The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-03-13
EARLYPIONEERDAYS
U. E. HICKS TELLS OF THE INDIAN
WAR OF 1865
of the Early Pioneers-Every
White Man Capable of Bearing Arms
Advanced to Repe! the Savage Foe
Civilization Held a Precarious Foot
hold.

A regent issue of the Tacoma Even
ing News contains tLe address deliv-
cred at the dedication of the assembly
hall at the soldiers home at Orting by
U. E. Hicks, of East Sound, who is
one of the few surviving veterans of
the "Indian war of 1856" in which
Capt. E. d. Warbass, the well-known>
pioneer of this county, commanded
company stationed on the Cowlitz
river and charged with the duty Of
guarding the Cowlitz pass. The News
says of Mr.. Hicks address, which linn
tied space prevents us from publishing
in full, that "it throws a clear light
upon the adverse conditions prevailing
here in that early day and tells an in
teresting story of how civilization was
planted in the wildernsss of western
Washington:" Mr.. Hicks said:
at is a mistaken idea to suppose
that all the first immigrants to Puget
Sound and Washington territory were
rough, ignorant western men; on the
contrary, many of the very first set
tiers were from the states of Maine,
Massachusetts,, New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and
other long established communities of
civilized and educated white men and
women. Here the extreme east and
the extreme west met; the one coming
overland, the other by sea. Many west
ern raised men and women were the
peers of their eastern-born neighbors
and we soon found that we were all of
the same American stock, kindred and
brothers, each seeking to establish per-
manent homes and enlightened civili-
zatiOn.
"At the time Of the great Indian
outbreak, known as the Yakima and
Klickitat Indian war of 1866, it was
impossible to obtain an accvrate knowl-
edge of the number of Indians inhabit-
ing the vast territory now included
within the states of Oregon, Washing
ton, Idaho and a portion of Montana,
but it is safe to say that there were at
least five, if not ten, Indians to one
white person. We seldom
met the hostiles in open field. They
always fought from ambush and were
pretty sure to get the first shot at us,
or we would not see them at all. Gov
ernor Stevens, our commander-in-
chief, instructed US when we first went
out, to treat the hostiles humanely, not
to kill when it could be avoided, but
take as many prisoners as possible. So
long as we pursued this policy the saw
age only laughed at us. He knew
nothing of the parole or prisoners
oath, never exchanged prisoners, but
generally killed and mutilated the
bodies of his white victims. 1t was
not until we began to adopt his mode
of warfare that he understood what we
meant, and pretty soon thereafter be-
gan to scatter and sue for peace. or
course we did not mutilate the bodies
of those found dead, but left them upon
the ground for the beasts of the field
aud vultures of the air to devour at
will.
fortunately the war did not last
long; perhaps one year of actual hostil-
tiles; nevertheless, many lives were
lost, much property destroyed, many
homes broken up, the settlement of the
country seriously retarded and it took
years to recover our losses. Also, for
tunate for the whites, the Indians did
not, or could not organize their full
force; the tribes did not aot in concert.
A large number remained friendly or
non-combatant, while a few became
our allies and gave valuable aid as
scouts, guideS and warriors. Had it
been otherwise but few pioneers would
have been left TO tell the tale. The
inevitable conflict between civiliza-
ton and savage had to come sooner or
later. and perhaps it was lucky for US
that it came when it did.
"In looking over the rosters Of the
companies enlisted as Washington ter
rttoru yolIn faors I'm tho Indian mo - ~