The steamship Columbia, Captain Le Roy, arrived yesterday morning from Astoria, Oregon, whence she sailed on the 26th instant, at half past 2 o'clock p.m. The news brought by this arrival is very interesting, but deeply distressing, as it apprises us of the destruction of Captain Kirkpatrick and his party of nine men, who had established themselves at a place named Port Orford, in the vicinity of Rogue's River, in the lower portion of Oregon. We are indebted to Mr. D. E. Roberts, the purser of the Columbia, for an extremely interesting account of the melancholy affair, which will be found subjoined. The Indians of Rogue's River have always been warlike and hostile in their intercourse with the whites:
    The following account may prove of interest to your readers, and, owing to its containing the details of the sad affair, so far as we can judge from the mystery yet surrounding it, may give some idea of the nature and disposition of the Indians in the vicinity of Rogue's River.
    Capt. Tichenor, on his last voyage down in the Sea Gull, had at a place named by him Port Orford, which, from the fact of its being a better harbor than either Trinidad or Humboldt, as well as owing to the nature of the land around, he judged to be a suitable point for establishing a settlement.
    With this view, he left nine men, well armed and provisioned, under the command of Capt. Kirkpatrick, and selected as a post for them the summit of a little island, almost inaccessible to an attack, there being but a narrow and steep path to it, along which two men could not advance abreast, and this was raked by a four-pounder left for that purpose and placed in position. Cautioning them to deal carefully with the Indians, who at that time made their appearance in small numbers, apparently well disposed, he left them in the Sea Gull, promising to return by the 23rd of June, with further supplies and a larger number of men to survey and settle the place.
    After the arrival of the Sea Gull at San Francisco, it was found that she would not be able to return by the appointed time; and accordingly it was arranged between Captain Tichenor and Captain Knight, the agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, that the Columbia should touch at Port Orford on her way up, and land him and two others who were with him, together with the further supply of provisions taken on board for that purpose. Having touched at Humboldt and Trinidad on our way up, we came in sight of Port Orford at 9 o'clock on the morning of the 23rd--that being the very day set by Capt. Tichenor for his return. At the distance of eight miles we could see the smoke rising from the base of the little island; and from this we concluded that the party were all safe, and waiting the arrival of the steamer.
    As soon as we came within about four miles of the island, we saw, through the glass, three Indians running along shore at full speed, away from the island, and a canoe containing three more, who were also pulling rapidly in the same direction. The first caused us to expect that something wrong had happened, although we felt almost certain that the smoke we saw was rising from a fire kindled by the men. However, the brass six-pounder, which is used in announcing the arrival of the steamer, was fired, to give notice to the men, as well as to see what effect the sound of it would produce on the Indians in the canoe, then about a mile distant.
    They all fell flat in the bottom of the canoe, as if through fear, but in a moment they sprang up, and, pulling hurriedly to the shore, they soon hid themselves in the woods. In the meantime, the steamer was rapidly nearing the island, on which no sign of life presented itself except the fire before spoken of. We anchored about a mile off, and our boat, containing Capt. Le Roy, Capt. Tichenor, and six or eight others pulled for the island. We landed at the base of it, which was bare and connected with the mainland, it being low tide, but no one was there to welcome us. The first thing that attracted our notice was a great quantity of pilot bread, which had evidently been flung into the water, and had been broken and scattered along the beach for several yards by the action of the waves; and on the sand, a little above, we found several broken carpenter's tools lying around.
    We then mounted the island, and on the top of it found nothing but signs of destruction, which seemed to tell plainly the fate of those who had been left. All the potatoes which had been left with the party were scattered around as if abandoned by the Indians, who were ignorant of their use, while the carpenter's tool chest, planes, and other tools had been broken in pieces, evidently for the iron contained in them, for not the slightest particle of that or any other metal could be found. While looking about this summit, which appeared to have been stockaded for defense, but within which the ground was much trampled, as though a severe strife had taken place, a memorandum book was found which gave some clue to what had taken place. What relates to the affair is in these words: "Camp Kirkpatrick. We arrived at our post on the 8th of June; our company numbered nine men. We made our post on a small island--it was accessible only at one point. The 9th, the Indians commenced an attack at about half past seven o'clock in the morning. The Indians numbered some thirty-eight. We first discharged our four-pounder; it made sad havoc among them. Then we fought hand to hand. They then retreated to the hills, leaving eighteen or twenty dead on the field. We had three men wounded. One had an arrow through his breast; another, one through his ear; myself had one through my neck. 10th--Today we have had no trouble. 11th--We are prepared to meet them. We expect to have a hard fight with them in a few hours. These Indians are perfect devils. Yesterday everything went off smoothly. Today the boys did one thing in which I did not agree--that was leaving the camp with only three men to protect the post. They were in great danger of the Indians getting between them and the camp; but, by good luck, they did not."
    The above account was supposed to have been written by Captain Kirkpatrick. There was a further account on another page respecting the others generally, but containing the following new particulars. After speaking of letting off the four-pounder, it says: "In the meantime, the rifles commenced playing among them. Hussey killed two with one ball. The fight lasted about three hours, when the Indians left for the hills. We are at this time making entrenchments. We expect them this night, although we have just made a treaty with the chief. We cannot say how many we killed, for some of them ran half a mile after being shot. Captain Kirkpatrick is busy strengthening our post." Then follows in another hand some Canadian French which it is impossible to decipher, but evidently alluding to the skirmish, as these words show: "Le Capitaine Kirkpatrick--un sauvage--pardieu sacre!" ending with this direction [address], probably to the mother of the writer: "Madame Le Monge, rue de Dauphin, Paris, La Belle France."
    We then came down to the foot of the island again, where we noticed that the sand had lately been trampled, and that several large stones had been flung upon a space of ground five feet square. It struck us that someone was buried there, and accordingly the sailors forming the boat's crew, using their oars as shovels, removed the stones and sand, and at the depth of one foot the dead body of an Indian was found, who had been shot through the head with a rifle ball.
    There being no further traces to guide us at that spot, Captain Tichenor, with two others, all armed with rifles (36 shooters), went up the hills, spoken of in the journal, to reconnoiter. No signs of Indians were seen, but a letter sheet, filled on four sides, was found, which gave a more detailed account of the matter, although, unfortunately, it breaks off in the most interesting part. It is as follows:
    "We landed this morning and took possession of a small island, detached from the mainland by a narrow passage of about 100 [sic] yards in width. It is dry and easy of access at low tide. We took our provisions up, and made our encampment on top of the island. We entertained some fears of the Indians, who began to gather along the beach in considerable numbers; so we made preparations to defend our camp. We planted our four-pounder so as to rake the passage to the bottom of the hill, there being but one passage that a person could approach the top of the island by. It rained all day today, which rendered it very unpleasant. The Indians appeared friendly at first, and showed some disposition to trade with us; but when they saw the vessel depart, they grew saucy, and ordered us off; and when they found we would not go, they all vamoosed. We found it necessary to keep a guard to watch their maneuvers.
    "June 10.--We were aroused from our slumbers this morning at an early hour, by the guard, with the intelligence that the Indians were collecting on the beach. They came up from towards the mouth of Rogue's River, and in across the hills. There were about forty of them on the ground at sunup; they appeared quite saucy; I noticed, too, that they were all better armed than when here the day before. They struck up a fire about one hundred yards from our camp, and held a kind of council of war, which consisted in counseling with each other, and frequently there would be from two to three of them dancing and whirling round at a furious rate, snapping their bowstrings at every turn they made.
    "These maneuvers lasted for about half an hour. During this time they were joined by several others. They waited a short time, when they were joined by twelve others, who came up the coast in a large canoe. There were some few squaws with them, who started and ran off. They now began to approach us. There were two or three of us that went part of the way down the hill and motioned them to keep off, but they were bent for fight. They came up threatening they would kill us. We then retired to the top of the hill, where we had our gun stationed. They followed us, and wanted to break into the camp. One of them, who appeared to be a leader among them, seized hold of a gun belonging to one of our company, and tried to wrench it from him; they"----
    Here the journal ends abruptly, having reached the bottom of the fourth sheet, and the rest could not be found, having probably been scattered about by the Indians, who regarded it as worthless.
    Finding it useless to remain on shore any longer, we started for the steamer; but when about half a mile from the shore we saw a person coming down to the water, dressed in the clothing of a white man, wearing a California hat, and having a rifle on his shoulder. We instantly put back, supposing it was one of the party who had survived, and had come down to the shore to be taken off by us. As soon, however, as we turned our boat towards him, he started for the woods. We fired a rifle ball in that direction, and he fell, just as the Indians in the canoe had done, but he could not have been hurt, for he was beyond the range of a rifle; and in a second or two he started up and reached the woods. The fact of his being dressed in the clothing of a white man, together with his having a rifle, convinced us that the party had been either wholly or partially destroyed.
    The names of the party left, as far as remembered, are Captain Kirkpatrick, Messrs. Hussey, Slater, Hedden, Egan, Summers, and three others.
    The Columbia, having landed passengers and mails at Astoria, arrived at Port Orford again June 27. A strong party went on shore, but no Indians were seen, although they had been there since we left. The four-pounder was found partly buried in the sand, having been, without doubt, flung over by the Indians. A quarter of a mile from the place where the last journal was found, and among the ruins of a small Indian rancho, a further journal was found, a part of which answers as a continuation of the unfinished one, though in a different hand. It is as follows: "When the council was ended, they drew their knives and sprung their bows, and advanced to the foot of the hill, and commenced coming towards us. In a moment they let go an immense number of arrows, and the fight began. They were six or seven times our number, and we let off our cannon among them, loaded with about thirty slugs. We fought for about twenty minutes, when the Indians broke and run, leaving twelve or fourteen dead at the foot of the hill, and about double that number wounded. They fled to the high grass, about two hundred yards distant, and continued to shoot their arrows until nearly sundown, when they left, leaving six more that we had shot while they were on the hill. In a short time two of the chiefs gave us a visit, and we made them a little present of a couple of five-franc pieces, which I made holes in and put strings in, and hung them around their necks, at which they seemed much satisfied, and went away again. I have seen a great many Indians in the States, and crossing the plains, but I have never seen a more perfect set of savage devils than these Rogue River Indians. They will pick your pockets so quick that it will nearly throw a New York pickpocket in the shade, and will steal anything they can lay their hands on. They will stand and fight." The journal then goes on briefly stating that during the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th, they remained in their camp, receiving occasional visits from single Indians, and expecting an attack. On the 16th they seemed to have been occupied in exploring the country for some miles around, and the journal gives a very full and glowing description of it. The 17th was spent in like manner. The 18th was spent in hunting.
    "June 19.--All stayed in camp, expecting an attack from the Indians. 20th.--Very foggy; all in camp, on the lookout for the steamer Sea Gull."
    There the journal ends; and from the whole tone of it only one conclusion can be arrived at; and that is that, between the 20th and 22nd, they imprudently continued their exploring, and that the Indians, having been for some days concentrating their strength, had attacked them in the woods, and cut them off to a man; and the fact that we saw the Indian on the 23rd dressed in their clothing and having a rifle strengthens the supposition.
    I have further to add that the Oregonians are now fighting these same Indians further inland, and that Governor Gaines and Governor Lane are both absent, heading expeditions against them. [At the same moment the nine men were besieged on Battle Rock, Philip Kearny was attacking the natives in the Rogue Valley.]
Washington Union, Washington, D.C., August 9, 1851, page 2  There are three versions of this account transcribed on this page, containing many variations, printed July 3, August 7 and August 9.

Port Orford Correspondence.

PORT ORFORD, O.T., July 26, 1851.

CLINTON.

All Safe!

(Correspondence of the Statesman.)

Port Orford, O.T., Oct. '52.

Yours, &c.                A. I.

    The earliest mention of Port Orford in the procurable newspaper files I find in the first volume of the Statesman, July 4, 1851, where a correspondent, who signs "J.C.F." [James C. Franklin], writes from the P.M.S.S. Columbia, under date of June 25, the same year, that the ship had just touched at Port Orford to leave two surveyors, who came prepared to lay out the new town there, but to their surprise the nine men, only lately left there by the Sea Gull, were missing, and from the appearance of the Indians, who fled on the approach of the whites, they were forced to believe all was not right. He says they found upon the ground an imperfect memorandum of an attack, in which some forty Indians were engaged and eighteen paid the forfeit, and three of the whites were wounded. This was only a partial statement of the happenings to Kirkpatrick's company, that we shall soon proceed to give. They found the journal of another man, who described a war dance they witnessed. They found only one dead body, that of an Indian buried in the sand. The Indians, who left as they approached, wore clothing not in accordance with aboriginal habits, and the visitors thought the nine men had been murdered and their effects appropriated. This made it difficult to establish intercourse with the natives, but the persons who were interested in establishing a seaport and commercial point there were not so easily put off.
    Two weeks later the Statesman published a communication from J. M. Kirkpatrick, who says he was captain of the nine men who were left at Port Orford by the Sea Gull, and proceeds to give a statement of their adventures there and in escaping from there. This we shall give in detail as gleaned from this communication and from a personal interview had years ago with Mr. John H. Egan, of this city, who was one of the party of nine adventurers whom Capt. Tichenor persuaded to go there in his interest and locate a town.
    The facts concerning the settlement of Port Orford are not published consecutively in that paper, but come in installments without regularity. The issue of July 22 has a letter dated "Steamer Sea Gull, off Klamath River, July 13," from "J.C.F.," who says the project is to commence a settlement near Cape Blanco, and that Capt. Tichenor, with F. M. Smith, employed eight or nine men to commence a permanent settlement, and that the name "Port Orford" was given to the place selected. That effort having failed, by either the nine being taken prisoners or massacred, as they believed, another expedition was organized with sixty-five men as volunteers and a number of speculators or agents, who were all well armed and provisioned. They had six pieces of ordnance and intended to build a fort. The volunteers were young and toughened to hardships; several were experienced in Indian warfare and some were fine marksmen. Five or six proprietors made up the list, so there were seventy-five men in all. With this preliminary information, to give an idea of the situation, we will now go back to the landing of Kirkpatrick's company of nine, employed by Capt. Tichenor and F. M. Smith, and show what stirring times they had in the preliminary effort to build a city by the sea, to accommodate the mining region of Southern Oregon. We may as well say here that so far as this turning of commerce to a port on the Southern Oregon coast was concerned, it was a failure. The mountains intervening made it impossible to construct roads that could be traversed at all seasons, and the mines of that region have had no Oregon seaport.
    Soon after gold discoveries opened Southern Oregon to commerce and trade, it was deemed important to locate a seaport adjacent to the mines. Capt. Tichenor was commander of a steam propeller named the Sea Gull, a vessel well calculated for the coasting trade. The Sea Gull was at Portland in June, 1851, and when it started early in that month for San Francisco Tichenor took down a small party of men who were to locate at Port Orford and establish a point of trade with the northern mines.
    The Sea Gull reached there and anchored on the 9th of June, remaining long enough to see the nine adventurers landed and making peaceful terms with the natives. The Indians there were very civil and agreeable so long as the ship and her numerous passengers were in sight, but no longer. As soon as the Sea Gull got up steam and flew away the Indians commenced to do saucy things and be very impudent and offensive. Fortunately the steamer did not leave until the men were well fixed and had a good defensive camp. At Orford a point puts out to seaward, and the harbor is made by the lee thus afforded. The bay or harbor is exposed to the sea on the south and west, and is sheltered by land on the east and north. In the shelter of the cape an island stands, close by the shore. The mainland has a bluff, a hundred or so feet high, that overshadows the sea beach. There are places where creeks or ravines seek the seashore and break through the bluff, otherwise the sea wall extends around the harbor.
    This island [Battle Rock] may be eighty feet wide by three hundred feet long, and stands with its broadside to the shore. The rock wall around it is perpendicular on all sides except at the south, or southeastern end, where a well-worn trail ascends by a fair grade, some rocks projecting and some sharp turns affording protection. The surf pounds around the island and on the harbor beach, except where the island protects the shoreline. Under the lee of this island they first camped on the beach, and afterwards went on the island, when they found the trail that led to the summit. This summit proved to be a plateau 80x300 feet, almost level and inaccessible save by the trail that came up at its southern point. The mainland had a level equal to that of the island plateau. Standing back from the strait that lay between main and isle, it seemed as if it was all mainland, as the summit levels were the same. When they left the ship they persuaded Tichenor to let them take ashore the four-pound iron gun, or carronade, on the Sea Gull's deck. The night previous to the steamer's leaving they took the gun to the island and planted it at the head of the trail, where it could sweep the only approach to their refuge. This trail came down from the mainland where the strait was shallow and fordable at any stage of water, while the approach to the island was bare when the tides were lowest. This was the situation.
    At first the natives showed a desire to trade and be friendly. When the Sea Gull left they became saucy and impudent and ordered the whites to be off. They found their protected camp on the island a great relief from the savages and experienced no trouble until the morning of the sixth day, when the Indians were seen crowding down the bluff at sunrise and crossing the ford as if to come on the island. Then Kirkpatrick and some others went out to meet them and tried to persuade them to keep back. They were evidently bent on a "scrimmage," for they had crowded the shore at earliest daylight, built fires and had their war dance, which meant business on their part. It was evident, too, that they were better armed than ever before, as well as more numerous. They were constantly being recruited by new parties that came over the hills to join them. A large canoe had made its appearance with a chief and twelve warriors. So, by early morning, they began to be formidable as to number and character. They gave no heed to the orders and motions to return, but crowded across the ford and commenced to climb the trail. Kirkpatrick and the rest retired to their summit refuge, the arrows whistling near them as they went. At least forty Indians rushed after and reached the top of the trail before any stop was made. The savages then tried to pull the men's hats off, and to tear their clothing from them. One of them clutched with Jim Kerrigan and was about to take his rifle from him when some white man pounded his hands and made him let go. Brush had been piled across the head of the trail, and the ship's carronade was a masked battery close behind it. The tents of the party were nearby. Three of these assailants had leaned over the brush wall and were inside the camp when one of the men knocked them down, one after another, he being alone at that point. The blows bent the gun barrel and ruined so much artillery, but laid hors de combat three Indians, two of whom were found to be dead and the other near it. This was all instantaneous, and some of the men called to Kirkpatrick to fire the cannon. That was done as the three Indians inside the camp were receiving the quietus already told of.
    The situation was extremely critical. Nine men were holding back a furious horde of savages who had been nerving themselves up to the work in hand and had overpowering numbers to do it with. In an instant the men stood aside, and while the three on the left were being clubbed with an old musket, Kirkpatrick seized a brand from the camp fire close by and touched off the cannon. Its charge of iron slugs went like a thunderbolt through the crowd of savages that were massed at the gun's muzzle, but had no idea of its existence. Never was shot more effective in proportion to its caliber. The head of the trail was strewn with corpses. The Indians had opened the battle with a volley of arrows, but they fired uphill, and the arrows nearly all went skywards. They had long knives, like the Mexican and Central American machete, as if a stout piece of hoop iron made the blade and pieces of wood bolted over one end made the handle. [According to Josiah Parrish, these were made from iron in the cargo of the wrecked Hackstaff.] They relied chiefly on bows and arrows, and while some were at close quarters others would shoot across from the mainland.
    The cannon strewed the way with dead and dying and then laid low in camp. Terrible demoralization seized them, but many remained and fought hand to hand for twenty minutes. The whites followed up the cannon shot by use of their guns and pistols at close quarters. They had four men wounded, but none dangerously; all recovered soon, and there was no poison on the arrowheads. That afternoon two rifle shots were fired at the island from different spots on shore, and the men though the Siwash had someway got the guns, but did not have ammunition to make them available [sic]. When they finally got to the Umpquas, they were told there that the Indians lost twenty men killed and had fifteen badly wounded. Egan, of Portland, told me many years ago that eighteen were found dead about the island and had to be buried. Those who survived stood before rifles and revolvers a little while then fled to the rocks that crowned the beach and paid their compliments in the shape of arrow-shots the remainder of the day.
    It was the middle of July by this time, and the weather was very warm. The island had no native spring to supply water, and the men found fighting to be thirsty business. The dead lay in the camp, and one fellow who got a dose there survived for many a day. Even he was a heartrending subject, with his groans and blood-encrusted locks. It was almost unbearable, especially as four of their own nine were wounded. Toward the middle of the afternoon an old chief was seen on the rocky bluff making signs and holding up his hands to show that he was unarmed. They gave him permission to come to their camp, and he finally did so, moaning pitifully over the dead bodies that were strewn about there. Soon afterward canoes came, and the bodies of the dead were put into them and borne away. The whites assisted in moving the two bodies that lay inside their camp, and helped to move the wounded man, who had revived and was moaning pitifully. Indian treachery was shown to the last, for a hostile arrow--or maybe one of the rifle shots--carried away Joe Hussey's thumb, while he was at this work of mercy.
    For several days they saw but few Indians, and were encouraged to think they had all gone away, and themselves left in peace. This emboldened them to prospect the vicinity, and in exploring near camp they found the aromatic white cedar and saw indications of coal. In the creek that put into the ocean nearby they found speckled trout abundant. The discovery of the white Port Orford cedar was made then, and it existed in immense forests. There were great flocks of pigeons; sea otter were seen in the water nearby, while signs of elk, deer and bear were all around them. We forgot to say that for some reason or other the Indians refused to bury or take away one of the dead bodies that lay at the edge of the water. Probably it was the body of a slave, and they would not waste time on it. So the whites covered it up time and again, with rocks and rubbish, but like Banquo's ghost it wouldn't "down," and every high tide threw it about again. This kept up as long as they remained there, and the same sight greeted Capt. Tichenor when he finally was able to reach Port Orford on the Columbia.
    On the fourteenth morning they saw Indians in large numbers. They appeared by daylight and made all sorts of insulting motions. They made great fires on the mainland. There were more of them than they had ever seen before and would have counted at least fifteen to one of the Americans. Fortunately, the sea guarded their fortress, and the walls were by nature inaccessible, so the beleaguered party had the vantage. The Indians made false attacks all day long. Their chief was heard haranguing his men with a loud voice, but whenever he would get their courage to the sticking point, so that they put in an appearance as if to rush up the trail and storm that island fortress, someone on the hill would seize a brand or wave a match, as if to touch off the four-pounder, and their courage would ebb as fast as it had mounted; they all dodged behind their rocks again. The gun was only fired one time, and that was at the outset, when it did such deadly work. Arrows flew all day long across the chasm that separated their fortress from the main. They soon got so they stood out and dared their foes to let them fly; they would stand, ramrod in hand, and fend them off if they came too near, an easy thing for a man to do who understands fencing. So they amused themselves while the savages gave vent to their hate by most insulting gestures and pantomime. When an arrow has gone over fifty yards anyone with quick sight can easily fend it off. The only way to get sight of an Indian was to stand out and dare them to fire. To do this the Indian had to step for a moment into the open, and that was the time when the boys got a chance at them. They soon got too wary to be easily caught.
    One of the party was James H. Slater, our ex-senator, another was John H. Egan, the painter, one of the old citizens of Portland. It was Egan who bent his musket barrel in the melee of the first fight and laid low the three who got into camp on his side. The Indian who survived had a mark on the side of his head where the musket barrel scalped him, and carried a bare spot there to his grave. Though this happened on the wild Oregon coast, this Indian was a Piute or Shoshone. Capt. Tichenor afterwards made his home at Port Orford, and recognizing this Indian as the one who survived the battle on the island, called him Egan, after the man who gave his almost fatal blow. Egan afterwards returned to the country he belonged to, and was engaged in the last Bannock raid over the Blue Mountains. He was a notable savage and warrior of note. When they stripped him, after the murder, his body was found to be literally covered with wounds. This was the rather romantic story of "Egan," the hero Indian of the inland empire.
    When the Sea Gull left the nine men to found the beginning of a metropolis at Orford, Capt. Tichenor promised to return in ten days, if possible, or certainly in fourteen. But the steamer Sea Gull was libeled [sic] by due process of law, at "The Bay," and Tichenor could only come back when the Columbia did, and make arrangements for that ship to stop at Orford to see how matters progress. The Columbia arrived on the day after they had deserted the place, for unfortunately they had not waited her coming. The situation was almost desperate. They had more Indians around them every day, and it was only a question of time how soon they must leave the place or leave their bones there. Their powder was scant, and they only had an average of five caps each. There was enough of cannon powder, but it was too coarse for rifle use, and if not they had but a few caps. Matters had come to a crisis; the latest day set for the return of the Sea Gull was not gone by. They held a council, and it was determined that they must go from there. The resolve was to move up the coast. All the shore in front of them was lined with savages, and a large Indian camp was made below the island. To deceive them the men commenced to cut trees and lay them along the rock wall, as if for a more complete defense. They put in a good day's work in this way and watched for developments. As work progressed they could see the heads of inquisitive Indians peering over the rocky height of the main shore, and in this way learned the disposition of their enemy's force. If they could be made to believe that the whites were forting up for a permanent stay, it might--and did--lead to good results. Through the day they saw Indians leave their stations along the wall opposite and go down to the village beyond; later in the day the Indian camp broke up and they all moved away.
    In this way they by strategy imposed on their enemy and had a clear field. They could only expect this to last a few days, until their enemy could renew the attack in stronger force. Later in the day they came down from their island camp, only carrying what they must have for food, clothing and arms, and keeping as much as possible out of sight in case that any Indians were near. They struck across the cape that juts seaward above Port Orford, and when they came down on the sea beach kept right along on it northward. Towards evening they camp plump upon a war party of thirty natives, who were evidently making their way down to reinforce the besiegers at Port Orford. Audacity was their only safety, so they dashed forward among the coming warriors, who were taken by surprise, and rushed pell mell into the woods that lined the shore. Ten miles up the beach they came to Cape Blanco, around which there was surf instead of beach. Crossing the cape through the woods they came upon an Indian trail, and by signs in it discovered that while they had been in the woods a large band of Indians had passed them on this trail. Not seeing any signs of white men's tracks they had turned back the way they came. This was fortunate, though it seemed strange that they had not been more correctly followed. There was a good providence on their side. The woods were full of salal berries that were refreshing if not very strengthening. While in the woods they had heard the Indians, who were in search of them, and now had the satisfaction to know they had given up the search.
    They came in due time to the mouth of the Coquille River, where there were two large villages on the north side that could muster 200 warriors. As soon as they saw white men these Indians began to get ready for a fight, so the travelers took to the woods again, and eight miles upstream found timber suitable for a raft, which they lashed together with small ropes they had with them, and so crossed the stream. They remained in the mountains two days, living on salmonberries four days of their time. They had no matches, so could only use guncaps to strike a light. Mr. Egan says when they crossed they left the raft to go down the river to find they were on an island, and were after a while relieved of this quandary by Indians who came with a large canoe and earned shirts off their backs by helping them to the north shore.
    About two months after the time that this party got away from the Indians who had their villages near the mouth of Rogue River, T'Vault's party, that was going down for the same purpose Kirkpatrick's party went, were attacked and twenty men killed by them. Those Indians were never otherwise than hostile to white men. Cy Hedden, who was with Kirkpatrick, was also with T'Vault, and managed to escape the second time. At the Coquille River friendly Indians gave the wanderers food and also ferried the nine over that stream, earning some of the clothes off their backs by so doing. They never had heard of the Coquille, supposing they had reached the Umpqua, but after going up the river ten miles saw the error of their ways and turned back. They knew of settlements on the Umpqua. They found none, so waded swamps and reached the beach again. The next day they got to Gardiner and Umpqua City, where citizens gave them warm greetings and good food. At Scottsburg the friendly hospitality was repeated. They knew nothing of Coos Bay or the Coquille, and were fortunate in finding the Indians friendly. When they found Coos Bay entrance they got some Indians to ferry them across to the main shore, and from there to the Umpqua was easy, comparatively speaking.
    The men who composed the nine who went through all these adventurers were: J. M. Kirkpatrick, who was the leader, a remarkable man in many respects, whose life has been full of adventures; John H. Egan, now and before that time a citizen of Portland, painter by trade; J. D. Palmer, who afterwards lived for many years in Salem, just across the bridge at the head of Commercial Street; Joseph Hussey, James Kerrigan, Cy. Hedden, George Rideout, a man named Summers, and James H. Slater, who lately was in the U.S. Senate from Oregon.
    There were a few soldiers in the Umpqua Valley by that time, and a road was made there from the Willamette, so the wanderers pushed on towards civilization and in good time reached the denser settlements. Orford was not easily tamed and made a city of trade and commerce, as the world planned to have it, but in due time Tichenor lived to make his home there and the Indians became friendly. An amusing story is laid of the arrival there of the ladies of the brave captain's family. Tichenor had erected a neat home and furnished it nicely, and when they came it was all ready for them. The tableau, as we heard it, was that mother and daughter, just arrived, were seated in the parlor on a brand-new sofa, when their nerves were shocked by the appearance of one of old Tichenor's "good Indians," who came in with all the aboriginal dignity imaginable--but dressed only in a breechclout of scant dimensions--and seated himself between the two ladies. Of Tichenor himself it is not related that his nerves received any shock. It is said that he took the situation in with a benignant smile.
    The steamer Sea Gull made another trip early in August, and left more men. The Umpqua River settlement had made such progress that she landed a collector for the port. Under date of August 6, 'J.C.F." writes that the Indians continue friendly. Gold and stone coal had been found in that vicinity. He refers to the San Francisco papers as giving the latest news from there, so the letter is unsatisfactory. An editorial of August 26, 1851 sums up Port Orford has having for proprietors Capt. Tichenor, of the Sea Gull, T. Butler King, collector at San Francisco, James Gamble, Frederick M. Smith, Isaac M. Hubbard and Col. T'Vault. There was a stockade fort, two large blockhouses, several pieces of artillery and numerous rifles and revolvers. They were looking out wagon roads to the Umpqua Valley, "Chaste" mines, etc., but they never got them in good running order. It was "also thought that this point will ultimately be the principal inlet and outlet of a large portion of California," which shows that people were ignorant of geography, or at least of local facts, in that day, and had very vague and speculative ideas as to where commercial  points should be built up.
    Port Orford matters were quiet, so far at least as newspapers were concerned, until early in October, when the Statesman fairly overflowed with its troubles, or at least those of the party that was journeying there by land. The same issue has an editorial notice that Mr. Dart, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and two of his subordinates, had been engaged in treating with the Port Orford Indians for lands. They had collected five hundred, big and little, and had purchased the country along the coast from the California line to the Coquille River, and fifty miles in the interior. It was said to include some of the finest lands in Oregon, which shows how little editors knew of seacoast lands. This issue contains three various accounts of the T'Vault catastrophe, one being by that individual himself, from which I gather that immediately after arriving from Portland, on August 24, [he] with a company of eighteen men started to explore a route to upper Rogue River. For three days they went down the coast to near the mouth of that river; they met many Indians and told them all to be at Port Orford in fifteen to twenty-five days to receive presents and make a treaty for their lands, and small presents were made to those they met. Only in one instance was there any manifestation of hostility.
    Then they bore northeast a few days, and on August 31 nine of the party started to return. The other nine kept up Rogue River until September 7. They laid by a day to cure elk meat, as their provisions were running short. They went over a very brushy country and only traveled three to eight miles a day. When about thirty miles from the Oregon and California trail they followed a plain trail to the north to reach someplace where supplies were procurable, as they were running very short. On the 12th of September they came to the south branch of the Coquille River. On the 13th, being out of provisions, they abandoned their animals so as to make better progress through the wild mountain region. They engaged Indians and canoes to take them down the Coquille. One of their party was Cy Hedden, who had been with Kirkpatrick's party in June. He recognized that they were on the Coquille, where the Indians had been hostile at that time, and warned T'Vault to be on his guard. They believed they were on the Umpqua and going down to Scottsburg, and were much put out when they found their mistake. On the 14th of September they passed near some Indian village, intending to land, when naked Indians in large numbers rushed into the water, grappled with them, and climbed into their canoes. They tried to rush for the shore. As he tried to draw a revolver, T'Vault was knocked down and found himself floating down the river. On the shore he saw a fierce struggle, heard shouts and screams of agony and groans of the dying. He saw a canoe nearby and an Indian lad in it. The boy helped him in--helped Brush in, whose head had been pounded with an Indian paddle--then pointed to the south side, put a paddle into his hand and jumped overboard. They reached the south side, stripped off their clothing and crawled up the bank.
    They traveled south in their naked condition, following the beach at night and in and through the woods by day. At Cape Blanco, ten miles from Orford, friendly Indians took care of them and carried them in canoes to Port Orford the next day. Mr. Brush had several inches of his scalp cut off. It is not plain why they left their clothes, unless to deceive the savages, but they could not hide their trail from them. There is some incoherence in this statement, but that of others confirms the T'Vault story. A letter from Gardiner, Umpqua River, says that Cyrus Hedden and L. L. Williams reached that place after eight days' journey in the wilderness. Another one escaped with them, but they lost sight of him afterwards. Hedden was unhurt, but Williams was thought to be mortally wounded, as two arrows entered him, and he was fearfully bruised. They had lived all the time on wild berries and sea mussels.
    The regular correspondent, J.C.F., writes on the same topic from Orford. His story is similar, but even more voluminous. Superintendent Dart was then at Port Orford and sent one of his agents with an Indian chief to hold a talk with the villainous Coquilles. In the issue of November 4 the Statesman says another expedition failed to find a good route to the mines. This expedition had to leave one of their men a full week's travel in the wilderness, as he had sprained an ankle. They gave him all the food they had and promised to return for him with a horse, but he met friendly natives who took him home sooner. They had to hunt food, as they had none, but had the good luck to find game. He says:
    "Some few days since I went up the coast in company with thirteen others, for the purpose of recovering a rifle. It was taken by members of a tribe near there. They got the rifle and the revolver taken from T'Vault by the Coquilles, who had become very obedient, probably by means of blankets they had received. The steamer Columbia had arrived with two companies of dragoons that were to punish the Indians who had committed the hostilities.
    A correspondent writing from the Umpqua, date November 16, says that Mr. Williams was still at Gardiner and suffering from his wounds, hoping that Tichenor would come along with his Sea Gull and take him to San Francisco, where he could have proper treatment. We suppose this L. L. Williams to be identical with the gentleman so well known in Umpqua, who was for so many years clerk of Douglas County, and a captain of Oregon volunteers during the Civil War.
    The San Francisco Herald said, on December 5, 1851, that the steamer Columbia left Port Orford the week previous, and learned there that  Col. Casey, U.S.A., had had an engagement with the Coquilles when he went to punish them for the massacre of the T'Vault party. Several were killed, and the rest all dispersed. He also destroyed a large quantity of salmon, stored for winter use, all their weirs and nets, also many canoes. The natives near Port Orford had become very troublesome with their thieving. A military escort was aiding in the survey and location of a road to connect with the main route from the Willamette to the southern mines.
    The Alta California newspaper of December 9 has a letter from a young soldier--who was accidentally drowned before it was printed--where he says that a party of dismounted dragoons were landed, with infantry, at the Coquille and the Indians gave battle. They had a few guns, and kept it up for an hour. The troops crossed the river on a raft and made four days' pursuit, but found no Indians. They procured boats and started up the river with a force, and the Indians after awhile assaulted them from the banks. After some strategy they succeeded in getting at close quarters with the savages. Two soldiers died of wounds received. Many of the Indians were killed. Lieut. Stoneman, since distinguished in the Civil War, and lately governor of California, was prominent in this fight.
    Very soon after the tragedy of T'Vault's party, Superintendent Dart sent an agent with an Indian interpreter to the Coquille River to have a talk with the hostiles and try to bring them to peace, but they were surly, and even the promise of blankets and other ictas ["things"] would not pacify them. The agent returned with his hair on and all--or nearly all--his blankets on hand. The military force that finally scattered them was a terror they had no idea of. Finally they became peaceable, and all along the coast peace soon reigned supreme. The Indians at the Umpqua and Coos Bay, and all north of Coquille River, welcomed the whites and treated them kindly. The incident relating to Port Orford and the Coquilles, as here related, shows how troublesome they were at those places, and how much death and disaster they caused before [they were] finally subdued.
Oregonian, Portland, February 21, 1886, page 2

Our Port Orford Correspondence.