Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-08-08
RED RAV4GERS.
Some of the Sights Which the Soldiers
Saw Along the Indians Track i'm Ore
gone.


After depredating at and around
Stems mountain and running off S40,-
900 worth Of the finest horses on the
Pacific coast, the hostiles were appar-
emily undecided which way to turn, so
| they travelled slowly along in the vicini-
ty of Harvey valley, gathering up all
the loose stock and indulging in glut-
tenous carnival on the settlers fat
beeves, until first struck by Bernard on
Silver river or creek. This is a fine
open country, abundantly covered with
bunch grass on the hills, with red-top
and rye grass on the creek bottoms.
The settlers, receiving warning in time,
barely escaped with their lives; their
houses were ransacked and everything
destroyed. Every little article in the
various houses the red fiends could not
carry away was rendered utterly useless,
even to such little affairs as coffee-mills
and milk-pans. The command, after
HOward's arrival, started in hot pursuit.
The trail was fresh, and in many in
stances so closel Y were they pushed that
their fresh fires were still burning. A
night march by the cavalry took place
from the south fork of the John Day
! river over country that has few paral-
lels for roughness in eastern Oregon. In
the darkness of night mountains were
climbed and descended that under 9TH
er circumstances would have been
deemed impossible, but the men, in
tent on Overhauling and Furnishing the
depredators, made light of all obstacles
and pushed without q word of COM
plaint. So closely were the cavalry on
their track that, arriving on the noun
tains north of Murderer's creek, the
rear guard Of the enemy were seen in
hundreds covering the mountains on
the other side, just going over the sum-
NIT. The horses of the soldiers being
worn down with over twenty-four hours
steady work, further pursuit was i'm
possible, and the command halted to
feed and rest. The only settler here
was a man named Stewart, a large sheep
farmer hishousehold goodswere destroy
ed and scattered to the four winds. All
his fine rams were killed, and showed
by unmistakable evidence that they
had been skinned while yet alive.
BLOODY RELICS.
After four hours rest the command
again started with the intention Of get
ting into the John Day valley and pre-
venting much damage being done.
About three miles from the ranch on
the old immigrant road, the troops
came upon the scene of fight in which
the Canyon City volunteers had partici-
pated. Here was found the naked
body of man, completely scalped and
his nose cut off. Having no tools the
advance scouts built huge grave of
rocks over him, with a paper describing
his appearance, mode of death, ETC.
The troops then advanced on down the
south fork, and at dark entered the John
Day valley. The appearance of the
houses too plainly showed the hoStiles
had been ahead At the bridge two
sheep hearders were killed; the valley
was abandoned and nearly desolate
AT q farm owned by Cummings. the
citizens had made stand for time,
but were finally driven off, with no
dead of their own to grieye for, and
cause for rejoicing from the fact that
they had at least removed one redskin
off the earth. The house was burned
but barns, stables, hayStacks, and out
houses were intact. For some strange
reason only in exceptional instances
have the Indians burned houses, and
| theyhave worked hard to destroy when a
match would have made the thing COM
plete without trouble.
The John Day valley is essentially Il
wool-growing country. 1t has been
settled over twenty years, and the set
tiers generally were well off Thousands
of sheep are now scattered in the hills
unattended, and the losses will foot up
into many thousands.
| From here the troops followed the
Indians over the hills into Fox valley
a high valley, luxuriantly covered with
grass and surrounded with fine pine
Here one sheep-herder was killed.
REFUGEES.
| AT Long valley, six miles further on,
the settlers, aggregating some seventy
five men, women, and children, were
found forted up in rickety stOckade.
The men were of the true frontier
stamp, and owed their lives to the bold
stand they made. Baffied in not sur
prising, numbering, and mutilating the
defenseless, the Indians directed their
hellish propensities to wrecking every
| thing Imaginable. Wells were filled
up, houses burned, and horses, mules,
sheep, and cattle wantonly killed. The
land here is exceedingly fertile, being
composed of fine black loan, ex-
tending even to the tops of the hills.
1t is a new settlement, and the citizens
were just beginning to get along when
the raid took place, completely running
many, who lost their all.
On Camas prairie, another sheep
| farming community, nearly all the
herders were killed. The command
found three bodies. One was found
dead lying on his face with his scalp
taken, his head smashed in and long
pine branch driven into his body.
Further on butter and cheese ranch
was burned and everything else de-
stroyed and rendered useless. Fine
machinery was broken up and ruin
was complete. All along the line of the
hostile march the same thing has oc-
CURED, and it would be but a repetition
to dilate further. -
THE DEATH OF EGAN.
There are many rumors afioat as to
the tribal relations of the Indians en-.
gagged in this war, and while some men
acquainted with the Indians generally
in the country are inclined to believe
that the hostile camp is mainly COM
posed of Snakes, Bannacks, and Piutes,
there is no doubt a large sprinkling OF
other tribes among them, and it might
be difficult matter to find any tribe
from the Central Pacific railroad, on
the south, to Snake river on the north,
members of which are not within the
enemy.
The TmatiI1as have claimed to be al