personal memoirs-1-及9准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
The Indians now fell back to a high ridge察on the crest of which they
marched and countermarched察threatening to charge down its face。
Most of them were naked察and as their persons were painted in gaudy
colors and decorated with strips of red flannel察red blankets and gay
war´bonnets察their appearance presented a scene of picturesque
barbarism察fascinating but repulsive。 As they numbered about six
hundred察the chances of whipping them did not seem overwhelmingly in
our favor察yet Nesmith and I concluded we would give them a little
fight察provided we could engage them without going beyond the ridge。
But all our efforts were in vain察for as we advanced they retreated
and as we drew back they reappeared and renewed their parade and
noisy demonstrations察all the time beating their drums and yelling
lustily。 They could not be tempted into a fight where we desired it
however察and as we felt unequal to any pursuit beyond the ridge
without the assistance of the infantry and artillery察we re´crossed
the river and encamped with Rains。 It soon became apparent that the
noisy demonstrations of the Indians were intended only as a blind to
cover the escape of their women and children to a place of safety in
the mountains。
Next morning we took up our march without crossing the river察and as
our route would lead us by the point on the opposite bank where the
Indians had made their picturesque display the day before察they at an
early hour came over to our side察and rapidly moved ahead of us to
some distant hills察leaving in our pathway some of the more
venturesome young braves察who attempted 察to retard our advance by
opening fire at long range from favorable places where they lay
concealed。 This fire did us little harm察but it had the effect of
making our progress so slow that the patience of every one but
General Rains was well´nigh exhausted。
About 2 o'clock in the afternoon we arrived well up near the base of
the range of hills察and though it was growing late we still had time
to accomplish something察but our commanding officer decided that it
was best to go into camp察and make a systematic attack next morning。
I proposed that he let me charge with my dragoons through the narrow
canon where the river broke through the range察while the infantry
should charge up the hill and drive the enemy from the top down on
the other side。 In this way I thought we might possibly catch some
of the fugitives察but his extreme caution led him to refuse the
suggestion察so we pitched our tents out of range of their desultory
fire察but near enough to observe plainly their menacing and
tantalizing exhibitions of contempt。
In addition to firing occasionally察they called us all sorts of bad
names察made indecent gestures察and aggravated us察so that between 3
and 4 o'clock in the afternoon察by an inexplicable concert of action
and with a serious breach of discipline察a large number of the men
and many of the officers broke en masse from the camp with loud yells
and charged the offending savages。 As soon as this mob got within
musket´shot they opened fire on the Indians察who ran down the other
face of the ridge without making the slightest resistance。 The hill
was readily taken by this unmilitary proceeding察and no one was hurt
on either side察but as Rains would not permit it to be held察a large
bonfire was lighted on the crest in celebration of the victory察and
then all hands marched back to camp察where they had no sooner arrived
and got settled down than the Indians returned to the summit of the
ridge察seemingly to enjoy the fire that had been so generously built
for their benefit察and with renewed taunts and gestures continued to
insult us。
Our camp that night was strongly picketed察and when we awoke in the
morning the Indians still occupied their position on the hill。 At
daylight we advanced against them察two or three companies of infantry
moving forward to drive them from the summit察while our main column
passed through the canon into the upper Yakima Valley led by my
dragoons察who were not allowed to charge into the gorge察as the
celerity of such a movement might cause the tactical combination to
fail。
As we passed slowly and cautiously through the canon the Indians ran
rapidly away察and when we reached the farther end they had entirely
disappeared from our front察except one old fellow察whose lame horse
prevented him keeping up with the main body。 This presented an
opportunity for gaining results which all thought should not be lost
so our guide察an Indian named ;Cut´mouth John察─seized upon it察and
giving hot chase察soon察overtook the poor creature察whom he speedily
killed without much danger to himself察for the fugitive was armed
with only an old Hudson's Bay flint´lock horse´pistol which could not
be discharged。
;Cut´mouth John's; engagement began and ended all the fighting that
took place on this occasion察and much disappointment and discontent
followed察Nesmith's mounted force and my dragoons being particularly
disgusted because they had not been ;given a chance。; During the
remainder of the day we cautiously followed the retreating foe察and
late in the evening went into camp a short distance from Father
Pandoza's Mission察where we were to await a small column of troops
under command of Captain Maurice Maloney察of the Fourth Infantry
that was to join us from Steilicom by way of the Natchez Pass察and
from which no tidings had as yet been received。
Next morning the first thing I saw when I put my head out from my
blankets was ;Cut´mouth John察─already mounted and parading himself
through the camp。 The scalp of the Indian he had despatched the day
before was tied to the cross´bar of his bridle bit察the hair dangling
almost to the ground察and John was decked out in the sacred vestments
of Father Pandoza察having察long before any one was stiring in camp
ransacked the log´cabin at the Mission in which the good man had
lived。 John was at all times a most repulsive looking individual察a
part of his mouth having been shot away in a fight with Indians near
Walla Walla some years before察in which a Methodist missionary had
been killed察but his revolting personal appearance was now worse than
ever察and the sacrilegious use of Father Pandoza's vestments察coupled
with the ghastly scalp that hung from his bridle察so turned opinion
against him that he was soon captured察dismounted察and his parade
brought to an abrupt close察and I doubt whether he ever after quite
reinstated himself in the good graces of the command。
In the course of the day nearly all the men visited the Mission察but
as it had been plundered by the Indians at the outbreak of
hostilities察when Father Pandoza was carried off察little of value was
left about it except a considerable herd of pigs察which the father
with great difficulty had succeeded in accumulating from a very small
beginning。 The pigs had not been disturbed by the Indians察but the
straggling troops soon disposed of them察and then turned their
attention to the cabbages and potatoes in the garden察with the
intention察no doubt察of dining that day on fresh pork and fresh
vegetables instead of on salt junk and hard bread察which formed their
regular diet on the march。 In digging up the potatoes some one
discovered half a keg of powder察which had been buried in the garden
by the good father to prevent the hostile Indians from getting it to
use against the whites。 As soon as this was unearthed wild
excitement ensued察and a cry arose that Father Pandoza was the person
who furnished powder to the Indians察that here was the proof察that at
last the mysterious means by which the Indians obtained ammunition
was explainedand a rush was made for the mission building。 This was
a comfortable log´house of good size察built by the Indians for a
school and church察and attached to one end was the log´cabin
residence of the priest。 Its destruction was a matter of but a few
moments。 A large heap of dry wood was quickly collected and piled in
the building察matches applied察and the whole Mission察including the
priest's house察was soon enveloped in flames察and burned to the
ground before the officers in camp became aware of the disgraceful
plundering in which their men were engaged。
The commanding officer having received no news from Captain Maloney
during the day察Colonel Nesmith and I were ordered to go to his
rescue察as it was concluded that he had been surrounded by Indians in
the Natchez Pass。 We started early the next morning察the snow
falling slightly as we set out察and soon arrived at the eastern mouth
of the Natchez Pass。 On the way we noticed an abandoned Indian
village察which had evidently not been occupied for some time。 As we
proceeded the storm increased察and the snow´fall became deeper and
deeper察until finally our horses could not travel through it。 In
consequence we were compelled to give up furth