The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-06-01

Wenachee. Deschutes. and John Day. Then Is
now they sWarmed with salmon, while the land
was stocked with game. Railroads were OF
course at that time wholly unknown there, and
indeed more than . dozen years later there were
only twenty miles Of rail 10 operation In the Ter
ritory.
A dragon who served under Sheridan At that
period tells some stories of his career at the lar
Northwest. II 10 interesting. BY the way. to
note that Sheridan, through an infantry officer,
was assigned TO the charge OF . small detachment
of dragons. as if in . foretokeninR of his future
Tame a. . ca~valryman. One Of his duties was 70
make a march from Fort Reading to the north
side of the Columbia river. This was accomp-
hshed without serious opposition, except at one
poinr in the Modoc country. whore tho Indians
fred upon the party. but without woundinR
anybody. The ex-dragoon remembers that at
klamath lake, Lieutenant Sheridan described .
canoe on an island, and. in order to take pos
session Of it and to discover whether 1t was .
clue to anything else. himself wadsd through
the river and captured il, one man accompany
Ing him on either side.
Another expedition in which Lieutenant Sher-
idan took part was into the Yakima country.
While thus engaged, on one occasion he was
ordered to cross . stream in order to scout
against Indians supposed to be on the opposite
shore. He executed this order by placing an in
fantry sharp-shooter in the saddle behind each
ea~valrymar. The stream was not deep but
rapid. and two artillerymen who followed with
the howitzer were drowned in crossing. The
dragon who recalls this incident says he re-
members his discharging his piece without aim
ing, and that Lieutenant Sheridan ehided him
for having fired before he knew what he WAS
firing at A Cayuse scout employed by Sheridan
on this expedition was known as Cut Mouth
John. and on one occasion an Indian called out
to him to know If he would 'talk." John re-
piled ferociously, '1ll kill you first and talk
a~fterward." The dragon adds that he was a.
good as his word, and got his euemys scalp,
which he stretched that night with q hoop and
things, having a little scalp dance around it by
himself. John used to be on good terms with
all the officers, but after Major Rains ordered
him to bury that scalp he sulked and had moth
ing more to do with them. This was the only
Indian known to be killed on this expedition.
On arriving at Yakima Mission, orders were
received to proceed with Colonel Nesmith and a
party Of volunteers toward White river or
Natohez Pass. Major Maloney was supposed to
be coming from Fort Steilacoom, on Puget
Sound, to hem in the Indians from the north.
1t was showing furiously. and the dragons
crossed Bald Hill in q cold storm, Lieutenant
Sheridan and all his men being compelled to dis
mount and lead tho horses. Further progress
being impossible. and Major Maloney not being
met, the command returned to the DAlles and
camped on Mill creek in tents. The dragons
were camped a eh0rt distance above the fort,
which was rebuilding under Captain Jordan.
Major Halter was in general command. and the
soldiers, says the dragon, used occasionally to
trouble him by raiding on his hogs."
The events thus spoken Of occurred during
the autumn of 1855. or little more than two
years after Genersl Sheridsn's graduation at
West Point