The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-05-26
1mnortant from Oregon.

massacre of Dr. Whitman and ladY-Preratence
of the Measles-SeUere Winter IN The Mountains.
Yesterday we had the pleasure of few moments
conversation with Major J. L. Meek, VINO arrived
from st. Joseph the Nlandan, and lmmedla'eiy
took massage on the Genesee for the Ohio River,
being bearer of dispatches from the authorites vi
Oregon to the Government at Washington.
Major Meek left Oregon City on the 4th OF jan
uary in company with Gen. Gillian and 2oo troops
who We're marching into the mountain dstficts 10
Indians. At Waah Wallah, 300 miles east OF
Oregon City, Major Meek, Lieut. Bowman, and
eight Others parted from Gen. Gilliams command,
and bent their way towards the United States
In the Blue Mountains they found the snow very
deep. For thirty miles the party passed through
snow four feet deep, suffering very much from cold
and fatigue. On Snake River they fell in with five
villages of Snake and Ponark Indians. These In
d;ans manifested hostility and declared their inten-
ton of marching against the Oregon settlers early
in the Spring, The cause OF their enmlty towards
the whites they alledged to be the Introduction OF
the measles among them. This disease has been
very prevalent in Oregon, as we'll among the white
settlers as the Indians Owing to the peculiar hab-
its of the red men, the malady among them proved
earfully fatal, causing death In almost every IN
stance of its visitation. When the eruptlve lever
made its appearance, the afflicted would use the
cold BATH or roll themselves in the snow, which
would almost certainly cause retrocession OF the
disease and sudden death.
From Fort Hall, Major Meek and party crossed
through the South Pass to Bear river suffering very
much from the severity of the weather and want OF
provisions. For two hundred miles, they passed
through snow three feet deep. Many of their mules
died, and as the animals thus persisted, they were
used as food, the meat being "jerked' and saved
for dreaded emergency.
From the South Pass to the head waters OF the
Platte there was very little snow. Over this vast
extent of country the party travelled without meet
ing game, subssting almost entirely upon the flesh
of the animals they had with them. Slxty-slx days
after leaving General Gilliam's command, at Wal
ah Walah they arrived at st. Joseph, on the Wes-
tern frontier of Missouri.
When within one hundred and fifty miles of the
United States boundary, a party OF Oregon emil
grants were met. They consisted of IA wagons.
From these emigrants, the party obtained food-the
first they had eaten in four days. The emigrants
were getting along we'll
The saddest news brought by Major Meek is the
death of the philanthropc DIR. Whitman and lady.
They were murdered with eighteen others, at their
settlement in the plains of Wallah Wallah, some
| time in November, by the Cayutes and Waah
WalIahs-Indians who have always heretofore man.
Tested the most profound friendship for the whites.
| When the troops arrived at the scene of the MUIR
der they found the whole settlement laid waste,
presenting appearance dreadful IN the extreme.
The bodies of the murdered settlers We're scattered
| around unburied. The heads of DIR. Whitman and
his amable lady were lying in the yard of their late
residence near the threshold. Most of the houses
had been burned, and every thing wore the aspect
| of desoation.
| In the march from Oregon City to Wallah Wal
| lah the troops had four engagements with the
| enemy In two, there was spirited resistance on
| the part of the Indsans, and many We're supposed
to have been killed The American forces lost but
| two men in their skirnishes-James jackson and
| James Packwood killed at the Dalles of the Co
| lumbia, while on guard
| From all we can gather, it seems that spirit of
hostility has gradually been engendering among the
| Indians of Oregon for several years. They have
| taken up the idea that great chief was coming
from the United States, buy their land and rem
| der them Independent. Finding, however, the
whites settling round there, without furnishing for
the lands what they considered an equivalent, they
have at last determined to drive out the invaders
and possess themselves of such implements OF hus-
bandry and the arts as might fall into their hands
| in the way of spoils.
! 1t is the opinion of those conversant with the
affairs of Oregon, that the Hudson Bay Company
| is at the bottom of all these disturbances AT any
rate, it is singular that the Americans only should
| be the subjects of Indian malice.
| Maj. Meek will return speedily to Oregon We
are pleased learn that he is the bearer OF an APP
pcation for U. S. Marshalship, for himself, signed
| by five hundred citizens of Oregon. He Is an old
| resident of the g Mountain and Plain country,
and withal, very much of gentleman
ADDITIONAL.
| Since the foregoing was placed in type, we have
seen COPY Oh IllG 81 huNeItlstis Vi
| inst, from which we derive some additional Items
of information relative to affairs In Oregon.
| The last battle fought with the Indians was on
| the Big Plains, iii February last Gen. GDam's
forces maintained their position mantully against
| four times their number. The battle commenced
in the morning and continued till night put an end
to the conflict. Both parties remained on the field
till morning. but the Indians were ndisposed to re-
| new the engagement, and retired. No whites We're
killed. but very many wounded by Indian arrows
| At the time of the massacre of DIR. Whitman and
| companions, sixty or seventy persons were taken
prisoners but afterwards, through the intervention
| of Peter Skeen Ogden, prlncpa Factor OF the Hud-
| son Bay Company, they Were ransomed. The mas
sacre, it seems, took place on the 18th OF November
| Major Meeksbears message asking for lmme-
diate aid from the Government of the United States
The latest date from Oregon City is TO the Goth
| OF January. The mail carrier who left there since
for Wallah Wallah, was killed, and the mail lost.
| The following proclamation is from the Oregon
| Spectator of the Goth of January:
| PROCLAMATION
| BY GEO, ABERNETHY, GOVERNOR OREGON TERRITORY.
In consequence of the low of the finances of this
country and the general impression being that the Indians
s spsn to- poeee h nc punish
Capnse Indians and Proclamation issued by for
%e TO s
and the force ordered out in a being IN ,a
hundred men, appoint the following persons Beve Cap
poeg county John Owens, VIM Williams, John Stewart.
Polk county Philip Thompson, Geo. Nelson Felix Scott
F! Yam Hill county. Isaac w. Smith, Benj.Q Tucker
| Tualatin county. James Oticer-Clackamas county ,
The eniSments to be for SIX months, unless sooner dis
charged by proclamation. ~
Each man will furnish his horse arms clothing and
blankets. The companies will bring all the ammunition
percussion and equipage they can tor which They
| will receive receipt from the Commissary General -
Col Cornelius Gillian will remain at Oregon City until the
first companies arrive at Portland, when he will take com
| mand, and proceed forthwith to Wallah Walah
Lieut. Col James Waters will remain until the rear com
panes Portland when he will take the com
mand, and proceed to Wallah Waah
Companies will rendezvous Portland or opposite Port
land, before the 9Th January lS8 Whenever suff
cent number Of volunteers arrive the ground at Portland
they will organize and proceed to elect their officers VIZ
one Captain one First Lieuanant. Second Lieutenant
one Orderly Sergeant, and four duty Sergeants -
Companies will consist of So rank and file II any
company should be formed the counties smaller or larger
they will be regu lated after they arrive on the ground
As the Commissary General will not be able to furnish
sufficient quantity of provisions for the army the citizens
the territory called to deliver to his agents all the Prov
they that the operations of the troops may not be
mpeded for of provisions. Agents will be appointed
by him at Salem Yam Hill Ferry, Champoeg, Butte ant
Portland