The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-06-24
OLD CHIEF JOHN,
Fierce Leader of ths Rogue Rivers
Stories Of Him Told by Captain
Bledsoe.

Captain R. 9ledsoe, a prominent
figure in the Rogue River Indian
war, a factor in the establishment
of the Siletz Indian agency, and
one of the men who had hand iii
the actual transfer of the Rogue
River Indians to the Siletz, has
been Corvallis visitor for a day or
two. Mrs. Bledsoe is a daughter
of the late Col. Kinney, and the Wis
it of the family after an absence Of
40 years, is to look up relatives, to
view old scenes and by the latter
to recall events of the long buried
past. Most all the old timers in
Benton were personally known to
Captain Bledsoe, especially all the
old Indian war veterans. Major.
Bruce, the late Col. Kelsay, the
late Richard Irwin, the late J..C.
Avery, and many other familiar
names of other days were recalled
BY, Captain, Bledsoe, during the
course of brief conversation. The
family left yesterday for Siletz and
Yaquina, where Captain ~Bledsoe
was special Indian agent during a
portion of the time that Metcalf was
regular Indian agent at Siletz,
which.was Immediately after thees=
tablishment of the reservation,
which in turn was immediately-af-
ter. the close of the Rogue River
war ,..sss..
Captain Bledsoe is a Kentuckian
He had been two years a resident
in Jackson county, when the In
dian war broke out. He went into
J the war as lieutenant, but succeed
ed to the captaincy of his company
when the captain was killed in bat
tie. The company entered the serv-
ice and but 60 survived the exig-
encies of the fighting, to be muster
! ed out after John and the other
fierce Rogue River chiefs were
forced to surrender. The NOR
taLity among the Indian foemen
was even greater than that of the
whites. Chief John had 13o fierce
braves, all resolute fighters wher
he went On his raids against the
white settlers, burning homes ane
numbering women and children.
When he surrendered finally, he
:, had but 1e Emen, and several o
{ these were young boys, not in thei1
f teens. More remarkable still, eac1
survivor in the little band was able
!, to display from three to five buf1e
/ wounds received during the month:
of fighting, marching and hiding
Chief John, whose name in thost
days was terror throughout Ore
) gon, though he surrendered, was
:. never conquered. He was brough
by Metcalf and Bledsoe by steamel
from Port Oxford to Siletz ,ane
made part of the original reser
vation Indians. The Rogue Rive
tribesmen were divided, some going
:. to Siletz and others to Grande
l Ronde. Old Chief John disdainet
5 the insipid life on the reserve, ano
S constantly pleaded with his follow
, ers to rise in rebellion. More thar
e once he nearly succeeded and a
l last he had to be arrested. Thi
$ was accomplished and John ane
his son Adam were taken by steam
er to Alcatraz prison, in San Fran
cisco Bay, where the old chief dice
p a prisoner. His fierce spirit lee
him and his son on the passag
down the Coast into a desperate eff
! fort to seize the vessel, an attemp
: which nearly succeeded, until John
+ son received a wound that resulted
r on arriva1~at San Francisco, in tn
q removal of his leg.
: Captain Bledsoe was in command
of the whites in the last big fgh
of the war, which occurred below
the mouth of the Illinois river OF
the Rogue. The home of the Bled
soes is now at Boise City, Idaho