New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-05-29
The Indian War in Oregon.

bearer OF d.spa.che- from the Local Government oi
Oregon % tho Government 70 Wash n-lon ne = Aa-t
cung % The seat 10 Government o. so,g' az Iol .-e
citizen. % Oregon. between WHOM ana .- i'i
ing indians r. san culinary war bas been colitner'tl
On tle l-tr December lsst- Gov. AFtANEIhf t4l-i--
uirted ro tle Legislature of Oregon, (WHICH Aa- con-
vened early n t-e month"; SPECIAL si---f-e' ai-
inz that The CaTu-e Indians had couiif a iulc
massacre q the Missionary establishment 90 lr hi
VAN. and recommending prompt fctoA B. l-'t --'t'l
Accompany tic Message were -tfffa- iti-tl' 'il
.l- the incidents % tlls h1ud 1ufcltrl ON ".I l
appears thar lr. W. lrlsl. bic aru ilf ai accom- ---
ID lady with rnc other re--ou- have fallen victims %
the fury ol tlee rcm1r-,ss- sara-es, VINO appear 70
have been la-u-ated CD ih appalling CRIME ny Aorfi-
be- suspicion which bal tasca ro--es,3n oi taes 81
pcrs;.rous minds, 10 consequence o. tAe nnn9er OK
deaths from dYseuterr and measle- thar pf " Altman
silently working tle lestrlcfln oi t-e-I iioe ~
administering p0sol0u. drugs under me 'e1lhce oi
saiutarv medicines.
Dr. Whitman had been ls50rin- necessarily since the
appearance Of The measles end dysentery anon- NJ
Indian converts, o. relieve their -lferfs' anu -ieA
has been the reward % biz generous laoors.
The names 80 the parties thus ruines-y murdered
are a. follow ur Whitman Mrs hlflnll. NJ hog
cr- Mr. Hoffman. Mr. sanders lscho0.nas'er', Nr.
March. John ,sser Francis -a.er .yoata-' " nm
hall Nr Gelcu. Nr hewley. Ar. Young. jr Mr. -alc',
ST. Han I-uup0-ei Oh have been killed 20 John Day
River. Hall made Bis escape and reached Fort an
coufer but wa unwse enough % attempt 20 se- 20 Ae
lower country af-er which time he was not leafloi,
except that the Indians reported that be had been
killed
Another letter. dated Fort Nez Perces Dec - men
ton. that the Intelligence had been received there by
this Mr. Hs-s0 that lt appears he escaped alter all
The writer Mr. Mclean proceeds
Immediately determined on sending my inierpre-
ter and one man 20 Or Whtmans 70 ind out The truth.
and d urssibc io rescue Mr Nlu-ais two sons. and
snv of the survivors, Before the Interpreter had pro-
ceoded half way the two boys were met on their way
h.fher escorted by Nicholas fnsy Do having been pre-.
v0usiy settled among The Indians thai these boy -AoaH
not boz killed ai-o the American women ana children
TrIoQrorr is Che Chief who recommended tins inca
sure presume you ore aware that fever and dysen
tory ha- been raging here and n this vicinity, I'D COO
sequence az which great number 0f Indians have been
swept avav hlf more especially ar the Doctor place
where Boz attended upon thc Indians About thirty souls
oi the Cayu-e tribe died one after another who event
raiV believed the Doctor poisoned them ami n which
opinion they were unfortunately confirmed by one of
the doctors party A. iar Hs have been able tO learn
This has been the sole cause of the dreadful butclery
rlu order 20 satisfy ems doubt upon that point, 70 D.
rcuOri that they requested fhe doctor t1 administer
medicine 10 three of their friends two of whom were
really slck but the third only eirning illness and that
the three curp.c- nest morning AilCr ilfF were
buried and while The doctors men were employed
.isu-hicrn- au the Indians came one hy one iu hi
house with their concealed under their blankets
and being al assembled. commenced firing ou those
-uug h'erin- the animal and 90 moment the doctor
house wa. surrounded. The doctor and q young lad
brought mp by himself were shot ia the house. Ills
lady Mr. Rogers and the children had taken refuge In
the garrett but were dragged down aud dispatched cK
cepfins the children outside where the bodies were
le exposed 70 is reported That not their inen-
ton 90 XII Mr. Ro-crs in consequence Of an avowl
which hc BE- said % have made and which nothing bat
desire 20 save his life could have prompted him t0 do
he said = wa- one evening lying down. and over
heard the doctor telling Rev Sir -puldug that 10 was
se-t you should ho a poisoned az once but that the
latter toll him 10 best % continue slowly and eau
tou-ly and between THIS ana spring not soul would
remain when they would take possession OF your lands
cattle and horse-
These are only Indian reports ond no person can
believe the doctor capable OF such an acuon' without
being ~ ignorant and brutal the Indians themselves
one of fho murderers not having been made acquaint
I'd with the above understanding shot Mr. Rogers 10
well understood that eleven lives were lost and three
wounded
The rin-eaiers n this horrible butchery. are Ieo-
quoit bis son Big Belly Tamsuchy. Estcus, Toumou
li-h &C understand from the Interpreter that they
were making one common grave Tor The deceased
The houses were stripped of everything in the
shape OF property bat when they % divide the
spoil they iei out among themselves and Ell agreed %
put back the property. am happy 90 state the Nala
Nailas had hand in the whole busincss-they were
al the doctors own people the Cayu-cl. One Amen
can shot another and took the Indians part % save h-
own life '
On the reception Of the Message conveying this intel
ligcnce an ordinance Immediately passed to autho
rze the Governor 20 issue proclamation TO raise jo0
men by voluntary enlistment for the purpose Of chas
Using the Indians Commissioners were appointed o.
g1tiatc loan for the prosecution OF the war. and
they with Gov. Aberncfhy proceeded on the lOtl OF
December % Fort Vancouver. 90 effect that object
resolution also passed authorizing the Governor 10
raise q company OF Riiemen, % proceed forthwith to
occupy the Mission station al the Dales Of the Column
/ bia river
The Oregoa Spectator Of the January - contains
particular account OF the efforts Of pErEs SKIN OGDEN
F.a chief factor OF the Hudson Bay Company a. effect
the restoration Of Dr. SFALDrNG and the other persons
who were taken prisoners by the Cayuse Indian, ~ the
/ time OF the murder OF Doctor Whitman Mr. Ogden
arrived ~ Walla Wlla on the 18th December. having
accOnuli- he'd the journey from Fort Vancouver iu ten
ffa hail wit .Iv UI
ni arrival 20 Fort Ncz Porce- hc dispatched couricr-
% call meeting Of the Cayuse chiefs On tne tIiid
/ day two chief and about thirty men appeared
The Council assembled on the @Jd and Mr Ogden
made speech 90 them in which Do depicted the enOr
NIFTY of their crime. told them of the certainty oi the
punishment which awaited them should the Americans
/ go % war with them. and cOunsclcl them @ gyc up
/ their prisoners. The Chiefs agreed that they should
deliver up their captrc- within Fix days. the promise
/ OF a ransom being paid for them also 20 deliver ny
I Rev. Mr. Syaldlng and his family.
ON the evening OF the -Jth the capVcs were brought
l in by the Cayuses Next day. the ransom was paid
day or two thereafter, news brought % tie arrival
Of American troops a. the Dae-. and great the
excitement among the Indians that SIR Ogden iel- as
surcd that ID the women and children had not then
been gwen up, they too would have been murdered
The persons thus rescued consisted Of Joseph and
Hannah smith and their nve children Mary saunders
and I'VE children Harriet himtall and her I'VE clL
dren Josiah and Margaret Osborn and three children
/ Rebecca HAYS and daughter. Joseph Stsndeld sally
I Ann Canned and I'VE children Eliza Hall and I'VE
]
Miss : Bewley Mss T.. Mirsh six mission children
/ Mr. and Mr. ~paliing and three children Mr.. Hart
/ Mr. Jackson Mr. Canhed, Mr.. Craig and Mise Johnson
| Total 81.
very appropriate letter OF thanks addressed %
NJ Ogden bv the Governor oi Oregon and on hi.
arrival AZ Portland lie received be- public manner
| and under salute Of cannon.
By the 18th o January four battles had taken place
between The people 81 the territory and four tribes Of
the Indians the Csyu-es Wsla Wallss -hastees and
DAYS These engagements were not attended by much
I ioss
/ The Oregon Regiment having been reinforced, a.
] number 5sl men took up IT, Line OF march fur th.
Wa.a Waiia on the 18th OF February the enemy ap
pc4rcd the plain. 10 great numbers, and line Of
/ battle was formed The engagement commenced ab0u
ten O'Clock End lasted uut night parted the comoatnt-
/ Each party camped ON the ground but thc next morn
/ Ing the enemy raj left the hed. large number o
indians oi other tribes present A. lookers-on o
the strife 70 known how many o the Indians
were killed The troops had nine polndcr with them
I mounted Goa an enigrants wssun drawn By siK yuk.
OF oxen The balls gave out during the battle and The
were compelled % shoot away the Lock chains bcl0n
I Ing 90 The baggage wagons.
Next d1v thev marched % the MIA River AMI thence
90 Dr. Whirmlns Mission. the SCENE 90 ire massacre
Al the properly about the place hai been destroy cd h'
she Indians and the houses burnt Here, too were IN
heads Of ihe doctor and OF his wife lying IN the yard
and the bones Of the other sufferers scattered about
/ on the ground
These are the latest accounts II TN. sansunarl
sdair From Mr Meeks Memoranda we take the follow