The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-04-03
NOTES ON FIRST
THINGS In OREGON
tBy Rev. G.. w. Kennedy

The first Indian fight in the Oregon
country took place in 1S47. This was
Just after the Whitman massacre. DR..
Whitman, with his devoted wife and
II other members of the mission, were
murdered at Wilatpu in Walla Walla
region on Nov 20. lS47 Thirty cap
tives were taken by the Indians, mostly
children, and were afterwards ran
somed. The few that escaped spread
the awful news. The provisional gov
ernment Of Oregon Immediately took
action and organized regiment Of vol
unteer soldiers to chastize the perpe-
traitors. This was the first organized
military force and was called the
First Regiment Oregon Mounted
Riflemen.
About thousand men comprised
that regiment and it was commanded
by Col. Cornelius Gillian. He was a
man of much courage but of not much
military experience. He had under
him some captains experienced in Iud-
an warfare on the plains: Capt.
Thomas Mckay. son Of Alexander Nc
Kay, of Astor expedition; Capt. Ma
than Olney, an old scout and trader:
Capt. Connoyer, afterwards mayor and
Indian agent at Umatilla Capt. Maxon,
a brilliant frontiersman; and others.
The whole regiment was composed of
practical riflemen and immured to
hardships. Not one of these men vol
unteered for pay, nor did he ever ex-
pect any. This troop marched from
The Dalles in December. They fol-
lowed the emigrant road eastward, had
a few supply wagons; the grass was
abundant for horses. The Cayuse In
dians embraced the Walla Wallas and
Umatilas and Immediately after the
Whitman massacre they prepared for a
warfare. The two war chiefs we're
Five Crows and War Eagle. At the
war dances they made great harangues
to the Indians, telling them that no
white mans bullet could kill one of
them. Two thousand braves were on
march to meet thessoldiers.
They met at Sand Hollow, six miles
west Of We'll Springs, the present site
of the town of Condor. The whole
force of Indians marched down the val
ley: bold, because Five Crows had
told them that he could stop any white
mans bullet and War Eagle said he
could catch the bullets in his mouth.
The line of battle was formed as fol-
lows: Capt. Mckay and company on
the extreme right, Capt. Maxon the
extreme left and Capt. Gillian the
centre. The Indians, led by War Eagle,
made their first charge on McKay's
company. When less than 100 yards
the command to fire was given and the
unerring aim of the Oregon riflemen
meant death. War Eagle fell-he had
caught the bullet, but not in the
mouth. A blazing and destructive fire
was poured in from all along the line.
Five Crows fell on the left of the line.
Horses and horsemen fell-fell as if
smitten by an avenging blast. In 20
minutes the whole Indian force re-
coiled, retreating back up Sand Hol-
low, and scattered over the hills so il
was impossible to follow them to any
advantage.
Three days later the regiment was
on the scene of the Whitman. massacre.
They re-buried the dead and fought
another battle with the hostiles on the
Touchet river. This ended the war and
lead to a treaty in which the Indians
surrendered the murderers of DR..
Whitman, and which treaty was kept
in peace by them until the great Cay.
use war of 1866.