, 1856-09-19
Gen, Wool and the Indian War in Washington
and Oregon Territories

and Oregon Territories
BENIcIA, Cal, May 80, 1856.
ohe Editor Of The National Intsligencer:
x X
If the common feelings of humanity rem
derlme incompetent to command, whether
against Indians or any other people in arms
against MS, then is the General right in his
declaration that have passed the time
when can conduct a campaign successfully
against Indians. Whether this he true or
otherwise, / can assure the General that !
am the same man whom he knew Mt Bnena
Vista, with the same human feelings which
charactered my conduct throughout the
campaign in Mexico, and that have not
yet become so old or. so enfeebled in mind
or body as to lose sight Of the ends Of jus
tice, nor SO imbued with political tergiver.
Satiou as 10 tarnish the reputation which !
may have acquired in times past, and which
he has hitherto so generously conceded to
me, by any act of injustice, and certainly
not by becoming wantonly an extermnator
Of the Indian race.
1t is not difficult matter, whether die,
tated by ambition, avarice, or speculation,
to get up an Indian war in Oregon. 1t is
only to kill an Indian or two, which, almost
to certainty, would cause the death Of
two white men. Although in the first case
there might be no sympathy expressed on
the part Of the whites, yet in the latter it
would be all sufficient, not only for war,
but a war of determination of the Indians
No man can have felt more keenly, or
grieved more sincerely than have, at the
sacrifice, in Southern Oregon, of many in
nocent men, women, and children by the
cruelties Of savage warfare. But what
was the cause =? No other than the massa-
ere, by volunteers and citizens, of some
eighty or more friendly Indians as in the
case Of Major Lupton and party, whokiled
lwent-fve friendly Indians, eighteen Of
whom were women and children the kill
ing, by two companies Of volunteers, Of the
friendly chief Old Jake and his band, COM
prising between thirty and forty males,
besides destroying their huts and provisions,
and exposing their women and children 10
the cold Of December, WHO, in making their
way to Fort Lane for protection, arrived
there with their limbs frozen; the killing
in the most brutal manner with clubs, two
squaws, one Of whom was lame and carry
ing a child, which was taken by its heels
and its brains dashed out against a tree
the killing by Hank Brown and party, from
eight to twelve friendly Indians a, Look
ing Glass prairie, invited there by the set
tiers for protection and safety.
This same Hank Brown was concerned
in the massacre by Lupton, during which
an Indian boy about twelve years Of age,
who could speak few words Of English,
ran 10 him and said, I" have done you no
harm my heart is good towards you you
will not kill me-" Brown replied, 2 D--n
your Indian heart,p and seized him by the
hair, and with his bowie-knife severed his
head from his body. The killing 10y Volun-
teers, in Almost cruel and barbarous man.
ner the chief PeH-pee-mox-mox, made a
prisoner under flag Of truce, aud when he
declared he was for peuce and did no,
wish to fight, and that he would make res.
titution for anything that had been taken
wrongfully by his young men !" the deter.
mination Of the citizens TO murder four hnn.
dred friendly Indians at Fort Lane, wait.
ing to be conducted to the coust reserva-
tion, but prevented by the regulars under
command Of Capt. Smith the same deter
mination ot the citizens Of the Willamette
valley to kill these same Indians and all
who might accompany them, should m
attempt be made TO conduct them to- the
coast reservation I; and though last, not the
least barbarous, the killing of the family ol
the friendly chief Spencer, who was at the
time in the employ Of the United States.
r. y
These inhumnn and atrocious outrages,
beside many Of less notoriety, several OIL
which were spread before the public as
great volunteer victories, and which forever
will disgrace the annals of our country
were the cause Of laying waste settlements
and the numbering Of many innocent and
worthy citizens in Rogue River Valley
do not doubt, if the massacres previously
mentioned had not occurred, and the vol
unteers had never entered the field, the
war would have been closed long since iI
Southern Oregon. But this would mol
have suited the political aspirants mol
money spectators. With them it was a
war, and long war, under the pretense o.
enriching the country, no matter how many
citizens might be sacrificed. The more the
massacre by whites and Indians, the greater
the certainty of its continuance, and thu
greater surety that the war debt would b.
paid by Congress.