The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-09-05
INTERESTING FROM OREGON.
Rumored Defeat and Capture or Governor
Gnines' PaIty-saf-ty or the Point Oxford
Psrty-EarIatlve Of their Adventures.


From the Alta Csliieruia AuzIl
Our Oregon files, by the arrival of the bark Lou
| isiapa, yesterday, are made up TO the i5tn
rumor prevailed at Astoria, at the time Of tho
| sailing of the L., which awakened fears for the
| safety Of Governor Gaines and party, VINO. when
| last heard from, Ut a crossing of kogue's
| River. They bad been in pursuit Of Indians, aud,
| it was reported, had been surprised aud captured
| by IA Overwhelming force.
| The troops in the hostile Indian country, under
General Lane. had had several skin ishes with
Indians CT last accounts, and succeeded in driving
! them INTO The mountains, killing forty or htty aud
| woundiDg great number None of his men were
| killed, aud but two Of them wounded About tarty
| prisoners had been taken, who, in charge OF M jor
| kearDy had been marched into this country
1t thought that the Indians we're not disposed
| to give further battle, and General Lane had
| gone into the mines, breaking up his camp. lie
was expected to return to tue river settlements in
| few weeks.
Travelling in the Rogue river country is con-
side red extremely hazardous, unless undertaken by
The principal feature of the Oregon intelligence
ID an account OF the safety Of Captaia Kirkpatrick
| and the party under his command. who were
| ported to have been missed from Point Oxford,
under circumstances justifying suspicion that they
had been murdered by tho Indians
| 1t is mentioned that Captain Tichenor has landed
second party at Point Orio:d deter mined to pco-
secute his plan Of esta bshiog u permanent settle
nent at that place II CONSISTS Of forty well armed
| men
| Captain Kirkpatrick publishes in the Oregon
| Statesnlan, full account OF his adventures, after
| having been LETT by the Sea Gull ut Point Oxford.
1t is quite interesting and much pu bic
has oeen manifested for the fate of the party that
| We nre induced to present the narrative entire.
We were landed at PonS Oxford or Ervns Har-
| Dor, on the morning Of the 9th of June Wefound
| the Indians, who IN AIDE their appearance We
first landed, to be somewhat friendly disposed mani
testing disposition to trade with US; but this did
| not last longer than the steamer lay in the
bay. AS soon as she left, they grew sau,y aud Or
dered us of. Finding that would not CO. they
all LETT. In the meantime We had taken possession
ofa small island or rock, detached from the
land by a passage of about 100 yards in width,)
| upon which we made our encampment. We had u
four FOUNDER, which We had brought from the
steamer This We planted in front of our eacamp-
ment 80 as to rake the to tue bottom Of The
| first step Offset IN the island.
The Indians did not make their appearance again
TIL early the next morriIg, when they began TO
gather on the beach IL CONSIDERABLE numbers. l
| noticed that they were better armed than when We
| first landed. There were about forty Of them
the ground AT sunrise they built fires, aud
| went through with a regular war dance. They were
soon Joined by others who came over the hills and
| shortly after by twelve others with chief, VINO
came IN large canoe. by this time there were
about sixty OF them. AS soon the chief Ian led,
they began TO come upon the island. We met
| them, aid made signs that We would shoot them
if they did not 20 back. This had effect on
them; they still came We then retired to the
top OF the island. where had our gun sta
toned They had by this time gained the
top of the first sep, about forty OF them in
number. They theo made a rush to pitch into the
| camp among us, the chief Leading the way. AS he
| approached the top OF the hill, ne seized hold Of
| musket belonging TO one OF the men, AID would
have wrencheo II out OF his hands, had not another
man struck him over the hands, aud knocked his
hold loose. In an instant they threw volley of
| arrows at US, the most of them passing over us.
The great crowd Of them within six feet Of the
mouth of the cannon ierked up firebrand and
! six eight This threw them into confusion,
which We followed up with discharge from our
rifles and pistols Three of them only got into the
camp and were knocked down with the butts Of
our guns. 1be tight lasted about fifteen minutes,
when the Indians broke aud rae, leaving thirteen
dead on the ground. They fed to the hills and
rocks and continued to shoot their arrows at for
| some time.
| There we're great many Of them wounded, AMI
learned afterwards from Indian at the mouth
OF umpqus, who could speak iarg)n, that there
were twenty killed and fifteen wounded. There
were four Of our men wounded. The Indians got
several rites and shot at in the afternoon, but
with no effect. In the afternoon chief came up
the beach, and made signs that be wanted to co
into the camp lie threw his arms down the
sand, ana We let HIM come up. lie maze signs that
be wanted to take away the dead. The we let
hin do, and whilst be was in the camp made signs
to him that in fourteen days from the time that
arrived there We would go away again. After they
bad taken away their dead. they cred a few shots
at us, and then let. We were not troubled by them
any more till the morning Of the 10Th day, when
| they attacked US again There we're n great m any
| more at the second fight than at the first. There
were, at least fifteen Of them to one of us. Their
chief came out and urged them in tones that could
be heard half mile distant but could not prevail
| on them to make the second rush on Us. They shot
their arrows at US, ut the distance Of 800 yards,
great many Of them falling into the camp, but
none Of rs received any injury.
| We were at this time in a critical situation Our
ammunition was just about done. We had not
more than eight nine rounds of shot lett, and
were surrounded by ut least 100 Indians. The only
alternative left, to take to the woods and make
our way to the habitation Of white men. Here for
tune appeared to favor us. The indians drew of
and went down the coast to the mouth of a small
creek, and built number of fires. There still was
number that stayed to walsh as. We then went
to work to strengthen our breastwork This move
ment had the desired effect In tow minutes they
| all left, and won't do yn to Join the others, This
woods, which we ELECTED, leaving everything We
bad but our small arms IN the camp. We travelled
out Oh the beach. We travelled up the beach but
short distance when met % party OF about thir-
~, all armed with bows and aud long kni res
We rushed towards them to give them fight ia open
ground When they saw that We would attack
them, they broke for the timber. We continued
up the coast few miles further, and crossed large
stream Of water. We then took to the woods, aud
travelled 10 the woods two days and nights, and
| then made out to the coast. When we reached the
coast, discovered fresh trail about five miles to
the mouth Of a small creek here the trail turned
back again suppose that they folio we'd thus
| far the FIST night, and the light of morning dis
closed 10 them that We had no: travelled on the
beach, and they turned back to hunt trail
gave up the chase. We travelled up the beach
about fifteen miles, when We reached the mouth Of
Rogue river.
Here we found two large villages of Indians As
soon as they saw US, they prepared for fight There
spFcsred to be about 200 Of them. They soon
kindled up fire the top Of the highest bluff close
to their village. We here had nothing but the
river between US, and had to take to the woods
again. We travelled up the river about eight
miles, and effected crossing by means ct some old
logs that we dashed together with some small rope
| We then kept In the mountains two daye, and msde
the beach af ain Here were four days without
eating anything but salmon berries. In the even
ing ofthc fourth day we got some muscles to eat,
which revived us some. We lived on muscles till
VIC reached the mouth Of the Cowaps river here
VIC got among some friendly Indians, who gave us
cmething TO eat. But we had to give them the
irts of GU backs 10 get them to ferry over the