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About Oregon sentinel. (Jacksonville, Or.) 1858-1888 | View Entire Issue (June 14, 1873)
tr -,. .-JWfJ THE SENTINEL. Saturday, - - - June 14, 1873. H.KELLY, : .EDITOR. Killing of Modoc Captives. The San Francisco Chronicle's cor respondent at- the front is tfne to Ins cowardly instincts', and a faithful fol lower of the thief Bogart, whom he succeeds. After being cornered in every attempt' to slander the Oregon Volunteers, by the most overwhelming proof that he was a base and malicious liar, it "was to bo hoped that his sense of eli amo would slay his slandering tongue, but his late attack upon the Volunteers shows him to be as desti. tute of shame as he is of truth. Stinging under the recent success of the Voluuteers in being inslrnmental in closing the war in spite of his slan. contemptible, jealous Uh with a new accum ulation of pent-up lies, and charges them with murdering the Modoc cap. lives while they were in charge of James Fairchilds, and of designing to kill John Fairchilds and old man Dor ris. As to the killing of the captives, we can prove beyond the least shadow of doubt that there was not a Volun teer within ten miles of the place where the Indians were murdered at the time of the horrible affair. Had the Volunteers been disposed to kill any of the captives, they had abundant opportunity to try their hand while they were capturing the squad of thirteen Modocs. But the facts show lhat while they might have killed every Indian without any danger to themselves, they preferred to endanger their own lives and capture them alive, if possible, without shedding blood. Further, if the Oregon Volunteers are so bloodthirsty, why did they not kill the Modocs when they had them in charge as captives? The facts show -that they kept them -as prisoners for several days, and turned them over to the military without ottering any vio knee. There is no doubt but that the In dians were killed by some one, but as to who the guilty parties are the J Oregon are -as iguorant as the people of California. One thing is certain, however the Volunteers had no part or hand in it. On the con trary, they unite with the citizens in condemning the affair as uncalled for and cruel aud an act highly deserving of censure. "While wo deeply deplore the occur rence of this sad tragedy, wo will not follow the well practiced precedent of our neighbors by charging it upon cit izens of our sister State, though so far as any one, outside of the parties com mitting the act, have any knowledge the Californians would be as liable to commit the brutal deed as the Oregon ians. The people of California are no better than the people of Oregon. The people of both Stafcs are far bet. ter than the lying 'correspondent of the Chronicle would havo it appear. The citizens of both States have lost dear friends "jy the bands of these savages, and feel equally outraged aud revenge ful But i&r be it from any Oregonian to become so contemptibly mean as to charge a crime of this kind npon the Californians withsutfirst knowing who the guilty parties re. If the guilty parties can be identified, let them be punished, whether they be Oregonians or Californians. We do not wish to ecrecn our citizens from any just cen sure, but to have them singled out and charged with one of the highest crimes known to the law by the jour nals of our sister State, upon no other ground than the cjmiion of the only white eye witatss present the only one who ceems to know anytiiin, about the affair except the murderers, whoever they may be is a flagrant outrage upon every principle of justice and friendly feeling, and bespeaks for the hasty. accusers a lack of good breeding, to say the least. Sir. Fairchilds. the only witness present, admits that he did not know the murderers. Why then charge it upon the Volunteers, or any one, or the people of any State in particular? If the people of California have no re spect for the feelings of the people of Oregon, and no regard for the customs And manners of civilized society, they should st least manifest some pru dence in heaping uncalled-for calumny and malicious slander upon individuals of whose guilt or innocence they are entirely ignorant according to their own statements. When they acknowl edged that the parties committing the act were disguised and unknown, com mon prudence should have dictated to any men of ordinary intelligence to make no charges until they knew more about the facts in the case not in one breath declare that the parties Were disguised and unknown, and in the next declare that they believe they were the Oregon Volunteers, without giving any ground for the belief. As to the Oregon Volunteers laving anything against John Fairchilds, or seeking to injure him in any manner or form, we pronounce it a falsehood throughout, without a shadow of truth. But right to the contrary, the Oregon Volunteers one and all have the most friendly feelings towards John Fairchilds and his brother James, as they treated the Volunteers friendly and gentlemanly in every respect while the boys were in their neighbor hood, and they will always remember these two men with pleasant feelings of respect, and we knowingly assert that John Fairchilds and hUbro'thet Jafries have noliettcr nor truer friends in the State of California than they have got among the Oregon Volun teers. As for Mr. Dorris, we frankly confess that according to our notion ho is not very prepossessing, but we wish him well and would be the last one to intentionally do him wrong. How the people of California can form snch an unjust opinion of the Oregou Volunteers is more than we can comprehend. They are well aware that the Oregon Volunteers were the first to come to their relief in time of need. They know that a part of thern had deserted their homes and property to the savages. They also know that they dared not return until they heard lhat the Oregon Volunteere were standing as sentinels over their prop erty, and that their lives would be protected; and when they did return they were pleased to learn lhat the Volunteers had guarded their -property with as much vigilance and care as they could have possibly done themselves had they been there with the power in their own hands. Has the life or property of a single Oregonian been protected by a Cali fornia Volunteer ? Did not the Ore gon Volunteers, by the urgent request of John Fairchilds and Mr. Dorri., guard their lives and property after the battle of the 17th of January? These men know, and the whole com munity know, that they did, aud that loo without recompense from these men or the State of California. Why abk the Oregon Volunteers to guard your lives and protect your property, citizens of California, and when they have faithfully and gratu itously performed the task accuse them of seeking your life ? Have they ever betrayed confidence ? You know that thoy have not. Though we under stand that you have harbored Bogart and the Chronicle's correspondent, which we would gladly believe to be untrue, to write us down without cause, have we ever retaliated ? Have we ever hai bored a thief to speak dis respectfully or disparagingly ot a sin gle citizen of the State of California ? Havo we ever armed ourselves and threatened" your citizens lhat they had better meet Captain Jack in the Lava Beds than to meet us? No. But you have made the same threat in re gard to us, and yet we had not the least fear aud don't believe any of you would have done more than talk about it, though we believe you are reasonably courageous, nave we ever written letters full of threatening vengeance to any of your citizens, giving them ten days to retract, or meet the awful doom that would await them In the event of their non compliance? Have we ever estimated the duration of the life of your citizens by the condition of the roads and the length of time it would take to travel from Salem to Treka ? Have we ever eaten dirt by putting slanderous words against any of your citizens in the mouth of a digger Indian whose hands to-day are stained with the noble blood of Gen eral Canby ? No. But one of your most noted citizens has done it. If "we have no fear of being mur dered by your citizens after all these threats, why need you be afraid of being murdered by any of ours, when we have made no threats nor harbor any such brutal aud inhuman feelings. We submit to a candid world if you have not acted a little unreasonable in charging us with seeking to ambush two of your citizens whose lives we have heretofore guarded. Stokes has been granted a new trial by the Supremo Court of New York. Boston has' had another disastrous fire. Letter From Agent Dyar. 11- Klamatu Aokxct, ) .Mav 31. 1873. f . EsnoK Sunxn. In accordance to my promise in a former communication, I will, now give you an account ot a trip to Sum. mer Lake and Chewakan to ascertain1 the facts relative to the killing of the three Snake Indians, and, if possibles ' r """p to avert any fnrther trouble Immediately on receiving the reDort of the difficulty, Mr.. I. D. Applegate and myself, accompanied by fiveYainax? - a ModoCs,fourKlamatbsanaChocktoot the Snake Chiel started for the scene of the difficulty, going via Siakan, or Thompson's Valley, where we expected to find a small party ot Chocktoot's , , . , - , , people, whither they had gone a short time before to gather roots, etc., it be. mg on the Reservation ; but on arrivi' ing there we found that they had leTtT a 7 and readily surmise! that they, ha oneon to Summer, Lake, I j"aKemoiu the HWReToT" a killed, one of Chocktoot's men having gone that way one day in advance ot us with the news. Our surmises proved afterward to be correct. We then crossed over the divide to Summer Lake, where we found the houses oi the settlers all deserted and most of their property removed, including their slock. Passing on down to Chewakan we found a portion of the settlers fort ed up at a Mr. Scotts, some twenty men, with several lamilies, having gone on to Goose Lake for greater safety. These people were in a 6tate of intense excitement, believing that tho Indians on this Reservation and also those about Harney had com menced hostilities, and had gathered about Silver Lake to the number of three hundred warriors. They asserted lhat some of them had seen bands" of Indians coming in, and signal smokes, etc., and knew that there were a great many Indians there. Runners had been sent all about the country to tell the people that official word had been received from Gen. Ross and Com missary 0. C. Applegate that the Klamath Indians had hidden their women and children, and were leaving the Reservation. Under this slate of excitement they decided to arrest as pies three Indians known to be in the vicinitv of Silver Lake, two ot iwhom had lived about there for a yeafo! more, and on the 13th inst. ten oi their number started out for that purpose. They met the Indians in the road near tho house of Mr. Wra. II. Averill,&nd rf ter talking with them a short time, told them that they must go with them. This the Indians refused to do, and one of them started for the hills, whip piug his horse with an arrow. One ol the men got ahead ot him and told him to stop, but he ouly tried the harder to get away. The man then shot at him twice, the second time knocking him from his horse, and while on the ground he placed the arrow in the bow as il in the act of shooting and died in that position. They then started with the other two, but after going a short dis. tance another Indian attempted to run and was shot dead. The third they succeeded in getting to their stockade and placed him nnder guard. After they had kept him a few days ho at tempted to run away, but they caught him and put him in chains. Some were for shooting him for attempting to get away, but better counsel pre vailed. One night, however, he slipped his chain, and while running was shot and killed by the guard. Two of these Indians when captured had guns, but they were unloaded the other had bow and arrows. Sometime in April Mr. O. C. Apple gate, Commissary in charge at Yainax, learned that these few Indians were about Summer Lake, and he immedi ately sent a trusty Indian, with a pass for twenty days, to hunt them up and bring them to Yainax but it appears this man was taken sick at Thompson's Valley, and being unable to go fnrther, gave his pass to another Indian with instructions to perform the service in his place, and that one proving unfaith ful, had staid some three or tour days over the time given, when the affair happened. Some oi the settlers had told him the pass had run out and he must go home, but he said he was not go ing back any more. Old Chocktoot assured the settlers that there were no Indians in that country except a few of his people, and that it lour ot tneir number would go with us to Silver Lake he wonld prove il to be true, and accordingly tour of them went with us. In passing up through Summer Lake Valley we found the houses -unmolested, the chickens, geese, etc, running about, until we came to the head of the valley, near the place where the Indians were captured, when we found a house burned and a hog killed, two other houses close 'by being unmolested. We then passed on over to Silver Tol-rt tVift Inlion titli net mil?nr ! jv, v ..UCT . a D,5- Urea to attract the attention of anr Indians that might be in the vicinity. St they got no answer. We had con duded that there were none in that bection of country, and that the few we had expected to find had already Mturned to Yainax. but as we were gSssing on toward the head of the ike, an Indian upon a high bluff to Kn Bnox ra ms Pan a nauooea ? """"' ""' T 7 " i A. -?, jw and our fires, but astne Indians with wgha.& army overcoats on, he thought .We were all soldiers until we came near. He came running down to us, and Proved 0 oi tlieparty-forwhom lhpv h w, ;,; to learn whn. had beoprae of their missing men, and had just learned a day or two before that the7 had been klllcd- He saia f ?fthe $m" oi on!0 the men killed had found a powder horn and a piece of blanket belonging to her man, at the house that was burned, and sup- posing that some raiscluet had belalleu $"? &" she set Tre l the ,huse and klllnrl tio hrrr TTo llioti toil na In .their camp, where we tound the wives . . ." . ... . the men '"""fKn'anMf man the lither of one of inE!!r"JBM those that had joined them from Thompson's Valley. They were intending to TOeTrmrTlI5s start the next day for Yainax. They assured us that there were no other Indians in that part of the country, nor had there been during the winter or spring, and we are very sure this is the truth ; so the " two or three hundred warriors " were really a poor old man and three women. I be old man told us that they bad been wait ing and searching ten days for the missing men; that the women thought they had been killed, bnt that he had told them that it could not be, for he knew that they had never given the whiles any cause to kill them had neyer stolen anything or killed any cattle and that they would come back by-and-by. He said that they wtnt that day to trade some buckskins to the whites ; that he-could not realize lhat his boy was dead killed by those whom he supposed were his friends but lhat he should not get foolish about it, but leave it lor the proper authorities to settle. The next morning the four men who had come thus-far with us returned to Chewakan, feeling satisfied that the settlers had their " big scare " all for iiothing, and that there was no danger from Indians in that section. These Indiana belonged to Chock toot's band, and he assures ns that he will make no trouble about it, but ex pects that the whites will see that justice is done. J his whole excitement and tronble has grown out of false reports, of which the, country has been rite, and had not hVorrint aitioti been taken' vcrv' serious" consequences might have followed. No tear whatever ot trouble Irom the Reservation Indians need be enter, mined, lor they.arc fully as anxious to keep out of difficulty as are the whiten. I am salicfied that nearly it not quite all ot the excitements regarding Indian outbreaks in Eastern Oregon originate from false reports and are without loun datiou. Ij. S. Dyak, U. S. Ind. Ag't. o Letter From Capt. 0. C. Applegate- Camp Yakut, Oregon, June 5, 1873. EDITOl fl.TTIML : The outlook in this direction now seems quite favorable, and I think the United States may begin to feel that she has at last abont cleaned out this determined band of renegades. I have seen a dispatch dated Yreka, May 3lst, iu regard to the Ochco baud of Piutes, which is so conspicuously false that it reminds me of the sensa-, tional dispatches of lhat champion falsifier, R. D. Bogart. This dispatch says " Ocheo's band of Piutes are at Warner, being fed by the Government. Ocheo says he will not go back to Yainax; that the whites have told him nothing but lies since ho made treaty; that Warner Valley is his country, where he can support himself by hunting and fishing. There are 1G8 of this band at Camp Warner, but there 300 in all ; the rest are somewhere else, no one knows where. "Ocheo's band talk very saucy and insolent, make all sorts oi sport of the little force of soldiers stationed at Camp Warner, and seem inclined to be hostile, ihe settlers in Warner Valley have also been feeding these Piutes ever since the commencement of the Modoc difficulties, in order to keep them peaceable, as they are mas ters ot the situation, should they deter mine to start on the war path." This band, when first brought to Yainax, in the fall oi 1869, numbered 156 souls, and if there are now 168 at Warner, they are all there, together with the "natural increase." They never have been permanently located, and are parlies to no treaty, except Gen. Crook's admonition to "bury the hatchet," They should be permanently located, either at Malheur or Warner, this fall, and the Government shonld make liberal appropriations ior their support, so as to prevent as much as possible their stagglingjall over South eastern Orcgo n. They have only been at Warner a month, consequently the statement that citizens in Warner Valley " hate also been feeding these Piutes ever since the commencement of the Modoc difficulties " is as false as the other that " there are 300 in -all: tho rest are somewhere else, no one knows where." After eating the principal part of over 200 head of cattle at Yainax, Ocheo was allowed to go to Warner to spend the summer, it- being thought mat ne coma more easily keep his peo ple from scattering if in their native valley, He said on leaving lainax that be hoped to return in the fall, that he considered Yainax his home, and that Malheur was a bleak, cold place, and too far away from his old country. As soon as the.wandering season came the force of life-long habit was irresist ible, and a few straggled away from Yainax towards Warner, without either Ocheo or the Commissary in charge knowing it. Then on Ocheo's saying he thought he could keep his people all together in Warner Valley until the Modoc trouble should end, they were allowed to go. Gen. Wlieaton sanctioned the arrangement, and prem ised to assist in keeping the band to gether and aid them in making a living. It properly treated, there is no dan gcr to be apprehended from these peo ple. They are thoroughly subjugated and would disliko very much to sec the musket and scalping knife resurrec ted. The great danger lies in the ill advised and impulsive action of excited whites. The affair at -Summer Lake was a dangerous experiment, and might have put on the war-path 500 well skilled warriors. It is to be hoped that the affair will be a salutary lesson to both whites and indians. Ol course it is hard for whites to make any dis tinction these war times between hos tile and friendly Indians it not on a Reservation, and it is equally diflicnlt lor the shallow-pated Piutes to under stand that their safety does not depend on their peaceable conduct. The Reservation Indians areat home and tranquil. We are rather expecting the remnants of Jack's band to make a break for the Reservation and are always on the alert for straggler.. The Yainax Indians are near the Agency, on the north side of Spragne River, so as to be out of the way both of strag gling Modoes and pursuing troop. Very Truly Yours", O. C. Apri-KOATU. Geology. B. F. Dowell is collecting specimens to send to Rev. Tho. Condon, State Geologist of Oregon. lie wonld be glad to get articles from all parts of the Pacific Coast. Among nny others, he has the following nsctnl and curious articles. He wonld be glad to get duplicates for Mr. Condon: No. 115. Plumbago ore found in &imTa Valley, Jackson Co., Oregon, pre sentedtoB. F. Dowell by D. B. Rea No. 11C, Native Copper, (omul on Smith's river, Del Iorte Co., Cil., presentedo B. F. Dowell by D. B. Rea. No, 117. Rich gold bearing qnartz, from tlie Ilager gold mine, Chatham Co., North Carolina. This is the old est mine in North Corlina, and prob ably the oldest in the United Sinte. ' This quartz was presented to B. F. Dowell by D.B. Rea June 4th, 1873. No. 118. Natural Lime, lrom the Des ert, Rogue River Valley, Oregon, collected by B. F. Dowell. This was used for building in 1852, be fore any other was ditcovered in Or egon, aud the chimneys are still good. No. 110. Natural Lime, from tho road near Stewart's Creek, Jackson Co., Oregon. No. 120. -Petrified Sea Snails, Cohogs, and various other S2a shells, in sand stone, from Hon. Thomas Smith's Quarry, collected by B. F. Dowell May 29th, 1873. This quarry is np wards of 2,500 feet above the level of the sea; but it contains unmis takeable evidence that the sea once covered Rogue River Valley. No. 121. Natural Lime, from Cole man's Creek, Jackson Co., Oregon. No. 122. Eoceue tertiary leaf forma tions, in da'rk nandstone, from Hon. Thomas Smith's quarry, Jackson Co., Oregon. No. 123. Eocene tertiary leaf forma tions in light sandstone, from .near John Taylor's firm, Jackson Co., Oregon, collected by Hon. John Walker and B. F. Dowell May 29th, 1873. No. 124. Petrified Cohogs, presented by Hon. Thomas Smith to B. F. Dowell May 30th, 1873. No. 125. Chrome, presented to B. F. Dowell by Hon. J. Wesley Barch June 3, 1873. No. 126. Chrome, collected in Douglas Co., Oregon, by B. F. Dowell, 1871. No. 127. Coal from north side of Rogue river, presented to'B. F. Dowell by J. Wesley Barch June 3, 1873. No. 128. Eocene tertiary lcaf.impres sions in yellow sandstone, from Emi grant creek, Jackson county. Ore gon, collected by B. F. Dowell May 20th, 1873. No. 129. Petrified Madrone, a species of American laurel, with the impres sions of a mountain and beautiful trees, collected by B. F. Dowell May 29th, 1873. This is a beautiful variegated sandstone, nearly the - color of the kalmia, and makes an excellent whetstone or hone. No. 130. Eocene Sedimentary Soda .and Shell Jjormations, trom Soda - Springs, Jackson county, collected by B. F. Dowell May 29th, 1873. No. 131. Petrified Oak, from Soda Springs, Jackson county, Oregon. collected by B. F. Dowell May 29th. 1 873" No. 132. Petrified Shells in dark sandstone, presented to B. F. Dowell by Freeman Yandell, Esq , May 28. 1873. . J No. 133. Indiad Mortar, presented to B. F. Dowell by Freeman Yhudcll, Esq., May" 29th, 1873. No, 134. Indian Mortar, presented to B. F. Dowell by Mrs. J. C.'Tbluian May 29th, 1873. No. 135. Indian Mortar and Pestle, presented to B. F. Dowell by Miss llattio Tolman May 29th, 1873. No. 136. Petrified Yefrom Dead Indian, Jackson county, Oregon, pre- sented to B. F, Dowell by F'eemau Yandell. No. 137. White Pipe Clay, fireproof stone, from Lost River Valley, Jackson county, Oregon, presented to B. F. Dowell by Hon. J. C. Tol. man May 29th, 1873. No. 138. Chrome, presented to B. F. Dowell by Judge JC.Jfolmau-May 29th, 1873. No. 139. Iron Ore. from Crawford county, Missouri, presented to-B. F. by Mis. Thomas Smith May 29th, 1873. No. 140. Chromo from Douglas connty, Oregon, collected by B. F. Dowell, 1871. No. 141. Marble Bible, presented to B. E. Dowell by James Sutton, local editor of the Portland (Oregsn) JBulletin. No. 142. Wood Coal, presented to B. F. Dowell by Samuel Rath, of Poor man's creek, Jackson couuty, Ore gon. No. 143. Petrified Shell, from Hon. W. C. Myer's sandstone quarry, Jackson connty, Oregon, collected by B. F. Dowell Mav, 1S73. No. 144. Petrified Pine, from School house creek, a branch ot Little Butte, Rogue River Valley, Oregon, pre sented to B. F. Dowell by Hon. James Miller. Mr. Miller cut down this tree iu 1854. It is now bolid rock. No. 145. Shells from Little Bntte, Jackson couhty, Oregon,, presented to F.innio Dowell by Miss Melona Miller. No. 146. Beantifnl Sile.x, from Little Butte, Jackson Co., Or., presented to Anna Dowell by Miss Caroline Miller. No. 147. Petrified Madrone, a species ot American laurel, with track ot an elk, from the Desert south of Rogiis river, presented to B. F. Dowell by Mr. E. Jones. 4 Mcdoc-Jies Chafges have been preferred againrt General Gillem for incapacity while in command at the Lava Beds. Dr. De Wilt, Assistant Surgeon, U. S. A., f-pccifically charges Gillem with neglect lor leaving the wounded on the field for thirty-six hours before orders "wwe gjTeii to bring ihem in for treatment. and that Lieutenant Harris died ineoii seqnenee of this neglect- The feeling among army officers is very iutcno against Gillem. They say that he is notoriously incapable, aud detaant! lbsa trial by court martial. Attorney General Williams hx tic.' cided that the murderers of Gen. Cinby and Commissioner Thomas should bo tried by conrt martial. The mnriJercrs will be taken to Fort Klamath and tried by court martial. A most unfortunate affair occurred last Saturday, the 7ib inst., when four Modoo prisoners, Little John, Tcehee Jack, Poney and Mooch, were killed, and Little John's squaw wounded. It seems lhat the prisoners were in charge of James Fairchilds, and were being conveyed from Fairchilds' ranch, on Cottonwood creek, to General Davis' headquarters. When near Den. nis Crawley's house, two men in dis guise intercepted the party and mur dered the Indians, tho squaw being shol accidentally. This is all that w known about the mailer. Some Cali fornians at the front, however, would like very well to saddle the affair on tho Oregon Volunteers, and are very freo with their opinions. Fairchilds thinks the parties were the Uregpn Volunteers, although the men were idisguiscd and he had no means of knowing who they were. Undoubtedly the " wish is father to the thought." The. Warm Springs are jubilating. Mrs. Boddy and Mrs. Schira, whilo at tho front for the purpose of identify ing Modocs who had murdered settlers, attacked Hooka Jim and Steamboat Frank1, the murderers of their husbands, and would have killed them had it not been for the interference of General Davis, who had his hand cut in wrest ing a knife, from oneot the women. NEW TO-DAY. AUCTION. DR.S.F.CHAPIN will tell at TuMio Anc tton a large lot of Fine and New House hold Furniture. Carpets, etc.'on next week, Salnnlay, Jane 21st, at 10 o'clock a. h. The'n will be offered the beU opportunity to bay fine furniture ever presented at Jackson ville. S.F.CIIAPIN. Jackfonville, June 14, 1673. td Special Notice. ALL PERSONS INDEBTED TO THE UN deraigned are hereby notified to call upon me and settle their account! immediate);. This must be done during the next week. S.F.CI1APIN: Jacksonville, Jane 11, 1873. td T -r-