VOL. I.

Mrs. Owen N. Denny, of Portland, is a survivor of the Whitman massacre, at which time she was quite a small child; but the terrible scenes of that day are indellibly impressed upon her mind. In the following interview she trusts wholly to memory, and gives incidents as they are recollected:

For many days preceding the massacre, rumors of an outbreak prevailed, which were substantiated by an apparent insolence on the part of the Indians. In 1847 I was one of the youngest children attending school in Dr. Whitman's house, with a Mr. Saunders for teacher, who, as well as our own family, was an immigrant, having arrived that year from the States. On November 29 preparations were made for killing a beef, because of which the men of the mission were all expected to be present and assist. This was an oportunity desired by the Indians, who expected to annihilate the attaches of the mission. One

man, who was expected to be present, failed to arrive on time, in consequence of which the work was delayed until late in the day. The result was that when night came the Indians had not finished the massacre, and delayed a portion of it until next morning. Thus did it happen that there were survivors. During the afternoon recess we children were in the kitchen, where we found John Sager, busy untangling a large lot

No. 2.

of twine. He loved children, and often played with us, whereas we thought a great deal of him. On this occasion, however, he was SO downcast and gloomy that we could not attract his attention or make him smile. We tried every possible way to get him to look up and smile upon us, but all to no purpose. He was so deeply engrossed in his own sorrow, as to make a great impression on all of us. Just after recess we heard the reports of firearms, and at first supposed our friends had commenced their work. The continued firing, however, excited Mr. Saunders' suspicion, and he started out to see what was the matter. As the door opened I caught a glimpse of an Indian making a dive at him. Mr. Saunders closed the door quickly and started for the immigrant house, a few rods distant, where his family was stopping. It was necessary for him to climb a fence on the way, and when doing so was shot. As the door closed I turned to the opposite window, and saw Mr. Kimball running toward the house and holding his left arm, which was bleeding. Soon after the firing commenced mother and Mrs. Hayse came running from the immigrant house, and arrived. barely in time to get in, as Mrs. Whitman was barring the doors to keep the Indians out. Mother told me that on the way she saw Chief Teloukite trying to hit Dr. Whitman on the head, but the latter kept dodging from side to side

and missing the blows, although he had already been shot and was bleeding. The chief was on horseback, and the doctor on foot, near the house, which he reached before mother and Mrs. Hayse. As mother entered, she saw him lying on the floor, and Mrs. Whitman asked her to help lift him. In taking his head in her hands, it was bloody and felt squeshy. He told them, however, to let him alone and look out for themselves, as he wouid die anyhow. Mrs. Whitman was first shot in the wrist, after which she was still active in her efforts to look out for the welfare of others, during which time Joe Lewis, a halfbreed whom she said. was the ringleader of the trouble, kept slipping and dodging around the outside, trying to get a shot at her through the pantry window, which he finally did, wounding her in the breast. After be ing thus shot twice, Mrs. Whitman went upstairs, where Mr. Kimball had gone. At the first alarm the large boys knew the threatened massacre had commenced, so hurried the small children into a sort of loft in the schoolroom, then climbed up themselves, telling us to keep perfectly quiet under all circumstances. Here we remained what seemed to me a very long time. When the Indians had killed all the Americans outside, they called to those in the house to come out, as they were going to fire the buildings. The Bridger boys, who were part Indian, and Frank Sager, who were also attending school, were with us in the loft. After the shooting stopped Joe Lewis came in and called to us to come down. The large boys told us not to answer or make a noise. Lewis then went out, and the boys told us if he came back we had better go down, but under no circumstances were we to speak of their being in the loft. After a short interval Lewis returned and again called for us to come down, which the children did. As we

entered the kitchen, the first thing that greeted our eyes was the dead body of John Sager, lying across the door, over which we had to step to enter the diningroom. In our fright we children remained together, and seemed not to be noticed. Nowhere was there anyone visible except Indians, some of whom tried to go upstairs, but Mr. Rogers threatened to shoot the first head that appeared. They then called out that they would fire the house, and for everybody to come out, saying they would not get hurt, and making many promises of good treatment. After what seemed a long time, Mrs. Whitman was induced to come down, Mr. Rogers helping her, my mother Mrs. Hall, and Mrs. Hayse coming down at the same time. Mrs. Whitman, being unable to walk, was placed on a settee. The Indians said they would take her to the immigrant house, so they picked up the settee and started, mother, Mrs. Hayse and Mr. Rogers following. Before getting across the room they put the settee down and engaged in animated conversation, which mother could not understand, but Mrs. Whitman and Mr. Rogers could. They then carried her into the middle of the kitchen and again put the settee down, when another pow-wow was held. In the meantime a friendly Indian urged mother and Mrs. Hayse to go on ahead, faster. The Indians at last picked up the settee again, and moved a few feet outside the door, when the friendly Indian again urged-almost pushing-mother and Mrs. Hayse, to go on ahead, which they finally did. At this point I joined mother. It was now getting twilight, when the same friendly Indian who urged mother and Mrs. Hayse to go on ahead, took off his own blanket and held it before the children, who remained behind, that they might not see the horrible tragedy being enacted. However,

did not see the part-Indian boys any more, but they were not injured. Of course we were all terror-stricken in the immigrant house that night, and none of the adults were able to sleep. Before leaving, the Indians told Joe Lewis, a Frenchman, to leave during the night, as they would return in the morning and kill all the survivors. This Frenchman was in love with Mrs. Hayse, and wanted to marry her, claiming that the Indians would save her, and probably all the others, if she was his wife. This she refused to do, but at the request of the other women, consented to have him report to the Indians that they were married, and said if she could reconcile herself to it she might marry him later.

Very early in the morning the Indians returned, came into the house, helped themselves to whatever they wanted, and

very deliberately began preparations for killing the survivors. As Lewis had not gone away, they demanded to know why, which gave him an opportunity to plead for us, which he did with all the eloquence of desperation, claiming that Mrs. Hayse was his wife and he would not leave her, but if she was killed they would also have to kill him. He told them that we were all inoffensive, had never harmed the Indians and were not disposed to; that they had killed Dr. and Mrs. Whitman, and all those whom they considered enemies, and should spare the women and children, who were merely passing through their country. After a time the chief, Teloukite, granted his request, but some of the Indians became very angry and wanted to finish the work of slaughter at once. It is a mistake to suppose that the entire tribe was engaged in this massacre, as it was a conspiracy among a few only, said to be twenty-five to thirty, while others stood around helpless, and some of them weeping. The Indians supposed the food to be poisoned, and permitted us to retain all of it. Considering their nature they treated us with marked courtesy in many ways during our stay among them.

Oregon Native Sons.