Parsons, Col. William and Shiach, W. S.  "An Illustrated History of Umatilla
County and of Morrow County." Spokane, WA: W. H. Lever, 1902. p. 398.
 
EBNER B. NELSON

     It is with unfeigned pleasure that eye are enabled to add our mite to the
bright memory of a mast worthy martyr of civilization by incorporating in these
abiding records of Umatilla county an epitome of the career of that brave
patriot, wise and prominent citizen and gifted gentleman whose name adorns this
article, and whose memory is dear to the citizens of our county.
     Born of a seafaring people, in Sweden, in 1828, he early developed a desire
for the ocean, and on account of his mother's death, which
occurred when he was but a child, he went to sea at the age of fourteen. His
service was mostly in the merchant marine, although for one term he operated on
a war ship. During his long life on the seas he visited every known port of any
significance in the commercial world, and passed through many thrilling scenes
and terrible hardships. At one time they stove a hole in the bottom of their
ship and every man was held at the pumps for hours to keep from sinking. Mr.
Nelson became exhausted and fell to the deck in a faint, only being aroused by
the captain of another ship who had responded to their signals of distress and
rescued the unfortunates from their sinking bark. In 1849 he came to California,
entering heartily into the search for nature's hidden treasures, operating at
Eagle Gulch, Nelson Hill, which was named after him, Yreka and other places.
From Yreka he came to Oregon in 1863, mining at Canyon City and Granite creek
until 1869, when he settled in Umatilla county on the land that his son now owns
and farms near Vinson. He followed cattle raising until his death, which
occurred on July 6, 1878.
     During the Bannock war Mr. Nelson was remaining on his ranch while the sons
lead taken the women to Pendleton for safety. His friends, Luke Skelly, and
State Senator C. L. Jewell, came over to remain with him. The younger Nelson was
to return with arms and ammunition from Pendleton, but the officers refused to
alloy them to be brought. Mr. Jewell then went to get guns for the hands on his
ranch; returning about three o'clock in the morning, he stopped at the Nelson
place.  He saw some one behind the house, but supposing it to be Mr. Nelson went
to the bare to put out his horse, and the Indian, as the figure proved to be,
sneaked up on the opposite side of the horse and shot Mr. Jewell in the left
side, from under the horse's neck. Turning toward the house, he received another
bullet in his arm, but managed to get past the house into the creek, where he
sunk himself out of sight. Later he crawled to the house and secured some food
and wrote with charcoal the following words on a piece of bread which he laid on
the stove: "Tire Indian shot me at Nelson's. I am wounded and in the brush back
of house. Call my name and I will answer. C. L. Jewell." He also wrote the same
on the bottom of a stool and left it in the road. He vas found by Captain Frank
Mattox and his company of volunteers from Heppner, and taken to Pendleton, where
Dr. N. G. Blalock did all in his power to save him, but he died a week after he
was shot. Mr. Nelson and Mr. Skelley were killed outright near the gate and
their bodies thrown into a pond near the house. Later Mr. Nelson's son came to
look for his father, being accompanied by a friend, J. E. Freeman. They rode
through the pond and the friend's horse stumbled over one of the bodies. A bunch
of five redskins had been seen lurking about, who doubtless were the identical
ones that did the work of fiendish murdering.
     Mr. Nelson's wife, and the name is spelled Neilson in Swedish, is still
living 

*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in February 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.