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The Dalles, Ore 13 Dec. Gen. O.O. Howard, Sir- The Yakama, Wenas and Kittatas country are in a state of great excitement. But praise God my mission was a success. I met about 400 warriors along the Columbia River at Priest Rapids headed by Moses, who together with the leaders of the different bands promised to keep the peace. Not a gun fired yet & not likely to be. Signed Ned Chambreau special secret scout. Now a brief description of Moses country. The Methow, Okinagon, Soyoos Lake, Cattar, Nespelem, are the best for farming purposes. The Cattar, where Moses expects to make his home is 30 mile north of the Okinagon River and 6 miles this side of Nespelem. This valley is large enough to support 800 families. There is small lake in the middle of it. The small stream Cattar runs through a portion of it. It is surrounded with timber. I was in that country at different times of the year and I call it a very good climate. The Indians in this part of the country never lose any stock by reason of the hard winters. There has been land enough cultivated in that country to test its quality. We find here and there an acre of ground in corn, potatoes, turnips & squashes. I do not believe there are 10 plows owned by the Indians on Moses reserve. They have no harnesses.They fasten to the saddle long raw hide strings and have children ride the horses when hitched to the plow. The Simpoils have 3 wagons, the Nespelem 2. They have no tools to do anything with & no one to show or encourage them. To every one that go among them to preach Christ & influence them for good, there are one hundred who go for the purpose of taking whiskey, cards, race horses, and debauch their women. They are taught to drink gamble, lie, steal and all its evil consequences and they are punished for it. Is it any wonder that they some times lose their senses and throw their breath to the evil spirit & go on the war path? They have long since found out that their true friends are the Christians, & that what help & sympathy they get must come from that direction. Let us see how many there are of these (children of nature) who invite Gods people to enlist themselves in their cause. First chiefs What shall we do when God points so directly to this branch of his church to take up his work? Surely we love him too much to let so good an opportunity pass without doing something for his cause. Now we have the Colville Indians 900 One half of the last named tribes have no religion at all except a few who claim to be Prostants,not withstanding the Catholics claim them all as their converts, which is not true. As there are men among us who glory in breeding discord, so it is among the Indians, There are some who are good speakers that go from camp to camp calling meetings for the purpose of producing discontent & hate towards the whites, & if let alone their influance for bad among the tribes is immense. It was part of my business to keep run of this class of Indians,and I round it a great advantage in finding out their where abouts & going into their camps and praying with them. You can always tell a Protestant Indian. He will pray night & morning and before eating, & if you wish to ascertain if there are any Christian Indians about, you need only to start some old familiar hymn, and they will invariably join in. As an illustration of this fact I will relate a few incidents. When I took the 44 Snake & Piutes Indians (prisoners)to the Warm Springs last summer. I have often entered their camps under great disadvantages. Once, and the only time in my life they refused to shake hands with me. This of course was a very aggravated case and the Indians were ready to break out from the continued ill treatment of the whites. One morning an Indian was struck on the head with a hatchet. In the afternoon of the same day another was shot for looking after his place. Great excitement about this time Spokan country. *going to their councils dances & Temen Wash for medicine meetings.I have always endeavored to keep on good terms with “medicine men”.I will tell you here what I did once with the chief of all the dreamers, the great Smohally, in order to gain certain points. describe. *Probably you would like to hear a few of the many things they tell me while in their camps. *Little Spokan Scull Hull camp Aug 29 Whistel-pussum’s camp July 21 Squilican camp July 29 Am-ma-miche camp July 22 The ones who give me the most trouble in the Department are as follows; Paul, Smohally, Eagle of the Light, Scotiacan, Wah il Schu, Quatro, Sin-ots-a-sana, Black Dick, Colaskin, Scull-Hull, Squilican, Skyamticut, Am-ma-Wechie, Wipiaty, Pistolhead, Tenas George, Rabascow, Buchie, Sarwaitsay, Patseepohqua, Ponosay, Wilson Boss, Taman, Tosaimoo, Bouie, Pionet, Pe-o-chee, Chuck & Tapaboo. *Of this number I caused 9 to be arrested for talking war talk and exciting the Indians to commit depredations but there is not an Indian in the whole department who knows that I was the cause of their arrests. Thuis by shutting up a few of the main leaders at Vancouver for a few months I have been able to make them keep the peace . It is very often the case that a whole tribe will he plunged into war by the wrecklesness of a few leaders. *When Moses came back.from Washington he told all the Indians that the great fatherin Washington, had promised him he would have school houses put up on his reserve & send teachers. Now Moses together with all the Indians up there have been waiting in very patiently for this promise to be fulfilled. Why are we so slack in fulfilling our promise to these much neglected and benighted people. Oh why do we let so many souls die of hunger for the word of God. It would surprise any one within the sound of my voice to see with what eagerness & willingness they receive instruction. I will not dispair. I know this call will not go unheeded. There will be men sent to them who love the Lord. |