, 1876-07-08

McConaha. By this he proba-
bly, saved his life, as the sequel
proved. The next day Mr.. Nc
Conaha, in company with a
white man by the name of Bars
toe, and five Indians, left for
home in a large canoe. When
between Vashon Island and Alki
Point they encountered a heavy
gale; the canoe was capsized,
and both white men, with two
Indians, were drowned.
In 1852 and '53 Mr.. Phillips
and Mr.. Horton, from Illinois,
and Mr.. F. Matthias, from Penn
sylvania, located here, together
with many others of our present
prominent citizens. The little
town grew quite rapidly from
that time until 1855, when it had
a population Of about 300 nhab-
itants. In that year the
INDIANS COMMENCED HosTILlTIEs,
And the growth of the place
was retarded. Their first on
slaught was on the river settle
ments. In the spring of 1856
they massacred W. H. Brannan
his wife and child Mrs. Bran
nan was a sister of Mrs. }. T..
Jordan, whose husband was sub
sequently Mayor Of the cityl
H. Jones and wife, a Mr.. King
and his wife, and Il bachelor by
the name of Cooper. A child OF
Kings was carried away cap
tive and afterwards recovered.
Three children of Jones escaped
by the interposition OF an In
dian who had formerly been a
friend of the family. AS the
Indians were dragging the
parents out Of the house after
having murdered them, the lit
tie boy, aged eight, with his sis
ter, aged six, and Il baby
brother, ran past them into the
yard. The heroic little elder
brother put the baby on his
shoulders, and with his sister by
the hand started for the woods.
In this run for life he met the
friendly Indian, who directed
him to follow the road leading
to the river. In this way they
travelled eight miles. That night
they met an old Indian, who Sc
creted them under some mats.
and the next day brought them
to town. The other settlers
fed from their homes to Seattle,
where they erected Il block
house near where the Pavilion
now stands. The Indians
burned their houses. killed and
drove off their stock, and at the
close of the war there was
scarcely a house standing in
King county outside of the pres
ent limits of the city of Seattle.
On the 26th of. January, 1856,
the Indians following up their
outrages, and numbering be-
tween four and five hundred, at
tackled this place. They com
menced the fight about 8 o'clock
in the morning and kept it up
all day. The wives and chill
dren Of many of the settlers
took refuge on board of the
bark Brontes, which was at
anchor i'll the bay. The men
went to the fort. and like the
early settlers OF the Atlantic
and Middle States. determined
to sell their lives in defence of
their cabins and 1iresidcs. The
whites lost in this affair two.
1t is unknown how many the
Indians lost, as they carried off
their dead. and ever since have
refused to tell. Several are
known to have been killed. how
ever. The two white men who
lost their lives were named Uol-
gate and Wilson. Holgate was
killed in the door OF the fort.
and Wilson on the point near
the present residence OF Mrs
Plummcr
THE SLuoP OF WAR pEcATAR.
Was lying in the harbor during
the fight, and threw few
SHELLS into the woods, but the
s:.vation Of theplaee was owing
to the determined defence by the
citizens.
When Seattle. was first laid
out it was the only settlement
between Fort Stcilaeoom and
Port Townsend. There are now
several thriving towns between
these points.
Many of the early settlers
were bachelors. Some OF them.
tired Of their lonely life. sought
out the dusky maidens of the