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Walla Walla Jan 15 1879 Gen 0.0. Howard Dear Sir Enclosed you will please find a few lines which might be of some service to you. If not, endure me for I do this with a disinterested motive. As there has been so much controversy concerning the Indian situation, before and after the “capture” of Chief Moses, I thought it advisible to write to you a few facts. The Indians have no printing no reporters no editors. All the news we get comes through one channel, and as a general thing they are very much one-sided. From Nov. 27-1878 to Jan. 18- 1879 I have been an eye witness to most of what appears to be an Indian trouble. There is no in my mind but what Moses has been brought on the Simco Reserve through misunderstanding, deceit, or fraud. I visited pretty much all the Indians on both sides of the Columbia River as far up as the mouth of the Wenatchee River before & after the so-called capture of Moses. It was understood in Yakama City Nov. 29-30 1878 that Wilbur was going to see Moses (but go to his camp) & try to induce him to come on the reserve, but he weakened on this first proposition & sent three of his Indians to have Moses come to see him (Wilbur). Agent Wilbur did not mention Perkins murders to Moses until he, Moses, had refused to come on the reserve or until he would hear from Gen. Howard. Agent Wilbur well knew the minds of the people on this point. With very little exception the people through this part of the country were very eager to force Moses on the reserve, hence there was no trouble of raising men “to go after Indians.” Had Moses and all the scattered bands along the Columbia River been preparing for war as was said in the different news papers, the “capture” of Moses would have been something quite different. Here is something which I copy from the press. “The Indians are restless and we apprehend trouble. Be prepared for any emergency, is our advice. We are informed that there are some 200 armed warriors on the Columbia River above Wallula. This means something. They are said to be preparing an unusually large supply of grub-- killing cattle and jerking and drying the meat as if they were preparing for a winter campaign. The government should at once send some troops into this section, and the militia should he organized in readiness until the danger is past.” Now this is not true. I visited the camps & I came up to them unawares. I did not see a pound of jerked or dried beef & I will leave it to the volunteers who was there if they saw any. The Indians are in a bad fix. The Umatilla Reserve suffered very much from the raid last summer. They kept their stock herded all the time for fear of losing them& when winter came on they were very poor and as a consequence they are losing a good many more. Besides a good many of them are afraid to go about on account of the whites. How is it above Wallula on the Columbia? A Frenchman named St Dinnis give Homily a steer & he could not get any of his Indians to go after him for fear of the “Bostons” They would not go after this steer until a white man went with them. The only fire wood there is is drift wood. It has been gathered up for 10 miles up the river by the “Bostons” of Wallula. These Indians that have been so friendly to the whites are not only in a state of starvation but are in danger of freezing to death. Still, with all this oppression they bare it with patience & when any of their number are condemned to be executed they advise the remaining ones to love the whites & try to live in peace with them, dieing with grudge to no one & with hearts full of forgiveness to all. Copied from the 0regonian: Now out of the many thousands that read this, how many is there that believe it to be true? ”They are working on to the reservation with good hearts” Do wild Indians love to come on reservations? Is this true or false? For protection, Mr. Wilbur says. Are the settlers in that part of the country so outlawed that the Indians are afraid to live on the Columbia River any more? “not a gun has been fired” A very good reason why. Moses and any of the scattered bands (excepting the murderers) were well disposed toward the whites nor could the forces that went to the Columbia provoke a collision with them. This surely speaks very well for a chief that has been bemeaned as much as Moses & any man that is not prejudiced will see the point. “ Is working like a charm”—— I would like for our friend Mr. Wilbur to inform the public what part of this program is “working like a charm”. If the Indians are all glad to be with Mr. Wilbur what use is there of a government post being established at or near Kittitas? Is it to keep the volunteers from breaking out on the Indians? Or is it to assist agent Wilbur in helping him to make things “work like a charm.”? Now as I happened to be on the scene of action all the time, I know the Indians tum-tum(Heart) about this matter. The other side is quite another picture & my information leads me to believe the other way. I have almost been raised among the Indians. I speak three languages besides some Indian tongue. I will say nothing about east of the Rocky Mountains (although I have been among the Indians a good deal on that side.), but for 32 years I have been west of the Rocky Mountains & the most part of this time among the Indians. Mr Wilbur puts the finishing touch & says “since the treachery of Moses”. Now let me inform Mr Wilbur that the Indians far and near understand this quite different. They all understand it this way & would all as a general thing as I came about their camps ask me what did Wilbur use such treachery to get Moses on the reserve for, ha lo shame ya ka Wilbur & I have no doubt in my mind that Sitting Bull; knows of the arrest of Moses by this time. Now Gen. Howard, I understand the situation very well. Unless great precaution is taken I am afraid that things won’t “work to a charm” very long. It was reported that there was about 80 of Moses warriors on the Simco Reservation which is not true, there is only five. The Indians every where cannot understand why Moses was arrested. Some who are better posted than others as Homily know that Moses’ arrest was brought about by trickery, false pretence or by what ever name you wish to call it. Homily, chief of the Umatilla told me that during the time Splawn’s party was at White Bluffs he was told twenty times a day that Moses had gone on the war path (ya ka wa ku) but he denied it & denied it till some of the whites got mad at him & accused him as having a secret understanding with Moses. Now all the Indians on both sides of the Columbia are anxious to know what Moses was arrested for & what disposition will be made of him. This question cannot be answered only by agent Wilbur for he is the one that said things were “working as a charm” but with the assistance of the military. Chief Homily also told me that himself & Moses had an understanding together last summer that if the Snakes would come their way that they should join the whites. The Indians up the Columbia River all think a great deal of you, Gen. Howard, and are a anxious to hear from that “paper” you sent to Washington. I think it would be a good thing if you could give these chiefs together with all their people a definite answer. Very respectfully yours, Ned Chambreau |