On the Oregon Trail By: Lorna Borman
Elam Young, son of Clemens Young and Kezia Hollister, born 5 Nov 1788, at Albany Co, New York (Now Saratoga County), married 24 Oct 1808, at Otsego Co, New York, Irene Eaton, born 29 Mar 1791, a native of Connecticut and daughter of Samuel Eaton. Elam Young was born in the state of New York, a descendant of the Pilgrim Fathers. He was reared in his native state, and learned the trade of millwright. During the War of 1812 he enlisted his service. He was a soldier under Scott, and was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Lundy's Lane. Then Elam and his wife moved to Ohio, settling on the frontier and there rearing their family of eight children. The family left Ohio in 1846, and wintered in Missouri. On 7 May 1847, they started to cross the plains with ox teams. Their journey was attended with many hardships and difficulties. They had deep rivers to ford, buffalo herds to encounter, and steep mountain passes to climb. One night twenty of their oxen were lost, and their long search in the morning for them was fruitless. Often night overtook them where no water was to be found, and both the emigrants and their oxen suffered firm thirst. After innumerable hardships the party arrived at the Whitman Mission, 10 Oct 1847. There Dr Whitman met them and gave needed instructions as to the best way to reach The Dalles. His kind advice and encouragement at this time, when it was so much needed, acted like "oil on troubled waters." Supplies being low, Dr Young engaged the services of himself and sons to Dr Whitman to assist in getting out timbers for a grist mill for the Cayuse Indians at the Whitman Station, about thirty miles north of the Whitman Mission. So the family started in that direction, and overtook a Mr Saunders and his family, Mr Saunders having been employed by the doctor to teach school. The next day they met Captain Bewley coming from the station. He had left his Son, Crockett A, and daughter, Lucinda, at Dr Whitman's. Mr Young and his family remained at the station a week, and then went up in the mountains, a distance of about Twenty miles, to get out lumber for the mill and granary. Elam's son, James, was engaged by Dr Whitman to haul lumber to the station, and a man by the name of Smith was sent up to cut logs. After they had been at work about six weeks, James was about ready to start down with a load on Monday. Rain, however, prevented him from starting until the following day. They told him to bring back some beef, as they were about out. He did not return when they expected him and they waited till the following Monday, in the meantime living on salmon, trout, and bread made of unbolted flour. Another brother, Daniel, then started down to see why James had not returned. Upon reaching the mission he learned from the women that were left, of the massacre of Dr Whitman, his wife and twelve others, by the Cayuse Indians. James had been killed when within a mile of the station, on the same day he left the mountains. The others were killed the day before, Monday 29 Nov 1847. After Daniel arrived, the Indians held a council to decide what they would do with Smith and the Young family, the result being that they sent David back to tell them to come to the station. He reached the camp in the mountains about an hour before sundown, and told the terrible news. Half an hour later five big Indians, well armed, came to see that they did not make their escape. Feeling themselves entirely within the power of the red men, the next morning they yoked up the oxen and started for the mission, the Indians bringing up the rear as guard. They reached their destination a little after dark, and were at once shut up as prisoners in the same room in which the Indians that day had killed Bewley and Sales. These two men were sick at the time of the massacre, and when it was found they would get well, they too, were killed and were thrown out the back door. With these dead bodies lying near the house, the floor covered with blood, the prisoners expecting soon to share a fate like that of their friends, the situation was indeed awful, and better be imagined than described. At the time of the massacre the Indians attacked all points at once. Some of the settlers were killing beef, others were working in the blacksmith shop, and one was at work in the mill. The teacher was in the schoolroom with his Scholars. Dr Whitman was in his library, reading. They shot the doctor through the head with a pistol, and that was the signal for the awful work to begin. After he lingered several hours, they tomahawked him. Mrs Whitman was wounded, as also was a Mr Rogers, who was at their house. The two flew up stairs, and with an old musket, pointed down at the Indians, he kept them at bay for a time; but when they heard the Indians talk of firing the house, they went down, the Indians promising not to kill them. However, they were riddled with bullets. They lingered until after dark. Mr Osborn, his wife and three little children, the youngest only a few days old, were in a room by themselves when they heard the first report. At once aware of what was being done, he pulled up the flooring and they all crowded under the house, where they remained secreted until night. They heard Mrs Whitman praying that night that the Lord would sustain her parents in the great affliction that would soon fall upon them. They heard Mr Rogers moan and say, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly," and then all was still. Later in the night they raised the boards and crept out from their hiding place, went down the Walla Walla river five miles and secreted themselves in the brush, and during the day they heard the Indians passing up and down the trail. The next night they traveled down the river toward Fort Walla Walla. His wife, with her infant, was in no condition to travel, soon became exhausted and could go no father. He then hid her and the children in the brush, and he went on to the fort to procure assistance. The fort was then held by the Hudson Bay Company. Arrived there at noon, weak and hungry, Mr. Osborn asked Captain McBane, who was in command for a horse with which to go after his wife and children, but the Captain refused to render him any assistance. He gave him some food and told him to go to Umitilla, but not to come back to the fort. At this juncture an artist, named Stanley, came up, and learning of the situation, offered his horse. With an Indian as guide, and a little meat and some crackers, furnished by Stanley, Mr. Osborn returned for his wife and children, and started with them for Umatilla. By this time Mrs Osborn was so much exhausted from exposure, fear and famine that she could not sit alone on the horse, and they tied her to the Indian. Learning that some of the murderers' lodges were near Umatilla, she refused to go any father in that direction, saying, "I doubt if I can live to get there, and if I must die I may as well die at the gate of the fort." They then went to the fort, and were granted admittance. The next day a man by the name of Hall, who was working on the granary at Whitman's and who was wounded in the face, reached Fort Walla Walla. Captain McBane refused to let him in, but let him have a small boat. In it he started down the river, and that was the last seen of him. Saunders, the teacher, and the two Sager boys, aged fifteen and seventeen years, were among those massacred. Two boys by the name of Mason, who were at school, made their escape on horseback to Fort Walla Walla. Dr. Whitman had adopted six children, whose parents had died in crossing the plains, four girls and two boys. These two were the Sager boys who were killed. The day following the massacre, Vicar-General Bronlett went to the mission and had the victims interred. He went there to baptize some of the murderers' children. That fall a priest and some nuns had made their station on the Umatilla, among Whitman's Indians, and the emigrants were puzzled to know how it came that the Catholic priests were exempt from harm during this time of trouble. A blacksmith by the name of Canfield was wounded in the side, made his escape and struck the trail that went east to the Nez Perces Indians, where Rev. H.H. Spalding had a mission. By traveling at night and hiding in the daytime, he reached the mission and told Mrs Spalding of the massacre. Rev. Spalding had a mission on the Snake river, at Lapwai, 120 miles from Whitman's station, and they had been over to the Umatilla to visit some sick Indians who had sent for them. Dr. Whitman went home on Saturday, and Mr. Spalding remained until the following Tuesday. As the latter was returning he met the priest, Bronlett. An Indian soon passed them, and the priest then told Spalding of the massacre, and also told him to avoid passing the mission on his way home. The release of the prisoners was purchased by Peter S. Ogden, of the Hudson's Bay Company, who came from Fort Vancouver to Fort Walla Walla, and gave the Indians blankets, butcher knives and ammunition in exchange for the whites. December 31, before daylight, Mr. Young and his party started with ox team for the fort, reaching it about an hour after dark. They were all put into one room, and were so crowded that it was difficult to find sleeping room on the floor. Captain McBane allowed the Indians in the inclosure that night, and their war dance was kept up until after midnight. The captain came to our friends and said: "You must not say here what you think was the cause of the massacre, for these very walls have ears." Mr Spalding and his family had joined the people at the fort. It should here be stated that he left his daughter, Eliza, at Whitman's while he made the journey above referred to, and she was among those prisoner. New Year's, the day following their arrival at the fort, the whole party started down the Columbia river in three batteaus [var. of beteau - a flat bottom boat with raked bow and stern and flaring sides], with crews of Canadian Frenchmen, Mr Ogden, the chief factor in the company, being in the leading boat. The party was composed of sixty-two persons, ranging in age from one to fifty-seven years. They made the Dalles in Safety, on two occasions made portage of a mile or so, and in due time arrived at Fort Vancouver, suffering from cold and exposure, but glad of their escape. They remained there one day, and then embarked in two barges for Oregon City, their destination, which they reached without further mishap, on 10 Jan 1848. At Oregon City, Mr Young's family secured a small, one room shanty, into which they carried the few little bundles they had brought with them. John Quincy Adams Young and Daniel Young obtained a contract to cut twenty cords of wood for Mr Stewart, a blacksmith. Later Daniel worked in a sawmill, his father made patterns for a foundry man, and he made ax-handles with a butcher knife and sold them to the stores, receiving in payment "Oregon scrip," money issued by the merchants. The following spring, 10 May 1848, they removed to the Tualitin plains, in Washington county, and in the fall of 1849 they settled on what is now the T.L. McEldorony place. In the meantime, through the volunteers who went to fight the Indians, they recovered two of their cows and one ox. Here the father died, in his sixty-seventh year, and the mother in her seventy-fourth. Honest, industrious, hospitable and kind hearted people, they had the respect and esteem of all who knew them. Elam died 9 Jan 1855 and his wife Irene died 20 Feb 1865. Children of Elam and Irene Young:
Reference: NOTE: Because of the Whitmans Massacre, the
Pomeroy Please place in the Subject Line: WEBPAGE-HISTORY 
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