The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-02
S6UTHERN OREGON.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE Of THE HERALD.

'dians In sosthern Orcgon-Hard Marching
and Hard FIghting-List OF Killed and
Wounded in the Observation-Disclosures of
the Countrywide Oregon Railroad.
SILVER CRY, l. T.. Dec !, 1867.
Tho sudden and overwhelming character Of the rush
70 washoe the south and Boise on the north Of
the Snake and Pue grounds during the years inclusive
Of 1860 1862 reduced The status Of those tribes TO the
definite dilemma OF immediate surrender or extermina-
ton, or later The Piutes we're powerful nation
and resolved to make the most OF the situation.
Their distinguishing traits were love for war and
treachery In their dealings with the white adventures
In their country. treaty with them followed the SET
element of Washoe but the villains have managed
plumber and rob TO their hearts content and cons
tuts tho Truckee reservation, Pyramid Lake,
Nevada rendezvous for protection and chief source
Of supply for and ammunition.
The Snakes not distinct tribe but makeup Of
ssveral-the Neg Perces Bannocks. &C.. whose hunting
and fishing grounds were confined TO the Upper Snake
river Lewis Fork Of the Columbia They ranged at
wl over the lands watered by the streams putting into
tAs river from the Rocky Salmon aud Blue Range
Of mountains and the Of their horrible work for
years was tho emgrant road TO Oregon running along
Snake river several hundred miles. The great rush to
idaho In 1861 and 1868 the death kne the Snakes
hundreds OF them gave themselves up killed OF
In drblets by the invincble gold hunters, or were
driven eastwardy, where they concentrated In
niont proximity to General Conner, who slaughtered
several hundred Of them and thus paved the way for
lasting peace with the bulk OF the remainder The
adjustment Of Fort Boise in 1868 afforded asylum
for goody number inclined TO bury the Ratchet from
policy. VI share Of the depredations commit
ted the borders Of the Idaho and the thorough
fares leading thereto justly attributed to scattering
- Az Gal
with the Putes, Who when overawed on their favorits
stamping grounds turned their attention northward TO
che Humboldt and owyhee settlements the weaker
communities Of Nevada and Idaho Tho people North.
retaining lively recollection of the trying ordeal OF
passing through Snakedom, came to look upon thar
tribe the sole OF all their woo, and for several
years past the FLUTES have been doing the greater por
son Of the devry In Idaho and Southeastern Oregon
tho Snakes getting all the blame The character OF the
earlier military affairs but completed the aggravating
picture border life in keeping up show OF protec-
tion by government while it was being robbed and dis
yraced every day by certain set Of shouldersrapped
gentry remained in the country The ever to BIO re-
membered "Oregon war' farce, dramatized and per-
formed by complete gang Of thieves as ever went
unhung, generated an influence the minds Of too
many Oregonans tending to the belief that government
ewes them living and that It Is legitimate source OF
plundsr and long Indian depredations lasted
tAs borders they could have their checks Uncle Sam
promptly honored II seemed to be the entire study Of
officers and citizens combinsd how long the
ages could kill and the expense OF the honest
settler and get away unframed. To kill Indian
70 diminish by 80 much the revenue regularly extorted
from government and thus matters worried along and
the savages TO have thorough contempt for the
military until the advent Of General Crook late In the
On the heels Of Governor Ballard seemed to be- proof
positive Of Providentia interpretation in behalf OF that
evil ana military cursed psrIUry An entire stranger
scarcely alightsd from the vehicle which carried him to
Fort Boise till he became disguised with it and s sur
Toundngs, took saddle blanket and sack Of hard
tack and the company Of cavalry that there in win
Ter quarters and started the Owyhee into
that he would be back in week but he managed never
70 return. He soon made handsome cleanup of .
up by capturing larger band the Malheur river,
getting their horses and arms and compelling them TO
20 into Boise. When this company of cavalry became
veil exhausted he sent IL back winter quarters and
went to Camp Lyon whore another was snugly housed
Crossng. the owyhse higher up, no surprised .
and killed them ALL He had been greatly
annoyed for want Of reliable scouts, rather BY TOO
around The military posts through false pretences
sids in appropriasng government funds The General
resolved 70 apply that principle Of civilized warfare Of
making portion Of the enemy fight the other, to the
Indians in other words perhaps, slight the devil
with nre" In the organization of the Boise Snake In
alan scouts and putting them charge OF person
adapted TO The business wen possessing knowl-
edge Of the Indian character After pretty thorough
sfsng Of the employees hs settled on Arcny Mcintosh
Hudson Bay oshoot and the result OF that choce has
been satisfactory Those literally Wild Snake Indians are
invaluable aid in the way OF scouts guides and nerd
ss; they are superior Indian as to natural intelligence
and physique, perfectly contened in the service
u nghng the Piutes and the success Of the tactics
mens OF savages on the frontiers for the
purpose The General continued the campaign through
The winter which was unusually severe At one tme no
md his little command nearly persisted IN snow sorn
Information obtained from captured Indians fully
1rmed his suspicious that the perpetrators Of the depre
tations In Idaho from Nevada California two
three hundred miles away and in accordance with
that idea he commenced the organization OF summer
campaign at Camp Smith. Detention Of supplies and
Dther things essential delayed the campaign two months
pf the most valuable time, and the expedition 10 go
after the FLUTES 'whsre they lived did not get fairly
the General recommended division Of the district OF
0wyhee, In the Department OF Columbia, and giving
him the section which embraced pretty much all OF the
snemys oountrythat where they retreated 20 with
their plumber and obtained the most OF their fish and
Vegetables HIS request was promptly complied WITH
the Iakea" This district contained but one
prominent military post, Fort Klamath, and II
dovolved upon the General TO select the sizes and
build two other posts by the time he returned from the
summer campaign. He made the locations and neces-
sary details for establishing Camps Warner and Har-
uey, and kept UP continual scouting OF the country,
taking In about seventy1v Puss between Camps Smith
and Warner In July and August The two new posts are
admirably located Tor operating against the Putes on the
south and the remnants OF Snakes NORTH and both
~ protection for those who desire TO prospect the
culture or grazing Camp Warner constituted the
devious for completing the organization for the final
summer campaign OF 1867. Tho expedition consisted OF
company T. First United states cavalry, commanded by
Major David Perry company NJ First cavalry. Captain
Moses Harris; Company H. First cavalry, Lieutenant
W. r. Parnell; Company D, Twenty-third tmounted)
infantry the companies averaging about forty
each; the band Of twenty i've Snake Indians under
Mcintosh; two companies Of Indians from the reserva
lions the Lower Columbia, about the Dalles In CON-
mand OF Captain John Darragh and Captain William c.
Mckay the two companies numbering about thirty each
Altogether the command which left Camp Warner the
10th Of August numbered about two hundred aud hfy
Crooks style OF lighting Indians Is TO march the
main command through the country NJ quietly az pos
sble and camping In out OF the way places-n can
or timber-and have his scouts ahead ten TO thirty
miles, who TO kill capture all small parties they
70 and report the larger ones TO headquarters
whom the command makes ngbt marches and surprises
them at daylight. He does good deal OF night march.
ing with all his men, and that accounts for his unintsr
rupted success He Is thorough mountaineer himself,
and ~ PROBABLY better posted on the Indian
character than any man IN tho service. Al.
shough he has been death hundreds OF the
sborigines who insist nghtlug II out yet he has
idea OF Justice TO the doomed than all tho
milk and water philanthroplsts extant and were the
Indian business entirely left to the War Department,