Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-07-13


dian War An Attack Near Midnight, in
April. 1856. in Which Samuel Wilson Was
Shot at His Home on TanaIquot Prairie
Rescue by Capt. B. L. Henness-WiIson Re-
Of 90. Probably the Oldest Indian War..Vet.
eran on This Coast.
OLYMPIA, Wash, July 7, 1906.
EDITOR Standard:
The experience OF attending the ex-
ercises at Lake Sequalitchew in honor
of the Goth anniversary of the celebra-
ton of the nations natal day by Capt.
Charles Wilkes, last Thursday, and
the resulting opportunity of meeting
scores of old scquaintances whom l
have not seen for forty and fifty years
Il found two persons who were in the
same immigrant company l belonged
to coming through the Cascade noun
tains via Natchess pass in September
and October, 1853, whom l had not
seen since then-has thrown me into
a reminiscent mood. There are many
circumstances in connection with the
early history of Thurston county, and
OF the whole of Western Washington
as we'll, which have never been re-
corded, hence there is a rich field of
research. covering many phases OF hu.
man activity, which will abuntlantly
repay the diiigent student to try and
uncover and permanently record.
While many of the pioneers have
passed OH to their reward, yet there
are goodly number yet left who can
recall many OF the incidents connected
with laying the foundations OF the
great State OF Washington. 1 will
give you one OF which l was An eye.
witness in sense, occurring early in
April, 1856, and which, l believe, was
the last OF its kind 10 Western Wash
ington, in connection with what was
known as the Yakima Indian War of
1885,"
For several months prior to the date
above referred to. almost all the pio.
neer families in this region were fort.
ed up" in a chain OF blockhouses ex.
tending from the Columbia river
to Whidby's leland, for protection
against the Indians, the outbreak be.
ginning in October, 1855. Almost
every able.bodied man, including boys
above sixteen, in this sparsely settled
region, had answered the call issued
by Gov. Isaac l. Stevens and enlisted
for the defense of the settlements and
had gone to the front. thus leaving the
stockades and blOckhsuses to be de.
Tended by the old men and cripples
and women and children.
One evening in the month already
alluded to it was my turn to stand
guard. At this time, as hostilities
were believed to be almost at an end
vigilance was somewhat relaxed, and
the settlers had begun, to some extent,
to return to their homes, as it was im-
perative that the spring planting
should be performed in order to pro.
vide the needed food supply for the
following season. Between and 10
o'clock on dark night, soon after I
had taken my station in an upper
room of the Ruddell blockhouse, locat-
ed about six miles little south OF east
OF this city, on the northern edge of
the old Ruddell donation land claim
where my fathers family and . few
others had sought refuge, while look
ing southwark through q portfolio, .
sudden reflection of light along the
horizon in that direction indicated that
q building of some kind had been set
on fire. This was followed quickly by
the sound Of firearms. It was known
that few settlers had ventured out to
their homes on Tenalquot prairie,
hence the conjecture was that some Of
them had been attacked by the In
dians. The attention of Mr.. Ruddell
we'll known for many years in this
commuuity-and my father was called
to the occurrence; and not knowing
what was in store for us, all possible
preparations for defense were made,
and the outcome anxiously awaited by
the score OF persons within this pioneer
"house OF refuge" most of them wo.
men and children. At length the
weary watchers saw daylight approach
ing and felt greatly relieved, as no
Indians had appeared; and it wHs
not until the afternoon that anything
was known about the happening OF the
night before, which / will briefly re.
count.
There were a number of log cabins
on the northern end of Tenalquot prai
rie, one OF them occupied by Thomas
w. Glasgow, q bachelor at that time
one by Samuel Wilson, wife and three
children, and another by an Irishman
whose name l cannot recall. Two
score or more OF Indians bad worked
their way through the scattering line:
of the volunteers, who were endeavor'
ing to guard the frontier along the
foothills of the Cascades, applied the
torch to Glasgow's barn, and opened
FIRE on Wilson's cabin, not finding
Glasgow at home. William Yeager
from another part of the prairie, whose