- A fair wind carried us a mile beyond Point No Point.15 We were engaged in unloading the boat and forming camp when the doctor [John Miller Haden], who had gone off with his gun to shoot ducks, came running toward us crying alternately “Bear!” and “Musket.” We immediately seized our arms to meet the enemy. The bear, however, did not seem to be concerned about us, but took to the water, with the idea, probably, of swimming across to Skagit head. We hurried into the boat and soon came up within forty or fifty yards. I made repeated attempts to fire, but the cap would not explode. Starling got ahead of me, but when the bear swam on unconcernedly, he sank back with a most disappointed sigh.“I have missed,” he said. As I was getting another musket, a soldier up and fired and the bear’s head went down. I thought I had lost my chance, but he appeared again in a moment. He was tossing his head and bleeding. I blazed away and he went down and did not come up again. When we reached him he was quite dead. We dragged our prize ashore, and the evening was spent in dressing the bear and discussing him.
- John Miller Haden: Pioneer Physician and Public Health Specialist (tshaonline.org)
Haden, John Miller (1825–1892). John Miller Haden, physician, professor at the Medical Branch of the University of Texas (now the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston), and public-health specialist, son of Robert D. and Sarah (McGowen) Haden, Jr., was born on May 25, 1825, in Lowndes County, Mississippi. After attending Jackson College at Columbia, Tennessee, he graduated from La Grange College (Alabama) and in 1847 received his M.D. degree from the Medical College of the University of New Orleans. President James K. Polk commissioned him assistant surgeon in the United States Army in December 1847; Haden was assigned to duty under Gen. Winfield Scott and was with him at the fall of Veracruz. He remained in the army after the Mexican War as medical officer in the party that escorted the civil officials of Oregon Territory to their posts. When the Civil War began Haden was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He resigned his commission and entered the Confederate Army medical corps. In 1864 he became chief of the medical bureau of the Trans-Mississippi Department, the headquarters of which were at Marshall, Texas.
- I became well satisfied with my new station; there was plenty to eat and little to do, and pleasant surroundings. I was appointed adjutant and had to look after the guard and the bakehouse and the drilling of the company. Capt. Jones continued in command;6 Lieut. Slaughter was quartermaster and commissary, and Mrs. Slaughter, who was the only lady at the post, managed the mess, where we all took our meals. Dr. Haden was the Post Surgeon; he had ridden to meet us before our arrival. He was a courteous and refined Southerner, of blonde complexion and affable manners, and not obtrusive in his southern sentiments. There was also a Dr. Wallace, brother of Capt. Wallace, of the Fourth Infantry, who desired to become post sutler.
- In May [of 1853] I was supplied with an open ships launch with two sails and a month’s supplies for a sergeant, ten men and a guide, and informed that the object of the expedition was to “intimidate the Indians.” When the strength of my command is considered in connection with the hordes of Indians then to be found along the shores of the waters of Puget Sound, the absurdity of this order becomes apparent. This is more evident now than it was then, for at the time our mission seemed to partake merely of danger, and not of folly. Also my orders were very undefined: I was to visit the various settlements and to do all in my power to discover the offenders and the source of complaints. I was given authority to arrest whites who were selling liquor to Indians and full license to arrest Indians on suspicion. So on the 23rd of May, 1853, we started on our voyage of “intimidation" accompanied by Dr. Haden and Mr. Starling, the agent who had proposed to go part of the way.
- May 23, 1853. The morning was devoted to putting our supplies and baggage on board and waiting in the mouth of Steilacoom creek for the tide. The captain (Floyd-Jones) came down to see us off. He crossed the creek on horseback, and was showing the doctor [John Miller Haden] an excellent method of keeping his feet from getting wet by putting them on the animal’s back, when he very suddenly found himself immersed completely. We laughed heartily at his discomfiture. It was slow work pulling through the Narrows, as the tide was against us. We lunched at Day Island11, a beautiful piece of land covered by an impenetrable pyramidal forest.
- We returned by way of Point Wilson, in order to see a stratum of what Mr. Hastings called “ignite.” We failed to see any bear, of which there were many indications, but we killed a few grouse and Dr. Haden wounded a large eagle, which I was foolish enough to approach. He attacked me fiercely, sinking his bill and claws firmly into my leg, causing intense pain. I was only released after I had cut his head off with my knife.
- May 29th [of 1853]. The doctor [John Miller Haden] and I, piloted by Col. Eby, tramped to a little settlement on Penn’s cove, called Coveland. Here Capt. Boscoe and Dr. Lansdale were holding claims preparatory to the inauguration of a big city, which, however, can only be realized after they have provided a water supply for the future occupants. Dr. Lansdale lives in a little hut on the edge of the prairie at the head of the cove. Capt. Boscoe was building a trading store.
- The 30th [May 1853]. was spent in visitng old man Crockett, who with a large family was located on the prairie on the top of Admiralty head. A large number of Suqualmish Indians engaged in gathering camas were encamped on the bay.17 From them the doctor [John Miller Haden] and [Edmond] Starling succeeded in procuring transporation to Steilacoom. For this reason the doctor and Starling had come to the island with me. They were prettily fooled by Col. Eby, on whom they expected to impose, as the colonel was going to Olympia to assume his office as successor to [Abram Benton] Moses, and they planned to return at his expense.
- When, however, the doctor [John Miller Haden] and the agent [Edmond Starling] made their proposal to the new collector [Isaac Ebey], the latter said that he could not leave immediately on account of his wife. When, however, they returned from Admiralty bay with their canoe, and guide, the sly colonel changed his mind and said he would go with them, so the original plan was inverted, much to the disgust of Starling and the doctor. The agent had been of little use on the trip. In his official position he had completely failed, and in his promises to supply us with game and to be of practical assistance in several ways, he had “slipped up,” in addition to which he was exceedingly irritable when twitted with his shortcomings.
