Page:History vs. the Whitman saved Oregon story.djvu/80

74 Ft. Vancouver than James Douglas and P. S. Ogden fitted out two boats, and with sixteen men and an ample supply of Indian goods, started them under the command of Ogden to Ft. Walla Walla, about 300 miles up the Columbia. Making utmost possible speed, they reached Walla Walla December 19, and Ogden immediately began negotiations for the ransom of the fifty-one captives at Whitman's station, and the nine at Spalding's station, who were virtually captives, since the Nez Ferces would only allow them to leave on payment by Ogden of a ransom, and so vigorously did he prosecute his mission of mercy that January i, 1848, the sixty ransomed ones were at Walla Walla, and the next day they started down the river, and in due time Mr. Ogden delivered them in safety at Oregon City.

January 8, 1848, Rev. H. H. Spalding wrote to D. Greene, secretary, a letter giving an account of the massacre and the rescue of the captives, and continued as follows "Too much praise cannot be credited to Mr. Ogden for his timely, prompt and judicious and Christian efforts in our behalf.

"We owe it under kind heaven to the efforts of Mr. Ogden and Mr. Douglas that we are alive and at this place to-day.

"May the God of Heaven abundantly reward them."

The whole history of Indian massacres since the settlement of America began shows no other instance where so many captives were so quickly rescued with no fighting and with no overwhelming military force menacing the Indians.

The Oregon Spectator, the only paper then published in Oregon, in its issue of January 20, 1848, printed the following letter:

"Oregon City, 17 Jan., 1848.

"Sir: I feel it a duty as well as a pleasure to tender you my sincere thanks and the thanks of this community for your exertions in behalf of the widows and orphans that were left in the hands of the Cayuse Indians.

"Their state was a deplorable one, subject to the caprices of savages, exposed to their insults, compelled to labor for them, and remaining constantly in dread lest they should be butchered, as their husbands and fathers had been.

"From this state I am fully satisfied we could not relieve them.

"A small party of Americans would have been looked upon by them with contempt; a large party would have been the signal for a general massacre.

"Your immediate departure from Vancouver on receipt of the intelligence from Wailatpu enabling you to arrive at Walla Walla before the news of the American party having started from this place reached them, together with your influence over the Indians, accomplished the desirable object of relieving the distressed.