From Oregon--indian War

By the arrival of Major Mcek at Sr. Louis, direct from Oregon, ws have ncwsofllie mosf Et:iriling nature. The enlire white inhabitants have been plunsred into a sanguina ry war witli tiiL'InJinns and f'our battles were fought in Januarv. Several of tlie most formidable tribes have unitod to carry on the wur against the White. Tlir Governor of Oregon cniled the Legislatura togelher early in December. Robevt Newell, of Champoeg, wns elected Speaker ; C. M. Cook Cleik; J. E. Lyle, Engrossing Clerk ; and Wm. Holmes, Sergeantat-arms. A leHolution was also passed, nutli'irizing tne Governor to raise a company of riflemen, to procped for'hwith to occupy tlie mission slationd nt llio Dalles of tlie Colombia river. A memorial of Congicss was adopted, and Joseph ]j. Meek, Esq., one of the rnembers from Tvva'atin county, wns appointed the special mcsseiiger. Tlio memorial - written by Marens Ford, Esq., - sets forth the condition of thé country in plain terms. It expresses the opinión that the massocre which hns been narrated, is only the commencement of furlher and inore extensive murders, and " ourhitherto peaci-ful settlements will beoome the scène of fierce and violent warfare." Circumstances it is snid, 'warrant your mernorialists in believing, that many of llie powerful trujes inhabiting the upper valley of the Columbia havo formed an allionce for the purpose of carrying on bostilitiei against our settlements,' and aid from the United Stites is freely imploied. Manv other sulijfcts are alluded to n the memorial. The action o[ Congress, extending i Territorial Government over Oregon, s aoliched ; and in lliis event, to settle tlie aspirations (or offici', already uxisling in Oregon, it i? reqoested that " important and responsible offices ert-ated here - such as ihe office of GovBrnor and the several Judgesliips - should be filled wiili men of the best talent and most approvcd integrity, without regard to iheir present locolity." , We make soma extracta from the Oregon papers broiight bv Mr. Je(■k, phowing the cause iir, cc ,&c. Asitissome months sii.ee tlio braier rf despalclies lef', that country, in open Whrfare wiili the savages, no one can teil what lo their condition at this time. A fevcrish anxiety will exist in tlie public minj lor the next news from that región. Gov, Abernethv sent in his annnal message on the 7th Dcc; but we have nol lime now to alinde t' it more particularly. Ün the 8th of December, he transmitted to the Iegislature a special message, announcing that the Cayuse Tmlians had committed a hor rilile massjicre at the missionary establishment oi Dr. Whitman, and recommending prompt ■ction in ilie mntler. In (his massacre, aiier alluding o tl,e fact that funds will be required he iuggests the nroprintjr of a loan from the Hudenti's B.-iv Company, and the merchant's öfOrogon City, on the faiih of the United St;i:s Government. Accompanying 'he message, was the following, among other letters, giving an account of Ihe mosl lamentable afTair. It will be seen that the Indians were induced to the bloody act ly the horrid susprcion that the missionarie3 were poisoning them, while, in truth, kindly adrninistering to their wants : Fort Nez Perces, Nov.30, 1847. To the Board of Management : Gentlemen : It is my painful lask to make yoH ucqnainied wiili a borrij mnssicre wliicli tonk place yesterday at Waiiluipu, abont fchich I w first apprised earlv tliis morning, ty au Americr.n wlio liad escaped, of ihe name of Hall, and lio reíicbed lliis placo hnlFnaked anti covered wilh lilood. As lie Karled at the onset, the nfin-irmtion tliat I pot was not. satisfactory. He, liowcver, assured me that llie Doctor and nnotlier man were killed : bnt could not teü me the person wlio did it, and how it originkted. J imfedia!ely determined on jcndmg my tflterpreter and one man to Dr. Whitman's, to find nul tlie trulh, and, if poss lilo, to resene .Mr. Miinson's lvo sons, and any of tlie survivore. It ín liapppnrd tliat, before the interprt-tvr 1 ad procepded lialf way, the two boys ero met on iheir way hither, escorted bv ISucholai l'inlny - it liaving been previously IDillcJ ainong tlie Indians that these boys sho'd not bf kiücd, as nlso tlie American ivnman and rhidren, Polequoit is tlie chief who recommended this mensure. I presume you arewell ucquainted vi:h lliat fevernnd dysentery that luis ben rogiop; hero, and in tliis vicinity, in consequenee of which, a groat of Indians liavo boen swept away, but more especi.illy at the Doctor's place, where he attended upan the Indians. About 40 souls oftlie Cayuse iribe died, one after another, vvlio evcntufilly bcltevcd tlie Doctor poisoned them, and in which opinión, they were unfortunnlely confirmad by one of tlie Doctor's partv As far ;i I have boon able to learn. this lias been the Bole canse of t hts drendful butrhery. In onJrr to iatisfy nny doubt on lliat point, it is repnrted tli.it they requested tlie Doctor to udminister medicine to three of their friends two of wliom were reallysick, but the third on!y ffigning illness, and tliat the three were corpses next morning. After they were buried, and whüo llie Dootor's men were bnsy ehiujihti-ring an ox, the Indians came one by one to dis house, with their arms concealed under their blank!, and boing all assembled, commeticed firing o.) those glnughtering the animal, and i.i a moment the Doctor's house was suiToiinded Tlie Doctor and a young ily hroaght np bv liimself were shot in tlie house. His lady, Mr. Hogers and the children liad taken refuwe ín the purret, but. drafiped down and desp.itched (exceptinp the children) OUicide, vvhere th bndies were left exposed. It is repörted that it wa3 not their ntention to kill Mr. Roirors, in consequence of an avow al to the following efFcct, which he is 6iid to have made, and which nothing but a desire to save his lifö could have prompted him to do. He said, " I was one evening lying down, and I (verhenrd the Doctor telling Rev. Mr. Spnuldi i; ihut it was best vou ehould all be prisoned at once, but the Littor told him it was betterto continue slowly, and cautiously, and between tliis and spring nrta fou! would remam wtten liiey wonld takepos&ession of your lands cattle, and horees." Tliosc are only InHian reports. nnJ no person cun believo the Doctor capaMe of such an ctúm, without be'inz ai ignorant and brutal as the tndinns tliemselvcs. One of the murderors not hftving beca made acquuinted willi the aliove iinderstunduig, shot Mr. Rogers. It is well understood that eleven uves were lost and three wounded. It is also rumoree! thnt they are to mnke an ottnek upon the fort; let theni come it they will not listen to reason; though I have only five rnon in tlie elal)lishment, I am prvpared lo nf tliem a waitn receplion ; the gates are closed day nod night, and bastions are in readiness. Ín company with Mr. Manson's two suns was sent a yomig halt' breed tad, brought np by Dr. Whitman - they are all !ierc and havo got over their fright. The ring-leaders in lilis horrible butehery, are Telequoit, bis son, Bg Belly Tamsuchy. Esticus Toumoulish, &c. I understand from the interpreter that they were making one common grave for the deceased. The houses were stripped of every thing in the shape of property, but when they carne to dividethe spoil they fe 11 out among ihemsrlves and all agreed to put back the property. I am happy to state the Walla Wallas liad no hand f! the whole business - they were all the Doctor's own people, (the Cayuses). One American shot another and took the Indians' partto save his own life. Allow me to draw a veil over this dreadful afFair, wliich I have explained conformably to information reccived, and with sympathising feelings. I remain, wilh much respect, gentlemen, Your most obedient, humille servant, WILLIAM McBEAN. N. 15. I liave just learned that the Cayuses are to be here lo-morrow to kill Serpent Jaune, the Walla Walla chief. In a subsequent paper we find a complete list of the persons killed on this occasion, which is here annexed : Dr. Whitman Mrs. Whitman, fr. Rogfers, Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Sanders, (schoolmaster,) Mr. Maríh, John Sager, Francés Sager, (youths,) Mr. Kimball, Mr. Geilen, Mr. Bawley, Mr. Young, Jr., Mr. Sales, Mr. Hall, supposed to have been killed at John Day's River. Hall made hui escape, and reached Fort Vnncouver. but was unwise enough to attpmpt to get to the " lower country," after which timehe was not heard of except that the Indians reported that he had been killed. In the Spectator of the 20th of January we liave a particular account of the effbrts of' Peter Sken Ogden, Esq., chief factor of the Hudson Hay Co., to effect the restoraiion of Dr. Spulding, and llie otlier prisoner hi were taken prisoners by the Cay use Indians at the limo of the rnurder of Dr. WhilmaB. Mr. Ogdon arrived ut Walla on the 19th of Dcc, having nccomplished the journey from Fort Vaneo u ver in ten dayg. He hnd with hun six teen men. Immediately on liisarrival ut Fort Nez Perces, he despatched couriers to cali a meeting of the Cayui-e chiefs. On tlie ihird day two chiefs and ahoüt thirty men appeared. The Council assemblrd on tlie 28tli nmi Mr. Ogden made a speech to tliem, in which he denicted the er.ormiiy of their crime, lold them of the ccrtaiiitv of the punishment which awaited them, suhouiJ the Americans goto war with them, and counselleu ibem to give up their pnsonors. The Chiefs re[)lied ; and then it was agreed that they ehuuld deliver up the r-aptives within six days on the promise of' a ransorn being paid thern. Speeches wrrealso made in the intermedíate time to the Nez Perces, and they agreed to deliver up Mr. Spal ding and lus family. On the evening of the 29th, tho caplives were brought in by the Cayuses, and they were most hospitably entertained by Mr. Ogden and the company. Next day the ransom was paid. - A day or two thereafter, news was brouglit of the arrival of the Americ-an troops at the Dalles, and so great was the excitement among the Indians that Mr. Ogden feit assured, that if the women and ehikiren had not been given up, thev would all have been murdered. Mr. Ogden was also delained until the arrival of Mr Spalding should take piare, which occurreda few days, and then the who'u party took up their departurc for Fort Voncouver.