Copyright 2000 - 2003 - Janine M. Bork
This page is part of the
Union County, OR AGHP
CHAPTER XLIII.
(1851.)
Settlement and Organization of Umpqua County - First County Election - First Postoffices and Postmasters - Pioneer Merchants - United States Collector of Customs - Shipping - Discovery and Settlement of Port Orford - Desperate Fight with Savages - Indians Become Acquainted with Cannon - Disastrous Ending of First Settlement - Second Attempt to Settle Port Orford - Disastrous Explorations - Humane Indian Boy - Inhuman Massacre - Savage Butchery and Cremation - The First Indian Mission - A Disgraceful Failure - Military Expedition - Settlement of Rogue River Valley - Discovery of Gold - Saw-mills and Grist-mills.
IN ADDITION to the campaign before related in the year of 1851 was an eventful one for Southern Oregon in regard to its settlements. During this year, the Umpqua valley, the fertile soil and equable climate of which was well known to the early pioneers, became settled. From the Calapooia Mountains to the Umpqua cañon, from Yoncalla to the seaport of Scottsburg, and, in fact, in every open valley, daring settlers had taken claims under the Donation Act. Each one of these settlers was a hero, and his wife a heroine. Compelled to live in the most primitive manner, without any of the luxuries and without many of the necessities to which they had been accustomed, at the risk of their lives from hostile savages, they determined to carve out a home for themselves and their posterity.
The act of 1850, establishing the county of Umpqua, having omitted to provide the time and places of holding elections, Governor John P. Gaines, in April, 1851, issued a proclamation ordering the election to be held at the time of the regular election in June, and fixing the polling places at the house of Jesse Applegate in Yoncalla, at Reason (Scottsburg), the head of tide water on the Umpqua river. This election resulted in the choice of Dr. Joseph W. Drew, Representative; J.W. Perit Huntington, Clerk; Henry Jacquith, Sheriff; A. German, Treasurer; A. Perce, Assessor; Ben J. Grubbe, J.N. Hall and William Golden, County Commissioners. The total vote was seventy-eight; but it is safe to say that not more than half the vote was polled, owing to the distance from the polls and the pressing necessity of the settlers and merchants to remain at home. Soon after, the county offices were organized and the business in full operation. Elkton was designated as the county seat. This point was on the main Umpqua river, opposite the site of Fort Umpqua, but never grew into a town, and was afterwards abandoned. Pack trails were cut out from Scottsburg to Yoncalla, and from Scottsburg to Winchester, and two ferries established across the bend of the Umpqua river, the lower one by Henry H. Woodward and the upper one by Abijah Ives. Postoffices were established at Scottsburg, with S.F. Chadwick, postmaster; Gardiner, George L. Snelling, postmaster; Elkton, Daniel B. Wells, postmaster; and Umpqua City, Amos E. Rogers, postmaster.
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These were the first postoffices south of the Calapooia Mountains. The chief source of this prosperity was the opening of the Umpqua river to commerce, and the establishment of mercantile houses at Scottsburg to supply the mines of Northern California, by means of which the settlers could procure their supplies without the heavy expense of transportation from the Willamette valley by pack trains.
Scottsburg, at this time, like ancient Gaul, was divided into three parts. The claim of Levi Scott, the original one, was known as Upper Scottsburg, that of Dr. E.R. Fiske, next below, was Middle Scottsburg, and the lower, that of William Sloan, as Lower Scottsburg. In December, 1850, Captain Morgan, of the bark Minerva, and J. Woodbury, of Hartford, Connecticut, established the first store at Middle Scottsburg. In January, 1851, Turner & Chism put up a store in Upper Scottsburg; and the next in order was the establishment of Duncan McTavish with an extensive stock of goods. Then followed in rapid succession the firms of Merritt, Oppenheimer & Co.; Bradbury & Co.; Wadsworth, Peter & Ladd; R.E. Stratton; Dunlap & Co.; Dr. L.S. Thompson; Brown, Dunn & Co.; Geo. L. Snelling. These were all in Upper Scottsburg. In Lower Scottsburg, the firms were A. German & Co.; Chadwick, Hinsdale & Co.; Allen, McKinlay & Co.; Burns & Wood; and Mr. Hogan. Several of these firms had large pack trains, by which they shipped their goods to the mines, where they received fabulous prices. In May, Collins Willson was appointed collector of the port, and arrived at his post of duty, on the Sea Gull, in August. The entries at this port during 1851 were the McLellan, Andrew Roy, Capacity, Harriet, Minerva, Kate Heath, Commodore Preble, McLellan, Ortolan, Emily Farnham, Sea Gull, Almira, Fawn, Chesapeake and Orchilla. Nearly all of these vessels brought cargoes of merchandise, and for return cargo carried piles, wood, charcoal and fish.
Fortune seemed to favor the adventurous settlers of the Umpqua, as but one casualty is reported during the year, which was the drowning of Briggs A. Turner and Captain Isaac Toner of the brig McLellan on the 7th of July, in the Umpqua river, by the upsetting of a boat.
The success of the venture at the mouth of the Umpqua stimulated others to find a new port within easier reach of the mines. Captain William Tichnor, a shipmaster from New Jersey, who arrived at San Francisco, in the fall of 1849 by the overland route, having purchased the schooner Jacob Ryerson, left San Francisco on an exploring voyage along the northern coast, and on March 26, 1850, discovered a harbor or roadstead in latitude forty-two degrees, forty-three minutes, some twenty miles north of the mouth of Rogue river, which he named Port Orford. Subsequently, he was appointed captain of the Sea Gull, a steamer plying between San Francisco and Portland, Oregon. The distance from Port Orford to the mines in Northern California is, in a direct line, less than one-third of that by the way of the mouth of the Umpqua; and as the topography of the country was unknown, never having been explored by white men, it was reasonable to suppose that as good a trail or road would be found up the valley of Rogue river as had been found in the Umpqua.
Acting under this belief, Captain
Tichnor determined to make a settlement at Port Orford. While at Portland
the last of May, 1851, he engaged nine men for that purpose. Having secured
a good supply of provisions, arms and ammunition, he took them about the
Sea
Gull on her trip to San Francisco; and on the 9th of June, 1851, they
were safely landed at Port Orford, together with the ship's gun and
copper magazine. The names of these adventurers were J.M. Kirkpatrick,
Captain J.H. Egan, Joseph Hussey,
Cyrus Hedden, R.E. Summers, P.D. Palmer, McCune, Rideout and Stater. After the landing, the ship proceeded on her voyage, the captain promising the men that on his return trip, which would be in twelve days, he would bring them a reinforcement from San Francisco. Upon arriving at that port, it was found necessary to repair and paint the ship, which delayed her return. While his vessel was being repaired, Captain Tichnor made a trip to Portland on the Pacific Mail Company's steamer Columbia, Captain Leroy commanding, in the capacity of pilot. As they entered the harbor of Port Orford, a number of canoes filled with Indians were seen paddling with all haste to the southward. The ship fired her gun to warn the men left there of her approach. As soon as the gun was fired, all the Indians plunged overboard and swam to the shore. After the vessel was anchored, a boat was manned and pulled ashore. At the landing lay a dead Indian. An immediate search proved that the carriage of the gun had been broken up, and that the magazine, as well as the tents were gone. Hard bread and pork were scattered around, and devastation everywhere. Fragments of a diary were found scattered around, in which all the events that had happened up to the previous evening were recorded. A further diligent search having failed to find any trace of the men, the ship proceeded on her voyage to Portland, all on board being fully satisfied that the men left had been massacred.
The adventures of the first settlers of Port Orford are best told in a letter written by their Captain, J.M. Kirkpatrick. He says: "We were landed at Port Orford on the morning of the 9th of June, 1851. We found the Indians, who made their appearance when we first landed, to be somewhat friendly disposed, manifesting a disposition to trade with us; but this did not last longer than the steamer lay in the bay. As soon as she left, they grew saucy and ordered us off. Finding that we would not go, they all left. In the meantime, we had taken possession of a small island or rock, detached from the mainland by a passage about one hundred yards in width, upon which we made our encampment. We had a four-pounder cannon, which we had brought from the steamer. This we planted in front of our encampment, so as to rake the passage to the bottom or offset in the island. The Indians did not make their appearance till early the next morning, when they began to gather on the beach in considerable numbers. I noticed that they were better armed than when we first landed. There were about forty of them on the ground.
"At sunrise, they built up several
fires and went through with a regular war-dance. They were joined by others
who came over the hills, and shortly after by twelve others wit a chief,
who came in a large canoe. By this time, there were about sixty of them.
As soon as the chief landed, they began to come up the island. We met them
and made signs that we would shoot them if they did not go back. This had
no effect on them, and they still came on. We then retired to the top of
the island, where we had our gun stationed. They had by this time gained
the top of the first step, about forty of them in number. They then made
a rush to pitch into the camp among us, the chief leading the way. As he
approached the top of the hill, he seized hold of a musket in the hands
of one of the men and would have wrenched it out of his hands had not another
man struck him over the hands and knocked his hold loose. In an instant,
they threw a volley of arrows at us, the most of them passing over our
heads. The great crowd of them were within six feet of the mouth of the
cannon. I jerked up a firebrand, and discharged the cannon among them,
killing some six or eight dead. This threw them into confusion, which we
followed up with a discharge from our rifles and pistols. Three of them
only got into the camp, and were knocked down with the butts of our guns.
The fight lasted
about fifteen minutes, when the Indians broke and ran, leaving thirteen dead on the ground. They fled to the hills and rocks, and continued to shoot their arrows at us for some time. There were a great many of them wounded, and I learned afterwards from an Indian at the mouth of the Umpqua, who could speak jargon, that there were twenty killed and fifteen wounded. There were four of our men wounded.
"The Indians got several rifles, and shot at us in the afternoon, but with no effect. During the afternoon, a chief came up the beach, and made signs that he wanted to come into camp. He threw his arms down on the sand, and we let him come up. He made signs that he wanted to take away the dead. This we let him do; and, while he was in the camp, I made signs to him that, in fourteen days from the time we arrived there, we would go away. After they had taken away their dead, they fired a few shots at us and left. We were not troubled by them any more till the morning of the fifteenth day, when they attacked us again. There were a great many more at the second fight than at the first. There were at least fifteen of them to one of us. Their chief came out and urged them in tones that could be heard a mile distant, but could not prevail on them to make the second rush on us. They shot their arrows at us at the distance of three hundred yards, a great many of them falling in the camp; but none of us received the slightest injury. We were at this time in a critical situation. Our ammunition was just about gone. We had not more than eight or nine rounds of shot left, and were surrounded by at least one hundred and fifty Indians. The only alternative left was to take to the woods, and make our way to the habitation of white men. Here fortune appeared to favor us. The Indians drew off, and went down the coast to the mouth of a small creek, where they built a number of fires. There were still a number that stayed to watch us. We then went to work to strengthen our breastwork. This movement had the desired effect; for, in a few minutes, they all left to join the others. This gave us an opportunity to make our escape to the woods, which we effected, leaving everything we had in the camp, except our small arms."
The account of the journey to the Umpqua, told in the same way, is very interesting, although full of painful incidents. The party was obliged to avoid the beach, where they could have obtained food, on account of hostile Indians, and for four days were obliged to subsist on salmon berries, which are a very light diet. On the evening of the fourth day, they struck the beach, where they got some mussels, upon which they lived until they reached the mouth of Coos river. Here they found some friendly Indians, who furnished them food, but compelled them to give the shirts from their backs as the price of crossing them to the other side. After almost incredible hardships, they arrived at the mouth of the Umpqua on the eighth day after leaving Battle Rock, as it has since been appropriately named, and were kindly greeted by the settlers in Umpqua City and Gardiner.
Captain Tichnor, upon his return
to San Francisco on July 1st, found the Sea Gull ready to take in
cargo, and, not disheartened by the disastrous result of his first venture,
adhered to his purpose of making a settlement at Port Orford. He accordingly
called for volunteers, which were easily obtained, as there were in the
city at that time a large number of adventurous, as well as idle and destitute,
persons willing to go anywhere, if it promised success or the means of
support. The vessel sailed with sixty-seven men, under the command of James
S. Gamble. They were provided with a brass six-pounder gun, two iron swivels
and small arms of the most approved pattern obtainable at that time, with
ammunition, provisions, clothing and everything necessary for a four-months'
siege. All were safely landed on the 14th of July. The volunteers were
active and intelligent
young men for the most part, who made good citizens; and many of them made their mark upon the history of Southern Oregon, among whom must be named L.L. Williams, whose record will more fully appear. But, unfortunately, some of them were the worst desperadoes that could have been found in the Golden City. Mr. Nolan joined the expedition at Humboldt Bay.
Immediately on their arrival, a point was selected on the mainland, which was picketed, and two blockhouses erected inside of heavy logs, which was named Fort Point. Upon the return of the Sea Gull, Captain Tichnor brought some swine and six horses. W.G. T'Vault, who had been a guide for Major Kearney in the spring, came as a passenger, and was expected to discover the most direct route to the mines in the interior. Upon the departure of the vessel, it was found necessary to send fourteen of the most desperate and insubordinate back to San Francisco. The prospects at this time were very favorable. The fortifications had been completed, and the Indians began to come in, showing a disposition to trade and be friendly.
On the 24th of August, two parties were sent to find a trail to the overland route, one under the command of Mr. Nolan, the other under T'Vault. The first-named party returned safely after being out seven days, but were entirely unsuccessful in accomplishing their object. The party under T'Vault also failed in their purpose, but were much more unfortunate. The T'Vault company consisted of eighteen men, with six pack horses to carry provisions, blankets, etc., and was accompanied by an Indian chief, who went to guide them to the Rogue river. After being out eight or nine days, nine of hte party returned to Port Orford, bringing a flattering report of their progress. The party were proceeding easterly until they reached the Rogue river, where the Indian guide left them. They followed this course but a short distance, when they left the river, and in about ten miles found an Indian trail leading in a northerly direction, which they pursued for several days, under the belief that it would lead them to the Umpqua river. Upon reaching the stream, it proved to be the south branch of the Coquille; but, at the time, they mistook it for the Coos river, which mistake was soon discovered by Cyrus Hedden, who had been one of the nine who escaped from Battle Rock in June. Upon reaching the river, they abandoned their pack horses and all their baggage, as they were almost on the point of starvation, and had been subsisting upon berries alone for several days. Following down the stream, they arrived at the main Coquille river, where, meeting a number of Indians, they induced them, by presents of buttons and such things as could be spared, to take them in their canoes to the mouth of the river. Upon reaching a point about two miles from the mouth, they discovered a number of Indians in canoes near the north bank of the river, and about two hundred more on the shore. The men were weak and hungry, having had nothing to eat for several days; so they determined to obtain some provisions at all hazards. With this view, they approached the shore; but as they did so, their canoes were seized and brought near the bank. While no hostile demonstrations were yet made, their request for food was refused; and, when they attempted to push off and resume their journey, their canoes were held by the Indians. Suddenly about fifty Indians sprang into the water, seized the arms of the men before they could fire, sank their canoes, and commenced a murderous attack with clubs and knives. T'Vault's account is as follows:
"I was sick and hardly able to
sit up in the canoe, but, as I rushed to the shore, was stabbed and knocked
down by two blows, one on the breast and the other on the back, and suppose
I was thrown into the river for dead or to be drowned. The first
thing I remember was that I was about thirty feet from the shore in swimming water, and was helped into a small canoe by an Indian lad about fifteen years old. The boy then ran to the other end of the canoe and assisted Mr. Brush to get into the same. Brush had been knocked down by a blow on the head with the sharp edge of a paddle, which took away a large portion of his scalp. As soon as we were safely in the canoe, the boy gave us the paddles and jumped overboard. brush and myself paddled the canoe to the opposite bank; but, when we arrived there, neither of us was able to stand; so we rolled out, pulled off our clothes and crawled up the bank into the brush. During this time, there were heard the most dismal screams and the sound of blows; but no Indians followed us. We continued our course south, keeping in the chaparral during the day and traveling the beach at night. After two days, we arrived at Port Orford on the 16th of September, in such a feeble condition that it required two Indians (we found some friendly ones) to assist us to walk."
Upon T'Vault's arrival at Port Orford, he believed the rest of the party killed, which was not true. Williams and Hedden reached the shore, fighting their way. The former being clinched by a large savage, a desperate struggle ensued, in which the Indian was thrown; and Williams made short work of the brute with his knife; but, while down, another Indian drove an arrow into him, entering the loin and ranging towards the opposite groin. Hedden pulled out the shaft, leaving a three-inch piece, to which the stone arrow-head was attached. Hedden escaped without serious injury, but terribly bruised by the blows of clubs and paddles. The two escaped to the brush, holding the Indians at bay with their rifles, which they managed to retain, and killing two Indians in their retreat. It was not long, however, before the fatal arrow-head began its terrible work, causing intense suffering to Williams; and, on the following day, it was almost impossible for him to move. So great was his agony, that he begged to be permitted to lay down and die. His faithful companion gathered berries for him to eat, carried water in his dilapidated cap for long distances, encouraged him with the hope of escape, and assisted him in walking. On the ninth day after the massacre, they reached the mouth of the Umpqua river, where they fortunately found the brig Fawn, Captain Wood, who sent a boat and conveyed them to Gardiner, seven miles up the river. Williams finally recovered, the arrow-head having been extracted in 1856. After having filled several positions of honor and trust in Douglas county, he died in March, 1881. Cyrus Hedden still lives, an aged and much-respected citizen of Douglas county.
The four persons mentioned were all who escaped the massacre. The other five, having been killed, were hacked to pieces in such a manner that their bodies could not be identified; and a party of Indians who were hired to purchase the bodies were compelled to cremate them.
Thus ended the first attempt to establish a road to the mines. Soon after T'Vault's return, a party of twelve inexperienced mountaineers, with one pack animal, attempted to find a trail by the way of the Coquille river. They failed to find the pas from the Coquille to the South Umpqua, and, after suffering many hardships, returned without the loss of a man.
Notwithstanding the failure to
find any communication with the interior, Captain Tichnor and the Port
Orford company were, in some manner, able to convince the Indian and War
Departments that this was the only point from which negotiations with the
Rogue river Indians could be carried on. Accordingly, the Sea Gull,
on her departure from Portland on August 29th, took Anson Dart, Superintendent
of Indian Affairs, Dr.
Spaulding, of Walla Walla, and J.L. Parrish, a missionary of the Methodist church, the two latter as interpreters, neither of whom knew a word of the language of the coast Indians, as the latter were entirely unacquainted with the jargon of the northern tribes. They were accompanied by two Indians, who had been captured while boys, and were supposed to be from Port Orford, or its vicinity. At Astoria, the Sea Gull took on board, by order of General Hitchcock, then in command of the department, Lieutenant Whyman, of the artillery, thirty men, two mules and one mountain howitzer, with the necessary supplies, all of which were safely landed at Port Orford.
The best that can be said of the mission of Dart and his interpreters was that it was a miserable failure. None of the party had the courage to meet the Coquille Indians; but they sent two Indian women to beg them to come to Port Orford, which offer the hostile savages respectfully declined. Dart also sent an Indian to request the Rogue river tribes to come to him and make a treaty. Had he known anything about the Indians of Southern Oregon, or the topography of the country, or if he had tried to inform himself, he could have known that the Rogue river Indians were hostile to the coast tribes, and would not undertake a journey through their country, even if disposed to make a treaty, which they would not. Dart and his party returned to Astoria by the steamer Sea Gull in the latter part of September, leaving Samuel Culver as Indian agent.
Upon the reception of the news at San Francisco of the murder of the T'Vault party, General Hitchcock, then in command of the department of the Pacific, ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Silas Casey, with ninety men, to proceed at once to Port Orford and chastise the murderers. The command consisted of two companies of dragoons, dismounted, under First Lieutenant Stanley, and thirty-six mounted men, with sufficient pack mules, under the command of Lieutenants Stoneman and Wright. The command were all safely landed at Port Orford early in November, and immediately proceeded to execute their orders. Upon their arrival at the south side of the Coquille river, the Indians, who were in full force at their village on the opposite bank, by gesture challenged the soldiers to fight, and fired several volleys from the guns they had captured. A few well-directed shells from the howitzer enabled a part of the command to cross on a raft, when the Indians fled through the brush up the river. Their village and their winter stores of provisions were destroyed. The troops pursued them under great difficulties, on account of the rainy weather and the inaccessible nature of the country; but, having procured boats from Port Orford for a part of the force, they finally brought them to bay near the forks of the Coquille. The engagement was short, the Indians soon fleeing to the woods and mountains, leaving fifteen killed and many more wounded. Having burned their lodges and provisions, the troops returned to Port Orford, from which place they took passage on the Columbia and arrived at San Francisco December 12, 1851.
The year 1851 was also made memorable
by the settlement of the Rogue river country, by which is meant that portion
of the country drained by this stream and lying between the Coast and Cascade
Ranges of mountains. At the time of the raid by Major Kearney, as before
related, there was no settlements between the South Umpqua river and Yreka,
on the south side of the Siskiyou Mountains, with the exception of the
three ferries across Rogue river. During the year 1850, the mines on Scott
river and in Yreka flat were discovered, and induced a large immigration
of miners. Early in the spring of 1851 a small party of miners, among whom
was Dan F. Fisher, at present an old and respected resident of Jackson
county, crossed the Siskiyous to the head of Illinois river, and following
down that stream discovered, in May, the diggings on what was afterwards
called Josephine creek. Fisher returned to Yreka in the latter part of May for provisions. On his return, about the first of June, he was accompanied by a large number of miners, among whom were Hardy Elliff, John E. Ross, N.C. Dean and many others who afterwards became permanent and leading farmers in different parts of Southern Oregon. The party crossed the mountains by the old Oregon trail, followed the foothills on the south side of Rogue river till they came near the present site of Jacksonville, thence south through where Sterling now stands, thence followed the south fork of hte Applegate some distance, when they crossed the mountains to the new diggings. The country over which they traveled has since proved very rich in gold; but, in their haste to reach their destination, they failed to discover it. Josephine creek proved to be very rich; and, in July, Cañon creek, a branch of the same stream, was prospected and also found to contain rich gold placers. By this time there were several hundred miners and prospectors in that vicinity.
Shortly after the so-called treaty of peace made by Governor Gaines was executed, A.A. Skinner, who had ben appointed Indian agent, and Chesley Gray, his interpreter, took Donation claims in the valley of Bear creek, not far distant from Table Rock, the headquarters of the Indian chiefs. N.C. Dean quit mining on Josephine creek, and took his claim at Willow Springs. Other adventurous men, emboldened by the punishment given the Indians by Major Kearney, and by the Gaines treaty, located in the upper end of the valley. The Mountain House, at the foot of the Siskiyou Mountains, was held by Major Barrow, John Gibbs and Jas. H. Russell. A few miles below, Patrick Dunn, Thomas Smith and Fred Alberding made their locations under the Donation Act, as did also Samuel Culver, the former Indian agent, at Port Orford; and near by L.J.C. Duncan, Stone, Poyntz and Lewis also made their homes. In all, there were about fifty persons residing in Jackson county on January 1, 1852.
In addition to the actual settlers, there was an increasing trade being carried on between the Willamette valley and Scottsburg, with the miners in Northern California and Josephine county, the most of which was by means of pack trains, the roads or trails being almost impassable for wagons other than the ox-teams that had made their way across the plains.
The immigration of this year
added largely to the population of the Umpqua valley, and was composed
of intelligent, manly, self-supporting men, whose names will be found in
another volume, and who made their mark on the records of the state. In
November of this year, Thomas Smith and Calvin C. Reed erected a saw-mill
near Winchester, on the North Umpqua river, which was a great boon to the
settlers, and which was followed the next season by a grist-mill.