The Rogue River Indian War (Part 2)
California volunteers attacked two villages on Butte Creek on December 24. They killed nineteen men and burned the buildings and supplies. The women and children were left to starve. These white men had visited the village just the day before and talked to the villagers about peace. In actuality, they had scouted the strengths and weaknesses of the village.
Captain Smith led three companies of soldiers up the Rogue River to hunt the Indians who had escaped from previous encounters. The Indians were wary approaching the meeting site, and understandably so. Other attempts at peace-making had met in disaster. Captain Smith said he would provide amnesty if they would agree to relocate to the Siletz Reservation near the future site of Newport. He promised they would be provided with free blankets, clothing, food, housing, plows, seeds, and education. Anyone who didn't agree to the terms would be deemed "wild Indians," and would not be under protection of the army. They would be subject to being hunted down by bounty hunters who would forcibly bring them to the reservation.
Chiefs George and Limpy agreed to the terms. They agreed to meet at Illahee, the Rogue River's big bend, on May 25. But on the appointed day, two Indian women warned Captain Smith that the Indians had been on their way to the meeting site when some vigilantes from Jacksonville attacked them. The survivors hooked up with Tyee John, who had been against the surrender. He convinced the survivors that the attack proved the army was lying. The Indians were now on their way to attack the soldiers.
The next day some Indians approached Smith's position, but they looked as if they had not come to fight, but to surrender. Smith ordered his men to load their weapons but not to fire unless fired upon. Suddenly a shot rang out and the Indians charged. A battle raged for several hours. The next day Tyee John charged the troops again. The soldiers were taking serious casualties until reinforcements finally arrived. Smith got the Indians in a cross-fire between two companies and cut them off from their canoes. The Indians surrendered without further delay.
Over the next month the army rounded up over 1,400 Indians from southwest Oregon, some members of tribes not even involved in the conflict. On June 20, almost 1,000 Rogues left Port Orford to sail to the Siletz Reservation via the Pacific ocean, the
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