The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-04-29


toned. 81 am not your guide, he
said. ''you hired me as boss packer.
"Do you knoy anything about this
part of the countfy?"
Eyes, every foot of it. "
Can you lead us out OF this hole TO-
night?"
"Don't know; every passage is
blocked, with possibly one exception
that may be. -
"WiIl you lead US through 1t?
"No. not till hexamine 1t.
"Well, take an officer with you and
examine it, and report back at once.
mo; | must go alone, ana IL VIII
take two hours.
Then the council parleyed, thought
| the packer meant mischief. FINALLY
he said, 'lf anything is to be done, It
must be done at once, before daylight,
or all of you will be lost.
Then he was ordered to make the
examination. By this time it was ~
O'Clock. The packer left the council
Two hours passed and no report.
That scoundrel has tricked u.s. was
the unanimous opinion. A few min
utes later the packer appeared.
Follow me, :" he said, "but you
can't get out with anything more than
you can carry; we must march IN SIN
gle file.
He led the command to safety
through a defie that was unguarded
because it was believed by the hostlles
that no one would attempt to pass
through it; and by daylight the com
mand was five miles away from the
pocket in which they had unwittingly
camped the evening before, but minus
pack animals, food and munitions of
war. Fortunately, however, Major
Haller was met by reinforcement
from The Dalles. and from that source
secured the supplies necessary to reach
The Dales. This packer was Donald
Mckay, son of Thomas Mckay, a
noted Indian fighter of the Cayuse
war. and a grandson of that Alexander
Mckay, a partner of John Jacob Astor
in the establishment of Fort Astor,
who lost his life in the summer Of 1911
by the destruction of the Tonquin. the
Asior trading vessel, and all on board,
at the hands of the Indians at Nootka
Sound on the coast of Vancouver ISL
and. Incidentally, in this connection
mention should be made of the fact
that Tom Mckay was clerk of the
Astor party in 1871, became stepson
of DR.. John Mclaughlin, who married
his mother, d took as his wife one Of
the daughters of Cobaway, chief of the
Clatsop Indians. He began farming
on Scappoose Pla MS sometime before
1884 Jason Lee ia his diary mentions
going there on September 10 of that
year). He had the reputation of being
:, IaAaAIohIA fGarIaQG and
resolute, and had charge of the Hud
sons Bay Company express, twice a
year from Stort Vancouver to the Sac
ramento valley, in the early Dos, and
to Yerba Buena in l84l, and for a mum
Der of years thereafter. He died at
Scappoose in l849, and lies in a neg
lected grave.
He had two sons, William Cameron,
born at Fort Astor, March Ia. 1924,
and Donald. already alluded to, born
in the Nez Perce country. near what is
now Lewiston, in 1886. William was
educated in the east, and became a
physician, and had great deal of ex
perience in his profession, and was a
scout and interpreter as well. He died
at Pendleton, Ore, January 2, 1908.
After the HaIer episode Donald be
came very useful man as scout and
Interpreter. and rendered signal service
upon many occasions. His last service
as a scout was in connection with the
Modoc war in the klamath country IN
1873. He died on the Umatilla reser-
vation April 10, 1899.
multaneously with Haller's defeat,
the Indians began to attack the set
tiers in Jackson and Josephine counties
in Oregon Territory, and Thurston,
Pierce and King counties in Washing
ton Territory, as well as at paints east
of the Cascade mountains, where set
tiers had begun to make homes. At
this time there were only three mill
tary posts in the entire c0untry-fort
Vancouver, Fort Dalles and Fort Steil
accom-. less than regiment all told
regular trCops commanded 10y officers
who would have been efficient enough
in combating a civilized enemy, but
entirely without experience in Indian
warfare. Hence it may be seen that
the country was practically without
protection.
In this juncture the governors of the
two territories, Stevens in Washing
ton, and Curry in Oregon, issued proc
lamations calling for volunteers. The
response was quick the lives of fami
lies and protection of property were at
stake. Many homes were abandoned
a few families would gather together
at suitable places and build blockhous-
es for their own defense. The parents
of the writer lived in four different
or stockades, between Oc-
tober, 1855. and March 1857. The
regulars probably did the best they
could. but as the number was so mea-
ger their service was largely in the ma
ture of guard duty. The number al
volunteers was over 1000; 2l3 of them
friendly Indians. Much of everything
needed in the way of equipment for a
was provided by the volun.
tefs at their own expense. and script
issued by the territorial quartermaster
e neral given in payment therefore
subject to the approval Of the. national
government i'm the future.
The hostilities lasted a year. Mum
erous battles were fought, mere skir-
mishes from the present day concep-
tion of warfare, and in none was the |
loss of life so great in proportion to
the number engaged at the battle of
the Cascades. This really was a mas
sacie, II killed and Is wounded. |
Lieut.. Philip II. Sheridan. with com
pany of 40 men, went to rescue nine |
regulars stationed in the middle block |
house He found the force of Indians |
too great, so retreated to place Of /
safety, and awaited reinforcements. |
Col. Steptoe at Fort Dalles
bad been informed of conditions and /
went down the river to the rescue Of
the remaining settlers and soldiers. |
Ard then the reinfOrcements that 4
Sheridan called for having arrived. /
supported by a couple Of howitzeTs, the 1
hostile Klickitats and Yakimas were in |
a measure caught between two forces /
and given a lesson in warfare such as /
they had never before experienced. /
TO this dav. round shot and pieces of
she'll are found in the vicinity Of the /
Cascades