The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-11-16
PIONEER EXPERIENCES.
That the Brave Boys Of Early Day.
Had to Encounter.
INCIDENTS OF fHB INDIAN War.
Few "Reminiscences OF Frontier Life
Among she savage Redskins and
Hungry Beasts Of che Ferest-A
Number OF Tales Of Adventure.


pany was camped on the Wslla Walla
river, when some seventeen OF our boys
went to the neighborhood OF Wild Horse
creek and found thirteen head Of cattle,
two Of which were very unruly bulls. We
killed the two bulls that evening and the
same night a messenger came into camp
and startled US by the announcement that
the commands under Colonel Cornelius
and Colonel James J. Kelly, then csmped
in the forks OF Snake and Columbia
rivers, were in starving condition-that
II we could send beef cattle to them to do
SO at once. Captain Carson ordered us to
cast lots, and seven men were selected to
drive the eleven head OF cattle to the
starving commands.
The only way to reach them was Ia
swim the Snake river and drive the cattle
through an Indian country. On the
morning of April is, number Of us went
down to the river, which was about hal
a mile across and almost mush ice, where
the Northern Pacific Railroad company'l
iron bridge now crosses at Ainsworth
We started the cattle and seven men after
them, and our brave captain and I fol-
10 we'd them. The captain and goi
across safely with the cattle, but the
other men landed on the same side on
which they had started. We got on our
horses and started for the suffering com.
mands. just imagine how cold the snow
water OF Snake river is in April, and after
swimming through half a mile Of it to
drive bunch of cattle six miles, with
no clothing but an under shirt and q pair
Of drawers, running our horses to keep up
with the cattle, the wind blowing chilly
enough to freeze the shirts on our backs
till they ratified like paste board-in the
morning to ride back and take the same
dose in splitting snow storm. But we
did it, as Colonel James Kelly and T. R.
Cornelius, who still live, can testify. That
was the FIRST time / saw Captain Hem
brey. warned him to be careful, as we
had crossed trail made apparently by
at least 600 Indians, who had Just gone
along toward the Columbia river, about
six miles below the point where the cap
tain's command was crossing, and from
their manoeuvers l thought the Indians
intended to cut the men off and capture
their horses. As / had feared, the In
dams caught him, and the gallant captain
was inundated upon the altar erected for
the sacrifice Of thousands of other intrepid
heroes who interposed their lives to pro-
tect their families and save this fair
western land as q heritage to their chill
dren and children's children forever.
Returning to my command, I was de-
tailed with twelve or fourteen of my COM
psnions to convey Samuel Price {Bow a
brother-in-law OF Senator Mitchell, Of
Oregon to The Dalles for medical treat
ment, as he was suffering from the noun
tain fever.
Reaching the John Day river, we found
that stream very much swollen, and hav-
ing no means of crossing, we camped for
the night. The rain descended in tor.
rents. and we bent willows and spread
our blankets over them for protection
from the storm.
The ensuing morning We began to con-
struct raft on which TO convey the sick
man to the opposite side OF the river,
which was deep, wide and swift as mill
race. On coming out Of our impromptu
tent man named Geer caught his gun
lock on one OF the willow poles and the
weapon was discharged. the ball striking
him in the left groin, and coming ont at
the hip.
We thus had two invalids on our
hands, and one raft would not hold
them. Seeing that immediate action was
necessary, JEFF Miller and myself agreed
to risk our chances with the river and go
to The Dalles for assistance. Plunging
into the stream with our horses, after
some difficulty, we were fortunate enough
to make the other side, and made for
The Dalles, some sixty miles distant. We
had gone but short distance when, look
ing at hill near us, observed some
thing resembling cougar or other wild
animal, apparently sitting upon its
launches, watching us. With boyish
spirit l told Miller / was going to scare
the animal and see it run. We had no
guns being unable to swim the river with
them, so rode towards the animal un-
armed. Getting within about forty yards
of the supposed cougar, noticed it dodge
down behind the rocks and, smelling q
MICE" as it were, turned my horses
head in an opposite direction and put
cruel spurs into his TANKS, just in time to
hear wild yells issuing from half score
Of dusky throats. (Jeff Miller is now
resident of Kliekitat county,
Sure enough IT was "Injuns" and the
"animap on top Of the rock had been
fixed up as decoy, which came very
near doing what it was intended to do.
When l overlook my companion our
steeds we're in a dead run, and then be-
gan a race for life. Having no weapons,
we depended entirely upon the speed Of
our excellent horses, and the Indians,
recognizingt the superiority of our animals,
sought to cut US of, but by dint of dodg-
ing In the canyons and over presipitous
hills, we finally got out of their reach.
paddy Min, late clerk of the Umatills
Indian reservation, knows also of this
ride.) Arriving at The Dalles without
incident, We endeavored to persuade sew
eral different doctors to go to the relief of
our disabled comrades, but the gentlemen
refused to endanger their lives by max
ing the trip. Fortunately for the sick
men, wagon train, guarded by troops,