personal memoirs-1- 第7部分

Reading；　and　Lieutenant　Williamson　resumed　his　march　for　the　Columbia

River。　　Our　course　was　up　Pit　River；　by　the　lower　and　upper　canons；

then　across　to　the　Klamath　Lakes；　then　east；　along　their　edge　to　the

upper　lake。　　At　the　middle　Klamath　Lake；　just　after　crossing　Lost

River　and　the　Natural　Bridge；　we　met　a　small　party　of　citizens　from

Jacksonville；　Oregon；　looking　for　hostile　Indians　who　had　committed

some　depredations　in　their　neighborhood。　　From　them　we　learned　that

the　Rogue　River　Indians　in　southern　Oregon　were　on　the　war…path；　and

that　as　the　〃regular　troops　up　there　were　of　no　account；　the　citizens

had　taken　matters　in　hand；　and　intended　cleaning　up　the　hostiles。〃

They　swaggered　about　our　camp；　bragged　a　good　deal；　cursed　the

Indians　loudly；　and　soundly　abused　the　Government　for　not　giving　them

better　protection。　　It　struck　me；　however；　that　they　had　not　worked

very　hard　to　find　the　hostiles；　indeed；　it　could　plainly　be　seen　that

their　expedition　was　a　town…meeting　sort　of　affair；　and　that　anxiety

to　get　safe　home　was　uppermost　in　their　thoughts。　　The　enthusiasm

with　which　they　started　had　all　oozed　out；　and　that　night　they

marched　back　to　Jacksonville。　　The　next　day；　at　the　head　of　the　lake；

we　came　across　an　Indian　village；　and　I　have　often　wondered　since

what　would　have　been　the　course　pursued　by　these　valiant　warriors

from　Jacksonville　had　they　gone　far　enough　to　get　into　its　vicinity。



When　we　reached　the　village　the　tepeesmade　of　grasswere　all

standing；　the　fires　burning　and　pots　boilingthe　pots　filled　with

camas　and　tula　rootsbut　not　an　Indian　was　to　be　seen。　　Williamson

directed　that　nothing　in　the　village　should　be　disturbed；　so　guards

were　placed　over　it　to　carry　out　his　instructions　and　we　went　into

camp　just　a　little　beyond。　　We　had　scarcely　established　ourselves

when　a　very　old　Indian　rose　up　from　the　high　grass　some　distance　off；

and　with　peaceable　signs　approached　our　camp；　evidently　for　the

purpose　of　learning　whether　or　not　our　intentions　were　hostile。

Williamson　told　him　we　were　friendly；　that　we　had　passed　through　his

village　without　molesting　it；　that　we　had　put　a　guard　there　to　secure

the　property　his　people　had　abandoned　in　their　fright；　and　that　they

might　come　back　in　safety。　　The　old　man　searchingly　eyed　everything

around　for　some　little　time；　and　gaining　confidence　from　the

peaceable　appearance　of　the　men；　who　were　engaged　in　putting　up　the

tents　and　preparing　their　evening　meal；　he　concluded　to　accept　our

professions　of　friendship；　and　bring　his　people　in。　　Going　out　about

half　a　mile　from　the　village　he　gave　a　peculiar　yell；　at　which

between　three　and　four　hundred　Indians　arose　simultaneously　from　the

ground；　and　in　answer　to　his　signal　came　out　of　the　tall　grass　like　a

swarm　of　locusts　and　soon　overran　our　camp　in　search　of　food；　for

like　all　Indians　they　were　hungry。　　They　too；　proved　to　be　Pit

Rivers；　and　were　not　less　repulsive　than　those　of　their　tribe　we　had

met　before。　　They　were　aware　of　the　hostilities　going　on　between　the

Rogue　Rivers　and　the　whites；　but　claimed　that　they　had　not　taken　any

part　in　them。　　I　question　if　they　had；　but　had　our　party　been　small；

I　fear　we　should　have　been　received　at　their　village　in　a　very

different　manner。



》From　the　upper　Klamath　Lake　we　marched　over　the　divide　and　down　the

valley　of　the　Des　Chutes　River　to　a　point　opposite　the　mountains

called　the　Three　Sisters。　　Here；　on　September　23；　the　party　divided；

Williamson　and　I　crossing　through　the　crater　of　the　Three　Sisters　and

along　the　western　slope　of　the　Cascade　Range；　until　we　struck　the

trail　on　McKenzie　River；　which　led　us　into　the　Willamette　Valley　not

far　from　Eugene　City。　　We　then　marched　down　the　Willamette　Valley　to

Portland；　Oregon；　where　we　arrived　October　9；　1855



The　infantry　portion　of　the　command；　escorting　Lieutenant　Henry　L。

Abbot；　followed　farther　down　the　Des　Chutes　River；　to　a　point

opposite　Mount　Hood；　from　which　it　came　into　the　Willamette　Valley

and　then　marched　to　Portland。　　At　Portland　we　all　united；　and　moving

across　the　point　between　the　Willamette　and　Columbia　rivers；　encamped

opposite　Fort　Vancouver；　on　the　south　bank　of　the　latter　stream；　on

the　farm　of　an　old　settler　named　Switzler；　who　had　located　there　many

years　before。









CHAPTER　IV。



〃OLD　RED〃SKILLFUL　SHOOTINGYAKIMAWARA　LUDICROUS　MISTAKE

〃CUT…MOUTH　JOHN'S〃　ENCOUNTERFATHER　PANDOZA'S　MISSIONA　SNOW…STORM…

…FAILURE　OF　THE　EXPEDITION。



Our　camp　on　the　Columbia；　near　Fort　Vancouver；　was　beautifully

situated　on　a　grassy　sward　close　to　the　great　river；　andas　little

duty　was　required　of　us　after　so　long　a　journey；　amusement　of　one

kind　or　another；　and　an　interchange　of　visits　with　the　officers　at

the　post；　filled　in　the　time　acceptably。　　We　had　in　camp　an　old

mountaineer　guide　who　had　accompanied　us　on　the　recent　march；　and　who

had　received　the　sobriquet　of　〃Old　Red；〃　on　account　of　the　shocky　and

tangled　mass　of　red　hair　and　beard；　which　covered　his　head　and　face

so　completely　that　only　his　eyes　could　be　seen。　　His　eccentricities

constantly　supplied　us　with　a　variety　of　amusements。　　Among　the

pastimes　he　indulged　in　was　one　which　exhibited　his　skill　with　the

rifle；　and　at　the　same　time　protected　the　camp　from　the　intrusions

and　ravages　of　a　drove　of　razor…backed　hogs　which　belonged　to　Mr。

Switzler。　　These　hogs　were　frequent　visitors；　and　very　destructive　to

our　grassy　sward；　rooting　it　up　in　front　of　our　tents　and　all　about

us；　in　pursuit　of　bulbous　roots　and　offal　from　the　camp。　　Old　Red

conceived　the　idea　that　it　would　be　well　to　disable　the　pigs　by

shooting　off　the　tips　of　their　snouts；　and　he　proceeded　to　put　his

conception　into　execution；　and　continued　it　daily　whenever　the　hogs

made　their　appearance。　　Of　course　their　owner　made　a　row　about　it；

but　when　Old　Red　daily　settled　for　his　fun　by　paying　liberally　with

gold…dust　from　some　small　bottles　of　the　precious　metal　in　his

possession；　Switzler　readily　became　contented；　and　I　think　even

encouraged　the　exhibitionsof　skill。



It　was　at　this　period　（October；　1855）　that　the　Yakima　Indian　war

broke　out；　and　I　was　detached　from　duty　with　the　exploring　party　and

required　by　Major　Gabriel　J。　Rains；　then　commanding　the　district；　to

join　an　expedition　against　the　Yakimas。　　They　had　some　time　before

killed　their　agent；　and　in　consequence　a　force　under　Major　Granville

O。　Haller　had　been　sent　out　from　the　Dalles　of　the　Columbia　to

chastise　them；　but　the　expedition　had　not　been　successful；　in　fact；

it　had　been　driven　back；　losing　a　number　of　men　and　two　mountain

howitzers。



The　object　of　the　second　expedition　was　to　retrieve　this　disaster。

The　force　was　composed　of　a　small　body　of　regular　troops；　and　a

regiment　of　Oregon　mounted　volunteers　under　command　of　Colonel　James

W。　Nesmithsubsequently　for　several　years　United　States　Senator　from

Oregon。　　The　whole　force　was　under　the　command　of　Major　Rains；　Fourth

Infantry；　who；　in　order　that　he　might　rank　Nesmith；　by　some

hocus…pocus　had　been　made　a　brigadier…general；　under　an　appointment

from　the　Governor　of　Washington　Territory。



We　started　from　the　Dalles　October　30；　under　conditions　that　were　not

conducive　to　success。　　The　season　was　late　for　operations；　and　worse

still；　the　command　was　not　in　accord　with　the　commanding　officer；

because　of　general　belief　in　his　incompetency；　and　on　account　of　the

fictitious　rank　he　assumed。　　On　the　second　day　out　I　struck　a　small

body　of　Indians　with　my　detachment　of　dragoons；　but　was　unable　to　do

them　any　particular　injury　beyond　getting　possession　of　a　large

quantity　of　their　winter　food；　which　their　hurried　departure

compelled　them　to　abandon。　　This　food　consisted　principally　of　dried

salmon…pulverized　and　packed　in　sacks　made　of　grass…dried

huckleberries；　and　dried　camas；　the　latter　a　bulbous　root　about　the

size　of　a　small　onion；　which；　when　roasted　and　ground；　is　made　into

bread　by　the　Indians　and　has　a　taste　somewhat　like　cooked　chestnuts。



Our　objective　point　was　Father　Pandoza's　Mission；　in　the　Yakima

Valley；　which　could　be　reached　by　two　different　routes；　and　though

celerity　of　movement　was　essential；　our　commanding　officer

〃strategically〃　adopted　the　longer　route；　and　thus　the　Indians　had

ample　opportunity　to　get　away　with　their　horses；　cattle；　women　and

children；　and　camp　property。



After　the　encounter　which　I　just　now　referred　to；　the　command；　which

had　halted　to　learn　the　results　of　my　chase；　resumed　its　march　to　and

through　the　Klikitat　canon；　and　into　the　lower　Yakima　Valley；　in　the

direction　of　the　Yakima　River。　　I　had　charge　at　the　head　of　the

column　as　it　passed　through　the　canon；　and　on　entering　the　valley

beyond；　saw　in　the　distance　five　or　six　Indian　scouts；　whom　I　pressed

very　closely；　until　after　a　run　of　several　miles　they　escaped　across

the　Yakima　River。



The　soil　in　the　valley　was　light　and　dry；　and　the　movement　of　animals

over　it　raised　great　clouds　of　dust；　that　rendered　it　very　difficult

to　distinguish　friend　from　foe；　and　as　I　was　now　separated　from　the

main　column　a　considerable　distance；　I　deemed　it　prudent　to　call　a

halt　until　we　could　discover　the　direction　taken　by　the　principal

body　of　the　Indians。　　We　soon　learned　that　they　had　gone　up　the

valley；　and　looking　that　way；　we　discovered　a　column　of　alkali　dust

approaching　us；　about　a　mile　distant；　interposing　between　my　little

detachment　and　the　point　where　I　knew　General　Rains　intended　to

encamp　for　the　night。　　After　hastily　consulting　with　Lieutenant

Edward　H。　Day；　of　the　Third　United　States　Artillery；　who　was　with　me；

we　both　concluded　that　the　dust　was　caused　by　a　body　of　the　enemy

which　had　slipped　in　between　us　and　our　main　force。　　There　seemed　no

alternative　left　us　but　to　get　back　to　our　friends　by　charging

through　these　Indians；　and　as　their　cloud　of　dust　was　much　larger

than　ours；　this　appeared　a　desperate　chance。　　Preparations　to　ch