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!!!!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

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