Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-01-09
4 Reminessence Of Early Life in Ore


forty-two years ago the sth of Jan
uary, 1891, in company with many
other Oregonians, enlisted in the
service Of the provisional govern
ment Of the territory Of Oregon to
prosecute a war against the Cayuse
Indians for the murder Of DR.. Mar
Gus Whitman and wife and some
twelve or fourteen other American
citizens, the most Of whom were
emigrants Of 1S47 whose teams had
become worn out by the long jour
ney across the plains and they COLI
sequently had to stop at the Mission
where they could get something to
do TO earn a living for themselves
and families during the winter, ard
were expecting to come to the valley
in the spring, but this unfortunate
murder took place in the fall Of 1877
about the 29th of November, / be-
lieve. But the news of this bloody
massacre did not reach the ears Of the
governor Of our territory until about
the Sth of December, 1S47, it having
to come down the river to Vancou-
yer and then be sent over to Oregon
City, then the capital Of Oregon, al
so by boat or canoe this was done,
and the governor, then George Aber-
nathy, Immediately submitted this
startling news to the legislature
which was then in session. A reso-
luton was hastily drawn up by J.
w. Nesmith, who afterwards was
Senator Nesmith, asking the gov
ernor to Immediately call out fifty
men to go up to The Dalles and hold
that place until reinforcements could
be forwarded. This was all done on
the same day and the company was
raised and organized and II. A. @.
Lee was elected captain. On the 9th
day of December this company left
Oregon City and went over by way
of Fort Vancouver and there
completed their equipment and
moved for The Dallas with all
possible speed and arrived there
without accident on Christmas
night, haying met Alanson Hin.
man, who was I'm charge of the
mission at The Dalles, on their way
up on the 18th, who gave them
further information about the con-
diIion Of things at The Dalles where
no hostile Indians had appeared as
yet, but the Indians seemed to be
somewhat restless on account of
what they had heard from the
Cayuse Indians, so much so that
Mr. Hinman had thought it for the
best for him to move his family to
the valley, which he did and landed
there all safe. This company took
immediate possession of all the
building, together with the mission
house and began to improve and
fortify the place so AS to defend it
from the attack of the Indians.
While this was all being done at
The Dalles the people of the valley
were not idle, but everyone that
could was preparing to meet at Gre
gon City in accordance with the
governors call but rs soon as we ar
rived mt Oregon CITY, that is those
from Gamhill, Polk aud Marion,
we We're sent on down to Portland
to rendezvous there until everything
was ready. Peter Skeen Ogden gov
ernor Of the Hudson Bay company
had been prevailed upon by our
people To make II trip up into the
Cayuse country to see If he could
not prevail on the Indians to give
up their captives aud as we were
very desirous that this trip should be
crowned with success we waited
until he would have time to make
the trip and return before we start
ed, So on the Sth of Jan. lS4S four
more companies were organized and
made ready to start at moments
warning. While we were making
our arrangements to start late in the
evening Of the Sth of Jan. lS4S some
one sung out, look down the river
aud see the boats coming, of course,
we all ran To the bank TO see who they
were aud to our great satisfaction
they proved to be the captives, who
had been released by Governor Og
den, paying round sum for them,
this to us was II hapy event. So on
next day the 9th of Jan. lS4S our
four, comprising Capt. Lawrence b.
Halls company from Was hington
county, Capt, }. w. owen of Polk,
Capt ii. j. G.. MaXon of Marion
and Capt. Phillip f. Thompson of
lamhill, | suppose the whole out.
III would number about 225 effective
men. This was all that was ready
at that time. There were two other
companies that soon followed.
Capt. l., n. English organized
company and also Capt. Thomas
Mckay organized u company, both
were from Marion county. McKay's
company We're mostly French and
Halfbreeds, their fathers having
been formerly servants of the Hud.
son Bay campany, Tins comprised
the whole force that Went up to the
war that winter and are responsible
for all the effective warfare that was
made against the Cayuse Indians.
There were five or six more compa-
nles that came up In the Spring but