at least he was five years ago), and General James Bruce of
Oregon, are all that I now know the existence of that went
with me.
We received two bright, active Indians, whom we named Tom and Jack, and released our other hostages and pro- ceeded on our way to Rogue River. On crossing the Klamath River we learned that the whole Rogue River country was in arms on account of a demand made by Old Joe of a white girl for a squaw for his son, and of his threats if the demand was not complied with. At arriving near the foot of the Siskiyou Mountain we met an Indian of that tribe coming over as a messenger to the Shastas to persuade them to join the Rogue River Indians in extermination upon the whites. As we came upon him before he saw us, readily surrounded him and asked an explanation of his visit (which was unusual), and the mean- ing of his hostile attitude. He refused to talk; when I ordered him to give up his arms and go back with us to his tribe and the Indian agency at Rogue River, which he refused to do; I then told Mr. McGavlin (now dead), a powerful young man, to take from him his weapons and tie his hands that we might take him back. Upon Mr. McGavlin's undertaking to do so the Indian wrested a pistol from Mr. McGavlin and turned and shot at me, cutting the mane of my horse's neck, and then fled. He went but a short distance when the bullet sent him home. On arriving at Coles, a short distance above, we found two men that were unarmed, that this Indian had forced to march ahead of him until they came in sight of Cole's house, when the Indian passed around by a circuitous route and left them. We then continued our journey over the mountains. In the night and early in the morning discovered an Indian on the trail, whom we took prisoner and kept with us. On arriving at the Mountain House on the Rogue River side we met some gentlemen on the way to Yreka for aid, and not- withstanding we had ridden all night, at their request we pushed on for the Big Bar, on Rogue River, where it was said the Indians had congregated. Shortly before reaching our destination we met the Indian agent. Judge Skinner, who asked us to pass on, and came at the river until he could come
