The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-11-09
That The Brave Boys Of Early Day,
Had to Encounter.
INCIDENTS OF The INDIAN WAR.
Few "reminiscences of Frontier Life
Among the savage Redskins and
Hungry Beasts OF the Forest-A
Number OF Tales of Adventure.
Nilburn q. wills In Tacoma Ledger.

eut hhWt" cbephhu, VI CiNtTlOu, WA
rion county, Or, and D. b. Hannah, were
out reconnoitering at the head Of the val
ley, when from 600 to 1000 Indians came
down upon them. They were all or
horses and had thrown themselves on tn,
sides OF their animals, opposite our boys
They seemed thicker than any flock o
blackbirds l have ever seen. The saw
ages made charge and our men retreatet
to higher grounds. The balance OF GU
command, further down the valley, saw
the dust and smoke and we're ordered t
the rescue. As the scouting party re
treated, one Steve Waymire. Of Poll
county, was shot through the fieshy par
OF hips, and the way he did "squall" wa
a caution. George Holmes, Of Klacka
mas, was shit through the left arm
breaking both arms to splinters. At thi
time the Indians were coming full tilt
yelling and firing their guns, and Holmes
arm was falling about from side to side
he having no control whatever over it,
motion. He dropped his gun, and being
determined not to lose 1t, ierked his horse
up, jumped down and got 1t and, re-
mounting the animal, soon overlook the
rest OF the boys. Having informed them
Of the accident, a hollow square was
formed around him and the wounde d
member dashed to his body so 1t would
not fall around. He sat on his horse in a
running fight for fifteen miles, and was
not heard to give vent to even groan.
In the retreat Lieut.. Sheppard pursued
wild bulls, and the Indians tried to cut
him off from the command. The lieuten.
ant jumped from his horse and fred at
the savages near him and shot one of the
redskins, who was tied 10 his cayuse
The Indian fell back. and the horse start
ed through the sage brush, dragging his
dusky master. Two other Indians, OBJ
serving the fate Of their comrade, ran
their horses up to him, one of them Jump
Ing onto the horse Of the dead Indian,
while the other pushed the body up to
him, and away they all went together.
But Shepherd got away with the bulls
Holmes afterward went to San Francisco
and had the bullet removed from it's
Judgement under his breast bone.
On the head Of Simcoe creek We found
the body of an Indian who had met his
death in peculiar manner. The bullet
that laid him cold never touched his body,
but had entered the mouth of his powder
horn, exploding the powder and blowing
an aperture into his side that you could
have thrown cat through, and backing
him from the shoulder down. He may
not have been overly large in life, but his
size when we saw him was tremendous.
This occurred while Major Haller was
cutting his way through the Indians, who
had surrounded bis command.
Having run the Indians to their noun
tain fastness, beyond our reach, we were
ordered to return to The Dalles, and on
the 10th of November started across the
Simcoe mountains.
My horse gave out, and l sent word
along the line to Adjutant w. III. Farrer,
who rode back to me and ordered the men
to Aill my horse and put my saddle and
blanket on the pack horses, at the came
time telling me to get on his horse and
ride to the top of the mountain. where
was TO tie the animal to tree and 20 on
foot, and saying that he would see that
my things got through all right. think
such men as General Farrer should never
die. followed his instructions, and ty-
ing his horse at the top of the mountain,
set out on foot. On the night of the 18th
| set my boots close to the camp fire and
went TO sleep, and on the following morn
ing | found them burnt to crisp.
The snow was about four feet deep on
the summit, and think it was the coolest
weather / ever experienced. Nothing was
left for me to do but wrap my feet in
pieces of blankets, and had to trudge
along through the snow in that biting
cold until II O'Clock that night, alone, for
the command out-traveled me considera-
bly,, and reached the Klickitat valley sew
eral hours ahead Of me. On the 18th OF
November, 1856, we started for the re-
mainder Of the old Fort Kickitat, en-
route to The Dalles, and on the evening
Of the 10Th Colonel Nesmith and all the
officers left US and went into The Dalles,
leaving me commander In chief or corpo-
raj until order, were returned. These
we're received on November 2lst, instruct
ing us to come to The Dalles, and in a
few days some Of the boys, myself among
the number, were granted discharge.
The discharge was granted to me Novem-
Der 20, 1855, as the following copy of a
receipt now havei in my possession. from
my captain, Samuel B. Stafford, will
show:
DALLEs, November %, 1856.
Received OF Milburn q. Wills one III
saddle, one ~ gun, one ~ powder flask.
SAMUEL B. STAFFORD,
Captain Company G, First Regiment, o.
NV
On receipt OF this started for home on
board steamer running between The
Dalles and Portland, arriving there in a
few days and going to work on farm,
not expecting to ever be called back to the
field of war again. But in this l was fooled.
of course there were number Of inter
esting and exciting incidents during my
first campaign not chronicled herein but
the few have mentioned will give some
idea Of ths coalition Of the Yakima val.