SW Oregon History: Correspondence, 1850

SW Oregon History:

Selected Excerpts of Correspondence & Reports

Filed with the US Office of Indian Affairs, 1850

Compiled and Organized by Bob Zybach, 2007

The following list of excerpts regarding US handling and perspectives of the Rogue River Indian Wars were taken from official records of the US Office of Indian Affairs. These selections and index were made under contract to NW Maps Co., as background research for a long-term forest science project on USDI Bureau of Land Management lands in the Applegate River and Cow Creek subbasins in southwest Oregon. The primary research project has been headed by Michael Newton, College of Forestry, Oregon State University, since its inception nearly 30 years ago.

Most of the following selections were obtained in digital format via the online "Native American Documents Project" (NADP) on the California State University, San Marcos website: http://www.csusm.edu/nadp/. The NADP was started in 1992 by Professor E. A. Schwartz, who completed his doctoral research in 1991 on the topic of the Rogue River Indian Wars. All NADP excerpts include an active link to the project's homepage. The NADP recommended method of citing these resources are given here: http://www.csusm.edu/nadp/citation.htm

NADP Homepage
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Dart to Spalding, 14 October 1850, in United States, Office of Indian Affairs, Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880, National Archives Microcopy 234, Roll 607 (excerpt), NADP Document D2
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Office Superintendent of Indian Affairs
Oregon City October 14th 1850

Sir,

Your Bond Dated October 11th and duly Executed, has been received, and is approved, and placed on file in this office. Your Salary then as Indian Agent will commence with this day.

I have decided upon establishing (temporarily perhaps it may be) Your Agency in the Southwestern portion of this Territory; and at some convenient place in the Umpqua Valley.

Information has reached me to the effect that the Indians of that quarter, particularly those of Rogue river, are in the habit of robbing from, and otherwise seriously annoying, persons who pass through their country. In view of these facts, I wish you to repair with as little delay as possible, to the Umpqua Valley, and visit also, soon after your arrival there, the Indians on Rogue river. You will represent to these tribes whose predatory habits and roguish dispositions, so much annoy our peaceable citizens, that you are an officer sent among them by their Great Father the President of the United States, to warn them of the danger of any longer
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ill treating the people of the United States. Impress upon their minds if possible, the fact that their Great Father the President, wishes to treat them as friends, as well as to protect them in their rights. But in no event will they be allowed to go unpunished, should they persist in their thieving course, or to any other manner to annoy those traveling in their country. But on the other hand, that if they are quiet and peaceable Indians, it will give their Great Father, the President, much pleasure to make them valuable presents, and treat them always as friends.

I would next call your attention to the suppression of the whiskey trade among the Indians in that quarter. I apprehend that this traffic has been productive of much of the trouble existing in the Umpqua Valley, and I would here strictly enjoin on you that no person be allowed to trade or traffic, in any manner among the Indians in your Agency. In a copy of the intercourse law, which I herewith inclose, you will observe the strict injunctions upon all agents or others having intercourse with the Indians, and the penalty incurred by those guilty of the offense of selling whiskey or other spirits to them.

NADP Homepage
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Dart to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 22 October 1850, in United States, Office of Indian Affairs, Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880, National Archives Microcopy 234, Roll 607 (excerpt), NADP Document D3.
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I do not intend these remarks to apply to all the Indians west of the Cascade range: for I shall not attempt to enlighten the Commissioner at Washington on this subject, only as time will allow me to visit each tribe, and section of country occupied by them. The Chinooks claim all of the country from the mouth of the Columbia to Fort Vancouver on both sides of that river as well as that valley of the Willamette between the Cascade and coast range of mountains. There are, however, remnants of tribes, inhabiting parts of the country described, who also lay claims to such portions as they Occupy.

As part of my business to the Calapooia Valley, was to meet Mr. W. W. Spaulding, (the only full Agent in the Territory) I delivered to him his commission, and he at once consented to act under his appointment. Since which time his bond has been executed and placed on file in this office, I have fixed his location at Scottsburg, in the Umpqua Valley, for a two fold purpose. First, that the Indians of that locality, particularly those on Rogue river, continue their hostile demonstrations towards the whites who have occasion to pass through their country.

The appearance of Mr. Spaulding will tend
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to intimidate these Indians: he being clothed with power to chastise them or bring them to terms.

Second, That the Government intend soon to deal with all the Indians West of the Cascade mountains for their lands. Hence the importance of establishing as early as possible, a friendly feeling among these Indians towards the people of the United States.

NADP Homepage
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Applegate to Spalding, 7 December 1850, in United States, Office of Indian Affairs, Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880, National Archives Microcopy 234, Roll 607, NADP Document D5.
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Yoncalla Umpqua
7th Dec 1850
Hon H H. Spaulding
Indian Agt

Dear Sir:

To your note of this day inquiring, among other things, whither in my opinion a person may travel alone in safety beyond the ferry in the Umpqua river and visit the Indians on Rogue River, I have no hesitation in replying that I consider it not only unsafe and impetuous to attempt it, but at this season of the year impossible to do so.

Though the late Superintendant of Indian affairs for this territory held treaties or rather talks last summer with the Indians of the south Umpqua and a portion of those inhabiting Rogue River Valley, yet no change for the better has appeared in the conduct of those people, in fact the Indians of south Umpqua have been more vicious and hostile the past season than heretofore. The only instance that I know of a person travelling alone in their country resulted in his robbery by the first band of Indians he met from whom he only escaped with his life by the interference of an Indian who had lived
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with the whites, since which time the Indians of south Umpqua have continued to annoy the parties passing from the mines and have stolen about 20 horses which have not been recovered.

Oweing to this bad disposition of the natives the country of the south Umpqua remains unoccupied by our people tho' its value as a farming and grazing country in the immediate vicinity of the gold mines is fully appreciated.

The attempts of a single individual to visit the Rogue River Indians, at any time, but particularly in the winter season is an idea to me so preposterously absurd, that I should certainly consider it an act of insanity. I have only to remind you that the Rogue river country is inhabited by a people amongst whom safety is only secured by constant vigilance to detect, and strength to resist aggression – where much property and many lives have been lost -- to the trust of which each year adds its separate list of wrongs to the sad record, and the year 1850 has not been barren of its tragedies -- besides the usual amount of theft and roberies, to my knowledge eight victims have fallen at the hands of these ruthless murderers, all without provocation or resistance, and many of them under circumstances of aggravated atrocity.

But aside from the dangers
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to be apprehended from the inhabitants, were none to exist, a single individual could scarcely make his way alone and unassisted over the many large and rapid streams now swolen to torrents, that intervene between this and Rogues River, at least it would be attended with great danger.

To the remaining queries contained in your note at a time of more leisure, I will with pleasure reply to the best of my information. Before closing permit me to notice the good effect which your talk with the Indians of this vicinity appears to have had upon them, and to congratulate you upon the near prospect you have of at last being able to bring to punishment some perhaps, all the surviving murderers of the late Mr. Neuton, killed in this valley, in the fall of 1846 -- an object most necessary to the quiet and safety of this valley and which none of your predecessors have been able to effect.

Very respectfully
Your obt servent
Jessie Applegate

NADP Homepage
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Dart to Lea, 30 December 1850, in United States, Office of Indian Affairs, Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880, National Archives Microcopy 234, Roll 607 (excerpt), NADP Document D6.
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Office of the supt of Indian Affairs
Oregon City Dec 30 1850

Sir;

I have the honor, herewith, to transmit a copy of a letter, from Jesse Applegate, addressed to H. H. Spaulding Esqr. Indian agent for south western Oregon. Mr. Applegate is a gentleman of high standing, and one of the oldest settlers in the Umpqua Valley, I am fully persuaded that it is indispensibly necessary, that there should be a detachment of U. S. troops sent to the Umpqua, with as little delay as possible, I would therefore respectfully recommend, that the troops under command of Maj Hathaway at Astoria, should be ordered to the Umpqua. They are of little use at their present location – there being but few Indians in that part of the country: and what few are there can be easily managed without the troops, as they are all friendly with the Whites – Mr. Spaulding's letters to me on this subject are numereous and lengthy, I could not, therefore, better condense his views, as to the necessity of sending troops [...]