ed by a
number of letters from Vancouver, sent by Mr: Douglas,
announcing the news which he had just received of the
murder of Dr. Whitman and family. The information
Mr. Douglas imparted was that contained in a letter
written by Mr. McBean, of Fort Walla Walla, a few hours
after the arrival at the fort of Mr. Hall, the first refugee
who reached there.
The following is a transcript of the copy of McBean s letter furnished to the governor, preserved in the archives of the state :
FOKT NEZ PercéS, 30th November, 1847. To the Board of Management :
GENTLEMEN : It is my painful task to make you acquainted with a horrid massacre which took place yesterday at Waiilatpu, about which I was first apprised early this morning by an Amer ican who had escaped, of the name of Hall, and who reached this, half naked and covered with blood. As he started at the outset the information I obtained was not satisfactory. He, however, assured me that the doctor and another man were killed, but could not tell me the persons who did it, and how it originated.
I immediately determined on sending my interpreter and one man to Dr. Whitman s to find out the truth, and if possible, to rescue Mr. Hanson s two sons and any of the survivors. It so hap pened, that before the interpreter had proceeded half way the two boys were met on their way hither, escorted by Nicholas Finlay, it having been previously settled among the Indians that these boys should not be killed, as also the American women and children. Teloquait is the chief who recommended this measure.
I presume you are well acquainted that fever and dysentery has been raging here, and in this vicinity, in consequence of which a great number of Indians have been swept away, but more especially at the doctor s place, where he attended upon the Indians. About thirty souls of the Cayuse tribe died, one after another, who eventu ally believed the doctor poisoned them, and in \vhich opinion they were unfortunately confirmed by one of the doctor s party. As far as I have been able to learn, this has been the sole cause of the dreadful butchery.
In order to satisfy any doubt on that point, it is reported that they requested the doctor to administer medicine to three of their friends, two of whom were really sick, but the third only feigning illness, and that the three were corpses the next morning. After they were buried, and while the doctor s men \vere employed slaughtering an ox, the Indians came one by one to his house, with
