Plagiarism and the Death of Qualchan, 1858
Captain E.D. Keyes Lends His Journal to Lieutenant Lawrence Kip
Apr 10, 2009
On September 24, 1858, the Yakama warrior Qualchan rode into Colonel George Wright's camp of 1000 men on Latah Creek. Qualchan's presence was requested by U.S. Army Colonel George Wright for a peace treaty. But instead of signing a document, Wright ordered Qualchan's immediate execution by hanging. Two different soldiers give eerily similar accounts of the hanging, only differing in Captain E.D. Keyes' recognition of Qualchan's bravery.
Captain Erasmus Darwin Keyes, Second in Command to Colonel George Wright, Ninth Infantry
In 1858, Erasmus Darwin Keyes (1810-1895) was a Captain in the Third Artillery, under the direction of Colonel George Wright. Keyes kept notes and a journal of the expedition. In particular, Keyes noted the events when Qualchan rode into the Army camp on Latah Creek. Within 15 minutes of his arrival, Qualchan found himself surrounded by guards, who began preparations to hang him.
According to Keyes in his book published in 1884, Qualchan put up such a fierce struggle that it took six men to subdue him. Qualchan was trying to explain why they should not hang him, reportedly offering horses and other forms of wealth in exchange for his life. While some of the soldiers termed Qualchan's behavior as cowardice, Keyes disagreed, saying "As soon as his hands and feet were bound and the preparations for his death concluded, resistance was out of the question, and love of life was the sole motive of his conduct."
Second Lieutenant Lawrence Kip, Adjutant of the Artillery Battalion
Lawrence Kip (1836-1899) also wrote a book about Wright's expedition. Unlike Keyes, Kip accuses Qualchan of dying like a coward. Kip reports Qualchan's father disowned his son in disgust.
Yet, upon reading Kip or Keyes, it's clear that one of the writers actually witnessed Qualchan's death, while the other writer copied so directly from the first that it seems like plagiarism.
Judge Brown Weighs the Evidence
In 1961, Judge William Compton Brown's book The Indian Side of the Story contained a detailed analysis of Kip's version. Judge Brown concludes: "Kip is impeached by all the surrounding facts and likewise by the inherent inconsistencies and vices of his own statements."
As a long-time and trusted friend of the tribes, Judge Brown heard the story of Qualchan's hanging, from relatives and friends, as well as enemies. "I am yet to hear from any of these who hate his memory most, that he was at any time, or at any place, a coward...Kip alone has said otherwise."
Keyes Kept a Journal that Kip Copied
Like many people, Judge Brown read Kip's book first, published in 1859, only a year after Wright's expedition. Upon reading Keyes' book, published in 1884, he realized that Keyes had written the original version, and loaned it to Kip, who used it in his book.
Kip Was Absent for the Hanging to Retrieve Bodies of Soldiers Killed in May
In fact, Kip was not near Wright's camp when Qualchan was hanged. Instead, Kip had left early that morning for the site of the defeat of Colonel Edward Jenner Steptoe, four months earlier, May 1858.
Here Kip found the bodies of his friend and other soldiers, left unburied in the retreat. Kip heard that Qualchan had killed his friend. In this case, it seems that Kip's grief tarnished Qualchan's bravery.
References:
Brown, William Compton. The Indian Side of the Story. Spokane, WA: C.W. Hill Printing Co., 1961.
Keyes, General Erasmus D. Keyes. Fighting Indians in Washington Territory. Fairfield, WA: Ye Galleon Press, 1988. Reprint. Originally published: Fifty Years Observation of Men and Events. New York: Scribner, 1884.
Kip, Lawrence. Army Life on the Pacific. Fairfield, WA: Ye Galleon Press, 1986. Reprint. Originally published: New York: Redfield, 1859.
