Mr.. Garfield anu wife, Iowa, Eve children, oldest,
daughter of l6. IL In the. large building, Mr..
kimbaH and wife, IDdiana, five children, oldest,
daughtef of ,l6 Mr.. Hall and wife, Illinois, Eve
ehildren, oldest, daughter of 10; Mr.. Saunders