avert a war with them, as they knew all the particulars of the
Indian war in the interior; believed also from what had been told
them "by some white man" that the time had come when they
must either exterminate the whites, or the whites would extermi
nate them. Such was the impression on the minds of the Indians
here at that time. Their number of fighting men is forty-six to
fifty, and should a party of Rogue-river Indians have effected a
junction with them at the time, they could easily have overwhelmed
us with numbers. Our number at that time being eleven men near
the forks, and four men in the mountains. Our arms for defense
were nine long rifles, two government rifles, two shotguns, two
single-barreled pistols, and two revolving pistols. The Indians were
in proportion to their numbers nearly as well off as we were, both
in arms and ammunition, as the Klickitat tribe have been supply
ing them with both for the last two years.
This communication of a settler of a good degree of intelligence and acquainted with Indian characteristics, goes far to account for the feeling, quite universal at this period, that the regular military authorities were indiffer ent to the alarm felt by exposed settlements, and that they, would not move to prevent hostilities, but only to " chas tise." and then "protect" the Indians "after a few white men had lost their lives."
About the time referred to in Packwood s report, Indian Agent E. P. Drew, in charge of the Umpqua and Coos bay Indians, became convinced that the latter were holding communication with the hostiles, and made haste to collect them on the reservation at the mouth of the Umpqua river, where he placed over them a local agent. Shortly after he found the settlers from Coos and Coquille valleys congre gated at Empire City, and a company formed (those who had resigned from the guards probably), to punish the savages for fresh depredations. An attack was made on them at Drolley s, on the lower branch of the Coquille, four being killed, and four captured and hanged. This chastisement seemed to have convinced these Indians of the folly of attempting to follow the example of the Rogue- rivers, for they remained quiet during the winter, being closely watched and guarded.
