, 1879-12-08

consultation with such friends was ad {.
vised to consult with DR.. Mclaughlin
and Bishop Blarchet, who, they said,
could do more to aid me than any other
persons, as they were better acqulnted
with them, and could do more with them
than any other persons could. Gov. Aber-
nathy especially advised me to consult
Mclaughlin. did consult them both
and agreed upon the kind of communi>
cation I would write, making known the
power and character of our government
and the determination to make war upon
the Cayuse nation should they refuse to
meet me and give up the murderers.
This communication was by DR.. McLsugh-
lin placed IN the hands of half>brecd
who could read and translate to the Ca
yuses, and who delivered it and came
back without definite reply. They
asked for time to consider and agree
among themselves; and so the matter
stood for time. But after waiting and
finding no further reply renewed the
demand, and just at this time the rifle
regiment passed through their country
on their way to Oregon City. This fact
no doubt made an impression on them,
and they agreed that the next spring
they would meet me near The Dalles and
give up the murdcrers. But in the inter
vening time took care to make known
to them that if the guilty were not given
up before June, 1850, would make war
upon them = and so would. Col. Lor-
ing was ready and little anxious for
the fray. They finally agreed that they
would bring the prisoners to The Dalles
in May. Accordingly I proceeded to
Vancouver and procured boat and
hands to work it. Lieut.. Addison with
some ten soldiers were detailed to ac-
company me and to guard the prisoners.
We met near The Dalles. The pricipal
chiefs and many warriors were of the Ca
yuses party. l had Lieut.. Addison and
ten men. We held talk, arranged a
peace and they delivered to me their o.d
chief, Til on-kite, and four subordinate
chiefs, and we took leave of the Cayuses,
and with our five prisoners. not three),
as stated by the writer for the Army and
Nary Jonrnal, but five guilty, barbarous
murderers, stepped into our boat, and
we set out ON our return to Oregon City,
down the Columbia and then up the
Willamette. did not land them at Fort
Vancouver nor were they kept there by
the rifles or any other troops, not for a
moment. We took them without loss
of time to Oregon City and put them in
a house on the island and furnished them
with plenty to eat and took good care
of them. From the island they could
not escape.
The bridge from the main shore to the
island was we'll guarded, and the access
to the mills from the water below were
also we'll guarded. At that time the
island and the mills belonged to the
writer of this, and the hands employed
were placed on duty SIS guards until
Marshal Meek arrived and took charge
of the prisoners. At his request, Col.
Loring detailed Lieut.. Lane, with twenty
men, to guard the prisoners until the
court could be convened to try them.
Judge Frett presided, and with much
patience and care extended to them a
fair and impartial trial. P.ltchett, then
Secretary of the Territory, was on the
defense, and was paid $500 for his SER
vices, allowed and paid at Washington.
He labored hard to acquit the guilty
savsges, but justice prevailed, and the
five murdercrs were foun | guilty and
were sentenced to die, and were hanged
and buried at Oregon City, where then
lived as good, honest, honorable and just
a population as can be found on top of
the globe. I arrived in Oregon City on
the I'd day of March, 1S49. and from
that time till the guilty five were exc
cuted, did not for day loose sight of
my duty and determination to have pun