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consequence　we　were　compelled　to　give　up　further　efforts　to　advance；

and　obliged　to　turn　back　to　the　abandoned　village；　where　we　encamped

for　the　night。　　Near　night…fall　the　storm　greatly　increased；　and　our

bivouac　became　most　uncomfortable；　but　spreading　my　blankets　on　the

snow　and　covering　them　with　Indian　matting；　I　turned　in　and　slept

with　that　soundness　and　refreshment　accorded　by　nature　to　one

exhausted　by　fatigue。　　When　I　awoke　in　the　morning　I　found　myself

under　about　two　feet　of　snow；　from　which　I　arose　with　difficulty；　yet

grateful　that　it　had　kept　me　warm　during　the　night。



After　a　cup　of　coffee　and　a　little　hard　bread；　it　was　decided　we

should　return　to　the　main　camp　near　the　Mission；　for　we　were　now

confident　that　Maloney　was　delayed　by　the　snow；　and　safe　enough　on

the　other　side　of　the　mountains。　　At　all　events　he　was　beyond　aid

from　us；　for　the　impassable　snowdrifts　could　not　be　overcome　with　the

means　in　our　possession。　　It　turned　out　that　our　suppositions　as　to

the　cause　of　his　delay　were　correct。　　He　had　met　with　the　same

difficulties　that　confronted　us；　and　had　been　compelled　to　go　into

camp。



Meanwhile　valuable　time　had　been　lost；　and　the　Indians；　with　their

families　and　stock；　were　well　on　their　way　to　the　Okenagan　country；　a

region　into　which　we　could　not　penetrate　in　the　winter　season。　　No

other　course　was　therefore　left　but　to　complete　the　dismal　failure　of

the　expedition　by　returning　home；　and　our　commander　readily　gave　the

order　to　march　back　to　the　Dalles　by　the　〃short〃　route　over　the

Yakima　Mountains。



As　the　storm　was　still　unabated；　it　was　evident　our　march　home　would

be　a　most　difficult　one；　and　it　was　deemed　advisable　to　start　back　at

once；　lest　we　should　be　blocked　up　in　the　mountains　by　the　snows　for

a　period　beyond　which　our　provisions　would　not　last。　　Relying　on　the

fact　that　the　short　route　to　the　Dalles　would　lead　us　over　the　range

at　its　most　depressed　point；　where　it　was　hoped　the　depth　of　snow　was

not　yet　so　great　as　to　make　the　route　impassable；　we　started　with

Colonel　Nesmith's　battalion　in　advance　to　break　the　road；　followed　by

my　dragoons。　　In　the　valley　we　made　rapid　progress；　but　when　we

reached　the　mountain　every　step　we　took　up　its　side　showed　the　snow

to　be　growing　deeper　and　deeper。　　At　last　Nesmith　reached　the　summit；

and　there　found　a　depth　of　about　six　feet　of　snow　covering　the

plateau　in　every　direction；　concealing　all　signs　of　the　trail　so

thoroughly　that　his　guides　became　bewildered　and　took　the　wrong

divide。　　The　moment　I　arrived　at　the　top　my　guideDonald　Mc　Kaywho

knew　perfectly　the　whole　Yakima　range；　discovered　Nesmith's　mistake。

Word　was　sent　to　bring　him　back；　but　as　he　had　already　nearly　crossed

the　plateau；　considerable　delay　occurred　before　he　returned。　　When　he

arrived　we　began　anew　the　work　of　breaking　a　road　for　the　foot　troops

behind　us；　my　detachment　now　in　advance。　　The　deep　snow　made　our　work

extremely　laborious；　exhausting　men　and　horses　almost　to　the　point　of

relinquishing　the　struggle；　but　our　desperate　situation　required　that

we　should　get　down　into　the　valley　beyond；　or　run　the　chance　of

perishing　on　the　mountain　in　a　storm　which　seemed　unending。　　About

midnight　the　column　reached　the　valley；　very　tired　and　hungry；　but

much　elated　over　its　escape。　　We　had　spent　a　day　of　the　most　intense

anxiety；　especially　those　who　had　had　the　responsibility　of　keeping

to　the　right　trail；　and　been　charged　with　the　hard　work　of　breaking

the　road　for　the　infantry　and　artillery　through　such　a　depth　of　snow。



Our　main　difficulties　were　now　over；　and　in　due　time　we　reached　the

Dalles；　where　almost　everyone　connected　with　the　expedition　voted　it

a　wretched　failure；　indeed；　General　Rains　himself　could　not　think

otherwise；　but　he　scattered　far　and　wide　blame　for　the　failure　of　his

combinations。　　This；　of　course；　led　to　criminations　and

recriminations；　which　eventuated　in　charges　of　incompetency　preferred

against　him　by　Captain　Edward　O。　C。　Ord；　of　the　Third　Artillery。

Rains　met　the　charges　with　counter…charges　against　Ord；　whom　he

accused　of　purloining　Father　Pandoza's　shoes；　when　the　soldiers　in

their　fury　about　the　ammunition　destroyed　the　Mission。　　At　the　time

of　its　destruction　a　rumor　of　this　nature　was　circulated　through

camp；　started　by　some　wag；　no　doubt　in　jest；　for　Ord；　who　was

somewhat　eccentric　in　his　habits；　and　had　started　on　the　expedition

rather　indifferently　shod　in　carpet…slippers；　here　came　out　in　a

brand…new　pair　of　shoes。　　Of　course　there　was　no　real　foundation　for

such　a　report；　but　Rains　was　not　above　small　things；　as　the　bringing

of　this　petty　accusation　attests。　　Neither　party　was　ever　tried；　for

General　John　E。　Wool　the　department　commander；　had　not　at　command　a

sufficient　number　of　officers　of　appropriate　rank　to　constitute　a

court　in　the　case　of　Rains；　and　the　charges　against　Ord　were　very

properly　ignored　on　account　of　their　trifling　character。



Shortly　after　the　expedition　returned　to　the　Dalles；　my　detachment

was　sent　down　to　Fort　Vancouver；　and　I　remained　at　that　post　during

the　winter　of　1855…'56；　till　late　in　March。









CHAPTER　V。



AN　INDIAN　CONFEDERATIONMASSACRE　AT　THE　CASCADES　OF　THE　COLUMBIA…

…PLAN　TO　RELIEVE　THE　BLOCKHOUSEA　HAZARDOUS　FLANK　MOVEMENTA　NEW

METHOD　OF　ESTABLISHING　GUILTEXECUTION　OF　THE　INDIAN　MURDERERS。



The　failure　of　the　Haller　expedition　from　lack　of　a　sufficient　force；

and　of　the　Rains　expedition　from　the　incompetency　of　its　commander；

was　a　great　mortification　to　the　officers　and　men　connected　with

them；　and；　taken　together；　had　a　marked　effect　upon　the　Indian

situation　in　Oregon　and　Washington　Territories　at　that　particular

era。　　Besides；　it　led　to　further　complications　and　troubles；　for　it

had　begun　to　dawn　upon　the　Indians　that　the　whites　wanted　to　come　in

and　dispossess　them　of　their　lands　and　homes；　and　the　failures　of

Haller　and　Rains　fostered　the　belief　with　the　Indians　that　they　could

successfully　resist　the　pressure　of　civilization。



Acting　under　these　influences；　the　Spokanes；　Walla　Wallas；　Umatillas；

and　Nez　Perces　cast　their　lot　with　the　hostiles；　and　all　the　savage

inhabitants　of　the　region　east　of　the　Cascade　Range　became　involved

in　a　dispute　as　to　whether　the　Indians　or　the　Government　should

possess　certain　sections　of　the　country；　which　finally　culminated　in

the　war　of　1856。



Partly　to　meet　the　situation　that　was　approaching；　the　Ninth　Infantry

had　been　sent　out　from　the　Atlantic　coast　to　Washington　Territory；

and　upon　its　arrival　at　Fort　Vancouver　encamped　in　front　of　the

officers'　quarters；　on　the　beautiful　parade…ground　of　that　post；　and

set　about　preparing　for　the　coming　campaign。　　The　commander；　Colonel

George　Wright；　who　had　been　promoted　to　the　colonelcy　of　the　regiment

upon　its　organization　the　previous　year；　had　seen　much　active　duty

since　his　graduation　over　thirty　years　before；　serving　with　credit　in

the　Florida　and　Mexican　wars。　　For　the　three　years　previous　to　his

assignment　to　the　Ninth　Infantry　he　had　been　stationed　on　the　Pacific

coast；　and　the　experience　he　had　there　acquired；　added　to　his

excellent　soldierly　qualities；　was　of　much　benefit　in　the　active

campaigns　in　which；　during　the　following　years；　he　was　to

participate。　　Subsequently　his　career　was　brought　to　an　untimely

close　when；　nine　years　after　this　period；　as　he　was　returning　to　the

scene　of　his　successes；　he；　in　common　with　many　others　was　drowned　by

the　wreck　of　the　ill…fated　steamer　Brother　Jonathan。　　Colonel　Wright

took　command　of　the　district　in　place　of　Rains；　and　had　been　at

Vancouver　but　a　short　time　before　he　realized　that　it　would　be

necessary　to　fight　the　confederated　tribes　east　of　the　Cascade　Range

of　mountains；　in　order　to　disabuse　them　of　the　idea　that　they　were

sufficiently　strong　to　cope　with　the　power　of　the　Government。　　He

therefore　at　once　set　about　the　work　of　organizing　and　equipping　his

troops　for　a　start　in　the　early　spring　against　the　hostile　Indians；

intending　to　make　the　objective　point　of　his　expedition　the　heart　of

the　Spokane　country　on　the　Upper　Columbia　River；　as　the　head　and

front　of　the　confederation　was　represented　in　the　person　of　old

Cammiackan；　chief　of　the　Spokanes。



The　regiment　moved　from　Fort　Vancouver　by　boat；　March　25；　1856；　and

landed　at　the　small　town　called　the　Dalles；　below　the　mouth　of　the

Des　Chutes　River　at　the　eastern　base　of　the　Cascade　Range；　and　just

above　where　the　Columbia　River　enters　those　mountains。　　This

rendezvous　was　to　be　the　immediate　point　of　departure；　and　all　the

troops　composing　the　expedition　were　concentrated　there。



On　the　morning　of　March　26　the　movement　began；　but　the　column　had

only　reached　Five　Mile　Creek　when　the　Yakimas；　joined　by　many　young

warriors…free　lances　from　other　tribes；　made　a　sudden　and　unexpected

attack　at　the　Cascades　of　the　Columbia；　midway　between　Vancouver　and

the　Dalles；　killed　several　citizens；　wom