The Whitman Massacre

* Background

- discuss what was learned from the reading

* November 29th

- mission population around 70 people (white and Indian)

- measles had spread throughout the mission

-> fairly concentrated population made spread easy

-> 2 of Cheif Tilaukait's children had died

- funeral for the two kids created a tense atmosphere

-> by about 2 Whitman went home and met Narcissa

-> she informed him that Tilaukait and Tomahas were in kitchen waiting to see him

-> Whitman started talking to Tilaukait, Tomahas killed Whitman while he talked

=> after some struggle he was shot with his own gun

- after the first murder, 13 additional people murdered

-> Narcissa Whitman, Andrew Rogers, Jacob Hoffman, L. W. Saunders, Walter Marsh, John Sager, Francisco Sager, Nathan Kimball, Isaac Gilliland, James Young, Crocket Bewley, Amos Sales, and Peter Hall

- remainder of the white women and children were taken hostage

-> they were eventually exchanged for 62 blankets, 63 cotton shirts, 12 Hudson Bay rifles, 600 loads of ammunition, 7 pounds of tobacco and 12 flints

* Aftermath

- various settlers and town newspapers called for bloody revenge

- Hudson Bay Company got involved in paying the loan, as a force Cayuses respected

- Governor Mitchel Lambertson went to discuss terms and ended up demanding guilty be punished

- Local chiefs tried to explain history and cause of the event, but were brushed aside

- Tilaukait, Tomahas, Kiamasumpkin, Iaiachalakis, and Klokomas agreed to be tried for murder to forstall further punishment of Cayuse

-> after a pro-forma trial they were convicted and hung

- disturbed by the violence and chaos, the US organized the Oregon Territory a year later, on August 14, 1848