Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/191



showing his confidence in them by accompanying the commissioners to the camp of the army, where a council was held, and the Indians instructed to return to The Dalles, there to remain until joined by the commissioners and the chiefs of other bands, Colonel Gilliam giving Beardy a letter to the officer in command at that post. Beardy, also sometimes called Sue, presented Thomas McKay a fine horse from Welaptulekt, head chief of the Des Chutes tribe, who sent word that he would bring in all the stolen immigrant property, if by so doing he could secure the friendship of the Americans. 15 Newell, in his memoranda of the journey, states that Gillian was reluc tant to condone the previous conduct of these Indians, and would have preferred to fight them.

Before starting for the Umatilla on the twenty-fourth, two Yakima Indians came to camp, carrying a message from the Catholic missionaries, who had settled among that people in the preceding December, informing the commissioners that the Yakimas had taken their advice,

and determined not to go to war in aid of the Cay uses, as they had no cause of war against Americans, who did not travel through their country, and as they had been informed the hostilities did not include them. They brought to Colonel Gilliam a letter from one of the priests,

which, being translated, agreed with the statement of the messengers:

CAMP OF CIAIES, February 16, 1848. M. Commander:

The Yakima chiefs, Ciaies and Skloo, have just presented me a letter signed by Messrs. Joel Palmer, Robert Newell, and H. A. G. Lee which I have read, and a young Indian, son of one of the chiefs translated it to them in Yakima language. The chiefs above men tioned charged me to say to you in their name, in those of Car- naiareum and of Chananaie, that they accept, with acknowledg ments, the tobacco and the banner which you sent them. They have resolved to follow your counsel, and not unite themselves with the Cayuses, but to remain at rest upon their lands. On my arrival at the camp of Ciaies, that chief assured me that he would not join

I 5 Oregon Spectator, A