Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/563

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CAMPAIGNS AND DEPREDATIONS.
545

failed to find any enemy. Lieutenant Small, however, with fifty-one men from Fort Klamath and ten Klamath scouts, was more successful, killing twenty-three and capturing fourteen in the vicinity of Silver and Abert lakes, between the 2d and 22d of September. Among the killed were two chiefs who had signed the treaty of 1864, and an influential medicine-man. Panina having also been killed by citizens while on a foray on the Cañon City and Boisé road in April, as will be remembered, there remained but few of the chiefs of renown alive.[1]

For about two months of the summer of 1867, while Captain Wildy of the 6th cavalry was stationed on Willow Creek in Mormon Basin, to intercept the passage north of raiding parties, the people along the road between John Day and Snake rivers enjoyed an unaccustomed immunity from depredations. But early in September Wildy was ordered to Fort Crook, in California, and other troops withdrawn from the north to strengthen the district of the lakes. Knowing what would be the effect of this change, the inhabitants of Baker county petitioned Governor Woods for a permanent military post in their midst, but petitioned in vain, because the governor was not able to persuade the general government to listen favorably, nor to dictate to the commander of the department of the Columbia what disposition to make of his forces. Wildy's company had hardly time to reach Fort Crook when the dreaded visitations began.[2] About the last

  1. Oregonian, Nov. 4 and 12, 1867; Jacksonville Sentinel, Sept. 28, 1867; Yreka Union, Oct. 5, 1867; S. F. Alta, Sept. 28, 1867.
  2. The first attack was made Sept. 28th upon J. B. Scott, who with his wife and children was driving along the road between Rye Valley and their home on Burnt River. Scott was killed almost instantly, receiving two fatal wounds at once. The wife, though severely wounded, seized the reins as they fell from the hands of her dead husband, and urging the horses to a run, escaped with her children, but died the following day. This attack was followed by others in quick succession. Oregonian, Oct. 4, 7, 9, 1867; Umatilla Columbia Press, Oct. 5, 1867. On the morning of the 3d of October a small band of Indians plundered the house of a Mr Howe, a few miles east of Camp Logan, and a detachment of seven men of company F, 8th cavalry, was sent under Lieut Pike to pursue them. Pike may have been a valuable officer,