taking with them their personal effects and herds. This condition of affairs, although what might have been expected, was the occasion of discontent among the hungry volunteers, who had not enlisted simply to march after a retreating foe; and the distance from a base of supplies was growing daily greater.
But at length on the 23d, while the army was at Willow Creek, a deputation of thirteen Des Chutes appeared, bearing a flag, with a request for a council. The delegation was headed by a chief called Sue, who gave as a reason for not sooner responding to the invitation, that the volunteers had fired on his people and compelled them to run away. He professed sentiments of friendship for the Americans, even offering to join them against the Cay uses. It was agreed that they should return to the Dalles and there await the commissioners, who would hold a general council with them when they came back from Waiilatpu.
These peace measures were not regarded with favorable eyes by the army, who were anxious to avenge the killing of Packwood and Jackson, but the Indians were allowed to depart unmolested. Before leaving, Sue presented Captain McKay a fine horse from the principal Des Chutes chief, Welaptulekt, who also sent word to Gilliam that he would bring in all the property left in his charge by immigrants, and all that had been stolen by his people, and return it to the colonel at the Dalles, if that would make them friends, to which Gilliam replied that such a course would be entirely satisfactory.[1]
On the morning of the 24th, about daylight, a messenger arrived from the Catholic missionaries among the Yakimas, to inform the commissioners that this people had decided to follow their advice, and would remain at peace, desiring that the governor of Oregon be informed of their decision at the earliest moment possible, as if they feared to trust to the friendship of the military. But no message had yet come from the
- ↑ Report of commissioners, in Or. Spectator, April 6, 1848.
