Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/135

 CORRESPONDENCE

127

Preached 21 sermons have attended the constitution of the church on Cedar Creek.

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Respectfully submitted,

EZRA FISHER. traveling expenses are for a tour to The Dalles, which I shall make as soon as the yearly meetings are over this month. If I fail to go I shall deduct the amount

N. B.

The extra

in my next report. Received Oct. 17.

Oregon

City,

O. Ter., Oct. 3d, 1855.

Rev. Benjamin M. Hill, Cor Sec. Am. Bap. Home Mission Soc. Dear Brother: Last Thursday I took the steamer for The Dalles and arrived Found The at The Cascades about eight in the evening.

Cascades in a high state of excitement through fear of a

Yaccima [Yakima] and Clickitat which was daily expected. 376 About 500 [Klickitat] Indians, were warriors of their reported to be encamped in a plain miles or 40 northeast of The Cascades, who are about 35 of the whites at The Cascades said to aim at the destruction and thus cut off communication between the Willamette Valley and the upper country (or middle Oregon). Some 15 whites are reported as already murdered by these tribes, chiefly Yet miners; one Indian agent is included in the number. Indian rumors are uncertain. Suffice it to say that I found The Cascades mostly deserted by the women and children. The men had organized themselves into a military company The family residing on the north side of for self defense. the river midway between The Cascades and The Dalles had moved to The Dalles for safety. Thirty soldiers had been sent down from The Dalles to guard the house and outnightly

attack

of

the

376 This was the beginning of the Indian War of 1855-6, which arose partly over dissatisfaction with the treaties of 1855, and partly over the large influx of whites, and which involved Eastern Oregon and nearly all of the present WashBancroft, Hist, of Wash., Ida. and Mont., pp. 108-170. ington.