Told by the Pioneers - Washington Secretary of State

Told by the Pio11eers
Before mo\-ing in, a call was made one day at noon hour for volunteers
to organize a company. The candidates for Captain were told
to stand out in front and the men walked over to the one they chose.
Mr. B. L. Henness was chosen Captain, E. N. Sargent, first lieutenant,
Samuel Coulter, second lieutenant; David Byles, orderly sergeant;
and George Biles, corporal. Brothers Samuel, William and Thomas
enlisted. I wanted to enlist, too, but Father held me back, saying he
wanted to keep one boy at home. I was enrolled with the home guard,
as we had to leave someone to protect the women and children when
the company was away scouting.
Acting Governor Mason of Olympia had a supply of army muskets
for distribution to the militia. Father drew five of them. I was
a militiaman and very proud of my musket, with its long bayonet. I
would often leave the fort after standing my four hours night guard
duty and walk across the prairie three miles to the home place, in order
to be on hand to get the sheep out to pasture early in the morning,
as we had to keep them cOl'alled from the coyotes at night.
For some time the families of the Indians that always lived on the
up-river side of our place were allowed to remain in their camp by the
river where we now have a boat landing, consequently strange Indians
among the hostiles would often come after dark on to the prairie
and getting near the Mound, would shout and holler, ""Vho, ho,
"Vho ho," until they would find the prairies pretty well populated. A
call was made for the settlers to assemble at a point on the prairie
near Mr. David Byles' place on a rising piece of ground. Mr. Nelson
Sargent stood with his heavy black beard blowing with the wind and
motioning out over the plain, said, "This is an ideal spot for the fort,
as we can guard it from all directions." After considerable talk it
was decided to build a stockade. The settlers came from eight and
ten miles around with their ox teams. Men went into the woods across
Scatter Creek and cut down trees about twelve to sixteen inches in
diameter, cut them sixteen feet long, loaded them on the wagons, and
hauled them out to the site for the fort. A trench was dug about four
feet deep around the square. The logs were stood on end as closely
as they could be fitted without hewing; at two corners diagonally
opposite each other bastions were built of hewed timbers two stories
in height. The second story floor was made of hewed logs projected
over the lower story of the building three or four feet, making it difficult
for an attacking party to gain entrance.
These block houses or bastions stood out so that the guard could
fire at the enem~' along the wall of the fort on the outside. Entrance
to the bastions was from within the fort. Loop holes about four feet
from the floor were made for firing through.
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