Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/167

Rh day. On the thirtieth he reached the volunteer camp ninety miles from his own, finding a company of citizens fifty-four strong, commanded by C. H. Miller ("Joaquin" Miller), and two lieutenants, elected by the company, which Miller represented to be thoroughly organized.

On the thirty-first Miller took twenty men of his company toward the upper end of the valley, intending to cross the Silvies River to scout on the other side. Being unable to find a ford the re-united commands marched south along the eastern side of the valley, where the Indian trail led, to the southeastern border. Here severe weather again detained the commands in camp until the fourth of April, when scouts reported a large valley fifteen miles ahead. (The same discovered by Currey's command later in the year.) On the fifth the expedition crossed the ridge between the two valleys, finding in the southern one evidences of a recent encampment of about one hundred Indians. "They seem," reported Waymire, "to subsist to a great extent upon horse and mule flesh, as a great number of bones which were lying about the campfires, and from which the meat had been taken, plainly indicated."

Continuing the march, on the sixth the scouts reported signal fires to the south. The cavalry were deployed as skirmishers, but found no enemy, although an Indian village, recently deserted, with fires still burning, and which had contained about one hundred inhabitants, was found. These had left about their deserted fires halfcooked horse flesh, baskets, ropes, furs, and trinkets, showing the haste with which they had abandoned their encampment; and the tracks all led towards the mountains, up a gorge of which two stragglers were observed to be fleeing. They were overtaken by two citizens, their horses captured, and one of the thieves wounded. Before the command could come up the Indians had disappeared.