The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-03-09
HOOD RIVER
60 YEARS AGO
INDIAN WARS WERE TERRIFYING
Klickitats Attacked Pioneer Settlers in
February, 1856 Friendly Indians
Forced to Leave Homes

This is the third portion of a series of
articles written for the Glacier in 1908
by II. C. Coe, son of Nathaniel Coe,
the first permanent Hood River settler)
will here copy a letter written to
the Glacier of November z, 1897. des-
cribing many incidents that occurred
during those trying times:
The year 1856 was one of anxiety to
the few and scattered inhabitants of
eastern Oregon and Washington. Ru-
mors of an impending Indian outbreak
filled the air-tame with the winters
SHOWS, but did not 60 with them.
For year the columns of the Weekly
Oregonian had been filed with ac-
counts of the barharous tOrtures in
f1icted upon helpless immigrants who
fell into the hands of hostile hordes in
the eastern part of the territory. The
question then with the wretched pris-
oners was not how long before ram
some or exchange would set them free,
but how long before death would re-
lease them from the internal tortures
inflicted by their captors. Once in
their clutches few escaped to tell the
awful tale.
The powerful Yakima nation, led by
the noted Chief Kamiaken. we're prac-
tically on the war path, and their ennis
saries were everywhere urging the
Columbia river tribes to join in war
of determination against the whites.
The Klickitats. an important branch of
the Yakimas, withstood for time the
opportunities of their inland brothers
and gave up their arms to the authori-
ties without word; but the magot of
| unrest was industriously working in
the military brain, and the arrest Of
three of the principal chiefs of the
tribe was decided upon. Mr.. Joslyn,
the pioneer settler of White Salmon, a
warm hearted Christian gentleman and
an earnest friend of the Indians, pro-
tested in vain against the outrage. The
unsuspecting chiefs we're easily trap.
ped, loaded with chains, sent to Van
couver and placed in charge of the reg
ular army. They soon found means to
evade the vigilence of their guards and
returned to their tribe, who, with a
| few notable exceptions, at once joined
I the hostiles.
This occurred during the latter part
of February, 1856. Mr.. Joslyn, salts.
fed that trouble would follow the ar
rest of the chiefs, had removed with bis
family to Portland, leaving a hired
man named Galentine and boy named
Hawks to look out for the place. An
attack was at once planned by the
angry chiefs, but the friendly Indians
| notified them Of the plot and they lef,
4 the place and crossed to Hood River
after being chased all night by the
hostiles. For this act of friendship t.
the whites the friendly Indians were
compelled to leave their homes ant
4 with their wives and little ones alst
II came to Hood River. There we're al
that time but two families living here
William jenkins and wife and two
jbrothers-in-law, making with our fam
! ily and the man named Galentine sever
| men. two women and two boys, com
ncsinp the entire white population be
tween the Cascades and The Dalles.
Our farm work thus far had beer
done very much as the Jews had re
builded Jerusalem, with implements o.
war in one hand and q trowel in an
other. Many a day have ! urged OF
the tardy oxen with goad in one hant
and a rifle in the other. These wer'
troublous times. The hostile klicki
n tsts made themselves very conspicuou
along the bluffs on the Washington
shore above White Salmon. For day
the war drums had beat continuously
filling our hearts with forebodings o
trouble. :,
The Hood River Indians had been. 81
far. very pronounced in their friend
4 ship toward US, and in conjunction
l with the friendly K lickitats. had cap
.tured and brought to the Oregon SID
q very canoe or boat that could b.
fo und which was in reach OF the hos
til es. So far so good; but the Poiai
lila he (sandland) Indians under oil
Chief Wallachin. living on what wa
afterward the Haynes ranch, abou
two miles west of Hood River, wer
known to have very decided leanini
toward the hosties. We at once ap
pealed to the military authorities a
The Dalles for protection, and Lieu
tenant Davidson was sent down with
company of cavalry. How well ! re
member their coming The hostile
had been unusually active that morn
ing, and the boy. Woodburn Hawks
and myseif had been sent out to gathe
nm tho cattle and drive them home
We did not much like the job. bu
could not help it; but before we ha
found the cattle we saw the smok
from Joslyn's house and barn and hul
| ried home as fast as our feet coul
carry us. We found the cavalry ha
arrived, and their coming was the sig
Il nal for the burning. The valorous lier
tenant marshaled his forces on th
sandbar, and hailing the steamer Wa'