Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1920-01-04

nal We find that James Craixie. al
tnough an obscure servant Of a Brit
ish corporation and isolated from the
refinements Of civilized society. pos
sessed a heart as kind as ever beat
ana like scsne medieval knight. through
long years Of service in his lonely
adobe castle" he made old Fort Boise
veritable St Bernard in our Rocky
mountains. On the scroll which con-
tains the names Of the heroes and he
roines who came to Idaho in the long
ago. In letters OF gold. should be writ
ten these two:
FRANCIS PAYETTE and
JAMES CRAIGIE'
DoieE MEN At FORT
The late c. W. Moore OF Boise also
met Mr.. Craigie at Fort Boise IN 1852
when his emigrant train casnped near
the post. Mr.. Moore's train stopped
just below the site Of Caldwell to bury
young woman whom the hardships
OF the long trek across the desert had
overcome and who was only one OF
$4,000 pathfinders whose graves mark
the route OF the old Oregon trail.
Upon reaching the post Mr.. Moore
inquired Of Mr.. Cratgie where he could
find pasture for his stock. IF you 60
down to the river little piece" said
over to an island where you will find
plenty Of grass" Sixty-seven years
later the writer. standing near the site
OF old Fort Boise, could see that same
little island covered with a green ver-
dure that shimmered in the sunshine
Of July afternoon.
# THE LAST DAYS
In 1853 Fort Boise was washed away
by remarkable rise in Snake river.
Rebuilding was commenced the same
year but only two buildings were later
completed. Uncle John HALEY passed
Fort Boise with the James Tatom's
emigration train from Dade county,
Missouri in 1853. He found 1t in ruins.
He recalls its fallen-in roof and a
quaint, old, rambling willow fence that
enclosed part of the fort grounds
In late August. 1854. young w. M.
Ward OF the Alexander Ward party,
whose little train was almost exter-
minated in a furious Indian massacre
near Ten-Mile creek, about 20 miles
west of the present city Of Boise, was
cared for at the fort.
Because Of the outbreak of the Yak
ina Indian war in 1855 Fort Boise was
abandoned In the autumn Of that year
by order of Chief Factor Dugald Me-
lavish. In October, 1855, Fort Walla
Walla. the base of supplies for both
Fort Boise and Fort Hall, fell before
Chief Peu -peu- mox-mox In the sum-
mer of the same year two Hudson's Bay
company expressmen, Boisclere and
Desjardins, who were carrying dis
patches from Fort Hall to Fort Van
couver, were murdered by the Indians.
This tragedy foreshadowed a general
Indian uprising. since the Hudson's Bay
company's uniform has hitherto in
variably afforded protection to the
traders. The Ward party massacre of
1854 also was q harbinger OF an i'm
pending clash with the redskins.
AS early as 1s49 Governor Lane of
Oregon territory, which at that time
included Idaho, forebade the Hudson,s
Bay company to sell ammunition to
the Indians who visited their posts.
This act. of course, greatly incensed
the Indians as it cut them off from
their usual game supply.
William Charles, the last trader sta
toned at Fort Boise. later testified that
the Indians who visited the post also
were aggrieved over hts friendliness to |
Major Granville 0. Halter and the
American soldiers who were stationed
there. 1t was Major Halter who hunted
down the Ward party murderers dur
ing the summer of 1856 and hanged
eight of them on the brow OF a him in |
what is now known as the Hamilton
Davis place, 20 miles west of Boise. |
During the winter of 1864 So the stores |
Of goods at both Fort Boise and Fort |
Hall were moved to Flathead post. |