personal memoirs-1-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



through　the　rocks　and　swift　water　until　the　head　of　the　rapids　was

reached；　from　which　point　to　the　block…house　there　was　smooth　water。

Telling　the　men　of　the　embarrassment　in　which　I　found　myself；　and

that　if　I　could　get　enough　of　them　to　man　the　boat　and　pull　it　up　the

stream　by　a　rope　to　the　shore　we　would　cross　to　the　island　and　make

the　attempt；　all　volunteered　to　go；　but　as　ten　men　seemed　sufficient

I　selected　that　number　to　accompany　me。　　Before　starting；　however；　I

deemed　it　prudent　to　find　out　if　possible　what　was　engaging　the

attention　of　the　Indians；　who　had　not　yet　discovered　that　we　had　left

their　front。　　I　therefore　climbed　up　the　side　of　the　abrupt　mountain

which　skirted　the　water's　edge　until　I　could　see　across　the　island。

》From　this　point　I　observed　the　Indians　running　horse…races　and

otherwise　enjoying　themselves　behind　the　line　they　had　held　against

me　the　day　before。　　The　squaws　decked　out　in　gay　colors；　and　the　men

gaudily　dressed　in　war　bonnets；　made　the　scene　most　attractive；　but

as　everything　looked　propitious　for　the　dangerous　enterprise　in　hand

I　spent　little　time　watching　them。　　Quickly　returning　to　the　boat；　I

crossed　to　the　island　with　my　ten　men；　threw　ashore　the　rope　attached

to　the　bow；　and　commenced　the　difficult　task　of　pulling　her　up　the

rapids。　　We　got　along　slowly　at　first；　but　soon　striking　a　camp　of

old　squaws　who　had　been　left　on　the　island　for　safety；　and　had　not

gone　over　to　the　mainland　to　see　the　races；　we　utilized　them　to　our

advantage。　　With　unmistakable　threats　and　signs　we　made　them　not　only

keep　quiet；　but　also　give　us　much　needed　assistance　in　pulling

vigorously　on　the　towrope　of　our　boat。



I　was　laboring　under　a　dreadful　strain　of　mental　anxiety　during　all

this　time；　for　had　the　Indians　discovered　what　we　were　about；　they

could　easily　have　come　over　to　the　island　in　their　canoes；　and；　by

forcing　us　to　take　up　our　arms　to　repel　their　attack；　doubtless　would

have　obliged　the　abandonment　of　the　boat；　and　that　essential　adjunct

to　the　final　success　of　my　plan　would　have　gone　down　the　rapids。

Indeed；　under　such　circumstances；　it　would　have　been　impossible　for

ten　men　to　hold　out　against　the　two　or　three　hundred　Indians；　but　the

island　forming　an　excellent　screen　to　our　movements；　we　were　not

discovered；　and　when　we　reached　the　smooth　water　at　the　upper　end　of

the　rapids　we　quickly　crossed　over　and　joined　the　rest　of　the　men；

who　in　the　meantime　had　worked　their　way　along　the　south　bank　of　the

river　parallel　with　us。　　I　felt　very　grateful　to　the　old　squaws　for

the　assistance　they　rendered。　　They　worked　well　under　compulsion；　and

manifested　no　disposition　to　strike　for　higher　wages。　　Indeed；　I　was

so　much　relieved　when　we　had　crossed　over　from　the　island　and　joined

the　rest　of　the　party；　that　I　mentally　thanked　the　squaws　one　and

all。　　I　had　much　difficulty　in　keeping　the　men　on　the　main　shore　from

cheering　at　our　success；　but　hurriedly　taking　into　the　bateau　all　of

them　it　could　carry；　I　sent　the　balance　along　the　southern　bank；

where　the　railroad　is　now　built；　until　both　detachments　arrived　at　a

point　opposite　the　block…house；　when；　crossing　to　the　north　bank；　I

landed　below　the　blockhouse　some　little　distance；　and　returned　the

boat　for　the　balance　of　the　men；　who　joined　me　in　a　few　minutes。



When　the　Indians　attacked　the　people　at　the　Cascades　on　the　26th；

word　was　sent　to　Colonel　Wright；　who　had　already　got　out　from　the

Dalles　a　few　miles　on　his　expedition　to　the　Spokane　country。　　He

immediately　turned　his　column　back；　and　soon　after　I　had　landed　and

communicated　with　the　beleaguered　block…house　the　advance　of　his

command　arrived　under　LieutenantColonel　Edward　J。　Steptoe。　　I

reported　to　Steptoe；　and　related　what　had　occurred　during　the　past

thirty…six　hours；　gave　him　a　description　of　the　festivities　that　were

going　on　at　the　lower　Cascades；　and　also　communicated　the

intelligence　that　the　Yakimas　had　been　joined　by　the　Cascade　Indians

when　the　place　was　first　attacked。　　I　also　told　him　it　was　my　belief

that　when　he　pushed　down　the　main　shore　the　latter　tribe　without

doubt　would　cross　over　to　the　island　we　had　just　left；　while　the

former　would　take　to　the　mountains。　　Steptoe　coincided　with　me　in

this　opinion；　and　informing　me　that　Lieutenant　Alexander　Piper　would

join　my　detachment　with　a　mountain'　howitzer；　directed　me　to　convey

the　command　to　the　island　and　gobble　up　all　who　came　over　to　it。



Lieutenant　Piper　and　I　landed　on　the　island　with　the　first　boatload；

and　after　disembarking　the　howitzer　we　fired　two　or　three　shots　to

let　the　Indians　know　we　had　artillery　with　us；　then　advanced　down　the

island　with　the　whole　of　my　command；　which　had　arrived　in　the　mean

time；　all　of　the　men　were　deployed　as　skirmishers　except　a　small

detachment　to　operate　the　howitzer。　　Near　the　lower　end　of　the　island

we　met；　as　I　had　anticipated；　the　entire　body　of　Cascade　Indianmen；

women；　and　childrenwhose　homes　were　in　the　vicinity　of　the

Cascades。　　They　were　very　much　frightened　and　demoralized　at　the　turn

events　had　taken；　for　the　Yakimas　at　the　approach　of　Steptoe　had

abandoned　them；　as　predicted；　and　fled　to　the　mountians。　　The　chief

and　head…men　said　they　had　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　capture　of　the

Cascades；　with　the　murder　of　men　at　the　upper　landing；　nor　with　the

massacre　of　men；　women；　and　children　near　the　block…house；　and　put

all　the　blame　on　the　Yakimas　and　their　allies。　　I　did　not　believe

this；　however；　and　to　test　the　truth　of　their　statement　formed　them

all　in　line　with　their　muskets　in　hand。　　Going　up　to　the　first　man　on

the　right　I　accused　him　of　having　engaged　in　the　massacre；　but　was

met　by　a　vigorous　denial。　　Putting　my　forefinger　into　the　muzzle　of

his　gun；　I　found　unmistakable　signs　of　its　having　been　recently

discharged。　　My　finger　was　black　with　the　stains　of　burnt　powder；　and

holding　it　up　to　the　Indian；　he　had　nothing　more　to　say　in　the　face

of　such　positive　evidence　of　his　guilt。　　A　further　examination　proved

that　all　the　guns　were　in　the　same　condition。　　Their　arms　were　at

once　taken　possession　of；　and　leaving　a　small；　force　to　look　after

the　women　and　children　and　the　very　old　men；　so　that　there　could　be

no　possibility　of　escape；　I　arrested　thirteen　of　the　principal

miscreants；　crossed　the　river　to　the　lower　landing；　and　placed　them

in　charge　of　a　strong　guard。



Late　in　the　evening　the　steamboat；　which　I　had　sent　back　to

Vancouver；　returned；　bringing　to　my　assistance　from　Vancouver；

Captain　Henry　D。　Wallen's　company　of　the　Fourth　Infantry　and　a

company　of　volunteers　hastily　organized　at　Portland；　but　as　the

Cascades　had　already　been　retaken；　this　reinforcement　was　too　late　to

participate　in　the　affair。　　The　volunteers　from　Portland；　however；

were　spoiling　for　a　fight；　and　in　the　absence　of　other　opportunity

desired　to　shoot　the　prisoners　I　held　（who；　they　alleged；　had　killed

a　man　named　Seymour）；　and　proceeded　to　make　their　arrangements　to　do

so；　only　desisting　on　being　informed　that　the　Indians　were　my

prisoners；　subject　to　the　orders　of　Colonel　Wright；　and　would　be

protected　to　the　last　by　my　detachment。　　Not　long　afterward　Seymour

turned　up　safe　and　sound；　having　fled　at　the　beginning　of　the　attack

on　the　Cascades；　and　hid　somewhere　in　the　thick　underbrush　until　the

trouble　was　over；　and　then　made　his　way　back　to　the　settlement。　　The

next　day　I　turned　my　prisoners　over　to　Colonel　Wright；　who　had　them

marched　to　the　upper　landing　of　the　Cascades；　where；　after　a　trial　by

a　military　commission；　nine　of　them　were　sentenced　to　death　and　duly

hanged。　　I　did　not　see　them　executed；　but　was　afterward　informed

that；　in　the　absence　of　the　usual　mechanical　apparatus　used　on　such

occasions；　a　tree　with　a　convenient　limb　under　which　two　empty

barrels　were　placed；　one　on　top　of　the　other；　furnished　a　rude　but

certain　substitute。　　In　executing　the　sentence　each　Indian　in　turn

was　made　to　stand　on　the　top　barrel；　and　after　the　noose