Indian Massacre on Rogue River

The Yreka Union of the 13th October contains the following:

On Tuesday morning, 9th inst., a large party of Indians collected and started down Rogue river, killing every white man who happened to fall in their way.

At Evans’ Ferry they found two or three men whom they murdered, and then left the river for Waggoner’s, on Louse creek.

Just before they reached W’s they were met by a party of packers with a large train, who saw from their appearance that there was something wrong with them.

Presently the packers looked back and saw Waggoner’s barn on fire, and heard the screams of women and children in the house; they then cut loose their packs and run for their lives—the Indians pursued them closely, killing one of their mules.

They counted in their flight the bodies of seventeen white men who had been murdered along the road.

Many of these were teamsters, and their loads had been scattered in every direction by the Indians, in searching for ammunition and liquor.

From Waggoner’s, it appears that the Indians, now nearly all drunk, again started down Rouge river, burning and murdering as they went.

On Wednesday they were overtaken by Maj. Fitzgerald with 50 men, and a battle fought, in which 30 Indians and 12 soldiers are reported to have been killed.

Mrs. Waggoner and child were murdered; and five other families along the route pursued by the Indians are said to have shared the same fate.

The whole number of whites who have already fallen, from the best accounts, is between 30 and 50.

A volunteer force of 125 men had also attacked the Indians, who were totally routed, leaving 40 dead on the field.

Of the volunteers 12 men were wounded; one of their number, Major Lupton, who had received an arrow in the left breast, died on Monday night, and another, named Sheppard, wounded in the abdomen, it is thought will not recover..