State of Oregon   )
Coos County        )  ss.
    W. H. Harris of said county, being duly sworn, says that on or about the 3rd day of July 1 A.D. 1856 I did personally by direction of Capt. Rinearson, a sub-Indian agent or person employed to remove the Coquille Indians to the Siletz Reservation, employ A. N. Foley M.D. to visit & medically attend as physician upon a sick Indian called "Ben" & to provide for the said Indian Ben & his mother food & things requisite & necessary.
    And affiant further says that the said A. N. Foley did to the personal knowledge of affiant visit & medically attend continuously from or about the 3rd day of July to the 19th day of October 1856 or about that day and that he also fed and furnished provisions for the said Indian named Ben & his mother and rendered them "every assistance necessary." And affiant further states that the above-named "Ben," an Indian, and his mother were left at Empire City in the county of Coos, Oregon by Capt. Rinearson on or about the third day of July A.D. 1856 (who was then employed in removing the Coquille Indians to the Siletz Reservation) on account of the sickness of the said "Ben" and their inability to travel to said reservation and that the said Rinearson, agent or person employed in the removal of said Indians as aforesaid, directed me to employ medical aid for said Indian and that said service rendered by said A. N. Foley M.D. was rendered at my request by reason of the direction and request of the said Rinearson continuously from time to time as required by the necessities of the said Indians during the time aforesaid.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th day of March A.D. 1862.
   
State of Oregon   )
Coos County        )  ss.
    I, J. S. Macnamara, Clerk of said county, do hereby certify that B. B. Brockway, whose genuine signature is attached to the foregoing affidavit, was at the time of signing the same a justice of the peace for said county, and that full faith and credit are due to all his acts as such. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal this 13th day of May A.D. 1862.
NARA Series M234 Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs 1824-81, Reel 613 Oregon Superintendency, 1862-1863, frames 417-418.


    THE INDIANS IN SOUTH OREGON.--The Oregonian of June 28th says:
    It is said that the Indian war in Southern Oregon is at an end. We hope this is so. If the 600 specimen Indians from that region, which passed through this city last week, under charge of Superintendent Palmer, are the sort of warriors to contend against, we wonder it has lasted so long. They were mostly either old decrepit specimens of the race or filthy squaws and naked children. We noticed but few among the whole number able to bear arms, carry a torch or run away. Our opinion is that these were sent off to enable to real warriors the better to plunder and lay waste the country. This idea of the general government protecting and feeding the lame, halt and blind, to enable the young, athletic, bloodthirsty of the race greater scope of operation and more freedom to rob, murder, burn and steal is a kind of patriotic humanity we cannot fully comprehend.
Sacramento Daily Union, July 9, 1856, page 2


To His Excellency Geo. L. Curry:
    SIR--Since my last, from the Big Bend of Rogue River, my command has completed the campaign of Rogue River, Pistol and Chetco rivers, and I am happy to inform you that the command has met with complete success, and that the war in Southern Oregon is now ended, with much credit to those who so nobly endured the hardships and privations of so arduous a campaign.
    On the 10th of June, my command took up its line of march from the Big Bend to the mouth of Illinois River, where Major Reynolds was camped with a command of U.S. troops. On the 11th we crossed to the south side of Rogue River and camped at [the] volunteer camp, fifteen miles from the crossing of the river. On the 13th, I ordered a detachment of 75 men, under the command of Major Latshaw, to move down the river to its mouth and meet my command. The command under Major Latshaw was composed of detachments from the companies of Capts. Bledsoe, Blakely, Keith, Noland and Capt. Barnes' spy company. The orders given them were completely executed--burning all the Indian villages, capturing forty canoes (twenty of which were left for the use of Lt. Sweitzer in bringing his wounded men to the mouth of the river), and destroying a great number of caches of the enemy.
    I then sent out an expedition under Maj. Bruce to Pistol River, to drive those Indians into the camp of the regulars, who arrived at the mouth of the river on the evening of the 13th, and took up their camp on the north side, where they remained some four or five days. I procured the services of Mr. McGuire, special Indian agent, to go with the command under Maj. Bruce, and take one of Chief Joshua's boys with him to notify all those who wished to come in and deliver up their arms that they would be received as prisoners of war. Maj. Bruce sent an express to my camp, on the night of the 14th, to inform me that he had sent the Indian boy out, and that he had a talk with the Pistol River and Chetco River Indians--that they said they would not come in, but would kill all the whites who came into their country, and also all the Indians who came to talk for the whites. On the 15th, I sent a command of 40 men with six days' rations to the assistance of Maj. Bruce, with orders to scour the country of Pistol and Chetco rivers and drive into the camp of the regulars all of the Indians they could not capture. By moving in the night, they succeeded in surprising a band of Indians on Pistol River, where they killed two and captured some fifteen or more. On the 16th the command proceeded to Chetco, where, on the night of the 17th and the morning of the 18th, they surprised a band of Chetco Indians, killing one and capturing over twenty others. These eight movements have had the desired effect and compelled the Indians to come to terms. All of them are now in, or are coming in, to camp daily. On the 20th and 21st, the command of Maj. Bruce reached my camp and brought with them thirty-one prisoners, leaving two men and one woman to notify the others Indians to come in, or the volunteers would again be sent out against them.
    I have ordered Maj. Latshaw to take the companies of Capts. Noland, Blakely and Keith, and proceed to the military station at the Big Meadows and attend to moving all government property from there and deliver it over to the proper officers at Roseburg, and on his way up, if he can fall in with old John's band of Indians, to drive them into the camp of Col. Buchanan, as that is the only safe place for them to remain, all the others having come to terms. Maj. Latshaw has orders, so soon as he shall have performed those duties to proceed with his command to Eugene City, and there to have his men honorably discharged. The spy company, under Capt. James Barnes, came to this place with me. I have ordered them to proceed to Roseburg, and there to be honorably discharged. Capt. Bledsoe's company will arrive here today from the mouth of Rogue River, with some prisoners, amongst whom is the noted Chetco chief. His people will soon follow, as most of his leading warriors have been either killed or captured. The captured are now at this place.
    I have not had means to feed and transport the prisoners captured by my command, and I have turned them over to the different Indian agents, whenever it was most convenient for safety as follows: To Mr. Metcalfe, at the Big Meadows, 19; to Mr. McGuire, at the mouth of Rogue River, 32; to Mr. Olney, at Port Orford, 33, and a number will be in soon, with Capt. Bledsoe's command. These do not include 32 which were taken by Capt. Bledsoe, prisoners, [up] to this time, 20 of which were turned over to Gen. Palmer, at Port Orford, and 12 to Major Reynolds, at the confluence of Illinois and Rogue rivers. This he was bound to do, as the service at that time required prompt and rapid movements.
    I am happy to state that every time the volunteers have met the Indians they have completely routed them, killing and capturing them at all times, under circumstances even the most disadvantageous. Great credit is due to both officers and men for their gallantry, and the manner in which they have endured fatigue--having to march a good portion of the time, both day and night, over the roughest country on the Pacific Slope. Some of the men were frequently without boots or shoes, and going on half rations, on account of the long night marches, when it was not possible for us to take our pack animals with us.
    I understand that Gen. Wool has given Col. Buchanan orders not to act in concert with the territorial troops, but the manner which the U.S. troops were dealt with, at the Big Bend of Rogue River, convinced the Colonel that the volunteers were superior to even his best troops--especially for Indian fighting.
    I am most happy to bear testimony to the gallant bearing of the officers under Col. Buchanan. They have rendered the country eminent service. And, from what I can learn, would have acted more cordially with the volunteers, had it not been, perhaps, for superior orders. Still the U.S. troops were of some advantage to us, as they kept their net open, as it were, and the volunteers drove the Indians into it--for they had not a prisoner in their camp until Maj. Latshaw's command made the attack upon the bands of Limpy and George, on the 28th of May--and in fact the only prisoners taken during the war have been taken by the volunteers.
    In the late campaign, I am under many obligations to the officers and men of the command. Majors Bruce and Latshaw were as usual always ready whenever duty called. Adjutant Munson has also rendered efficient aid in the discharge of his duties, and is a most excellent officer. Capts. Keith, Blakely and Noland have been prompt and efficient in the discharge of their duties--both officers and men of these companies have rendered the country distinguished service, and have nobly represented the counties from which they came as citizen soldiers. To Capt. Bledsoe's company this section of the coast as well as the whole Territory are under many obligations. The officers and men of this company deserve the highest commendation for their zeal and promptitude in bringing about a speedy peace. The spy company under Capt. Barnes has acted with the utmost alacrity, and have rendered a great deal of service both night and day, being always ready at a moment's notice. The men of this company deserve well of their country. My present aide, Lieut. Hawley, has rendered me important assistance, as well as the command under me, and as he is well known to the Department, it is not necessary for me to say any more.
    I was agreeably surprised to find one of the finest grazing countries I have ever seen on the western coast during our last expedition from the Big Bend to the mouth of Rogue River. On this trail there are numerous bald hills covered with grass and clover of the richest growth, and to the height of three feet in some places. There is also a large belt of country along the coast which is better adapted to stock-growing than any other portion of Oregon Territory. For forty miles up the Coquille River from the coast, we also found beautiful pasturage for stock. There are great inducements here to persons engaged in stock-growing.
    During our last campaign we have passed over a vast extent of country fraught with every indication of gold, and I have no doubt that there will be extensive gold discoveries made in this region so soon as a permanent peace is restored to this portion of the country. There is quite a large extent of country at the mouth of Rogue River which is susceptible of cultivation, and there will be heavy settlement here soon, as the landholders will always find a ready market for the products of their labor on Gold Beach, the mines of which are very extensive.
    This war will be a benefit to Oregon in some respects--it will be the means of opening the resources of the country, and it has given hundreds of men a more extensive knowledge of Southern Oregon than would have been gained for years without it.
    I will leave tomorrow for Salem. I can there give you things more in detail.
    I am, respectfully, your obdt. servt.,
Oregon Statesman, Salem, July 22, 1856, page 2


    A. J. Barlow, formerly a resident of Grants Pass, has left us an addendum that needs to be quoted. Barlow was General Lane's nephew. His letter follows:
    Uncle David Gilmore of Woodville relates an interesting reminiscence of pioneer history. In June of 1856, soon after the Rogue River Indians were subjugated and were being taken to the Siletz reservation by Indian Agent Robert Metcalfe, about a dozen bucks and three or four squaws, who could not endure the idea of being forced by the hated whites on a reservation not of their own choice, concluded to desert and betake themselves to the mountains, which they did at Myrtle Creek in Douglas County.
    They were unarmed and had but little provisions, just what they stole from the camp on the night before they deserted. They soon managed to make themselves bows and arrows with which to kill game.
    Not many weeks after they went into the mountains, the settlers along the Umpqua River noticed that they commenced to miss provisions and wearing apparel. These little thefts became more and more frequent, so much so, indeed, that the settlers laid all sorts of traps to catch the midnight marauders but to no avail, the redskins being too foxy.
    This business continued uninterruptedly until the summer of 1857, when one hot moonlight July night, the Gilmores were awakened from their slumbers by the stampeding of their horses. When daylight came they went to the pasture to find that the Indians had shot their horses with arrows. Some had been shot through the bowels and afterward died. This so exasperated the settlers that they determined to hunt the red devils down.
    General Lane had just been elected to Congress, and he was consulted in relation to the matter. He at once organized a searching party, consisting of himself, Col. Wm. Martin of Jacksonville [sic], A. J. Burnett, David Gilmore, John Fitzhugh and his younger son, Lafayette, a lad of 15 years, and three friendly Klamath Indians named Sampson, Captain Chief and Joe Snakes.
    The searching party set out in the direction of Camas Valley and the head of Coquille River. After they had been out about three or four days the General divided his forces. He sent Burnett and Gilmore, accompanied by Captain Chief and Joe Snakes in the direction of Camas Valley, with instructions that if they discovered Indian signs to return to a certain place and report.
    Burnett and Gilmore had not proceeded many miles until they found unmistakable signs of the close proximity of Indians. They at once wheeled about and joined Lane's party about sundown of the same day they started. The next day, bright and early, all hands were in their saddles.
    The General cautioned the men not to make any noise, such as shooting at game, which was forbidden. However, about noon the party came suddenly in sight of an unusually large black bear. The temptation was irresistible, and the General sang out, "Let us give it to him, men." In an instant every man in the party sent his leaden missile into bruin's carcass, killing him instantly.
    One of the Indians wanted the itchfoot's hide, and accordingly they skinned him. They were detained at this about an hour, when they proceeded to move along cautiously in pursuit of the Indians. They soon found Indian signs, but by this time the day was drawing to a close. The party concluded to return to the gulch where they had shot the bear, in order to get water.
    When they arrived at the spot they were dumbfounded to find that the Indians had preceded them to the same spot and cut and carried the bear to their own camp, which evidently could not be far away. A guard was kept out all night. The next morning the searching party started down the gulch. Col. Martin discovered smoke on the left-hand side of the gulch.
    The party cautiously crossed over and soon went unobserved into the Indian encampment, which was a genuine surprise. In an instant the Indians were in a fearful commotion. They evidently thought they would all be murdered. Gen. Lane, with characteristic coolness, informed the Indians that his party did not come to kill them, but to capture them and send them to the reservation where they belonged--that they had to submit at once, and that any resistance on their part would cause all of them to be shot.
    The General ordered his men to keep their hands near their pistols and to proceed to gather up the bows and arrows of the Indians. Soon all their traps were gathered and loaded on the horses, and the captors and captives started for the Umpqua Valley. They traveled all day and at night camped at a beautiful stream called Snowberry Creek. A close watch was kept over the Indians during the night.
    In the meantime, however, it should be stated that two young Indians named Jim Burnteye and Bogus had the day before gone on a hunting tour. When they returned to their camp and ascertained that the whites had captured their comrades, their bewilderment and grief can be imagined.
    However, they followed the tracks of the captors into the valley to ascertain what the whites intended to do with their friends. When Jim Burnteye and Bogus found that the whites did not contemplate killing them, they also came in and gave themselves up.
    It turned out that the Indians, when they heard the shooting of the bear, merely supposed it was a hunting party out for game and little dreamed that they, themselves, were the game sought. They were taken to Winchester and there remained until officers from Alsea arrived and removed them unwillingly, as usual, to the reservation, from whence most of them doubtless, long ere this, have passed to the happy hunting ground.
Daily Courier, Grants Pass, April 2, 1960, Indians and Mining Section, page 12



    For thirty-one weary days the settlers of Rogue River were thus imprisoned in their comfortless fortress, each day bringing its menace of death, only averted by unremitting vigilance. They hoped for deliverance, but when it would come was beyond rational conjecture. It was almost impossible for those active, daring men to submit to such a life of idleness and restraint, and many a reckless venture was made to find relief from monotony even at the risk of life. But there came a day when the welcome sight of an advancing column of soldiers greeted their vision, and a detachment of two companies of "regulars" halted nearby. The Indians moved up the river to what they regarded as a stronghold. There, after an unimportant engagement, they agreed to lay down their arms. The terms of capitulation were arranged, and the majority of the Indians were soon removed to the Siletz Reservation, about one hundred and fifty miles up the coast. But a considerable number of stragglers remained, including several of those who had been foremost in the treacherous murders of the late outbreak. One of these was seen, and instantly recognized by Mrs. Geisel as belonging to the party that murdered her husband and sons. He was seized by the citizens and taken to a point near the scene of his terrible crime, and there summarily hung to the limb of a tree. Capt. Wm. Tichenor was authorized to gather together these straggling savages, and take them to the reservation. He entered upon the difficult task, and succeeded in collecting some fifteen or twenty men, and a larger number of squaws and papooses, and with these he started north from Rogue River. They had gone but a few miles when the Indians showed signs of insubordination, and, at a point where the road passes near the ruins of the home of the unfortunate Geisels, a halt was ordered, and a number of citizens were summoned to help in keeping the refractory prisoners under control. Other settlers flocked to the place, and, roused to frenzy by the near presence of those whose hands had been so recently dyed with the blood of their kindred and neighbors, they fell upon the savages, and a bloody massacre followed. The squaws and children, in a melancholy train, moved on toward the reservation; but the soil of the prairie drank the blood of the warriors.
G. Webster, "The Rogue River Indian War of 1855-56," Overland Monthly, September 1884, pages 235-240


    The Observer is in receipt of the following communication from a well-known Indian from the Grand Ronde Reservation, with the request that it be printed. It will be of interest to many Polk County people:
    "Grand Ronde, Ore., Oct. 9, 1912.
    "Now I will please ask the Polk County Observer, being I am one of the subscribers, to have this piece published, so all my pioneer friends will know. For I am a Rogue River Indian and the only one; only man that is alive of the Rogue River tribes. I was named by Captain Smith, in Rogue River; I was named with his own name at the time of the Rogue River war, and after the war I was brought to the Grand Ronde Reservation. My mother and I sailed from the Rogue River and I am the only child living that was brought on the ship, and that was in 1855. We were brought around to Dayton and through Dayton, and I was carried by my mother in her arms to the reservation.
    "I am one of the directors of Rogue River school house No. 66, Polk County, Oregon. I shall drive through Dallas the 16th of October, 1912; also go to Salem to catch the train, to visit my old country. I shall go to the Table Rock, where all my chiefs had made our treaty; and my trip may reach as far as Jacksonville, and I shall notify all the persons as I go, and as I return I shall make them a speech in some of the largest towns. I shall also visit the Chemawa Indian school as I return, which I have never visited yet. I think all my people and friends will be glad to see me. I hope this will be satisfactory to the Observer. From
Polk County Observer, Monmouth, October 15, 1912, page 1


    We think of the recall as a more or less modern feature of Oregon politics. As a matter of actual fact, the recall was extensively used in Oregon 60 years ago, though it was not called by that name. In the territorial legislature one of the favorite pastimes was recalling officials.
    In 1856 the Oregon legislature requested the President of the United States to recall General Wool as commander of the Department of the Pacific. At the same session the legislators camped on the trail of General Joel Palmer, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Oregon, determined to get his scalp.
    The friendly Indians were being removed to agencies to protect them from being killed by lawless whites. Word was brought to the tribes that if they went to the agencies they would certainly be killed. General Palmer told them if they remained where they were they would be killed. So the poor Indians were between the devil and the deep blue sea, and didn't know what to do.
    The following letter written by Joel Palmer from Dayton, Oregon Territory, on January 22, 1856, gives an interesting sidelight on the "white man's war," which, like a wheel within a wheel, was carried on bitterly during the Indian wars of '55 and '56. Mr. Palmer's letter is addressed to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Washington, D.C., and reads in part as follows.
    "The identification of E. R. Geary, my secretary, with that class of persons who encourage a spirit of resistance to the carrying out of the plans, adopted under your instructions, for the colonization and settlement of Indian tribes in this territory has induced me to dispense with his services in this office. The other consideration inducing this course is the bungling manner in which the accounts and papers in this office have been gotten up by which it is greatly feared pecuniary losses may be sustained.
    "The lower house of the legislative assembly passed a memorial by an almost unanimous vote, asking Congress to restrain the Superintendent of Indian Affairs from locating Indians in this valley and declaring me foolish and visionary in attempting to settle Indians upon the coast reservations. During the discussion of this memorial the members had agreed in caucus to petition the President for my removal, and, after several meetings among the members and disagreements as to which of their number was entitled to the boon, a letter was drawn up and signed by three of the members propounding certain questions to Mr. Geary, among which was: Whether in the event of his appointment to the superintendency he would countermand the order by which the friendly Indians were to be congregated at the encampment and whether he would encourage the abandonment of the coast reservation. He was informed that upon his answer depended his chances for obtaining the vote in the caucus asking the President for my dismissal and his appointment."
    The following petition, copied from the official records of the Oregon territorial legislative session of 1856, speaks for itself and shows that in those long-gone days they used the recall with great effectiveness:
    "To his excellency, Franklin Pierce, President of the United States:
    "We, the undersigned Democratic members of the council and house of representatives of the Territory of Oregon, would most respectfully but earnestly pray your excellency to remove the present incumbent, Joel Palmer, from the office of Superintendent of Indian Affairs of this territory. This we ask for the following reasons:
    "First--The official conduct of the said Palmer, during the two years last past, abundantly satisfies your petitioners that he, the said Palmer, is unqualified for the proper discharge of the duties of said office. In forming treaties with Indian tribes within this territory he has, in entire and willful disregard of the expressed unwillingness of the recognized chiefs of tribes to assent to or sign proposed treaties, recognized other Indians as chiefs of tribes and received their signatures to his treaties, which, together with other foolish and visionary acts and movements on his part, has greatly contributed to produce the present Indian war and to bring upon the defenseless inhabitants of this frontier the combined power and hostility of a horde of worthless savages. And what is still more inexcusable and unendurable, the said Palmer is at this moment engaged in efforts to purchase the land claims of citizens residing on the west side of the Willamette Valley contiguous to the Coast Range mountains with the avowed intention of bringing thousands of Indians from remote parts of the country and colonizing them in the heart of this, the Willamette valley.
    "Second--We would also further represent to your excellency the fact that the said Palmer, representing himself to be a sound national Democrat, but through a spirit of political perfidy, ingratitude and meanness, he, the said Palmer, did about one year since join the 'Know Nothings,' and having bound himself with the perfidious oath of that dark and hellish secret political order, has faithfully kept his oath and neglected to vote for the nominees of the Democratic Party and by appointing incompetent 'Know Nothing Whigs' to office to the exclusion of sound, worthy and competent Democrats.
    "We earnestly pray that the said Palmer may be promptly removed from said office of Indian superintendent and that Edward R. Geary, a sound, consistent and reliable national Democrat and an able and worthy citizen, be appointed in his stead, and we will not allow ourselves to believe for one moment that our prayer will be disregarded."
    This memorial was signed at Salem, January 8, 1856, by Delazon Smith. speaker of the house of representatives, and the following members of the territorial legislature:
    William Tichenor, H. C. Buckingham, John Robinson, F. Waymire, R. P. Boise, Philo Callender, Hyer Jackson, James Officer, William Hutson, Hugh L. Brown, Orville Risley, A. McAlexander, I. R. Moores. John Harris, B. P. Grant, G. W. Brown, John E. Hale, M. C. Barkwell, Andrew Shuck, A. R. Burbank, William P. Harpole, Hugh D. O'Bryant, John M. Harrison, Charles Drain, LaFayette Grover, Thomas Smith, N. Huber, H. Straight, J. M. Cozad, N. H. Gates, James M. Fulkerson, A. P. Dennison, president of the council; James K. Kelly, John C. Peebles.
Oregon Journal, Portland, May 14, 1914, page 8


    After the Rogue River war was over, Frank Drew, the Indian agent, asked for an escort of soldiers to take Old Sam's band of Indians to the Siletz Reservation. I was one of the guard. Old Sam was a well-built man and stout as a horse. He looked like a thoroughbred and was very brave. If he hadn't been a pesky Indian he would have been considered a handsome and courageous man.
    I didn't think so then, but I know now that the Rogue River Indian War was the white man's fault. If I had been an Indian I would have fought, too. The bad white men would get full of booze and bother the young squaws and pretty young girls, and when the Indian men would resent it, the drunken white would shoot the Indians. Some of those Indians were certainly good fighters. I'll say this for them: The Indians always kept their word. The white men never did.
John Sidney Montgomery, quoted by Fred Lockley, "Oregon: In Early Days," Oregon Journal, Portland, June 19, 1915, page 4


    "We took about 700 Indians by boat to Portland and from there to the reservation at Grand Ronde in Polk County. We escorted Chief John's band and the Pistol River and Chetco bands from near Roseburg overland to the Grand Ronde Reservation. That settled the Rogue River War."
Michael Kinney, quoted by Fred Lockley, "Oregon: In Early Days," Oregon Journal, Portland, May 12, 1915, page 6


    At the close of the war, in the spring of 1856, after the treaty was concluded, Captain Smith, with some sixty regular troops under his command, escorted the Indians out of the valley and to the Siletz Reservation. In passing through the Grave Creek Hills, a man named [Timoleon] Love, whose brother had been killed by the Indians, fired from the hillside and killed one of the leading Indians. He was promptly arrested and brought to Canyonville as a prisoner. I remember seeing him, sitting in a tent with his hands tied and two regular soldiers in guard over him. Some of the citizens thought of raising a posse and by force take him away from Captain Smith, but better counsels prevailed. A night or two afterwards, while encamped at Roseburg, a man by the name of Major Cranmore, and one or two friends, came to the camp and asked permission to talk with Love, which Captain Smith granted. They left Love two quarts of whiskey in his tent. That night, Love, being a generous sort of a fellow, gave the sentry who guarded over him one quart of it, which soon rendered the soldier hors de combat. Love then took the sentry's knife and cut the ropes from his arms and legs, and, helping himself to the sentry's gun, walked out of camp. I knew him in after years. The government of the United States never had a chance to try him.
William M. Colvig, "Annual Address," Transactions of the Forty-Fourth Annual Reunion of the Oregon Pioneer Association, June 22, 1916, page 348


    The Indians had two chiefs then. Chief Sam was a peace chief and Chief Joe was a war chief. Every morning Chief Sam would call the roll to see that all the Indians were there and had not escaped in the night to murder the helpless whites.
    Mr. Hay was one of the men who helped gather up the Indians to send them to Siletz Reservation in Lincoln County. He got about $40 a day for the work. Thelma Williams, age 13, "Sketches of Pioneer Days," Gold Hill News, July 8, 1926, page 3


    When people came to settle this section they moved the Indians to Siletz Reservation in Lincoln County. Seven men were appointed to gather the Indians up; one of them was Mr. Hay. Sometimes they got forty Indians a day, and they got a dollar a head for them.
Joseph Boyce Kellogg, age 12, "Sketches of Pioneer Days," Gold Hill News, July 8, 1926, page 4