Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/495

dian affairs, Governor Stevens began to prepare early in the summer for the annual distribution of goods to the tribes who had remained friendly, and instructed special agent Craig, who was also lieutenant-colonel of Washington territory volunteers, still in command of the company of sixty Nez Percé chiefs and picked men organized in January, to send expresses to the Spokanes and Cœur d'Alenes to invite them to a council in the Nez Percé country. Craig's answer, which is here given, contains an amount of information which is nowhere else to be found regarding the attitude of the Indians at this time, and the cause of it:—

Headquarters Company M,
Second Regiment, Wash. Ter. Volunteers,
Lapwai, May 27, 1856.

Isaac I. Stevens, Esq., Governor and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Washington Territory:

Sir: On receiving your instructions, I sent expresses to Colville, Cœur d'Alene, and to Montour; their answers I send enclosed. A few days after the express arrived a large party started for this place, which was raised, perhaps, after the express left there.

There is no doubt but the Spokanes, or at least a part, have joined the war party; they are determined on fighting the Nez Percés, who beg and pray their big chief to send them some help; they are here in the middle of their enemies without ammunition, and they ask for their white friends to come and help them. The volunteers having all abandoned the country, and hearing nothing of the regulars, there is a cloud of Indians collected in the Spokane country, they say, to rub out the few whites and Nez Percés there are here.

There is very little doubt that the Indians in the direction of the upper Columbia have joined the war party, as they have received their horses for pay for so doing. There are now Cayuses, Palouses, Spokanes, Okinikanes, Cœur d'Alenes, and Colville Indians, a part of each of which are now this side of the Spokane prairie. They say they have made all the whites run out of their country, and will now make all the friendly Indians do the same. They have sent to the Snakes, and a party has already joined them. What are the people of the lower country about? Have they abandoned the country forever, or are they giving the Indians a chance to collect from all parts and break up all friendly parties? They say, "What can the friendly Indians do? They have no ammunition, and the whites will give them none; we have plenty; come and join us and save your lives, or we will take your property anyhow."