The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-02-08
SheIling an AIaska YiIlage.

=
revenue cutter COTwin:
"On October 26 Captain Vanderbilt,
Of the Northwest Trading Company,
came to Sitka in the company's tug
Favorite, and informed Commander
Merriman that the Indians at the fish
ing station had taken possession of the
settlement and had taken two white
men prisoners. Tbs portion of the
story has been correctly pub ished. L
attended the conference between Com
mander Merriman and the Captain, and
also took care of the latter wife and
children. Vanderbilt asked for assist
ance, and as the Adams was too large
ship to pass into the lagoon, l suggest
ed that the COrwin take her place, and
that l would cooperate. Lieutenant
Healy, of the COrwin, conceded wi
me as to the prOpriety Of using the yes
sci for that purpose, and he also offered
his services. The arrangeme IS were
perfected about sundOVn. Early on the
following morning the Favorite tarted
back, with about eighty sailors and ma
rines on board and a Calling gun,
under the immediate comm nd OF
Lieutenant Bart EFT, and steamed
for Peril Straits. Three hours Ia
ter the COrwin followed, with
Commander Merriman and an addition
al force l went along a an invited
guest. We overhaul ed the Favorite
and the large launch of the Adams,
which had been surveying in Peril
Straits, expecting to reach KalisnOOI
that day 1t blew so heavily that the
SIN Her vessel could not cross Chatham
Straits, and the feet came 20 a Choir in
Linden erger harbOr Early the next
morning the Fal Orite and the launch
C7s}a To folz { 10 nj -fo
up the lagoon to the fishing station,
where the property of the Northwest
Trading Company had been captured
and the men imprisoned, the COrwin
proceeding slowly in the river. AS we
steamed up we observed a number oil
white Lags duttering from stats on the
Indian houses, which Is always custom
airy after they have comm tied some
outrage and a gun boat heat es in sight
We gathered up or drove back ell the
canoes in the lagoon, getting together
about fifty. All the vessels steamed up
and came up abreast of the station,
when the two white prisoners were re-
leased, and not before, having been IN
custody all the time since the accident
occurred.
The prisoners reported Immediately
on board the COrwin. In about an hour
a lar e party of the Indi rs. supposed
TO be ring eaders, were sent on board
the COrNin by our marines and exam
ined by Comm 1nder Merriman. Several
of the were identified as being prOmi-
nent in the capture by the prisoners,
and these were sent down below and
put in irons. TIE two principal chiefs
came on board also dressed in uni
fOrms--and protested that thew had no
hand VIVA ever in the proceedings
sta ement which we found to be true.
Commander Merriman then informed
the Indians that his method of de
handing compensate n for an accident
from white men could no longer be toll
Grated in A aska; In they had ia en-
the law in their own hands, ca ptured
valuable prDperty, impris ned two white
me- and threateaed them with dea h;
that the Government would not toll
crate a~y 81 h action; that he had
told them that before a, be went
up to Sitka, and further informed
them that all grievances caused by white
trade would be adjusted by himself; that
he had forbidden them ever again 10 at
tempt to enforce this ransom business;
that instead OF paying the fine of two
hundred blankets, under penalty of TAX
ing the lives of white men, he would
impose upon them a fine of four hun
dred blankets, and would give them I'M
til noon the following day to deliver
them. This was all explained to them
by a half-breed Interpreter in the pres
ence of the two chiefs. The Indians
thought this a game of bluff, as has
been the case heretofore They made
no attempt to bring the blankets until
the following morning; when a few
worthless ones were delivered A blank
OF ic OF Il at hnF hai
the price set years since. Finding that
they did not intend to pay, Merriman
ordered them to remove all the women
and children and to vacate the village,
as he intended to shell and burn it, as
he had threatened to do if they did not
comply.
During the previous night the In.
dams had removed all their blankets
and canoes to places of safety. About
two o clock the YES els steamed through
Chatham Straits, opposite the village.
shelled and destroyed it, sa e the two
houses of the principal chiefs, who re-
main on board the COrwin. In my
o iniOn this was the only course that
Commander Merriman could pursue
under the circumstances. Matters had
arri ed at such a crisis in that country
that it was absolutely necessary to in
tiict condign punishment. All this was
done without the loss of a single life.
The Indians are we'll treated in Alaska
because they are needed. They can earn
from one dollar to 81. 80 a day. OF
course it was a great hardship upon the
thousand people who inhabited that par
ticu ar village to ha their houses de
stroy ed at the beginning Of the winter,
but they have sufficient material on hand
to rebuild them. You must remembe
that the trading company lost about
s., 600 by the storage of fishing o era
tions. l know nothing of tickets. If
the Indians had any they carried them
on their persons. Their currency con-
sists of blankets valued at four dollars
each, and these they had ample oppor-
tunity to save.