A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic InformationGray, W. H. (William Henry)
History
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information
Gray, W. H. (William Henry)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Oregon Territory -- History
The third day, in the morning, some forty miles from Fort Leavenworth,
as we were about starting, a white boy, about sixteen years old, came
into camp, having on an old torn straw hat, an old ragged fustian coat,
scarcely half a shirt, with buckskin pants, badly worn, but one
moccasin, a powder-horn with no powder in it, and an old rifle. He had
light flaxen hair, light blue eyes, was thin and spare, yet appeared in
good health and spirits. He said he had started for the Rocky Mountains;
he was from some place in Iowa; he had been without food for two days;
he asked for some ammunition; thought he could kill some game to get
along; the rain the night previous had wet him quite effectually; he was
really cold, wet, nearly naked, and hungry. He was soon supplied from
our stores with all he wanted, and advised to return to his friends in
Iowa. To this he objected, and said if we would allow him he would go
with us to Council Bluffs, and then go with the fur company to the
mountains. He agreed to assist all he could in getting along. He was
furnished a horse, and made an excellent hand while he remained with the
party, which he did till he reached Fort Hall, on Snake River. There he
joined a party that went with the Bannock Indians, and became a member
of that tribe, and, as near as we can learn, married a native woman
(some say three), and is using his influence to keep the tribe at war
with the United States. Of this we have no positive knowledge, though if
such is the fact he may have been a deserter from Fort Leavenworth. His
name was Miles Goodyear.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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