The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26

Daughter of an Indian Chief Befriended
Whites in Capt. jacks Reign.


years later in the search for gold was
young Kentuckian named Frank kidlie
The beauty OF the Indian girl had its Ell
feet On the white man. whose quaiites
were pleasing to the chief. and after the
usual ceremonies Incidental to an lndlan
marriage Wi-ne-ma and her Wnite nus
band set up their own lodge. 1t was TINS
marriage that strengthened her regard
held for her White friends. and EVER after
size remained loyal to the race 20 which
her husband belonged.
The discovery of gold in the klamath
region drew many Adventures to that
field, with the usual portion OF the Iawless
element In 1851 some emigrants who had
been very aggressive toward the Mod0cs
were put TO death by the Indians. and
the following year a band OF whites left
Yreka TO punish the savagcs Tor the act.
The avengers were led by Ben Wright. an
| old nountaineer who had hunted and
| fought Indians with Kit Carson Jim
Beckwith John Scott and jim Brldger.
| After long chase through the rough
| country, which was not productive OF
good results the chiefs were invited 20
] meet the whites and make treaty. This
| they agreed TO do. and the warning par
| ties went into camp near each other on
Lost River, the Indians ou.numbering the
white men by three TO one. Early on the
| doc suuaw, breathless, her clothing torn
| and her feet bleeding, came into the
| Wright camp and asked to see the leader.
| Her errand was TO warn the invaders
| against treachery The night before she
! learned al the council fire that her people
intended to surround the white men dur
| ing the conference and put them to death.
Wright and his men met cunning with
| cunning. They went into ambush near
/ .xax.x - h. ~Ir,fg a nd n
| unsuspecting Modocs fell into the trap.
| but two escaped from the slaughter that
| ensued. This affair IS known in the his
| tory of northern California as the Ben
| Wright massacre. The squaw who con-
| veyed the timely warning TO her white
| friends was Wi-ne-ma, the wife of Frank
/ Riddle. This fact was never found out
| by her people else her life would have
| beeen forfeited
Twenty-one years passed. The Modes
| were confined by the Government to a
| reservation and treaties made with them
which were repeatedly broken. The tribe
| were the prey Of post traders, contrlc-
| tors. and Of almost every white man who
| came in contact with them. The only one
| of the hated white race in whom they had
| confidence was the late Judge Elijah
| Steele. To this man they went for counsel
| and advice, but in the lapse or time they
| even contemplated taking his ire as In
| the Indian mode of reasoning the death OF
a single white man grasses the wrongs
perpetrated by many. Sullen at first
| under their injuries. the Modocs were
! awakened 20 fury. and declared vengeance
| on their oppressors. The memory of the
! Wright affair was kept keen by the older
| men If the tribe. aud after council OF
| the chiefs the whites We're apprised that
war was at hand. Shortly after hostiii-
| ties began the Government appointed
| Peace Commissioner to confer with the
rebelllous redskins and endeavor to make
| peace In the meantime Riddle and other
| squaw men on the reservation used their
| influence toward a settlement of the diff
| Guilty but TO no effect. The turbulent
| warriors led by Captain Jack were bent
/ on n slaughter. When the Peace Com
| missioners arrived on the ground the IN
dams refused to t-eat with them. They
| did, however, finally agree to surrender to
| Judge Steele and two other men Of that
! region. and arranged TO give up their arms
| the following day. When Steele and his
| companions went to the agreed place Of
surrender not an Indian was in sight
and they returned to the military camp
| Steele then agreed to go alone and inter
! view the war chief That night Steele
| went through an experience few men
| have endured. While talking to him in
pacific terms in the Chinook jargon they
were discussing in their own tongue the
ACCESSIBILITY of numbering their visitor
| Steele understood sufficiently their Ian
| guage to comprehend his danger. but did
| not betrny his knowledge. The chiefs
finally decided to spare his life on condi-
ton of his bringing the commissioners and
| commanding officers of the troops to CON
| fer with them.
But for the efforts Of the brave squaw,
| Wi-ne-ma, war would Lave broken out
long before. Many times she took the
| weapons from the hands of the war
riors bent on the destruction of settlers
in the region, and II was she who warned
the officers of the army of the trouble
| brewing. Then, too, the warriors be
| gan TO mistrust her husband. Colonel
Meacham, who was in command Of the
| military post, was a humane man and
did all in his power to right the wrongs
Of his dusl<y wards. This man Wi-ne-ma
| revered, and when the second peace COM
mission was appointed did all in her
| power TO prevent him from attending the
council with the chiefs. She grasped his
| horse by the bride, begging Msacham
| and Candy not to meet Jack and his
band. When she found entreaty was in
vain the devoted woman mounted her
| pony and rode with the Inflated party to
| the place Of meeting. The story of that
|
When Meacham was attacked by the
! bloodthirsty Sconchln Wi-ne-ma threw
herself on the savage and begged him
to spare the life OF her white friend.
| Others coming up. Wi-ne-ma rar from
warrior to warrior. turning aside their
| weapons. At last one Of many bullets
| struck Meacham senseless, and the
| quick Witted squaw turned aside the
weapon aimed to finish his life, with the
words. Him dead. No use shoot! Soon
chin tried to scalp Meacham, when WI
| ne-ma grasped the knife. The enraged
| buck struck her terrible blow, almost
! knocking her senseless. Again the wit Of
| the woman came into play. 1.-THE sol
/ dlers are coming up" She cried, and
! the next moment a detachment of troops
/ did appear. Amid curses from the en-
RACED troopers, a dozen weapons were
| levelled at the breast of the brave
/ souaw. Looking the mounted men
! straight in the face, she cried: "No shoot
| met | tried to save theml' Then came
| from the ranks the words of an en-
! listed man: 1.-THE man who harms her
! I'll kill!'
For weeks the noble squaw Wi-nc-ma
( nursed her friend Meacham. and at last,
a cripple for life and broken in health.
she got him to his wife and family. VII
ne-mas only child, a son, died of con-
| sumption not long after and In few
years her husband followed. Colonel
Meacham. in gratitude for the self-sac-
rifce and devotion of the Little Woman
4 -. II.