Q. He sent that message, and you heard it? A. Yes, sir.
Q. What advice, if any, did you then give the commissioners? A. My woman and me went down to the peace commissioners’ tent and she went to Mr. Meacham; I saw her myself at the first, though I told him not to meet them.
Q. Were you at the peace commissioners’ tent when you gave them this advice? A. The peace commissioners’ tent in General Gillam’s camp.
Q. Not the large peace tent? A. No; the peace commissioners’ tent. He wanted to know why, and I told him they intended to murder them, and that they might do it that day if everything was not right; and my woman went and took hold of Mr. Meacham and told him not to go; and held on to him and cried. She said, “Meacham, don’t you go!”—I heard her say so myself—“for they might kill you to-day; they may kill all of you to-day;” and Dr. Thomas, he came up and told me that I ought to put my trust in God; that God Almighty would not let any such body of men be hurt that was on as good a mission as that. I told him at the time that he might trust in God, but that I didn’t trust any in them Indians.
Q. Did any of the other commissioners make any reply? A. Mr. Meacham said that he knew there was danger, and he believed me, every word I said, and he believed the woman, and so did Mr. Dyer. He said he believed it; and he said that he felt like he was going to his grave. I went then to General Canby and asked him if General Gillam was going out. He said “No.” I said, I want your commissioners then to go to General Gillam’s tent with me.
Q. Did they go? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was Tobey with you? A. No, sir; she was not with me then; she was standing holding her horse.
Q. State what occurred at General Gillam’s tent. A. We went down with Mr. Meacham, General Canby, Dyer, and Dr. Thomas; and General Canby walked down with us. General Canby did not go into the tent, but the other three went in; that is, Mr. Dyer, Meacham, and Dr. Thomas, and I went in to General Gillam and said, “General Gillam, these men are going out to hold council with them Indians to-day, and I don’t believe it is safe. If there is anything happens to them, I don’t want no blame laid on me
hereafter, because I don’t think it is safe for them to go, and after it is over I don’t want nothing laid on me;” said I, “I am not much afraid of the Indians; but I will go before I will be called a coward.”
Q. State what followed then. A. Well, before we got through the conversation there, General Gillam—that is, there was not anything more—and then General Gillam gave a big laugh, and said if the Indians done anything, that he would take care of them, and we started out, and General Canby and Dr. Thomas started on ahead; Mr. Meacham went to Tobey (my wife), and asked her if she thought the Indians would kill him; and she said, “I have told you all I can tell you;” she said, “they may kill you to-day, and they may not.”