V
VOL. XVIII.
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY.
SKETCHES OFJ EARLY DAYS. ---MEN AN
TIMES IN THE FORTIES
BY 8. A CLARKE.
Copyright upplloJ (or. All (rlghti reicrvcJ.
NUMBER XXXVIII.
Thrilling Adventures or the First Fort Orford
Settlers.
THE SECOND INDIAN ASSAULT.
On tho fourteenth morning they saw
Indians in largo numbors. Tlioy np
ponrod by daylight find nindo all sorts
of insulting motions. They mado grcnt
fires on tho mainland. Thoro wero
moro of thoin than they hnd over scon
boforo nnd would havo counted at loast
flltocn to ono of tho Americans. For
tunately, tho soa guarded their fortress
nnd tho walls wero by nnturo inaccess
ible, so tho bolcagucrcd party hnd tho
Advantage. Tho Indians nindo falso at
tacks nil day long. Their chiof waB
haranguing his men with n loud voico,
but whenovor ho would got their
courago to tho sticking point, so that
tlioy put in an nppenranco as if to rush
up tho trail and storm that island fortress,
somo ono on tho hill would scizo a brnn.il
or wavo a match, as if to touch off tho
four-poundor, nud their courage would
ebb as fast ns it hnd mounted, nnd they
nil dodgod boliind their rocks again.
Tho gun was only fired ono timo nnd
that was at tho outsat, when it did such
deadly work. Arrows flow all dny long
across tho chasm that separated their
fortress from tho main. Tlioy soon got
so they stood out and dared their foes
to let them fly; thoy would stand,
rnmrod in hnnd, nnd fend thorn off it
thoy camo too near, an oasy thing for n
man to do who understands fencing. So
thoy amused thcmsolvcs whilo tho sav
nges gavo vent to tholr hato by most
insulting gestures and pantomime
When nn nrrow has gono ovor fifty
yards any ono with quick sight enn
easily fend it off. Tho only wny to get
eight of an Indinn was to stand out and
daro them to firo. To do this tho Indian
had to stop for a moment Into the open,
nnd that was tho timu when tho boys
got a chanco at thorn. Thoy soon got
too wary to bo easily caught.
ROMANCE Or WARRIOR EOAN.
Ono of tho party was James II. Slater,
our ex-senator, another was John II.
Egan, tho painter, ono of tho old citizens
of Portlnnd. It was Egan who bont
his musket barrol in tho mcleo of tho
first fight nnd laid low tho threo who
got into camp on his side Tho Indian
who survived hnd u mark on tho sido of
his bond where tho musket barrel
scalped him, nnd carried a baro spot
thero to his grave. Though this hap
pened on tho wild Oregon coast, tho
Indian was n Piuto or Shoshone. Cnpt.
Tichenor afterwards nindo his homo at
Tort Orford, and recognizing this In
dian as tho one who survived the battle
on tho island, called him Egan, after tho
man who gave him his almost fatal blow.
Egan afterwards returnod to tho coun
try ho belonged to, and wus engngod in
tho Inst liannack raid ovor the Blno
mountains. Ho was seduced by tho
Umatillas to accept their hospitality and
was then murdered. Ifo was a notablo
Bavago and warrior of noto. When
they stripped him, after tho murder, his
body was found to bo literally covered
with wounds. This was tho rather
romnntio story of "Egan," tho horo
Indian of tho Inland empire.
THEY HUMHUG THE INDIANS AND GET AWAY.
"When tho Sea Gull left tho nino men
to found tho beginning of a metropolis
at Orford, Capt. Tichenor promised to
return in ten days, if possible, or cer
tainly in fourteen. Bnt tbo steamer
Sea Gull was libeled by due process of
law, at "The Bay," and Tichonor could
only come back when tho Columbia
did, and make arrangement! for that
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY,
Bhip to Btop nt Orford to sco how mnttcrs
progressed. Tho Columbia arrived on
tho day after thoy had desortcd tho
plncc, for unfortunately thoy had not
waited hor coming. Tho situation wns
almost dosporntc. Thoy had moro In
diatiB around thorn every day, nnd it
wns only n question of timo how soon
thoy must lcavo tho plnco or loavo tholr
bonos there. Their powder was scant,
and thoy only had nn nvcrngo of fivo
caps each. Thoro waB enough of can
non powdor, but it was too coarso for
riflo use, and if not thoy had but n fow
caps. Matters had come to n crisis, tho
latost day sot for tho return of tho Sen
Gull wns now gono by. Thoy held a
council, nnd it wns determined that
thoy must go from thoro. Tho rctolvo
wns to movo up tho const. All tho
shoro in front of tliom wns lined with
snvnges, nnd a largo Indian camp was
mndo below tho island. To deccivo
them tho men commenced to cut trees
nnd lay them nlong tho rock wnll, as if
for n moro comploto defense They put
in n good day's work in this way nnd
wntched for developments. As work
progro'sed thoy could bco tho bonds of
inquisitlvo Indinns peering ovor tho
rocky bight of tho main shore, and in
this way learned tho disposition of their
enemy's force. If tlioy could bo nindo
boliovo that tho whites woro forting up
for n permanent stay, it might and
did, lead to good results. Through tho
dny thoy snw Indinns leave their stations
nlong tho wnll opposlto and go down
to tho villngo boy o ml ; later in tbo day
tho Indinn enmp broko up nnd thoy nil
moved nwny.
WOODS AND REACH TRAVEL.
In this way thoy by strategy imposod
on their enemy nnd had n clear field.
Thoy could only expect this to last n
fow days, until their enomy could renow
tho attack in stronger force. Later in
tho day thoy camo down from their
island camp, only carrying wbnt thoy
must bnvo for food, clothing nnd arms,
nnd keeping ns much as possiblo out of
sight in cuso that any Indians woro
near. They struck across tho capo that
juts seaward nbovo Tort Orford, and
when thoy camo down on tho sea bench
kept right nlong on it northward. To
wards evening thoy camo plump upon
a wnr party of thirty natives, who wero
ovidontly making thoir way down to
rcinforco tho besiogors nt Tort Orford.
Audncity was their only safety ; so thoy
dashed forward nniong tho coming war
riors, who woro taken by surprise nnd
rushed poll moll into tho woods that
lined tho shore. Ten miles up tho
beach thoy camo to enpo Blanco, around
which thero was surf instead of beach.
Crossing the capo through tho woods
thoy camo upon nn Indian trail, and by
signs in it discovered that whilo thoy
had been in tho woods a largo band of
Indians had passed them on this trail.
Not seeing any signs of white men's
tracks they had turned back tho way
thoy came This wns fortuniito, though
it scoinod si range that thoy had not
been moro correctly followed. Thero
was n good providenco on thoir side.
Tho woeds woro full of sal-al lierrics
that wero refreshing if not very
strengthening. Whilo in tho woods
they had heard tho Indians, who wero
in search of them, nnd now had tho
satisfaction to know thoy had given up
tho search.
THEY REACH CIVILIZATION.
They camo in duo time to tho mouth
of tho Coquello river, where thero woro
two largo villages on tho north sido
that could muster 200 warriors. As
soon as thoy saw whito men they began
to get ready for a fight ; so tho travelers
took to tho woods again, and oight miles
up stream found timber suitable for a
raft, which thoy lashed together with
small ropes they had with them, and so
crossed tho stream. They remained in
tbo mountains two days, living on
salraonberries four days of their time.
Thoy bad no matches, so could only use
gun-caps to Btriko n light, Mr. Egan
says when thoy crossed thoy loft tho rnft
to go down tho rivor, to find tlioy wero
on nn island, and woro after n whilo re
lieved of this quandary by Indians who
camo with n largo canoo and earned
shirts off their backs by helping thorn to
tho north shore.
About two months after tho timo that
this pnrty got nwny from tho Indinna
who had their villages noar tbo mouth
of Itoguo rivor, T'Vault's pnrty, Hint
wns going down for tbo samo purposo
Kirkpntrick's party went, woro'attacked
and twenty mon killed by tnom. Tlioso
Indians wero novor othorwiso than
hostilo to whilo men. Si Ileddcn, who
wns with Kirkpntrick, was nlso with
T'Vnult, nnd managed to oscnpo tho
second lime. At tho Coquello river
friondly Indinna gavo tho wnndcrors
food nnd nlso ferried tho nine over Hint
stream, earning somo of tho clothes olT
their backs by so doing. Thoy never
had heard of tho Coquello, supposing
they bad reached tho Umpqua, but
after going up tbo river ten miles saw
tbo error of their ways nnd turned back.
Thoy know of settlements on tho Ump
qua. They found none, so waded
swamps and reached tho beach again.
Tho next day they got to Gardner nud
Umpqun City, where citizens gavo thoin
warm greetings and good food. At
Scottsburg tbo friondly hospitality was
repeated. They know nothing of Coos
bay or tho Coquollo,nnd woro fortunate
in finding tho Indians friendly. When
thoy found Coos bay entrance thoy got
somo.Indlniis to ferry them across to the
main shoro, nnd from thero to tho Ump
qun was easy, comparatively speaking.
Tho men who composed tho nino who
went through all tlioso adventures wero:
J. M. Kirkpntrick, who wns tho lender,
a rcmnrknbla man in many respects,
whoso life has been full of adventures;
John If. Egan, now and boforo that
timo n citizon of Portlnnd, painter by
trndoj J. D. Palmer, who afterwards
lived for ninny years in Salem, just
across tho bridge at the bond of Com
mercial street; Joseph Hussoy, James
Kerrigan, Cy. Ileddcn, Georgo Itidcout,
n man nnmod Summers, and James II.
Sinter, who Intoly was in tho U. S. Son
ato from Oregon.
TICHENOR'S GOOD INDIAN.
Thero wero n few sottlors in tho Ump
qua valloy by that time, and a road wns
mndo thoro from tho Willamette, so tho
wandorera pushed on townrds civiliza
tion and in good timo reached thodonser
settlements. Orford wns not easily
tamed and mndo a city of trado nnd
commorce, ns tbo world planned to bnvo
it, but in duo timo Tichenor lived to
mnko his homo thoro and tho Indinns
been mo friendly. An amusing story is
told of tho nrrivnl thoro of tho Indies of
tho bravo captain's family. Tichenor
had erected a neat homo and furnished
it nicely nnd when thoy camo it was all
ready for them. Tho tablonu, u wo
heard it, was that mother and daughter,
just arrived, woro tented in tho parlor
on a brand now sofa, when thoir nerves
woro shocked by tho appcuranco of ono
of old Tichenor's "good Indians," who
camo in with all the aboriginal dignity
imaginable but drccsod only in n
breach clout of scant dimensions and
seated himself betwoen tho two ladies.
Of Tichenor himself it is not related
that his nerves received any shock. It
is said that ho took tho situation in with
a benignant smile.
PORT ORFORD .MAKES A START.
Tho steamer Sea Gull made another
trip early in August nnd left moro men.
Tho Umpqua river settlement bad mndo
such progress that she lauded n collector
for tho port. Under dato of August 0,
"J. 0. F." writes that tho Indians con
tinuo friondly. Gold and stono coal had
been found in that vicinity. IIo refers
to tho 8an Francisco papors as giving
tho latost news from there, so tho lettor
is unsatisfactory. An editorial of August
20, 1851, sums up Port Orford as having
OCTOBER
22
1880.
for proprietors Cnpt. Tichonor, of the
Sea Gull, T. Unttu King, collector of
Snn Francisco, Jnmos Gamble, Fred
crick M. Smith, Isnno M. Hubbard nnd
Col" T'Vnult. Thero wns n stockado
fort, two Inrgo block bouses, sovcrnl
pieces of artillery nud numerous rides
nnd rovolvors. Thoy woro looking out
wagon roads to tho Umpqua valloy,
"Chnsto" mines, etc., but thoy novor got
thorn in good running order. It was
''also thought thnt this point will ulti
mately bo tho principal inlet nnd outlet
of n Inrgo portion of California," which
shows that pcoplo wero ignorant of
geography, or nt least of locnl fact?, in
that dny, and had very vnguo nnd spec
ulative idoas ns to whoro commercial
points should bo built up.
T'VAULT HUNTS LOST INDIANS.
Port Orford matters woro qulot, so far
nt least ns nowspnpera woro concerned,
until early in Octobor, when tho States
man fairly overilowod with its troubles,
or at least thoso of tho party that wns
journeying thoro by land. Tho snnio
issuo has an editorial notico that Mr.
Dart, supcrintendaut of Indian nfl'airs,
and two of his subordinates, had boon
ongaged in treating with tho Port Orford
Indians for lands. They hnd collected
fivo hundred, big and little, nud hnd
purchased tho country along tho coast
from tho California lino to the Coquillo
river, and fifty miles in tho interior. It
was said to include somo of tho finest
lauds in Oregon, which shows how littlo
editors knew of son coast lands. This
issuo contains thrco various accounts of
tho T'Vnult cntnstiopho, ono being by
that individual himself, from which I
gather that immediately aftor arriving
from Portland, on August 21, with n
company of eightoon men startod to ox
ploro n routo to upper lloguo river. For
threo days thoy wont down tho const to
near tbo mouth of that river; thoy met
innny Indians and told thorn all to bo
nt Port Orford in fifteen to twonty-fivo
days to receive prcsonts and mnko a
treaty for their lands, and small presents
woro mndo to thoso tlioy met. Only in
ono instnuco wns (hero any manifesta
tion of hostility.
T'VAULT FINDS HIS IjOST ONES.
Then thoy boro northeast n fow dnys,
nnd on August 31 nine of tho pnrty
started to return. Tho other nino kopt
up Itoguo river until Hcptombor 7. They
lnid by a dny to euro elk meat, ns their
provisions wero running short. Thoy
wont over n vory brushy country nnd
only trnvclod threo to eight miles u
dny. Wnon about thirty miles from
tho Oregon and California trail thoy
followed n plain trail to the north to
reach somo plnco whero supplies woro
procurnblo, ns thoy woro running vory
short. On tho 12th of Septombor thoy
camo to tho south branch of tbo Co
quillo river. On tho 1.1th, boing out of
provisions, thoy abandoned their ani
mals so as to mnko better progress
through tho wild mountain rogion.
Thoy engaged Indians nnd ennoos to
tnko thorn down tho Coquillo. Ono of
their party was Oy Ileddcn, who had
been with Kirkpntrick's party in Juno.
Ho rocognized that thoy woro on the
Coquillo whoro tho Indians hnd been
hostilo nt that time, nnd warned T'Vnult
to bo on his guard. They believed thoy
were on tho Umpqua and going down
to Scottsburg, nud woro much put out
when thoy found their mistnko. On the
11th of September thoy passed near
somo Indian vitiligo, intending to laud,
when naked Indians in largo numbers
rushed into tho water, grappled with
them, and climbed into their ennoos.
Thoy tried to i ush for tho shore. As
ho tried to draw n revolvor, T'Vnnlt was
knocked down and found himself float
ing down tho river. On tho shoro ho
saw a fierco struggle, hoard shouts nnd
screams of agony and groans of tho
dying. Ho saw n canoo near by and an
Indinn lad in It Tho boy helped him
in hclpod Brush in, whoso bead bad
been pounded with an Indian paddle
NO. 37,
thon pointed to tho south side, put n
pnddlo into his hand nnd jumped over
board. Thoy renchod tho south sido,
stripped on" their clothing nnd crnwlod
up tho bank.
THE TRAIL TOWARDS HOME.
Thoy traveled south In their naked
condition, following tho bench nt night
nud in nnd through tbo woods by dny.
At Capo Blanco, ten miles from Orford,
friondly Indians took euro of them nnd
carried thorn in canoes to Port Orford
tho next day. Mr. Brush had sovcrnl
inches of his scalp cut oil". It is not
plain why thoy loft their clothes, unloss
to decolvo tho savages, but thoy could
not hido their trail from thorn. Thoro
is somo iiicohcroncy in this statement,
but that of othors confirms tho T'Vnult
story. A lollor from Gardlnor, Umpqua
rivor, says that Cyrus Hcddon nud L.
L. Williams renchod that plnco nftor
eight dnys' journoy in tho wilderness.
Anothor ono escaped with them, but
thoy lost sight of him nftorwnrds. lied
don was unhurt, but Williams was
thought to bo mortally wounded, as two
nrrows entered him nnd ho was fearfully
biuiscd. Thoy hnd lived nil tho timo oh
wild berrios nnd soa hiubsoIh.
Tho regular corrospondont, J. C. F.,
writes on tho sumo topio from Orford.
His story is similar, but oven mora
voluminous. Superintendent Dart wns
thou nt Port Orford nnd sent ono of his
ngonts with nn Indian chief to hold n
talk with tho villninoiw Coquillcs. In
tho issuo of November ! tho Statesman
says nnnthor expedition failed to And n
good routo to tho mines. This expedi
tion hud to loavo ono of thoir men n
full week's travel in tho wildorncss, as
ho hnd sprained an anklo. Thoy gavo
him all tho food thoy had nnd promised
to return for him with n horso, but bo
met friondly natives who took him
homo sooner. Thoy had to hunt food,
ns thoy hnd none, but hnd tho good
luck to find ganio. 1 fo snys :
"Somo fow dnys since I wont up tho
const, in compnny with thirteen othors,
for tbo purposo of recovering a riflo. It
was taken by iiiombcrs of n trlbo near
there. Thoy got the riflo nnd tho re
volver taken from T'Vnult by tho Co
quolles who hud become vory obediont,
probably by means of blankets thoy
had recoivod. Tho steamer Columbia
had arrived with two companies of
dragoons, that wero to punish tho In
dians who had committed tho hostil
itics.
THE REGULARS MEET THE COQUELLES.
A correspondent writing from tho
Umpqua, date November 10, says that
Mr. Williams was still at Gardiuor and
suffering from his wounds, hoping that
Tichonor would come along with his
Sea Gull nnd tnko him to Snn Francisco,
whore ho could havo proper treatment.
Wo suppose this h. L. Williams to bo
identical witli tho gentleman so well
known in Umpqun, who was for bo
many years clerk of Douglas county,
nnd a captain of Oregon voluntcora
during tho civil war.
One Hundred and Thirteen titles of Organs.
In numbering the organs of thoir
manufacture, Mason ic Hamlin havo
reached No. 1(10,000. Arranged in a
lino thero would i each one hundred and
thirteen miles, or would fence tho rail
road on ono side from the Grand Cen
tral Station in New York, to within
twontv miles of Springfield, Mat. Not
only does this show tho great popularity
of American organs, but it illustrates
what wns declined by James Partou to
bo a general fact, that ho who makes
tho best article in his line always makes
tho greatest success.
We understand that the Mason &
Hamlin Company's now Upright Piano
is now commanding a lurgo sale, and is,
in every way, up to tho standard of thoir
unrivaled organs, Wo predict a largo
success for this piano which is con
structed on a new system, said to bo a
decided advanco over tho prevailing
wrostpin systom. Boston Journal.
Shears are nn nbsoluto household
necessity. A good pair costs $1 wo
givo them away. Soo our ofl'er.