Chapter II: Part 2

"The red men traveled away farther, and from that time they kept traveling away farther, as the white people came up with them. And this man's people," (pointing to a Delaware Indian, who was one of the interpreters,) "are from that people. They have come on from the Great Lake where the sun rises, until they are near to us now, at the setting sun. And from that country, somewhere from the centre, came Lewis and Clarke, and that is the way the white people traveled and came on here to my forefathers. They passed through our country, they became acquainted with our country and all our streams, and our forefathers used them well, as well as they could, and from the time of Columbus, from the time of Lewis and Clarke, we have known you, my friends; we poor people have known you as brothers."

He concluded by expressing his approval of the treaty, only urging that the whites should act towards them in good faith.

GOVERNOR STEVENS. "We have now the hearts of the Nez Percés through their Chief. Their hearts and our hearts are one. We want the hearts of the other tribes through their Chiefs."

YOUNG CHIEF, of the Cayuses. He was evidently opposed to the treaty, but grounded his objections on two arguments. The first was, they had no right to sell the ground which God had given for their support, unless for good reasons.

"I wonder if the ground has anything to say? I wonder if the ground would come alive and what is on it? Though I hear what the ground says. The ground says, 'It is the Great Spirit that placed me here. The Great Spirit tells me to take care of the Indians, to feed them aright. The Great Spirit appointed the roots to feed the Indians on. The water says the same thing. The Great Spirit directs me, Feed the Indians well. The grass says the same thing, Feed the horses and cattle. The ground, water and grass say, The Great Spirit has given us our names. We have these names and hold these names. Neither the Indians nor the Whites have a right to change these names. The ground says, The Great Spirit has placed me here to produce all that grows on me, trees and fruit. The same way the ground says, It was from me man was made. The Great Spirit, in placing men on the earth, desired them to take good care of the ground and to do each other no harm. The Great Spirit said, You Indians who take care of certain portions of the country should not trade it off except you get a fair price...."

The other argument was, that he could not understand clearly what they were to receive:

"The Indians are blind. This is the reason we do not see the country well. Lawyer sees clear. This is the reason why I don't know anything about this country. I do not see the offer you have made to us yet. If I had the money in my hand I should see. I am, as it were, blind. I am blind and ignorant. I have a heart, but cannot say much. This is the reason why the Chiefs do not understand each other right, and stand apart. Although I see your offer before me, I do not understand it and I do not yet take it. I walk as it were in the dark, and cannot therefore take hold of what I do not see. Lawyer sees and he takes hold. When I come to understand your propositions, I will take hold. I do not know when. This is all I have to say."

FIVE CROWS, of the Walla-Wallas. "I will speak a few words. My heart is just the same as the Young Chief's."

GENERAL PALMER. "We know no Chief among the Walla-Wallas but Peepe-mox-mox. If he has anything to say, we will be pleased to hear it."

PEEPE-MOX-MOX. "I do not know what is straight. I do not see the offer you have made to the Indians. I never saw these things which are offered by my Great Father. My heart cried when you first spoke to me. I felt as if I was blown away like a feather. Let your heart be, to separate as we now are and appoint some other time. We shall have no bad minds. Stop the whites from coming up here until we have this talk. Let them not bring their axes with them. The whites may travel in all directions through our country, we will have nothing to say to them, provided they do not build houses on our lands. Now I wish to speak about Lawyer. I think he has given his land. That is what I think from his words. I request another meeting. It is not in one meeting only that we can come to a decision. If you come again with a friendly message from our Great Father, I shall see you again at this place. To-morrow I shall see you again, and to-morrow evening I shall go home. This is all I have to say."

GENERAL PALMER. "I want to say a few words to these people. But before I do so, if Camiaken wants to speak, I will be glad to hear him."

CAMAIKEN, Yakima Chief. "I have nothing to say."

GENERAL PALMER. "I would enquire whether Peepe-mox-mox or Young Chief has spoken for the Umatillas? I would wish to know farther, whether the Umatillas are of the same heart?"

OWHI, Umatilla Chief. "We are talking together, and the Great Spirit hears all that we say to-day. The Great Spirit gave us the land and measured the land to us. This is the reason I am afraid to say any thing about this land. I am afraid of the laws of the Great Spirit. This is the reason of my heart being sad. This is the reason I cannot give you an answer. I am afraid of the Great Spirit. Shall I steal this land and sell it? or, what shall I do? This is the reason why my heart is sad. The Great Spirit made our friends, but the Great Spirit made _our_ bodies from the earth, as if they were different from the whites. What shall I do? Shall I give the land which is a part of my body and leave myself poor and destitute? Shall I say, I will give you my land? I cannot say so. I am afraid of the Great Spirit. I love my life. The reason why I do not give my land away is, I am afraid I shall be sent to hell. I love my friends. I love my life. This is the reason why I do not give my land away. I have one word more to say. My people are far away. They do not know your words. This is the reason I cannot give you an answer. I show you my heart. This is all I have to say."

GOVERNOR STEVENS. "How will Camiaken or Schoom speak?"

CAMAIKEN. "What have I to be talking about?"

GENERAL PALMER. "We have listened and heard our Chiefs speak. The hearts of the Nez Percés and ours are one. The Cayuses, the Walla-Wallas, and the other tribes, say, they do not understand us. We were in hopes we should have had but one heart. Why should we have more than one heart? Young Chief says, he does not know what we propose to him. Peepe-mox-mox says the same. Can we bring these saw mills and these grist mills on our backs to show these people? Can we bring these blacksmith shops, these wagons and tents on our backs to show them at this time? Can we cause fields of wheat and corn to spring up in a day that they may see them? Can we build these school houses and these dwellings in a day? Can we bring all the money that these things will cost, that they may see it? It would be more than all the horses of any one of these tribes could carry. It takes time to do these things. We come first to see you and make a bargain. We brought but a few goods with us. But whatever we promise to give you, you will get.

"How long will these people remain blind? We come to try and open their eyes. They refuse the light. I have a wife and children. My brother here has the same. I have a good house, fields of wheat, potatoes and peas. Why should I leave them and come so far to see you? It was to try and do you good, but you throw it away. Why is it that you do so? We all sometimes do wrong. Sometimes because our hearts are bad, and sometimes because we have bad counsel. Your people have sometimes done wrong. Our hearts have cried. Our hearts still cry. But if you will try to do right, we will try to forget it. How long will you listen to this bad counsel and refuse to receive the light?

"I, too, like the ground where I was born. I left it because it was for my good. I have come a long way. We ask you to go but a short distance. We do not come to steal your land. We pay you more than it is worth. There is the Umatilla Valley that affords a little good land. Between the two streams and all around it, is a parched up plain. What is it worth to you, and what is it worth to us? Not half what we have offered you for it. Why do we offer you so much? Because our Great Father has told us to take care of his red people. We come to you with his message, to try and do you good," &c., &c.

These extracts will give a specimen of the kind of "talk" which went on day after day. All but the Nez Percés were evidently disinclined to the treaty, and it was melancholy to see their reluctance to abandon the old hunting grounds of their fathers and their impotent struggles against the overpowering influence of the whites. The meeting to-day closed with an effective speech by Governor Stevens, addressed to the Chiefs who had argued against the treaty. I give a part of it:—

"I must say a few words. My brother and I have talked straight. Have all of you talked straight? Lawyer has, and his people have, and their business will be finished to-morrow. Young Chief says, he is blind and does not understand. What is it that he wants? Steckus says, his heart is in one of three places—the Grand Rond, the Toucher, and the Two Cañon. Where is the heart of the Young Chief? Peepe-mox-mox cannot be wafted off like a feather. Does he prefer the Yakima to the Nez Percé Reservation? We have asked him before. We ask him now. Where is his heart? Camiaken, the Great Chief of the Yakimas, has not spoken at all. His people have had no voice here to-day. He is not ashamed to speak? He is not afraid to speak? Then, speak out. Owhi is afraid lest God be angry at his selling his land. Owhi, my brother! I do not think God will be angry if you do your best for yourself and your children. Ask yourself this question to-night. Will not God be angry with me if I neglect this opportunity to do them good? But Owhi says, his people are not here. Why then did he tell us, Come, hear our talk? I do not want to be ashamed of him. Owhi has the heart of his people. We expect him to speak out. We expect to hear from Camiaken and from Schoom. The treaty we will have drawn up to-night. You can see it to-morrow. The Nez Percés must not be put off any longer. This business must be despatched. I hope that all the other hearts and our hearts will agree. They have asked us to speak straight. We have spoken straight. We have asked you to speak straight, but have yet to hear from you."

The Council did not adjourn till six o'clock. In the evening I rode over as usual to the Nez Percé camp and found many of them playing cards in their lodges. They are most inveterate gamblers, and a warrior will sometimes stake on successive games, his arms, and horses, and even his wives, so that in a single night he is reduced to a state of primitive poverty and obliged to trust to charity to be remounted for the hunt.

In the other camps everything seemed to be in a violent commotion. The Cayuses and other tribes are very much incensed against the Nez Percés for agreeing to the terms of the treaty, but fortunately for them, and probably for us also, the Nez Percés are as numerous as the others united.

_Friday, June 8th._—As the Council does not open until noon, our mornings pass in the same way. Lieutenant Gracie and I practise pistol shooting, read, and ride about the country, visiting Governor Stevens' party and at the Mission.

To-day it was nearly three o'clock before they met. After a few remarks by Governor Stevens, General Palmer made a long speech addressed to those Chiefs who refused yesterday to accede to the treaty. He told them, as they do not wish to go on the Nez Percés Reservation, (the tribes never having been very friendly to each other,) he would offer them another Reservation, which would embrace parts of the lands on which they were now living. After this offer had been clearly explained to them and considered, all acceded to it, with the exception of one tribe, the Yakimas.

It seemed as if we were getting on charmingly and the end of all difficulties was at hand, when suddenly a new explosive element dropped down into this little political caldron. Just before the Council adjourned, an Indian runner arrived with the news that Looking Glass, the war-chief of the Nez Percés was coming. Half an hour afterwards, he, with another chief and about twenty warriors, came in. They had just returned from an incursion into the Blackfoot country, where there had been some fighting and they had brought back with them, as a trophy, one scalp, which was dangling from a pole. Governor Stevens and General Palmer went out to meet them and mutual introductions were made. Looking Glass then, without dismounting from his horse, made a short and very violent speech, which I afterwards learned was, as I suspected, an expression of his indignation at their selling the country. The Council then adjourned.

At the races this evening in the Nez Percés camp, we found ten of the young braves who came in that afternoon, basking in the enjoyment of their laurels. Dressed in buffalo skins, painted and decorated in the most fantastic style, they stood in a line on one side of the race ground, exhibiting themselves as much as possible and singing songs in honor of their exploits. After the races we rode through the Cayuse camp. They seemed to be in commotion, apparently making preparation to depart.

_Saturday, June 9th._—This morning the old Chief Lawyer, came down and took breakfast with us. The Council did not meet till three o'clock and matters seem now to have reached a crisis. The treaty must either be soon accepted or the tribes will separate in hopeless bad feeling. On the strength of the assent yesterday given by all the tribes, except the Yakimas, the papers were drawn up and brought into the Council to be signed by the principal Chiefs. Governor Stevens once more—for Looking Glass' benefit—explained the principal points in the treaty, and among other things told them, there would be three Reservations,—the Cayuses, the Walla-Wallas and Umatillas to be placed upon one—the Nez Percés on another—and the Yakimas on the third, and that they were not to be removed to these Reservations for two or three years.

Looking Glass then arose and made a strong speech against the treaty, which had such an effect, that not only the Nez Percés but all the other tribes refused to sign it. Looking Glass, although nominally only the second Chief, has more influence than Lawyer and is in reality _the_ Chief of the different Nez Percé tribes. Governor Stevens and General Palmer made several speeches to induce him to change his decision, for should he do so, the other Chiefs would follow his example; but in vain, and the Council was obliged to adjourn until Monday. In the mean while, it is supposed that the Commissioners will bring some cogent arguments to bear upon Looking Glass and induce him to accede to the treaty.

Near the race ground this evening we found the women collected in circles on the ground, gambling with the most intense earnestness. Like the men they will spend hours around the lodge fires, staking every thing they have on the changes and chances of the game. Near them stood, as on the last evening, the returned warriors, exhibiting their fantastic bravery, and apparently thus challenging the applause of the softer sex.

We supposed yesterday that we should have started this evening for the Umatilla, but the prospect now is that we shall be delayed several days longer.

_Sunday, June 10th._—We understand there has been great excitement through the Indian camps to-day. The Nez Percés have been all day long holding a council among themselves, and it is represented, the proposition has been made to appoint Looking Glass head Chief over Lawyer. Yesterday, while Looking Glass was speaking, Lawyer left the Council without saying anything; which many of them are disposed to regard as the surrender of his place. Should this proposition be carried into effect, it would give a quietus to the treaty.

_Monday, June 11th._—Before breakfast we had a visit from Lawyer with some other Indians. At ten o'clock the Council met. Governor Stevens opened it with a short speech, at the close of which he asked the Chiefs to come forward and sign the papers. This they all did without the least opposition. What he has been doing with Looking Glass since last Saturday, we cannot imagine, but we suppose savage nature in the wilderness is the same as civilized nature was in England in Walpole's day, and "every man has his price." After this was over, the presents which General Palmer had brought with him were distributed, and the Council, like other Legislative bodies, adjourned _sine die_.

As soon as this business was finished, we at once struck our tents and began our march towards the Umatilla. On our way, Lieutenant Gracie and I made our parting visit at the Mission, and then proceeded about fifteen miles before we encamped for the night. Just as we were starting, an express arrived from the Dalles, bringing us in letters and papers.

We have now ended our connection with the Council and bid adieu to our Indian friends. It is therefore an appropriate place to say, that we subsequently discovered we had been all the while unconsciously treading on a mine. Some of the friendly Indians afterwards disclosed to the traders, that during the whole meeting of the Council, active negotiations were on foot to cut off the whites. This plot originated with the Cayuses, in their indignation at the prospect of being deprived of their lands. Their programme was, first to massacre the escort, which could easily have been done. Fifty soldiers against three thousand Indian warriors, out on the open plain, made rather too great odds. We should have had time, like Lieutenant Grattan[2] at Fort Laramie, last season, to have delivered one fire and then the contest would have been over. Their next move was, to surprise the post at the Dalles, which they could also easily have done, as most of the troops were withdrawn, and the Indians in the neighborhood had recently united with them. This would have been the beginning of their war of extermination upon the settlers. The only thing which prevented the execution of this scheme was, the refusal of the Nez Percés to accede to it, and as they were more powerful than the others united, it was impossible to make this outbreak without their concurrence. Constant negotiations were going on between the tribes, but without effect, nor was it discovered by the whites until after the Council had separated.

Footnote 2:

Brevet Second Lieutenant John Lawrence Grattan, Sixth Infantry, was
killed, with all his party, by the Sioux Indians, in what is known as
the "Grattan Massacre," near Fort Laramie, Neb., August 19, 1854.—ED.

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_Tuesday, June 12th._—We were up bright and early this morning, expecting by sunrise to have been on our march. But some of the horses had strayed away during the night and it was eight o'clock before they could be all collected to enable us to set out. After riding thirty miles we reached the Umatilla. Here we found a sergeant of the 4th Infantry and five men encamped, who had been sent to meet us with provisions. Just then a pouring rain began, and we were glad to make our preparations for the night.

_Wednesday, June 13th._—I awoke to find it still raining in torrents and the wind blowing a beautiful accompaniment, as it swept through the trees which line the banks of the river. Fortunately the sergeant had brought with him a tent, which was turned over to us, and we remained tolerably comfortable. In the midst of the storm, however, a visitor arrived. He was a Mr. Whitney, who is living about a mile from our encampment, with Mr. McKay, on a claim he is cultivating, belonging to the latter. He invited Lieutenant Gracie and myself to take tea with him. About three o'clock it cleared up and we rode over to his residence, where for the first time in several weeks we had the satisfaction of seeing some thing which looked like domestic comfort. Mr. Whitney had his wife and child with him, and he took us over his garden and showed us his crops. At six o'clock we had tea, after the manner of civilized people, which was a great luxury to us after our camp fare in the wilderness.

Just as we were bidding good night, three of our acquaintances arrived from the Council ground on their way to the Dalles. We learned from them that the Indians celebrated a great Scalp Dance the night before, in which one hundred and fifty of the women took part. The tribes then broke up their lodges and returned to their own hunting grounds.

_Thursday, June 14th._—The place where we now are is an old camping ground, well known to all the Western hunters, being a central spot where several trails diverge. The emigrant trail passes by it, and stretches thence over the Blue Mountains, leading to Fort Boisé. Here Lieutenant Gracie has orders to remain until the arrival of the rest of the Command, which starts from the Dalles on the twentieth, to enter the Snake country. He has been, therefore, making arrangements to-day for a more permanent encampment, as he may be delayed here for a couple of weeks. The tents have been regularly arranged, our own a little in advance, and those of the men built of boughs and pack covers, so as to protect them from the weather. A log house has been erected at one end of the camp, to hold the provisions, and to-day the men have been employed in constructing a _corral_, or enclosure, in the California style, to secure the horses.

This evening our Indian guide came in. He had been left at the Council ground to hunt up some stray horses.

_Friday, June 15th._—Early this morning Lieutenant Gracie sent off the Indian guide to the Dalles, as he had no further use for him. Mr. Cut-mouth John has apparently served us faithfully, though being a Cayuse, we cannot tell how deeply he has been implicated in the plottings of his countrymen this summer, or what part he would have taken, had their projected outbreak ripened into action.

To-day Lieutenant Gracie began to have his drills for the men, one before breakfast and the other after supper. At the early drill they are exercised in shooting at a target. This evening, at Mr. McKay's, we met the old Chief, Stechus, who had stopped there on an expedition after some missing cattle. He seemed quite pleased to see us. While there, General Palmer and his party also arrived from the Council ground.

_Saturday, June 16th._—After drill we rode over to Mr. McKay's and found General Palmer's party still encamped there, as he was taken ill this morning. He probably needs rest both of body and mind, and on the plains, this is the great prescription, as the remedies which the hunters can give are comprised in a list of very few simples. Nature is generally expected to perform the cure. Had his illness come on at the Council, he could have had the "medicine men" of our friends, the Nez Percés, to prescribe for him. Their prescriptions, however, are always the same, whatever may be the disease, whether ague or fever, or small pox. The patient is shut up in a small close lodge, called a "sweating house," where he is subjected, until almost stifled, to a vapor bath produced by water slowly poured on red hot stones.

_Sunday, June 17th._—My last Sunday on the plains, and it passed quietly enough. After Lieutenant Gracie had finished inspection and we had taken our usual bath in the river, we rode over to General Palmer's encampment to enquire after his health. We found him still too unwell to travel. The rest of the day was spent in reading, for we have found a small supply of books at Mr. McKay's, which have proven quite a treasure in the wilderness.

_Monday, June 18th._—Lieutenant Gracie has commenced practising the men at skirmish drill for an hour a day, and is thus preparing them for their Snake country expedition. It has become too hot, except in the morning and evening, to move about with comfort, and after the drill, our ride over to Mr. McKay's and our bath in the Umatilla, we are content to spend the remainder of the day in lounging and reading under the shelter of our tent. In an encampment on the plains, during the dead silence of a sultry noon, with no conventional restraints of civilization about us, we realize more fully than in any other place, the truth of the Neapolitan maxim—_Dolce far niente_.

We had to-day a visit from five of the Cayuse Indians, two of whom had been accustomed to visit us at Walla-Walla.

_Tuesday, June 19th._—Before we were up we had an arrival of another party of the Cayuse tribe. Their lodges are in a valley about eight miles from the camp. They smoked the "pipe of peace" and probably this time with sincerity, as they knew we had force enough with us to defeat any attempt they might make. The principal Chief of the Umatillas also came into our camp and some strange Indians whom we had never before seen.

As Lieutenant Gracie is obliged to remain at this camping ground, and it may be some days before the command arrives from the Dalles, I have determined myself to proceed on to that post to-morrow in company with Mr. McKay. I therefore this evening rode over to his place and made my arrangements for setting off the next morning.

_Wednesday, June 20th._—This morning a messenger arrived from the Dalles with papers and the latest news—the latter having been almost forgotten by this time in the settlements.

After early drill I took my final leave of the camp. Lieutenant Gracie rode with me over to Mr. McKay's, where I left my horse, as he belonged to the command, transferring my saddle and bridle to one of Mr. McKay's, which I am to ride. And here Lieutenant Gracie and I parted. We have been companions for weeks by day and night, and in this his first independent command, (in many incidents which I could not relate in this brief journal,) he has established, with those at the Council who were accustomed to military expeditions in the Indian country, a character for decision and energy which gives the promise of distinction in much wider and more responsible scenes of action in the future.

We set off about half-past nine o'clock. Mr. McKay and myself, with two boys whose business was to drive the pack mules. Our traveling arrangements were made in the old Spanish-California style, still common in those parts of the country where horses are plenty. Besides those we rode, were seven or eight which ran loose and were driven by the boys, to be used when our own began to flag.

We crossed the Umatilla at once, and on the opposite side striking the trail on which we had gone into the interior, commenced our return westward. After riding for about twenty miles we reached the Indian Agency. Here, two of the other horses were caught, our saddles and bridles transferred to them, and the tired ones turned loose to follow with the rest. Then, on we went until five in the evening when we encamped for the night at Wells' Springs, having traveled during the day fifty-five miles.

_Thursday, June 21st._—We were on our way this morning by five o'clock. On the trail we passed every little while solitary graves, the last resting places of some unfortunate emigrants. The road from Missouri to the Rocky Mountains can almost be traced by these sad memorials, and no human language can convey an idea of the sorrow and suffering which has taken place on the plains, caused by this rush to the land of gold. About ten miles on our way we met a portion of the 4th Infantry and 3d Artillery under Lieutenants Day, Hodges and Mendell. At noon we halted at Willow Creek, (seventeen miles from Wells' Springs,) for several hours, to rest our horses. We then pushed on until eight in the evening, when we reached John Day's River, where a refreshing bath recompensed us for our long and hot ride. We had ridden to-day about forty-five miles.

_Friday, June 22d._—We left John Day's River about seven o'clock, and after riding twelve miles, met Major Haller, (Commander of the expedition,) and Captain Russell, 4th Infantry, with their escort, with whom we stopped for a short time. Soon afterwards we met another detachment of troops, with two or three wagons, each drawn by six mules. About noon we struck the Columbia River, whose solitary banks were quite enlivened by the long trains of wagons containing the provisions of the detachment. We counted twenty-four, half of which were on one side of the river and half on the other. The different detachments and wagons will all meet at the camping ground on the Umatilla where we left Lieutenant Gracie. There will be about one hundred and fifty mounted men besides the packers and wagoners. After resting for a couple of hours on the Columbia, we set out for the Dalles, where we arrived at five o'clock. Here we found Lieutenant Dryer, who is to set out to-morrow morning and join the command as Quarter Master.

And thus ended my expedition into the wilderness. It has shown me the rough side of army life, and yet the time has passed pleasantly from the very novelty and freshness of everything. And now, amid all the refinements of civilization, I cannot but look back with something like regret to the freedom of our little camp on the quiet plains, where no sound was heard to break our slumber, but the steady tread of our sentinel or the rippling of the Umatilla.

_FINIS_

Transcriber's Notes.

Some punctuation, accentuation, spacing, hyphenation and spelling have been corrected, but where the original spelling variations appear more than once they have been retained.

Italicized words and phrases are presented by surrounding the text with underscores.