Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/340

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the Indians, which led him to a cave near the Klamath river, in which stronghold they had fortified themselves. In conjunction with a volunteer company under Greiger, captain, he reconnoitered the position, and finding it too strong to be taken without artillery, withdrew, and dis patched Lieutenant Crook and D. Sorrell to Fort Lane to bring up a mountain howitzer. Several days were occu pied in this expedition, Captain Smith arriving on the twenty-sixth with Lieutenant Ogle and fifteen dragoons. The regular force now amounted to thirty-eight, rank and file, and the volunteers numbered forty-five. Captain Judah falling ill, remained in camp with eight regulars and a few of Greiger s men, and on the twenty-seventh the attack was made.

The cave occupied by the Indians was in the face of an almost perpendicular palisade, three hundred feet above the valley, the approach being in front and easily defended. Captain Greiger, with seventeen men, took his position on top, and the remainder of the volunteers, with Lieutenant Bonnycastle, with his command and the howitzer, were stationed in front. Owing to the angle at which the howitzer was fired it had no other effect than to frighten the Indians, who now cried out for peace, a prayer which Smith, who knew less about Indian fighting than he did a year or two later, was quite ready to grant. But to this the volunteers were unwilling to consent, saying the mur derers must be punished, and Smith after moving the gun to a different position fired a few more ineffectual shells. During the afternoon Greiger was struck by a shot from the cave and killed, to the great sorrow of his company, for he was an estimable man and useful citizen.

Night coming on the forces encamped in front of the cave, and Bill sent three Indian women to ask for a talk, Captain Smith granting the request, and going to the cave the following morning with Eddy, a citizen, to hold the intervi-ew. He found, he says, 6 about fifty Shastas, who

6 United States house executive documents, p. 88, thirty-fifth congress, second session.