Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-03-26
The Indian Troubles Of 1854
sy o. W. sAksR.

Probably the hardest horseback ride /
ever made through hostile Indian
country and the most remarkable case
of endurance on record in the north
west, was the 400-mile ride OF Enocl
Fruit. from Fort Boise to The Dalles.
in August 1854. when, without rest. he
traversed the distance In four days
and nights. Fruit was employed by
H. P. Isaac and Orlando Humason TO
convey the news Of the massacre Of
20 emigrants al place some 40 miles
east OF Fort Boise. The horrible story
told by the messenger created great
excitement at The Dalles. but as an eye
witness to the scene Of horror short
Time after, / can testify that man could
rot tell OF, nor pen describe, the sick
ening sight and do it justice. and TO
the memory Of those who with me
viewed 1t, it will always rank in the
annals of savagery as the most fiend-
ish ever perpetrated-but of that later.
ON receipt Of the news we gathered
Ias quickly as possible O force Of regu-
lars and volunteers and started for
Fort Boise, Our companies consisted
OF So regulars under Major Granville
o. Halter and by picking UP a few
after starting, we had about the same
number Of volunteers under Captain
Nate Olney, with Orlando Neal and !.
Stoley. lieutenants.
AT Grand Ronde valley we were
joined By about 20 "Cayuse' and Nez
Perce Indians as allies; r. r. Thomp-
son as Indian agent. with hts two pack
ers, and Ex-Governor Gaines also ac-
lcompaned us from this point, Governor
Gaines being on his way to meet his
family who were on their way to Ore
gon. (He met them near the scene OF
the massacre.
on leaving Grand Ronde Olney took
about is men and our Indian allies and
made forced march to the 0wyhees,
where he surprised at early dawn an
Indian encampment. killing about 10
and taking Is prisoners, which he held
in the bastions of old Fort Boise until
the arrival Of Major Halter with the
rest OF the command.
AS soon as the major had made camp
short distance from the fort the
lprisoners were started from their
quarters with the intention OF bring
ling them before him. 1t happened to
| be about dinner time, and at the sound
of the bugle-call our captives took It
for granted their death warrant had
been signed, so scattered to make u
desperate run for liberty. A half breed
Indian addressed them in their own
tongue and succeeded in reassurlng
them, and all bus one stopped. This
unfortunate was Brought to a halt by
a charge Of bird shot fred by one Of
Tour tame Indians, who bore the very
/ appropriate name of Cut Mouth John"
The shot did no serious injury, but
the Siwash concluded to make the most
of it, 50 jumped into the air, fell flat,
and after a few death struggles was
apparently dead. we gathered around
the corpse, but old Cut Mouth John"
declared him wake memalose" and
deliberately poked the end OF his iron
ramrod into the victims eye. which
though severe test of death, in this
case proved very effeetual one. for
the victim jumped to his feet with
howl and went back to his comrades.
- obiiterated $3.50
Indian and his family this day and took
them along. striking south to the Boise
valley: here we found the thigh bone
and leg down to the boot of some boy
that had been killed.
We turned down the river to the
scene of the massacre 1t is over AZ
Years since ] visited that spot and yet
the horror Of the sight Is often before
lmg eyes. Here were the CHASTITY and
mutilated remains OF 20 men. women
and children, stripped of their clothing
and pntrefying in the sun. The men
and children had been killed. the wag
ons burned and six women Of mature
age had been taken a distance Of 80
yards, thrown down-and not even
then satisfied to dispatch their vic
Tins, these inhuman tends took the
red hot bolts from the burning wagons
and thrust them into the bodies Of
their helpless victims. thus burning
them to death.
, After stripping all their victims
naked the fends had cut open the
feather beds and scattered the feathers
over the bodies.
Mr.. Isaac and others had attempted
to hastily bury the decaying bodies,
but the Indians had returned ami
dragged them from the shallow graves
and left them to rot exposed TO sun ana
storm. or TO be devodred by wild
beasts.
The unfortunate train consisted of
three families named Ward. Wilson
and the other | have forgotten. Two
of the Ward boys L. and Il years OF
age. escaped, forded the river and mnde
their way to Fort Boise. where they
We're cared for BY Isaac and Humason,
who brought them to The Dalles. I
afterward became acquainted with one
hof the Wards at The Dalles.
After. burying the bodies We started
back to Fort Boise. l have forgotten
ITO mention. however. that owing to the