The Indian Council in the Valley of the Walla-Walla. 1855

A rare, first‑hand journal from 1855 captures a moment when the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry escorted a council of Pacific‑Northwest tribes at the Walla‑Walla valley. Written by a young officer who later chronicled frontier life, the manuscript was never formally published, making each surviving copy a unique window onto a disappearing world.

The narrative opens with a storm‑tossed voyage up the Columbia River, the crew’s relief at finally reaching solid ground, and a lively description of Astoria’s faded fort. From there the author sketches the bustling canoes, the rugged landscape, and the cautious yet cordial interactions between soldiers and the native peoples whose ways would soon change beyond recognition.