Frances Fuller Victor

“ The circumstances in which Dart found himself as superintendent of Indian affairs for the whole territory of Oregon, both north and south of the Columbia river, and east and west of the Cascade range, were anything but condusive to peace of mind or personal comfort, and it would appear that he accomplished as much as under the same conditions any man could have been expected to do. ”

“ In the meantime, Fort Orford was garrisoned by twelve dragoons under Lieutenant Stanton and twenty artillerymen under Lieutenant Wyman, neither of any use in pursuing Indians in the coast mountains, had their numbers been sufficient; and utterly useless to protect miners or settlers in the interior.
A more intimate acquaintance had not led to a feeling of confidence between the white and red races in southern Oregon. The conditions of Indian warfare here were somewhat different from those of the Cayuse war. Less intelligent than the Cayuses, they were not less brave. ”

“ Worn with travel, with only one hunter in the party, on whose success depended their subsistence, and their horses being unable to penetrate the jungle of the river bottom, it was decided that the only course remaining to them was to trust themselves to the Indian canoes with their native owners. ”

“ By means of the prisoners delivered to him by Lane, he induced eleven of the head men and one hundred of their followers to consent to a treaty by which the Indians agreed to submit to the jurisdiction and accept the protection of the United States, and to restore the property stolen from white people. These treaty-makers belonged to what might be called the peace party in Rogue-river Indian politics,—a party which came into power whenever the war party sustained a defeat at the hands of white people, for several years in the history of Rogue-river valley. ”

“ Abandoning their horses they secured the services of some natives and their canoes, to take them to the mouth of the river. Instead of doing what was expected of them, the Indians landed the party at the Coquille village whose inhabitants seemed to be awaiting them, for no sooner were the canoes run on to the sands than their occupants were surrounded and fighting for the possession of their arms and lives. Hundreds of naked warriors, armed with bows and arrows, war clubs, and long knives made of band iron from a wrecked vessel, [2] assailed them on every side. ”

“ Lacking a knowledge of any law, human or divine, except the law implanted by nature in the beginning of people "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," they were quick to find offenses and ready to avenge them. ”

“ Finally, in May, contempt was turned into a desire for vengeance by the treacherous murder of David Dilley, one of a party of three white men, and two professedly friendly Rogue-rivers. While encamped for the night the Indians stealthily arose, seized Dilley's gun, and shot him dead as he slept. The other two white men, who were unarmed, escaped back to a party in the rear, and the news was sent to Shasta, where a company was formed, headed by one Long, who crossed the Siskiyous, killed two Indians, one a sub-chief, and took several prisoners as hostages for the delivery of the murderers. ”

“ On this report, Charles McDermit of Yreka raised a company of between thirty and forty volunteers, to meet and escort immigrant parties over the most dangerous portion of the road through the Modoc country. At Tule lake the volunteers met another company of male immigrants, going to Yreka and with them sent back two men, named Smith and Toland, to act as guides and guards. This party was attacked, and Smith and Toland wounded, but the discharge of a rifle happening to take off the top of an Indian s head, so excited the savages for a few moments that the white men made their escape. ”

“ The Indians had not yet learned to shoot with accuracy with their few guns, but chief Jo boasted that he could "keep a thousand arrows in the air continually." the ping and sting of which were very annoying, even when not deadly. Further, when Kearney proposed making a treaty, the proud savages challenged him to fresh combat, for which, indeed, he had not much stomach. Chasing naked savages up and down hills and through wooded ambushes had nothing in it alluring to the fighter of real battles. ”

“ After a few days of this useless pursuing, Casey returned to the mouth of the river, and changed the plan of his operations. He sent to Port Orford for three small boats, which were brought overland. Into these he crowded sixty men, so packed together that if they had met the enemy they could not have used their arms. But no enemy appeared while the flotilla proceeded for four days up the river to the junction of the north and south forks, where, on the twentieth, the weather remaining very inclement and the current in the river being strong, the troops were disembarked. ”

“ Acting on this plan, the wagons were corraled, and Tolman with a half a dozen others, making a great show of arms, went back to within speaking distance, and challenged them through one of the guides who could speak the jargon, to come and fight. Like all people who practice treachery they feared it, and not knowing what might be inside the wagon covers declined; but the head chief proposed to meet the interpreter unarmed and talk with him. ”

“ News was received in the evening that during the council a party of Sam s people had gone to a bar down the river and murdered a small company of miners. Lamerick at once prepared to cross the river and take up a position in the pass between Table Rock and the river, while Steele moved further up to turn the Indians back on Lamerick's force in the morning. The movement was entirely successful, the Indians being surrounded, and the chief compelled to sue for peace, offering to accept the terms proposed the day before, namely, to surrender the murderers. ”

“ Upon reviewing their numbers and their situation, without the hope of reënforcement for some time, and with an insufficient supply of ammunition for a protracted siege, the unanimous opinion of the Port Orford company was that flight would give them a chance for their lives, while to remain was to yield up all hope, as the savages would finally conquer by mere numbers and persistence. ”

“ On the other hand, the human nature in white men was apt to come to the surface after a few losses of property, or of friends, or both. Therefore, the peace which had been purchased with presents by agent Skinner in the autumn of 1851 was not lasting.
The Shasta and Rogue-river Indians were one nation, divided under several chiefs, whose followers ranged certain districts. For instance, Tolo was the head of the band living in the country about Yreka; Scarface and Bill in Shasta valley ”

“ The Indians made a charge with the design of liberating Steele s prisoners, who ran towards the river. One was shot before he reached the river, and the other as he climbed up the opposite bank. Sam then sent a detachment of his warriors to the south side to cut off Steele; but they were surprised by one from the volunteers, and several shot as they sprang into the water, the reports varying from four to sixteen, according to the motive of the narrator, as well as his greater or less knowledge of events. Only one white man was wounded, and he slightly. ”

“ During the evening G. W. T Vault and Levi Scott, with a party from Kearney's command, came in for supplies, and with them Lane returned, riding until two o clock in the morning, his arrival being joyfully welcomed by regulars and volunteers to the army.
He then learned that there had been a skirmish on the morning of the twenty-third at Table Rock, and a four hours battle in the afternoon, the Indians having the advantage of a wooded eminence where they had erected a breastwork of logs; and the attacking force the advantage of superior arms. ”

“ Tolman that every now and then a Modoc had tied his bow to his toe, secreted his arrows, and pretending to be disarmed, joined the chief. The interpreter, on being warned, ordered the Indians sent back, and the chief seeing no opportunity for obtaining an advantage, agreed to return whence he came, and leave the party to pursue its way unmolested. It had not proceeded far, however, before it discovered a reserve of Indians mounted, who had been placed where they could intercept any persons escaping from the narrow pass along Tule lake. ”

“ No loss of life or serious wounds were sustained by the white men, but about sixteen hundred dollars worth of property and gold dust was secured by the Indians, who it was believed lost some men who were carried off the field. Those of McBride s party who were mentioned by him for their bravery in the fight, were A. Richardson of San Jose, California, James Barlow, Captain Turpin, Jesse Dodson and son, Aaron Payne, Dillard Holman, Jesse Runnels, Presley Lovelady, and Richard Sparks of Oregon. ”

“ He unloaded several ox wagons, filled them with armed men, a few of whom were clothed in women's apparel, tied down the wagon covers and instructed the men to proceed in the usual careless and loitering way of true immigrants along the dangerous pass. But the Indians either had out spies who reported the trick, or were too severely punished to feel like attacking white men, and remained in their fastnesses.
Wright then went to Yreka and had boats built with which to reach the island, spending the time of waiting in patroling the road through the Modoc country. ”

“ The immigration of 1851 had been attacked at this place, but from the fact that these Indians had not yet learned to expect an annual transit of white people through their country, they were not prepared for the work of robbery and murder which was accomplished in 1852, when between sixty and one hundred men, women, and children died at their hands, and a large amount of property was stolen or destroyed. ”

“ It will be remembered that Ben Wright left Steele's party en route to Jacksonville to go to the Klamath, presumably to Yreka. On arriving there he met a party of sixty male immigrants, the advance of the larger number on the road, who reported that they had not been molested, but that there were many companies on the road, some of them with families, and that the Indians were burning signal fires on the mountains, which boded no good to travelers. ”

“ Three days were consumed in getting together the equipment of men and horses, with provision wagons, and every thing necessary; and on the sixth day after the meeting in Yreka, Wright reached Tule lake just in time to rescue a train that was surrounded and fighting the Modocs, two men being wounded. The sight of Wright s company advancing sent the savages into places of concealment among the tules, and on an island in the lake, and equally alarmed the immigrants, who mistook them for mounted Indians, and prepared for a yet more desperate encounter. ”

“ These annoyances and occasional conflicts led to irritation on the part of the miners, who, as they grew stronger, were less careful in their conduct towards the Indians, who were only too ready to find provocation in the contempt of white men. ”

“ Elisha Steele, who was well known to the Indians, and had, like Lane, a remarkable ability to gain their confidence, so much so that they called him "Jo Lane's Brother," happened to arrive from Yreka at Johnson's rancho, in Scott valley, where he found a company of miners from Scott bar, who had been unsuccessfully pursuing the murderers of Woodman. ”

“ An occasional present of a fat ox also contributed to the general peace of the community, and was easier for the agent than treaty making at the muzzle of a gun. The number of murders committed by Indians of the Rogue-river bands in 1852 were only about half those of the previous year, say eighteen that were certainly known, and a few others suspected. ”

“ His party consisted of fifteen white men, and as many Klickitat Indians under their chief, Quatley. They overtook and escorted some cattle drivers as far as the south bank of Rogue river, where Lane encamped, sending word to the Indians that he had come to make a treaty of peace and friendship, and desiring them to meet him unarmed. This proposition was accepted, and after a little delay two of the principal chiefs, with seventy-five warriors, arrived at camp. ”

“ While the steamer remained in port the natives appeared friendly, but when the nine men were left alone in their midst, the temptation to despoil them of whatever they possessed proved greater than could be borne. ”

“ He received confirmation of the war rumor while crossing the Siskiyou from two of Sam's warriors whom the party captured, one of whom was shot in attempting to escape, under the following circumstances: When rumors of murder and Sam's declaration of war reached Jacksonville, a company of seventy-five or eighty men was organized under John K. Lamerick, captain. On hearing of this the agent, Skinner, hastened to remonstrate, and obtained a promise from the volunteers that time should be given him to hold a parley with the Indians. ”

“ The boats, however, served as a decoy, and the Indians were gathered on the bank of the stream to oppose the landing of the white men, as was expected, when Casey and Wright dashed among them. Stoneman, from the opposite shore, was employed in picking off those who could be reached, and for about twenty minutes the battle raged hotly, fifteen Indians being killed, and many wounded. ”

“ It consisted of about twenty poorly armed men, five of them with families, and ten wagons. They found McDermit's company on the west shore of Goose lake, and were warned of the danger ahead, two of the volunteers accompanying them as guides. On coming to the high hill one mile east of the south end of Tule lake on the nineteenth of August, no Indians being in sight, the guides, having in mind James Bridger s caution, "When there are no Indians in sight, then look out," decided to avoid a probable ambush by taking a northerly course across a sagebrush flat. ”