Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-11-01
WHOLE NUMBER 17e..
From Greg on

From Oregon. = IA
Serere Bate uath the I1daans--Intel-
ligence from Oregon City to the 3d.of April
has been received in New York, which rep-
resents the war between the Indians and
whites as still raging, ssSs,sss.
Adyicss were received, as ne learn from
the Oregon Spectatoi, on the 23d February,
from the Commissioners sent to treat with the
Indians, by the return Of Messrs. Newell I
and Palmer. Having succeeded in pro-
curing the neutrality of the Nez Perces,
Valla Walls small part Of the aYnsss; Z
and tAs kaasq aua ztss
fffffsf1siiip from flls heats Spckans.
and upper country Indians, theyIetnrncd to
the Boles, and after a long talk with the
De Chutes Indians, the latter declared that
from that time they acre the frsen ds Of tho
AnaeTacanS. The Indians in the field then
consisted of two hundred warriors, of Cay
uses and vicious and reckless persons from
neighboring tribes. These were pursued
by Col. Gillian and party, until the 18th of
March, when the little army came in sight
of hostile Indians. The following is an ac-
count of the succeeding battle with the In
dians:
Waskopan,, March %, l948.
When within 400 yards of their camp,
we were met by an old man unarmed, with
one arm on his head, the other on his heart
assuring US they were friends. the people
of the Yellow Serpent and would not fight
US; that the murderers were gone, and our
only resource would be to take their stock,
with which the hills around were covered.
We went into their camp, found them all
painted and armed, but from their repeated
assurance of friendship, we ordered not to
fire, but to proceed to the hills ard collect
in their stock. When we reached the high
lands, we saw Shake river Just below, full
of their stock, swimming over, ard thous-
ands ascending the opposite bank. We
succeeded, however in scouting about 500
head of horses and cattle, aid proceeded
about one mile on our route to the fort,
when we were attacked in the rear by a
large party of Indians (those We had just
spared) and Pelouches, to the number Of
about 400. We continued a very warm
marching fight till about dark, when we en-
camped on a small stream without food CT
fire. They were shooting in our camp all
night, and annoyed cur guard SO much,
that we turned out the stock, At daylight
we renewed our march, and with it the
fight, as vigorously as the day preceding,
until within about two miles OF the Toosha
river, where the enemy charged at full
speed to the river, to get possession of the
brush at the ford, in which owing to the
swiltpess of their horses, they partially sue
ceeded.
The history of savage wa,fare contains
few instances of greather Indian prowess
and daring, than the scene which followed.
The struggle for the ford was obstinate for
some time, the fire of the combatants ming
ling together, evinced the obstinacy of the
combat. And here | must say, had it not
been for the bold and decided stand of few
men at the most vulnerable point, the army
must have sustained heavy loss in cross
ing the stream, perhaps been thrown into
confus ON and cut to pieces. In an hour
the sound Of our rifles had hushed. The
long battle was ended. We were all over
the river alive, ard but nine or ten wounded,
none mortally. 1t was not so with the enc
my. The deafening roar of their musketry
which had been sounding in our ears for
thirty hours had died away-their shrill
war-woop was changed to the melancholy
death-song while number of tlier lifeless
brothers, who lay on the field, heard not
their mournful eegy.
They called OFT their warriors more
anxious to leave the ford of the Toosha
than they had been to gain it. We moved
on to the fort, at which place we arrived on
the evening of the 10th, worn down with
fatigue end hunger, having eaten nothing
but small colt for three days. Two days
after a council of officers was convened, in
which it was resolved, that we had accom-
,,l..!l ,s.hed al we could without more men and
ammunition, and that it was best for 100 Of
us to proceed forthwith to this, and remove
up a suffciency of ammunition, and confer
with you on the further movements Of the
army. Colonel Gillian, was accompanying
us in pursuance of this resolution. when the
fatal accident cf LIS IL: u-aln occurred, at the
springs this side of the Umatilla river
We brought with us all the wagons, but
two, and find here about SO men, no am
munition, and little provisions. -- e..
The intelligence of this battle, and of the
death of the Colonel produced great ex-
citement in the settlements. Gov. Aberna-
thy, Immediately on the receipt of the intel
ligence, issued his Proclamation for the
raising cf three additional companies, for
the defence of the settlement Major Lee
was chosen Colonel in the place of the la
mented Gillian.
Accounts from the camp present the men
to be in very destitute condition some
almost without clothing and many without
horses. The term of enlistment of some
was about to expire. There was very little
ammunition and no bread. Some of the
volunteers had also learned that their farms
had been taken possession of by unprinci-
pied fellows, who had staid at home instead
of Joining in the common defence. Indeed,
the disbanding of the army appeared to be
although many friendly Indians
had offered to join the whites against the
Cayuses, and would no doubt have done
so, had there been means to encourage