Harrison HALE

                   Killed by Indians at Willow Springs, Umatilla,Oregon at the age of 38, July 6, 1876.  See Daily Oregonian 13 July 1978, 1:3.  Tombstone - Butter Creek Cemetary.
Oregon Historical Soc.
Marriage Information:  Oregon Argus 17 Nov 60 1:6
Harrison was in Sperrys Vol. Regiment. 

Letter from Billy Borders states Harrison Hale born in Indiana in 1840.

     Harrison Hale was the 11th child of W@illiam Hale, Sr. and Sarah Borders Hale.  The Hale family moved to Oregon in 1852.

"Harrison Hale married his wife, Cynthia Jane Doak Angel in Oregon.  Her family came to San Francisco and when she was seven years old they came to Oregon.  They settled first in the WillametteValley near Albany, Oregon.  In 1875 the Hale family moved to Heppner, Oregon.
       During the Indian disturbances in 1878, he joined with Sheriff J.L. Sperry's Company,   organized to defend the settlers in Umatilla County.   
       On July 5, 1878, they started from Pilot Rock to go to Camas Prarie "but stopped at Willow 
Springs for dinner.  Willow Springs consisted of a house, a shed and sheep corral.  While at their dinner the volunteers were attacked in force by the Indians, who drove in the pickets so rapidly that it was a close race between the pursuers and the pursued as to which should first announce the assault. At their first alarm 13 of the volunteers sprang to their horses and struck out for Pendleton.  The others made virtue of necessity, tied their horses in the sheep corral, and took refuge in the shed.  The position was absolutely indefensible, being commanded by the surrounding hill and rocks.  It had one advantage--there was water--0but the water was not exactly available so long as the spring was outside the shed and commanded by the rifles of the Indians, The remnant of the Company, however, made a stout resistance all the afternoon, but at last began to suffer severely for water.  One of the men refused to stand it, finally taking a pail, against the protestations of his comrades, left the shed, walked through the zone of Indian fire, filled his pail and returned unscathed to his companions.  The shed was riddled with bullets, and several casualties resulted, William Lamar, a school teacher was killed and nine others wounded.  Realizing that they were 'in a hole' the volunteers decided to abandon their position during the night and try to escape to Pendleton.  Loading their wounded upon a wagon, they started for Pendleton, the men being instructed to fall prostrate the instant a gun was fired.  They had gone but a few hundred yards when the flash of  a gun caused them to throw themselves upon the ground just in timer to escape a destructive volley from the hostiles.  Harrison Hale was too slow and was shot.  He told the others to go on and save themselves and they left him.  His body was found later, mutilated.  One survivor always blamed himself severely for not putting Mr. Hale on the wagon and saving him.  They had taken the bed off the wagon and put the men on the running gears, to make it easier to handle their flight.
       His wife and children were in the fort at Heppner.  The youngest child Jennie I. was a baby about three months old.
       Cynthia Jane Hale married Fred Sherman after Mr. Hale's death and lived near Heppner, Oregon.,  She and Mr., Sherman separated, and she moved to Payette, Idaho, in the early 1900's with her daughter Pertha and son Delbert.  She lived several years in Payette, and is buried in Riverside Cemetery.
       Harrison was buried in the little cemetery near Lena on Little Butter Creek."
(Author Unknown)