Chief Beardy

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Compiled by Stephenie Flora
copyright � 2010

Chief Beardy (aka Chief Sue) was a Chief of the Tenino Band of Indians that had their summer camp at Celilo Falls and their winter camp on the Deschutes.  

At some point in the tragic scuffle old Tenino Chief Beardy (also known as Sue) arrived on the scene and in a loud voice vainly tried to dissuade the Indians from their slaughter. [The Cayuse Indians, Imperial Tribesmen of Old Oregon by Robert H. Ruby and John A. Brown p.111]

At night a band of vagabonds, with Istulest at their head, would come and harrass the survivors.  The women devised a plan of having some of the influential men stay after the rest had left for the day.  Mrs. Saunders had baked some pies, made of dried peaches.  These particularly suited Old Beardy's taste.  He had eaten heartily through the day, and at night he ate very heartily of the pies.  As might be expected, he was taken sick after he got home.  He vomited up the peaches and took it to be blood, and came at once to the conclusion that he had been poisoned, and resolved our death.  As soon as he got well he made known his grievance to his people.  They were going to kill the survivors when an Indian woman, named Catherine, arrived from Fort Hall.  She arrived just in time to convince Old Beardy it was his own foolishness by over eating that had caused his problems.  He was very much ashamed of himself. [The Whitman Massacre of 1847 by Catherine, Elizabeth and Matilda Sager p.80]

One of the captives suggested the idea of getting a few of the older, quieter Indians to stay with them in the evenings to ward off the unwanted attentions of the younger ones.  For a while this scheme worked out very well.  The women paid off their protectors by serving sweets or sewing up a shirt for them.  One of the more trusted of these guards was an elderly respected Indian named Beardy. Either on Christmas Day or a few days before, Mrs. Saunders made up a number of peach pies.  Beardy had been kind to the captives and was offered a large portion of the pies...Later that night Beardy awoke sick unto death.  He threw up the pies and, convinced he was losing blood rather than peaches, cried aloud that the captives had poisoned him.  The next morning still alive, to his surprise, he found the strength to harangue his friends into attacking the emigrant house and killing all the captives.  The arrival of an Indian woman from Fort Hall served as a mediator and convinced Beardy of his error. [Shallow Grave At Waiilatpu: The Sagers West by Erwin N. Thompson p.113-114]

After the captives were ransomed they were transported in wagons to Fort Walla Walla.  In case any of the Cayuses changed their minds, two leaders, the reliable Stickus and an abashed Beardy, rode escort to the wagons.  Should an incident arise they might be able to cool the hotter tempers of  uneasy Indians. [Shallow Grave At Waiilatpu: The Sagers West by Erwin N. Thompson p.117]

In their traditional browbeating fashion the Cayuses warned the Deschutes Teninos and the Wascopams (Chinookan peoples at the Dalles) to join in a united front against the Americans or suffer Cayuse wrath.  Under this pressure two Tenino bands, one under Welaptulket and the other under old Beardy, and a few Wascompams joined the Cayueses. [The Cayuse Indians, Imperial Tribesmen of Old Oregon by Robert H. Ruby and John A. Brown p.121]

Thus strenghtened, the Cayuses set out to confront the soldiers under Colonel Gilliam, who had left The Dalles on February 15, heading up the Immigrant Road.  Before his departure, however, Beardy, wishing none of the treatment the Cayuses had doled out to his brother, sent two men to the colonel to sue for peace.  They were given flags to take to their chief. [The Cayuse Indians, Imperial Tribesmen of Old Oregon by Robert H. Ruby and John A. Brown p.125]

A party of twelve Indians accompanied Beardy east along the trail behind the troops as the latter decamped.  When they reached the Americans, they held council with the commissioners, and the chief agreed to bring in cattle and horses stolen from whites at The Dalles.  If this was not assurance enough of his good faith, Beardy, said, he was willing to go to war against the Cayuses.  To demonstrate their peaceful intentions, the Indians had brought with them a flag that had been given to Beardy. [The Cayuse Indians, Imperial Tribesmen of Old Oregon by Robert H. Ruby and John A. Brown p.126]

Beardy was camped nearby with his people.  The old chief declared that there were no murderers in the vicinity. Tiloukaikt had left, he told Magone. [The Cayuse Indians, Imperial Tribesmen of Old Oregon by Robert H. Ruby and John A. Brown p.147]

Meanwhile, in Magone's absence, four or five of his men left Beardy's camp, crossed the Snake on a raft, and shot two Indians. [The Cayuse Indians, Imperial Tribesmen of Old Oregon by Robert H. Ruby and John A. Brown p.148]

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