Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-03-23
SEVEN OF 500 SURVIVE
POLK INDIAN WAR VETERANS
OF 1866 ARE NOW FEW.
Recollections of Those Who Partici-
pated in Yakima Rebellion Brief
ly Told.

| Samuel TetheroW, David Il. Hedges,
James M. Campbell, James L. Collins,
L. W. Loughary, Thomas j. Hayter
and Thos. H. Montgomery are the
only survivors of the two hundred
men who enlisted from Polk county
in 1886 to engage in the Yakima
Indian war, according to Monmouth
correspondent. These Indian war vet
Grams are, of course, among the coun-
tvs earliest pioneers, and have seen
wonderful developments, not only
within the confines of their several
immediate balliwicks, but throughout
the Willamette valley, Oregon and the
world in the past sixty years since
they rode away to conquer the red
skins. Samuel Tetherow of Falls
City is aged 70 years. He came to
Polk county in 1845, and settled near
Monmouth and afterwards moved to
Dallas. "In 1855 we went to Walla
Walla where we were engaged in a
four days. fight" Mr.. Tetherow said.
"The soldiers lay there a month on
guard and then ran the Indians across
the Snake river into the Palouse coun-
try. At Yakima, in the fight, Captain
Hembree and many of his men were
killed, and the horses were stolen"
David L. Hedges is resident Of
Independence. He says he remembers
clearly the time when the Polk county
men were camped at Palouse and lived
on horse meat for number of days.
He was sent to The Dalles as an es-
cort with provision wagons, and was
there discharged. For 81 years Mr..
Hedges has lived in and near Indepen-
dence, coming to Polk county when Is
years old.
James M. Campbell of this city
served as private in the first regiment
of Oregon Mounted Volunteers from
October 5, 1855, under Captain A. N.
Armstrong and Captain Benjamin
Birch, until May s, 1856. He recalls:
~ lost one horse and one mule while
on duty, lived on half rations most
of the time, chased Indians and was
in number Of skirmishes. My health
was good, and / am still active and in
the best of health" Mr.. Campbell
passed his S1st birthday on October
9. His brother, T. j., celebrated his
21st anniversary on the same day.
The two have lived 81 years in Polk
county.
Coming from Missouri in the spring
of 1876, James Layton Collins settled
near Dallas, where he has lived 68
years. His eighty-second birthday
will be observed on May 8. In the
earlier days he was closely identified
with almost every activity of county
and state. For some time past he has
been confined to his home.
Sixty-one years resident of Polk,
Lafayette W. Loughary Of the Lucki-
amute valley, father of U. S. Lough-
ary of Dallas, and frequent visitor
to this city, says: "We were mus
tered in at Salem, January 25, 1856,
went from there to The Dalles via
thence to Wild Horse Creek.
We remained here a few days, then
proceeded to the fort at Walla Walla,
where the commander hanged an In
dian spy. After we crossed the Snake
river we saw the first wild Indians.
From there we moved to the Columbia
river below Priest Rapids, crossed the
river to the west side. Horse meat
formed our chief diet. Next we went
down stream to the mouth of the va
kima and received provisions. Three
days more we Travelled and struck
some Indians. Captain Embry was
killed. We killed one Indian. We
went on to Klickitat valley and lost
our horses. Again we moved. This
time it was to Salem and we were
out on May s, 1856"
Thomas ]. Hayter of Dallas gives
experiences Of the Indian
war, but his "reminiscences, and also
those of Thos. Montgomery of Rock
Creek, run closely to the recollections
of Others, and especially to those Of
Mr.. Loughary. Not until the spring
Of 1913 did the Indian war veterans
Of Polk county receive pay from the
state for the horses and mules which