Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-02-04

enemy frequently and drove him frou his M
sition. but il vas impossible for them 70 foI.
low up his retreat in such q manner as IN
render their services as effective rs they might
have done had it not been for the incemsncy
OF the season and scarcity Of ammunition
which has attended us through the war In
the month Of January last, Mr. Drew, Quar-
termaster General for the Territory, sent an
agent TO San Francisco TO purchase smmuui-
ton. After he had reached that place and
made the purchases, the merchants from whom
they were made refused TO let the articles 90
from representations made to them by General
wool, that if there was any war whatever ex-
sting in Oregon it was an unjust ono. That IL
was a war waged by the whites against the
innocent and defenceless Indians, and that
| such deots would never be paid Under the
lnnuence OF these, and like representations,
.ne agent totally failed to accomplish the OBJ
J7cts OF his mission, and returned home. The
troops remaining In the field almost destitute
OF ammunition, and ss a necessary conse.
quence almost powerless, only being able a
portion OF the time to keep the foe out of the
frontier settlements Here / will remark that
most OF the ammunition used during the war
In Southern Oregon, was purch ased with mo-
ney advanced by individuals for that purpose.
On the 24th Of March there were three for
aging parties of Indians discovered by the
| volunteers, and driven back with considerable
loss to ;he latter. One of the parties was dis
covered on Cow Creek, and defeated by Major
| odtchans Command another on the head
| waters OF the Coquille river by Captain Buoy's
company. and the third party on the same
day, by Major Bruce's command, in Illinois
| valley.
These parties were sent out for the purpose
Il robbing and burning the houses of the set
| Tiers, killing them and driving of their stock,
| practice which bss been common ever siuce
thore were settlers in that portion Of the coun-
| try
The Indians then fell back to the meadows
on Rogue river, one Of their stongest positions,
and prepared to make a strong stand, having
| collected their entire forces at that point We
| Immediately made arrangements TO march
against them, and on the 24th Of April We
reached point near to where their combined
forces were encamped, but they were on the
opposite of the river, and we found that they
had selected a very strong position for defence;
but by discreet management Of the officers in
command, and moving in the night, we sue.
cceded in gaining point from where we
opened a deadly fire upon them early on the
morning of the 9th Of April, and after two
days hard fighting, We succeeded in routing
them, and taking from them the position
which had served as their headquarters dur
ing the war.
On the "a day of May, a military post was
established at the Meadows, and a portion Of
naming portion stopped TO guard the post
until their return, as il was on the main tho
roughiare ot the Indians from the Lower
Rogue river ont 20 the settlements in the val
ley. On the 10Th Of May, (having succeeded
Ia procuring supplies, which was very difficult
and tedious,l we marched down the river
| towards the Big Bend the Indians having fed
IN that direction. Early on the morning Of
the 18Th, We made an attack upon a large
party OF the enemy and gained a signal VIC
tory over them, killing and taking prisoners
| great many of them. On the 29th we met
| old John band, and were attacked by them.
4 fight cnsued, IN which we were com mpletely
victorious we killed several of his men in
| this engagement When we met him he had
just drawn of his forces from the Big Bend Of
Rogue river, (Which was only eight miles be-
lOw,) where he had surrounded Capt Smith,
Of the United States army. and killed and
wounded thirty one of his men the day before.
Our command then proceeded to the Big Bend,
where we found Lit Col. Buchanan with a
command of United States troops
Upon our arrival here we found that two or
three Of the most prominent bands of hostile
Indians had made precipitous retreat when
we made the attack on them on the 18th of
May,) to the camp of Col Buchanan and call
ed upon Gen. Palmer, who was there, for terms
of peace, and that they had given up their
arms and surrendered unconditiOnslly. We
during the march We took number of prisoners
on the river and drove the remainder into the
camp CT The regulars 10 an unconditional sur
render. We ranged along the coast for several
days below the mouth Of Rogue river. and
succeeded in defeating the Indians in several
engagements and bringing them all to our
| terms. BY the 25th day of June, 1856 all of
the hostile Indians in Southern Oregon, except
Old John and IS of his band, had surrendered.
Gen. Palmer. superintendent of Indian sf-
fairs, turned them over to the regular troops,
| and they were taken in their charge to the
| reserve. The volunteers left the field at this
time, our service having expired; but before
We left the field, John had agreed that he
would come in on the same terms that the
other Indians had. After our forces had with
| drawn, however, old John concluded he would
no! come in under that agreement, and Col.
| Buchanan then agreed with him that IL he
| would come in and deliver up his arms, that
| he nor none Cf his men should be put upon
| trial for any Outrages or murders committed
| by them, and that they should retain all the
1 stock and plunder they had taken from the
| whites previous to this time Mr.. Nathan Oh
ney, one of the Iudian agents, and a man Of
uuq uestioned truth and verscity, is my au-
| thority for this statement However much
| the course Of our executive officer, or the vol
| unteers may be censured, We can say that
| there never has been during this war, an
1 agreement made Dy IDem Win the enemy 90
| dlsgracefuI to the American people as this
This agreement was made by Col Buchsn-
| an with John, when he was we'll aware of the
| fact that this band was composed Of despers-
| does from other tribes 70 a great extent, and
| they were deeper dyed in crime than any
band which had participated in this war
As to the charges that were made by Gen.
Wool and Gen. Palmer, that this war was a
| speculative scheme gotten up by the people
| of Oregon, thinking "the treasury Of the
URited states was legitimate object of plum
| der, &c l will only say that it bears no
| semblauce Of truth or reason on the face OF il.
| 1t is not reasonable TO suppose that men who
| were making from 81 to S16 per day at their
| accustomed labors. would have created dis
| turbsnce with the Indians for the purpose OF
| going into the ranks and enduring more than
the ordinary hardships and privations Incl
| dent 'to g life on the tented field, furnisn-
| ing their own horses, equipments and arms
| for 81 per day in the perspective;
The ferritoriaI troops have conducted them
selves paIIantIy during this war, and whatever