personal memoirs-1-第14章

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certain　substitute。　　In　executing　the　sentence　each　Indian　in　turn

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

the　lower　barrel　was　knocked　away；　and　the　necessary　drop　thus

obtained。　　In　this　way　the　whole　nine　were　punished。　　Just　before

death　they　all　acknowledged　their　guilt　by　confessing　their

participation　in　the　massacre　at　the　block…house；　and　met　their　doom

with　the　usual　stoicism　of　their　race。









CHAPTER　VI。



MISDIRECTED　VENGEANCEHONORABLE　MENTIONCHANGE　OF　COMMANDEDUCATED

OXENFEEDING　THE　INDIANSPURCHASING　A　BURYING…GROUNDKNOWING　RATS。



While　still　encamped　at　the　lower　landing；　some　three　or　four　days

after　the　events　last　recounted；　Mr。　Joseph　Meek；　an　old　frontiersman

and　guide　for　emigrant　trains　through　the　mountains；　came　down　from

the　Dalles；　on　his　way　to　Vancouver；　and　stopped　at　my　camp　to

inquire　if　an　Indian　named　Spencer　and　his　family　had　passed　down　to

Vancouver　since　my　arrival　at　the　Cascades。　　Spencer；　the　head　of　the

family；　was　a　very　influential；　peaceable　Chinook　chief；　whom　Colonel

Wright　had　taken　with　him　from　Fort　Vancouver　as　an　interpreter　and

mediator　with　the　Spokanes　and　other　hostile　tribes；　against　which

his　campaign　was　directed。　　He　was　a　good；　reliable　Indian；　and　on

leaving　Vancouver　to　join　Colonel　Wright；　took　his　family　along；　to

remain　with　relatives　and　friends　at　Fort　Dalles　until　the　return　of

the　expedition。　　When　Wright　was　compelled　to　retrace　his　steps　on

account　of　the　capture　of　the　Cascades；　this　family　for　some　reason

known　only　to　Spencer；　was　started　by　him　down　the　river　to　their

home　at　Vancouver。



Meek；　on　seeing　the　family　leave　the　Dalles；　had　some　misgivings　as

to　their　safe　arrival　at　their　destination；　because　of　the　excited

condition　of　the　people　about　the　Cascades；　but　Spencer　seemed　to

think　that　his　own　peaceable　and　friendly　reputation；　which　was

widespread；　would　protect　them；　so　he　parted　from　his　wife　and

children　with　little　apprehension　as　to　their　safety。　　In　reply　to

Meek's　question；　I　stated　that　I　had　not　seen　Spencer's　family；　when

he　remarked；　〃Well；　I　fear　that　they　are　gone　up；〃　a　phrase　used　in

that　country　in　early　days　to　mean　that　they　had　been　killed。　　I

questioned　him　closely；　to　elicit　further　information；　but　no　more

could　be　obtained；　for　Meek；　either　through　ignorance　or　the　usual

taciturnity　of　his　class；　did　not　explain　more　fully；　and　when　the

steamer　that　had　brought　the　reinforcement　started　down　the　river；　he

took　passage　for　Vancouver；　to　learn　definitely　if　the　Indian　family

had　reached　that　point。　　I　at　once　sent　to　the　upper　landing；　distant

about　six　miles；　to　make　inquiry　in　regard　to　the　matter；　and　in　a；

little　time　my　messenger　returned　with　the　information　that　the

family　had　reached　that　place　the　day　before；　and　finding　that　we　had

driven　the　hostiles　off；　continued　their　journey　on　foot　toward　my

camp；　from　which　point　they　expected　to　go　by　steamer　down　the　river

to　Vancouver。



Their　non…arrival　aroused　in　me　suspicions　of　foul　play；　so　with　all

the　men　I　could　spare；　and　accompanied　by　Lieutenant　William　T。

Welcker；　of　the　Ordnance　Corpsa　warm　and　intimate　friendI　went　in

search　of　the　family；　deploying　the　men　as　skirmishers　across　the

valley；　and　marching　them　through　the　heavy　forest　where　the　ground

was　covered　with　fallen　timber　and　dense　underbrush；　in　order　that　no

point　might　escape　our　attention。　　The　search　was　continued　between

the　base　of　the　mountain　and　the　river　without　finding　any　sign　of

Spencer's　family；　until　about　3　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　when　we

discovered　them　between　the　upper　and　lower　landing；　in　a　small　open

space　about　a　mile　from　the　road；　all　deadstrangled　to　death　with

bits　of　rope。　　The　party　consisted　of　the　mother；　two　youths；　three

girls；　and　a　baby。　　They　had　all　been　killed　by　white　men；　who　had

probably　met　the　innocent　creatures　somewhere　near　the　blockhouse；

driven　them　from　the　road　into　the　timber；　where　the　cruel　murders

were　committed　without　provocation；　and　for　no　other　purpose　than　the

gratification　of　the　inordinate　hatred　of　the　Indian　that　has　often

existed　on　the　frontier；　and　which　on　more　than　one　occasion　has

failed　to　distinguish　friend　from　foe。　　The　bodies　lay　in　a

semicircle；　and　the　bits　of　rope　with　which　the　poor　wretches　had

been　strangled　to　death　were　still　around　their　necks。　　Each　piece　of

ropethe　unwound　strand　of　a　heavier　piecewas　about　two　feet　long；

and　encircled　the　neck　of　its　victim　with　a　single　knot；　that　must

have　been　drawn　tight　by　the　murderers　pulling　at　the　ends。　　As　there

had　not　been　quite　enough　rope　to　answer　for　all；　the　babe　was

strangled　by　means　of　a　red　silk　handkerchief；　taken；　doubtless；　from

the　neck　of　its　mother。　　It　was　a　distressing　sight。　　A　most　cruel

outrage　had　been　committed　upon　unarmed　peopleour　friends　and

alliesin　a　spirit　of　aimless　revenge。　　The　perpetrators　were

citizens　living　near　the　middle　block…house；　whose　wives　and　children

had　been　killed　a　few　days　before　by　the　hostiles；　but　who　well　knew

that　these　unoffending　creatures　had　had　nothing　to　do　with　those

murders。



In　my　experience　I　have　been　obliged　to　look　upon　many　cruel　scenes

in　connection　with　Indian　warfare　on　the　Plains　since　that　day；　but

the　effect　of　this　dastardly　and　revolting　crime　has　never　been

effaced　from　my　memory。　　Greater　and　more　atrocious　massacres　have

been　committed　often　by　Indians；　their　savage　nature　modifies　one's

ideas；　however；　as　to　the　inhumanity　of　their　acts；　but　when　such

wholesale　murder　as　this　is　done　by　whites；　and　the　victims　not　only

innocent；　but　helpless；　no　defense　can　be　made　for　those　who

perpetrated　the　crime；　if　they　claim　to　be　civilized　beings。　　It　is

true　the　people　at　the　Cascades　had　suffered　much；　and　that　their

wives　and　children　had　been　murdered　before　their　eyes；　but　to　wreak

vengeance　on　Spencer's　unoffending　family；　who　had　walked　into　their

settlement　under　the　protection　of　a　friendly　alliance；　was　an

unparalleled　outrage　which　nothing　can　justify　or　extenuate。　　With　as

little　delay　as　possible　after　the　horrible　discovery；　I　returned　to

camp；　had　boxes　made；　and　next　day　buried　the　bodies　of　these　hapless

victims　of　misdirected　vengeance。



The　summary　punishment　inflicted　on　the　nine　Indians；　in　their　trial

and　execution；　had　a　most　salutary　effect　on　the　confederation；　and

was　the　entering　wedge　to　its　disintegration；　and　though　Colonel

Wright's　campaign　continued　during　the　summer　and　into　the　early

winter；　the　subjugation　of　the　allied　bands　became　a　comparatively

easy　matter　after　the　lesson　taught　the　renegades　who　were　captured

at　the　Cascades。　　My　detachment　did　not　accompany　Colonel　Wright；　but

remained　for　some　time　at　the　Cascades；　and　while　still　there　General

Wool　came　up　from　San　Francisco　to　take　a　look　into　the　condition　of

things。　　From　his　conversation　with　me　in　reference　to　the　affair　at

the　Cascades；　I　gathered　that　he　was　greatly　pleased　at　the　service　I

had　performed；　and　I　afterward　found　that　his　report　of　my　conduct

had　so　favorably　impressed　General　Scott　that　that　distinguished

officer　complimented　me　from　the　headquarters　of　the　army　in　general

orders。



General　Wool；　while　personally　supervising　matters　on　the　Columbia

River；　directed　a　redistribution　to　some　extent　of　the　troops　in　the

district；　and　shortly　before　his　return　to　San　Francisco　I　was

ordered　with　my　detachment　of　dragoons　to　take　station　on　the　Grande

Ronde　Indian　Reservation　in　Yamhill　County；　Oregon；　about　twenty…five

miles　southwest　of　Dayton；　and　to　relieve　from　duty　at　that　point

Lieutenant　William　B。　Hazenlate　brigadier…general　and　chief　signal

officerwho　had　established　a　camp　there　some　time　before。　　I

started　for　my　new　station　on　April　21；　and　marching　by　way　of

Portland　and　Oregon　City；　arrived　at　Hazen's　camp　April　25。　　The　camp

was　located　in　the　Coast　range