In the late fall of 1847 , some Cayuse and Umatilla Indians killed Marcus Whitman , his wife Narcissa , and 12 others at the Whitman Mission . Among the dead was Meek ’s daughter by his first wife , Helen Mar Meek , age 10 , who died in captivity . Meek traveled to Washington , D.C. with the news of the killings ( known as the Whitman massacre ) and the ensuing Cayuse War . Leaving in early January , Meek , George W. Ebbert , and John Owens made the difficult winter trip , arriving in Saint Joseph , Missouri on May 4 and proceeding to Washington by steamboat and rail
Whitman massacre
Whitman massacre
Joseph Meek