N.Y. October 8, 1856
Sir
I trust I shall not be deemed instrusive in addressing you, the Peculiarity of my position is my appology. Having lived for the last three years in Rogue River Valley, Southern Oregon, and being familiar with much of the Oregon & history of the Indian War, and knowing the great wrong our people were doing, I fully sympathized with Generals Wool & Palmer, And failed not in my efforts to bring about a different course, but the public hear, & the Press in the Territory, were closed against reproof. And because I wrote letters to Eastern Papers stating acknowledged Facts, hoping thereby to stay the outrages. Indignation meetings were got up, and my life threatened.
I fled on the Night of the 26th of Last May to Fort Lane for safety, and was escorted by the U.S. troops to a place of safety. I called upon several of the Editors in the Territory to remonstrate against their reckless course in urgeing a war of extermination, when really was no Occasion for War at All.
I also published an Address to the Citizens of Oregon, as well as Several letters in behalf of Justice & Mercy towards the Indians.
For the fact is, this war, has grown out of the Selfish propensities of the Whites, for worse then the bad conduct of the Indians, and therefore my
feelings of Patriotism, & convictions of right impeld me to Sustain a moral war, against moral wrongs. For we had abounding evidence that notwithstand the execelent instructions furnished from the Commissioner of the Indian department to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, they could not be propperly carried out with a local population wholly opposed. the concequence is [illegible] Embarissment, Loss & Wide Spread Mesiry.
To stop this mischief and to prevent similar recurrence, I have written many private letters and Public appeals through the Press having obtained the use of one Paper in the Wallemette for which I paid a Good Riding horse & Equipments and had extra copy's Circulated Gratitiously. I also staid in San Francisco several weeks purposely to Enlist the influence of the Press in behalf of Justice & Right.
I arrived in this City 27 of June with less then $10 in my Pocket and a perfect stranger. Having been thus forced by circumstance into Public work to the great detriment of my domestic pecuniary interests as well as prostration of heat I respectfully submit weather I have not a claim for indemnity, and suport until I can safely return to my home. Which will hardly be until the war Claims are adjusted.
My course from the first was the spontanious [...]
the most direct method to arrest evil. And I have the sattisfaction of believeing that much treasure and some lives were saved and the war brought to a spediar cloce. I have no letters of introduction because I asked for none, but I have two letters of Personal & private Nature from Gen. Wool And I believe the approbation of the Moral Sense of Oregon & Callifornia.
And I propose to furnish Facts and incidense of Indian Character and the Power of kindness untill Public Sentiment shall frown upon the multiplied wrongs to which the Indian Tribes are Subject.
If you should wish for further information corrobirative or Ilustrative of the Authorized Report in relation to the War, or the Wants and prospects of the Tribes, on the Reserve or Elsewhere. I think you could be furnished with the same. As besides myself there is now in this City a very inteligent Man, long a resident upon the coast and femeliar with matters of interest in that quarter.
There is also a Gentlemen who aided Gen. Palmer in collecting the Remnants and for two months taught the first school the poor Children were ever in his account of their progress is very interesting and I think the information he could communicate to the department would be usefull as a basis for future action.
With this I send two or three scraps from California Papers meerly as evidence of the kind of articles I have Published. Also a N.Y. Tribune of September in is a brief Statement of the circumstances which Ocasioned the Murder of the Lamented Whitman Missionary to the Indians in '48. Please let me know whether the department will require any further reference as to credibelity or Charector. If so I will furnish any reasonable amount from Lasalle Co Ill. where I lived one Farm 22 years or to Numbers in Oregon & Callifornia I am now at a "Water Cure" in N.Y. incuring Debt for which I have no means at command to Pay. Please address Cain of Fowler & Wells 308 Broad Way N.Y. and ablige Your Obedient Servt
John Beeson
To Mr. Manypenny
[illegible] Indian Department