Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-10-07

cover of their heavily wooded and
brush environed camp lay quietly
during the night, wondering, l sup
pose, how we were on the morrow
to cross the river and meet them
face to face, and the sequel shows
how vainly we strove to cross the
river in the face of their well-select-
ed place of defense.
On the morrow, at the sound of
the bugle call, all hands were up and
preparing the morning meal, with
MONDAY lunch, while engaged in an
almost hand-to-hand encounter with
the Indians in their stronghold.
During the night, on our side of the
river, the movements for the NOR
row were all arranged Fully
equipped for day of hard work, the
army, with the exception of a few
campkeepers, were to march down to
/ the river and of the drift logs that
lay on the bank of the stream were
to construct a raft on which the
army could be RATED over into the
timber, where it would have an equal
fight with the redskins, and while the
aXmen were at work on the raft the
balance were sitting on the high
ground overlooking them Very un-
expectedly to all hands, a report as
of the exploding of a gun cap was
heard as if from across the river,
and Immediately followed by the
loud report of gun from the same
direction. At once the whole force
of the men on the side of the hill
were on the run for the river, where
they might find shelter among the
rocks and logs and trees abounding
there, a few of us stopping on the
hillside to take advantage of the
rocks and small trees there for shell
ter. Here myself and another young
man took our chance for safety be-
mind tree whose body was not more
than half as large as our bodies, and
soon the rifle and yawger balls came
WnlzZlng past us and some lighting
In rather ominous proximity to our
FAULTY retreat, my partner left me
and ran for better shelter among
the rocks and trees at the river.
When about half way down, his arms
flying high above his head, a yawger
ball struck and broke one of them,
when he tumbled over and lay there
man fall the reds on the opposite
side OF the river were made jubilant
with the glad shouts OF the happy
indians hidden among the trees over
the river. Well, now | was left alone,
sheltered only by that little tree. AS
long as | stayed there | was a stand
ing target for the bullets of the en-
emy, and if | run | may get shot as
my comrade did, or | may be killed
and | said | will run. And asking
the protection of my Heavenly Faith
er, which was my every day rule
from childhood, | ran, not with In
d1ans behind me, but with scores of
them in front of me, all anxious to
take my life, and | came out of the
difficulty unscathed
A few hours later myself and an
other comrade were sent as an escort
with the broken-armed man to camp.
And still few hours later the whole
command returned to camp. And
why not? Does any reasonable per-
son suppose that under the condi-
tions just now brought to light, the
army could have crossed the river
on an open raft with that band OF
Indians in front OF them and per-
fectly concealed from view? 1t
could not have done any. such thing;
for supposing that in its sheltered
position, out of sight of the Indians,
it could have completed the raft and,
loading it with men, sent it afloat on
the water, where it now floats out
in full view of the Indians, before it
could be landed on the Indian side
of the river every man on it would
be killed and the raft would become
the property of the Indians, to be
used in the defense of themselves
Such, doubtless, it seemed to the
command of the army, and it re-
turned to headquarters to think OF
the difficulties of waging an Indian
war in a mountainous and heavily
timbered and brush covered country
and in studying how best to keep the
: enemy quiet until peace could be
, brought about in some successful
way.
l have written the foregoing move.
s ments of the army during the winter
y of 1866, for the remembrance o1
. the old-time pioneers, of whom but g
. few remain to this present; but more
I SopcCldlly nave L WTlJI6u IL LOT Uut
q later and younger pioneers-the sec
! ond and third edition of them-anC
to the strangers also now among us
y that all may understand what thi
now blessed and happy country cos
+, the early pioneers, of whom, as sale
o above, only few of us now remain
o Thus ended my war experience il
the Indian war of 1855 and 1856
: when | turned over my war outfit tt
t my friend, Jacob Thompson, with hi
own horse, to be by him used in thu
s following campaign, when l returned
6 home to look after business ther,
= and to prepare for the next call tt
: arms, which never came and fo
O which, in the name of a prosperous
Il country and happy people, | sin
q cerely thank the Southern Battalion
: of Oregon Mounted Volunteers, to
q gether with the wise conclusion o
v the war with the Indians of southern
; Oregon by a treaty of peace mad
r with them by General Joseph Lane
! governor of Oregon at that time.
; ALBERT G. ROCKFELLOW
n The Union Stock Yards at Kentol
l. has doubled the capacity of its pens