Compiled by Stephenie Flora

On the 29th of November the early morning fog created a blanket of eery silence. The mission population had grown to include seventy two individuals.

Just as illness filled the mission houses, it had also struck beyond in the Cayuse encampments. Death became almost certain in the crowded lodges despite Whitman's every effort. In a short two months nearly half of the Cayuse population had died, including several children of Chief Tilaukait.

On the day of the funeral for Chief Tilaukait's latest dead son, only the relatives attended, but no other Cayuse. On the way from the burial ground Whitman had stopped by to see Mrs. Saunders at the mansion house. Green Cap had followed him inside, taking a chair in the Saunders' home. Then he had shadowed Whitman through the fog as far as the mission house. There had been a time when the doctor would have told him to be about some useful business. But not now.

By the time the doctor reached home and finished dinner it was almost two o'clock. He then climbed the steep stairs to check on Lorinda Bewley, who reportedly was deeply troubled by a presentiment of evil to come. Unable to comfort her, he returned downstairs to get her some milk and a prescription that was probably a mild sedative.

He was soon met by a frightened Narcissa who informed him that Tilaukait and Tomahas were in the kitchen demanding to see him. As he entered the kitchen he was engaged in a brief parley with Tilaukait. While his attention was diverted, Tomahas brought down a tomahawk upon the head of the unsuspecting doctor. During the struggle, one or the other pressed the muzzle of their white man's weapon to the base of Marcus Whitman's throat and pulled the trigger.

In the ensuing chaos, thirteen of the 72 individuals at the mission were killed. These included: Narcissa Whitman, Andrew Rogers, Jacob Hoffman, the schoolmaster L.W. Sanders, Mr. Marsh, John Sager, Francis Sager, Nathan Kimball, Isaac Gilliland, and Young Jr. Crockett Bewley and Amos Sales escaped the initial massacre unharmed. However, it is reported that upon hearing of the treatment of his sister, Lorinda, Crockett Bewley confronted the captors, resulting in his death and the death of Amos Sales. Peter Hall, who had also escaped the original massacre, was subsequently killed several days later by indians.

While the majority of the white woman were held hostage at the mission, Lorinda Bewley met a separate fate.

Earlier in the year, while trading with the latest wagon train to the valley, Chief Five Crows had seen Lorinda among the emigrants. He was attracted to her fragile loveliness and determined that she should become his wife.

To Five Crows there was no inconsistency in his desire for a white wife. All his life he had seen the young Indian women taken as wives by the trappers and even by the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company.

He sought the family of Lorinda at once, offering many head of horses if they would look with favor upon his suit. His pride was doubtlessly stung by their curt response that white men did not sell their women.

Upon hearing of the massacre, Five Crows sent a party from his camp to bring Lorinda back to Umatilla to become his wife. Lorinda pleaded with Tillaukait to allow her to stay with the other women but he would not listen.

"You will be safer at the camp of the chief", he assured her. "All the Indians will be glad to protect the squaw of Five Crows but here you will become the common property of all and I cannot help you. You will do well to marry with the great chief who wants a yellow haired wife."

They left Waiilatpu in the early afternoon with a cold wind blowing across the hills. The older women packed a small satchel with necessary articles and tried to offer their sympathy. She was to be taken to the Catholic Mission at Walla Walla where she would be claimed by Five Crows.

Upon her arrival, Five Crows stood at her horses' head while the youngest priest helped her to dismount. She walked up the path of light from the open doorway where the other priest stood.

Right Rev. Magloire Blanchet, the bishop of Walla Walla, held out his hands to her and led her to the open fire. Father Rousseau hurried with the simple meal of bread and cold meat, adding a pot of precious tea. The girl recognized Father Brouillet as the priest who had helped with the burial of the dead at Waiilatpu two days before.

Lorinda pleaded with the priests to allow her to stay with them. She offered to do any work asked of her in exchange for asylum. The Bishop replied, "We are but a handful of white men among a nation of savages on the warpath. Five Crows is a much finer character than most. I will do what I can to reason with him and delay as long as possible. We are all caught in this trap and are helpless. But do not weep daughter. This great trouble is not your fault."

The Aftermath
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