Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-03-25

ter and Colonel f. c. Fitzhugh.
The next steamer on the Sound af-
ter the Traveller was a little side
wheeler, brought on ships deck by
Captain William Webster, called the
Water Lily. She was quite frail and
seldom went north OF Steilacoom.
Early in September, 1855, the In
dian war broke out. 1t was rumored
that the Sound Indians were threat.
ening the lives of the whites. A. L.
Porter of Muckleshoot prairie warned
the neighborhoOd settlers, and many
of them went to the villages for safety.
In October, 1855, the Indians on
White river made a raid on the set
tiers, killing William M. Brannan,
wife and child. Harry Jones and wife
and George King and wife. The news
OF the murders spread, rapidly and
the alarmed settlers their homes for
the villages on the Sound. About
that time the United States .sloop.of-
war Decatur, Captain Isaac Sterritt,
steamed into Duwamish, now Seattle
bay, and anchored. Her arrival was
very opportune. The whites Of Puget
Sound. The Decatur was soon rein
forced by the United States steamship
Massachusetts,, Captain Swartout. The
United States revenue cutter jeff
Davis Captain Pease, also rendered in
valuable service.
A call for volunte to organize into
companies to fight the Indians was
made by Acting Governor Charles H.
Mason, and circulated from Olympia
to Port Townsend. In Olympia no
immediate response was made, until
one day Judge Gilmore Hays rode into
town from his home near by. He had
heard nothing of the Indian murders.
Being very popular man, he was soon
surrounded by the excited citizens.
"Boys," said he, "this won't do," and
picking up pen, headed a call for
volunteers with the signature "G.
Hays" An hour later sixty names
we're signed. Two hours later meet.
ing was called and q cavalry company
organized. At the first ballot for Cap
tain, Judge Hays received fifty.nine
votes out OF the sixty, he being the
only member of the company who
voted for someone else. Judge C. C.
Hewitt next formed a volunteer COM
pauy at Seattle, and Colonel Issac N.
Ebey raised a company at Port Town
send. Captains Hennes, Maxon, Frank
Shaw, Wallace and Charles Eaton also
organized companies and reported for
duty.
Block houses were hurriedly built in
the settlements and patrol guards
placed on duty. Adjutant. General
James A. Tilton chartered the steamer
Traveller, j. G. Parker master, and
sent her to the Hudson Bay fort, Nes.
qualie, for arms and ammunition.
None to be had. Then / was sent
with the Traveller to Victoria with a
requisitiOn on Governor ]. r. Douglas
for arms and ammunition. About a
half.dozen cases of each were all the
Hudson Bay company could spare,
and we returned to Olympia. In con.
junction with the United States mili-
tary officials at Steilacoom, Lieuten.
ant Slaughter, Captain Maloney and
Colonel Casey. Fort Dent was estab.
lished on White river on Pioneer John
M. Thomas present farm, and, down
the river, on the Terry claim or farm,
was established Fort Lander.
The Traveller transported most Of
the troops and all the supplies to
and from each fort. To get the sup.
plies up the rivers had Mr.. Bolton,
who yet had his claim on the Sound
just north OF Steilacoom, build me a
batteau, about sixteen feet beam by
sixty feet keel. This batteau was
loaded with military supplies and
towed up the rivers to the forts. At
Port Townsend, Colonel Ebey's com.
pany chartered the schooner A. Y.
Trask, and the steamer Traveller towed
her from Townsend up the Snohomish
river and anchored just above the head
of the slough that was then and there
named, as also was the fort, after Col
onel Ebey.
The Indian war lasted about year
A number OF men, women and child.
rem were killed, but As other pioneer
narrators have given the details OF the
war in very interesting manner, it is
unnecessary for me to repeat the same.
One very dark night while steering
the Traveller through the narrows,
noticed, what supposed to be, two
very large logs just ahead, and about
thirty feet abreast, and parallel with
each other. As had plenty of room
l passed between them, when l discov.
cred that the logs were large canoes,
and filled with Indians that were lying
in wait for us. The next instant the
Indians had grappled on to our guards
and were boarding US. Unknown to
them, l had an United States Corporal
and his guard OF twelve soldiers aboard.
who instantly turned out, and, with
clubbed muskets, drove them off, sew.
eral Of them taking to the water like
ducks. I called to the corp oral to not
shoot unless we drew their fire, and il
was very lucky for Messrs. Lo that the
soldiers were regulars instead of vol.