Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/195



Walla Walla. It has already been mentioned that the bearer of the letters to McBean and the Nez Percés was intercepted, the packet falling into the hands of Tauitowe, who, after abstracting the flag and tobacco, sent the letters to McBean. The answer of McBean, however, he retained and destroyed, and it was this unexplained silence which made them hesitate.

The letter to McBean was an explanation of the pres ence of an army in the country, not for the purpose of distracting it with warfare, but to bring to justice the Cayuse murderers, and to prevent the other tribes from combining with them. He was not asked to take part in any way to disturb the friendly relations of the Hudson's Bay Company to the Indians, but, if possible, to aid in bringing about peace. Further than this the letter ex pressed anxiety lest the Catholic mission and the fort should be in danger, and offered a detachment to protect them if necessary. The same packet contained a letter from Colonel Gilliam to Brouillet, asking him to furnish a statement of the part he had taken in the affairs of the Waiilatpu mission before and after the massacre. Brouil- let s reply went the same way with McBean s, but it is reproduced in his Authentic Account, an abstract of which has been given in a previous chapter.

On reaching Walla Walla these things were explained. Had the commissioners received the letters intercepted by Tauitowe they would have been in a position to treat with the Cayuses, a majority of whom would gladly have ac cepted peace on the governor s terms the surrender of the murderers. But with the guilty ones striving to pre vent a peace on these terms, and the commissioners coming with an army and hesitating to hold a council, the multi tude were alarmed and uncertain to a degree which im pelled them to self-defense, if not to aggressive warfare.

On the morning of the twenty-seventh not an Indian was to be seen, and nothing had been stolen during the night proof enough that none were near and it was