Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/198



notwithstanding that a few Nez Percés and Peu-peu-mox- mox made friendly overtures, the colonel was not softened and declared in council that he had come to fight, and fight he would.

On the night of the fourth of March, more than three months after the massacre, the messenger to Washington made a final start for the states, escorted by a company of one hundred men as far as the Blue mountains, where the little party of nine bade their friends adieu, and set out upon their mission, depending only upon their own sa gacity, and the cap and capote of the Hudson's Bay Com pany for safety from the dangers of the journey. The names of Meek s companions were: G. W. Ebberts, John Owens, Nathaniel Bowman, James Steel, Samuel Miller, Jacob Leabo, Dennis Buris, and David Young. Ebberts, like Meek, was a "mountain man," or trapper for the fur companies for many years. The others were chiefly re turning immigrants. 2 "

The fifth being Sunday, the order to work on the fortifi cation was very unwillingly complied with, and signs of a mutinous spirit were scarcely repressed. During the day William Craig, who had joined the army, and Joseph Ger- vais, from French Prairie in the Wallamet, went to meet a large body of the Nez Percés whom, rumor said, were coming to join the Cayuses, and to bring them to see the

20 The party experienced the unavoidable hardships of mountain travel at this time of the year, the snow being soft, but reached Fort Boise safely, walking most of the way and leading their horses and pack animals. Two of the immigrants remained at Boise, discouraged by the trials of their first three hundred miles. The remainder of the party proceeded to Fort Hall, traveling day and night for fear of the Bannocks, some of whom had been met on the road, acting suspiciously. At Fort Hall they received warm food and a few hours rest, continuing their journey with no unnecessary delay, but having to abandon their horses after two days of strug gling through drifts of fresh snow, and take to snowshoes made of willow twigs woven in shape. With only a blanket and a rifle apiece, and depending upon the latter to procure subsistance, they pushed on to Bear river, where they came upon the camp of Peg-leg Smith, a former associate of Meek and Ebberts, who had not abandoned mountain life, and who received them with a liberal hospitality, which raised their strength and their spirits together. Two of the men remained at this camp. Refreshed and provided with food, the party again set out, on snowshoes, and reached Fort Bridger, four hundred and seventy miles beyond Boise, after several days of hard travel James Bridger was another old acquaintance of Meek s, and