The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-05-11
PIONEER DAYS.
Three of the First Pioneers of Wasco
Meet and Rehearse Their Experiences.

| Three of the First Pioneers of Wasco
Meet and Rehearse Their Experiences.
This morning three of the first
pioneers of the region east of the Cas-.
cades met in this city and rehearsed
their early adventures to crowd OF
| eager listeners. Capt. Amos Under
wood was the earliest settler, and has
| lived in this vicinity since 1852. He
| was the commander of the little band
of heroes who went to the relief of the
settlers at the Cascades in 1856, before
Lieut.. Sheridan-afterwards Gen.
Sheridan of the Union Army, and one
of the leading generals of the civil
war-marched his command forward
and punished the Indians for their
barbarous acts towards defenseless
women and children. The captain and
his volunteers stopped the redskins in
their devilish work, and Sheridan fol-
lowed soon afterwards and gave them a
lesson which they have not forgotten.
Although past the meridian of life, he
is still as hale, hearty and active as he
was twenty years ago, and is possessed
of very retentive memory. The Incl
dents of that terrible episode in the
history of the northwest is still fresh
in his mind, and their relation adds to
the esteem in which all old pioneers
are held by those who settled in this
region at a later date.
The next on the list in point of time
of arrival was Mr.. D. B. Butler, the
first constable of Dalles precinct, mem
ton of which is made elsewhere. He
recollects distinctly the massacre at
the Cascades, and the escape of the
steamer Mary with the crew and one
or two passengers from the murderous
savages.
Capt. John M. Marden, in business
in this city. came in 1854, and there
fore comes later on the list than either
Captain Underwood or Mr.. Butler; but
he is not behind either of them in
thrilling experiences. He was judge
in this precinct in 1858, and his remin-
iscences of the manner of administer
ing justice is something very interest
ing, and will form the substance of
future article for the TIMES-MOUNT-
AINEER. At the time Lieut.. David
Mel. Gregg was commanding at Warm
Spring agency, Marden was captain of
a volunteer company which did good
service against the Snake Indians. On
the 4th of July, in the later fifties, a
celebration was held at the agency,
and Capt. Marden wished to display
the perfection in discipline of his vol
unteer company to the regulars under
of Lieut.. Gregg. To reach
the camp of the latter a stream had to
be crossed on foot log, and this was
considered the proper place for Capt. |
Marden to line up his men. The reg
alars had drawn up on the right of the |
stream with well-brusned uniforms |
md FURNISHED buttons and arms at |
present, when Marden gave the orders |
10 "Right Dress" Load" "Fire."
This was done in honor to the flag
md out of respect to the military
oranch of the government. The guns
we're muzzle leaders, and as they were
discharged each soldier was thrown
rom his position on the log into the
water about breast deep and cold as
netting snow could make it. 1t is un.
necessary to say that Lieut.. Gregg and
lis blue coats forgot the rigors of dis
,ipline for moment, and joined in q
,oys scrambled to the bank as soon as
raj without their guns. They swore
engeance against Marden, who was
afe on the bank when he gave the Or
ers; but his excuse was that it was
impossible to cline" his men in any,
hing like military precision except he
laced them against the side of barn
r on a foot log over mountain
tream, and he did want them to show
D an advantage in present of Lieut.
iregg's regulars. Mr.. Butler was one
f the men who lost his gun in the
tream, and says he has never 'got
ven" on Capt. Marden for that little
lick of his.
The time was spent very enjoyably
y these three old pioneers, and their
Experiences will form many an inter-
sting chapter, yet upwritten, of the
arly settlement of the northwest.