American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-02-02
From the Pittsburgh Chri,tian Aaroca,s.
FROM OREGON
THE ITGDAIT9 WAR.
LAFAYETTE, Yamhill Co. Greg on,
October Gath. 1858

mdttSC IoT your paper. wanted q little
leisure, SO that might write some.
what in detail of things here. Now,
however. l must pen few lines to lct
my old friends know something of the
gloom. excitement and apprehension
which prevails among US q, present.
The all.absorbing suhjec, now is ,oar
Indian war-not at a distance, but all a.
round us and which may any day break
out right in our midst. have Just 10.
turned from the upper par, of my cir.
cult, where there is considerable alarm.
The families out among the hills are
moving in. Sometimes several fami.
lies will crowd into one small house.
There is great diversity of opinion.-
Some say there is no danger of the
Indians burning our houses and murder
ing our families. Others fear. con.
fess, when / saw people moving prop
erty, met with armed scouts, aud heard
the rumors, it was impossible for mo
not to feel sad, and be sckened with
thoughts Of what all know might take
place in few hours. War is bad @.
nough when far away. but when.it is at
hand and on all sides, there is 49stern
reality of horror about it from which
pray God to deliver US.
A newspaper dated Oct. 18th, is full
Indian news. will give some extracts:
We have an Ind an war upon our
hands in earnest.
"The demonstrations made by tho
northern tribes, embracing tho Yakimus
the Pclouses The Walla Wallas, Cayu.
ses, and large numbers of the De Shut.
ties, Snakes, Clikilats, and of other tribes
are such that we are forced to believe
that the war upon the whites is general
and that we have reason to fear the hos
tility of all the n,ithen tribes.
"Again, the news, from the southern
tribes which has just been received, and
which we publish to-day, is alarming
and goes to establish the belief that all
the tribes north and south are acting in
concert in making war upon the whites"
The preceding is editorial.
A small military force has been sta.
Toned at The Dalles, an important point
on the Columbia something over 100
miles from Portland, for some years.
Steamboats, run up there by making a
portage of some four miles at the Cas-
cades. The boats above have to keep
above. When the Indians commenced
Wondering the whites, Major Halter
left the Dalles with 100 men to look af-
ter them. He met them some forty
miles out. | will give short extract
from letter dated Dallcs, Oct 10Th !:
Maj. HaIler and company returned last
night about midnight, after fighting the
Indians nearly two days. He lost six
men killed. and about twenty wounded.
The Major had hard work
to get back. They were compelled to
leave their cannon. They lost all their
blankets and provisions, and forty head
of mules. They had to fight
between 1000 aud 1900 Indians
Nothing less than two thousand volun-
teers will do any good" &c. So things
stand on the northeast.
A petition signed by 1872 citizens, of
Douglass and Umpqua counties, states
that in Rouge River Valley twenty or
thirty families have been murdered and
their houses burned and that the hos
tile forces are gathering in great nun.
bers. This is on our southern side.
In the same paper we have these
words "The citizens Of Grand Rond
in Yamhill CO., are much alarmed from
the movements of the Tillamook Indi.
ans" &c. This is our western border.
Then we have Indians among us, who
though they appear friendly may on
the shortest notice commence the work
of slaughter. One thing specially a.
farming is the fact that the whites in
the Wallamet valley are not well arm.
ed. Many surprising their arms useless
traded them off to the Indians"
These are times which try mems
souls. The Governors proclamation
calling for eight companies of volun-
teer was circulated on Friday morning,
Oct 18th. Now for the response; and
let it be remembered we have no volun.
teer companies parading here in time
OF peace; no not even militia compa.
ny. The citizens Of the respective
counties held meetings.. The company
from MutDomah county started from
Portland for the seat Of war on Saturday
at 6 Z. Nj. some thirty two hours after
notice. The Clackamus company reach.
ed Portland on Sunday. The Compa-
ny from Washington county on Tues
day; the Company from Yamhill on
Wednesday the company from Polk
on Thursday. Many Of our most prom.
inent citizens are among the volunteers.
1t has come to this, we must fight or die.
The Governor has called for more to
go to the south. Before now many are
on the way.
0 that we had peace 1t is sadly
painful 10 1.-Two in dread Of some out
break or mishap 10y which ones family
should fall into tho hands Of the merci.
less savages. Just think Of our situa.
ton. We are spread over large ter
ritory, beset on every side, and number
nil told. some do mr. 80 600 inha bit n mia