• bible sitting next to a teapot

    Whitman Mission

    National Historic Site Washington

Attack on the Mission 1847

The Attack 1847 - Short Version

Attack on the Mission - More Detailed Version
Chapter 22 of Clifford Drury's book, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and the Opening of Old Oregon, provides a detailed description.

Catherine Sager's account of the attack
Catherine was 13 years old when the mission was attacked. Years later she wrote about her experience.

Accounts of the Attack and Period of Captivity
A list compiled by historian Clifford Drury.

Lists of those killed, escaped, and held captive.

Living Arrangements - Fall 1847
Over 70 people were staying with the Whitmans. Where were they all put?

Did You Know?

picture of tule lodge

The tule lodge offers a comfortable place for the people inside. The structure is held up by wooden poles and covered with mats made of tule. Tules are a type of sedge; they grow in marshy areas; and are also called "bullrushes." Tules are stronger than they look. A tule lodge can withstand rain and wind.