THE ROGUE EWER WARS. 393
manded by Second Lieutenant Capron, with Major Latshaw s com mand in a battle with the Indians on Cow creek, six miles below Fort Smith. March twenty -eighth, thirty men commanded by Captain Sheffield, with Major Latshaw s command on an expedition in the Cow creek mountains. March thirtieth and thirty-first, detach ment of thirty in the mountains. Detachment of fifteen stationed in lower Cow-creek valley. Remainder of company at Fort Smith, escorting trains, building fort, etc. William Dooley was killed in battle of the twenty -fourth ; A. H. Woodruff and Thomas Gilmore, wounded slightly.
By the promotion of Latshaw to major, the first lieu tenant of his company, John M. Wallen, became captain. Tn a reminiscence of the Rogue-river war, and Latshaw s campaign in Cow creek valley, he writes as follows:
From Cow creek we followed the Indians six days. It was in March, and the weather rough and blustery. One night we were encamped in a canon, and expecting an attack, for the Indians were near. Clubfooted David Wilson was our corporal. We burned off the dead leaves from a small circle of ground, dug a hole, and built a small fire in it, and when the ground was dry put out the fire, and erected a small awning over it so he would not suffer from cold. Wilson said: "I had taken my place, put my feet in the hole, drawn my wraps around me, and taking my gun upon my knee was ready for duty. The night settled down dark and dreary. I had been on duty several hours, and was sitting there thinking of the day s march, and the probability of the Indians attacking us. At the same time I was raising the hammer of my gun, and lowering- it to see how quickly and noiselessly it could be done. Suddenly a flash ran down the barrel. I had the hammer back when the flash came, and I pulled the trigger at the same instant bang ! bang ! the report of two guns mingled, but few who heard them knew that more than one gun was fired. I called to the guard ; he answered all is well. When I went to Captain Wallen s tent on being re lieved, he said, Wilson, what did you shoot at? The guard says you killed a mule; he heard it struggle. I answered, f wait, captain, till morning. Half an hour later the Indians fired several times into camp. We did not return the fire, as it was too dark to distin guish any object. Next morning we found a dead Indian about fifty yards from where I sat, shot through the head."
On the twentieth of March, Captain Buoy resigned, when P. C. Noland was elected captain of his company. The first return of Captain Nolaud has this by Captain Buoy:
