The doctor in one of his visits to the sick, had discovered Tamahas, (calld the murderer for having killd several Indians, who had just before lost his wife and who was the person, that, afterwards with two blows upon the head, laid our lamented brother bleeding, senseless but not lifeless, upon the floor,) in rather a suspicious attitude. From that time, the doctor had been cautious. But there were no inflammatory meetings among the chiefs as there had often been. For instance, when they returnd from California two years ago after the death of the son of the Walla-walla chief, several meetings were held to consider whether the doctor, myself or some other American teacher, should be killd as a set-off for Elijah. They came to the conclusion of a great majority at least, and I believe unanimous, that no one should be killd, and pledgd themselves in a full meeting, at which all those principal persons who have staind their hands in the blood of their teachers, as also the doctor and myself, were present, that we should not be injurd, and said we must not leave the country.
Again, when a party of Nez Perces returnd from the Catholic station among the Pointed-hearts, for many days fiery meetings were held through the camp, at which were re-iterated like a lesson well learnd, what they declard one and all they had receivd from the priests at the station, (in which were insinuations and assertions that endangerd our lives,) we were the authors of their sickness and death, the teachers of doctrines which would ruin the Indians. But now there were none of these meetings. On the other hand, all the Indians appeard friendly, were constantly coming for medicines, gruels, and other food, and warm in expressing their gratitude to the doctor for his unwearied labors among them.
The Cayuse at this time were in a more promising attitude than ever before. They were enlarging their farms, fencing them better, employing the doctor to build granaries, break up land, build fences, &c., who kept from time to time several teams employd in this business. Their attention to religious instruction was not abated. They were giving the doctor no trouble as formerly, about the mills, the land, the timber, &c. In fact, aside from the fearful movements of the Catholics crowding in upon us, the doctor was more encouragd than at any time before.
If any are disposd to attach blame to Dr. Whitman because he did not arm himself and others on that day and prepare for defense, let that blame rest upon the living,—let it rest upon the writer, and not upon the eminently devoted, pious and highly useful missionary whose name with that of his worthy companion I love to cherish, but whose death I am compeld to record—whose name I know every friend of the red man, as also every true American, will love to hand down to the coming generation, as the name of an eminently devoted missionary and warm-hearted friend of his suffering countrymen, immigrating to this country.
I know that one in high authority in the Catholic church, in a late publication, by a well meant and well studied silence, would give a very different character to my departed brother, as also more than intimate that the first Christian effort is yet to be made to civilize and Christianize the Cayuse and Nez Perce Indians. The design of the reverend gentleman in hanging out his colors so soon, was doubtless, that his people might know where he stood. I am greatly mistaken if there are not others who will read a lesson upon those colors. But we must expect such things from such hands,—hands which are uplifted not against the Protestant religion only, but against our dearest, noblest, immortal American temple, as can be shown from their attempting to annihilate the civil institution of marriage.
But there is no blame to be attachd to any for neglecting to arm ourselves. The doctor had not a load of ammunition in his house,—the immigrants living at the station had ammunition, and I think the doctor’s boys had a few loads. Suppose the doctor had made an attempt to arm and defend himself,—the attempt would have been known and rousd the Indians. Besides, Jo Lewis was in the doctor’s family, and apparently his best friend. He would have been among the first armd for defense—and what a defense it would have been!
The doctor requested me to accompany him to the Utilla. Leaving dear sister Whitman for the last time in this world, greatly exhausted by her long and incessant watchings and labors with the sick, with three of her children and one of Mr. Osborn’s yet dangerously ill, to require her constant attention, Mrs. Osborn not yet able to leave her bed, and leaving my daughter—oh horrible!—to fall a captive into the hands of murderers, the doctor and myself started about sun-down.
CHAPTER XIV.
Same subject continud.
The Utilla is about 20 miles from Waiilatpu, prairie country, as is the whole of the middle district of Oregon, with the exception of one or two mountains, at intervals of one and two hundred miles.