Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 14.djvu/280



240 LOWNSDALE LETTER TO THURSTON

to act as interpreters or literally those commissioners. Accord- ingly, Robert Newell being well qualified for the purpose, being acquainted with the Indian character and a firm Hud- son's Bay man, could rule the interpreters as he pleased, and to cap the whole with the pointed sheaf, there must be two inter- preters and they of the doctor's profession, indeed one of them his own wife's son and the other being his servant.

In the only engagement which took place after the arrival of McKay's company, one of these was sent for by the com- missioners, who were in advance of the main body, and asked to interpret for them ? to speak with one of the enemy who had come up to talk and draw the attention of the main force in front while the Indians were flanking us on right and left. The commissioners asked what this Indian wanted. The inter- preter replied that the Indians said they did not want to fight but wished to be friends. (At this same time the Indians were advancing in the shape of a half moon and in numbers suffi- cient to encompass our lines.) The commissioners again said that the interpreter desired for no firing, that the Indians were friendly. Orders were given accordingly by the commissioners not to fire. Thus stood the Americans, while the interpreter continued to talk with the Indians until they were entirely flanked and the Indians closed the entire circle of our lines. As soon as the decoy had galloped out of our reach he fired the signal gun for the attack. Now it was too late to do any- thing without breaking and facing from the 'center outwards, which was done, and the Indians retreated, not until they had surrounded some eight or nine of our men and, as they had taken ravines on either side of us and come up within gun- shot, they had the advantage of being covered from us by the banks of the ravines, until forced from them by a charge when they fled and being mounted on fleet horses they easily got out of our reach. Thus was our first engagement with the Cayuses, while these friends of the doctor were managers. After arriving at Wayalatpu, these same commissioners and interpreters kept us 8 days waiting within twenty-five miles of the Indians while they treated and talked with other tribes who were camped with the Cayuses and had daily intercourse ; and yet the murderers of our friends within twenty-five miles, their numbers not exceeding ours and they having to take care of some twenty thousand head of horses and cattle while be- fore us lay bleaching the bones of Whitman, wife, family and many of other Americans who had shared the same fate and yet, the commissioners must hold the hands of those who had come