Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-08-08


makes my heart sick. l have said l
will not fight, and l say to you again
! will not fight and when you hear
the whites say Moses will fight, you
tell them no. have always lived
here upon the Columbia River. l am
getting old and I do not want to see
my blood shed on any part of the
country. Chief Joseph wanted me
and my people to help him. His
offers were numerous. | told him
no-never. l watched my people
faithfully during his war and kept
them at home. ] told them all when
the war broke out that they should
not steal; if any of them did l would
report them to Father Wilbur. Dur
ing all the past year have not al
lowed any strange Indians to come
here fearing they would raise all ex-
element with my Indians. i am not
a squaw-I know how to fight, but
! tell you the truth. / do not want
to fight and have always told my
! people so. 1t is about time to begin
our spring work as we all raise lots
of vegetables and wheat and corn
and trade with Cinnamon and get
money
| wish you would write me and tell
me the truth so l can tell my peo-
pie so they will be contented once
more and go to work in their gar
dens / do not want to go on the
Yakima reservation as / told Col.
Watkins last summer. / wish to stay
where / have always lived and where
my parents died. / wish you would
write to me and send by the bearer
of this letter. And be sure l am a
friend and tell the truth.
His
Signed: Moses x Chief.
Mark
l replied that the Bannock Indians
were giving me much trouble, but
that when l got back l would arrange
meeting. In the meantime l would
depend OH him to keep peace.
Now, during this time it was hard
for Moses, for two sets of Indians
gave him trouble. The "Dreamers,"
led by Smoholly, tried to make Mos
es think that he should join many
tribes and fight the white men, for,
said they, all the Indians who have
gone to the happy huntinglands will
rise from the dead before long and
join us, so you must join, too. But
Moses would not fight. Then some
of those Indians who were fighting
crossed over the Columbia River and,
finding a family by the name of Per-
kins living far from any settlement,
killed every member Of the family
and burned their house and barn.
Some Indians told the white men
that Moses was a friend of these
dreadful warriors and was protecting
them. The white people of Yakima
City believed these idle tales and
even accused Moses to me, but l
met him and we talked it over, he
said that he would prove that what
he said was true, for he would help
find the three Cayuse Indians who had
done this wrong and give them up to
the Yakima courts.
Always true to his word, he took
with him thirty-fve Indians and be-
gan to hunt. One evening Moses
and his band camped for the night and
fearing no harm, were fast asleep,
when a large body of white men sur
rounded them. These men seized
Moses and bound him with cords, put
ting irons on his wrists, but still
he would not fight and told all his
Indians to point their rifles to the
ground, and offer no resistance. He
said afterward that he gave up his
pistol, knife, and gun and prepared
to die, but instead he was taken to
Yakima City and put in the Jail or
"Skookum House." as the Indians call
it.. Here Mr.. Wilbur promised enough
money to make them take off the
irons. but still Moses was a prisoner.
Then he said: ''Let the one-armed
soldier-chief. General Howard, know
| am a prisoner. He is friend and
as soon as he knows it he will set
me free" And this he constantly re-
peated. I was far away when the
news reached me, but came i'm
mediately and ordered that Moses be
at once set at liberty, and / have
never been sorry that l did so, for
he was true friend to the good white
people, and by his simple word kept
many hundred Indians at peace.