The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1848-06-02
Hi.hly important from Oregon.

| Hls MY important from OreSOns
Four battles between The Indians and the Sci
tiers Massacre of DR.. Whiiman and La
| dy-- PreUatence IF the .Measeis Seuere
Wb.er IN The Mountains.
Yesterday, says the st. Louis Union Of the
| 18th inst, we had the pleasure of few mo-
ments conversation with Major j. l.. Meek,
who arrived here from ST Joseph on tie Man
dau, ann Immediately took passage on the
Gennessee for the Ohio river, being bearer of
dispatches from the authorities of Oregon to
the Government at Washington.
MAJOR Meek left Oregon city on the 4th of
January, in company with Gen. Gillian and
500 troops, who were marching into the moun-
tain districts to put down insurrectionary
movements among the Indians. At Wallah
Walah. 30D milss east of Oregon city, Maj,
Meek, Lieut.. Bowman and eight othes, parted
from Gen. Gilliam's 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 " ith FIVE villages af Snake and
Ponark Indians. These Indians manifested
hostility, and declared their intention of
marching against the Oregon settlers early in
the spng. The cause of their enmity towards
the whites they alleged to be the introduc-
tion of the measelsa nong them. The disease
has been very prevalent in Oregon as well
among the white settlers as the Indians
os ing to the peculiar ha bits of the redmen,
the malady among them proved proved fear
fully fatal, caused death in almost every IN
stance of its visitation. When the eruption
| fever made its appearance, the afflicted would
use the cold bath, or roll themselves in the
snow, which would almost certainly cause a
retrocession of the disease, and, and sudden
death.
Form Fl Hail. Major Meek and party crossed
through the Sount Pass to Bear river, suffer
ing very much from The severity Of the wealth
er 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 perished, they were used as food
the meat being Jerked. and saved for dread
ed emergency.
When within one hundred and twenty miles
the United States boundary, party Of en-
grants was met. They consisted of 244
wagons. From these emigran,s, the party
obtained food-the fret they had eaten in
four days. The emgrants were getting along
veil.
When the troops arrived at the scene of the
murder they found the whole settlement lait
waste; presenting an appearance dreadful in
the exteme. The bodies of the murdered set
tiers were scattered around unburied. The
heads of DR. Whitman and his amiable lady
we're lying in the yard of their late residence
near the threshold. Most of the houses had
been burned, and every thing wore the aspec
of desolation.
In the march from Oregon crty to Wallaf
Wallah, the troops had four engagements will
the enemy. In two there was spirited re-
sistence on the part of tn Indians, and many
were supposed to have been killed. The A
mercan forces lost but two men in thei
skirmshes.
It is the opinion of those conversant with
the affairs of Oregon, that the Hudson Ba,
Compuny is at the bottrm of all these distur
Dances. At any rate it is Singular that the
Americans only should be the subjects of In
dian malice.
The last battle fought with the Indians wal
on the Big Plains.' in February last. The
settlers maintained their position manfully
against four times their number. No whites
we're killed, but very many wounded by lndi
an arms.
Major Meek bears message asking fo'
immediate aid frow The Government of the
United States.