The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1890-12-20
INDIAN WAR "REMINISCENCES.
A Midnight Flight.

If he instead of Kamiaken had led h s
painted savages down through the
mjuntain passes of the Cascades
and turned them upon the defenceless
citizens. Had General Wool been court
martialed and hung along with Kam-
iaken's poor dupes for their share in
that butcaery justice would have had
no more than her dues, and the cause
Of peace rid of an incubus that hung
like a milestone around her neck. The
Yakima's who with their various
branches formed by far the most for
midable tribe east of the mountains
were in open war, and the Klickitats
powerful factor in the Yakima con-
fe lera ton, had only ten or twelve days
prior to the attack on the Cascades
made partially successful raid on the
White Salmon and Hood River settle
me1ts. Kamiaken the greatest warrior
the Pacific coast has ever known,
could with his 1000 savages have
reached the Columbia river settle
ments in ten hours ride. In the face
Of all these facts General Wool in his
vindictive hatred of citizens soldery
of the two territories ordered his trool s
out of their comfortable quarters at
Fort Vancouver past every possible
point of danger, and burdened with
orders that were virtually to drive the
volunteers out Of the country to make
war upon the whites and protect the
hostile tribes. After the Klickitats
failed in their design upon our little
settlement, they disappeared from our
knowledge completely as though they
had been blotte from off the face of
the earth. The friendly Indians
themselves could give no clue to their
whereabouts. That storm was brew
ing no one could doubt, where would
| 1t burst, who were to be the next
victims to be inundated upon the altar
OF official incapacty. With anxious
hearts we watched the little steamers
as day by day they carried their loads
Of soldiers past on their mission of
hate to satisfy the malignant whims
of hoary headed old man. The
morning Of the Goth, of March 1856,
opened clear and still. Not sound
nor curl of smoke had been heard or
seen in the White Salmon country,
but rude awakening was ut hand,
the mysterious disappearance soon
explained. About ten A. NJ. a faint
halloo was heard coming from the
White Salmon shore, again and again
1t came. The friendly Indians btgan
to collect and anxiously council with
the whites as to the meaning of this
lonely call plaintively it came OFT
repeated Two forms were plainly
seen on the White Salmon bar below
Its mouth. 1t was decided to cross
and learn who they were and what
WuS WuHNcu' "A NuiiOS was "idSSCN
from its hiding place, and four Indians
heavily aimed, embarked. We watch
ed them cross take Oh board the two
from the other shore and return. The
parties proved to be a friendly Wasco
and his wife who had been held cap
tive by the Yakimas' for fear that
returning he would expose their plans
to their enem es. Six days before
while at Simcoe they had managed to
elude the vigilance of their captors
and made tLeir escape Pushing di-
rectly toward the Columbia, they
strained every nerve endured every
privation, without food or blankets
struggled through the drifted SHOWS
that still enveloped the mountain tops,
forded the raging torrents of the klick-
itat and White Salmon, slept as best
they could without fire, and arrived too
late to give his warning. This very day
bright aud beautiful as 1t was; Kam,-
aiken had set apart for the attack upon
the doomed Cascades. Seven days
before his fleet winged messenger had
left The Dalles ard brought him word
that Col. Wright with his army were
to leave that place within three days.
Three days later he would be beyond
recall and Kamiaken master at the
Cascades. Col. Wright left at the time
appointed but for some reason was de
tanned a few mllcs cast of The Dalles
and so was unintentionally within
reach when the call came. The plan
of the Indian campaign as given us by
the new arrival was rs follows Kam-
iaken had long known the importance
of the pass at the Cascades, and be-
leived that oncA in possession no force
that the whites could bring against
him would be successful. The long
sought for opportunity came. Col.
Wright's forces had left The Dalles.
Kamiaken's warriors had been for
some time massed ut Simeoe waiting
the movements of the troops. The
dusky messenger bearing the news
arrived at midnight and daylight
found the warriors ON the trail. The
route chosen was through the Cammas
prairie, past the ice caves, over the
great Chequash mountain, striking
the Columbia at the mouth of Wind
river. After capturing the Cascades