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 MILES CANNON

16

At the present time this particular section is given over to the caprices of the two rivers which are conabandoned.

new channels. The last vestige of this historic The seat of said to have disappeared in 1870. political and commercial power has been transferred to the beautiful city of Boise situated 50 miles farther up the Boise stantly seeking

building

is

river.

Reverting briefly to the south bank of the Snake I would mention that section of the old trail lying between Succor creek, on the Idaho side, and the Owyhee river on the Oregon side of the state line. The trail crossed Succor creek about five miles back from the Snake and ascended to a high plain for a distance of several miles when it again descended into the Snake river bottom some miles below what is known as the Big Bend. It may be recalled that it was in this vicinity that Robert Stuart picked up our three Kentucky hunters whose melancholy fate on Boise river already has been mentioned. On the high plain referred to is the spot where, about noon of Sept. 13, 1860, the Vanorman train was attacked by the Indians, eleven of the party killed and the entire train of eight wagons, after thirty-six hours of continuous fighting, were

on

by the victorious savages and nearly 100 head of all the provisions of the company appropriated. Some thirty-four members, mostly children, escaped when the torch was being applied to the wagons and after untold suffering established a camp on the Owyhee about ten rods above the point where the trail crossed that stream. Here they remained until October 17th when they were rescued by a company of troopers from Walla Walla under command of Capset

fire

stock and

tain Dent.

So

was

fire

furiously did the massacre rage when the train that those who escaped were unable, except for a part of a loaf of corn bread, to provide themselves with any provisions whatever, and out of the thirty making their set

on

escape eighteen were children, several of whom were too small In the annals of pioneer tragedies I know of but to walk. one that parallels this the Donner party of 1846. Of the thirty-four

who went

into

camp

at the

Owyhee

far less than