and three wounded. The Indians were repulsed with a loss of six killed, and were driven from the field. On other occasions the same hostility was manifested, and there seemed little hope for peace, without first conquering the Indians.
The volunteers had at no time ceased operations, their intention being to force the Indians upon the regulars, who would deal with them according to the laws of civil ized warfare. Captains Harris, Creighton, and Bledsoe continually scouted in the mountains and along the streams, giving the coast tribes no rest. Lieutenant Ab bott surprised a party of Coquilles on that river in two eanoes, and killed twelve, including one woman. Twice had the Coquilles agreed to go and remain on their reser vation, and twice ran away before they could be disposed of. It seemed as if extermination was to be their fate, for in no other way could they be subdued. Emissaries from chief John of the Rogue-rivers, and Enos, his half-breed ally, continually alarmed and agitated the fickle and ig norant creatures, who acted without knowledge or reason, and were governed by fear, first of one and then another calamity; the worst of all being that of having to leave the country where they were born.
Early in May, Buchanan moved the whole force of reg ulars to Oak Flat, near the mouth of Illinois river. Among the Indians who had surrendered or been taken prisoners, these last being chiefly women and children, were some who could be used as messengers to the various bands, to urge them to meet him and the superintendent, to hold a council with a view to establishing peace. After consider able of this sort of correspondence, the chiefs finally came together on the twenty-first of May at the place appointed, no restraint being put upon them, John of Scott valley, and his son; Rogue-river George; Limpy, and other chiefs both of the Rogue river and Cow creek bands, to listen to what the agents of the United States had to say which they might be pleased to accept.
