Wigwam and War-path Or the Royal Chief in Chains Part 53

_Q._ The first or second meeting? _A._ The first meeting after Hooker Jim had told me this at Fairchild's.

_Q._ Where they the same, or other commissioners? _A._ It was General Canby, Dr. Thomas, and Mr. Dyer, and Judge Roseborough, I believe, was along, if I am not mistaken; I won't be positive.

Hooker Jim came to me and caught hold of me, and pushed me one side, and said, "You stand out here." I told him "No;" that I had to go and talk and interpret for them; and my woman here spoke up to him to behave himself, and not go doing anything while he was there; and he then said, "Well, go and sit down."

_Q._ Did you visit the Lava Beds before the ma.s.sacre; and, if so, did you go alone, or with some one else? _A._ The first time I went in there was with Squire Steele. Fairchild--

_Q._ (Interrupting.) Very shortly before the ma.s.sacre, did you?

_A._ Well, I was in there.

_Q._ State why you went in there. _A._ I was in there on the 10th of April. My woman and me went in there, and took a written message in there from the peace commissioners. I read and interpreted it to Captain Jack, and I told him then, after I interpreted it to him, that I gave him a notice; and I told him to bring it the next day when he met the commissioners, to bring it with him. He threw it on the ground, and he said he was no white man; he could not read, and had no use for it. He would meet the commissioners close to his camp--about a mile beyond what they called the peace tent. He said he would meet them there and nowhere else.

_Q._ A mile nearer the Lava Beds than the peace tent? _A._ Yes; he said that was all he had to say then. I could hear them talking around, and sort of making light of the peace commissioners--as much as to say they didn't care for them.

_Q._ What was the tenor of this message you say you read? _A._ It was a statement that they wished to hold a council with them at the peace tent next day, to have a permanent settlement of the difficulties between the whites and the Indians; they wanted to make peace, and move them off to some warm climate, where they could live like white people.

_Q._ Where is that note you carried? _A._ It is lost.

_Q._ Did Captain Jack say anything about arms in reference to the meeting? _A._ Yes, sir; he said he would meet them five men without arms, and he would do the same--he would not take any arms with him.

_Q._ That he would meet them at the place he fixed--one mile nearer the Lava Beds? _A._ Yes, sir; one mile nearer the Lava Beds.

_Q._ Five men, without arms, and he would also go without arms?

_A._ Yes, sir.

The COURT. Five, including himself? _A._ Yes, sir.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. What did he say about the proposition to move him from the Lava Beds? _A._ He said he knew no other country only this, and he did not want to leave it.

_Q._ Did he say anything about a desire for peace? _A._ Yes; he said if they would move the soldiers all away he would make peace then, and live right there were he was, and would not pester anybody else; he would live peaceably there.

_Q._ Was Captain Jack alone in this interview when you talked with him? _A._ No, sir; these other men were around with him, sitting down.

_Q._ These prisoners here now? _A._ Some of them.

_Q._ Did he do all or only a part of the talking? _A._ That evening he done all of the talking--that is, he was the only one that had anything to say to me in regard to this affair.

_Q._ Did you see anything there which led you to suppose that they intended hostilities? _A._ Yes, sir; I did; I saw that they had forted up all around the cave.

_Q._ Did they seem to be well provisioned? _A._ They had just been killing several beeves there that day.

_Q._ Which of these men were there at the time? _A._ Boston was there--most all of these that are here.

_Q._ Can't you name them? _A._ There was Boston, Black Jim was there, and Barncho; I don't remember whether Schonchin was there or not at the time the conversation was going on.

_Q._ Did you go back to the commissioners then? _A._ Yes, sir.

_Q._ State the facts about it. State what followed after your return to the commissioners. _A._ I went back and went to the peace commissioners' tent with Jack's message that he would meet them five unarmed, and he would do the same; he would have five men with himself, and go without arms; and I told him they were forted all around there, and they had been killing beef; and I thought it was useless to try to make peace any longer; and if Captain Jack would not agree to meet at the tent, and if I were in their places I would not meet them any more.

_Q._ What did the commissioners then reply or decide upon? What decision did they come to? _A._ They held a council between themselves. I was not at their council.

_Q._ Was your visit the day before the a.s.sa.s.sination? _A._ Yes, sir; I seen General Canby that evening,; and I told him I had a proposition to make to him. He was out, and I met him, and he wanted to know what it was; I told him that if I was in his place, if I calculated on meeting them Indians, I would send twenty-five or thirty men near the place were I expected to hold the council, to secrete themselves in the rocks there; that they would stand a good show to catch them, if they undertook to do anything that was wrong. General Canby said that that would be too much of an insult to Captain Jack; that if they knew of that, they might do an injury then; he would not do that.

_Q._ Did you hear him say that? _A._ Yes.

_Q._ Did they determine to meet him, or not? _A._ they sent to me the next morning, then, to come down to the peace commissioners' tent.

_Q._ Was Captain Jack informed that they would not go to that place one mile nearer? _A._ Yes, sir; Bogus Charley went in that evening before the murder, right ahead of me, into General Gilliam's camp and stayed all night. He staid at my camp, and the next morning the peace commissioners decided that they would not meet Captain Jack in this place where he wanted to meet them, and sent a message out by Bogus and Boston for them to meet him at the peace commissioners' tent, the peace tent, and they were gone about an hour; and they came back again and said that Captain Jack was there with five men.

_Q._ (Interrupting). You heard it? _A._ Yes.

_Q._ Jack was to meet them where; he was where? _A._ He was at the peace tent.

_Q._ Captain Jack sent back a message then by Bogus and Boston that he would meet them at the peace tent with five men? _A._ Yes, sir; but they were not armed, and he wanted the peace commissioners to go without arms.

_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 G.o.d; that G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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."

_Q._ You heard this? _A._ Yes. "But," says she, "don't go." By that time General Canby and Dr. Thomas had got some one hundred yards ahead of us. Bogus Charley walked out; General Canby and Dr. Thomas walked; Mr. Dyer, Meacham, and Tobey rode horseback.

The COURT. Did Bogus Charley walk out with you? _A._ Yes; him and me were behind.

The JUDGE-ADVOCATE. Where was Boston Charley at this time? _A._ If I am not mistaken he was with General Canby and Dr. Thomas.

_Q._ Did you finally arrive at the peace tent? _A._ Yes, sir.

_Q._ And whom did you find there? _A._ I found Captain Jack, Schonchin, and Black Jim (Ellen's man), who is dead, they say, Shacknasty Jim, and Hooker Jim.