Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-01-17
INDIAN ATROCITIES IN OREGON

The Oregon papers received by the last mail
bring heart-rending accounts of the Indian
atrocities committed in that territory. A letter
from Capt. Hewctt, published in the Pioneer
and Democrat, gives the following account of
a massacre by Indians on White River:
After two days hard work, reached the
house of Mr.. Cox, which we found robbed
confirming our suspicious that greater mischief
had been done to the settlement further up the
river We then proceeded to Mr.. Jones
place, where we found our worst fears more
than realized. The house was burned to ashes,
and Mr.. Jones (whowas at the time sick) was
burned in it. Mrs. Jones was found lying
about thirty yards from the house, shot through
the lower part of the lungs, face and jaws,
horribly broken and mutilated, apparently with
the head of an axe. The bones of Mr.. Jones
we found, the roasted flesh having been eaten
off by the hogs. We found Mr.. Cooper (who
was living with Mr.. Jones at the time) about
one hundred and fifty yards from the house,
shot through the lungs, the ball entering the
left breast. We buried the bodies and pro-
ceeded to the house of W. Ell. Brown, mile
distant. Mrs. Brown and child VIC found in
the well, her head downwards the mother
was stabbed to the heart, the knife entering
the left breast and also in the back and back
part of the head.
She had apparently started to run with hel
child Gan infant about ten months old) in hel
arms; was overtaken and pitched into the well
The child was below her and had no marks ot
violence on it. 1t was not dressed, showing
that the mother had taken it from the bed and
attempted to fee. Mr.. Brown was found in
the house, cut to pieces. The left hand had
two cuts, as though ne had grasped knife
and had it pulled out, cutting the hand to the
bone. There were also two stabs in the palm
of the same hand, as though he had attempted
to ward off the fatal weapon. His arms and
legs were badly cut, and I should think there
were as many as ten or fifteen stabs in his back
mostly little below the left shoulder. Every
thing seemed to show that he had fought des
perately, and I think he must have killed some
of the devils, from the fact that the fence where
they went out from the house had the appear
ance of having had something dragged over it
and the rails below all smeared with blood.
After burying them as we'll as circumstan
ces would permit, we proceeded to the house
of Mr.. King, or rather where his house was.
which we found burned to ashes, and where
the most horrible spectacle of all awaited us
Mr.. King and the two little children were
burntin the house, and the body Of Mr.. King,
after being roasted, was eaten almost entirely
up by the hogs. Mrs. King was lying about
thirty yards from the ruins, almost entirely in
state of nudity. She was shot apparently
through the hcart-the ball entering the left
side ; the left breast was entirely cut of-she
was cut open from the pit Of the stomach to
about the centre of the abdomen, and the in.
testines pulled out on either side. We perform,
ed the last sad rites and proceeded back to our
encampment, and the next morning started for
Seattle.