The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-13
NOTES BY THE WAY.

Mr.. John O. 9cury. The we,,-kno~,,
civil Isngin-er who returned from eass ~
sbs mount aifs e few tays ago after oo,,-
Mating 8 government surveying coosr.r,
Il stevene county. relates the follo~snr
story: When We reached the tunn.I
tn the Cascace mountains I sugx~xt~s
70 my companion. George A, Sch war,x
Of Olympia. inaf we leave the train and
rz,k the remainder OF the way 20 IN.
Sound. de consented, and NTH onr
markets or oar backs we started o.,
We FIRST EeDt &c Lake Kifchelzz. wh,ch
d on The summit. Of the mountains "a
ss,er crossing the divide took the dra.,-
axs basin Of the Cedar river. wnsn
aboa one and a hail miles wes, Of tns
ssmmft ws stopped 10 rest. an1 soon 3ss-
covered from The surroundings that we
vsre In The MIDST Of some OLD deserted
camp The place was ali grown ur xt,h
seysrs cane and underbTosh, but we con
raenoed looking about 10 find some cyl
Seaces of the former occupancy ~ ahe
,;srs Our search WAS soon crowned
With success, We found a CEDAR Tree
ss feet ir diameter. which many years
ago had been hiazed on one side The
bark ali around this blaze was fourteen
inches ia thickness. ieaytnr The wood In
"a. rees ~ white and clear On this wood
the letters " 3 had been carved with
! knife. and under this was written in
oencI ne following inscription.
'scoBtng party campet here Nay %.
n2. from Company @. Northern Bat
talon. r. 8. v.
"geos ,hls the following waA written
n bold hand
1.-THE Northern gat.ai'o, csmpet here
pane 2 = q q D and 3 1855 on taei-
return :. ON the other side OF the sum
mir-'
.'Taen under the leading Vans Bat
talon were large number OF names
written. alsay % which could nat De de-
eiyherud or account 81 the bark having
grown over them. Among those tha;
could &c read were those 81 T p aasus.
! a Mounts A Starks. " T. New. w
R.shop n V. Pee body. and the Initials
" * No; having an AK 20 GU away
the bark no additional names could De
made out
No accurate history Of the Indian war
Of lsSs o. has ever been published and
therefore nave beer unable 20 learn
any additional particulars Of the move
rnsnts OF Vans Battalion. Duftag
the years above mentioned an IN
dan war had broken out almost stimuli
taneously on TN plains OF Eastern Wash
.Hgfon and along Puget sound A J
b d.n -Drclai Indian agent while on
his xsy 70 meet GOV I stevens eho
eas eedlng . council nith he indiana
II Spokane. heard minors Of the threat
enet outbreak ard determined 30 visit
Old Chief Kamiak.n al his home In the
valley 81 me Ahtanam. a few miles above
the junction OF that stream with the
Yakima river. and assure him that the
whites desired peace. He reached the
MISSION had his conference with KAMA
kn ami started on hts way 10 The Daliss,
BIZ, gas murie ed by Quaichien. son OF
0whi ard nephew OF Kamiakin. while
pretending TO escort him on his home
ward Journey, From this the contagion
OF murder among the Indians spread rap
lilly. and so many murders were com
mitted that Acting Gov. Mason made a
reauisition on Forts Vancouver and
sselIacoom for troops to protect travellers
In the Yakima country.
Maj. Raines. who was In command at
The Dalles. ordered "a men under Mai
Halter. now Col Halter. OF Seattle. into
the Yakima country TO cooperate with a
force under Lieut.. Slaughter. which would
be sent from Steilacoom. Haller moved
on October ,. 1855. his objective point be-
ing the Ahtanam valley. where Kamiakln
resided. On the afternoon OF the third
DAG while entering the Simcoe valley.
the troops were attacked by a large band
OF Indians who had secreted themselves
in the willow thickets OF small stream.
An engs cement commenced, which lasted
oil night. when the Indians withdrew
leaving Halter with eight killed and
wounded men In the morning the at
tack was renewed. Halter moved TO q
had eminence a mile away. and the In
dams enteavored 10 surround him. On
this eminence. without water and with
Ettie food the troops fought all day
That night Halter found II necessary 70
retreat toward The Dalles. and after
barying his no w!txer and burning such Of
the baggage and provisions as could not
be transported. he organized his com
nsnt into two divisions and with his
wounded men started on the homeward
march. On arriving in kliekitat valley.
south OF Slmcoe mountains. the Indians.