The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-02-14
STORY OF The CAY.
USE INDIAN WAR


(This is the second installment of the
personal "reminiscences of the late Amos
Underwood on the Cayuse war Of 1855.
The third will follow in future issue. }
We went three or four or five miles
around and came to the Indian camp on
the creek above the canyon. There
were some 200 huts and the same num-
ber of fires. but no beef and no Indi-
ans, except on the high points above
us. We asked old Pepe where the roast
beef and breakfast was. He shook his
head and said: "Klonas HAS quash
tillicums" (guess my people are
scared) Some of the boys from The
Dalles (they were called the Forty
Thieves) could beat the Indians at
their own game. They said: I'VE will
have breakfast soon." Taking an old
shovel they dug the fire away. dug
down foot or two and found cache
under every one of those fires-brass
kettles and all kinds of utensils and
clothing, wheat, peas, camas, couse
and all other kinds of Indian grub. We
fed our horses, ate all we wanted,
took what we wanted and then threw
the rest into the fire and burnt it up.
We then started south and east OF
south, and travelled all day. Indians
could be seen on all sides on the high
points. Some of the boys would occa-
sionally get a shot, but the old muzzle'
leaders would not reach them.
We struck the Walla Walla road
about dark; could see the train had
not got that far so we took the back
track. In an hours travel we found
the train, camped on small stream,
and all we'll. We could smell the sup.
per and were not long getting along
side. The camp was about 500 yards
long. Capt. Fontelroy was in charge
for the commissary.
When bedtime came Corporal A. Un-
derwood was called to take charge OF
the prisoners. We had six Indians and
had six men, one for each prisoner.
Of the guard can only remember the
names of Warren Keith, Sam Warfield
and Doctor Bates. When we put the
Indians to bed, one big fellow who said
his name was Champoeg Jim, CON-
planned that there was a stick under
him, and he raised upon his hands and
knees and asked Bates to remove it.
AS Bates stopped to get the stick, the
Indian jumped out by his side and ran.
Some of the boys started to help Bates,
and at the same time all of the other
prisoners tried to make a break.
Jumped: out and told the boys each to
hold his man. Old man Keith showed
the muzzle of his gun against the
breast of the chief, pushed him over
and held him to the ground. Each OF
the other boys did the same with his
prisoner. Doc Bates ran his man about
100 yards and caught him. As luck
would have it, Bates was the swiftest
man for 100 or 200 yards in the whole
regiment. All hands turned out and
tied the prisoners hand and foot. Next
morning when we started on the march
myself and guard were kept in charge
of the prisoners.
Before we left camp could hear the
rifles popping around the bend. The
advance guard were properly in it.
As we marched up the road, our posi-
tion with the prisoners was about the
center of the column, then followed
the wagon train and then the rear
guard. We could see the boys running
along the hillsides and hear them
shooting all day, and did want to be
with them. AS we rode along noticed
Alb Addington sitting by the roadside
leaning on his elbows. | said:
"Ab, are you hurt badly?"
NO." he replied, "but those --
have got my race mare"
Abs mare had run away with him,
had run clean through the main line of
the Indians. After being shot through
the hip he fell off, and as the Indians
passed him they tried to shoot him,
but being too closely pressed by our
boys they would stick their guns in his
face and before they could pull the
trigger they would be past their mark
and the bullets would whistle to one
side of his face. The skin was pulled
off his face and head in several places
wherel the muzzles of the guns had
struck him. Alb was Linn county
boy.
Next | saw a dead Indian lying on a
hillside. pointed him out to old Pepe,
who shook his head. Then Lieutenant
Ben Hardin came riding back on his
big iron gray horse. The animal had
been shot in the withers and the blood
streaming down on the light colored
horse looked bad. Old Pepe shook his
head again. Nat Olney came along
going to the front. He said things
weresgetting hot as he'll. ..on ahead. Old
Pepe asked if Olney was good and
smiled. when | told him he was.
AS we rode along one of the Indians
told Keith that he was Nez Perce Is
years old that he had come down after
some horses, but the Cayuses would
not let him return home.