ISAAC INGALLS STEVENS
Isaac I. Stevens, the first Governor, as well
as the most prominent man identified with the early history of Washington, was
born in a farm house belonging to his father, Isaac Stevens, at Marble Ridge,
Massachusetts. He first saw the light of day March 25, 1818, and sprang from an
honorable line of ancestry, one of whom, John Stevens, was among the original
founders of Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Even from tender infancy the little Isaac gave
promise of more than ordinary mentality. Before his fifth year the lad was sent
to school and soon astonished his teacher with his remarkable power of memory
and his application and devotion to study. After his tenth year he attended
Franklin Academy in North Andover, where he studied the usual English branches.
But about this time Isaac decided to leave school for a time to enter the woolen
mills owned by his uncle near Andover. At the end of a year spent in the weaving
room he became so proficient in his work that he was able to manage four looms
at a time, thus excelling the most experienced workmen in that department of the
factory.
Having reached the age of fifteen years the
young Stevens entered Phillips Academy in Andover. Here, while leading his
classes in his studies, he paid for his board and lodging by making the garden
and doing the chores about the place of a citizen of that town.
One of his school mates in describing Stevens'
first appearance at the academy said: "The door opened and there quietly entered
an insignificant appearing boy carrying in his arms a load of books nearly as
large as himself. But the impression of insignificance vanished as soon as one
regarded his large head, earnest face and firm and fearless dark hazel eyes.''
After a little over a year at this academy,
through his excellent record for ability and scholarship, as well as the
recommendations and efforts of his uncle, William Stevens, Isaac was appointed a
cadet at West Point.
Here he distinguished himself by rising to the
head of his class in mathematics and during the entire four years' course so
well did the young man bear himself that when the academic board came to review
the standings of the members of the class to award to each his proper grade it
was found that Cadet Stevens stood at the head in every one of his studies.
Upon graduation Stevens was promoted to be
Second Lieutenant of Engineers and was ordered to proceed to Newport, R. I., to
take part in the building of Fort Adams. At Newport the social life was much
enjoyed by the young man, and it was while at a social gathering at this town
that Lieutenant Stevens met the young lady who was afterwards to become his
wife, Margaret Lyman Hazard. On July 1, 1840, Stevens received promotion to be
First Lieutenant of the corps of engineers. His marriage to Miss Hazard occurred
in September of the year following. Soon after his marriage Lieutenant Stevens
was sent to Bedford to take charge of the repairs to the old fort there. And on
June 9. 1842, a son was born to the young couple. This child was named Hazard,
after the maternal grandfather.
For the ensuing few years Lieutenant Stevens
was in charge of engineering works at Portsmouth and later at Bucks- port,
Maine, and it was while engaged in this work that he received his orders for
service in the Mexican war. Stevens' first work upon arriving at the seat of war
was to seek out covered ways to allow the troops to pass to and from the
batteries at Vera Cruz without loss from the enemies' fire.
After taking this city by the U. S. soldiers,
Stevens accompanied the troops into the interior of Mexico and was made Adjutant
of the Corps of Engineers. At the battle of Chapul- tepec a severe gunshot wound
in the foot required his retiring from active service for the rest of the
campaign. He was finally relieved and returned to the States.
Again was he put in charge of military works at
various places in Maine and New Hampshire, continuing here for the next five
years.
When the brevets were announced from the war
department Lieutenant Stevens was brevetted Captain, August 2, 1847, for gallant
and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco and Major for
gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Chapultepec.
Major Stevens from now on for the following few
years was engaged as assistant to Professor A. D. Boche, chief of the United
States Coast survey. But in the Spring of 1853, President Franklin Pierce
appointed Major Stevens Governor of the newly organized Territory of Washington.
Save for a handful of settlers on the lower
Columbia and on the shores of Puget Sound, and a few mining and trading posts in
the interior, the whole vast region of Stevens' place of administration was
unsettled and for the most part unexplored by civilized man. It contained many
thousand Indians who regarded the settlement of the territory by the white man
with jealous eyes; the Indian title to the lands had not been extinguished and
there were many troublesome questions to be settled with the Hudson Bay Company,
which still held its posts in the territory and claimed extensive rights as
guaranteed by treaty.
To govern a territory under these conditions
would have appalled most men, but Major Stevens not only applied for the
appointment as Governor, but also asked that he be placed in charge of the
exploration of the most feasible route for the railroad from the Mississippi
River to the Pacific Coast. Congress had recently appropriated $150,000 for the
explorative survey of the proposed railroad.
When the appointment as Governor to Washington
Territory was confirmed. Major Stevens was 36 years of age and in the full prime
and vigor of his manhood. Besides the stupendous task involved in the
administration as chief executive in a new and unknown territory, with
surroundings and experiences totally different from any he had met in previous
experiences, Governor Stevens was also, by virtue of his appointment, made
Superintendent of Indian affairs in the West. Surely the reader must be
impressed with the courage and mental strength exhibited by Isaac I. Stevens in
undertaking these duties and responsibilities, in addition to the formidable
undertaking of exploring a railroad route to the Pacific Coast, through a
totally unknown wilderness. How ably he responded to the demands laid upon him
is a matter of history.
Assembling an outfit at St. Paul, Minnesota, in
which task Governor Stevens was called upon to overcome what to many would have
been unsurmountable difficulties, the exploring party started for the far off
Pacific Coast. A history of this famous exploring trip, compiled by the
Governor's son. Hazard Stevens, from the diary kept by his illustrious father,
reads like a romance of adventure, so many exciting experiences were encountered
and so many hardships and dangers successfully overcome.
Arriving at the Columbia River, Governor
Stevens followed the only route at that time to reach Olympia, the capital of
the new Territory. Up the Cowlitz river by canoe, when1 the Indian crew had to
progress foot by foot against the current of the flooded river, sometimes
pulling the frail craft along by the overhanging bushes, then over a muddy trail
by horse back, Stevens reached Olympia November 25, 1853, just five months and
nineteen days since starting from St. Paul.
He found waiting for him his new Territorial
Secretary, Charles Mason; Edward Lander, Chief Justice; J. V. Clenclennin,
District Attorney; J. Patton Anderson, Marshal, and Simpson P. Moses, Collector
of Customs.
These officials had reached Olympia, coming via
the Isthmus to San Francisco, then by boat to Portland, and then up the Cowlitz
River and over the trail.
To quote from Hazard Stevens' "Life of Isaac I.
Stevens":
"It was indeed a wild country, untouched by
civilization. A scanty white population numbering 3.965, were widely scattered
over Western Washington and the Strait of Fuca. Among the settlers were Columbus
Lancaster, on Lewis River; Seth Catlin. Dr. Nathanial Ostrander and the
Huntingtons, on the Cowlitz; Alexander S. Abernethy, at Oak Point, and Judge
William Strong at Cathalamet."
The Governor's first act was to issue his
proclamation for the election of a delegate to Congress and members of the first
Territorial Legislature and summoning that body to meet in Olympia on the 28th
of February. 1854.
His next official act was to visit the Indian
tribes around the Sound and to generally explore the waters of Puget Sound,
Elliott Bay and the Straits, to learn of the
general character of the harbors, etc. As this cruise was taken in an open
sailboat, it could hardly be regarded as a holiday excursion in that stormy
season, and among the swift tides and fierce gales of the lower Sound.
One of the objects accomplished on this cruise
was the decision that the little settlement of Seattle was the logical terminus
for the proposed transcontinental railroad.
At the assembling of the Legislature, when
Governor Stevens delivered his first message, after reviewing the natural
resources of this territory, he recommended the adoption of a code of laws, the
organization of the country east of the Cascades into counties, a school system
with military training in the higher schools and the organization of the
militia.
The Legislature adopted all these resolutions
with the exception of the one regarding the militia, which omission proved to be
unfortunate, as it left the people defenseless when the Indian war broke out
less than two years later. After the close of the Legislature Governor Stevens
returned to Washington. D. C.. to make his report to the Department of the
exploring and engineering expedition, and also to urge upon Congress the claims
of the new territory.
Completing his work in the National Capitol,
Governor and Mrs. Stevens, with their four children, the two youngest, being
only two and four years old. respectively, sailed from New York, September 20,
1854. en route for their far western home.
The rough experiences of this refined and
cultured family in coming up the Cowlitz and over the trail and their bitter
disappointment when beholding the capital city is graphically described in a
letter written by Mrs. Stevens and reproduced in the historical sketch of
Thurston County in the opening chapters of this volume.
The Governor's family were installed in
quarters consisting of two long, one-story buildings, one room wide, unplastered,
but lined inside with cotton cloth. In the rear was a large yard extending to
the beach. An Indian camp began at the corner of the yard.
In the midst of these novel scenes and
experiences the family soon began to feel at home and enjoy the western life.
The Governor's days were now filled with
strenuous labor, making treaties with the Indians, holding council with the
Chiefs and endeavoring to cultivate their good will.
A history of the various treaties entered into
between Governor Stevens and the Indian tribes, the councils held and the long,
dangerous and fatiguing expeditions taken by the Governor, would more than fill
the pages of this volume, consequently only a brief mention is all that space
will allow, an;) that, of the most important ones.
Governor Stevens was in the Blackfoot country
holding council -with the assembled bands and had just taken up his homeward
march when a messenger, dispatched by Ac-ting Governor Mason, reached him with
the startling intelligence that all the great tribes of the upper Columbia
country, including the Cayuses, Walla Wallas. Yakimas. Palouses. Umatillas. and
all the Oregon Indian bands down to The Dalles, had broken out in open warfare.
Stevens at once, and with incredible
difficulty, hastened back to Washington, and after doing what he could to
establish peace with the Avarring savages, undertook to reach Puget Sound by
forced marches. This trip was taken in the dead of winter over and through deep
snows in the mountains, fording icy rivers and with scant provision and no
comforts.
When Olympia was finally reached he found the
entire country was overwhelmed. The settlers had fled for refuge to the small
villages, with no resources of food or money. Starvation stared the pioneers in
the face if prevented from planting and raising crops. There was also a
deficiency of arms and ammunition. It was small wonder that the settlers were
discouraged, and nothing kept many of them from leaving the country but their
inability to get away.
The Governor, by proclamation, raised 1,000
volunteers, culled upon the people to build block houses and proceed with
tilling the soil. He required all Indians on the eastern side of the Sound to
move into reservations, sent agents to Portland, San Francisco and Victoria with
urgent appeals for arms, ammunition and supplies. He issued territorial
certificates of indebtedness to pay the volunteers, he freely resorted to
impressment of teams, supplies, etc., wherever necessary, and while he appealed
to the patriotism and good feeling of the volunteers he enforced strict
discipline and punished misconduct. The people responded to the Governor's
appeal with true American spirit and patriotism.
The Governor's policy during the war which
followed was an aggressive one. His volunteers pursued the bands of Indians,
routing them and keeping them from uniting with other bands.
The history of the Indian war of 185f>-56 is
not within the scope of this work, but vivid pen pictures of individual
experiences are given from time to time in the reminiscences of the pioneers
interviewed by the compiler. At the close of the war Governor Stevens disbanded
the volunteers and disposed of the animals, equipment and supplies on hand at
public auction. Owing to the large number captured there were more animals sold
at the several auctions than the entire number purchased for the volunteer
service. The sales of property netted more than $150.000. As the expenses of the
volunteers had been paid in scrip the sales were made for scrip and many of the
settler volunteers were glad to purchase stock, wagons and supplies in that way,
although scrip money depreciated but little below par value.
Owing to the discouraging condition of the
territory after the Indian war and owing to the stand taken by the agents of the
Hudson Bay Company, Governor Stevens was compelled at this time to issue a
proclamation of martial law. This called for considerable censure from the
enemies of the young Governor, but at a mass meeting held at the block house in
the capital city, the course of the executive was fully endorsed with but 12
dissenting votes. Judge B. F. Yantis presided at this mass meeting and J. W.
Goodell acted as secretary.
During the time of the Indian trouble the
Stevens family remained in Olympia, the children attending the public school,
presided over by Rev. George P. Whitworth and his wife.
Upon the return of peace the Governor began the
construction of a home on the block of land he had purchased soon after his
arrival in Olympia, which building is standing to this day, still in the
possession of the son, Hazard Stevens.
Upon completion of the house. Governor and Mrs.
Stevens gave a house warming, to which were invited the members of the
Legislature, and all the townspeople. A description of this first Governor's
reception to be held in Washington, is given
In the reminiscences contributed by Mrs. J. G.
Parker. The Governor, soon after his arrival in the West, adopted the garb of
the country, slouch hat, woolen shirt and heavy riding boots,a garb suitable for
one constantly undertaking long and arduous journeys horseback and by canoe- In
1857 Stevens was elected Delegate to Congress, and in the Fall of that year
resigned as Governor of Washington, returning with his family to the National
Capital by way of Fanama.
Congress adjourning, the Stevens family again
returned to their Olympia home, where they lived in peace and happiness until
Stevens was again elected for a second term as Congressman.
At this second term the Governor devoted his
best energies to securing payment of the Indian war debt. He was successful in
securing good appropriations for military roads between Fort, Benton and Walla
Walla and between Steilacoom and Vancouver, secured $4500 for a boundary survey
between Oregon and Washington, $95,000 for the Indian service, and also secured
a new laud office and district for the southern part of the territory.
The war shadow was now hovering over the land
and Stevens, upon his return to Washington, was instrumental in raising a
company in Olympia. known as the Puget Sound Rifles, of which company he was
elected Captain.
Stevens now engaged in waging the third
campaign for election as Delegate to Congress, in which he was opposed by
Selucius Garfielde. but before the election was held, news of the attack on Fort
Sumter reached the Pacific Coast.
Governor Stevens at once withdrew his name as
candidate for re-election to tender his service to his country.
Here properly ends the life story of Isaac
Ingalls Stevens as connected with the early history of Washington. A record (if
his military career and the soldier's death at the battle of Chantilly belong by
rights to the historian of the Civil War.
General Stevens fell in battle at the moment of
victory. He had grasped the colors from a dying standard bearer, and was
charging to the front, cheering to encourage his men, when the fatal shot found
its mark. As he lay in death his hand grasped the flag staff, with the colors,
for which the noble life had been freely given, resting upon his head and
shoulders
A brief resume of the results achieved by
Governor Stevens' seven years management of the affairs of the new territory
show that he had made exploration of the northern route for a transcontinental
railroad, had made treaties with 30,000 Indians, had extinguished Indian titles
to many thousands of acres of Washington land, established peace among
hereditary enemies over a larger area than New England and the Middle States,
and by waging an aggressive warfare against the savage foe had saved the
settlements from extinction. In addition to this Stevens took such a firm stand
against British aggression at the time the controversy over possession of the
San Juan Islands arose that this valuable group was saved to the United States.
At the end of the war he disbanded the volunteers and adjusted financial claims
to the satisfaction of the majority. Over three quarters of a million dollars
were disbursed for the government, all accounts for which were found to be
correct.
In his career in Congress he secured the
ratification of his Indian treaties, payment of the Indian war debt, the opening
of the interior to settlement and the punishment of Indian murderers.
Source: Early History of Thurston County, Washington By Georgiana
Mitchell Blankenship
Submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer
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