personal memoirs-1-第9章

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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　charge

were　begun；　however；　but；　much　to　our　surprise；　before　they　were

completed　the　approaching　party　halted　for　a　moment　and　then

commenced　to　retreat。　　This　calmed　the　throbbing　of　our　hearts；　and

with　a　wild　cheer　we　started　in　a　hot　pursuit；　that　continued　for

about　two　miles；　when　to　our　great　relief　we　discovered　that　we　were

driving　into　Rains's　camp　a　squadron　of　Nesmith's　battalion　of　Oregon

volunteers　that　we　had　mistaken　for　Indians；　and　who　in　turn　believed

us　to　be　the　enemy。　　When　camp　was　reached；　we　all　indulged　in　a

hearty　laugh　ovor　the　affair；　and　at　the　fright　each　party　had　given

the　other。　　The　explanations　which　ensued　proved　that　the　squadron　of

volunteers　had　separated　from　the　column　at　the　same　time　that　I　had

when　we　debouched　from　the　canon；　and　had　pursued　an　intermediate

trail　through　the　hills；　which　brought　it　into　the　valley　of　the

Yakima　at　a　point　higher　up　the　river　than　where　I　had　struck　it。



Next　day　we　resumed　our　march　up　the　valley；　parallel　to　the　Yakima。

About　1　o'clock　we　saw　a　large　body　of　Indians　on　the　opposite　side

of　the　river；　and　the　general　commanding　made　up　his　mind　to　cross

and　attack　them。　　The　stream　was　cold；　deep；　and　swift；　still　I

succeeded　in　passing　my　dragoons　over　safely；　but　had　hardly　got　them

well　on　the　opposite　bank　when　the　Indians　swooped　down　upon　us。

Dismounting　my　men；　we　received　the　savages　with　a　heavy　fire；　which

brought　them　to　a　halt　with　some　damage　and　more　or　less　confusion。



General　Rains　now　became　very　much　excited　and　alarmed　about　me；　and

endeavored　to　ford　the　swift　river　with　his　infantry　and　artillery；

but　soon　had　to　abandon　the　attempt；　as　three　or　four　of　the　poor

fellows　were　swept　off　their　feet　and　drowned。　　Meantime　Nesmith　came

up　with　his　mounted　force；　crossed　over；　and　joined　me。



The　Indians　now　fell　back　to　a　high　ridge；　on　the　crest　of　which　they

marched　and　countermarched；　threatening　to　charge　down　its