personal memoirs-1-第11章

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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；　and　I　was　transferred　temporarily　to　Fort

Haskins；　on　the　latter　reserve；　and　assigned　to　the　duty　of

completing　it　and　building　a　blockhouse　for　the　police　control　of　the

Indians　placed　there。



While　directing　this　work；　I　undertook　to　make　a　road　across　the

coast　mountains　from　King's　Valley　to　the　Siletz；　to　shorten　the　haul

between　the　two　points　by　a　route　I　had　explored。　　I　knew　there　were

many　obstacles　in　the　way；　but　the　gain　would　be　great　if　we　could

overcome　them；　so　I　set　to　work　with　the　enthusiasm　of　a　young　path…

finder。　　The　point　at　which　the　road　was　to　cross　the　range　was　rough

and　precipitous；　but　the　principal　difficulty　in　making　it　would　be

from　heavy　timber　on　the　mountains　that　had　been　burned　over　years

and　years　before；　until　nothing　was　left　but　limbless　trunks　of　dead

treesfirs　and　pinesthat　had　fallen　from　time　to　time　until　the

ground　was　matted　with　huge　logs　from　five　to　eight　feet　in　diameter。

These　could　not　be　chopped　with　axes　nor　sawed　by　any　ordinary　means；

therefore　we　had　to　burn　them　into　suitable　lengths；　and　drag　the

sections　to　either　side　of　the　roadway　with　from　four　to　six　yoke　of

oxen。



The　work　was　both　tedious　and　laborious；　but　in　time　perseverance

surmounted　all　obstacles　and　the　road　was　finished；　though　its　grades

were　very　steep。　　As　soon　as　it　was　completed；　I　wished　to

demonstrate　its　value　practically；　so　I　started　a　Government　wagon

over　it　loaded　with　about　fifteen　hundred　pounds　of　freight　drawn　by

six　yoke　of　oxen；　and　escorted　by　a　small　detachment　of　soldiers。

When　it　had　gone　about　seven　miles　the　sergeant　in　charge　came　back

to　the　post　and　reported　his　inability　to　get　any　further。　　Going　out

to　the　scene　of　difficulty　I　found　the　wagon　at　the　base　of　a　steep

hill；　stalled。　　Taking　up　a　whip　myself；　I　directed　the　men　to　lay　on

their　gads；　for　each　man　had　supplied　himself　with　a　flexible　hickory

withe　in　the　early　stages　of　the　trip；　to　start　the　team；　but　this

course　did　not　move　the　wagon　nor　have　much　effect　on　the　demoralized

oxen；　but　following　as　a　last　resort　an　example　I　heard　of　on　a

former　occasion；　that　brought　into　use　the　rough　language　of　the

country；　I　induced　the　oxen　to　move　with　alacrity；　and　the　wagon　and

contents　were　speedily　carried　to　the　summit。　　The　whole　trouble　was

at　once　revealed：　the　oxen　had　been　broken　and　trained　by　a　man　who；

when　they　were　in　a　pinch；　had　encouraged　them　by　his　frontier

vocabulary；　and　they　could　not　realize　what　was　expected　of　them

under　extraordinary　conditions　until　they　heard　familiar　and　possibly

profanely　urgent　phrases。　　I　took　the　wagon　to　its　destination；　but

as　it　was　not　brought　back；　even　in　all　the　time　I　was　stationed　in

that　country；　I　think　comment　on　the　success　of　my　road　is

unnecessary。



I　spent　many　happy　months　at　Fort　Haskins；　remaining　there　until　the

post　was　nearly　completed　and　its　garrison　increased　by　the　arrival

of　Captain　F。　T。　Denta　brother…in…law　of　Captain　Ulysses　S。　Grant

with　his　company　of　the　Fourth　Infantry；　in　April；　1857。　　In　the

summer　of　1856；　and　while　I　was　still　on　duty　there；　the　Coquille

Indians　on　the　Siletz；　and　down　near　the　Yaquina　Bay；　became；　on

account　of　hunger　and　prospective　starvation；　very　much　excited　and

exasperated；　getting　beyond　the　control　of　their　agent；　and　even

threatening　his　life；　so　a　detachment　of　troops　was　sent　out　to　set

things　to　rights；　and　I　took　command　of　it。　　I　took　with　me　most　of

the　company；　and　arrived　at　Yaquina　Bay　in　time　to　succor　the　agent；

who　for　some　days　had　been　besieged　in　a　log　hut　by　the　Indians　and

had　almost　abandoned　hope　of　rescue。



Having　brought　with　me　over　the　mountains　a　few　head　of　beef　cattle

for　the　hungry　Indians；　without　thinking　of　running　any　great

personal　risk　I　had　six　beeves　killed　some　little　distance　from　my

camp；　guarding　the　meat　with　four　Soldiers；　whom　I　was　obliged　to

post