Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-09-10
TELLS OF INDIAN WAR
JUDGE COLLINS RELATES EAR
LY HISTORY INTERESTINGLY
"reminiscences of Yakima Campaign,
in Which Polk County Com
pany Participated.

teresting interview by Fred Lockley
with Judge J. l.. Collins Of this city,
in which several "reminiscences OF plo-
neer DAYS were recalled. But so in
timately associated with the earlier
history Of the Willamette valley was
Judge Collins that the writer couldn't
"cover the entire story" in a single
article, and therefore continued 1T IN
the following:
"When a man goes into fight for
the first time, he doesn't know how he
is going to act,'' said Judge J. L..
Collins of Dallas, pioneer OF 1886.
~ reported the session OF the terri
,torial legislature held in December,
1856 and January, 1856, and just
before the adjournment OF the legls-
lative session | was mustered INTO
Captain B. F. Burch's company OF
volunteers at Salem. From The Dalles
our company went up into the Yakima
country. Early in April, Captain
Hembree of Layfayette, with a detail
of men and several other officers, went
out from our camp, on the Yakima
river, near the present city OF North
Yakima, on a short scout, to see II
there were any hostiles in sight. They
had crossed the river and gained the
summit of the hill when they were at
tackled and Captain Hembree was
killed. 1t was early daylight. L was
Just coming off guard. AS our men
came down the hill toward the river
pell-mell, with the Indians on. the
keen jump after them, our camp was
like beehive about to swarm In
next to no time our men had their
guns and the horse guard had the
horses in camp. We made quick
work ON saddling our horses, mount
ing and charging across the river to
engage the Indians before they could
get away. They had no intention OF
getting away, however, and they gave
us an all-day battle. The Indians had
put up hastily built breastworks OF
rocks across the end Of depression
near the top of the hill. About 80 OF
MS were ordered to dislodge them. 1t
looked like a rather dangerous under
taking to climb up the hill in the
face of the fire of the Indians back Oh
a rock wall and dislodge them, and
for a moment or so | wondered II In
dian-fghting was my line of work. l
wondered if / was going to be a cow
ard or not, and I really couldn' t tell,
but when we started up and the bul-
lets began whistling overhead | for
got all about being afraid, and my on
ly interest was in getting to the top
of the hill so we could drive the In
dams from behind their rock wall In
firing down hill at us, the Indians
fred high, so most of their bullets
went over our heads.
"The rock wall was on the skyline.
We could see daylight through the
holes in their barricade. ! picked out
a good-sized hole in the wall, and ev-
ery time I saw it darkened | knew an
Indian was there and | shot. l was
a good shot. and several times when l
shot through the hole there would be
a veil and I knew I had gotten my
Indian. Finally the Indians jumped
over the wall and charged us. We
stopped them and finally drove them
before us. They retreated to their
breastworks. We took it with a rush
and the Indians ran like frightened
iackrabbits, taking their dead and
wounded with them.
Gone of the Indians fell. and Mar
Gus Gillian, whose sister, Lizzie, mar
ried nv brother Frank, ran a hun
dred Yards ahead of us and killed and
scalped him. The Indians concen-
trated their fire on him. and the dust
and gravel fairly boiled around him
He waved the bleeding scalp at thf
Indians and ran back to us. 1t was
tbe most reckless and dangerous
thing | ever saw done on the whole
campaign. Marcus Gillian was the
son of Colonel Cornelius Gillian, and
he didn't seem to know what feal
was.
eve followed the Indians till sun
SET Colonel George H. Shields. Cap
tain Ankenv and | were riding along
together. The Indians began shooting
at MS One of their bullets knocked
a piece out of the butt of my gun
raised the skin on my finger, and, be
ing detected by hitting the butt OF
nv gun. the bullet went downward
lust missing the under jaw of Colone
Shields horse, and struck the grount
in front of Captain Ankeny's horse
That was the last shot fired In thai
engagement.
HThere was considerable friction
during the campaign. General Wool
who was a regular army officer ant
one of the heroes of the Mexican war
wanted the volunteers to maintain reg
ular army discipline and not fight hk'
"a horde of ruffians or an unarme'
mob.' He wanted us to keep up OH
company formation when we charged
the Indians. Colonel Nesmith said
$50 long as my men lick the Indians
thev can do as they please. they cal
fight standing up or crawling on thei
bellies
"After l was mustered out l tangh
school. taught from the summer o
1856 till the first term of court hel,
at Dallas in 1858. l taught at Oal
Grove. at Smithfield and on the Luck
iamute. While teaching at Bridge