CROSSING THE BITTER ROOTS

Party for Blackfoot council—Crossing Snake River—Red Wolf and Timothy thrifty chiefs—Traverse fine country—Cœur 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 107 CHAPTER XXXIV
CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS IN MIDWINTER.—SURPRISE OF THE CŒUR D’ALENES AND SPOKANES The start homeward—The haggard expressman brings news of Indian outbreak—How Pearson ran the gauntlet of hostile Indians—Governor Stevens disregards warning dispatches—Resolves to force his way back by the direct route—Sends to Fort Benton for arms and ammunition—Hastens ahead of train to Bitter Root valley—Confers with Flatheads and Nez Perces—Alarming reports—Procures fresh animals—Nez Perce chiefs join the party—Taking the unexpected route—Crossing the snowy Bitter Roots—Ten dead horses—The surprise of the Cœur d’Alenes—“Peace or war?”—Craig and the Nez Perces take direct route home—Surprise of the Cœur d’Alenes—Rescue of blockaded miners—Indians called to council—The Stevens Guards and Spokane Invincibles organized 120 CHAPTER XXXV
STORMY COUNCIL WITH THE SPOKANES Disaffected Indians—Kam-i-ah-kan’s emissaries and falsehoods—Governor Stevens’s firm front preserves friendship—Looking Glass’s treachery discovered and frustrated—Dubious speeches—Indians’ friendship gained—Light marching order—Four days’ march in driving storm to the Nez Perce country 133 CHAPTER XXXVI
THE FAITHFUL NEZ PERCES Two thousand assemble in council—Offer two hundred and fifty warriors to force way through hostiles—Battle of Oregon volunteers—The way cleared—The Nez Perce guard of honor—March to Walla Walla—Capture of Ume-how-lish—Reception by the volunteers—Governor Stevens’s speech—Winter campaign—Letter to General Wool—His inaction and mistaken views—In camp, 27° below zero—The Nez Perces dismissed— Governor Stevens pushes on to the Dalles in advance of train—Crossing the gorged Deschutes—By trail down the Columbia to Vancouver—The sail at night in the storm—Arrival at Olympia after nine months’ absence—Mrs. Stevens and children visit Whitby Island—In danger from northern Indians 143 CHAPTER XXXVII
PROSTRATION.—RESCUE Country utterly prostrated—Settlers take refuge in towns—Abandon farms—General Wool disbands volunteers, takes the defensive, and maligns the people—Review of war— Kam-i-ah-kan, leading spirit—Treacherous chiefs, fresh from signing treaties, incite war—Miners massacred—Agent Bolon murdered—Major Haller’s repulse—Settlers driven from Walla Walla—Massacre on White River—Volunteers raised— Lieutenant Slaughter killed—Impenetrable forests and swamps—Cascades afford hidden resorts—Fruitless march of Major Rains to Yakima—Governor Stevens addresses legislature—His measures of relief—Calls out volunteers— Visits lower Sound—Enlists Indian auxiliaries—Settlers return to farms—Build blockhouses—Organization of volunteers 156 CHAPTER XXXVIII
WAGING THE WAR ON THE SOUND Volunteers form Northern, Central, and Southern battalions—Plan of campaign—Cooperation sought with regulars—Memoir of information sent General Wool and Colonel Wright—Campaign east of Cascades suggested—Wool’s flying visit to Sound—Demands virtual disbanding of volunteers—Governor Stevens’s caustic letter of refusal—Pat-ka-nim fights hostiles—Naval forces—Battle of Connell’s prairie—Scouring the forests and swamps amid rains