Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-17

below, and it appeared that they had not par
ticipated in the outbreak at oil, but it was feared
| they would, so they killed them
John Taylor had q son, named JIM who sep
arated himself from his fathers people, and had
Joined the Indians on Applegate creek, led
| by Old Man John. Previous to the conclusion
of the treaty, Captain Bob Williams with his
company. was sent to hunt up the Indians on
this creek, and bring them to an engagement
| Williams is man very much after Capt. Owens
stamp, but has also the reputation Of being a
| great Indian fighter. As soon as the treaty was
concluded, General Lane sent an order to Capt
W. to report himself at headquarters. For
some reason the order never reached him: A
second order was sent but the bearer was
bribed by the opponents of the treaty not to de.
| liver it. Williams continued in the mountains,
| notwithstanding that the treaty was concluded.
a fact that he knew, though he may not have
known it officially, for he was in daily commu-
nication with Holstead's ferry, where the dis
banded troops were every day passing with the
news. Meanwhile the Indians were making
every effort to get on the north side of Rogue
river, to General Lanes headquarters, to be
present ut the treaty. Finally, the Indians
brought the news that Williams had killed Jim
Taylor. Their account made it an infamous
affair. .@ @
Williams had an interpreter and guide, who
passed by the soubriquet of Flick, who knows
| the country and the Indians, and is conversant
with their tongue-he is halfbreed.. With
his assistance they found the Indians, but could
not get at them; they were high up in noun
tain side, and Williams was in the valley. Flick
represented the party as miners, that they came
from General Lane with power to treat with
them, that they wanted them to come down and
do SO, so that they could 60 to work, and they
might carry on the war with all other whites II
they chose. They offered them plenty to eat |;
but the Indians were cautious and would not
come down; they knew the fate of the Grave
Greeks. For many hours they parleyed, but
finding they could not be induced to come
down, they desired that part might come, and
then they asked that three should come, and
finally they entreated that one man might be
sent to treat with them. Their entreaties were
so earnest and kept up for so long a time,
that at length Jim Taylor yielded. He came
down, and was instantly seized and carried off
to Holstead's ferry, where they went through
the form Of a trial, and tried to convict him of
some of the injuries done to the whites, but
nothing could be proved against him. He was
then threatened with death, if he did not con-
fess to the part he had taken in the war; He
admitted nothing, and was condemned to be
shot. They took him into the woods below the
ferry and tied rope about his neck and fas.
tened it to the limb of tree above his head.
Five men were selected who fred upon him
two balls passed through his head and the
others entered his back. His body was left
dangling to the limb. An old man from the
Willamette, by the name of Yates, was at the
ferry, but would not 60 down to witness the
deed, but after they came back he proposed to
bury him, but no one would volunteer to as
sist him, until finally two men went with him
and dug a grave for the dead Indian, and
placing his scalp-which some white man had
taken off in the meantime and hung upon the
bushes-on his head again, they buried him.
Finally Old Man John succeeded in lodging
Williams he got across the river, and was
present ut the signing of the treaty, and re-
ceived his first payment. He reported oil his
warriors present but FIVE, though quite num-
Der of his women and children were still about
On the 18th Of September Williams returned
and reported thathe had had desperate battle
on the 18th. He had found the Indians in the
bush and attacked them, and after four hours
fighting, night came on and interrupted the
conflict. He had killed and wounded twelve
Indians, and had but one man killed. The
news of the fight reached camp through the
whites before the Indians knew it. 1t was told
to John, and he was asked if they were his
people; he said no, they could not be his, as
they were all present but FIVE; that it must have
been Tupsu Tybee's band. On the evening of
the 10Th, Johns five men presented themselves
to Gov Lane and told their story. They had
been attacked by Williams as they were en-
deavoring to get across the river on to the re-
serve with the women and children. They
had but three guns, and with these they kept
them at bay until night, when they made their
escape. They lost one woman and two chill
dren killed. This is the last battle with the
Rogue river Indians fought by Capt Williams.
Owing to these contradictory transactions,
the treaty was pending about three weeks be-
fore it could be concluded. In the meantime,
many volunteers had focked in, eager for the
contest. Disappointed with no prospect for
tight, much dissatisfaction was expressed at
the state Of affairs. Governor Lane, having full
confidence in the good will of the Indians, dis
charged all the men that had been called into
service as fast as possible He went into the
fight in which he was wounded without know.
ing anything about the cause Of the war, or any
knowledge of the state of affairs he took it
for granted that the Indians were to blame
When he came to treat, the true state of things
presented themselves piecemeal, and finally all
the facts threw the blame on the whites. That
he was much disguised with their conduct is
proven by the way he carried out the treaty, in
spite of all opposition. The good people Of the
valley are much in favor of Lanes measures:
but they are in the minority. The majority is
made up Of miners, gamblers, and outlaws, that
have fled beyond the restraints of the law, and
they cry against the treaty because they would
lose nothing by its renewal, and they care
nothing for the wives and children of the good
settlers, who must be the sufferers in the main.
These men do not hesitate to threaten to break
the treaty whenever an opportunity may offer
Though they dare not openly resist the gener-
ais authority, yet he has been detained here,
though all operations are at an end, because he
fears that the moment his back is turned the
war would begin again; he has been waiting
the arrival of regular troops, that the treaty
may be enforced and these vagabonds held in
check. I*
According to the conditions of the treaty,
the Indians are to receive sixty thousand dol
lars, to be paid in sixteen annual payments,
for tha.r 1op1 IN 49, I,.H-Y