The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-01-17
THE ROMANCE
OF A PIONEER
CHIEF BEQUEATHED A DAUGHTER
Young Indian Fighter Won Esteem Of
ChenOwIth Of Cascades, Who De-
livered Charge Before Death

The mound of a newly made grave
has been reared in the little cemetery
of Underwood. Beneath the eonven-
tional ridge of heaped up and rounded
off clay and loan rests the body of
Amos Underwood, pioneer Indian
| fighter who had claimed the mid-Co-
lumbia for his home for 65 years. And
while the aged man had more than one
scalp to his credit, no man of the early
days, perhaps, was ever held in higher
esteem by the Indians than Amos I'M
| derwood.
At the age of SO the aged pioneer
passed away at the home of his only
surviving child, Mrs. Mary V. Olson, at
the little town on the North Bank that
bears his name Friday, December ID.
His funeral was held the following
Tuesday. While he left no son to per-
petuate his name, the old man left the
town and community to bear it down
through time.
In the life and deeds of Amos Un-
derwood one may read of romance,
tragedy and hardship. His wife was
an Indian maiden, the daughter of
Chenowith, chief of the Cascade In
dians. Following the so called Cas-
cade massacre in 1856, Chenowith and
his personal retinue of warriors were
tried by court martial and sentenced to
be hanged. The old warrior, with the
moose around his neck, in his farewell
address motioned to his side one of the
stalwart young guards. The guard
was Amos Underwood.
have chsar,aJ tb;e naIo
face for several years." were the
words, according to interpreters, of
the proud old chief as he stood within
the shadow of death, ''and his actions
have been good. My son, to you give
my daughter. In your care have no
fear for her."
Chenowith, with eloquence in his
final words and gesture, stepped back
and uttered a war whoop. Soldiers
grasped the free end of the rope and
his body was hoisted from the earth.
A grave, so the story goes, had al
ready been dug nearby the execution
ground. In his speech Chenowith had
pointed to the hole and had appealed
that his body be not laid to moulder in
the cold earth. Unexplained that he
was wealthy.
Co.. he said, "and sell of my
ponies that pasture on the lowlands
and purchase robes that myself and
my warriors may have decent burial in
accordance with our ancient rites.
His surviving friends were given the
right to carry out his request.
Mr.. Underwood at the time of the
execution was but % years of age. To
l,,,. = h. @1L
his charge, although he had never seen
the daughter. 1t was more than five
years before he laid eyes on Ellen, as
the Indian grill had been christened
when she was baptised by missionaries,
and during the time the young girl, ac-
cording to the Indian custom, had been
given to Lieut.. W. X. Lear, young
officer at the post.
As Mrs. Olson tells the story of
those pioneer days, the Indians of the
Cascades wished protection from the
whites.
Lieut.. Lear saw my mother, who
was beautiful maiden" says Mrs.
Olson, and fell in love with her. My
grandmother called council of her
people, and it was decided that it
would be wise for them TO accept the
officers proposals. The two were
| married according to the Indian law
| To them child was born, little girl,
| Isabella.
''Then Lieut.. Lear was transferred,
first to California, then to Arizona and
later to Alaska. My father came back
again to the mid Columbia and while
passing through the post he saw
my mother for the first time. He re-
membered his promise, and soon he
and my mother were married and
shortly moved to their home for so
many years at Underwood. My faith
er's brother came to the mid Columbia
after few years and fell in love with
the girl, Isabella, and they were mar
ried.
always our home has been the ren.
devious for indians of the surrounding
country. They have come to my father
and mother, and grandmother, the lat.
ter having resided with us for many
years, for advice. The poor have come
for help, and the troubled for words of
solace. | have never known nobler
old woman than my grandmother. She
never recovered from the loss of her
husband, whom, she said, was exc
cuted unjustly. She had cause to hate
the whites, but she ascribed the act to
ignorance and what bitterness was
hers she kept within her own breast.
My grandmother always had plenty,
and never did see her fail to divide it
with Indians coming to her for aid.
"a few years ago had occasion to
visit the Yakima Indian reservation.
At first | was just an ordinary Indian
visitor. Then | told someone of my
grandfather. After that nothing was
too good for me. She is the grand
daughter of Chenowith, heard them
tell each other, and | was. .feasted and
entertained Ikea princess.
Mr.. Underwood was onesof the pio.
neers of Oregon who helped to make
the history of the country. As vol
unteer in Co. B.. Oregon Volunteers,
of which he was corporal, he partici-
pated In the Cayuse war of 1855.