The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-08-08
THE INDIAN WAR OF l855-6I


teers was composed Of the following
companies, viz. a, Captain Wilson, of
Multnomah county; b, Captain HUI
mason, of Wasco; c, Captain Kelly, Of
Clackamas; d, Captain Cornelius, Of
Washington; f, Captain Hembree, of
Yamhill; F, Captain Bennett, of Ma
rion; G, Captain Burch, of Polk; H,
Captain Loyton, of Linn; I, Captain
Munson, of Benton, and X, Captain
Connoyer, Of Benton. These eompa-
mics were mainly composed of men in
the full vigor Of manhood, and who had
been schooled to the privations aud
hardships incident to frontier life.
They were equally at home on the back
Of a "bucking cayuse,n standing the
midnight watch in the heart of the In
dian country, or preparing their coarse
food in the miners cabin, or by the
lonely campfire in the wilderness.
They were generally well acquainted
with the true character of the red man,
aud when add that the rifle and six
shooter were their inseparable compan-
I ions during their years of wanderings
over the dangerous frontier, it will be
seen that il was only reasonable to expect
them to give a good account Of them
selves in the hazardous expedition upon
which they were entering.
A few there were of another equally
hardy class. These were men who, in
ured to the excitement and perils at
tending the life of sailor quit their
berths without an interview with their
employers aud enlisted, as much, per-
haps, for the sake Of a change as any
thing else, and who were as ignorant Of
the geography Of the country they were
TO traverse as was Livingstone or Spekei
when in the heart Of Africa they sought
to solve the mystery Of ages, the source
OF the Nile.
Company F arriving at Portland, the
writer, with a number of others, was
sent to a rickety old building on Front
street dignifed by the name Of "Orleans
House," to get our meals. do not
recollect the landlords name, but
doubt not that he has long since retired
from business with a competency, for
he certainly understood keeping hotel
to profit. His plan was to ascertain
what his boarders ate the least Of, and
afterward provide that and nothing
else. Our horses Jared better. They
were kept in a stable still standing on
the corner of Second and Morrison
streets, and, though the quartermaster
furnished only hay and ''chOp'' for
them, the proprietor often found our
chargers sampling somebody's oats,
but as he was careful to keep his oat
bin securely locked, he was satisfied
they never came from there. Money was
more plentiful then than now, and, as
here were individuals here who did not
scruple to exchange whisky for that COM
modify, night was often made hideous
from the Bacchanalian brawls and up
roarous hilarity of the volunteers during
our weeks stay i'm the place, and
doubt not many of the good people here
heaYed sighs Of relief as they watched
the last one Of ms walk on board the
"Senorita,n ca route for the front. We
expected to be fully equipped for service
at Vancouver, but, on reaching that
place, found no arms except a lot Of old
muskets, that were supposed to have
been buried in some leaky arsenal ever
since having been surrendered by Corn
I sraIlfu % tho oIoga Of tho DavoIuffnna ~
struggle. They threw a ball with about
the force and accuracy of a pebble
= hurled by dextrous school-bOy from a
hand-sling. In fact, the shooter was in
more danger than the shootee at a
, hundred yards distance, for the former
was certain to be most viciously kicked,
r while the latter was i'm little more dan
ger of being hit than OF being struck by
, lightning.
{ We reached The Dalles the fifth day
from Vancouver, however, with the loss
D Of but four men from Company +.
! When or where they left us, or we
them, no one knew. We only knew
4, that on leaving Portland we had four
a names more on the muster roll than we
could find men to answer to them after
0 reaching The Dalles. Here. with Com
q panies / aud X, Fourth United States
, Infantry, we crossed the Columbia and
p proceeded to the scene Of Haller's de-
q feat in the Yakima country. Arriving
\ at the hill overlooking the Tapnish, we
4 could see Indians excitedly scurrying
4 about over the valley, but none of them
allowed US to come near enough to them
to risk a kick from our venerable mus
- kets. We then proceeded over to the
p Altaunum, where the self-sacrificing
- Pandozy had braved the dangers of as.
2 sassination up to within a few days o.
r our advent, and had at last fled, prob
A ably from fear Of US instead Of the Indi.
= ans, leaving everything, even his sacer.
y dotal robes, behind him. It was o.
= Father Pandozy that Oregon's mos
I witty ex-senator wrote, that it wa
f difficult to determine which was the
4 reverend Fathers principal stock il
:. trade, gospel, or gunpowder."
We spent two or three days in th'
Yakima Valley, and, starting to return
were overtaken by a drenching rain
Y Being destitute of tents and poorly pro
4 vided with blankets, we expected {
. very disagreeable night, drenched tC