William Gray's copy of the account of one of the most tragic massacres in the annals of the west, with far-reaching consequences, by an eyewitness and prominent actor in many of the events related. Father Brouillet reached the mission just after the massacre, and saw the bloody and putrefying corpses still lying among the surviving captive widows and orphans. It contains "a journal of the principal events that occurred in the Walla Walla Country from the arrival of the Bishop and his clergy;" numerous contemporary letters and documents, and an unimpeachable defense against the accusation that he and the Catholic Church instigated the massacre. The work was first published in New York in 1853, then in 1858 as part of J. Ross Browne's report on the Indian War in Oregon and Washington Territories, then in this locally produced edition, considered the rarest of the three. This copy with manuscript notes and commentary by William H. Gray, Oregon pioneer and politician, and author of A History of Oregon, 1792-1849. These are about a half-dozen in number, the longest being on an attached piece of paper at p.29: "In looking over this pamphlet I find in my journal that they passed to the Whitman Mission on the 21st staid over Sunday 22 1841 and are back to the Mission to winter in 1846. They claim that some poison was distributed for wolves that winter, and I claim, seeing and taking their names as they passed, that I regarded them as not truthful men, other wise I would have employed them, instead of sending them to the Valley. W.H. Gray." Some of the notes, while apparently in his hand, refer to Gray in the third person, as on p.30: "This statement of John Young is totally false. Gray never poisoned a mellon nor put out poison for wolves till recently to kill dogs for killing sheep on farm." There are some notes on p. 23, about Brouillet, that are in blue pencil rather than brown ink, and might well be later or in another hand. Belknap Oregon Imprints 1265; Howes B822; McMurtrie 513; Smith 1151.