famed.html

The Hood River Glacier, Hood River, OR., July 27, 1905, page 4
Includes portrait

FAMED AS AN INDIAN FIGHTER

Little did the pioneers who crossed the Columbia River in '56 dream that Skamania county would become one of the great counties in Washington. How it must have thrilled the sturdy explorers as they crossed the mountains and gazed down the slopes to the Columbia and White Salmon.
One of the very first to cross over and identify himself with the country and suffer all the privations and hardships and enjoy all the beautiful surroundings was Amos Underwood, who is now dean of the city of Underwood.
He crossed the plains with an ox team and settled in Oregon near The Dalles. During the early '50's when the Cayuse Indians were on the war path he enlisted with Company B., Oregon volunteers and was one of the prominent Indian fighters of his day.
He came out of the war with distinction and since his residence in Washington learned to know the Indian well and has been responsible in many instances of settling differences without trouble. The Indian learned to regard as well as fear him. They discovered that he was determined, yet fair and square and that is why they pinned their faith in him.
T.A. Wood of Portland, late grand commander of the Indian War veterans, of the Pacific Northwest, and who was a member of Mr. Underwood's company, states that to his knowledge, "Amos Underwood made more good Indians than any of the rest of us." He left Ohio, the state of his birth, strong and determined to explore the west. He stopped in Iowa but it was to slow - he wanted to push on, and that determination will result in a flourishing little city on the Columbia, called Underwood, that will stand as a monument to his pluck and the generations to come will be told who Amos Underwood was and what an important part he played in civilizing the natives and in many instances of "making good Indians out of them."
"Those who have known Ame Underwood for years," writes Mr. Wood, "when looking into his kindly face would never suspect that he adopted the methods of warfare of the savages and beat them at their own game. But the time required just such men as Amos Underwood and his associates in the Oregon volunteers and their method of warfare. Their work at that time caused the Indians to respect the white man and made a lasting peace that could not have been conquered by any more lenient measures."
There is no more interesting person on the Washington side to converse with than Amos Underwood. He is a man of good education considering the time when he was a youth the boys were fighting instead of pouring over school books. On certain occasions you find him in a reminiscential mode and he will spin a "yarn" that is interesting indeed and causes the hair to rise.
On several occasions the newspapers have sent correspondence to get "a story" of the old Indian fighter, and he is always polite and courteous and no one is ever disappointed if he gets started. The correspondent from the Glacier found him fresh from Portland after a session with comrades of the Indian war.
"What about the Cayuse war and how many Indians did you down in an engagement?" Was the question asked. "It is a long story, but I remember well an engagement that led to the capture and later the death of Chief Pepe (Mux-Mux), head of the troublesome and tricky, Cayuse tribe. It was on or about Dec. 7, 1855. About 400 of us were at Old Fort Walla Walla and 200 of us struck across the hills horseback and encountered large bands of Indians. The Indians came directly to us, but had hoisted a white flag, a messenger announcing they wanted to talk with us. Old Pepe said he had heard of our coming and had ordered five big fat cattle to be slaughtered and roasted and all were invited for supper. The chief and about eight of his men stayed with us and the others rode off. We were led along a creek for two or three miles, the trail passed under a high bluff of perpendicular rocks, leaving room for just one horsemen. Across the creek was a thicket of brush. Nat Onley saw the trick and we came to a halt. We found tons of rock above that the Indians had placed and intended to massacre of us all and if we had passed on the trail not one would have been left to have told the tale.
We went over the bluff but failed to find any roasted cattle were any sign of a barbecue. When old Pepe was asked about it, he shook his head and replied: "Kloness hiss quash tillicums." (Guess my people are all scared.) I was corporal and was placed in charge of the prisoners. It was a hard job, for we were surrounded with Indians, fighting them off, the red devils waving the scalps of our comrades. In many instances it was hard to hand fight. In an effort on the part of the Indians to get their chief most all were killed. Olney who had rode on ahead heard the shooting and came back, and killed old Pepe, saying, "You will be rascal, I'm satisfied now." The dead chief had attempted to murder Olney about six weeks before on the same beef game. That was the end of old Pepe. I was said to be one of the best shots if not the crack in the regiment. I shot away one engagement 60 bullets and only got five Indians."
The old man who has celebrated his 70th birthday and who is now in the evening of his life, fires up when recalling this during days of the 50's. The coming of the railroad seemed to be occupying his attention more than the days of warfare.
Mr. Underwood has 40 acres in Klickitat county and 36 acres in Skamania. He recently sold most of his buildings to the lumber company thus giving them the right down the White Salmon. One year ago he placed on the market a town site and since then a new store has gone up, a hotel is under the course of construction, a livery is coming, a blacksmith is to be located there, a big pulp mill is under discussion, so is a cold storage plant. Mr. Underwood is to put in a large dock and ware house this fall, and when the road gets started Underwood will surely be a town.
Camas Prairie and Trout Lake country are taking hold and giving splendid support to the city owing to the new road and bridge. It cuts off four miles to the landing. The city has the very finest of water. Buck Creek with its ice cold, pure spring water is to be sent down and will give the city the most perfect water system in the world.