CHAPTER II.
Weakness of Treaty Obligations—Renewal of Hostilities in Rogue-river Valley—Absence of Authorized Agents—The August Outbreak—Petition to the Commander of Fort Jones—Aid from Fort Vancouver, and a Volunteer Company from the Wallamet—Alden Takes Command—Volunteers from Yreka Join the Regulars—Forces Organized—Skirmish on Evans' Creek, and Death of Lieutenant Ely with Six Men—Lane Appears on the Scene—Is Offered the Command—Takes It—Alden and Lane Wounded—Cessation of Hostilities—Arrangements for a Treaty—Its Terms—The Indians go Upon a Reservation, with S. H. Culver, Agent—Troubles in Other Localities—Loss of Life and Property in 1853—Murders in 1854 by the Shastas—They go Unpunished—Troubles with the Coquilles—Their Punishment by Volunteers—The Murders of the Year—Attitude of General Wool Towards Civilians—The "Expedition to Fight the Immigrants"—The Ward Massacre—Haller's Expedition to Boise—Curry's Action—Proclamation Withdrawn.
There could hardly have been any reliance placed upon the durability of the treaty made with chief Sam. Skinner was unable to perform what was expected of him as a representative of the government, not being supplied with the means; and Sam was but an unwilling party to it from the beginning. So far as the chief was individually concerned, however, he, for the greater part of a year, observed the conditions imposed upon him by the treaty.
But a sub-chief, called Taylor, who had his range in the Grave creek country, murdered a party of seven men, during a severe storm in the hills, and reported them drowned. Other depredations were traced to him, and a rumor became current that the Rogue-rivers held white women captive at Table Rock. This rumor probably grew out of the story, already referred to, that the Modocs held captive two white girls for some time, whom they finally tortured to death. The imagination of the public, excited by the atrocities in the Modoc country, was sensitive to any suggestion of Indian malevolence, and the desire for vengeance was ill suppressed, ready to break out into action at any moment. Finally, about the first of June, a
307
