As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I came across this story from 1855 which was amusing to me as I have a mean sense of humor. It involved a Father Pandoza, obviously not American Protestant, and most likely Italian Vatican Catholic of one of the orders belonging to the European empires.
His story in the Yakima country is of interest as it sheds a much greater light on why most of the Padres among the aboriginals ended up alive and most of the Methodist Protestants ended up dead and scalped.
There is such horrid blasphemy in this story that it is what I laugh at, for it starts out the Indians are on the war path, and the scene opens with the military sent out to punish the Indians, but the commander who is a bit short on rank has the Washington Governor appoint him to the rank of Brig General, so a future Congressman who is a Colonel will be outranked.
The military does absolutely nothing in this story except get insulted by the Indians who seem quite keen on name calling and lewd gestures, but what does get done in this is Father Pandoza of the Vatican.
It seems the Indians ran off with the Padre in kidnapping him as a prize it was said. So his mission was left abandoned, until the military showed up.
There was this scout named, Cut Mouth John. He was an Indian of ghastly appearance who had part of his mouth shot away in an earlier engagement.
This scout had obtained the only scalp from some old buck who was riding on a crippled horse with a broke Hudson's Bay flintlock pistol.
The reason for mentioning this is John appeared the next morning with the Padres best padre clothes, with the scalp dangling to the ground off his horse's bit, as he road about camp on parade.
The Soldiers having enough of this spectacle caught John and defrocked him.
They next found the Padre's hogs rummaging about, which the Indians had left, but the Padre had invested a great deal of time in rearing.
The Soldiers next killed and ate the pigs as it was better fare than hard bread and salt pork.
Looking for more to eat, they started on the Padre's garden, and I will let the quote speak for itself:
"In digging up the potatoes some one discovered half a keg of powder, which had been buried in the garden by the good father to prevent the hostile Indians from getting it to use against the whites. As soon as this was unearthed wild excitement ensued, and a cry arose that Father Pandoza was the person who furnished powder to the Indians; that here was the proof; that at last the mysterious means by which the Indians obtained ammunition was explained— and a rush was made for the mission building.
This was a comfortable log-house of good size, built by the Indians for a school and church, and attached to one end was the log-cabin residence of the priest. Its destruction was a matter of but a few moments. A large heap of dry wood was quickly collected and piled in the building, matches applied, and the whole Mission, including the priest's house, was soon enveloped in flames, and burned to the ground before the
officers in camp became aware of the disgraceful plundering in which their men were engaged."
Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army
I sort of do not know how the officers in command were not aware, as pigs squealing in being stuck and tater digging was not like the officers had a 10,000 man army and were miles away. That excuse offered, we wonder what the Padre was doing with a keg of powder with fields of vegetables and hogs to eat, other than being a helpful supplier to the Indians, much like shipments of liquid cocaine show up in the modern Vatican from South America.
No more mention of the good Padre appears as his enterprise went up in smoke. It does though bring to remembrance the way the Padre's ruled over the latin halfbreeds like dons in luxury as the people suffered.
I would imagine that somewhere there indeed had to be an enterprising Padre or score who carried on quite a clandestine trade to supplement their retirement, and what better way to keep your scalp, than to be a source of gun powder to the faithful terrorists against Americans.
The French did this. The Spanish did this. The English did this. Why should the Vatican been any different as the Jesuits had their black pope and ran the finances which had to be gleaned from some source.
The question has never been asked, just how was it the Padre's already were so dear to the savages.
It is an interesting point in how much powder was donated for the expansion of the church of Rome.
agtG
