The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-08
VETERANS Of INDIAN WAR.
SEATTLE SURVIVORS INTERESTED
IN PENSION BILL.
Eight weII-known Men Who Will
he Entitled to Pensions IL Senator
McBride's Bill Becomes = Law
Chamber of Commerce Memorial.

There is a strong local interest in the
bill before congress providing for the is
suance of pensions to the survivors and
widows 81 the early Indian wars of the
country and the widows of those who
fought In those campaigns The Cham
Der of Commerce yesterday adopted a
memorial to congress presented by Secre-
tary Prosoh. praying for the passage
of this act
The bill, which was introduced by SEN
ator Mcbride, of Oregon. provides for the
extension of the pension act to include
the names of the surviving officers and
enlisted men who served for thirty days
or more and were honorably discharged
under the United States military, terri
torial or provisional authorities In the
Florida and Georgia Seminole Indian
war of 1915 the Fevre river war of Illinois
of 1927, the Sac and Fox war OF 1881, the
Sabine disturbances OF 1896 and 1881 the
Cayuse war Of 1917 and 1stS on the Pacific
coast the Florida wars with the Semi
noles from 1s42 to 1853. the Texas ana
New Mexico Indian war of ls4s 10 1886, the
California Indian disturbances OF 1851 and
1859 the Utah Indian disturbances OF 1850
to 1859. and the Oregon and Washington
Indian wars of 1851 10 1856, and also TO in
ciude the surviving widows OF such ot1-
GERS and enlisted men special pro-
vision is added that such widows must
not have remari ed, and that where there
is no record OF efiistment or muster into
service in any a. ne wars mentioned the
record Of nav hy sne United States shall
be accepted as evidence Of such service.
There are known to be eight survivors
of the Seattle companies that fought In
the Indian troubles here in 1855 ana 1856
These are Edward Lander. who was cap
tain of one of the companies; W. H. Gil
liam and D. A. Neeley who were lieu-
tenants and u. T. Denny, George p.
FRYE. b. f. Johns. w. l.. Johns and Wal
ter Graham. A. A. Denny, who died last
year, was also one Of the fighters
Mr. Proseh's memorial which was
adopted, reads as follows;
To the Honorable the CONGRESS Of
the United States: The Chamber OF
Commerce of the city Of Seattle re-
.spectfully presents 70 congress me
propriety OF giving pensions TO Ine
of the nation. These men were pio-
neers OF the country. They blazed
the wav for those who came later
they cleared the first land; they built
the first houses. opened the hrst
schools, inRugurated the iiFst business
country habitable for men and vslu-
able for the government
Here in what was then Oregon
when the United States all but spurn-
ed and rejected them they FORMED n
little republic of their own, MADE their
own laws, their own money their own
postal affairs and in determined OBJ
position 0 a great and aggressive for
eign power. held the country for the
America nation and people X was
a wonds ful thing for such handful
they ala was beyond calculation or
estimation. The lesson Of patriotism
they taught priceless indeed.
The nation cannot be too grateful, nor
say nor do too much In return. These
people had the experience OF all Amer
lean pioneers.
The Indian race and the white race
clnshed There was war between
them In that war, or those wars,
the settlements or the whlte men MeTr
destroyed: their houses were burned,
their domestic animals driven oil aud
slaughtered. their own lives taken
whenever and wherever possible in the
merciess effort to exterminate them.
The men rose In body and fought
the saVages braveiy aud determinedly.
AS elsewhere. from the Atlantic 70 the
Pacific the fittest survived, and as the
result Of the cxeriions OF these pio-
neers the country is now one OF the
best portions 81 our own fair lant,
without division or question. No men
aid more for their country than these
first men Of Oregon and Washington
That their efforts should 50 long
have gone unrew arded-naN, been re-
celYed ungtatefully-is beyond COM
.prehension and far from creditahie to
The government and the people who
were the real benefcisries. Most az
them were financially ruined IN the
wars and few Of them ever received
cNinpsNS8 ton lot thEtf lphSe1 EVEN
for the property taken BY the gov
eminent they were generally made
ountcly raid while Tor their services In
the field they got less than half what
wns paid CaiiferniaHs similarly en-
gagged about the same time, They
fought Tor their country as truly
the men who fought in the civil war
and tn the war with Spain. The few
who survive are row old men and wo-
men from ~ 90 So Years % age. most
Of them moody come ~ them living
upon the charity Of Tho public and IN
deserving " tho best the nation has f0
give 20 is most honorable sons and
daughters
The Seattle chamber prays for the
passage - SENATE hill $40 10 grant pen-
Stone 10 the survivors ~ the Indian
,a.rg from 1877 IA fE5S