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OLD BLOCKHOUSE NEAR GOLDENDALE
Historic Building of Pioneer Days Was Erected to Shelter Distressed Troops
[Telegram Coast Special]

TROUT LAKE, Wash., June 17. - The Yakima Indian War was the prime cause of the building of the blockhouse, on Spring Creek, seven miles northwest of Goldendale. The Indians of the entire Northwest were on thewar path at that time, and because of the hostilities Major J.G. Rains, then of the United States Army stationed at Fort Vancouver, where he had charge of affairs, ordered a Brevet-Major Grandville O. Haller, stationed at Fort Dalles, into the Yakima country to ascertain the cause of the dis-satisfaction of Chief, Kami-ak-in. Haller left The Dalles with about 100 men and a howitzer, to cooperate with Lieutenant W.A. Slaughter, from Fort Steillacoom.
That the Yakimas were determined upon a war to exterminate the white race, in spite of the fact that a treaty of peace had been arranged between the Governor of Washington and the Indians was ascertained to be quite true, large stores of ammunition having been purchased by the latter. Legislation had been passed against selling arms and ammunition to the Indians, but they obtained it nevertheless.
The force sent by Major Rains was not to punish the Indians, but simply to inquire into the hostility of the tribes in the Yakima country. Mrs. Francis Fuller Victor, in her history of the Indian Wars, states that when about 60 miles from The Dalles just as Haller's command was emerging from a ravine on the Pasco River in the Yakima country, October 6, 1855, he found himself confronted by 1500 Indians, who attacked him. The battle continued until night, when he gained possession of a hill, where he was surrounded. Fighting was renewed the next morning, and lasted all that day, the troops being without water and with very little food. A courier was dispatched to The Dalles the second night for reinforcements and to apprise Major Rains of the predicament of Major Haller's command.
The suffering of the men and horses from thirst by the third day were unbearable, so that the cavalry horses and pack animals were allowed to go free to search for water and grass, only those actually necessary at the time to move the wounded soldiers and ammunition been retained. It was considered necessary to retreat toward The Dalles, and arrangements toward that end were made; the howitzer was spiked and buried, while the baggage and provisions were burned to prevent the Indians from getting them. The command was organized into two divisions, the advance being under the supervision of Major Haller and the rear under Captain Russell, who acted as guard. The Indians had withdrawn to a sufficient distance to allow such a movement, and but for the mistake of the guide, in having led the advance of the trail, so that the fires had to be lighted to signal the rear guard, the departure of the troops might not have been discovered. As the fires betrayed the movements of the command to the Indians, while Captain Russell had not seen the signals, and with only half his men Major Haller was compiled to keep up a running fight to within 25 miles of The Dalles. Here he was met by Lieutenant Day, of the Third Artillery, with 45 men, who proceeded to the border of the Yakima country, where a blockhouse was constructed near the trail previously built by the government under the supervision of the man who was later known as General McClellan, but at the time he built the trail was simply an employee of the United States Army in a lesser capacity. The trail was built from The Dalles to Fort Simcoe and was united by another which was built from near St. Helens, Or., past Trout Lake and Camas Prairie, joining the Simcoe trail east of Blockhouse.
In passing over that part of the country from St. Helens, signs of the old trail are to be still seen and blazes on the ancient trees enroute marked the way which was never used.
In the three days' fight with the Indians Major Haller lost only five man killed and 17 wounded. The Indians lost about 40. Because of the suffering of the wounded, Major Rains ordered the blockhouse built so that the men could be sheltered and recruited. The little fort was constructed of logs obtained from the nearby hills north of its original site by Major Haller and Lieutenant Day, assisted by men in their command, in October, 1855, and was in use by the soldiers until 1860, when it was abandoned by the Army. The fort was used by settlers, according to Philip Scholls, a former Government architect, of Walla Walla, several times when an attempt was made by the Indians to go on the warpath. A stockade was placed around the fort; this was eight feet in height and was useful in keeping cavalry horses from straying, as well as keeping out unwelcome visitants. Grant and Sheridan were never inmates of the Blockhouse. The latter was stationed at the Cascades during the war of 1855-6, while the former was stationed at a point on the Lower Columbia River, and at several posts in Western Oregon and Fort Steillacoom, near Olympia.