Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/225



murderers, where located, and their probable intentions. I think Joe Lewis and others have gone to the Mormons. A few men, well selected, might follow them, and by sending on one or two men into the city accompanied by some of the Fort Hall people, they might be arrested. I leave this, however, to your own judgment. Hoping that you may be successful in bringing thte war to a close, I remain, your obedient servant,

GEORGE ABERNETHY, Governor of Oregon Territory. Colonel H. A. G. Lee,

First Regiment Oregon Riflemen.

Lee learned from Maxon at The Dalles that the Yakima chiefs had paid the major a visit to express their friendly feelings. They said, "We do not want to fight the Ameri cans, nor the French; neither do the Spokanes, a neigh boring tribe to us. Last fall the Cayuses told us they were^ about to kill the whites at Dr. Whitman s. We told them\ that was wrong, which made them mad at us; and when they killed them they came to us and wished us to fight the whites, which we refused. We love the whites ; but they say, if you do not help us to fight the whites when we have I killed them we will come and kill you. This made us cry,/ but we told them we would not fight, but if they desired to kill us they might. We should feel happy to know that we die innocently." To these friendly professions Maxon replied with the assurance of the American pur pose to make war only on the murderers and those who harbored them. "We that fight," said he, "do not care how many bad people we have to fight. The Americans and Hudson's bay people are the same as one, and you will get no more ammunition until the war is at a close."

The news of a change in the superintendency having reached Fort Waters and the Indians in advance of the reinforcement, was the occasion of the presence at Waii- latpu of a large body of Nez Percés. So impatient were they that an express was sent to meet Lee at John Day river with a request for a council, in response to which he hastened forward, arriving at the fort in advance of the