312 ROGUE RIVEB. WAR.

the road. 1 It was believed, also, that white women were prisoners among the Indians near Table Rock, a rumor arising probably from the vague reports of the captivity of two white girls near Klamath Lake.

Excited by what they knew and what they imag ined, about the 1st of June, 1853, a party from Jacksonville and vicinity took Taylor with three others and hanged them. Then they went to Table Hock to rescue the alleged captive white women, and finding none, they fired into a village of natives, kill ing six, then went their way to get drunk and boast of their brave deeds. 2

There was present neither Indian agent nor mili tary officer to prevent the outrages on either side. The new superintendent, Palmer, was hardly installed in office, and had at his command but one agent, 3 whom he despatched with the company raised to open the middle route over the Cascade Mountains. As to troops, the 4th infantry had been sent to the north west coast in the preceding September, but were so distributed that no companies were within reach of Rogue River. 4 As might have been expected, a few weeks after the exploits of the Jacksonville com pany, the settlements were suddenly attacked, and a bloody carnival followed. 5 Volunteer companies quickly gathered up the isolated families and patrolled

1 Drew, in Or. Jour. Council, 1857-8, app. 26; Or. Statesman, June 28, 1853; Jacksonville Sentinel, May 25, 1867; DoweWs Nar., MS., 5-6.

2 Let our motto be extermination, cries the editor of the Yreka Herald, and death to all opposers. See also S. F. Alta, June 14, 1853; Jacksonville Sentinel, May 25, 1867. The leaders of the company were Bates and Two- good.

3 This was J. M. Garrison. Other appointments arrived soon after, designating Samuel H. Culver and R. R. Thompson. J. L. Parrish was retained as sub-agent. Rept of Supt Palmer, in U. S. H. Ex. Doc., i., vol. i. pt. i. 448, 33d cong. 1st sess.

4 Five companies were stationed at Columbia barracks, Fort Vancouver, one at Fort Steilacoom, one at the mouth of Umpqua River, two at Port Or- ford, and one at Humboldt Bay. Cal. MIL A/. Scraps, 13-14; Or. States man, Sept. 4, 1852.

5 August 4th, Richard Edwards was killed. August 5th, next night, Thomas" J. Mills and Rhodes Noland were killed, and one Davis and Burril F. Griffin were wounded. Ten houses were burned between Jacksonville and W. G. T Vault s place, known as the Dardanelles, a distance of ten miles.