millions. The same remarks will apply to the mountain region of Rogue river valley. It is only necessary to carry out the intentions of many citizens of Oregon and Washington, as practiced in several instances, to exterminate the Indians, friends as well as enemies. This can be done, but it would cost the United States from fifty to one hundred millions, all which can be avoided by a just and judicious course pursued towards the Indians. I have no doubt that in a very short time I could settle all difficulties with the Indians if the governors (Stevens and Curry) and their volunteers withdraw from the contest. Their object is war, and not peace. I have on Puget Sound seven companies of regulars, in the Rogue river valley seven companies, and one near by, at Humboldt. Brevet Major Wyer, with his company, has been ordered to Fort Lane. This force, I am confident, will be all sufficient to bring the war to a close in southern Oregon. It certainly will be sufficient if Governor Curry's volunteers will cease their practice of indiscriminately killing the Indians, friends as well as foes. In a former communication I mentioned the conduct of Major Lupton and his party, in killing twenty-five Indians, of whom eighteen were women and children. This occurred in October. Captain Smith, commanding at Fort Lane, reports, that "on the 23d of December last, a party of volunteers, unarmed, belonging to a company then stationed on or near Butte Creek, made a visit to a camp of friendly Indians, on the north side of Rogue river, some fifteen miles from this post, and assured the Indians of the friendly disposition of the whites towards them, and their desire to live in peace. The object of this visit, on the part of the whites, was to ascertain the strength, position, &c., of this Indian camp, and finding them unarmed, with the exception of a few bows and arrows, marched there on the following night, surrounded the camp, and killed nineteen men, burned their houses and stores, and left the women and children exposed to the severe cold weather. "The squaws and children are now at this post, suffering severely from frozen limbs. Old Jake, (chief of this same band,) with his immediate family, was encamped near Butte creek, on the south side of Rogue river. A party from another company of volunteers paid a similar visit to his camp, and for the same dastardly purpose, and at night surrounded his camp and massacred all the men. The squaws and children from this camp are also here, suffering with frozen limbs." Herewith I enclose a copy of a letter from Captain H. M. Judah, relating to Indian affairs. It deserves attention. Certainly the Indians referred to have been greatly neglected. They ought to have been treated differently by the superintendent of Indian affairs for California. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieutenant Colonel L. THOMAS, JOHN E. WOOL, Major General. Assistant Adjutant General, FORT JONES, CALIFORNIA, March 8, 1856. SIR; I have the honor to make the following statement in reference to the Scott's valley Indians collected at this post. About three weeks since, I was called upon by Willian Steele, esq., a prominent citizen of this valley, who exhibited to me a letter of authorization from Colonel Henly, superintendent of Indian affairs in this State, to take with him two of the most prominent of the Indians to the Nome Lackee reservation, in order that they might, if possible, become favorably impressed with its advantages as a future home for the tribe. Mr. Steele was accompanied by a gentleman named Weeks, who is conversant with the Shasta language, and who returned a few days since with the two Indians, (John and Jack.) Mr. Weeks informed me that both Mr. Steele and himself were very coldly and impolitely (if not rudely) treated by the residing agent, a Mr. Stevens, who informed them that Colonel Henly had gone to Washington, and that he had not been informed of their intended visit. Mr. Stevens offered no facilities for carrying out the purposes of the visit, and finally evinced his utter ignorance or intentional display of the most ordinary politeness, by leaving his offiec with his friends for a social purpose, expressed in the presence of Messers Steele and Weeks, who were left to carry out the purposes of their visit as they best could. They shortly after left the office, and walked with the Indians for a couple of hours upon the reservation, returning to Tehama, without further notice from Mr. Stevens. Enough information was gleaned during their short visit to warrant the conclusion that the Indians upon the reserve are grossly neglected, and that the government is imposed upon in the conduction of the affairs of the reservation. This information, with the exception of one item, afforded me by Mr. Weeks, was obtained by Tyé John from conversation with the Indians themselves. The item referred to is the following: "Some few days before their arrival, a man living in the vicinity of the reservation came upon the same, and deliberately killed twelve of the Indians from one rancheria for killing, or suspicion of having killed some hogs belonging to him." Mr. Weeks states that the occurrence seemed to excite little comment, and was not adverted to by Mr. Stevens. If such acts are really permitted upon that reservation, Indians had better take their chances as outlaws in the mountains. The Indian, Tyé John, informs me that the Indian with whom he conversed assured him that they were uncomfortable, unhappy, and that their numbers were being very rapidly reduced by death; that they had no fires in the winter, were not supplied with clothing, and received neither flour nor beef, their sole food being wheat. John also informed me that both he and his tribe preferred to be killed and buried upon the soil of their fathers to being removed to Nome Lackee. Although the officers upon the reserve would probably deny the existence of such a state of affairs as above represented, I am convinced that it exists, and that no arrangement pertaining to Indian affairs in this State bears investigation. I am led to this belief through personal observations made during the past two years. In view of the facts that the visit of the Indians to Nome Lackee was reduced to a farce, and that no further action in reference to the Scott's valley Indians may be expected from the Indian department in this State, I respectfully request more specific instructions in reference to them than any I am acting under. They are entirely disarmed as far as fire-arms are concerned, and cannot possibly subsist themselves with their bows and arrows. They are daily supplied with beef and flour by the acting assistant commissary of subsistence at this post, and have been since collected upon the military reserve for protection against the whites, which is still necessary. As a continual source of annoyance to the post, as well as to the people of Scott's valley, in view of the probability of a descent by hostile Indians upon some of the sparsely settled portions of the State during the summer, in which case the Scott's valley Indians would, though innocent, suffer through revenge; of their uniformly good conduct, and through considerations of humanity, they should be removed as soon as possible. I would, therefore, recommend that Lieutenant Crook, or some other officer, be permitted to take two of the most prominent of their number to the reservation upon the Lower Klamath, for purposes of inspection; and that, upon their return, I be authorized to remove them to that place. The Indians have within the past two days assumed their bows and arrows, which they constantly wear upon their persons, undoubtedly with a view to escape in the event of a forcible attempt to remove them to the Nomo Lackee reservation. Apologizing for the length of this communication, into which, from the interest I feel upon the subject, I have unintentionally been drawn. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Captain D. R. JONES, U. S. A., H. M. JUDAH, Captain 4th infantry, commanding. Asst. Adj. Gen., Department Pacific, Benicia, California. Upon a perusal of the above communication, I respectfully beg leave to withdraw the paragraph which unfavorably characterizes the administration of Indian affairs in this State, as irrelevant. The within communication presents evils which, under the existing organization, this department has not power to remedy. The conduct of the officers of the army on this occasion is in keeping with that which they have generally observed, and is fully approved. JEFF'N DAVIS, WAR DEPARTMENT, April 22, 1856. Secretary of War. General Wool to the Commanding General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE PACIFIC, Benicia, California, April 2, 1856. COLONEL: Having been wrongfully and unjustifiably assailed and denounced by the governors of Oregon and Washington Territories and the legislature of the former, who have demanded of the President of the United States my recall from the command of the Pacific department, I have deemed it proper to transmit, with the request that it may be forwarded to the War Department, the following summary statement of facts in regard to the Indian war now waged in those Territories, and which I could hope might claim attention. A year since I ordered Brevet Major Haller, with about 150 rank and file, to go as far as Fort Boise to give protection to emigrants going to Oregon and Washington Territories, and to demand the murderers of some twelve or thirteen emigrants near that place the year before. He The Major not only went to Fort Boise but 150 miles beyond. remained in that section of country until near the close of September, 1855, when he returned to his post at the Dalles, having previously captured and executed a number of the Indians concerned in the murders above alluded to. Shortly after his return, and early in October, he was called on by Major Rains to execute a similar mission against the Yakima Indians, occupying a portion of the country east of the Cascade range of mountains. It is said that the Yakimas, having become dissatisfied with the treaty made with them the summer before, by General Stevens, determined on war. This was hastened, as it would seem, by some miners forcibly carrying away and ill-treating some Yakima squaws. The Yakimas, according to their own story, complained of this wrong to A. J. Bolon, sub-Indian agent, who was at the time in the Yakima country, and demanded redress. An altercation took place, when the Indians threatened revenge. The agent, in turn, threatened if they executed their intentions to send against them the troops of the United States. It was under such circumstances that the agent and the Indians separated. The former, however, was followed and overtaken by the Yakimas, when they demanded to know if he intended to send the troops of the United States against them. On answering them in the affirmative, as the Indians say, they killed him, and afterwards, as reported, some miners, on their way to the Colville mines. On this information being conveyed to Major Rains, Brevet Major Haller was directed to proceed against the Yakimas, to chastise them and demand the murderers of the agent Bolon. Accordingly, with one hundred and four rank and file, he proceeded on his mission, but without the precautions necessary against savage warfare. About sixty miles from the Dalles, on emerging from a deep ravine, he found himself, as he reports, confronted by 1,500 Indians. After losing two men killed, and some thirteen or fourteen wounded, one mortally, he escaped from his perilous condition to an eminence, on which was neither wood, water, or grass. He reported that he was surrounded by Indians, and asked for a thousand men to relieve him. This was communicated to the Dalles by a person who succeeded in passing the Indians without being observed. Relief was immediately ordered. In the meantime, after remaining on the hill thirty-six or forty hours, water being indispensable both to men and animals, the major determined to force his way to water. He broke up his encampment and commenced his march for the stream in his front. He met with no resistance, and after allaying the thirst of his men, horses, and mules, he commenced his march towards the Dalles. In his effort to make good his retreat, he became separated from his rear guard, the front and rear taking different trails. The guard, supposing that it was following the front of the column, continued its march towards the Dalles without interference or molestation from the Indians. This left the major with only forty effective men, and the wounded and baggage. With this small force he succeeded in making good his retreat, followed two days and nights by 1,500 Indians. I think the number greatly exaggerated. However this may be, under the circumstances, I did not consider such an enemy greatly to be dreaded. The repulse of Major Haller created great excitement and alarm throughout Oregon and Washington, lest all the Indian tribes in the Territories should at once combine and come down upon the settlements. As soon as I was informed of Major Haller's defeat, I ordered all the disposable troops at my command to the seat of war, and I followed. At the same time I called upon the United States government for at least an additional regiment. This was promptly responded to, and the 9th regiment of infantry arrived early in January, but, owing to the unusually severe winter, could not enter upon a winter campaign. In the meantime, Major Rains, who had authority for such purposes, made preparation for a second expedition against the Yakimas. He mustered, with the reinforcements which I sent him, five hundred regulars, with three mountain howitzers, besides other artillery-an ample force, if properly directed, to have defeated all the Indians in the country. The Major, however, partaking somewhat of the alarm pervading the country, increased and stimulated by political demagogues, called on Acting Governor Mason for two companies of volunteers, which was promptly and favorably responded to; and upon |