"Letter from Marshal Corliss," Pioneer and Democrat (Olympia), 21 Aug 1857

The U.S. marshal George W. Corliss, a guest in the Ebeys' house on the night of 11 Aug 1857, wrote from Olympia on the 18th to correct the first reports. Read 14 Oct 2026 from the page image. "The sad tradegy took place at the house of Col. Ebey on Whidby's Island, at about 1 o'clock on the night of the 11th inst. ... We were entirely defenseless, there being no fire-arms of any description in the house. Col. Ebey was aroused by the violent barking of his dog, and arose and went outside the front door, upon the piazza." Ebey ran to the window of the room where the household was gathered: "Here he was seen by his wife with one hand to his head. She cried out to him to jump into the house through the window, but he did not seem to hear or notice her." The family fled "to the woods, distant about fifty rods"; "the alarm was immediately spread through the neighborhood by means of friendly Indians," and "the women of the neighborhood were at this time being collected at the house of Mr. Harman." He called it "brutal, savage barbarity, chilling to contemplate, and which calls aloud for revenge."