The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-12
SCALPED BY RED MEN.
"reminiscences of Pioneer Days
on WILDLY Island.
THE MURDER or COLONEL EsEy.
Revenge Of the Northern Indians for
Death Of Their Chief-A Hor-
rible Massacre.

National bank of Port Townsend, yester-
day, recalls an interesting chapter in the
early history of Puget sound, of which
Colonel Isaac n. Ebey. father of Ellison, is
the principal figure.
1t was in the year 1857, believe, and
Colonel Ebey was at that time collector OF
Customs for the Puget sound district, by
appointment of President Buchanan.
Those were early times in this section. and
the country was sparsely settled, even
where now are prosperous cities and VII
lagos. There were a few mill towns, and
Port Gamble was the principal one Of these.
Indians we're the principal inhabitants OF
the country and to certain extent
had things their own way; partly
for the reason that the settlers
desired to keep on good terms with them,
in order to get favors when they might
need them, and many also because they
were really afraid the treacherous natives
would do them or their families some in
jury, unless satisfied in their desires or
even demands by the whites. The white
women, OF course, were nearly all timid
when Indians were around, and for this
reason their husbands and friends hum
ored the Indians to q great extent in order
to remain on friendly terms with them.
''The Northern Indians, coming from
Alaska and the northern shores of British
Columbia, were more troublesome than all
the others. and were humored so much by
the whites that they began to think they
owned the white settlements when in them,
and acted accordingly. Numbers of these
Indians ~ould generally spend the sum-
mer on Puget sound. camping along its
shores and putting in their time at
hunting, fishing, trapping and steal
ing from the whites. Often a party
of these Indians would stop at one
of the mill towns. The bucks would hire
out their squaws to work and would then
60 to work in the mill themselves, remain
ing there during the summer. Before leav-
ing for their homes they would lay around
in camp for q week or two, pil;ering and
stealing what they could every night, car
rying away nearly every fall many dollars
worth of valuable trinkets and articles
which they had thus stolen.
1.-THE first serious trouble remember of
that occurred between the Indians and the
whites was at Port Gamble in the fall OF
1S55-the year previous to the time Colonel
Ebey was killed by them, which started
out to tell you the story of. On this occas-
ion the pilferings Of the Indians had be-
come almost unbearable to the people of
Port Gamble and they demanded of
the mill people that the Indians
be driven away. Accordingly
they were ordered away from the
town, but instead of leaving the country
the Indians went into camp just opposite
Gamble on the other side of the narrow
entrance to the bay. Here they were
more troublesome than before and evil
IDENTIFY had the opinion that they could not
be driven away.
1.-THE old United states war ship Massa-
chusetts was in these waters then, how
ever, and the people of Port Gamble
called on her for assistance. She went up
where the Indians were camped and or
dered them to leave. They refused
to do so, however, and threatened to
fight the whites as well as the big ship.
The men on board the man-of-war then
opened fire on the natives in their camp,
and killed the big and favorite chief with
the first voliey. It was not necessary to
fire again. The treacherous warriors were
completely cowed. They surrendered at
once. and after tearing down their tents
and piling all their effects into the canoes,
they were towed out to the Sound by the
Massachusetts, and started North for the
winter.
The Indians had no idea of allowing the
matter to drop at that stage. and those
who knew their treacherous character
were aware of it. DIR. Kellogg. who was
at Port Gamble at the time OF this trouble,
was looked upon by the Indians as the
only one there whose life would pay for
the one they had lost They had seen DR..
kellogg walking around well-dressed, and
his appeara together with the way he
was treated by his friends, gave them an
idea he was chief among the whites, and
they decided to secure his scalp
in revenge for the life of their
own brave chief. II was not the
best thing for them to try to avenge their
tyee's death at that time. as they well
knew, but they made an oath to their
gods to do so when they returned the next
season.
"They came back to Puget sound the
next year, according to their custom, and
carried in their bosoms the old hatred of
the people who had killed their father.
DR.. Kellogg at that time owned the land
at Admiralty head, opposite Port Town
send, On WILDLY island, and here the
Indians who wanted his scalp landed in
their canoes and pitched camp, hoping
to see the doctor within short time and
put bullet through him. They were dis.
appointed in this however, for the doctor
was not there at the time, and they soon
found it out. The Indians were determined
to get revenge, however. by taking the life
of some one who was as worthy among the
whites as their own chief was with them.
They were camped at the Head for few
days, but were driven away by number
of us living there on account of the fear
among our families, and tents were then
pitched at little lake some distance from
where they first went.
The Indians kept we'll filed up with
whisky all the time in order to be ready tn
commit any crime, and began TO look
around TO find some one worth killing.
They seldom talked to the whites and
were surly all the time. even when we tried
TO make friends with them. One dev
when a couple Of the Indians were watkins
along they met Tom Hastv, and pointin.
out to him Colonel Ebey, who was in his
field short distance away, where hi.
grain was being Graded, they asked M
lou, Is that iyeeP Tom, thinking OF
Ebey as the collector of customs. said
Yes, he is a hyas tyee.''
THAT night. about Ii O'Clock, the ten
Indians who were eamped there left the
one squaw To look after the canoes and
have everything in readiness, and took
positions along the trail leading to Euey's
houses. and those nearest began making a
disturbance which was kept up till the old
Il