AUGUST 26:

1876 Fort Carlton, Saskatchewan Cree, Saulteaux and Chipewyan of present-day central Alberta and Saskatchewan sign Treaty #6; to get schooling, as well as farm implements, seeds, farm animals and instruction in agricultural techniques; famine relief when necessary and medicine when needed; also adherents to 1899 treaty; total 194,725 sq km set aside for reserves.

August 26, 1858:  In what would be called "The Battle of Four Lakes", a force under Colonel George Wright fought for about three hours with Coeur d'Alene, Columbia River, Colville, Kalispel and Spokane Indians. (Unfortunately, the Indians were defeated.)
 

1833 Baffin Island, NWT Captain James Ross and his shipwrecked crew of 19 are rescued off Baffin Island by his flagship, the whaler Isabella; Ross and crew survived four winters with the help of the Inuit before abandoning Victory to the ice, and setting off, in shipwrecked boats they had found and repaired, through a lane of water that opened up leading northward.

1634 Quebec Quebec Huron Indians supply wild plums to the Jesuits.
 

BACKGROUND:
 

See painting by Army artist, Frank Thomas, at 
http://www.wildgoosecreekstudio.com/rascal.html

*****

>From http://emayzine.com/lectures/nwtribes.htm
 
 

The Coeur d'Alene War of 1858 in Washington and Idaho territories can be thought of as the second phase of the Yakima War that had started three years before, the conflict spread to more tribes, including the Coeur d'Alenes, Spokanes, Palouses and Northern Paiutes.   It is also sometimes referred to as the Spokane War because of that tribe's degree of involvement.

Chief Kamiakin of the Yakimas had been calling for a general alliance among the tribes on both sides of the Columbia River for some time, citing the inexorable growth of the mining frontier in the Colville region and the repeated pattern of forced treaties and land cessions.

When a column of 164 federal troops under Major Edward Steptoe marched out of Fort Walla Walla and across the Snake River into Indian country, the tribes prepared for war. The first engagement occurred in May 1858, at Pine Creek.  A combined force of about 1,000 Coeur d'Alenes, Spokanes, and Palouses attacked and routed Steptoe's column.

General Newman S. Clarke sent out another force, 600 strong, under Colonel George Wright, with instructions to persist in a severe defeat of the hostiles and to seek the capture of Kamiakin and other leaders, especially Owhi and his son, Qualchin, Kamiakin's relatives by marriage.

Confident because of their earlier victory, the allied tribes made the mistake of meeting the enemy on an open field, the Spokane Plain.

In that battle and the Battle of Four Lakes, both occurring the first week of September, the Indians suffered high casualties, whereupon they scattered to their villages.

The army column continued its trek through Indian lands, rounding up dissidents.  Fifteen were hanged; others were jailed.

Owhi gave himself up to Colonel Wright and was tricked into also surrendering his son, Qualchin. Qualchin was summarily hanged; Owhi was shot while trying to escape.

Kamiakin, although wounded at Spokane Plain, managed to escape into Canada. He quietly returned three years later and lived out his life in peace on the Spokane reservation.

The power of the Columbia Basin tribes had been broken. The next uprising in the region would occur to the south among the Nez Perces in 1877, the year Kamiakin died.

*****

>From http://www.tpl.lib.wa.us/cgi-win/disastr...at\fourlake.bat
 

OPERATIONS BY THE U.S. ARMY AGAINST THE INDIANS IN 1857-58

(From Virgil Field's History of the Washington National Guard.)

After the Washington Territorial Volunteers were disbanded at the close of the Indian War of 1855-56 Colonel George Wright left Lieut. Colonel Steptoe in charge of the troops in the Walla Walla Valley. He occupied Fort Walla Walla about 20 November 1856 and received his supplies by boat from The Dalles on the Columbia River.

In the meantime J. W. Nesmith, a former Colonel of the Oregon Volunteers, was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs for both Oregon and Washington.

The trouble with the Indians seemed to have ended, especially in the Puget Sound Country. In 1857, General Newman S. Clark replaced Major General Wool as Department Commander of the Pacific. United States Troops at that time were distributed as follows:

Three companies of the 9th Infantry were at Fort Simcoe, under the command of Major R. S. Garnett.

Three companies were at the Dalles under Colonel Wright;

Colonel Steptoe's command consisted of one company of the 1st Dragoons, one company of the 3rd Artillery, one company of the 9th Infantry and one company of the 4th Infantry.

He was augmented in the latter part of 1857 by a company of dragoons from Southern Oregon under the command of Captain A. J. Smith.

In April of 1858, Lieut. Col. Steptoe reported that he had received a petition from Colville, signed by forty persons, asking for protection from the Indians who had recently murdered two white men and had made several raids on government cattle in the area.

He recommended an expedition through the country to the Colville mines, intending only to impress upon the Indians that a military power was still stationed in that area. He received permission and began his march from Fort Walla Walla on 6 May 1858 with about one hundred and thirty dragoons. He proceeded to the Nez Perce country, being ferried over the Snake River by a friendly Indian Chief.

Disregarding a report that the Spokanes were opposed to his entering their country he proceeded northward until he found himself almost surrounded by about six hundred Indians in war paint. They had chosen their position overlooking a ravine through which the road passed.

Colonel Steptoe called a halt and attempted to parley with the War Chief of the Spokanes who informed him they had heard he had come to the Spokane country to make war and that they would not let him cross the Spokane River.

Withdrawing his troops to a distance he attempted to discuss the purpose of his visit without success and the Spokanes still refused to ferry him across the river. On the 17th of April, he decided to return to Walla Walla and began his march in that direction: the Spokanes then decided he should not escape and attacked him.

After considerable fighting and casualties on both sides, on the night of April 18th, with their ammunition running low, the regulars withdrew in the middle of the night, reaching the Snake River on the morning of the 19th and returned to Fort Walla Walla.

In June of 1858, General Clarke, after consultation with Colonels Wright and Steptoe, determined to make an expedition with a large force in an effort to subdue the hostile Spokanes and Yakimas. Accordingly he ordered three companies of artillery from San Francisco, one company of the 4th Infantry from Fort Jones, Calif. and another company of the 4th Infantry from Fort Umpqua, Oregon.

These troops were concentrated at Fort Walla Walla and thoroughly drilled in Indian warfare. The command was given to Colonel Wright. At the same time a second expedition was decided upon, which was designated to go against the Yakimas simultaneously. These troops, numbering about 300 were placed under the command of Major Garnett. This command was to move from Fort Simcoe on the 15th of August towards Colville, through Yakima country with a view to driving the hostiles towards one center on the Spokane where they would be met by Wright's command.

On the 7th of August, Captain Keyes with a detachment of dragoons was ordered to the Snake River crossing and erect a Fort. The point selected was at the mouth of Tucannon River and named Fort Taylor in honor of Captain Taylor who had been killed with Steptoe in his engagement with the Spokanes in April. Major Garnett's command consisted of Companies C, G and I of the 9th Infantry.

When Colonel Wright began his march northward to Fort Taylor on 18 August, his command was composed of Companies C, E, H, I and a detachment of Company D, of the 1st Dragoons, Companies A, B, G, K and M of the 3rd Artillery and Companies B and E of the 9th Infantry, numbering about 800 men. The Infantry and Artillery were organized as a Rifle Brigade and armed with Sharpe's Long Range rifles using the Minie ball, both of which the Indians were unfamiliar with.

Before leaving Walla Walla Colonel Wright engaged a company of Nez Perce to serve as scouts and guides. By the 3lst of August he had reached a point in his march northward within twenty miles of the Spokane River, when the Indians showed themselves along the hills. Colonel Wright encamped his troops for a much needed rest.

However, the Indians decided to give the troops no respite and began to mass their warriors on the crest of the hills about two miles distant from Wright's camp. On 1 September 1858 a heavy fight ensued lasting until the 5th in which the regulars inflicted heavy casualties on the Indians with minor losses to Wright's command.

As a result the Spokane Chief "Gary", on the 7th through interpreters informed Wright that he desired to talk to him. Wright met "Gary" and immediately informed him that he was there to make war, not talk peace, but that he was tired of war,he would talk peace but on his own terms.

He than informed "Gary" that everything must be surrendered - arms, property, women and children and that they must trust in his mercy. "Gary" then left to inform his people of Wright's edict. Colonel Wright also informed another Chief by the name of "Polatkin" of the same terms, but detained him for suspected murder.

On the 8th of September, Colonel Wright began his march towards the Spokane and after going about nine miles discovered that the Indians were driving their stock towards the mountains instead of surrendering. A skirmish followed in which about 800 horses were captured and herded back to camp where most of them were destroyed. As a result of being practically dismounted, the Spokanes agreed to a Council which began on 17 September at Wright's camp about 16 miles above Spokane Falls.

Father Joset and Chief "Vincent" were present at the Council at which "Vincent" acknowledged the crimes of his people, said he regretted it and hoped for forgiveness. Colonel Wright said such would be granted but only under certain conditions. He then demanded that the men who struck the blow against Col. Steptoe be immediately surrendered. Also one Chief with four warriors and their families were to be turned over as hostages.

After several other stipulations a treaty was prepared which was signed by Wright and by "Polatkin" for the Spokanes. A similar treaty was entered into with the Yakimas, but Kamiakin did not come into camp, fearing he would be taken to Walla Walla. After the conference, "Owhi" of the Yakimas came into camp and was immediately arrested for breaking his agreement of 1856. Wright then ordered "Owhi" to send for his son "Qualchin" to come into camp under a threat that he would be hanged if he did not comply.

"Qualchin" showed up unexpectedly and was immediately hanged without trial. "Owhi", attempting to escape on the return march to Walla Walla, was shot by one of Wright's officers and died an hour later. Upon his arrival at Fort Walla Walla, he was met by the Palouses, who desired peace also. Colonel Wright refused to deal with them, but instead hanged several of them.

Several Walla Wallas were also hanged by Colonel Wright as an example to their people. General Clarke continued his policy of keeping the country closed to settlement and it was not until 1859 when General Harney relieved General Clarke as General, commanding the Pacific that it was again opened to settlement.  (Virgil Field, History of the Washington National Guard.).
 

Source:  FOUR LAKES BATTLE.  "The Steptoe Disaster," The Franklin Flyer. XIX (July, 1986) p. 1-3.