VANCOUVER — Military historian Bruce Mulkey will discuss the aftermath of the 1856 Battle of the Columbia River Cascades at 6 p.m. April 18.
The presentation at the 40 et 8 Chateau, 7607 N.E. 26th Ave., is part of the Vancouver Barracks Military Association’s monthly history lecture series. It is free and open to the public.
In an earlier presentation, the retired Army colonel discussed the March 1856 attack by the Yakama Indians and their allies on the settlements of the Cascades of the Columbia River, near the present-day Bridge of the Gods. Fourteen settlers and three soldiers were killed.
In a three-day fight, soldiers drove away the attackers. A prominent name in the fight was Lt. Philip Sheridan, who led soldiers from Fort Vancouver; he went on to become a noted Union army general in the Civil War.
Mulkey will tell how hostilities continued after the battle, when other uprisings in the Northwest led to reprisals against the tribes. Mulkey will also have a display of uniforms and equipment used by the soldiers of the time.
