Often History has no Story

A good history has a narrative thread which ties all the pieces together

D.J. Lesniak's Let the Mountains Remember is a coherent story which makes the flow of events easy to follow. The struggle between the Northern Paiute and Bannock tribes and the white settlers (1861-1864) received little notice in its day and even today it receives much less attention than the later struggles with the Comanche and the Sioux. In some cases it is called the Snake War, and its dates are given as 1864-1868. This book calls it the "Campaign Against the Northern Paiute" and gives 1861-1869 for the dates. In spite of having some notable events and battles and one of the highest total body counts of any of the Indian wars, this contest does not get the recognition of the Modoc war of 1872 or the Nez Perce war of 1877. Even the Cayuse war in spite of its relatively small scope has a much more extensive literature due to its connection with the Whitman Massacre. Eastern Oregon has always suffered from this lack of recognition. Partially this is due to our very sparse population. Another factor is that we peaked too soon, before the telegraph and the railroads. Many of the most dramatic events of eastern Oregon history took place without reporters from the east coast to record the stories or the telegraph and railroads to spread them. Another factor was that although this struggle was very bloody for an Indian war, it was nothing compared to the battles taking place in the eastern part of the country from 1860-1865.

One of the Most Intense Indian Wars in American History.

The Indians had more of a chance here than elsewhere

There are a number of features that gave the natives an advantage in this campaign. Although settlers had been coming to Oregon since the very beginning of the 19th century, they did not move into southeastern Oregon in any numbers until the 1860s. In every interaction between American settlers and Native Americans, disease was always the biggest factor far outweighing overt acts of violence by either side. From Plymouth rock to the Dakota badlands, as soon as settlers arrived in numbers, the Indian population declined swiftly. In the Willamette Valley by the 1860s, the native tribes were reduced to a small fraction of their original numbers. But the wagon trains and settlers avoided southeastern Oregon. The terrain was too rugged for easy travel and the soil and climate were not good for farming especially in comparison to what was available west of the Cascade Mountains. Therefore, in 1861 it had been little explored by whites while the Indians, who had been living in the region for the last 12-14,000 years knew every detail of every stream and canyon. Throughout most of the campaign, the natives usually knew exactly where their enemies were, where the best trails lay and where to find food and shelter while the army scrambled across vast reaches of unmapped territory, often struggling to find food for the men and forage for the animals. In the early days the natives ran the cavalry ragged. At the start of the struggle the settler's advantage in ordinance was not as great as it became later because the original soldiers were Oregon territorial guard and their equipment was not vastly superior to the guns of the Native Americans. As the years passed the settlers grew to know the territory better, federal troops with up to date rifles took over and the advantage shifted.

A History Full of Interesting People

All the major characters come with their own stories

Another feature that sets this book apart is the attention given to the people in this history. One thing that annoys me in many histories is the pattern where someone pops up with no introduction, does something, and disappears. This may cover all the essential facts but it makes it hard to understand what is going on. Is Joe Blow young or old, rich or poor? The major characters in a history will usually be given fairly well rounded portraits but often lesser players get lost in the background. Every significant character in this book gets a mini-biography explaining how they arrived at this point. Even the bit players are fleshed out enough to give a sense of who they were. The book introduces some especially interesting people like General Crook, Donald McKay and James Pike. An added feature is that in an Epilogue we find out what happened to many of them after the events in this history. The result is that not only is this a good history of a specific event but the thumbnail biographies of more than a score of remarkable men gives a fascinating look at 2em;}\n"; } else {life in 19th century western America.

The Land is Another Major Character

This war would have gone very differently if this territory were not what it is.

I alluded to this above but eastern Oregason was not the best region for cavalry operations. This is favorable country for horses to the extent that if left unchecked, horses would displace much of the native fauna and consume much of the flora. But it is not good country for burdened horses and it is hell for wagons. This is high desert traversed by mountain ranges and covered with layers of basalt which confine streams and rivers into narrow defiles completely impassable by wheeled vehicle, too turbulent for boats and usually too narrow even for man or mule. The main road from the Columbia River to Boise took a very indirect route that looks strangely roundabout on a map but was the quickest and most direct route when the topography is taken into account. The desert meant that often there was not enough forage for the horses or game for the men. The basalt means the country is full of sheer cliffs which can make for excellent defensive positions and which the Indians of course knew intimately. The natives used these advantages skillfully and it was not until the close of Civil War that the army was willing to throw significant resources into the effort and the sheer weight of resources could overcome the native advantage.

A Well Made Book

Books are physical objects

Books, especially self published ones vary greatly in quality. Let the Mountains Remember fares well in this regard. Everything about it show an attention to detail and an appreciation of aesthetics. The layout and printing itself is elegant with those grace notes that shows that someone cares about the details. The paper and binding are clearly better than average. Nothing physical will last forever but, unlike some of the books I encounter, I am sure that this one will survive more than a few reading before it starts to show signs of wear. The copies I have on hand have the first edition cover design.
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