among some of the tribes, of which we had to-night a very unmistakable
proof. The Cayuses, we have known, have never been friendly, but
hitherto they have disguised their feelings. To-night, as Lieutenant
Gracie and I attempted, as usual, to enter their camp, they showed a
decided opposition: we were motioned back, and the young warriors threw
themselves in our way to obstruct our advance. To yield to this,
however, or to show any signs of being intimidated, would have been
ruinous with the Indians, so we were obliged to carry out our original
intentions. We placed our horses abreast, riding round the Indians,
where it was possible, and at other times forcing our way through,
believing that they would not dare to resort to actual violence. If,
however, this hostile feeling at the Council increases, how long will it
be before we have an actual outbreak?
_Wednesday, June 6th._—To-day the Indians again determined not to meet
in Council, as they wished to consult among themselves: so there is
another day lost. After my ride up the valley to the Mission, I found on
my return to dinner, an old trapper and Indian trader had come in to
visit us, and was to be our guest. We had, however, a sumptuous repast,
for he brought with him a buffalo tongue, a great luxury on the plains,
and one which anywhere might tempt the epicure.
The races to-night were the most exciting we have seen, as the Indians
had bet some sixteen or eighteen blankets (a great stake for them!) on
the result, and all the passions of their savage natures were called
into play. There was visible none of that Mohawk stoicism of manner
which Fenimore Cooper describes. After the races were finished,
Lieutenant Gracie and I concluded to ride into the camp of our amiable
friends, the Cayuses, to see how they felt this evening. There was no
attempt to exclude us, though if savage and scowling looks could have
killed, we should both have ended our mortal career this evening in this
Valley of Walla-Walla.
_Thursday, June 7th._—Mr. McKay took breakfast with us. He is the son of
the old Indian hunter so often mentioned in Irving's "Astoria," and
whose name is identified with pioneer life in this region.
The Council met to-day at twelve, when I went into the arbor, and taking
my seat at the reporters' table, wrote some of the speeches delivered.
There is, of course, in those of the Indians, too much repetition to
give them fully, but a few extracts may show the manner in which these
wearisome debates were conducted day after day:
GOVERNOR STEVENS. "My brothers! we expect to have your hearts to-day.
Let us have your hearts straight out."
LAWYER, the old Nez Percé Chief. The first part of his speech was
historical, relating the discovery of this country by the Spaniards,
which is a favorite topic with the Indian orators. In the course of it,
he thus narrated the story of Columbus and the egg, which he had heard
from some of the missionaries.
"One of the head of the court said, 'I knew there was such a country.'
Columbus, who had discovered it, said, 'Can you make an egg stand on its
end?' He tried to make the egg stand, but could not do it. He did not
understand how. It fell over. Columbus then showed them all that he
could make it stand. He set it down and it stood. He knew how, and after
they saw it done, they could all do it."
He thus described the manner in which the tribes at the East receded at
the approach of the whites:
"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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_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.