Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/373

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THE ROGUE RIVER WARS. 355

W. H. Crouch, and Ephriam Yager wounded. Company D, John Winters killed; John Stannes, and Thomas Ryan wounded. Company F, John Kennedy mortally wounded. The company of Captain Bailey lost John Gillespie, killed ; John Walden, John C. Richardson, James Laphar, Thomas J. Aubrey, and John Pankey wounded. Gordon s company had Hawkins Shelton, J. M. Fordyce, and William Wilson wounded. The regular troops lost three killed in action, one by accident, and seven wounded, among whom was Lieutenant Gibson. The Indian loss could not be known, but was much less than that of the volunteers, as from the nature of their relative positions it must be. Thus the second battle with a considerable Indian force was fought with a great sacrifice of life, 17 and without any gain in peace or possessions. "God only knows," wrote a corre spondent of the Oregon Statesman, "when or where this war may end. * * * These mountains are worse than the swamps of Florida."

We come now to consider some collateral circumstances and influences affecting the management and the morale of the war. Before the news of the ninth of October reached the superintendent of Indian affairs at Dayton in the Wallamet valley, owing to the general restlessness of the Indians assigned to reservations, as well as those still roving, he had issued "regulations for the guidance of agents" in his superintendency, "pending existing hostil ities," as follows:

i? The Ashland Tidings of October 19, 1877, has a tribute by J. M. Sutton to Volun teer Pedigo, who, with Miller, Pearcy, Pearl, and Winters, was buried at Fort Bailey: "Jonathan A. Pedigo was a young man who had just passed his majority. * * * My only intimacy with him was during our service in the war of 1855, from the seventh day of October to the time of his death, less than one month. Yet during this short period all of his comrades had learned to love the name of Jonathan A. Pedigo for the great benevolent heart that beat within his bosom. Brave to a fault, ever ready to do his duty and more, the old men of our company, of whom we had several, were relieved by his ever-ready hand from much of the rigor of Indian war fare. He would attend to their horses, and occasionally take their places on guard on a cold or rainy night. Being large and robust, his greatest pleasure seemed to be in relieving the hardships of those possessing, in a smaller degree, the power of