On the right bank of the Illinois River three miles above its mouth 22^nd of May 1856,

Chief John said to Lieutenant-Colonel Bnehanan:

“You are a great chief;

so am I, a great chief;

this is my country;

I was in it when these trees were very little,

not higher than my head.

My heart is sick fighting the whites,

but I want to live in my country.

I will not go out of my country.

I will, if the whites are willing,

go back to the Deer Creek country

and live as I used to do among whites;

they can visit my camp and I will visit theirs;

but I will not lay down my arms

and go to the reserve.

I will fight.

Good bye.”

Chief John then walked into the forest.*[i]

 

 

 

 

[i] History of Southern Oregon, 1884 A.G. Walling  p.279