Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/141

Rh there also came a body of forty men in company with General Lane, who were journeying to the California mines.

Battle of Table Rock. Major Kearney Attacks the Indians. Major Kearney now had a total force of one hundred men eager to begin the assault of the enemy entrenched behind their formidable bulwarks upon Table

Table Rock - p139.jpg TABLE ROCK

Rock, which was the tribal headquarters of the Indians of Rogue River. On June 23, 1851, Major Kearney directed the attack from behind log defences. No advantage was gained that day. On the next day, two more attacks were made, morning and evening. The Indians were cautiously directed by Old Chief Joe, later General Lane's friend and imitator. His boasting voice could be heard declaring that the white men had few guns, but he had bows enough "to keep 1,000 arrows in the air all the time."

Defeat of the Indians. The Indians held their ground and fought with such bravery, desperation and strategy that two days' continuous siege failed to defeat them. Then Major Kearney offered them terms of peace, demanding their answer by the next day, which was the 25th. But when the day dawned they could be seen hurriedly speeding down the rocky declivity and the full force retreated down