Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/162

152 from Drake overtook him with the information that he was at Rattlesnake Camp on a small stream coming from the mountain rim encircling the Valley of Harney and Malheur Lakes. The two commands now acted in concert. The first attack was on the thirteenth of July, when the Cayuse scouts were pursued almost into camp by the Snakes, and on that afternoon the trail of the Indians was discovered. In following it the next day through the canyon of the south fork of John Day River, the troops were fired on from the overhanging rocks. Captain Drake with Company D scrambled up the sides of the canyon. Captain Rinehart was posted in the rear, and the remainder of the command took positions in the bottom of the canyon and fired a volley or two to draw the attention of the Indians away from Drake's movements. In about an hour Drake got his men on a level with the Indians, when after receiving one volley they fled. The pursuit, continued until the following afternoon, was fruitless. The Indians were not overtaken, but the valley was relieved of their presence. Neither the Indians nor the cavalrymen had sustained much harm. Hoping to discover other bands, which if not found would renew depredations upon settlers and miners in the John Day region and on the Canyon City Road, the remainder of July was spent in patroling this highway and scouting to the south of it, but without results.

While encamped one night near the Eugene City road an express arrived from Fort Boise bringing news of a raid in Jordan Valley. The command was then three hundred and fifty miles from Jordan Creek, and had not rested a day since leaving Camp Alvord. And yet the Oregon and California newspapers commented severely upon the failure of the cavalry to prevent or to punish Indian raids. "The California press is more excusable," says Currey, "than the Oregon; but the unjust criticism