The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-07-01

informed yo1 That here were white people In
tie country. We are Americans. on our journ-
e. 70 the Columbia We were 8; the Mission
san Gabriel in January last. / went 70 san
Diego and saw the General. and got passport
from hin 20 pass on 70 that place. I have made
several Efforts 70 pass the nountains, bot the
SLOWS being 20 deep could not succeed in get.
ting over. | returned 10 this place-it being
the only pojai 70 kill mest-to wait a few weeks
until the snow melts. 50 that ! can 90 on The
Indians here also being friendly, consider n
the most sale point for me % remain until such
tine a. ! can cross the mountains with nv
hoFs s-having lost great many il attempting
10 eros ten or fifteen days since. | an a long
ways from home, and am anxious 10 get there
a. soon as the nature Of the case will admit.
Our situation is quite unpleasant-belng desti-
tute q clothing aud most of the neceSsaries of
hfe. wild meat icing our principal subsistence.
! am, Reverend Father, your strange, bat real
friend and Christian"
May 10Th 1927 s. =vrrE,
That certificate Of Jeiediah Smiths nsac.-
able intentions towards the Province Of CaIifor-
MIA, and his letter TO Father Duran of San Jose
Mission, are preserved in the archives of the
State OF California as mementoes of the frs;
crossing OF the Sierrai Nevada Mountains by
white men-of the consummation of the first
overland trip from the Atlantic States 10 the
Bay OF san Francisco.
Smith and his party pursued their purpose
with entire success and without further acct
dent or obstruction reaching the south bank of
Umpqaa river with large collection of beaver
skins and other furs, in the summer Of 1928, on
their way 70 the Columbia river. In the morn
ing Smith accompanied by a white man ard
Indian were ascending the river in a canoe to
ind ford TO cross the pack animals. Having
reached the middle OF the stream, still in sight
Of camp. the Indian snatehed Smiths gun and
jumped into the river. Smith seized his COM
panion's gun. shot the Indian dead and made
for the opposite shore. Without provisions,
with one gun between them, Smith and his
companion fed. Contrary to Smiths orders a
large number of Umpqua Indians had been
allowed o come into camp. At concerted
signal each man was attacked by FIVE or six
savages armed with knives and clubs. OF the
nineteen constituting the party, fifteen were
killed. OF those remaining in camp. Black and
Turner survived the massacre. Black had Just
cleaned his rife, when three of the Umpouas
closed in upon him. He succeeded in freeing
himself, fired his rifle, and amid the consterna-
ton, effected escape. Concealed in the woods
until the Indians had retired. he then swan the
Umpqua river, followed up the coast. aided by
friendly Indians, till he reached Cape Lookout
he then gave himself up to party Of TiIamook
Indians, who conveyed him in safety to Fort
Vancouver, where he arrived in August 1923.
DIR. Mclaughlin rewarded the Tilamooks for
their bringing him to the Fort. Turner, cook
OF Smiths party, the other survivor, was man
of giant frame. With burning stick he de-
Tended himself, and it is said killed four of his
enemies before he could effect his escape. He
reached Fort Vancouver shortly after Black.
Smith and his companion soon afterwards ar
rived at the Fort. All were treated with the
utmost Kindness. DR.. Mclaughlin Chief Fac
tor in charge, sent party of forty men TO the
Umpqua TO punish the murderers. The furs
recovered were returned free of charge to
Smith. Sir George Simpson, the governor OF
the Hudson Bay Territory. present at Fort Van
ceuver on visit when these unfortunates ar
rived, offered Smith free passage to London
in the companys next returning vessel. The
kind offer was declined and Smith sold his furs
to DR.. Mclaughlin. With the remnant Of his
party be set out in the spring of 1929 for the
Rocky Mountains. meeting at Pierre's Hole,
Fitzpatrick, who had been sent in search. The
generous hospitality aud libe.ality of Dr. Nc
Langniln 10 smith and his unfortunate compan-
ions dispelled all spirit Of competition, and at
Smith solicitation the Rocky Mountain Fur
Company retired from the hunting and trapping
fields OF the Hudson Bay Company.
In 1881, Smith in charge of a trading expe-
dition en-route to Santa Fe, was killed on the
Clmmarron river 10 an encounter with Conan
che Indians. For several years after Smiths
death the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. its
parties. led by Bridger, Fitzpatrick and the Sub
lette brothers. continued the prosecution of the
fur trade. Under the auspices of this company,
the first wagon train reached the eastern base
oil the Rocky Mountains. In a letter to the
Secretary OF War, October. 1929 the company
reported the successful accomplishment of their
undertaking. boldly declaring the entire practi
caollity oil a good wagon road across the Rocky
Mountains via Smith Pass to the Great Falls
OF the Columbia. This letter, which accompa-
MED the special Message Of President Jackson
to Congress, January 25th, 1881, saws:
Inc 18th OF April last Q829) we set out
from st. Louis with eighty one men mounted
on mules, ten wagons each drawn by FIVE mules.
and two dearborns, eight carriages or carts)
eacn drawn Dy one mule. Our route was nearly
due west to the western limits of the State Of
Missouri. and thence along the Santa Fe trail,
about forty miles from which the course was
some degrees north of west across the waters
oil the Kansas and up the great Platte river TO
the ROCKY Mountains and to the head of Wind
river, where it issues from the m mountains. This
TOOK us until July 10th, and was as far as we
wished the WAGONS to go; as the furs to be
brought were to be collected at this place.
which Is, or was this year, the great rendezvous
OF the persons engaged in the business Here
the wagons could easily have crossed the Rocky |
Mountains, 1t being what is called the Southern !
PASS. mad II been desirable for them to do so, |
which 1t was not for the reason stated"
The success of the Missouri fur traders soon |
can Fur Company. The latter dispatched trap
ping and trading parties west of the Rocky |
Mountains. but formed no permanent establish. |
ments or posts. Private parties also inauCu-
rated individual enterprises without important |
or permanent results,
In 1927. Mr.. Pitcher left Council Bluffs with |
forty i've men and one hundred horses. crossed |
the South Pass and wintered upon Green river. |
Inc next spring he proceeded TO Snake river |
snd followed the western base of the Rocky
Mountains as far north as the Flat Head Lake |
where hefemained during the winter of 1889 |
The next season he descended Clark's Fork of |
tne Goinmoia 70 Fort Colville, and re crossed |
tue ROCKY Mountains by the Northern Columbia |
route on the Hudson Bay Company trail TO /
York Factory.
These expeditions OF the American fur trad |
ing parties west Of the Rocky Mountains were |
confined to the country watered by the Snake /
rver ana It's tributaries, and the region 10 the |
southwark. lnroad was not made into Oregon |
and competition with the Hudson Bay Compa-
without establishing posts-gith temporxrv !,
depots adopted as rendezvous, where the results
OF trade were concentrated. from which SIM
plles were distributed. and TO which the parties
at designated time would return. While these
american fur trading operations were being l
prosecuted IN and about the western base Of /
tne Rocky Mountains, United States vessels |
we're again attempting to renew trade in the /
Columbia river. In February, 1929. the brig
owyhee OF Boston. Capt. Dominis. entered The
Columbia, followed much later by the schooner
convoy. Capt. Thompson. belonging 10 the
same owner. As soon A. 1t was learned at Fort /
vancouver that two American vessels were
',aolns a. me mouth OF the river. the liver
sioop Mnltnomah ladened with trading goods
vas sent TO Fort George (Astofia). TO omen
competition in trade. Capt Doninis HAVING
allied up the coast the Convoy went no The