personal memoirs-1-第13节

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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　of　mountains；　on　the　northeast　part　of

the　reservation；　to　which　last　had　been　added　a　section　of　country

that　was　afterward　known　as　the　Siletz　reservation。　　The　whole　body

of　land　set　aside　went　under　the　general　name　of　the　〃Coast

reservation；〃　from　its　skirting　the　Pacific　Ocean　for　some　distance

north　of　Yaquina　Bay；　and　the　intention　was　to　establish　within　its

bounds　permanent　homes　for　such　Indians　as　might　be　removed　to　it。

In　furtherance　of　this　idea；　and　to　relieve　northern　California　and

southwestern　Oregon　from　the　roaming；　restless　bands　that　kept　the

people　of　those　sections　in　a　state　of　constant　turmoil；　many　of　the

different　tribes；　still　under　control　but　liable　to　take　part　in

warfare；　were　removed　to　the　reservation；　so　that　they　might　be　away

from　the　theatre　of　hostilities。



When　I　arrived　I　found　that　the　Rogue　River　Indians　had　just　been

placed　upon　the　reservation；　and　subsequently　the　Coquille；　Klamath；

Modocs；　and　remnants　of　the　Chinooks　were　collected　there　also；　the

home　of　the　latter　being　in　the　Willamette　Valley。　　The　number　all

told　amounted　to　some　thousands；　scattered　over　the　entire　Coast

reservation；　but　about　fifteen　hundred　were　located　at　the　Grande

Ronde　under　charge　of　an　agent；　Mr。　John　F。　Miller；　a　sensible；

practical　man；　who　left　the　entire　police　control　to　the　military；

and　attended　faithfully　to　the　duty　of　settling　the　Indians　in　the

work　of　cultivating　the　soil。



As　the　place　was　to　be　occupied　permanently；　Lieutenant　Hazen　had

begun；　before　my　arrival；　the　erection　of　buildings　for　the　shelter

of　his　command；　and　I　continued　the　work　of　constructing　the　post　as

laid　out　by　him。　　In　those　days　the　Government　did　not　provide　very

liberally　for　sheltering　its　soldiers；　and　officers　and　men　were

frequently　forced　to　eke　out　parsimonious　appropriations　by　toilsome

work　or　go　without　shelter　in　most　inhospitable　regions。　　Of　course

this　post　was　no　exception　to　the　general　rule；　and　as　all　hands　were

occupied　in　its　construction；　and　I　the　only　officer　present；　I　was

kept　busily　employed　in　supervising　matters；　both　as　commandant　and

quartermaster；　until　July；　when　Captain　D。　A。　Russell；　of　the　Fourth

Infantry；　was　ordered　to　take　command；　and　I　was　relieved　from　the

first　part　of　my　duties。



About　this　time　my　little　detachment　parted　from　me；　being　ordered　to

join　a　company　of　the　First　Dragoons；　commanded　by　Captain　Robert

Williams；　as　it　passed　up　the　country　from　California　by　way　of

Yamhill。　　I　regretted　exceedingly　to　see　them　go；　for　their　faithful

work　and　gallant　service　had　endeared　every　man　to　me　by　the

strongest　ties。　　Since　I　relieved　Lieutenant　Hood　on　Pit　River；

nearly　a　twelvemonth　before；　they　had　been　my　constant　companions；

and　the　zeal　with　which　they　had　responded　to　every　call　I　made　on

them　had　inspired　in　my　heart　a　deep　affection　that　years　have　not

removed。　　When　I　relieved　Hooda　dragoon　officer　of　their　own

regimentthey　did　not　like　the　change；　and　I　understood　that　they

somewhat　contemptuously　expressed　this　in　more　ways　than　one；　in

order　to　try　the　temper　of　the　new　〃Leftenant；〃　but　appreciative　and

unremitting　care；　together　with　firm　and　just　discipline；　soon

quieted　all　symptoms　of　dissatisfaction　and　overcame　all　prejudice。

The　detachment　had　been　made　up　of　details　from　the　different

companies　of　the　regiment　in　order　to　give　Williamson　a　mounted

force；　and　as　it　was　usual；　under　such　circumstances；　for　every

company　commander　to　shove　into　the　detail　he　was　called　upon　to

furnish　the　most　troublesome　and　insubordinate　individuals　of　his

company；　I　had　some　difficulty；　when　first　taking　command；　in

controlling　such　a　medley　of　recalcitrants；　but　by　forethought　for

them　and　their　wants；　and　a　strict　watchfulness　for　their　rights　and

comfort；　I　was　able　in　a　short　time　to　make　them　obedient　and　the

detachment　cohesive。　　In　the　past　year　they　had　made　long　and

tiresome　marches；　forded　swift　mountain　streams；　constructed　rafts　of

logs　or　bundles　of　dry　reeds　to　ferry　our　baggage；　swum　deep　rivers；

marched　on　foot　to　save　their　worn…out　and　exhausted　animals；　climbed

mountains；　fought　Indians；　and　in　all　and　everything　had　done　the

best　they　could　for　the　service　and　their　commander。　　The　disaffected

feeling　they　entertained　when　I　first　assumed　command　soon　wore　away；

and　in　its　place　came　a　confidence　and　respect　which　it　gives　me　the

greatest　pleasure　to　remember；　for　small　though　it　was；　this　was　my

first　cavalry　command。　　They　little　thought；　when　we　were　in　the

mountains　of　California　and　Oregonnor　did　I　myself　then　dreamthat

but　a　few　years　were　to　elapse　before　it　would　be　my　lot　again　to

command　dragoons；　this　time　in　numbers　so　vast　as　of　themselves　to

compose　almost　an　army。



Shortly　after　the　arrival　of　Captain　Russell　a　portion　of　the　Indians

at　the　Grande　Ronde　reservation　were　taken　down　the　coast　to　the

Siletz　reservation；