Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-02-04
EVENING STAR.
THE WAR IN OREGON.
CoRRKsPoNDENcE OF TIE STAR. |


SALEM, o. T., Dec. .. 1855.
EdttGr Of tie Star Justice TO the people O
oregon, and to those who reside in d;fTeren,
portions Of the United States who entertair
nisconceived views in relation to the war IL
Southern Oregon, induces me to write TO Won
for the purpose Of giving you plain, unvar
nished statement of some Of the facts connect
cd with this war as they exist But before
| proceed, L will say, that it is not strange tba
there should be prejudiees existing averse L
| our Interests throughout the land, when We
have those amongst US who wifully and ma
llclously make false representations concerning
this Warren with hearts grown black in in,
| fanny, and conseienceS So scared by corruption
| asto be lost to any sense ofhunsnity or sympa
| thy for the weak and defeIceIess of our country
There are but few of this class, who have 50
richly merited the appellatiOn of traitors
TO their country and her citizens-whO have
rendered themselves so totally unworthy tie
| name they bear as American citizens-yet
| although the number is limited, they have
| welded an influence with the authorities at
Washington city, which, if not counteracted,
| must Prove disastrous TO the interests Of this
| Territory, as hundreds of our citizens have
| buted their all to sssis: in prUsecutirr =
| this war, since that was tie only alternative
| left for u.s.
1t has teen stated, and is generally believed
4
| unacquainted with the true history Of this war
tn the whites have been the aggressipc mar
| y, and they considered the United States
| treasury legitimate object Cf plunder;" buI
we are able to show that there has been a ST te
CT war existing on the part Of the Indians since
| the treaty Of 1888, and that the tomahRwk Of
| the savage has drank the hicod Of over fifty Of
| our citizens 10 Southern Oregon since that
| treaty, before We took up arms in defence OF
lIrFn- md N
they had frequently cut Of small parties, kill
| ing them ana mutIlating their bodies in the
most horrible manner; and there never has
oeen period IN the history Of Oregon VIXEN
such transactions were not Of almost daily &C.
currence.
In the month Of July, 1855, a band of Rogue
River Indians killed ten or twelve white men
| II the vicinity Of klamath river, and then re-
treated to the reserve on Rogue river, 10 which
place they were followed by three companies
OF volunteers raised n the mines for the pur-
pose Of avenging the wrongs perpetrated upon
their fellow miners by the ruthless savage
When the murdererS were demanded of them,
they refused TO give them up, III the most
peremptory manner, and said they were ready
tor war; and had il not been for the interce.-
slons of the people Of Rogue river valley thew
would have wreaked a summary vengeance
upon the fou! murderers, which thew most
| tatiOn Of the citizens and DR.. Ambrose, the
Indian Agent at that place, to the command
ants OF companies, and begged them to desist.
told them that our grain in the field vas
rlpe for the harvest; that We were not prepared
Tor war, and that we would Cnly resort to il
Ill the last extremity. When those officers
hoard the frequent opportunities Of the clti-
Zens to withdraw with their forces and not
strike blow which would inevitably causs
their homes in few days 10 present nothing
but scene OF desolation, they very CALAMITY
DID so, leaving the cold -blOoded murderers ~
go unpunished and unbarmed. But il was
better thus, for il a war had been commenced
then, not only all the improvements In this
section OF country would have been burned,
but all the grain in Southern Oregon would
have beer swept eff by the flames, thereby
rendering the people of Rogue river valley
de.titute of the means Of subsistence
Thus things passed on until about the first
of October, 1895, when the Indians murdered
two men on the SyskUin mountain; where
upon Capt Hays, with a company of volun
teers, followed ou the trail Of the murderers
to point near their ranch, when they were
attacked, the Indians opening the fire A
battle ensued: and Major Lupton fell Our
forces found that the Indians were fully pre
pared for them; and, also, that they fought
desperately. After routing the Indians they
went iEto the ranch, and found various ar.
t:cles, which had been stolen from the whites;
end also the scalp Of white man, which had
been taken of only a few day3 before l
should have stated, however, that before
coming TO the camp Of the Indians, they
found where they had hutche7ed several head
Oh cattle which they had stolen and driven eff
| from the whites.
This is the affair that was SO disgracetuIly
represented as being cold blOoded butchery
# peaceable and inOfensiTe Indians
after these Indians went TO Fort Lane,
| (Which they did. Immediately followed by the
vOlunteers,) ard called on Capt Smith, Of the
United States army, he refused to receive
| them as friendly Indians, and drove them
away.
This is the nature of the first demonstration
on the part of the whites for redress and we
leave it with a candid people to say whether
this was justifable on our part, or whether
| we had the right to resist the foe when he
was continually Naglng a war with our citi.
zens, plundering their houses, and driving of
their stock For evidence that this state of
things did exist will refer you to the letter
| OF DR.. Ambrose, Indian agent, bearing date
| September 30, 1855.
About tAe 10th Of October, the enemy made
| en- attack upon the citizens living ON the road
from the Willamette valley to Rogue river
| and for several miles burned all the houses,
barDs, grain, &c and killed all the inhabit-
ants without respect to ago or sex, except Ms.
| Harris and daughter. The people of southern
Oregon then petltioned Governor Curry to call
| out volunteer troops to subdue the enemy
| Accordingly, on the 18th of October the Gov
| ernor issued his proclamation calling for nine
| companies of volunteers to aid in n war then
existing against the Rogue River and other
| Indians. The people OF southern Oregon re-
| sponded to the call nobly, and in a few days
the required number of companies we're in the
| field, and on the 3lSt OF October portion of
| them, and Capt Smiths company of United
| States troops, met the foe in the Grave Creek
Hills, and fought the battle known here as
| the . Battle of Hungry Hill" In this battle
| the Indians fought most desperately, killing
| and woundiDg over forty of our men; and,
| from the nature of their position it was i'm
possible for our forces to dislOdge them or gain
any material advantages over them. After
two days hard fighting both parties left the
field. The loss was about equal on both sides.
We lost thirteen in killed. and thirty wounded
This is the battle that was published in nu,
merOus papers in different portions Of the
United States as being nothing but farce,
gotten up by US for the purpose of creating a
Il NaA