CHAPTER XXVI
THE CHEHALIS COUNCIL |
| Graphic account by Judge James G. Swan—Indians assemble on lower Chehalis River—The camp and scenes—Method of proceeding—Indians object to leaving their wonted resorts—Tleyuk, young Chehalis chief, proves recusant and insolent—Governor Stevens rebukes him—Tears up his commission before his face—Dismisses the council—His forbearance, and desire to assist the Indians—Treaty made with Quenaiults and Quillehutes next fall as result of this council | 1 |
CHAPTER XXVII
PERSONAL AND POLITICAL.—SAN JUAN CONTROVERSY |
| Death of George Watson Stevens—Governor Stevens keeps Indians in order—Visits Vancouver—Confers with Superintendent Palmer, of Oregon—Firm stand against British claim to San Juan Archipelago—Purchases Taylor donation claim—Democratic convention to nominate delegate in Congress—Governor Stevens a candidate—Effect of speech before convention: “If he gets into Congress, we can never get him out”—J. Patton Anderson nominated | 10 |
CHAPTER XXVIII
INDIANS OF THE UPPER COLUMBIA |
| Manly Indians—Ten Great Tribes—Nez Perces—Missionary Spalding—His work—Abandons mission—Escorted in safety by Nez Perces—Intractable Cuyuses—Religious rivalry—Dr. Whitman—Yakimas, Spokanes, Coeur d’Alenes, Flatheads, Pend Oreilles, Koutenays—Upper country free from settlers—Indian jealousy—Conspiracy to destroy whites discovered by Major Alvord—Warnings disregarded—Governor Stevens thrown in gap—Prepares for council—Walla Walla valley chosen by Kam-i-ah-kan—Journey to Dalles—Incidents—Unfavorable outlook—Escort secured—Trip to Walla Walla—“Call yourself a great chief and steal wood?”—Council ground—Scenes—General Palmer arrives—Programme for treaty—Officers—Lieutenant Gracie, Mr. Lawrence Kip, and escort arrive—Governor Stevens urges General Wool to establish post there | 16 |
CHAPTER XXIX
THE WALLA WALLA COUNCIL |
| Nez Perces arrive—Savage parade—Head chief Hal-hal-tlos-sot or Lawyer, an Indian Solon—Cuyuses, Walla Wallas, Umatillas arrive—Pu-pu-mox-mox—Feasting the chiefs—Fathers Chirouse and Pandosy arrive—Kam-i-ah-kan—Four hundred mounted braves ride around Nez Perce camp—Young Chief—Spokane Garry—Palouses fail to attend—Timothy preaches in Nez Perce camp—Yakimas arrive—Commissioners visit Lawyer—Spotted Eagle discloses Cuyuse plots—Council opened—Treaties explained—Five thousand Indians present—Horse and foot races—Young Chief asks holiday—Pu-pu-mox-mox’s bitter speech—Lawyer discloses conspiracy of Cuyuses to massacre whites—Moves his lodge into camp to put it under protection of Nez Perces—Governor Stevens prepares for trouble—Determines to continue council—Invites Indians to speak their minds—Lawyer favorable—Kam-i-ah-kan scornful—Pathetic speech of Eagle-from-the-Light—Steachus wants reservation in his own country—General Stevens’s tent flooded—Lawyer accepts treaty—Young Chief and others refuse—Governor Stevens’s pointed words—Separate reservations for Cuyuses, Walla Wallas, and Umatillas—Sudden arrival of Looking Glass—His indignation—Orders Nez Perces to their lodges—Night conference with Yakimas—Stormy council—Lawyer goes to his lodge—Kam-i-ah-kan, Pu-pu-mox-mox sign treaties—Lawyer’s advice—Nez Perces and Cuyuses counsel by themselves—Lawyer’s authority confirmed—Last day of treaty—Both tribes sign—Eagle-from-the-Light presents his medicine, a grizzly bear’s skin, to Governor Stevens—Satisfactory ending great relief—Delegations to Blackfoot council—Nez Perce scalp-dance—Treachery of other tribes—Outbreak—Compelled to live under treaties—Provisions of treaties—Benefits of council—Present prosperity | 34 |
CHAPTER XXX
CROSSING THE BITTER ROOTS |
| Party for Blackfoot council—Crossing Snake River—Red Wolf and Timothy thrifty chiefs—Traverse fine country—Coeur d’Alene Mission—Council with Indians—Wrestling match—Crossing the Bitter Root Mountains—Rafting the Bitter Root River—Bitter Root or St. Mary’s valley—Reception by the Flatheads and Pend Oreilles—Victor complains of the Blackfeet | 66 |
CHAPTER XXXI
THE FLATHEAD COUNCIL |
| Chiefs unwilling to unite on one reservation—Alexander dreads strictness of the white man’s rule—Big Canoe—What need of treaty between friends?—Let us live together—Protracted debates—Indians feast and counsel among themselves—No result—Victor leaves the council—Two days’ intermission—Governor Stevens accepts Victor’s proposition and concludes treaty—Moses refuses to sign treaty—“The Blackfeet will get his hair” | 81 |
CHAPTER XXXII
MARCH TO FORT BENTON.—MARSHALING THE TRIBES |
| Nez Perces and Flatheads to hunt south of Missouri pending council—Prairie Plateau on summit of Rocky Mountains—Elk for supper—Lewis and Clark’s Pass—Management of train—Traverse the plains—Abundant game—Bewildering buffalo trails—Reach Fort Benton—Governor Stevens meets Commissioner Cumming on Milk River—Boats belated—Provisions exhausted—Leathery jerked meat—Pemmican two years old—Hunting buffalo on Judith—Bighorn at Citadel Rock—Metsic, the hunter—Two thousand western Indians fraternizing with Blackfeet—Stolen horses—Doty recovers them—Cumming claims sole authority—Forced to subside into proper place—He stigmatizes Blackfeet and country—Disagrees on all points—Governor Stevens’s views—A million and a half buffalo find sustenance on these plains | 92 |
CHAPTER XXXIII
THE BLACKFOOT COUNCIL |
| Twelve thousand Indians kept in hand for months—Nez Perces and Snakes move to Yellowstone for food—Adams and Tappan seek Crows—Delay of boats imperils council—Indians summoned—Council changed to mouth of Judith River—Remarkable express service—Three thousand five hundred Indians assemble—Best feeling—Treaty concluded—Peace established—Terms well kept by Blackfeet—Scenes at council ground—Grand chorus of one hundred Germans—Homeric feasts—Disgruntled commissioner | 387 |
CHAPTER LIII
BATTLE OF JAMES ISLAND |
| General Benham’s precipitate determination to assault Fort Lamar—Protests of his generals—He orders General Stevens to assault at dawn, Wright and Williams to support—Attacking column—Forms at two P.M.—Drives in and follows hard on enemy’s pickets—Enters field in front of fort at daylight—Rushes on the work in column of regiments—The fight over the parapet—Deadly fire from enemy’s reserves in rear of the work—Troops withdrawn in good order and reformed—General Williams attacks on left—General Wright takes position to protect left and rear—General Stevens about to assault a second time, when General Benham suddenly gives up the fight and orders both columns to retreat—Forces and losses—Causes of the repulse—Highlanders’ revenge at Fort Saunders—Benham deprived of command and sent North | 399 |
CHAPTER LIV
RETURN TO VIRGINIA |
| The Highlanders present General Stevens with a sword—His response—Death of Daniel Lyman Arnold—General Stevens’s letters to his wife—Holds Benham to account—General Wright succeeds to command on Benham’s arrest—James Island evacuated—Troops uselessly harassed—Jean Ribaut’s fort—Voyage to Virginia—General Stevens’s letter to President Lincoln recommending such movement—His views of military situation—Lands at Newport News—Ninth corps formed, General Stevens commanding first division—Meets General Cullum | 416 |
CHAPTER LV
POPE’s CAMPAIGN |
| General Stevens moves to Fredericksburg—Division in three brigades, and joined by two light batteries—Stevens and Reno’s division, march up the Rappahannock; join Pope’s army at Culpeper Court House—General Stevens stops straggling and marauding—Battle of Cedar Mountain—Army of Virginia—Pope advances to Rapidan—General Stevens holds Raccoon Ford—Lee leaves McClellan—Concentrates against Pope, who withdraws behind Rappahannock—General Stevens’s action at Kelly’s Ford—Marching up the river to head off Lee—Benjamin silences enemy’s gun with a single shot—Reinforcements arrive from Army of the Potomac—Jackson marches around right flank and falls on rear—Positions and movements, August 26, 27, 28—Description of Bull Run battlefield—Jackson withdraws from Manassas and takes position there—Movements of Pope’s forces—Fiasco of McDowell and Sigel—Jackson attacks—Stubborn fight of General Gibbon near Groveton—Generals King and Ricketts march away from the enemy—Pope reiterates order to attack | 425 |
CHAPTER LVI
THE SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN |
| Jackson resumes his position—Sigel’s troops move forward slowly and become engaged—Reynolds, on left, advances, but falls back—Troops of right wing arrive, scattered to meet Sigel’s cries for reinforcements—General Stevens advances with small force to Groveton—Unexpectedly fired on by enemy’s skirmishers—Benjamin maintains unequal artillery combat—Sigel and Schenck withdraw troops from key-point—Jackson forces back Milroy and Schurz—General Porter’s movement—Inactive all day—Pope hurls disconnected brigades on Jackson’s corps—Attacks by Grover, Reno, Kearny, Stevens, all repulsed—King’s division slaughtered—General Stevens collects his scattered division—Union attacks repulsed the first day—Lee master of the situation—August 30, second day—Pope sure the enemy had retreated—General Stevens expresses contrary view—Captain John More finds enemy in force—Pope’s fatuous Order of pursuit—Porter slowly forms column in centre—Pope’s faulty dispositions— Whole army bunched in centre—Wings stripped of troops— Porter’s attack—General Stevens joins in it—The repulse— Lee’s opportunity—Longstreet’s onslaught—The battle on left and centre—The right firmly held—General Stevens’s remark—Pope orders retreat—General Stevens withdraws deliberately—Checks pursuit—Capture of Lieutenant Heffron—Crosses Bull Run at Lock’s Ford—Bivouac for night—Battle lost by incompetent commander—Troops fought bravely | 446 |
CHAPTER LVII
THE BATTLE OF CHANTILLY |
| Retreat to Centreville—Rear-guard—Bivouac on Centreville heights—Counting stacks—Two thousand and twelve muskets left—Loss nearly one half—General Stevens’s last letter—Sudden orders—March to intercept Jackson—Battle of Chantilly—General Stevens’s charge—He falls, bearing the colors—The enemy driven from his position—Sudden and furious thunderstorm bursts over the field | 477 |
CHAPTER LVIII
THE BATTLE OF CHANTILLY |
| Progress of the fight—General Kearny responds to General Stevens’s summons with Birney’s brigade—His death—Three of Reno’s regiments engaged—Night ends the contest—Sixteen Union regiments against forty-eight Confederate—Respective losses and forces—General Stevens averted great disaster | 487 |
CHAPTER LIX
FINAL SCENE |
| General Stevens’s body borne from battle to Washington—President considering placing him in command at time of his death— Burial in Newport, R.I.—City erects monument—Inscription— Poem—General Stevens’s descendants | 498 |
| Appendix—Census of Indians | 503 |
| Index | 507 |
