In what historians believe was retaliation against whites for Indian deaths, Cayuse tribesmen attacked the Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu (near the modern town of Walla Walla) 159 years ago today -- November 29, 1847. Measles had ravaged the Indian population but seemed to spare the whites. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa, who had established the mission eleven years earlier, were unable to treat the sick Cayuse. Two Indians, Tilaukait and Tamsuky, struck Dr Whitman with a tomahawk in the kitchen of the house. Then they chased down and killed most of the others at the mission, including Mrs Whitman and several children. Dozens of settlers lived at Waiilatpu. By the end of the day, fourteen people were dead. Most of the others were captured and held for ransom.
This was no small incident. The Whitman Mission was a major stop for settlers travelling west, and the Whitmans themselves were well known and respected. The violence of their murders sparked great concern among Anericans in the Northwest and in the nation's capital thousands of miles away. It was no coincidence that Congress quickly decided to arrange a greater presence in the region and created the Oregon Teritory the following August 13.
Killed at Waiilatpu:
- Marcus Whitman, 44
- Narcissa Whitman, 39
- Crocket Bewley, 18
- Isaac Gilliland, adult
- Peter Hall, adult
- Jacob Hoffman, adult
- Nathan Kimball, adult
- Walter Marsh, adult
- Andrew Rogers, adult
- John Sager, 17
- Francis Sager, 15
- Amos Sales, adult
- W L Saunders, adult
- James Young, 24
Dying during the subsequent captivity:
- Helen Mar Meek, 10
- Louise Sager, 6
Note: There are three Sager children on this list. The story of their family -- even before Wailatpu -- is heart-wrenching. I'm sure to talk about them again.
No comments:
Post a Comment