THE ROGUE RIVER WARS. 403
him. He could only fire on them across the river, while they were sheltered by trees; and after three hours of am munition wasted, the volunteers returned to camp, with one man wounded of Sheffield s company John Henry Clifton. The Indian loss, so far as known, was two killed.
On the twenty-ninth of April, the wounded having been sent to Camas valley under a heavy escort, and the Indians having abandoned their position on the opposite side of the river, the regiment crossed over and occupied it, find ing seventy-five deserted camp fires, indicating a large number of occupants. This was, indeed, the refuge to which, during the winter, the predatory savages had escaped after their successful raids into the settlements and their robberies of pack trains. Here were found the bones of numerous oxen slain, and the remains of hun dreds of broken packages of provisions and ammunition. The Indians had fared better than the volunteers, many of whom were at that moment almost barefoot, with only a blanket betwixt them and the weather, which still con tinued stormy and cold.
As the spies reported the Indians gone down the river, and as provisions were growing scarce in camp, with no prospect of improvement in the weather, Colonel Kelsey, so reporting, was ordered back to Fort Leland. It was decided, however, to erect a fort at the meadows, and a site was selected May first by Majors Bruce, Latshaw, and Hoxie, and the companies of Captains Wilkinson, Keith, Williams, and Blakesley were detailed to remain at the meadows under Major Bruce to construct it, which fortifi cation was known as Fort Lamerick. The companies of Sheffield and Noland were ordered to Roseburg, via Camas prairie, under Lieutenant-Colonel Chapman, while Robert son, Miller, O Neil, Wallen, and Alcorn accompanied the colonel to Fort Leland.
It will be observed that during the month occupied by these events, the volunteers had received no aid from the
