but supposed her to be sleeping. She was buried without a coffin on the banks of Willow Creek and many tears were shed by the kind hearted company for the poor little orphans that stood around her grave. We were all taken care of by the company. There was not one but that would share their bread with us. We arrived at Dr. Whitmans the 17th of October. They could not find it in their hearts to refuse the dying request of our parents nor give a heedless ear to our urgent request not to be parted. They took the whole seven. They had no children of their own but they had orphans enough to make eleven. We called them father and mother and so they were to us while they lived. We were all fed, well clothed, and sent to school every winter. They took every means to make us happy. They employed a teacher in the family every winter. We lived there about three years and a half, that is till 47, when by a mysterious stroke of providence we were again thrown upon the wide world without home and deprived of two dearly beloved brothers and a much petted sister Hannah Loisa. The emigration of 47 brought the measles among the Indians and great numbers of them died. I have known five to be buried in one day. The Catholic priest had come among them; also Dr. Whitman had taken into his family a half breed that had come in with the emigration. This person, the priest and the measles all combined brought about the massacre. Poor Doctor rode about all day tending the sick natives and all night he was up with his family and other white folks that had stopped at his station to winter. Everyone of his family was down at once excepting the half breed I have told you of whose name was Joe Lewis, and his wife. Joe Lewis told the Indians that the Dr. was poisoning them. On Saturday night before the massacre Dr. and Mr. Spalding, his colleague, started for the Uttilla river about 25 miles from home to see some sick Indians and were gone all the next day. At about 10 o'clock Sunday night Dr. came back. My brother was setting up with us they having got well. Mrs. Whitman had been up all the night before with Henrietta who was supposed to be dying. I remember just how my dear brothers looked as, with their shoes off for fear of making a noise, they moved around waiting on us for it was the last time I ever saw them alive. As soon as the Dr. came they went to
