Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/430

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Canonville to Rogue river. The company returned from the meadows to Roseburg via Camas valley, sending a de tachment under Lieutenant McClure back to the meadows, and marching to quarters at Fort Smith on Cow creek, where it arrived by the end of the month.

Captain Keith had been ordered to meet Captain Smith on Rogue river near the meadows, but being ill, requested Wallen, whose time of enlistment had expired, to go in his stead. The company commanded by him had not been discharged, yet was under no obligation to obey orders. On calling their attention to the situation, and asking for volunteers from his own and other companies similarly placed, one hundred and forty-five men were found who would join him, only sixty-eight of whom were accepted, the commissary stores being low, the re mainder promising to follow as soon as provisioned.

On the twenty-seventh, the day that Smith was attacked, Wallen s command came upon an encampment of the hostiles, which fled before them without firing a gun, and which proved to be composed of the bands of Limpy and George, and some Galice-creek Indians, showing that they were not in the fight with the regulars. A few Indian women and children were captured on this occasion.

Two days later, on the twenty-ninth, the command was surprised while resting under some trees at the noon halt by some of John s band retreating from the battlefield, and H. C. Huston of Kieth s company, wounded. An en gagement then took place in which the Indians were routed, and many fled down the river towards Buchanan s camp, where they eventually surrendered themselves, being driven to it by the volunteers.

The day following this skirmish, Daniel Cooley of Wal len s company, was fired on and wounded while looking- for his revolver lost in the battle. Proceeding on down towards the meadows, the volunteers picked up many bands of John s now scattered army. At Smith s camp they found Superintendent Palmer, who had arrived to