MR. DOUGLAS'S LETTER. 565 DEAR SIR,-I only have time to say a word. Stikas was here yesterday, and things look more favorable since Gervais arrived. I wish to go down when your people go. I will be ready in a few days and come to the fort; no time for particulars; Mr. Meek leaves to-night. "With respects, yours, etc., "R. NEWELL." "Governor Abernethy, Esq.: "FORT VANCOUVER, March 15, 1848. "DEAR SIR,-One of the company's servants has this moment arrived with dispatches from Wallawalla, of date the 7th instant; I hasten to communicate the intelligence received, for your information. The army had made its way to Wailatpu, and taken possession of the remains of the mission, the Cayuses having been defeated, with considerable loss, some days previously, in a pitched battle near the Umatilla River; and had since fallen back upon the Nez Percé country. Serpent Jaune, chief of the Wallawalla tribe, had visited the commissioners, and decided on remaining quiet; the Nez Percés had in part also decided for peace, and were expected in camp within a few days. The remaining part of the tribe appeared still undecided about the part they would take, and will, no doubt, be much influenced in their future conduct by the success which attends the operations of the army. Their sympathies are with the Cayuses; but fear may restrain them from taking an open part, against the whites, The Cayuses remain, therefore, without any open support from the more powerful tribes in their neighborhood, and in such circumstances can not be expected to make a very protracted defense. "The accompanying copy of a letter from Mr. Palmer possesses much of interest, and will put you in possession of further particulars. "Our dates from Fort Colville are up to the 23d of January; the Indians were all quiet and well disposed, though they had been severe sufferers from the measles and dysentery. Their detestation of the brutal conduct of the Cayuses has been openly and generally expressed, as well as their determination to oppose the repetition of such atrocities in the country. Messrs. Walker and Eells have been induced, by the friendly protestations of the Indians about them, to continue their residence at the mission near Spokan. "We have letters from Fort Hall up to the 30th of December. A city has sprung up, as if by enchantment, in the midst of the desert, near the southern extremity of great Salt Lake. It contains a population of 3,000, and numbers within its precincts 600 houses. One flour-mill was in operation, and four saw-mills were nearly finished. "In haste, yours truly, "JAMES DOUGLAS.” As to the letter of General Palmer, he has informed us that, while he was attempting to effect an arrangement with the Indians, he was satisfied that McBean was using his influence against the Americans, and doing all he could to keep up the hostile feelings then existing, but, by humoring and flattering him, he would do less harm than by opposing his self-conceit. As to Dr. Newell's note, it showed his disposition to crawl under the shade of McBean and the Hudson's Bay "people," and to give them information that would enable them to cut off the messenger sent to Washington. General Palmer informed McBean that he would leave the first of the week. Newell says, "Mr. Meek leaves to-night." Mr. Douglas is all friendship and affection. He has just learned that a large body of American people are in Salt Lake Valley, and that the Indians about the Spokan station are friendly, notwithstanding the measles and dysentery have been severe among them. The Indians had been defeated with considerable loss, but the "sympathies of the Nez Percés are with the Cayuses." Whence did Sir James get this information? When he wished to convince Governor Abernethy that Mr. Ogden had done right in giving powder and ball for making the portages at Des Chutes, he said, "These Indians have no fellow-feeling with the Cayuses." We will give another remarkable letter, in answer to the one Mr. Douglas refers to: - "FORT NEZ PERCÉS, March 4, 1848. "To the Commissioners, Messrs. Palmer and Newell: "GENTLEMEN,-I have to acknowledge your esteemed favor of this date, which was handed me this evening. "I am happy to learn that your success to effect peace has so far rewarded your endeavors, and that the Nez Percés are on your side. Previous to their visiting you, the most influential chiefs came to me, to know your real intention, which I fully explained, and addressed them at length. They left me well disposed, and, I am glad to learn, have acted up to their promise." Put this statement of Mr. McBean by the side of that of Sir James Douglas, and how does it read? March 7, "Their sympathies are with the Cayuses." What are we to understand by such information given to two different parties? Mr. McBean professes to know the views of the Nez Percés, and, on March 4, tells the American commissioners he is happy to learn they are on their side; and, three days after, writes to his superior, at Vancouver, "Their sympathies are with the Cayuses.” General Palmer, nor any one else, need mistake the character of such a MCBEAN'S INTERFERENCE. 567 man; and we will give the company credit for ability to select their men to perform their appropriate business, and at the proper time.. "I now forward letters to Fort Hall and Fort Boise, and have to request, in behalf of the company, that you be kind enough to get them forwarded by Mr. Meek. They are of importance. On their being delivered depends loss or gain to the company. "WILLIAM MCBEAN. "P. S.-Please present my best respects to General Gilliam and Major Lee." There are two remarkable facts in these two letters. The first, "the most influential chiefs" went to him, and he explained the real intentions of the Americans, which, according to his report to his superior, made them sympathize with the Cayuses; but to accomplish another object, be would have us believe he made them favorable to the Americans, and claims all the credit for doing so. This would have done very well, only it leaked out, in the speeches of the Indians, the part this agent of the company was playing. Query 1. How came the Nez Percés, who had always been friendly with the Americans, and never had shed any of their blood, but always fought with and for them, to be at war-that it should require the consent or advice of McBean, or any other Hudson's Bay Company's servant or clerk, to go and make peace with friends? Query 2. The importance of two letters to Forts Boise and Hall? The loss or gain to the company was of more importance to him than the lives of the missionaries and all at the Dalles, for he would not allow his messenger to inform them of their danger. We have in their communications a specimen of a high and a low agent of that company during the Cayuse war. The Cayuse tribe was always more dependent upon Fort Nez Percés for supplies than the Nez Percés, who have always had more or less intercourse with American traders. From the deposition of Mr. Geiger, we learn that this agent (McBean) of the company was in the habit of interfering with the affairs of the American Indians and missionaries, and from the deposition of Mr. Kimzey, that he was equally officious in favoring the Jesuit missions. And now, from his own officious letter, we learn his position in relation to the war then in progress; that he was attempting to deceive the commissioners, as to his operations and instructions to the Indians, is shown in the information he communicated to Mr. Douglas, and in the letter of Colonel Waters to Governor Abernethy. Putting all these facts together, who is responsible for the massacre and the war with the Cayuses? CHAPTER LXIII. Letter to General Lovejoy.-Call for men and ammunition.-Yankama chief.-His speech.-Small supply of ammunition.-Letter of Joseph Cadwallader.-Claim and a girl.-Combined Indian tribes.-Ladies of Oregon.-Public meeting.-A noble address.-Vote of thanks.-Address of the young ladies.-Death of Colonel Gilliam. -His campaign.-Colonel Waters' letter.-Doubtful position of Indians.-Number at Fort Wallawalla.-Results of the war.-Jesuit letters.-Fathers Hoikin and De Smet. The Choctaws.--Indian confederacy.-Last hope of the Indian.-Jesuit policy. The Irish in the war of the Rebellion.-Father Hecker.-Boasts of the Jesuits.-Letter of Lieutenant Rogers.-Priests supply the Indians with arms and ammunition.—Ammunition seized.-Oregon Argus.-Discovery of gold.—No help for the Indian.-Withdrawal of the Hudson's Bay Company to Vancouver.-The smooth-tongued Jesuits yet remain. LET us now turn our attention from scenes of baseness and treachery to such as can not fail to draw forth the more noble sentiments of the heart. We find in the Old Spectator, April 20, 1848: "General A. L. Lovejoy: "SIR,-The following was written for the Express, but in the hurry and bustle of business, was omitted to be forwarded: To call the men (158) who fought on the Tukanon and Tuchet rivers brave were but common praise,-officers and privates fought with unequaled bravery and skill. Captains Hall, Owens, and Thompson behaved with all that deliberate judgment and determined bravery that was requisite to so hard-fought and long-continued a battle. "The incomparable services of Sergeant-Major Birch, Quartermaster Goodhue, Judge-Advocate Rinearson, Sergeant Cook, Paymaster Magone, can not be passed unnoticed, and deserve their country's praises. Captains English and McKay were not in the engagement— the latter being sick, the former returning from the Tuchet with the wagons and the stock. "H. J. G. Moxon, "Commanding at Fort Wascopum.' "General A. L. Lovejoy: "FORT WASCOPUM, April 7, 1848. "SIR,-We received your letter of instructions, by express, on the 3d instant, and I assure you it gave me great satisfaction to make them CAPTAIN MOXON'S INDIAN COUNCIL. 569 known to the troops under my command. Since the promotion of Major Lee to the command, the boys have taken fresh courage; though some of them can hardly hide their nakedness, they are willing under your promises to stick it out like men. "Give us five hundred men, and plenty of ammunition, with Colonel Lee at our head, and I think we will soon bring the war to an honorable close. "The Yankama chiefs came over to see us a few days ago, and stated that they had written to the white chief but had received no answer. [Who was the writer for the Indians? No American dare remain in the country beyond the protection of the army.] Therefore they had come over to see him. They spoke to us as follows:"We do not want to fight the Americans, nor the French; neither do the Spokans, a neighboring tribe to us. Last fall the Cayuses told us that they were about to kill the whites at Dr. Whitman's. We told them that was wrong, which made them mad at us; and when they killed them, they came and wished us to fight the whites, which we refused. We loved the whites; but they said, if you do not help us to fight the whites, when we have killed them we will come and kill you. This made us cry; but we told them we would not fight, but if they desired to kill us they might. We should feel happy to know that we die innocently.' All "I answered them as follows: 'We are glad you have come, because we like to see our friends, and do not like to make war on innocent people. The Great Spirit we love has taught us that it is wrong to shed' innocent blood; therefore we wish everybody to be our friends. Our peace men long ago sent you word, that we did not come to make war on any but those murderers who shed the blood of our countrymen, and insulted our women. When we get those wicked men we will go home, but those we will have; if not now, we will fight until we do get them. We do not want to kill any but the murderers; but all who fight with them, we consider as bad as they are. tribes which receive them we must make war upon, because their hearts are bad, and we know that the Great Spirit is angry with them. We hope your nation will not receive them. We hope that you will not let your young men join them, because we do not wish to kill innocent people. We hope, that if the murderers come among you, you will bring them to us; then the Great Spirit will not be angry with you. We that fight do not care how many bad people we have to fight. The Americans and Hudson's Bay Company people are the same as one, and you will get no more ammunition until the war is at a close.' |