Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-09-03
THE BATTLE OF SEATTLE
INCIDENT OF r INDIAN WAR
OF II PACIFIC EORTuWEST.
Attempt TO Destroy One CT the Grow
ing Settlements on Puget sound
An All Day Fight.

r Tie mans 4f4itii HS!s al tDr
history Of tie Un!.el States,
there Is cone abou: which the
people Of the coun.rg 81 large
know less than that wa-ei in tlc Pacific
Northwes. in TIE years 1855 and 1886.
TIE other wars have been fought III
times when the ne Asoapers have hal cor
respondents n the fed, or il PAGES
since 50 thicklv settled that Their history !
has become important.
In the summer Of 1856 all the tribes
from the northern part Of California 70
the Canadian boundary went on the war
path, bent on exterminating the whites,
and forever putting an end To the lnm.-
grafton which was invading the hunting
fields. Battles were fought along the
klamath and Rogue Rivers, In Northern
California and Oregon; along the Villa
mette, the Columbia, and the Snake, IN
Upper Idaho and Puge. Sound Basin.
General Grant himself took part il the
Rogue r yer war. Mining parties were
cut off and unarmed bands Of emigrauts
were massacred.
In the fall the Indians began the work
of destruction in the fertile valleys around
Puget Sound, aud men and women were
shot, houses burned, and farms pillaged.
The 6ercest fight in Western Washing
ton took place on the very site Of the
present city of Seattle-a battle lasting
all day long. The tiny hamlet was saved
from utter humiliation by the presence
OF the United States sloop-ot-war Deca-
tur. The subsequent growth Of the town
has rendered that conflict of somewhat
more than passing interest.
Seattle was then q little logging camp
OF seventy one people, whose houses were
huddled around a sawmill on the shore
OF the bay. When the hosti!es carried
terror INFO the neighboring country the
settlers fed for protection into Seattle,
so that at the time of the attack the
population had increased to $50. All
hands helped to build a high wooden
stockade across the neck of a small pen
insula, containing mos. of the cabins.
This wall was strengthened a. each end
by a block house, twelve feet square, of
heavy, hewn nr logs. In this fortlticatlon
were safe quarters for the women and
children, and above were portfolios for
firing upon the assailants.
The defense was completed late in
1855, and none too soon; for in January,
1856, a large force of Kickitats from the
eastern part Of the Territory, file |
through the passes of the Cascade Noun.
tains and camped on the banks of
Lake Washington. which lies a short
distance west of Seattle.
On January 25, about a thousand Of
the h~ostiles, as nearly rs can oe learned,
crossed the lake and came down into the
woods which covered the hills around
the settlement. To-day the heavy SOM
bre trs stand almost as tnlckly on til"
shores Of Puget Sound as they did then.
and though the side of the hill on which
Seattle is built has been cleared, it is
easy to imagine the scene of thirty-six
years ago.. In the bay was anchored tie
Decatur. which had been ordered to
Puget Sound to assist the whites in
their struggle with the savages; in the
clearing at the water edge were Il few
cabins, and among the fir trees, the
stumps, and the chaparral on the steep
hill above, were the lurking hostiles.
The plan Of the Indians, as Captain
Gansevoort of the Decatur ascertaiued
from a friendly native, was to make an
attack at y or 10 o'clock on the morning
Of the 26th. The best shooters were to
come down close to the stockade and fire
q volley or two. When the whites re-
|turned the fire the Indians were to fall
back, as If retreating. Should the whites
pursue this advance guard, fancying that
the whole force had been displayed, the
Indians would lead them a little way w
the hill, where the rest of the army
could fall upon them and cut them OFT
This scheme was frustrated. Atabou,
Z O'Clock Lieutenant Thomas Stowci
Phelps, who is now an Admiral on tn,
retired hist, took up a spyolass to scar
the town from the deck OF the DecaNlr.
He saw a number OF indians hurriedIy
carrying away rolls Of leatnor from ;
tannery q few hundred yards beyond th,
stockade. He reported the matte: t,
the Captain. who ordered hun to. %
ashore and fire the sloop's howitzer int
the tannery. Within five minutes til
command was obeye1, and the savares,
who bad thought to surprise the town
were themselves surprised.
Tie first discharge ~ The howitze
was followed instantly by the Indian wa
"hoop and a sharp vo.ley OF rifles from
the cree Of the forest surrounding tn
>tochade. Men, women and children
lett their stea wing morning meals uE
touched on the tai ties and tiei heller
skelter 10 the protecting cover OF tn
so1titication.
The marines from the Decatur and IL
armed settlers returned the fire from tn
block houses. and the sloop turned he
broadside to the zoe and began THROWN,
shells into the wood. The battle thu
: started continued withou, in.errlptio,
J until nearly noon. The ASSISTANTS kepr
: we'll under the stunps AID bushes. hu
whenever an Indian was seen he BEGAN
I The target for = dozen rifles from ID
1 stockade. Fortunately mos. OF the Gun
, II the Indians were enptied at the hrs
voiley. so thas bat Que % the settlers u 3
KILLED in the ll-h. for the block houses