Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/593

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BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES.
575

already too light, was lessened by the loss of eight men, whom he dared not leave in camp lest the Indian women should murder and mutilate them, and he was therefore unable to pursue. Leaving a light skirmish line with Boutelle, he was forced to employ the remainder of the troops in conveying the wounded and dead to the east side of the river in canoes, and thence half a mile to the cabin of Dennis Crawley, after which he returned and destroyed the Indian camp.

In the mean time a citizens company, consisting of O. C. Applegate, James Brown, J. Burnett, D. Crawley, E. Monroe, Caldwell, and Thurber, who had gathered at Crawley's to await the result of the attempted arrest, attacked a smaller camp on the east side, and lost one man, Thurber. They retired to the farm and kept up firing at long range to prevent the Indians crossing the river and attacking Jackson's command on the flank and rear. While this was going on, two men fled wounded to Crawley's, one of whom, William Nus, soon died. At this intimation that the settlers below were uninformed of their danger, Ivan Applegate, Brown, Burnett, and other citizens went in various directions to warn them, leaving but a small force at Crawley's to guard the wounded. During their absence Jackson was called upon to protect this place from the hostilities of Hooker Jim and Curlyheaded Doctor, two of Jack's head men not before mentioned. As there was no ford nearer than eight miles, the troops spent two or three hours getting to Crawley's, where they encamped, and beheld in the distance the smoke of burning hay-ricks.[1]

On the morning of the 30th, Captain Jackson having heard that a family named Boddy resided three and a half miles below Crawley's, who had not been warned, despatched a detachment with a guide to ascertain their fate. Finding the family absent, and the premises undisturbed, the troops returned with this report, the guide Crawley coming to the conclu-

  1. S. F. Alta, Dec. 12, 1872; Oregon Herald, Dec. 14, 1872.