New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-07
Massacre OF Capt. Kirkpatrick, Company al
Port Oxford.

The Purscr Of the steamship Columbia
gives the following account OF massacre which
took place on the Pacific Coast north OF Trim
dad Bay:
Capt. TIchoIor on ms las; voyage down IN the
sea Gull. had landed al place named by him Port
Orford, which, from the fact Of rs being better mar
Tor than either Trinidad or Humboldt, As well a.
owing to the nature Of the land around, he Judged To
he q suitable point for establishing settlement.
With tins view he left nine men. well armed and
proviSiOned, under the command OF Capt MIX
patrick. and selected post for them the suLlnit
OF little island. almost Inaccessible 10 AZ attach,
there beng but narrow and deep path 10 It, along
which two men could not advance abreast and th,
was raled by a fourpounder, LETT for thiS purpose
and placed III position. CautIOnlug them 10 zeal
carefully with the Indians, w.o At that time male
their appearance IN small numbers APPARENT, "eis-
disposed. he iefi there IN the Sea Gut promising TO
return on the 23d june with further supplies ana "a
larger number of men 70 sur y aud settle the place
After the arrival OF the sea Gul! al san Francisco,
Il Was found that she would not be able TO return DN
The tine appointed, and accordingly II was arranged
between Capt Tchenor and Capt. Knight, TIE
agent of the Mail Steamship Company, that the Co
mmbia should touch al PORT Oxford on her way up,
and land HIM and two others who were with hiin,
together with the further supply oil provisions taken
On board for that purpose Having touched al Hum
boldt and Trinidad, on our way up, We came IN slglt
OF Port Oxford at O'Clock III the morning OF me 22d
June, that beng the very day set by Capt ilehehor
Tor ms rcturn II The distance OF elgM nllIts We
could the smoke rising from the base OF the little
island, and from this weCOnclUded that the parry was
all safe, and waiting the arrival OF the ste amer. As
soon we came TO the distance of about four miles
fTom the Island. saw through the glasses three
Indians running along the shore AZ full speed, IN
direction away from TIE island and canoe contain
Ing taree more, who were also pulling rapidly III the
same direction. This first caused us 10 suspect that
something wrong had happened, although We felt al
most certain that the smoke we was rising from
fire klnded by the men. However, the brass SIX
FOUNDER which Is used IN announcing the arrival OF
Sfa EFa4 " Cfg rtafaa 10 - a.
well as 10 what fleet the sound OF IL would pro
tuce on tie Indians IN the canoe, then about mile
distant. They all fen flat III the bottom of the canoe
as II through fear, but IN moment they sprung
up, and pulling hurriedy 10 the shore, they soon hid
themselves IN the woods. In the meantime the
steamer was rapidly nearing the island. al which no
signs OF life presented themselves except the ire be-
fore spoken OF. We anchored about a mile of and
our boat. containing Capt. lie Roy, Capt TiChenor
and SIX or eight others, pulled for the island. We
landed at the base OFT, which laid bare and con-
necteC with TIE main land, II being low tide, bu! 10
one was there 10 welcome Us.
Tie hTSt thing that attracted our mott was great
guaitty CT pNot bread, which had evidently been
hurg mo the water and had been bTsken and scat
tered along TIE beach for several Yards by the scicn
OF The waves and the sand. lutte ABOVE We
found seyera. broken carpenters tools living around
we theH mounted the Island. and or the top OF It
found nothing but signs OF destruction. which seemed
10 Tell plainly the fate Of those v no had been left
All the potatoes which had been left Win the party
we've scattered around, rs II abandoned BY the Ind
peniers ool-che>t, planes and other tools had been
broken III pieces. evidently for the iron contained m
them, Tor lot Tie slightest particle OF that or any
otheT metal could be found. While looking about
tins summit. which appeared 10 have been stockaded
for ceenso but within which The ground Was much
iiampec. as though severe Stnfe had taken MACE
MEMORANDUM book Was found. which gave some
clue To That had occurred. What relates TO ,he aaa,r
l. IN these words
-, CANF hiRKPATkiCK, June :
We arrived at our post Oh The -th June-our com
pdily numbered nine men. We made our post on A
snall lslanc-li was accessible only az one poln,
sth- lhe indians commenced attack AZ about
haEpas' seven IN The morning. the Indians num-
oere1 some 'hiry-eieht- We first DISCHARGED onr
Sur-fouhOeT II made a sad havoc arnonv them
lltn we fought hand TO hand they then re,rcs.ed
to The hills, leaving Is or 90 dead on thc 6ald W.
had three men wounded one had an arrow m his
breast another, one through his ear arel had rnc
through my neck. ' NV
lrh To-day We have had no trouble
ilth We are prepared 10 meet them ~. syne..,o
have bard light ID isw hours These lns.,sps arr.