Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/436

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the sergeant and his son endeavoring to disarm him, John forgot his prudence and gave the terrifying war-whoop, which startled every soul on board, and brought officers and passengers to the scene. A fight for liberty followed, in which a couple of passengers were wounded, and in which the young chief received an injury which caused him to lose a leg. After a residence of several years at Alcatraz, John was pardoned and allowed to return to the reservation, where, as he expressed it, he " could see again his wife and daughters, who would tend upon him and comb his hair."

The military establishments which were erected to guard and control the Indians subsequent to their removal to the reservation, were Fort Sheridan at the Grand Rond reser vation in Yamhill county, which was abandoned in a few years, or as soon as the Indians on this reserve could be removed to the Siletz; a blockhouse at the Siletz agency where a "corporal s guard" was stationed; Fort Hoskins in King s valley, Benton county, thirty miles from the agency, where a full company was stationed, and Fort Umpqua, at the mouth of Urnpqua river, where it was placed to intercept fugitives escaping from the reservation, as well as to look after some still uncaptured bands, whose depredations upon settlers and wars among themselves were disquieting to the white inhabitants. At the latter post were stationed at different times Major Scott and Lieutenants Loraine, Piper, and Harding, the latter be coming a general in the civil war.

The post at Port Orford was maintained for a year or two. As late as March, 1858, the miners and settlers at and near the mouth of Rouge river petitioned Governor Curry to " recognize" a company of Gold Beach guards, consisting of nineteen men under the command of Elisha H. Meservey, which company was formed to protect the white inhabitants from murder, arson, and robbery crimes being committed by the several small mountain