East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-03-17

under the title "A trlend or ho-MlI
la" someone gives the following in
teresting narrative regarding the cap
ture OF Chief Egan during the Ban
mock war. However the writer is mis-
taken regarding Umapine, the presen
chief of the cayuses. The new chic
was either the son or the nephew o.
the Umapine who assisted in trapping
Egan.-Editor)
Though a living dog may sometime;
be more highly esteemed than a dead
lion. even dead Indian is entitled
to his due. An active participation In
some OF the stirring events of the Ban
mock Indian campaign and desire tC
do justice to the memory of a worthy
Indian chief, now dead, who proved
his lifelong friendship for the whites
prompts me to venture a friendly crit
icism of some statements in Pendle-
ton account of the election of Una
pine as chief OF the Cayuse Indians, as
published in The Oregonlan OF Febru-
airy 9, wherein credit for the cap
ture OF E-gan. the Bannock war chief
is given TO Umapine instead of TO va
tin-a-ya-wits, or Ho-mil-la, as he was
better known to the whites, chief OF
the walla Wallas, to whom ii justly
belongs.
Leads a Restless Band
At the beginning OF the Bannock
outbreak there was q restless spirit of
insubordination among the wild" ele-
ment Of blanket" Indians on the Um-
atilla reservation. among whom Um-
apine, then about % years Of age, was
a leading spirit, impatient of control
under whose leadership quite a band
OF young braves, on a pretense OF 60
ing to hunt and dig roots. took their
squaws and a fine equipment of horses
arms and ammunition and hiked off
into the Blue Mountains in the direc-
ton of the approaching Bannocks in
spite OF the remonstrances of Ho-mil-
la and How-lish-wam- pun, who were
lifelong friends of the white people.
In the vicinity of Camas Prairie they
fell in with the Bannocks and began
negotiations for cooperation in hos
tile campaign.
Rumors Of the approach of the Ban
nocks having reached Ho-mil-la, he
sent messengers TO bring Umapine and
his party back to the agency, but they
failed TO come in. In the meantime
the sheepmen, becoming alarmed for
the safety of their flocks, secured a
party OF volunteers and started out in
TO the mountains, where they came in
10 collision with the Indians, and were
badly worsted in very serious skir-
mish, losing a considerable number OF
their men, and recognizing Umatilla
Indians as their assailants. Those who
escaped hurried back TO Pendleton
and reported that the Umatillas had
Joined the Bannocks.
CONSERVATION Follows Report
When this report went out conster-
nation seized the people who fled
forted up in the taowns. Troops at
Fort Harvey under Captain Miles were
ordered to the Umatilla agency, at
which place the friendly Umatillas
were disarmed. By this precipitation
OF hostilities Umapine ana his party
were seriously compromised. and E.
gan, taking advantage of the situation
and presuming that Umapine was now
committed beyond withdrawal, assum-
ed authority and injudiciouslly appro-
IN fha rec Of hio Do
riors some of the fine fat horses of the
Umatillas to replace their wornout
horses, which angered Umapine and
Blackhawk that a serious misunder-
standing ensued, resulting in much
pickering and bantering on both sides
and thus weakened their alliance.
When Ho-mil-la learned of the pre-
dicament into which Umapine had
gotten himself he was in Grand
Ronde Valley with his family. I'm
mediately returning to the agency, he
gathered a small party of trusty In
dians and having conferred with the
military authorities, agreeing to bring
E-gan. dead or live, as the price Of
exemption from punishment Of Um-
apine and his party, he set out on his
desperate mission. Having establish |
ed communication with Umapine and
informed him of the terms by which |
his neck might be saved from the hal |
ter, he found that now thoroughly |
sickened and disgusted brave a will |
ing tool to betray and sacrifice his |
comrade in arms to save his own life |
and reputation. Accordingly, under |
pretense of introducing E-gan to the
main body Of Umatillas for the pur.
pose Of arranging the details of CO.
operation and campaign, he led him |
into an ambush, where the unsuspect-
ing chief was treacherously murdered
by his pretended friends, who proved
themselves traitors to their Indian al
lies as well as they had proved untrue
to the whites.
Heard Fatal Shot.
/ was not an eyewitness to the kill
ing OF Chief E-gan, but was so near
at hand that / heard the "a shots
which were fired when they ambush
pN' anu tHe oSbdIiS VI tiLdt affair do
they were told me at that time were
substantially as follows:
1t was Ho-mil-las purpose to take
E-gan alive, and with that end in view
he had instructed two OF his strongest
men to seize and bind him, which they
attempted to do, but despite the fact
that one OF his arms wasdlsabled, he
proved more than a match for the two
young braves, and hurting them off
with giant strength he fought TO the