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Indian wars * --) OF THE (-
* NORTHWEST ——--m BLEDSOE.
Indian Wars OF THE
NORTHWEST.
A
CALIFORNIA
SKETCH.
A. J. BLEDSOE.
San Francisco : BACON & COMPANY, BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS, Comer Clay and Sansome Streets. 1885.
Copyright, 1885, By A. J. BLEDSOE.
TO
THE
PIONEERS
OF
CALIFORNIA,
And to their Descendants,
The Native Sons of the Golden West, This Book is Inscribed,
THE AUTHOR.
ERRATA. Page 28.
For “ prior to the first day of January, 1885,” read “ 1855.'
Pages 107, 111, 120. Page 63.
For “Robert T. Lainott,” read “Robert S. Ba Motte.”
For “ T. W. Brown,” read “ T. M. Brown.”
Page 70. It is erroneous to class N. Duperu among the dead. ” living, at San Francisco.
He is now
CONTENTS. Introduction
CHAPTER I. Annals of Discovery—Dr. Gregg’s Party.
Pioneers of Rich Bar.—A starved-out camp.—An expedition to the sea.—Dr. Josiah Gregg, of Missouri.—The 5th of November, 1849.—Across the Coast Range.—How the South Fork of Trin¬ ity was discovered.—Suffering of the explorers.—In the Red¬ woods.—Ocean’s welcome roar.—Discovery of Trinidad, Little River, Mad River and Humboldt Bay.—Factions in the party. —L. K. Wood, of Kentucky.—David A. Buck, of New York. —Discovery of the Van Duzen.—A controversy and a separa¬ tion.—A combat with grizzlies.—Terrible condition of L. K. Wood and adventures of his party.—Death of Dr. Gregg by star¬ vation .73
CHAPTER II. Annals of Discovery — The Cruise of the Laura Virginia.
A glance at the map.—A long stretch of unknown coast—The search for the mouth of the Trinity.—The Laura Virginia Asso-
10
CONTENTS. ciation.—Two Boards of Trustees.—Lieutenant Douglass Ottinger, U. S. N.—Remarkable voyage of the “ Laura Virginia.” —Burial of Lieutenant Bache.—E. H. Howard’s expedition from Trinidad.—Rival ships at sea.—The “General Morgan” and the “ J. M. Ryerson.”—Off the bar.—A brave man needed.— H. H. Buhne, Second Officer.—The ship’s boats cross the Bar. —The 14th of April.—The “Laura Virginia” at anchor in the Bay.—Humboldt City.—Business of the Laura Virginia Associa¬ tion.—How steamers were subsidized.—Rise and fall of a me¬ tropolis .104
CHAPTER III. Annals of
Discovery—Early Settlements and Voyages
by
Sea and Land.
Major P. B. Reading.—Mining excitement on the Trinity River.— Embryo cities in newly discovered territory.—Bucksport, Union and Eureka.—The Brannan brothers.—Warnerville and Klamath City.126
CHAPTER IV. Annals of Discovery.—The
Extreme Northwest.
The County of Del Norte.—Its first settlement.—Happy Camp.— Crescent City.—The story of the lost cabin.—Captain McDer¬ mott.—J. F. Wendell’s land grant.—Smith’s River Valley.. 133
CONTENTS.
I I
CHAPTER V. The First Four Years of Settlement.—The
Indians and
their Tribes.
Character of the population.—A slow transition.—Cosmopolitan com¬ munities.—Bitter rivalry between jealous towns.—The Indians. —Six general divisions.—Natural consequences of white settle¬ ment .143
CHAPTER VI. The Klamath'War.
Tribes of the Klamath River.—Characteristics of the Indians.— Robert Walker’s ordeal.—A trial by fire.—Smoke and superstistition.—Col. McKee’s oration.—The ferry at Weitchpeck.— Ken-no-wah, Zeh-fip-pah, Ma-roo-kus and Kaw-tap-ish, four noted men.—Blackburn’s ferry.—Dangers menacing the whites.—Hos¬ tile RedCaps.—A general uprising.—Capt. Judah’s negotiations. —Union Volunteers.—Col. Buchanan and his infirmness of pur¬ pose.—Capt. Judah relieved.—Contentions among the miners.— The mouth of the Salmon.—Capt. Buzelle and Capt. U. S. Grant.—Moreo and Capped rancherias.—The month of March. —Confusion among tlie Volunteers.—Proposition of the Hoopas. —S. G. Whipple appointed Special Indian Agent.—Capt. Judah sent back to the Klamath.—Volunteer Companies dismissed.— Klamath Reservation located.—End of the War
iS3
12
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VII. Eel River Valley.
A Retarded Section.—Two Score of Settlers.—The Price of safe¬ ty.—Difficulties of Pioneer Life.—Murder of Arthur Wigmore. —Col. Buchanan’s Opinion.—“A Slave to Discipline.”....
177
CHAPTER VIII. A
Pioneer Family—Cooper’s Mills.
Five brothers from the British Provinces.—Their settlement in Eel River Valley.—Their farms and mills.—Incidents of life in a new country.—Tragic fate of David and Adolphus Cooper.—William, George and John Cooper.—Strange fortunes and strange deaths. —Alfred Delaseaux.—A chapter of sad events.182
CHAPTER IX. Indian Affairs in ’56.
Progress of the country.—False alarms and'mysterious movements.— Restless tribes on the Klamath.—Negligence of the military authorities.—Excitement in Hoopa Valley.—Cattle killed at An¬ gel’s Ranch.—A tragedy on Bear River.201
CONTENTS.
13
CHAPTER X. A
Hard Winter.
Furious storms and obliterating snows.—Unequal warfare with the elements.—Men and animals lost in the mountains.—Tempo-, rary exemption from Indian troubles.212
CHAPTER XI. A
Revival of Trade.
The Spring of ’57.—General Prosperity in the Mines.—Trading Posts of Northern California.—Wonderful Industrial Progress in Seven Years.217
CHAPTER XII. Quiet Close of a Peaceful Year.
Bill for the payment of Indian War Claims.—Action of the Legisla^
ture.—Some lost papers.—A disturbance at the Klamath Res¬ ervation .222
CHAPTER XIII. The War with the Win-toons—How it Commenced.
The domestic affairs of one “Leroy.”—Shooting of Wm. E. Ross.— Three parties of Volunteers.—John Bell’s perilous position.--
CONTENTS. Death of Orrin Stevens.—The battle of Three Creeks.—Major Raines.—A play ground for soldiers.—Murder of Paul Boynton. Mass meetings of the people.—Petitions for assistance.—Col. Henley’s waste basket.—Organization of Volunteer Companies. The Kibbe Guards.—Fight near Pardee’s Ranch.—John Harpst wounded—Capt. I. G. Messec’s Company.—Hardships of the Winter campaign.228
CHAPTER XIV. The War with the Win-toons.—How it Ended.
One advantage.—Disposition of Prisoners.—Messec’s Campaign.— A Battle in the Redwoods.—The Volunteers Defeated.—A Retreat to Dow’s Prairie.—Condition and Ultimate Success of Gen. Kibbe’s Forces.—Fortunate Occurrence of a Storm.— Flooded and Famished, the Win-toons are Compelled to Sur¬ render .261
CHAPTER XV. A
Year in The Lowlands.
A Foolish Act and its Sequel.—“ Captain Jim ” and “ San Fran¬ cisco John.”—A Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the Tribes of the Mattole. 281
CONTENTS.
*5
CHAPER XVI. Yager Creek.
Hostilities and depredations.—Death of J. C. Ellison.—The Hydesville Volunteers...289
CHAPTER XVII. *
From Bad to Worse.
Win-toons leaving the Reservations.—Reports of barbarous deeds.— A requisition for arms.—Sickening experience of hope deferred. —A mysterious League.—Secret meetings in lonely farmhouses. —The birthplace of the League.—Its members and originator.— The massacre at Indian Island.296
CHAPTER XVIII. Three Months of Trouble.
Dissatisfaction with the Governor.—Meeting of the Citizens of Eel River.—The Grand Jury’s Report.—County Convention on In¬ dian Affairs.—Petty Fights and Petty Quarrels.310
i6
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XIX. A
Complicated Situation.
Population of Humboldt and Klamath in i860.—Indians returning from the Klamath Reservation.—Difficulties in Hoopa Valley.— The situation in the South.—James Casebeer.325
CHAPTER XX. Gathering Clouds of Impending War.
Second County Convention on Indian Affairs.—The Attack on the Sproul Brothers.—A Fight at Iaqua.—Kentinshou Valley. .335
CHAPTER XXI. The Clouds Break.
More trouble in Hoopa Valley.—The campaign of the Regulars.— Thirty volunteer guides.340
CHAPTER XXII. A
Rain of Death.
Disbanding of the Volunteer guides.—Hostile tribes on the war-path. —Killing of Geo. D. Cooper, O. W. Wise,—Coates, Jerry Wil-
CONTENTS.
17
son, Chas. E. Parker, Henry Lemke, Christian Lemke, John Stuart, C. A. D. Huestis, E. M. Sprout and Thomas Griffin.— Mass meetings at Hydesville and Eureka.—The battle of Thief Camp.347
CHAPTER XXIII. Military Operations in 1862. Correspondence
between
Governor Downey,
Brigadier-General
Wright and Indian Superintendent Hanson.—The California Volunteers.—“A safe place for the Troops.”.363
CHAPTER XXIV. Through Fire.
Attack on Angel’s Ranch and shooting of George Zehndner.—Farm houses in flames.—Death of A. S. Bates .369
CHAPTER XXV. Daby’s Ferry.
A Night of Terror.—Adventures of a heroic Woman.—Mrs. Danskin’s fate.—Babes in the Wood.—Peter Nizet and George Danskin. .374 2
i8
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXVI. Military Operations in 1862.
Marching and counter-marching.—A benevolent Indian Agent.— Lieut. Flynn’s detachment.—The force at Fort Humboldt.— Independent Companies.380
CHAPTER XXVII. The Death Roll.
A Scene at Muhlberg’s.—Tragedy on the Trinity Trail.—W. T. Olmstead’s
Adventures.—Massacre
at Whitney’s
Ranch.--
J. P. Albee.386
CHAPTER XXVIII. Military Operations in* 1862.
Union Volunteers and Eel River Minute Men.—The Battle of Light’s Prairie.—A Fight on Little River.—The Smith’s River Reservation.393
CHAPTER XXIX. The Mountaineer Battalion.
A Deserted Country.—Organization of the Mountaineer Battalion.— Companies A and B.—Preparations for War.—Stone Lagoon.
..
49°
CONTENTS.
19
CHAPTER XXX. Beginning of the Two Years’ War. The Tribes that were Engaged in it.—Skirmish at Big Bend.—Oak Camp.—The Trinity.—Movements of the Mountaineers.—Ousley’s Camp at Faun Prairie.—Lieut.
Hempfield’s Expedition.
.408
CHAPTER XXXI. The Two Years’ War. A Raid near Trinidad.—Battle of Redwood Creek.—Scouting parties from the forts.—Death of Samuel Minor, Joseph Sumption and John McNutt.—The Trinity.—Sandy Bar.—Capt. Miller’s De¬ feat.—The Willow Creek Fight.—Position of the Mountaineers. ...4i4
CHAPTER XXXII. The Two Years’ War. Shelling a Log Fort at Bald Mountain and escape of the Indians.— Concentration of Troops.—Disastrous raid in the Salmon River Country.—“Big
Jim’s”
Band.—“ Ceonaltin
John.”—Sheriff
Brown’s Independent Company.—A resolution in the Legisla¬ ture.—Reinforcements.*.429
20
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXXIII. The Two Years’ War. More Troops.—Change of Commanders.—Attack on J. M. Dyer’s house.—The Mattole country.—Movements of the Mountaineers. —White Thorn Valley.—Snyder’s Ranch.—Humboldt Ridge.— Booth’s Run.....437
CHAPTER XXXIV. The Two Years’ War. Military Affairs.—Another Change of Commanders.—Operations in the
field.—Lieuts. Frazer
and
Geer.—Richard
Johnson’s
Daughter.—Alfred Varian.445
CHAPTER XXXV. End of The Two Years’ War.—Permanent Peace Established. All quiet on the Trinity and the Klamath.—Movements of Troops.— Prisoners on the Peninsula.—The Mountaineers mustered out. Promotions and appointments.—The Government’s Indian poli¬ cy and the Reservation System.—Early Reserves in the Hum¬ boldt District.—Col. McKee and his Eel River Scheme.—Rob¬ inson’s
‘‘‘Bonanza.”—Mendocino and
Mattole.—The
Hoopa
Reservation.—The Mouth of the Klamath.—Permanent Peace. ...449
Appendix*.
479
THE PIONEERS. Introductory to
“Indian Wars of The Northwest.”
An old-time writer of romance, whose volumes are favorites of mine, once, in the introductory chapter to a book of his, expressed this opinion:— “ The truth seems to be, that, when he casts his leaves forth upon the wind, the author addresses, not the many who will fling aside his volume, or never take it up, but the few who will understand him bet¬ ter than his schoolmates or lifemates.
Some authors,
indeed, do far more than this, and indulge themselves in such confidential depths of revelation as could fit¬ tingly be addressed only and exclusively to the one heart and mind of perfect sympathy; as if the printed book, thrown at large on the wide world, were certain to find out the divided segment of the writer’s own nature, and complete his circle of existence by bring¬ ing him into communion with it.
It is scarcely decor-
jous, however, to speak all, even where we speak im¬ personally.
But, as thoughts are frozen and utterance
benumbed, unless the speaker stand in some true rela¬ tion with his audience, it may be pardonable to imag¬ ine that a friend, a kind and apprehensive, though not the closest friend, is listening to our talk; and then, a native
reserve being thawed by this genial
22
INTRODUCTION.
consciousness, we may prate of the circumstances that lie around us, and even of ourself, but still keep the inmost Me behind its veil.
To this extent, and with¬
in these limits, an author, methinks, may be autobio¬ graphical, without violating either the reader’s rights or his own.” With a precedent of such distinguished eminence at my back, I shall
offer no apology for assuming
to establish, through the medium of an introductory chapter, a more or less personal readers.
relation
with my
First, let me say, that one year ago I had
no definite purpose of leaving the narrow field of jour¬ nalism for the broad field of a higher literature; and, perhaps, now that I have done so, the first production of the matured thought will be the last. deed
thought much
of the
work
I
I had in¬
finally under¬
took to do, but to my inexperienced view the project seemed so stupendous as to be utterly impracticable. Nor can I claim the full meed of praise or blame which usually falls to the lot of an author. the character of editor that I
It was rather in
engaged in the liter¬
ary work resulting in this volume—putting together in a connected way such historic incidents as fell from the lips of aged men or were discovered between the lines of faded manuscripts and old papers. The narrow field of journalism—always narrow—is much too narrow for a young man of proper ambition, if he desires to keep his self-respect; and a position as editor of a country daily is not long to be endured by any person of pronounced spirit.
opinions
and aggressive
INTRODUCTION. I
23
Resolved, as I was, to drop journalism and take up the law, I was at a loss what to do with the superflu¬ ous time which young practitioners who are waiting for clients generally have at their disposal.
Since
early youth my time had been passed in the active life of the printing-office, from the duties of the office “ devil ” to the editorial chair; and when I had, finally, in a literal and spiritual sense, shaken the dust of the sanctum from my feet, at least a portion of my former activity must somehow find new expression.
Then it
was that the hitherto half-formed and vaguely outlined idea of this volume took definite shape in my mind. The earliest and most pleasing recollections of my boyhood were grouped around pioneer tales.
Often
in the picture gallery of my memory appeared one scene, to be dwelt upon and retained to the last mo¬ ment in the passing shadows of the mind: Winter.
A
homestead in the
snow, and wind, and darkness. warmth, and cheerfulness.
West.
Without,
Within, light, and
A wide, open fire-place,
where the hickory logs snap and sparkle in the heat. Children
in
the room.
And sitting in their accus¬
tomed corners by the fire two old people, who, for nearly four decades, had journeyed through the world as man and wife—who, looking at the glowing coals and in each other’s eyes, drew from the storehouse of their memories strange tales of years long past, rich in the lore and reminiscence of life on the frontier; until
we children, drawing closer, listened
with all
our ears while they talked of times preceding by two decades the war with Mexico; of men whose bones
INTRODUCTION.
24
and deeds had been covered by the earth years and years before we were born; of scenes in the history of border States—border States
no longer—that even
then were dim on history’s page; of brave and daring pioneers, who had crossed the Mississippi, or explored the wilds of the Missouri; of Daniel Boone and Crock¬ ett; of Indian wars, occurring when these tyo old peo¬ ple were young, or related to them by old as
they; of
the
Florida wars,
relatives
as
and of expedi¬
tions to the frontier of the Carolinas; of early settle¬ ments in the remotest territory of the Louisiana Pur¬ chase ; of adventurous families who had cut their way into the wilderness and made themselves a home; of men whose deeds had made them heroes, of women whose true devotion had made them little less than ministering angels.
New and pliant minds received
indelible impressions from those stories old.
Upon
my own mind—I must confess it—the impression was so vivid that I would scarcely have wondered if some¬ time the people of whom they talked had shambled from their graves and marched in dumb review before us.
Upon my mind—I must confess it—the impres¬
sion was so strong that a secret desire possessed me to write in a book those narratives of earlier days than ours, and so give them the world-wide
recognition
which I felt assured their merit demanded. ish
thought, undoubtedly;
but
A child¬
conceived, as such
thoughts generally are, in the purest spirit of philan¬ thropy. The experience of maturer years obliterated quite the purpose of my conceit, yet the impressions of
INTRODUCTION.
childhood remained firm and lasting.
25 So, when I had
finally broken the shackles that bound me in the thralldom of journalistic duty, and was casting about for some employment to fill up superfluous timfe in the commencement of my new profession of the law, it was natural that my mind should revert to the pro¬ ject of book-writing which had occupied it in boy¬ hood.
Here, then, was my opportunity.
A little re¬
flection convinced me that narratives of events trans¬ piring a half a century ago, imperfectly remembered, seen but
dimly through the
mists of many years,
would meet a cold reception in the hurrying, bustling, practical age of the present.
And now, having de¬
cided upon a record of local interest and comparative¬ ly recent date, thirty years even seems a long leap back into the past; and I should scarcely essay to make it, were not a local interest attaching to the ex¬ cursion. I do not pretend to say that much might not have been written under the title of this book which I have left unwritten.
Nor do I propose to adopt the practice
of many writers, who, realizing the shortcomings of the human
intellect, and being half-ashamed of them,
apologize to their readers for not attaining a higher degree of excellence.
Rather would I launch my lit¬
erary craft without a word concerning its defects or its merits, knowing, as I do, that the rough waves of public opinion will very soon test its seaworthiness. It is not to be expected that the work will have a general circulation. local nature only.
Its interest is, in the main, of a I shall feel perfectly and thoroughly
26
INTRODUCTION.
satisfied if the circulation of the work is extensive among my friends and neighbors. What better -fame cap a man acquire than the good opinion of his neigh¬ bors? And if the favoring breeze of public com¬ mendation shall, perchance, fill the sails of this creation ojf my labor, that will be most satisfactory which eman¬ ates from the people I know and appreciate. I have endeavored to sketch, in a manner that would not be entirely devoid of interest, the facts and incidents and reminiscences attainable from the material at my com¬ mand. , There were doubtless many incidents of the earliest settlement of the northern coast, not obtained by me, which would be intensely interesting could they be portrayed by a faithful pen and transferred to the pages of a book; but time, ruthless in its destroying touch, has covered many a guiding landmark under the weight of accumulated years—and in the memory of men, likewise, has been obliterated many a land¬ mark in the landscape of the mind. Only such scat¬ tered fragments as have escaped the universal destruc¬ tion and building up anew, attendant upon the evolu¬ tion of the years, may now find a place in the chronicles of pioneer life in California. As through the open windows of a car we catch glimpses, brief yet vivid, of the country through which we pass, so through the open vistas of time may we gain an occasional view, transient and fleeting, of a past that has been dead these many years. '
INTRODUCTION.
27
Pioneer societies perpetuate on the Pacific Coast the associations and deeds of those who settled the coun¬ try.
In the centennial year of American independence
the Society of Humboldt County Pioneers was organ¬ ized in the City of Eureka.
Some account of the or¬
ganization of the society, and brief biographical refer¬ ence to a few of its prominent members, should be a fit¬ ting and appropriate introduction
to a narrative of
pioneer days. The Society of Humboldt County Pioneers was or¬ ganized on the 22d day of January, 1876, and re-or¬ ganized and incorporated on the 12th day of May, 1881.
The initiatory steps for the organization of the
Society were taken on the 8th of January, 1876, in the city of Eureka.
A meeting notice had been published
over the signatures of Judges J. E. Wyman and A. J. Huestis, Major E. H. Howard, Captain H. H. Buhne and F. S. Duff, and the meeting itself was held at the business office of Major Howard, who was chosen Secretary, Judge Huestis being Chairman.
A com¬
mittee was selected to draw up a Constitution and By¬ laws, to be submitted at an adjourned meeting on the 22d of the same month.
The adjourned meeting was
held at the City Hall in Eureka, when the Constitution and By-laws were submitted and adopted.
The elec¬
tion for permanent officers to serve during the first year of the Society’s existence was then held. Huestis was elected Deming and J. E.
President, Jas. Hanna, Wyman
Howard Secretary, R.
Vice-Presidents,
W. Brett
Treasurer,
A. J. Byron E. H. C.
W-
Long Marshal, and J. Cullburg, C. S. Ricks, George
INTRODUCTION.
28
Graham, Jfis. Russ, F. S.
Duff and A. Brizard the
Board of Directors. From the date of its organization until
1881 the
Society held numerous meetings, business and social, and the latter were characterized by excellent literary programmes and imposing civic display. 1881 it became apparent that the
In the year
Society was out¬
growing its somewhat irregular and imperfect organi¬ zation ; and at the earnest solicitation of some of the • most enthusiastic members, a meeting was held
on
the 14th of April, for the purpose of perfecting and strengthening the organization.
Several changes in
the organic laws of the Society were here suggested, and a committee was appointed to report at a meeting on
the
12th of May a plan for the
reorganization
of the Society and its incorporation under the laws of the State.
On the 12th of May, which was the
time for the fifth annual meeting of the Society, the committee appointed on the 14th of April made a re¬ port and a new Constitution and Articles of Incorpo¬ ration were considered and adopted.
Under Article
11. of the Constitution, (1) “Any person who was a resident of the territory now known as the county of Humboldt prior to the 1st day of January, 1885, (2) or was a resident of Trinity county at the time Hum¬ boldt county was a part thereof, and has since become a resident of Humboldt county as now established, (3) and his or her descendant of full age, (4) and the hus¬ band or wife of such person or descendant, (5) and members of the First Battalion of Mountaineers, Cali¬ fornia Volunteers, honorably discharged, are eligible
INTRODUCTION.
29
to become members ; and (6) honorary members may be admitted without these qualifications, and life mem¬ bers on such terms as may be fixed by the By-laws.” The range of membership was thus made wide enough to embrace elements that would keep the Society alive long after the original Pioneers had passed away, and wide enough, also, to give ample scope for the intro¬ duction of youthful ambition and energy. Since the date of the reorganization and incorpora¬ tion, 1881, the Society has flourished and grown ; its membership including, at the present time, the major¬ ity of those who found the country in its wild, natural condition, and have brought it up to the dignity and prosperity of civilized culture.
The annual meetings
of the Society, especially, have been important and highly interesting.
The county of Humboldt was es¬
tablished by Act of the Legislature, on the 12th of May, 185^, and for that reason the Society set apart this day as the time for annual meetings.
In giving
some idea of the character of these meetings, and as throwing some additional light on
the organization
and objects of the Society itself, I have obtained offi¬ cial minutes of the annual gathering of 1882.
On the
12th of May, of that year, the Pioneers and their friends met at Russ Hall, in the city of Eureka, for the an¬ nounced purpose of talking over old times and having a general
reunion.
Preceding the
speech-making,
some old-fashioned songs, “ Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot,” “ The Dearest Spot,” and others of like character, were sung by a glee club.
The meeting
was called to order by John Vance, who made a brief
INTRODUCTION.
30
address of welcome and congratulation.
Mr. Vance
then introduced Rev. J. S. Todd, of Areata, who spoke as follows:
“ Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : “ I feel somewhat embarrassed today.
Preachers are
not generally embarrassed, because they have so much speaking to do, and appear so often, that they do not become embarrassed.
But this is something new to
me—new faces and a hew subject.
The committee
asked me, Mr. President, to make an address on this occasion.
I said, No.
My duties for the
last few
weeks, and, in fact, for nearly all winter, were so hard, that I had not the time to prepare an address that I think any Pioneer would like to hear.
I am embar¬
rassed, too, because I don’t know that I can claim to be a Pioneer.
I did not understand how it was exactly,
until it was explained to me by your committee. When I came here, in 1868, I did not invest in lands, nor in steamboats, nor in railroads, nor in homesteads, nor in farms: I didn’t go to work in that manner, but I in¬ vested in
one of your true, simon-pure girls.
Mr.
President, it has been some time since I made that purchase; and I can say to this audience, that if they ever made such an investment, and are as well satis¬ fied as I am, the name of Pioneer will go down to hundreds of generations.
I suppose that is the reason
you permitted me to become a member of your Soci¬ ety ; and I thank you for the honor.
When I was in¬
vited to make a speech on this occasion, I thought I would look over my burial roll.
Since I have been
INTRODUCTION.
31
among you, I have laid in the dust over one hundred of your citizens; and in that one hundred—I counted as near as I could—I thought there were fifty that had come, or their parents had come, to this country be¬ tween the years of 1849 and 1851; and you may know from that, that I am somewhat acquainted with the his¬ tory of you Pioneers; for when a minister pays the last solemn tribute of respect to the departed, it is his business to inquire into the history of that person— when he came to this country, and what he has done ; and a great many whose names are remembered with pleasure—names that are identified with the interests of this country, and even of this county—I have buried in the silent grave, with my tears and my prayers ; and with my consolations, I have done all I could to com¬ fort and sustain. “ I have been so long among you, though not as a pioneer, I feel that I have become a pioneer. pioneer by instinct. hills
I
nected
I am a
These mountains I love, these
love, and these redwoods.
Everything con.
with
I
this county
I
love.
went away;
I
thought there was, perhaps, a better place than Hum¬ boldt county.
I went to an old-settled place, but I
sighed for these mountains, and
I sighed for these
bald-headed men, whom the President of this Society has spoken to you to-day about. ciety of these men.
I sighed for the so¬
I wanted to be back, and the first
opportunity that presented itself, I rushed back to these old spots and to the men that have built up this great county.
The President of this Society said that he
wanted to give the traditions—no, not the traditions,
INTRODUCTION.
32
but the facts—of the settlement of this county to the rising generation.
That is a duty that we owe to our
children, and I think they will appreciate it much bet¬ ter than we do.
It takes many years for a country to
have a history, and as it becomes settled up, and as our mutual interests become harmonized and strengthened, then we can enter upon an intellectual and moral de¬ velopment; for I find in the history of any country the material is first, the intellectual is next, and then, I believe, the spiritual.
I ought to speak, of course,
for the ministry; but I do not happen to be a pioneer. I was not like the apostle who went into a new place so that he would not build upon another man’s foun¬ dation.
I had to build upon another man’s foundation.
There had been pioneers before me, who had reared a superstructure to the God and Christ I worship.
I am
thankful to these pioneers, who built the ships and rail¬ roads and the saw-mills.
I am thankful when I speak
of the religious element in this county.
I am thank¬
ful that they reared spires to heaven, and that they laid religious foundations, as well as material and intellect¬ ual.
And I can say for the Church, at least, that their
memory will
be held in fond remembrance by the
Church for all that they have done to build up the in¬ fluence of the blessed Master; and I trust that the trials, and the difficulties and the troubles and the anxieties which the fathers of this county have endured may be handed down, and the succeeding generations will ap¬ preciate it much more than we do, and in years to come there will be a history—an honorable history—to be transmitted to coming generations.
I thank you, Mr.
INTRODUCTION.
33
President, for having the honor of being a member of this Society, and I assure you that I will do all I can to transmit to my own children and to yours the great good which you have done in this county.” The next speaker was Judge J. P. Haynes, who said:
“ Mr.
,
President Ladies and Gentlemen :
“ Some two or three days since a friend said to me : ‘ I see that you Pioneers are going to have a little celebration on the 12th of this month, and you are to deliver an address on that occasion.’
I replied to him :
‘ It is true that the Pioneers propose to have a little time on the 12th; but, my friend, I apprehend you are mistaken as to your assertion that I am to deliver an address on that occasion.’
He replied:
41 saw it in
the newspaper, and I took it for granted that it was so.’
I turned my attention
to the columns of the
newspaper, and to my great surprise I saw that my name was announced, in connection with others, whose duty it would
be to address
their brothers of the
Pioneer Association, and those citizens who might honor us with their presence to-day. siderably by surprise.
I was taken con¬
I had not been consulted, and
I had not even been notified by the committee that it was expected that I should deliver an address, and con¬ sequently I feel a good deal of that embarrassment which Brother Todd spoke of when he was on the stand.
I feel so much embarrassed, indeed, that I feel
small enough almost to creep into this big fiddle lying
INTRODUCTION.
34
over here on my right.
But I said to Brother Todd,
when he was inclined to complain, as I was, of this want of notice, and the little time given us to prepare our speeches, ‘ Oh,’ said
I, ‘ that is an
old pioneer
trick—that is a touch of the olden time.
You would
remember, if you had been in this country as long as I have, that in early days there never was a more liberalhearted or more open-handed people than the pioneers of California.’
They were free with their own, and
sometimes I must say—truth compels me to say—they were inclined to be a little liberal with the things that belonged to somebody else.
There was a good neigh¬
borly feeling all through the country.
If a man hap¬
pened to be in need of anything he didn’t have in his cabin, he would go over to his next neighbor, and if he saw the article he wanted, he would help himself without ceremony; and if the neighbor was placed in the same position at any subsequent time, he would return the compliment by going over and
helping
himself to anything he wanted; and, as our departed friend Brett used to say, ‘ It was all right.’
Very well.
I understand this is to be a sort of free-and-easy ar¬ rangement—a kind of go-as-you-please concern, as they say in California.
They have departed from the usual
rules adopted on such occasions.
As a general thing,
when we come together for the purpose of celebrating an
anniversary occasion,
some
one
is selected
as
speaker, or ‘orator of the day,’ as they call him, gran¬ diloquently.
He is supposed to prepare an extensive
speech, and dwell at length on such subjects as are proper to talk of on
the
occasion.
But this com-
INTRODUCTION.
35
mittee. true to the instincts of pioneers, have departed from the beaten path and struck out on a new one of their own originating.
So they said: ‘We will call
the pioneers and their friends together, and we will have something like an old-fashioned Methodist class meeting, where the people talk after the minister him¬ self has addressed the audience, where each one in turn is called upon to express their feelings to the brethren that surround them.’
A good many years
ago I used to attend those meetings.
I was more in
the habit of attending church then than I have been in modern days.
I was very much interested in those
meetings, for men who were not supposed to have any of the faculties of an orator, or the ability to make anything like a speech, under the influence of their religious zeal and the feeling that possessed them on those occasions would address the audience and make speeches as eloquent and as logical and convincing as the minister himseif.
I hope some of that sort of
feeling will be infused into our brother pioneers to-day. There are men who cannot make a set speech, yet if you were to be with them sometimes when they are sitting around the stove or fire-place, and hear them spin their yarns—of the old days and the hardships, of the perils and the dangers they encountered, by reason of the savages that inhabited the country with them— you would find it the most interesting talk you could listen to.
If they can’t make any speeches, they can
tell us at least a few of those yarns, as they would talk them over at home, and it would be found as interest¬ ing as a regular set speech, if not more so.
I remem-
INTRODUCTION.
36
ber that a good many years ago, in the section of country where I was born and raised, when I was quite a little boy, there were a few very old people living in the country at
that time—men and women whose
heads were gray, and who were tottering almost on the verge of the grave—people who had left their homes on the Atlantic slope away back in 1765, 1770, and 1775, and had crossed over the mountains, and dared all the dangers of the wilderness, and come over that great and unknown country now designated as the Mississippi Valley.
They were the pioneers of the
country ; and the most interesting period of my life, I think, was when I used to be sitting around one of those broad, hospitable western fire-places, and listen¬ ing to the old people telling the adventures they had met with in early days when they settled the country. We felt admiration, we felt respect for them; we felt sympathy for them by reason of the hardships they had endured in opening up that vast country, and it was for that that we idolized them after they were dead and gone. “ I hope, Mr. President, when we grow old as they grew old, we will be looked up to with the respect that they were, by reason of the fact that we came in¬ to this county at its earliest age.
I don’t know but
that I may consume too much of the time of this audience; I do not like to encroach upon
the time
allotted to others ; but there are certain peculiarities pertaining to the old pioneer settlers of this country which it will, perhaps, be as well to give a brief refer¬ ence to.
I am talking of that wonderful versatility of
INTRODUCTION.
37
genius—I suppose you might call it so—which enabled every man to adapt himself to the emergencies of the occasion in which
he
was placed.
For
instance, a
man did not pretend to confine himself to one par¬ ticular calling, or to his profession, or to his trade. Every one of the first arrivals wanted to go to the mines.
If he succeeded there, very well; but you
know there was not one in a thousand, perhaps, that made a final success of it.
Well, a man
who was a
lawyer by profession, when he came here had got be¬ yond an organized Court, and sometimes beyond an organized government.
There was nothing in
profession for him to do.
his
A physician would come
out, but the country was so healthy that there was no occasion for his services.
If he still remained in
the country, and could not find anything in his line, he would do the next-best thing.
If he could not prac¬
tice the medical profession, if an opportunity afforded he would agree to drive an ox team ; and if a lawyer could not practice law, he would shingles for some one.
make shakes
or
They were always perfectly
willing to take up with anything that would make a living.
I had a pretty strong illustration of this before
I came to the State of California.
When we were on
our way out to this country, coming by the Isthmus, by some means or other we had all been advised in the city of New York, before we sailed from there, not to buy a full ticket all the way through to California. They advised us to buy a ticket to Panama, and when at Panama we could get a ticket to San Francisco cheaper, because the emigrants, a good many of them,
INTRODUCTION.
3«
got disgusted when they reached Panama, and would sell out their ticket, and the rest of it would take us to San Francisco.
There was quite a party
of us
associated, coming to this country together, who went by that advice.
We bought these half-way tickets.
When we got to Panama,
there
was an immense
crowd of people there, but there were very few of them going back.
They were all going to the land of gold.
We were deceived and left—were at the Isthmus a month or more before we started for California.
We
didn’t have a great deal of money left then, and the passage was so high that we found all of us could not go.
We collected together and divided up our little
fund as far as it would go, and we found we had enough to purchase tickets for all except one.
There was one
unfortunate member of the party whom we could not furnish
with a ticket, our money being exhausted.
We were feeling very bad about it.
The steamer was
to start the next morning, and as we shook hands with our friend, our sympathies were aroused in his behalf, but we could not help him. when we parted.
We all
felt very sad
We went to the steamer in those
days in one of those steamer-boats or sail-boats —they were small boats—while the steamer lay some con¬ siderable distance out. aboard.
It was dark before we all got
Pretty soon after getting aboard I retired to
my state-room, and the next morning when I woke up we were on our way, and a good many miles from land.
I got up early and walked out on deck.
It
was just a little after daylight, and who should I see standing on the deck but our friend Jim, whom we
INTRODUCTION.
39
had left at Panama under such adverse circumstances. The way he was walking the deck, the Captain him¬ self didn’t appear half so pompous as our friend Jim. He was pompous enough to be not only the Captain, but the owner of the boat—not only that one, but all the line that ran between San Francisco and Panama. I was surprised, and said: come here ?’ he. he
‘ Hallo, Jim, how did you
‘ I am better off than any of you,’ said
1 How is that ?’ I asked.
‘ I shipped as butcher,’
replied, ‘and will get $100 and my passage.’
I
had happened to be acquainted with that young man from infancy, and all the knowledge he had ever had of butchering was such as he had learned when a boy. He had
taken his pocket-knife and helped the old
man slit the ears of a hog or calf, to put a mark on them.
That is all the knowledge he ever had of the
art or mystery of butchering.
This only shows the
character of our people. “ There was another peculiarity of early days that perhaps it would be as well for me to revert to, and that was that you never could tell much about a man from his external appearance.
In the mines you saw
people every day whose garb was peculiar.
They
looked coarse and rough in external appearance, but you could not tell anything about them from their appearance.
In the States and countries you came
from, in meeting a man you could form some idea as to what manner of man he was.
You could place
some estimate on his intellect, or on his moral charac¬ ter, or social standing; you could form some opinion. But that rule did not apply in California at all.
You
40
INTRODUCTION.
could not begin to tell what a man was from his ap¬ pearance, with his long beard growing way down on his breast, his moustache reaching back to his ears, with
his
patched
red
or
blue
you have heard so have been received tution
shirt, and
with
his
pants
with the traditional self-raising flour sack
in
much
an educated
an
education
the
about.
This man may
gentleman,
and may have
at
country.
the
most
He
may
learned insti¬ have
been
a
man of high social position and of vast intellectual power. this.
But
there
was
nothing
that
indicated
You could not tell what his character or stand¬
ing or ability was. own person.
I had an illustration of that in my
I was going across the mountains very
early in 1852, and a part of my trip was from the good old mining town
of Shasta to
Weaverville.
The
mines had been discovered in Trinity some time be¬ fore that, and new finds
had been recently made;
consequently there was a good deal of emigration up from the Sacramento Valley, around by Shasta and Weaverville.
I had not
city when I got up there.
been very long out of the There were a great many
people traveling this trail—in fact, you could scarcely go half a dozen rods but you would meet someone, or someone would overtake you.
In fact, you could see
someone go over that trail all the time, and meet just as many as you would in passing up or down Third street in your town
to-day.
I had not been a great
while out of the city of San Francisco, and I had not yet shed my city rig.
I had on a plug hat, and I had
on a white shirt, and a very long black coat that came
INTRODUCTION.
down about half-way between
41
my knees and feet.
I was going along the trail, when I was overtaken by a man.
He came along and looked at me—looked
up at the hat and at the white shirt collar, that seemed to attract his attention next. me out.
Still, he could not make
I was evidently a puzzle to him.
Finally
he looked down and saw the long-tailed coat, and at once I saw a gleam of intelligence in
his eye.
He
thought he had spotted
me.
you going, my friend ?’
‘ I am going over here to
Weaverville,’
I
replied.
He said: ‘ Where are
He looked
said he,‘you are going over the boys, aren’t you ?’ out for the boys ? stand the
there
again.
Said I: ‘ Going over to open
Explain yourself.
I don’t under¬
meaning of your expression.’
gave me a kind
‘ Oh,’
to open out for
Well, he
of quizzical look, and putting his
hands this way (illustrating) said: boys a little game?’
Said
I:
‘ Going to give the
‘Oh
no, my friend,
you are very much mistaken; that is not my business at all.’
He looked at me, and
then at the hat, and
then at the white shirt collar; and then he took along look at that long-tailed black coat, and said: ‘ I take it back, and I beg your pardon, my friend; I presume you are a minister of the gospel?’
I said: ‘Wrong
again; just as badly mistaken in the last guess as you were in dressed
the
first.’
The fact
was, everybody was
as I have described; and, as
learned, there
were only two
I afterwards
professions that wore
plug hats and white shirts and long-tailed black coats at that time.
That is where
he
made the mistake;
and ladies and gentlemen I believe I have not worn a
INTRODUCTION.
42
plug hat or a long-tailed black coat from that day to this, because I was sailing under false colors, and I do not like to sail under false colors at all.
Great good¬
ness ! Here I have been talking all this and there sits that reporter.
foolishness,
That lets me out.
“ While I have been talking to you here, I have been trying to think of
some very pretty poetry that I
thought I would wind up on.
Sometimes when they
make a regular set speech, they take delight in winding up with a grand flourish of poetry.
That reminds me
that in my quarter of the country I once knew an old man.
He was a very wicked old man—a pretty hard
case.
He told this anecdote about himself:
He was
traveling one time, and was crossing a bridge—a nar¬ row bridge and a rather risky sort of a concern—and all at once he
heard a kind of a crash, and looking
ahead of him he saw that the supports, or props, of the bridge were giving way.
There was a tremendous
swollen winter torrent running a great many feet be¬ neath him, and he began to think his final day had come.
He said he thought he had been a very wicked
man, and it was time for him to pray if
he ever ex¬
pected to pray, but he said there was the trouble.
He
never had been a praying man, and he could not for the life of him think of there came
a suitable prayer.
into his mind
At last
a little prayer his mother
had learned him when he was a little boy at her knee. It began, ‘ Now
I
lay me down to sleep,’
and he
said: ‘ I didn’t think it was appropriate for the occa¬ sion, and so I didn’t say it.’
And so I don’t think my
poetry is appropriate for the occasion.
So I leave it
INTRODUCTION.
43
to those that follow me to give you a little poetry, if they think it necessary to do so.
Mr.
Chairman, I
have addressed the audience in a rambling, rollicking spirit, and perhaps have taken up more time than should. a good
I
Some of us have been living in this county many years—over thirty years.
There
are
men and women in this audience who were born and who have children that were born years after some of us came to this coast. is passing swiftly.
This admonishes us that time
As we grow old the days and the
months and the years seem to be shorter.
The sun¬
shine in the morning does not seem so bright to our eyes as it was thirty years ago and more when we came to the country.
The dew does not form such beauti¬
ful sparkling diamonds on the grass in the early morn¬ ing as it did then.
Age is beginning to tell on a good
many of the pioneers, and a great many of them have gone.
We have passed the meridian
of
life.
We
have got to the top of the divide between birth and death, and as we go down on the other side we seem to move with accelerated speed.
And it will not be a
great while until we shall reach the narrow pit at the bottom of the hill.
We hope and
believe that we
have done our part in the opening and settling of this country; and as has been remarked
by the eloquent
gentleman who addressed you previously to myself, it is to be hoped that the men who will take our places will fulfill the duties of life in a manner honorable to themselves and that will bring honor to our memories.” The last address of the day was delivered by E. H. Howard, and was in the following words :
INTRODUCTION.
44
“ Mr.
President, Ladies and Gentlemen
:--
“ The first settlement in a country always marks an important era in its history.
Our New England fore¬
fathers were pilgrims of persecution from their homes, and pioneers to that inhospitable shore, who sought more elbow room, so to speak, for their consciences, and to have the enjoyment of their religion, with none to molest or to make afraid.
On account of some sup¬
posed flavor of sanctity in their character they were called Puritans.
On the other hand, the forefathers of
the Pacific—for it does not take long to become fore¬ fathers here—came in quest of more elbow-room for the pursuit of w’ealth, and so have come to be known as the Argonauts.
Somehow, pioneers, in their history
as in their lives, have always had a pretty hard time of it, and been exposed to the charge of doing some very hard and wicked things.
Our Puritan ancestors, no
doubt, wrestled stoutly for the blessing of Heaven and each other’s spiritual welfare, and made vigorous use of the means at hand for the converting of the natives. But when they failed to fetch the red man to his knees by preaching and praying, the persuasive method of powder and ball was a most effectual one in completing his conversion on the battle-field.
We read that they
converted heretic Quakers and Baptists into exile from their communities, and witches, fastened to the stake, and fenced in with blazing fagots, they converted in¬ to innocent ashes.
As between the Argonauts and
Puritans, I don’t know but that in many respects the Argonauts have the best of it. never charged anyone with
Surely the Argonauts witchcraft; neither did
INTRODUCTION.
45
they persecute in the name of the Lord, nor in any other name, any man or woman for religion’s sake And now come the home missionaries.
I defy you to
name a spot on the face of the globe where there is so large an organization as in California for the conver¬ sion of the ‘ Heathen Chinee’—back to his native country.
As members of this organization we have as¬
sumed the name of Pioneers, and in a certain sense we are, but it must be conceded that we are not the pioneers of discovery on this coast, but pioneers only as to its settlement.
It must be conceded that other
men before us were the pioneers of discovery on this western shore.
It was Spain who, with her daring
warriors, first penetrated this continent.
It was her
expeditionary bands, led by such adventurers as Cor¬ tez and Pizarro, who swept with fire and sword from the domain of Montezuma and the Incas a higher civil¬ ization than they brought.
They ravaged the country
from ocean to ocean, and wherever in the annals of Spanish discovery we trace her career in
the New
World, we find that civilization has ever halted on the heels of her conquests.
There is one fact that I think
it would be well to call your attention to, that it was just fifty years after the discovery of this continent, and about thirty years after Balboa, standing upon the heights of Darien, gazed upon a western sea flashing at his feet, that the first discovery on the coast line of this State was that lying within the boundary of our own county, and now known as Cape Mendocino, one of the boldest headlands of this coast, and one of the most westerly settlements
of the
English-speaking
INTRODUCTION.
46
people.
This was in 1542.
Not until
1769,
when
the Jesuit fathers planted the first mission within the present borders of this State, had any attempt at set¬ tlement been made.
For one hundred and fifty years
preceding that event no ray of civilization had ever penetrated this solitary domain.
No human footstep
save that of the savage had ever trod the dim paths of its mountain recesses and forests, nor had any sound of civilized life from fireside, field or temple found an echo in its unvisited depths.
Seemingly, it was a land
that had passed out of the remembrance of mep.
It
was a domain abandoned to the savages, with its un¬ told treasures waiting for the coming race, for the Ar¬ gonauts of ’49 and ’50, to break the seal under which they had lain for ages. “ And here we stand—we can go no further.
Prac¬
tically, the advice that Greeley gave, ‘Go West,young man,’ here has found its limitation, where Nature has set her mountain buttresses against the sea, and erected her eternal monuments to our territorial empire on the West.
Any further advance must be
with the
ocean under our feet and our nearest continental neigh¬ bors eight thousand miles
away.
Looking at the
subject in a more general light, we must acknowledge that the
plucky and
energetic Anglo-American,
in
settlement and civilization, has eclipsed every other people in the‘ elevation of his race and the grandeur of his territorial possessions.
No matter what has been
his motive, whether of gain
or adventure,
he has
always contrived to hold the ground on which he has set up his door posts and planted his household gods.
INTRODUCTION.
47
No returning wave of population has given signal of retreat or surrender.
He loves his country for itself--
he loves it all the more for the vastness of its virgin solitudes.
They present new fields
whereon to im¬
press the stalwart heroism and virtues of individual character, where, as the founder of new communities, he can
contemplate from
his primitive cabin
the
multiplied homes and industries that owe their begin¬ ning to the experiences in which he has borne a part The American
reverses
the rule of the Roman as
given us by Sevilla—he conquers where he inhabits, not in the sense implied by the historian, by the force of his arms, but by the force of his civilization.
The
settlement of the country has ever led him foremost, even to its remotest corners, and, although at times our territorial rights have been doubtful, he never felt a want of confidence in his mission Even as to the country here to the Washington Territory and occupied or
held
as a pioneer. north of
Oregon—when
by a treaty of
us--
it was
joint occupation
with Great Britain, in discussing the
abrogation of
that treaty, John Quincy Adams, on the floor of Con¬ gress, declared that we need have no fear as to whose possession it would ultimately fall;
that ‘ any people
who would cross a continent of three thousand miles, dragging make
their prairie-schooners
that
far land
in their chambers.’ than fulfilled.
with
ox-teams,
to
their home, would
conquer it
The prophecy has
been more
From the rock of the Pilgrims to our
lines on the Pacific no barriers of distance or danger have kept him back or held him in pause.
He has a
INTRODUCTION.
48
warrant for his possessions in that primal command which bade our first parents go forth and cultivate the earth.
In the olden time armies were accustomed to
be in the van of settlement and colonization, but on this continent, so far as our country is concerned, the settler has soldier.
always
been
a long way ahead
of the
It is by institutions molded to protect the
natural rights of
man, and at the same time preserve
the peaceful policy of an enlightened civilization, that he has built up new commonwealths, and compelled the agencies of intelligence and matter to yield their tribute to his prosperity.
He has sounded the desert,
and waters have burst from its surface to bless it with fertility for the
husbandman.
He has smitten the
rock and mountain, and out of their bosom have come glittering ingots to reward the toil of the miner. short, the triumphs of the pioneers
have
In
not been
lighted up by the firebrands of war, but throughout the steady march of the century, as now, the schoolhouse, the pulpit and the press have illuminated his pathway and achieved his proudest victories.”
As a matter of interest, worthy of preservation, a list of pioneer members of the Pioneer Society, pre¬ pared on the date of the reorganization, May 12th, 1881, is given below. Averell D. D. Allard Richard. Brizard Alex....
* pi--,. m,Date of arrival in Date of arrival in Place of Nativity. California. Humboldt County. Maine.December, 1849.June, 1850. .New Hampshire_February, 1853.December, 1853. .France.September, 1849_August, 1850.'..
INTRODUCTION.
49
Date of arrival in Date of arrival in California. Humboldt County. Brown J. H. . .Illinois. . . August, 1850. . .January, 1851.. .. Bull J. C., Sr. .. Massachusetts. ..November, 1850.. ..May, 1854. Bull J. C., Jr. Buhne H. H. .. Denmark. ..June, 1849. ..April, 1850. 1849.. .. “ “. Brett R. W. .. England. .. December, 1849,. . .July, 1851. Barnum G. N .... . .New York. .. April, 1854. ..April, 1854. Brown T. M. . .Tennessee. ..October, 1849_ ..March, 1850. Cullberg I. .. Sweden. . .November, 1853.. ..November, 1853. Clark Jonathan.. .. Indiana. .. November, 1849.. ..June, 1850. Comstock H. S... .. Pennsylvania. ..April, 1853. ..November, 1854. . .July, 1857. . .July, 1857. Daniels H. S. ..New Hampshire.. ..February, 1853... ..April, 1853. Deming Byron.... . .Vermont. ..July, 1850. ..March, 1851. Dart H. J. .. Connecticut. . .May, 1850. DeHaven J. J... .. Missouri. ..August, 1849. ..June, 1853. DuffF. S. . .July, 1849. Dungan J. H. .. Kentucky. ..February, 1852... ..February, 1853.. EspieW. C. ..October, 1849_ ..November, 1852. Fay Geo. M. . .Connecticut. ..August, 1852. ..October, 1852... Fay Nahum. ..November, 1852.. ..April, 1853. FossT. H. .. Maine. ..April, 1850. .. August, 1852.... FalorM. J. .. Ohio. ..August, 1850. . .September, 1851. Gastman Henry... 1854. Gardner C. J. ..April, 1850. Graham Geo. . -July, 1852. Graham Thos. R.. .. Mississippi. ..December, 1853.. ..December, 1853. Gannon James.... .. Ireland. ..August, 1854. ..October, 1854... Hale Edward. ..December, 1849.. . .March, 1852. Hansen John. . .July, 1849. . .September, 1853. Hanna James. .. Pennsylvania. ..May, 1850. ..February, 1854.. Hanna Wm. P.... “ . ... ..September, 1856.. ..October, 1857... Hasty Cyrus L.... ■June, 1852. Howard E. H.... ..New York. ..April, 1850. Huestis A. J. .. October, 1849HuestisW. F.... “ “ _ Jackson Chas. .. Maine. ..May, 1854. ..June, 1854...*.. Jansen Otto E.... .. Denmark. Jones D. R. Kelsey D. B. ..March, 1853_ Keleher John. Kimball J. H. .. Massachusetts .... ..March, 1850. .. March, 1853_ Kingston Henry..... Pennsylvania. • July, 1853. Place of Nativity.
50
INTRODUCTION.
■aiafaa.
Place of Nativity. Da^r,in LeMinn J. J. B.... .New Brunswick... •May, 1850. ..March, 1853.... Lowell David B.... .Maine. ..November, 1851.. ..January, 1852... ..October, 1846.... . .August, 1850.... Long Chas. W. .New Brunswick... ..August, 1850. . .September, 1850. Long W. S. . Pennsylvania. .. October, 1854.... ..October, 1854... Lucus Moses. . Massachusetts. . .July, 1849. ..July, 1850. McKenna W. J.... . Australia. ..August, 1849. . .January, 1853... “ “ ... McKenna James... . California. . Munson Daniel.... . Maine. ..May, 1852. ..May, 1853. Murray J. S. . Scotland. ..August, 1849. ..December, 1850 May, 1851. Murray J. S., Jr ... .Great Britain._ .. “ “ Monroe Alonzo.... . Connecticut. . .February, 1850. .. ••June, 1852. Marble A. P. .New York. ..November, 1852.. ..February, 1853.. Minor Isaac. . Pennsylvania. . .March, 1852. .. December, 1853. Morrison Donald.. .New Brunswick.. 1849.. ..June, 1850. Osgood B. F. .Massachusetts_ . .January, 1850 .. .. ..October, 1852... “ 1852 .... • August, Pardee A. L.. .New York. .. “ ... Peuter P. F. . Ireland. ..April, 1854. 1855 '1850.. 1853 Pollard B. H. C.. .. Kentucky. .. ‘ ' Patrick Marshall.....Illinois. 1852.. 1853 Ricks C. S. ..Indiana. ..August, 1849. • July, 1850 . Richardson Chas.. .. Maine. ..November, 1853.. ..November, 1853. Russ Joseph. .. “ . • 1852. Robinson W. S... .. Virginia. 1852 Rohner Henry.... .. Switzerland. 1851 1849-• Sevier A. D. .. Indiana. ..September, 1850.. ..March, 1851_ Southmayde J. L. ..New Hampshire.. . .March, 1853. • July, 1853. Schmidt J. C. . .Wurtemburg. . .November, 1850.. 1850 Smiley J. C. .. Maine. ..January, 1853. Stokes B. M. .. Virginia. 1854 Stokes J. P. .. Missouri. 1854 1854-. Sweasey Richard.. .. Indiana. ..August, 1850. Spear A. C. . .New York. ..July, 1852. Showers J. 0. ..New York.. ..February, 1851.. Scott H. P. .. Germany... .July, 1849. Tilley Geo. H.... .. Rhode Island_...September, 1849.....May, 1850. Xydd Peter. .. Ireland. ..February, 1853.. Vance John. 1852.. Walsh Thomas... .. Ireland.....February, 1851... Whaley J. A. . .New York. ••June, 1850. West W. A. .. Connecticut. 1849. 1851 Waite B. L. .. .September, 1850. ...March, 1851_ Warren Jno. P... .. Ohio. ..September, 1854.
“
INTRODUCTION.
Place of Nativity. Wiggins Chase. Wyman J. E... Wiley Reason .. Wiley Austin... Windier Louis.. Wood Gabriel. Watson Jno. A. Young Jno. T..
Date of arrival in California.
.Massachusetts.May, 1850. .Illinois.October, 1849.. “ . “ 1852. .Germany. 1851. .Prussia.September, 1851 .New Hampshire. . . .October, 1851... .Connecticut. “ 1849 ..
51 Date of arrival in Humboldt County. 1852. .May, 1851. • December, 1852. .October, 1853... 1852... .March, 1853_ . February,r 1852.. .May, 1850.
Note.—The above list does not include the de¬ scendants of Pioneers, nor does it include any who arrived in Humboldt county after the year 1857, nor does it include those who have joined the Society since its reorganization in 1881.
The life history of each of the pioneers, if elaborated with the detail of actual experience, would of itself be intensely interesting. It is not the purpose of this work to do more than sketch, very briefly, some out¬ lines of a few individual careers in Humboldt county. One of the most enterprising settlers of pioneer days is Joseph Russ. A native of Maine, born in 1825, he had reached his majority when the California gold ex¬ citement occurred. He had already engaged in vari¬ ous business enterprises in Maine and Massachusetts, and when the exodus of gold-hunters commenced from the former State he was prepared to go, not with empty hands, but with material for a good start in the world. He purchased in Maine the framework of a large business house, and also a lot of flour, sailing
INTRODUCTION.
52
with his goods on the bark Midas for the voyage around Cape Horn.
The voyage around the
Horn
was made without difficulty or accident in five months, the vessel arriving at San Francisco on the 15‘th of March, 1850. For two years Mr. Russ experienced the ups
and downs of California life, engaging in min¬
ing, merchandising, cattle-driving, and various other enterprises. of cattle
In the fall of 1852 he purchased a band
and
started for Humboldt county,
across the mountains to Eel
River Valley.
going While
there he made many trips through the surrounding country, and he and a party of friends went into win¬ ter quarters on the site of the present town of Ferndale.
In the spring of 1853 Mr. Russ associated him¬
self with Berry
Adams and took a large drove of
cattle into Humboldt from the
Sacramento Valley.
Since that time he has been in business continuously, uniformly successful, and he is now ranked as a mil¬ lionaire. His worldly possessions embrace many thou¬ sand acres of land, including twenty-one dairy ranches upon which 2,000
cows are milked, and he is also
the owner of valuable real estate used for other pur¬ poses.
Being a millionaire, and having raised himself
from comparative poverty to great wealth without the aid of such advantages as early education and culture may give, it is natural that Mr. Russ should enjoy the confidence of the people, particularly as he is noted for the generosity of his disposition and the honesty of his business transactions.
In 1873 he was elected
to represent Humboldt county in the State Legisla¬ ture, and in 1875 he was nominated by acclamation as
INTRODUCTION.
the Republican candidate for the State Senate.
53 At
the election he was defeated, his opponent, Judge McGarvey, receiving a small majority. In 1880 Mr. Russ was one of the delegates from California to the Re¬ publican Convention at Chicago, and in 1884 he was again called to active political life by election to the State Legislature.
In all the walks of life he has been
a good illustration of the class known in America as “ self-made men,” and none of the pioneers of Cali¬ fornia have contributed more liberally to the welfare and prosperity of the Commonwealth, and especially have the relations between himself and the hundreds of men in his employ been cordial, friendly, and mutu¬ ally advantageous. I trust the indulgent reader will pardon me if I cite the name of H. H. Buhne as that of my ideal of a typical pioneer, nor is it with any desire to flatter Mr. Buhne that I thus segregate and distinguish him from the mass of his early companions. Yet his life has been so remarkable, so full of adventurous enterprises, and is being crowned with such exuberant measure of success in his declining years—a success that has not chilled his heart, nor turned him against those upon whom for¬ tune has not smiled—that it would be strange indeed if one who knew him well should withhold for mere pru¬ dential reasons the just meed of honor which is due him. Mr. Buhne was born in Denmark, in 1822. Coming from a seafaring race, and of a seafaring family, his youth was passed on the ocean.
After several years’ service
as cabin boy and before the mast he entered a school of navigation in June, 1845, and in October of the
INTRODUCTION.
54
same year received a certificate of competency as a seaman.
Then followed a*year of roving in foreign
waters : including a cruise in a whaling ship, as First Officer, to the South Seas; a shipwreck on one of the Cape Verde Islands; a voyage in a small
schooner
from the scene of the wreck to Salt Island, one of the Cape Verde group; another voyage in a Bremen bark to Rio Janeiro; and a trip before the mast from there to Hamburg, from whence he returned to his home. In July, 1846, the restless sailor shipped as Third Of¬ ficer in the whaling ship Clementine, for the Arctic Ocean.
After a long cruise in the Arctic, the Clem¬
entine entered the bay of San Francisco, in the month of November, 1847.
From that time
until the dis¬
covery and settlement of Humboldt Buhne’s life was a succession of active enterprises on sea and land. While the Clementine was swinging at anchor in the harbor of San Francisco her and went to Sonoma.
the ship’s- doctor deserted Buhne and a boat’s crew
were detailed to pursue the deserter and bring him back.
After a chase of two days through the adjacent
country the pursuers returned to Sonoma without the fugitive.
At Sonoma the boat’s crew deserted, and
Buhne and the constable who accompanied him were compelled to go back to the ship minus the doctor and minus the sailors who had manned their boat.
After
three weeks spent at San Francisco the Clementine sailed for Magdalena Bay on another whaling voyage, and in March, 1848, the vessel went to the Sandwich Islands.
Here Buhne left her, reshipping as Second
Officer on the Dutch ship Zudipole, which sailed on a
INTRODUCTION.
whaling voyage in April.
55
When the whaling season
was ended the Zudipole sailed for the Navigator Is¬ lands, arriving there in December, 1848.
It was here
that the news of the discovery of gold in California reached the crew of the vessel.
Sailing to a port on
the coast of Chili, the cargo of the ship, oil and whale¬ bone, was sent to Amsterdam, and then negotiations were opened for carrying passengers and freight to San Francisco.
Here Mr. Buhne was also promoted
to the position of first officer of the ship.
In June,
1849, the Zudipole arrived at San Francisco with 150 passengers.
Buhne and some of his companions left
the ship and went to the mines.
Accustomed to the
sea all his life long, as he had been, Buhne could not thrive, physically or financially, away from the breath of the salt sea breeze, and after a month passed in the mining camps near Auburn he was seized with a vio¬ lent sickness which continued for two weeks.
When
he was well enough to move about he went to Au¬ burn, and stayed with a friend until he could secure a conveyance to Sacramento, from whence he went down the river to San Francisco.
There he found a board¬
ing house, kept by two of his old shipmates, and re¬ mained with them during his illness and slow recovery. Five or six months of hardship and sickness had not been sufficient to crush his stout spirit, but had given him a renewed liking for the sea; and it was not long before he again trod the deck
of a ship, this time
as Second Officer of the Laura Virginia.
The cruise
of the vessel, and Mr. Buhne’s participation in the dis¬ coveries made by her crew, are detailed in the second
INTRODUCTION.
>6
chapter of this book.
The vicissitudes of fortune are
exemplified in the adventures that befell Buhne after the discoveryof Humboldt Bay. In May, 1850, he was badly wounded by an arrow from an Indian bow. One of his business adventures was the piloting of vessels in and out of the bay.
This business he followed un¬
til he had accumulated several hundred dollars in cash. He then went
to San
Francisco
and
purchased a
stock of groceries, loading on the schooner Caroline for Humboldt Bay. goods lost.
The vessel was wrecked and the
Sick and penniless, Buhne reached San
Francisco, where he met the master of the brig New¬ castle, who invited him on board that vessel until his health was recovered. In a short time he shipped in a small schooner, as Mate, for Humboldt Bay.
In 1851
he went to Trinity River, working in the mines at Big Bar and Cox’s Bar.
He was not successful, and soon
returned to Humboldt Bay, where he took command of the brig Colorado.
Soon after assuming command
of the ship the master of the Holmes requested help in getting his vessel to sea.
Buhne yielded to a re¬
quest for his services, and was on board when the ves¬ sel was cast into the breakers on the South Spit. The masts were cut away, and the vessel lay in a perilous position during the whole of one night, the crew being unable to leave her.
On the following day an attempt
was made to launch a boat.
In lowering the boat into
the water the bows were stove, and Buhne and one of the crew jumped into the boat to bail the water out. The boat capsized and 'Buhne
and
his
companion
clung to the bottom until they were washed off by the
INTRODUCTION.
57
breakers. The boat was regained, and again they were washed off, this being repeated several times.
Finally
his companion was washed away by the waves, and Buhne was left alone
on
the bottom of the boat.
Drifting around for many hours, the boat was washed ashore, and when Buhne, who was unconscious and insensible, recovered high and dry.
Too
his senses, he was weak to
in the boat
walk, he crawled
up
among the sand-dunes, and, completely exhausted, went to sleep.
Indians awakened him, and he asked
their assistance in getting back to Humboldt Point. At first they could not be persuaded to assist him, but after a pow-wow among themselves they motioned for him to get up and follow them ; and when they saw his inability to walk, they carried and dragged him along the sand-spit to a point half the distance across.
Here the Indians left him for a few minutes,
when two sailors from the wreck, who were searching for his body, stumbled upon him.
The sailors carried
him to the bay and rowed across to Humboldt Point. It had been supposed by the people there that he was drowned, and flags on the shipping in the harbor were at half-mast when the two sailors arrived with him. When Buhne recovered from the exhaustion and ner¬ vous strain occasioned by his last perilous experience, he abandoned the command of the Colorado, and con¬ tracted with the business men on the bay to act as pi¬ lot for the
harbor.
His first piloting was done in a
small boat, with which he crossed and recrossed the bar, always attended by more or less danger.
As the
commerce and industry of the port increased, it be-
INTRODUCTION.
58
came necessary to provide better facilities, and steamtugs were brought to the bay, Captain Buhne taking command of the first to arrive.
From that time forth
his fortunes prospered. Wealth is now his, and health, and a happy home, and for many years to come, in the ordinary course of life, should he be the most con¬ spicuous example among the Pioneers of name and fortune won by hard endeavor and honest toil. Of the Laura Virginia Association, and one of its original projectors, was Elias H. Howard* a pioneer who yet lives in the community he helped to found. He was born in New York, in 1818.
He removed to
the West in 1844, and to California in 1849, arriving at San Francisco in December of that year.
At San
Francisco he engaged in the practice of law, his part¬ nerbeing Stephen J. Field, at present on the Supreme Court Bench.
The firm did not hold together long,
both partners being attracted away by the prevailing gold excitement,
it was in
March, 1850, that Mr.
Howard cast his fortunes with the Laura Virginia As¬ sociation and joined the expedition that was destined to work out such momentous results.
From the dis¬
covery of the Bay by sea until the present time How¬ ard has been active in political life.
At a meeting of
the Laura Virginia Association, held on the shores of the unexplored and mysterious bay, he was elected Alcalde, and in nearly two years later, in 1852, he was elected Public Administrator for the County of Trini¬ ty, which then included the present territory of Hum¬ boldt.
In
1856-57
he
was
District
Attorney of
INTRODUCTION.
59
Humboldt county, and in 1858-59 was County Su¬ perintendent of Schools.
A Republican in politics, he
was for several years Chairman of the County Com¬ mittee.
Later, the city of Eureka having assumed
the duties
and
responsibilities
of a metropolis,
he
served as Police Judge, and at the present time is a Justice of the Peace for the Township. John Vance, a pioneer mill-owner and successful business man, is a native of
Nova Scotia,
born
in
1821, who located first in the United States at Roxbury, Massachusetts.
In July, 1849, he arrived at San
Francisco, and in the summer of 1852 located at Eu¬ reka.
His subsequent career has been that of a man
strong in his own judgment and completely self-reli¬ ant.
By mere force of will-power he has conquered
and overcome
obstacles that
would have
defeated
many other men; and the results of his energy and pluck are visible in mills, railroads, hotels, ships and stores.
He built the
first railroad
in
Humboldt
County, and his lumber was the first product of the mills to appear in foreign markets.
In all the com¬
mercial interests of the county of special importance his name has figured prominently. Isaac Minor is another of the Pioneers who is ac¬ tively engaged in the manufacture of the staple com¬ mercial article of the county, lumber, and who expe¬ rienced all the hardships of frontier life on the North¬ west coast.
A native of Pennsylvania, he
left that
State for California in 1852, arriving in Humboldt
6o
INTRODUCTION.
county in December, 1853.
For a number of years
he engaged in the business of packing to the mines, afterwards settling on a stock ranch, where he remain¬ ed until the Indians destroyed the property whose ac¬ cumulation had required the work of years.
Thence
removing to a farm near Union, he was successful in agricultural pursuits, and from 1875 time
to the present
he has been equally successful in the lumber
business. In the summer of 1850 a merchandising firm opened business in Ricks.
Eureka under the
name of Crozier &
One of the partners, C. S. Ricks, has been
and is so intimately connected with the commercial and industrial history of the place that to pass him by with casual notice would be obviously improper. The firm of Crozier & Ricks exhibited unbounded confidence in the place, acquiring, as a business spec¬ ulation, an undivided one-half interest in the original town site of Eureka.
Mr. Ricks soon afterwards pur¬
chased the interest of his partner therein, and by lib¬ erality and enterprise he induced settlement and in¬ vestment in Eureka.
For a third of a century he has
given his time and ability to the improvement of the city and the advancement of his own business inter¬ ests.
Blocks of fire-proof stores, dozens of tenement
houses, a large livery stable, and one of the most com¬ plete water-works in the State, have grown up under his business management.
Honored, as many of the
pioneer residents have been, with the political choice of the people, he represented Humboldt two terms in
6l
INTRODUCTION.
the State Legislature, and in 1861 he was appointed to fill a vacancy as District Attorney, which office he held for one term. The oldest member of the Humboldt legal
frater¬
nity, and, barring the infirmities of age, one of the brightest minds of all the bright men of the Pacific Coast, another of the Pioneers. James Hanna, deserves the feeble tribute of the pen. in
He was born in 1806,
Philadelphia, or, more properly speaking, in the
District of Southwark, then some distance from the corporate limits of the city itself, but now a part of it. His early life was full of stirring political scenes, and had he remained in Pennsylvania till the slavery agi¬ tation reached its climax, he would undoubtedly have attained a high rank among the advocates of freedom. He received such general education
as the
private
schools of his time afforded, and in 1820 a position was obtained for him as clerk in a large mercantile house in Philadelphia.
He remained there six years,
during that time making two voyages to the West In¬ dies as supercargo.
In 1826 he engaged for the first
time in politics, making stump speeches in behalf of the Whig party.
He commenced the study of law in
1829, being admitted to the Philadelphia bar in 1832. In the same year, 1832, he was elected by the Whigs to represent his county in the Pennsylvania Legislature. One year later he was the Whig candidate for the State Senate, and was defeated.
Again, in
1835, he
was nominated for the Senate by the Whigs and re¬ ceived a certificate of election.
He was admitted to a
62
INTRODUCTION.
seat in the Senate chamber, but was ousted from the office by his opponent, who contested the election and won his case.
Until 1850, Hanna’s life was thencefor¬
ward not particularly eventful.
Then he left Philadel¬
phia and went to San Francisco, and in 1854 arrived at Eureka.
During the subsequent period to the present,
he has been noted as a lawyer of exceptional ability, an orator of eminent merit and power, brilliant with the flashings of a strong and cultured intellect, a citi¬ zen of admirable reputation for honor and integrity. In politics he is a Republican, having willingly assum¬ ed relationship with that party when the Whigs ceased to exist as an independent organization.
He served
one term as District Attorney of Humboldt county. Of late years he has persistently refused to accept nomination for official position.
His abilicy, his in¬
tegrity, his wealth of years and learning, have created for him a niche in public estimation which will be hard to fill when he is gone. Arriving at Humboldt Bay in August, 1850, and lo¬ cating at Union, A. Brizard was one of the early pio¬ neers. He was a native of France, born in Bordeaux in 1839.
A boy in years when he came to Humboldt
county, he was a man in experience before the perma¬ nent settlement of the county had been assured against the obstructing presence of Indians and the absence of organized government.
The severe winter of
1852-
’53 he spent in the Trinity River mines, and from that time till the year 1858 his life was full of the peculiar hardships of early settlement.
In 1858 he engaged in
63
INTRODUCTION.
mercantile business at Union, where he has since re¬ sided. A man who is known to everybody in the three Northwest counties of California, T. W. Brown, pres¬ ent Sheriff of Humboldt, is a good specimen of
the
vigorous and well-preserved pioneer. His life has been a most eventful one, and if all the stories of pioneer days that fall from his lips were gathered in a book, it would be a
very interesting, though possibly some¬
what profane, volume.
He is, as I have said, a good
specimen of the vigorous and well-preserved pioneer. To a native energy of character is added the self-reli¬ ance which a life-time on the border is apt to give a man.
It is
not surprising that for an exceptionally
long period he has been
exceptionally successful
in
his career as a public man and politician. Fora longer period than
any other man in the State of California
he has held the office of Sheriff. in
1829,
Born in the West,
he saw much of the pioneer life
border States and Territories, and when, in
of
the
1849, he
crossed the plains to California, it was not with inex¬ perienced feet that he penetrated the wild mountains of the Northern coast.
He was soon familiar
with
the vast territory which now comprises the counties of Shasta,
Trinity, Del
thirteen years he was
Norte and Humboldt, and for Sheriff
of
Klamath
county.
Since his removal to Humboldt county he has been Sheriff over eight years, aggregating a term of over twenty years’ active service in office.
that important public
INTRODUCTION.
64
In September, 1850, Charles
W. Long arrived at
Humboldt Bay, and ever since he has been identified prominently with the growth of the country.
Like
nearly all of the pioneers, his business pursuits have been various and attended with diversified success or failure. . But whether failure or success attended his lumbering, farming or merchandising enterprises, his name and means were always connected in some way with the settlement and the development of the country. Henry Rohner is another of the Pioneers who ex¬ perienced a full share of pioneer hardships, and has attained a success in life commensurate with his ex¬ perience. 1852
When he settled in
and
Humboldt county in
located a farm in Eel River Valley the
country was as truly a wilderness as were the barren plains he had crossed between the Missouri and Pacific.
the
His farming operations were repeatedly sus¬
pended or interrupted until 1862, when his permanent career as a farmer and business man was commenced. He has the honor of being the acknowledged founder of the town of Rohnerville, where he built the first store and
engaged
in merchandising during several
years ; and occupying a portion of the farm where he tilled the soil by day and stood guard over his family by night, twenty-two years ago, is the flourishing vil¬ lage of
Springville,
where his present comfortable
home is situated. Isaac Cullberg, a native of Sweden, a resident of Union, located there in 1853, engaging in farming for
INTRODUCTION.
65
the first three years, and then in the merchandising business.
His business interests have been interwoven
with the progress of the county and his public-spirited enterprise has contributed much to the development of its resources.
He recently retired from business
with a comfortable competency and a beautiful home, to pass the remainder of his days in a quiet and repose unknown to his earlier years. A. Wiley,
a pioneer of ’53, is one of the oldest
newspaper publishers in California.
In 1855 he was
engaged in publishing the Humboldt Times, which had been founded by Dr. Coleman a year before, Walter Van Dyke being a partner in the enterprise with him. In the political history of the county, as well as in the journalistic field, Mr. Wiley’s name has figured with some prominence.
He was elected to the Legislature
from Humboldt county in 1863, and was made Chair¬ man of the Committee on Indian Affairs.
In April,
1864, he received appointment as Superintendent of Indian
Affairs for California.
Resuming the news¬
paper business in 1865, he purchased an interest in the San Francisco Call, which he held for about a year, when he sold out and returned to Humboldt county. For a number of years he was engaged in farming and various business pursuits, until in 1880 he took charge of the Areata Leader, a weekly paper then published at theoldtownof Union. Hepublishedthatpaperoneyear, when, in partnership
with W. L.
Heney, he estab¬
lished the Telephone at Eureka, which was afterwards merged in the Times, and is now published by Wiley & Heney as the Times-Telephone. 5
66
INTRODUCTION.
John P. Haynes, who has filled a large place in the history of Northern California, came to the State in the spring of ’52.
He was born in Kentucky in 1826 ;
joined a Volunteer Company and served through the Mexican war; studied law at the University of Louis¬ ville and graduated
in
1851.
His first permanent
location in California was in Klamath county, where he mined during the summer of ’52, and in the Fall was elected to the office of District Attorney.
In 1853
he removed to Crescent City, and was reelected Dis¬ trict Attorney, and again, upon the organization of Del Norte county, he served a third term in the same capacity.
In 1858 he was a candidate for District
Judge, his opponent, Wm. R. Turner, defeating him by a majority of two votes.
A year later he was
elected Senator from the 12th District, which com¬ prised the counties of Del Norte, Klamath and Siski¬ you.
Nine years afterwards, in 1868, he was appointed
by Governor Haight Judge of the 8th District, com¬ posed of the counties of Del Norte, Klamath and Hum¬ boldt, the incumbent having resigned the office.
He
was elected by the people to the same office in 1869, and was reelected in 1875. He removed from Crescent City to Eureka in 1869, and when the office of District Judge was abolished by the adoption of the New Con¬ stitution, he was elected Superior Judge of the county of Humboldt,
continuing in that office until in the
election of 1884 he was defeated at the polls by J. J. DeHaven.
In
politics a Democrat, Judge
has been consistent, a thing that cannot
Haynes
be said of
some of his political colleagues of early days.
In all
INTRODUCTION.
67
his private and public life he has been known and recognized as a thoroughly conscientious and honor¬ able man, and when the fortunes of politics removed him from his judicial seat he took with him into pri¬ vate life the good will and best wishes of the people, of whatever political complexion and belief.
An honored
Pioneer, his name will deserve a prominent place in the records of the Humboldt Society long after the grave shall have closed over his mortal form. Humboldt Bar was not as well known to early nav¬ igators as it is to seamen of today; channels and shifting sands had
its treacherous
not been surveyed
and mapped out for their guidance; consequently there were frequent wrecks among the breakers near the entrance and
on
the sand-spits on either side,
where the surf soon ground and pounded furiously to pieces the luckless craft that had missed its bearings. A Massachusetts vessel, the Susan Wardwell, attempt¬ ing to cross the bar in March, 1851, was wrecked in the breakers, three men being lost.
Capt. C Wasgatt,
who had brought the vessel around Cape Horn a year before, was true to his post as long as any hope re¬ mained for his ship; and through fourteen hours he drifted with her in the angry sea.
He then succeeded
in leaving the wreck unharmed, and entering the Eel River country, settled there, living now at the village of Hydesville. A. Berding, of Eel River Valley, is one of the Pio¬ neers, having arrived in Humboldt county in 1857. He is a prosperous business man of the Valley.
INTRODUCTION.
68
Henry H. Ticknor, a sailor, born in New York in 1814, arrived at Humboldt in 1852.
He was identified
with the early agricultural development of the country bordering the bay, and with the industrial growth of the upper Eel River country. Franklin G. Boynton settled in Eel River Valley in 1857, and is not only a pioneer of Humboldt county, but a ’49 er of California as well. Samuel Strong, a native of Ohio, is one of the pio¬ neer farmers of Humboldt, arriving here in 1853, being engaged in agricultural pursuits from that time to the present. Leonard S. Hicks, W. S. Robinson, David R. Rob¬ erts, Salmon Brown, Richard Johnson, Jackson Saw¬ yer, J. G. Kenyon, William Campton, Francis Francis and J. C. Smiley are also pioneer residents who have done much to develop the country. At Table Bluff lives a pioneer who may be said to represent a class—a very small class—unique even in the history of the West, prolific as it has been in the strangest forms of human character.
Seth Kinman,
the pioneer referred to, was born in Pennsylvania in 1815, and came to California in 1849.
In 1852 he
located in Humboldt county, making a contract with Col. Buchanan, commanding at
Fort Humboldt, to
furnish the post with bear and elk meat.
He acquired
the art of making chairs from the horns of elk and
INTRODUCTION.
69
deer, curiously combined in some instances with the skins and heads of grizzly and black bear. these chairs gained
One of
for him a national renown.
It
was made of buck horns, and was presented by Kinman to President Buchanan, in 1857.
the month of May,
Kinman, through the instrumentality of Peter
Donahue, of San Francisco, was sent with the chair to Washington, and made
the presentation in
person.
His brief speech to the President, delivered in the rud¬ est vernacular of the West, was replied to in a courte¬ ous and
complimentary manner.
General
Denver,
who had introduced Kinman, now introduced Dr. O. W. Wozencraft, of California, who assured the Presi¬ dent that the best regards of the people of his State ac¬ companied the chair.
During the whole of Buchanan’s
administration, the chair occupied a conspicuous posi¬ tion in the East Room of the White House.
A mania
for chair making possessed Kinman from that time forth.
He made a chair of elk-horns, which he took
to Washington and presented to Abraham Lincoln in 1864, made a huge grizzly bear chair and presented it to Andrew Johnson in 1865, and in 1876 presented an
elk-horn
chair to
President
Hayes.
Kinman’s
home at Table Bluff is a veritable museum of curios¬ ities gathered in the chase, and an evening spent with him affords one the opportunity to listen for hours to thrilling stories of hunting adventures and fights on the border.
During
Indian
the Indian wars in
Northern California he acted as guide to various expe¬ ditions.
INTRODUCTION.
70
There are other members of the Pioneer Society whose notice.
names
and
history are
worthy of extended
Many of them are mentioned in the pages
recording events of the Indian wars, their adventures and services forming the most interesting chapters of pioneer history.
And there are the names and deeds
of dead pioneers!
How many have passed to the
bourne beyond the grave! inent.
Through
The list is long and prom¬
a retrospective view will
pass the
names of a score of pioneers who braved the dangers of the wilderness and paved the way for civilization— the names of A. J. Huestis, a county officer and Judge many years ago; Dr. Jonathan Clark, first Postmaster on Humboldt Bay, military surgeon at Fort Humboldt, Mayor of the city of Eureka, county and State legis¬ lator; J. E. Wyman, pioneer lawyer, Judge and editor; Jacob DeHaven and L. K. Wood, county officers of the early days ;
John A. Watson, a pioneer resident
of Trinity and Humboldt;
Albert Delaseaux and J.
P. Albee, both cruelly murdered by Indians ;
N. Du-
peru and John Van Aernam ; Alexander Gilmore and S. Lewis Shaw; Jonathan Freese and Alonzo Mon¬ roe and John Burman—and so we might go on with an ever-lengthening list until we had reached back to the very earliest deaths of pioneers on the Northern coast, back to the names of men who died just when they had reached their promised
land, whose trial-
worn bodies have been hidden by the kindly earth for more than thirty years.
INTRODUCTION.
71
I cannot close this introduction without inscribing something in the nature of a card of thanks to those who have kindly assisted me with material preparation of this volume.
for the
For data on the organ¬
ization of the Pioneer Society I am indebted to the published writings of E. H. Howard and W. F. Huestis; the record of Dr. Gregg’s party of explorers I obtained from the document published many years ago by L. K. Wood, one of the party, whose exact language I have not hesitated in many instances to use, as being more striking and graphic than any I could employ; the account of the cruise of the Laura Virginia, and of the business affairs and discoveries of the Laura Virginia Association, was obtained from E. H. Howard and H. H. Buhne; to Robert Walker I am indebted for much valuable information concern¬ ing the
Klamath
War, to Col. S. G. Whipple for
information concerning the organization of the Moun taineer Battalion, and to Mrs. S. Daby, W. T. Olmstead and George Zehndner for the particulars of their own thrilling adventures; John W. Cooper has placed me under obligation for material which I could not have obtained elsewhere', and so has John W. Davis; other information, data and material, too various for separate mention, have been freely afforded me by G. F. Muhlberg, I. W. Hempfield, E. Sharp, P. B. McConnaha, Henry Rohner, C. W. Long, W. H. Pratt, J. B. Brown, Wm. Nixon, John
Harpst, Jas.
H.
Boutelle, T. J.
Titlow, C. Hanson, J. F. Denny,and others; and to A. Wiley, W.
L. Heney and J. C. Bull, Jr., I
indebted for the use and
am
inspection of files of old
72
newspapers.
INTRODUCTION.
To all who have aided a doubtful under¬
taking with their undoubted assistance and encourage¬ ment I tender my sincere regard and thanks. Eureka, May i, 188^'
Indian Wars of the Northwest.
CHAPTER I. Annals of Discovery—Dr. Gregg’s Party.
Pioneers of Rich Bar.—A starved-out camp.—An expedition to the sea.—Dr. Josiah Gregg, of Missouri.—The 5th of November, 1849.—Across the Coast Range.—How the South Fork of Trin¬ ity was discovered.—Suffering of the explorers.—In the Red¬ woods.—Ocean’s welcome roar.—Discovery of Trinidad, Little River, Mad River and Humboldt Bay.—Factions in the party. —L. K. Wood, of Kentucky.—David A. Buck, of New York. —Discovery of the Van Duzen.—A controversy and a separa¬ tion.—A combat with grizzlies.—Terrible condition of L. K. Wood and adventures of his party.—Death of Dr. Gregg by star¬ vation.
Indian
Wars
in America have always
peaceful civilization.
preceded
Wherever the white man
has
sought to establish his home the Indian has been com¬ pelled to move on with his wigwam and his primitive customs.
So it has been in the California territory
lying on the sea-coast between the 41st and 42d paral¬ lels.
The Indian, uncertain in his movements, idle
in his habits, instinctively learns to dread the approach
INDIAN WARS OF THE
74
NORTHWEST.
of a busy and permanent population.
And too often
is it true that the pioneers of civilization, rudely un¬ mindful of the prior
rights of those who first pos¬
sessed the soil, see in the savage inhabitant of a new country only a legitimate object of oppression injury.
and
Not that a conflict between the whites and
the Indians—as inevitable as the rising and the set¬ ting of the sun—could in any manner be averted; yet unwarranted acts of violence have frequently precipi¬ tated troubles which might have been delayed
for
years. The very early history of the pioneers who opened the way to settlement and civilization in the California territory now comprised in the counties of Humboldt, Trinity and Del Norte, whose best energies
were ex¬
pended in the development of the country, presented an exception to the long list of lawless adventurers who disgraced the annals of discovery.
The discover¬
ers and early settlers of Humboldt, especially, were men of character, men of ambition, men of almost in¬ domitable will
and of never-flagging perseverance.
They were attracted hither by their thirst for gold, and, too, by an adventurous spirit of enterprise that prompted them to seek out untrodden paths.
A book
on the early history of this country, though it profess to deal solely with
Indian affairs, would not be com¬
plete if it gave but a passing notice to the first pio¬ neers and the eventful period of their advent. A third of a century ago the Northern coast of Cal¬ ifornia was a primeval wilderness, inhabited only by wild beasts and wilder Indians.
Visited it had been,
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
75
seen from afar off by storm-driven mariners, but not until the year 1849 could the claim of discovery be made by any living person.
In that year, during the
month of October, a party of explorers was organized at Rich Bar, a mining camp on the Trinity River. The details of the organization of an expedition that was finally to reach the sea are peculiar.
The popu¬
lation of Rich Bar was about forty miners, wbo were in a miserable condition, poorly clad, and without pro¬ visions.
Some of the more hardy and adventurous
grew tired of the prospect before them, and lent a wil¬ ling ear to the stories told by friendly Indians who had once visited the sea.
Not more than eight suns
distant, said the Indians, the ocean was ; and also a large and beautiful bay, surrounded by fertile extensive prairie lands.
and
Such stories the Indians told
as fired the imagination of the Whites and urged on a desire to quit their uncomfortable residence at Rich Bar.
The rains of the winter season set in, attended
by sleet and snow.
The provisions, scarce at the com¬
mencement of the rains, seemed now to be beyond possibility of replenishment.
It was proposed that an
expedition be organized to search for the bay described by the Indians. tive
Among those who were most ac¬
in organizing the
expedition
was one
Josiah
Gregg, a physician by profession, formerly of Missouri. • He was a man of firm character, extensive informa¬ tion, and possessing natural qualifications for lead¬ ership in pioneer enterprises.
Upon him fell the duty
of command.
The day fixed for the start was the 5th
of November.
Twenty-four of the forty men in the
76
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
camp agreed to join the expedition under the leader¬ ship of Dr. Gregg. The day of departure arrived, but with it came no change in the weather. The rain still fell in torrents. Two Indian guides, whose services had been secured, refused to travel in such weather, and sixteen of the white men who had volunteered for the expedition announced their determination to with¬ draw, thus reducing the party to eight. The expedi¬ tion now consisted of the following persons: Dr. Josiah Gregg, of Missouri; Thomas Seabring, of Illinois ; David A. Buck, of New York; J. B. Truesdell, of Oregon; Charles C. Southard, of Boston ; Isaac Wil¬ son, of Missouri; L. K. Wood, of Kentucky ; and another man by the name of Van Duzen. It was determined to make a start, in spite of the inclement weather and unfavorable prospects. An in¬ ventory of the provisions showed flour, pork and beans sufficient for ten days’ rations for eight men. No time was lost, and on this memorable day, the 5th of November, 1849, commenced an expedition of which one of the party afterwards remarked, that “ the marked and prominent features were constant and un¬ mitigated toil, hardship, privation and suffering.” Before them, and all around them, rose mountains, huge and rugged, furrowed down their rocky sides with deep-cut gorges g.nd impassable canons. The first day’s journey was up the east side of a high mountain, the ground for a long distance up being completely saturated with water. The ascent of the mountain was tedious, difficult, and at times danger¬ ous. Before reaching the summit, snow took the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
77
place of slippery mud, but without increasing the ease of the ascentj
If there had been a trail, it was now
completely obliterated, and the party were compelled to grope their way through the snow drifts, up the icy inclines.
At length they reached the summit and
looked away toward the West.
As they gazed upon
the wild and rugged country spread out before them, and thought'that all those snow-crested mountains lay between them and the sea, it was natural that a feeling of dread should come over them, and doubts as to the result of the expedition they had undertaken. the time for reconsideration had passed.
But
They must
push on. At an early hour on the morning of the second day the little party, having camped on the
Summit the
night before, began their descent of the
mountain.
But the descent of the first mountain was only the beginning of a second ascent, as tedious and difficult and dangerous as the other.
The mountains consti¬
tuting the Coast Range are nearly parallel with each other, and likewise parallel with the sea; so that, as the general direction of the coast is nearly North and South, and the course of the party was nearly West, they were compelled to pass over a continual succes¬ sion of mountains. Nothing beside the ordinary routine of traveling, and stretching their wearied limbs on the snow at night, occurred during the four days’ marching.
As
the shades of night were gathering on the sixth day, and while the party were passing over a sterile, rocky country, a sound was heard like the rolling and break-
78
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ing of the surf on a distant sea-shore.
A halt was
made for the night, and early on the following morn¬ ing David A. Buck was delegated to ascertain if the ocean was anywhere within sight.
He left the camp
alone, an$ in the afternoon he returned and reported the discovery of a large stream, which, swollen by the rains, rushed with a mighty roar through the moun¬ tain gorges.
He had discovered the South Fork of
Trinity River. Again did the expedition continue on its way, de¬ scending the South Fork to its junction wjth the main Trinity.
There they crossed the stream, climbing a
steep bank on the opposite shore.
At the top of this
bank they came suddenly upon an Indian rancheria, or village.
The whites were surprised, and so were
the Indians.
The latter had never seen a white man,
and when they appeared a scene of the wildest con¬ fusion ensued.
Warriors, squaws and papooses joined
in a mad flight from the place ; some plunging head¬ long into the river, not venturing to look behind them until they had reached a considerable elevation on the mountain side, while others sought a hiding place in the thickets and among the rocks.
The whites at¬
tempted to induce the Indians to return, indicating by signs that no harm was intended them, but with no avail.
Then the whites, not knowing how much of
their journey yet remained to be accomplished, and being almost destitute of provisions, proceeded to levy toll on the Indians by appropriating a quantity of smoked salmon found in the huts.
A short distance
from the Indian rancheria a camp was made for the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
79
night.
It was now the turn of the whites to be sur¬
prised.
There came marching towards the camp in
the dusk of the evening some eighty savage warriors, with painted faces and bodies, looking like so many demons, armed and prepared for battle. were in a predicament.
The whites
Every rifle belonging to the
party had been rendered useless by water when cross¬ ing the river, and the
only hope of safety seemed to
to lie in a bold and indifferent attitude.
Signs were
made that the Indians should not enter the camp. They halted, and two of the whites advanced towards them, holding up to their view some beads and other fancy articles.
With these they were highly pleased
and soon became apparently friendly. spokesman of the warriors
The chief or
represented as well as he
could in the absence of intelligible language that the Indian people were very numerous ; that the whites were in their power and at their mercy.
The whites
answered, employing intelligible signs,
that one of
their guns could kill as many of the Indians at a single shot as would stand one behind Another.
The
chief was not satisfied, and demanded an exhibition of the wonderful power of the gun. predicament.
Here was another
The guns were all wet and nothing
could be done with them in that condition, and if the Indians insisted on witnessing an exhibition on the spot the chances were against the whites.
A parley
was conducted with the chief, and after much persua¬ sion he consented to postpone his demand until the following morning.
At the first signs in the East of
coming day the party were up and ready to start; but
8o
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the Indians, as if anticipating that the engagement of the previous evening might be broken, had already as¬ sembled in large numbers in the vicinity of the camp. The whites saw that a refusal to satisfy the curiosity of the savages would be a hazardous thing, and hand¬ ing a small piece of paper to an Indian, one of
the
party directed him to place it on a tree sixty paces distant.
The shot was fired, perforating the paper and
entering the tree.
The Indians were terror-stricken.
They had not expected a noise from the gun, and the report, more than the hole in the tree caused by the shot, seemed to inspire a profound awe and veneration. The Indians offered the greatest respect and volun¬ teered what advice they might by signs and gestures. It had been the intention of the whites to follow Trin¬ ity River down to its mouth, its course at this point being Northwest.
Against this the Indians cautioned
them, asserting that there were large tribes of natives scattered all along the river to its mouth, who would certainly oppose a passage through their country, and they also informed the whites that the best route to the sea, both in point of distance and on account of the Indians, was to leave the river and go Westward. Two days’ travel toward the west from the point where the strange Indians had been encountered, and the party discovered that their stock of provisions was exhausted.
Flour, pork, beans, all were gone.
On
the night of the 13th of November the party retired supperless to bed. ing on covered.
the
The animals
fine grass
During
the
fared
with which
the
better, feed¬ hills
were
succeeding day a halt was
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
81
several times made for the purpose of considering a proposition to return, but as often was the proposition voted down, under the belief that the sea could be reached in much less time than would be required to return to the river.
All day long the party picked
their way through an almost impenetrable forest, and when at night they reached a little opening in the woods and pitched their tents, the exhaustion of hun¬ ger was added to their other discomforts. they retire supperless to
an
Again did
uneasy slumber.
On
the following morning the whole party started out in search of game, and after a short hunt succeeded in killing several deer.
Their hunger being appeased,
they set about curing a quantity of venison for future use.
Several
days were
consumed in
this
work,
when, packing their animals and proceeding on foot, they pushed on
towards the distant sea.
Finally,
the venison which had been cured was all consumed, and the second, third and fourth days of enforced fast¬ ing came and passed.
As if to add to their distress,
grass disappeared, and the animals suffered intensely from want of food.
Nothing could be obtained
for
them but leaves, and in places even these could be procured only by cutting down tall trees.
Two of the
horses gave out and were left behind. Next occurred
one of those
happy mutations in
their singular fortune that gave them
hope where
they had entertained despair and encouraged them to persevere to the end.
They reached another moun¬
tain prairie where there was an abundance of game and grass. 6
In this place they remained three days,
82
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
collecting and preparing meat for use while traveling. Having prepared as large a quantity of meat as their animals could carry, the party broke camp and pro¬ ceeded on
their voyage.
matter of conjecture.
Where they were
was a
Where the bay was for which
they were searching was also a matter of conjecture —indeed, it grew to be almost mythical, so endless seemed
the long chain of mountains, so mysterious
and world-wide the forest depths. For ten more days the party struggled on through the forests and across the
mountains.
ment was their constant companion.
Disappoint¬ For ten days
they saw no living thing that could be made available or useful for food, and in less than a week the cured meat was consumed.
They were then compelled to
subsist on a species of nut, resembling the acorn, bitter and unpalatable.
On the tenth day there was another
change for the better.
Weary and footsore, exhausted
and weak, the explorers reached another opening in the forest, and without waiting to select a camping place they hastened in search of game.
Ascending a
rocky eminence that overlooked the surrounding coun¬ try 'for a considerable distance a most attractive scene was presented to their view.
They saw herds of deer
and bands of elk feeding close at hand.
After a brief
consultation it was determined to attack the elk, and the party accordingly separated in order to approach one large band from different directions. In less than half an hour the report of a rifle rang out on the air, and was quickly followed by two more. L. K. Wood heard the shots, and judging from the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
83
direction of the sound that they were fired by Van Duzen, he hastened to the assistance of his comrade. He had gone but a few steps when he saw Van Duzen facing two ferocious-looking grizzly bear and loading his rifle, while near by lay three other bear, two dead and one with its back broken. Wood to stop where he was.
Van Duzen called on The latter did not heed
the warning, preferring to venture a shot at one of the surviving bear.
The shot was fatal
to the shaggy
monster and brought him dead to the ground; and at the same moment Mr. Wilspn, who had been attracted to the spot by the frequent firing, sent a ball through the heart of the remaining bear.
There was feasting on
bear meat that night, supplemented by venison brought in by others of the party. At the end of five days, which had been well spent in
curing meat, camp was broken and the expedi¬
tion continued. very slow.
Progress up to this time had been
The distance traveled had not exceeded
an average of seven miles a day.
The character of the
country now presented a change, the mountain ridges being less high and abrupt than those already passed. But as the party got on lower ground the timber be¬ came thicker and thicker.
Nature had not then been
disturbed in her solitudes, and so luxuriant was the growth of the redwoods, so interwoven the dense under¬ growth, so nearly impassable the frequent barriers of fallen trees, that the utmost exertions could not accom¬ plish more than two miles of travel through the forest in a day.
There were no trails; immense quantities
of fallen timber encumbered the ground in almost in-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
84
extricable confusion, in many instances the logs being piled one upon another in such a manner that the only alternative was to literally cut a way through.
To go
around them was often as impossible as it would have been to go over them.
Two men were therefore sent
ahead with axes, who, as occasion required, would chop into and slab off sufficient to construct a sort of plat¬ form, by means of which the pack animals were driven up on the logs and forced to jump off on the opposite side. On the evening of the third day from their “ bear camp,” as the explorers called the spot where they had killed the grizzlies, their ears were greeted with the welcome sound of the surf.
On the morning of the
fourth day Mr. Wilson and Mr. Van Duzen proposed to go to the coast in advance of the party, and at the same time to mark out the best route for the animals. This proposition was agreed to, and the two men left camp.
In the evening of the same day they returned,
bringing the tidings that they had reached the sea¬ shore, not more than six miles away.
The morning of
the fifth day found the explorers, with light hearts and buoyant hopes, ready to continue their arduous jour¬ ney.
For three days they attempted to get their horses
through the redwood forests.
Exhaustion and starva¬
tion had reduced the animals to the last extremity. Three died, and the remainder were so weak that the least obstacle would cause them to fall, requiring much time and labor to get them on their feet again.
At
length the worn-out men and horses issued from their dismal forest prison, and caught at the same instant a
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’s PARTY.
view of “ ocean’s changing wonders.”
85
The point at
which they reached the sea was at the mouth of a small stream now known as Little River.
From this
stream the party pushed on Northward, following the coast about eleven miles, where a lake or lagoon ar¬ rested further progress.
Perceiving that it would be
impossible to proceed further North without encoun¬ tering the dreaded redwood forests, they determined to retrace their steps and go South along the coast to San Francisco, if such a voyage should be possible. Traveling South about eight miles, they camped on a headland which they had passed on their way North, which they called “ Gregg’s Point,” but which is now known by the name given it by its Spanish discoverers, Trinidad. It would be a natural expectation of anyone reading these pages to learn that the utmost harmony existed among the members of the little expedition which had so bravely, and at so great a sacrifice of health and comfort, struggled over mountains and thrdugh for¬ ests
till
they reached
the sea.
Unfortunately the
pleasure of so recording is denied to the historian. During the two days in which the party camped at Trinidad there were many evidences of growing dis¬ content, and when the journey was resumed an open disruption occurred.
While crossing a deep gulch
near the Point, two of Dr. Gregg’s mules mired down, and he called lustily for assistance. . Not one of the party would aid him.
One and all declared that they
would no longer give aid to man or beast, and that from that time forward each would constitute a com-
86
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
pany to himself, under obligations to no one, free to act as best suited his own notions.
In obedience to
this resolve, one of the party, L. K. Wood, visited the chief of a tribe of Indians who lived close at hand, and gave him to understand that he desired to remain with him awhile.
Wood also asked protection from
the Indian, and a place in his wigwam, agreeing to furnish as compensation all the elk meat that might be demanded.
The Indian chief readily consented to
Wood’s proposition, giving many friendly assurances that no harm should come to him.
The agreement
thus made was not, as it happened, destined* to be fulfilled.
Notwithstanding the
disaffection
of the
company for each other, when
they began
to get
ready for another start it appeared that there was no other alternative than for them to travel together. when the others
saw that Wood
was
So
not making
preparations to go with them, and on the
contrary
seemed inclined to remain where he was, they remon¬ strated with him, and demanded the conduct.
re*ason for his
He told them of the agreement he had'
made with the Indian chief, and of his determination to remain at Trinidad.
All were violently opposed
to the arrangement, and they urged, as a reason why Wood should not persist in his determination, that when they were all together they were not sufficiently strong to pass through the Indian country in safety if the savages saw fit to oppose them.
They also urged
that for Wood to remain with the Indians at Trinidad was to abandon himself to certain destruction, while at the same time it decreased the probability of any
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
of the party reaching the settlements in safety.
87
Wood
replied that he had no horse that could travel, that he was not able
to walk,
and that he would
rather
be killed by the Indians than again incur the risk of starvation.
Truesdell, who had two animals left,
offered to sell one of them to Wood for one hundred dollars, provided he wpuld agree to remain with the party.
After much controversy the offer made by
Truesdell was accepted and
Wood continued with
the party. The first serious difficulty having been overcome, the party passed on down the coast, crossing Little River in safety.
A few miles South of Little River
another stream was reached—a large river, running bank full, swollen by heavy rains.
The party had kept
as near the sea as possible, and it was decided to at¬ tempt a crossing near its mouth.
And now the har¬
mony which had existed for a short time was agaip disturbed.
Dr. Gregg wished to ascertain the latitude
of the river’s mouth, but the remainder of the com¬ pany declined to wait for him.
Regardless of their
opposition, he proceeded to unpack his instruments and prepare for his observations.
His companions
were equally obstinate in adhering to their determina¬ tion
to go on without delay.
Their animals were
crossed over, and placing themselves and their blankets in canoes they pushed off from the bank.
Dr. Gregg,
convinced that he would be left behind, hastily caught up his instruments and ran for the canoes, and after wading several steps in the water, he was taken on board.
Arrived on the opposite shore, a scene of
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
88
passion and excitement ensued.
The doctor, an old
man, braved his younger companions, and denounced them in bitter terms for what he deemed their un¬ kindness to himself.
Hot words
passed from both
sides, until some of the party, at best not too amiable in their dispositions, half decided to inflict summary punishment on the old physician by consigning him and his instruments to the river.
Undoubtedly this
would have been done had not wiser councils pre¬ vailed.
The quarrel
was
smoothed
over, but the
stream, in commemoration of the difficulty, was called Mad River, which name it bears to this day. That night a camp was made in the sand-hills a mile back from the beach.
Neither the condition nor
temper of the party was such as to give much encour¬ agement to any of them.
The constant trial, suffering
and danger to which they were exposed had worn them out physically and mentally.
The main object of the
expedition, the discovery of the bay described to them by the Trinity River Indians, had been quite forgotten ; the only thought of the explorers now was, how they should extricate themselves from the situation they were in and exchange it for one of more comfort and less danger.
Immediately after camping Mr. Buck
and Mr. Wood went in search of water for drinking purposes.
A short distance from camp the two men
separated, Buck going in one direction and Wood in another.
In a few minutes Wood came to a slough
which contained water not altogether agreeable to the taste, but which he concluded might answer every nec¬ essary purpose.
He returned to the camp with some
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
of the slough water.
89
Mr. Buck came in and placed
his kettle of water before the company without saying a word.
Doctor Gregg, not relishing the water Wood
had brought, was the first to drink from Buck’s kettle. He had no sooner drank than he turned fiercely on Buck and asked: “ Where did you get that water ?” Buck replied: “ About a half a mile from here.”
The
doctor remarked: “You certainly did not get it out of the ocean, and we would like to know where you did get it.”
Buck answered : “ I dipped it out of a
bay of smooth water.” was greatly excited.
The curiosity of the explorers Buck was sullen and cross, and
refused to gratify them by explanations.
It was dark,
he said, and he could not tell the extent of the bay; that it was a bay he was morally certain.
All this
occurred on the night of the 20th of December, 1849, and on this date, therefore, was the first discovery of the bay by Americans.
So, to David A. Buck, of New
York, must be ascribed the honor of being the first American discoverer that trod the shores of this farwestern harbor.
The explorers did
not forget to
christen the body of water thus accidentally discovered by one of themselves. “Trinity
Bay.” which
They gave
it the
was afterwards
name of
permanently
changed to “ Humboldt.” At daylight on the morning of the 21st of Decem¬ ber the camp was moved over to the bay on a strip of sandy beach now known as the Peninsula. party remained during the day.
Here the
Indians came to the
camp, curious to see the white men.
From the In¬
dians the white men learned that they could not go
90 ■
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
further down the beach, on account of the entrance to the bay, which was just below them; and they inti¬ mated, also, that the entrance could not be crossed, for the water there was deeper than the trees growing on the peninsula were tall.
To satisfy himself, Mr. Buck
went down to the entrance, and when he returned he confirmed the statements of the Indians, and expressed the opinion that it would be dangerous to attempt to cross to the opposite shore. Early on the next morning the party started North¬ ward around the bay, keeping as near the water as the many small sloughs
would permit.
After making
their way through bush and swamp, swimming sloughs and nearly drowning themselves, they arrived on the evening of the second day at a beautiful plateau skirt¬ ing the Northeast end of the bay.
Here they camped,
and here it was that the town of Union (now Areata) was located. ber, an
The next day being the 25th of Decem¬
elk’s head was
Christmas feast.
roasted
in the ashes for a
On the 26th of December the party,
following an indistinct Indian trail through the woods back of where the city of Eureka is now situated, reached the bay again where the town of Bucksport was afterwards located, giving the place its name in honor of David A. Buck, the discoverer of the bay. It now plan
became
of future
organized
the
succeeded in
necessary to
action.
When
explorers had
decide upon the
some
expedition was
resolved
that if they
reaching the bay, and provided
the
surrounding country was adapted to agricultural pur¬ poses, they would locate land for themselves and lay
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
out a town.
91
The deplorable condition in which they
now found themselves—with health and strength ex¬ hausted and impaired, and with ammunition nearly gone—induced them to abandon their first intention, and to use all possible dispatch in making their way to the settlements.
Accordingly they turned their faces
towards the South, hoping to reach the settlements on San Francisco Bay. slow, rain
Their progress was
falling almost
incessantly
travel to be difficult and wearisome.
extremely
and
causing
On the third
day after leaving the bay a large river arrested further progress.
Approaching the
river’s bank
the party
came suddenly upon two very old Indians, who, see¬ ing white men for the first time, fell to the ground as if they had been shot.
The white men dismounted
and made the old Indians rise, giving them to under¬ stand that they were their friends, but it was with much difficulty that the superstitious fears of the savages could be restrained.
The two Indians were
loaded with eels, which, they informed the white men, had been obtained from the river.
The party were
ravenously hungry, and helping themselves to eels, a feast was soon then
enjoyed.
the
The Indians were
induced to set the party across the river in
canoes, swimming the mules.
Just above the point
where the crossing was made a tributary emptied into the stream, and this was named the Van Duzen.
The
large stream was named Eel River, from the fact that the party lived on eels for several days, obtaining them from the
Indians in exchange for beads and
small pieces of iron.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
92
An
unfortunate
members of
1
controversy
the expedition
Eel River.
It was
traveled in
order to
arose
during
among
their stay
the on
in relation to the course to be reach
the nearest settlement.
Some contended that the best way was directly down the coast to San Francisco.
Others maintained that
the shortest and most advantageous route would be to proceed up the river as far as its course seemed to warrant, and
then
leaving it, to take a
direction to the settlements. ensued.
Neither faction
Southerly
A harsh, fierce quarrel
would yield to the other.
Finally, all prospects of reconciliation having been abandoned, four of the explorers, Seabring, Wilson
and
Wood,
resolved
Buck,
to continue on their
journey together, following up Eel River.
The other
members of the expedition, Dr. Gregg, Van Duzen, Southard and Truesdell, announced their determina¬ tion of traveling along the coast.
Equally divided in
their quarrel, the factions of the expedition separated and each went its way. The remaining experiences of the first named, or Eel River party, present a series of terrible hardships and sufferings—terrible even to the contemplation of those who live in a happier time, when civilization has been achieved by the pioneer.
On the first day after
the party left the camp on Eel River a severe snow¬ storm commenced, which in a short time completely obliterated every sign of
a trail and hid from their
view every land-mark that could guide them in their course.
The snow, blown fiercely on biting winds,
blocked up the paths and drifted in great heaps in the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
hollows.
They could not go on.
93
Hungry and cold,
surrounded by the most gloomy and disheartening pros¬ pects, the four men made another camp—fast being hemmed in by snow, without food either for themselves or their animals.
Five days passed before they were
able to move from this camp.
While the snow was
not too deep the mules pawed the ground bare and ob¬ tained enough grass to prevent starvation.
The men
were fortunate enough to kill a small deer, sufficient to supply sustenance for life if not for strength.
By the
time they could extricate themselves from their unfor¬ tunate situation in the snow there was nothing left of the deer meat but the skin.
Leaving this perilous
camp the men continued their course up the river as best they could—sometimes aided by an Indian, some¬ times following blindly the trail of
elk, and at other
times cutting a road with their axes. For several days all that they had or could obtain to subsist on was the deer skin they had saved and a few acorns.
When the
necessity became extreme, they cut the deer skin in pieces, boiled them in water, and drank the water and chewed the hide.
They saw many grizzly bears, and
on the second day out from the snow-camp they de¬ termined, weak as they were, to attack eight of the monsters they saw standing in a little mountain prairie at the foot of a ravine.
It was agreed that Wilson,
Seabring and Wood should make the attack.
The
courage of Seabring did not prove equal to a hand-tohand conflict with the grizzlies, so he sought safety for himself by climbing a tree.
Wilson and Wood ad¬
vanced within three hundred yards of the nearest bear,
94
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
where a consultation was held concerning the mode of making the attack.
Of the party which had original¬
ly started from Trinity River, L. K. Wood was recog¬ nized as the bravest and coolest, and it is not surpris¬ ing that the most dangerous feature of any undertaking was always assigned to him.
In this instance it was
arranged that Wood should advance as close as pos¬ sible, fire at a bear, and then seek the most available tree for safety.
Wood consented readily to the ar¬
rangement, with the exception of the latter part.
In¬
deed, he was so completely prostrated by exposure and hunger, that had
he felt disposed to run his limbs
could not have executed
their functions.
Being a
man of superior courage and much obstinancy, it was not at all probable that he would refuse to face what¬ ever danger might come.
The two men, Wilson and
Wood, advanced to within fifty paces of the grizzlies, when Wood leveled his rifle at the nearest one and fired.
The shot was apparently fatal, for the grizzly
fell, biting and tearing the earth as though in the ago¬ nies of death.
Wilson adjured Wood to “run ! run !”
Instead of complying with this advice Wood com¬ menced reloading his rifle.
Wilson now discharged
his rifle and brought down a bear.
When the first
shot was fired, five of the grizzlies had retreated up the mountain.
Two had been shot and were stretch¬
ed out on the ground, and a third yet remained, erect, deliberately sitting back on her haunches, and evident¬ ly not feeling disposed to yield the ground without a contest, all the while turning her glaring eyes first on her fallen companions and then on the men.
Wilson
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
was afraid to face her and ran for a tree.
95
Unfortu¬
nately for Wood, he could not get the ball down on the powder he had placed in his gun, and while in this predicament the bear came rushing at him. succeeded in getting beyond buckeye iree.
her reach
Wood
in a small
He now made another effort to force
the ball down in his rifle, but with no better success than at first, and he was therefore compelled to use his gun to beat the bear off as she attacked the tree for the purpose of breaking it down or shaking him out of it.
This was kept up for two or three minutes,
when, to Wood’s horror and surprise, he saw the bear he had shot leap to its feet and come bounding toward the tree.
No blow that he might inflict on the wound¬
ed and maddened bear could resist or even check her. The first spring she made on the tree broke it down, and the two bears jumped for Wood.
He gained his
feet before they could get hold of him and ran down the mountain in the direction of a small tree some thirty yards away.
He could distinctly feel the breath
of the wounded bear as she grabbed at his heels.
He
reached the tree without being caught, seized hold of the trunk, and swung his body around so as to afford the bear room to pass him, which she did, going head¬ long down the mountain twenty yards before she could turn back.
Wood exerted all his energies to climb the
tree, but before he could get six feet from the ground the other bear seized him by the right ankle.
By this
time the wounded bear had returned, and, as he fell, grabbed at his face. by the left shpulder.
He dodged, and she caught him The moments that followed
96
INDIAN
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
were the most critical that can be imagined, but dur¬ ing all the time Wood’s presence of mind did not for¬ sake him.
Immediately after one bear had caught him
by the shoulder, the other still having hold of his an¬ kle, the two pulled against each other as if to tear him into pieces.
In this way they stripped him of his
clothes, dislocated his hip, and inflicted many fleshwounds.
They seemed unwilling to take hold of his
flesh, for when they had almost entirely divested him of his clothes they both left him, the bear that had not been shot disappearing in the ravine. The wounded bear walked slowly up the hillside about a hundred yards, and then deliberately seated herself and fasten¬ ed her gaze on Wood.
He lay still and motionless.
After remaining in this situation for several minutes Wood ventured to move.
The first motion brought
the bear on him again, roaring furiously.
She placed
her nose violently against his side, and then raised her head and gave vent to frightful and unearthly yells. Wood kept his presence of mind and remained per¬ fectly quiet, hoping the bear would leave him; in this hope he was not disappointed, for after standing over him a few moments the brute again walked away. Wood now determined to put himself reach if it were possible for him to do so.
beyond her Up to this
time he had been unconscious of the extent of the in¬ juries
he had received.
rise and found that
Not until he attempted to
he could not use his right leg,
was his true condition known to him.
Turning to
look about and assure himself that his enemy had dis¬ appeared, his heart grew sick and faint—not more than
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
97
a hundred yards distant he saw the bear sitting defi¬ antly erect, with glaring eyes fixed full upon him. Slowly and most carefully, his injured limb swollen, inflamed and painful, he dragged
himself over the
ground to the little tree from which he had been pulled by the bear, and after much difficulty succeeded in climbing it about eight feet.
In the meanwhile Wil¬
son had left his tree and now approached the one into which Wood had climbed.
The bear, seeing him,
came bounding toward him with the greatest ferocity. Wood called to Wilson to run for an adjoining tree, and he did so, being barely able to get beyond reach of the infuriated bear.
The bear seated herself under
the trees and kept her eyes steadily on the two men, uttering an angry howl as either of them attempted to
move.
A
few
minutes
passed like so many
hours, when, to the great relief and joy of the men, the bear left the spot and disappeared in the distance. Now that all fear of further visits from the bear was past, Wood began fully to realize his condition, the wounds he had received becoming momentarily more painful.
Seabring and Buck coming up, Wood was
carried some distance down the mountain, where there was a place suitable for camping.
Here the party re¬
mained twelve days, subsisting entirely on the meat afforded by the grizzly Wilson had shot. It now became a source of much anxiety to know when and
how they should leave this spot, and what
disposition they should make of Wood, for he grew rapidly worse instead of
better.
At first it was
thought that, by remaining in camp ten or twelve 1
98
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
days, Wood’s injuries might be so far healed as enable them to continue their journey.
to
No one sup¬
posed that the injuries he had received were as serious as
they now proved
to be.
At the expiration of
twelve days, Wood’s condition having in no way im¬ proved, his companions consulted him in regard to the course which ought to be pursued.
Each insisted that
it was absolutely necessary that no more time should be lost in camp; that they were destitute of clothing and without shoes to protect their feet from the thorns and briers that were ever in their path; daily feeling the effects of strength;
that all were
fast-failing health
and
and that the fact of very seriously impaired
powers of endurance was only too evident to them all. They stated, also, that their ammunition was nearly exhausted, and when it was gone starvation would be certain in these wilds.
The meaning of this represen¬
tation was obvious to Wood, and in reply he stated to his companions that they had
remained with
him
as long as he could expect or ask; that they ought to save themselves if they could ;
but, as they had seen
proper to speak of the matter, he would ask of them one more favor.
He desired to suggest two ways in
which they could dispose of him, either of which he would prefer to being abandoned to his fate in the condition and place in which he then was. The first sug¬ gestion was, to endeavor to induce the Indians who had visited them during their stay here to take care of him until they could go to the settlements and return.
The
second suggestion was, in case the Indians refused to take care of him, to put an end to his sufferings.
The
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
99
first of these suggestions was cheerfully acquiesced in by each of the three men, though nothing was said by them in regard to the latter; the idea of putting their comrade’s sufferings to an end by taking his life was not yet to
be
seriously considered.
suggestion was acted upon promptly. the
neighboring
Indians
proposition submitted
The first
The chief of
was sought, and
to him.
The
Wood’s
Indian
chief
readily assented to the application for aid, and prom¬ ised to faithfully attend to Wood and supply him with food until the other three white from
the settlements.
men could
return
He agreed to come on
the
following morning and convey Wood to his rancheria, which was about three miles further up the river. At the appointed time the Indian chief presented himself, together with three of his men, and expressed his readiness to fulfill his agreement, but demanded some presents before taking Wood to his rancheria. All the beads in the possession
of the party were
gathered together and given to the Indians.
They
were not sufficient to satisfy their demands.
They
still wanted more.
Their demand for more was re¬
peated and complied with, until everything the men had, except such articles as necessity absolutely re¬ quired them to retain, was given up, in order to avoid offending the chief.
At length, when it was plain
that they had gotten all they could, the chief turned to his companions and rancheria.
He
bade
them
immediately followed
return
to ‘the
them, leaving
the whites to regret the folly of reposing too much confidence in heartless savages.
IOO
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
While the Indians were ransacking the camp Wood dragged himself upon a litter which had been prepared for him.
He had no thought of treachery on the part
of the Indians until he saw them depart with their booty.
When he fully understood
that the Indian
chief had actually repudiated his agreement, and knew that his
first suggestion
had come to
naught, he
concluded that now he should either be abandoned to endure the gnawing pangs of hunger, and at last perish alone, a victim of starvation, or that he should be released from his torture by shooting. For a space
there was a solemn
and profound
silence in the little camp—a silence which no one seemed disposed to interrupt.
Wood turned his face
from his companions, that they might not be embar¬ rassed in their consultations or in carrying into exe¬ cution any plan they might agree upon. talked in whispers. in regard to adopted.
The men
There was a difference of opinion
the course
which
ought now to
be
They agreed that it would be a deplorable
necessity which would compel them to abandon their comrade, but under the circumstances no other course presented itself to their minds.
The discussion was
finally ended by the determination
of Wilson, who
announced that he should not leave Wood, and should carry him in some way, if he was able and willing to endure the pain.
Seabring then went to Wood and
inquired for his opinion on the subject of carrying him with them.
He replied to Seabring’s inquiries,
that they might take him to the river, where they had already secured a canoe for the purpose of crossing,
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY—DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
IOI
and that he would then tell them whether he could further endure the pain caused by travel. In the event of not being able to continue with them, all he had to ask of them was to leave him in the canoe, to drift whither fate might direct. Much time was consumed in lifting Wood to his seat in the saddle, and it was necessary to tie him on with cords, the fearful agony he endured making him as helpless as a child. Seabring led his horse down the mountain, and after a long and tedious march they reached the river and camped. On the next morning Wood was again consulted and asked if he felt able to continue on the journey. He replied that as long as he lived, if it so pleased them, he desired to have them carry him on, and if he should die he want¬ ed them to cut the cords with which he was bound and pass on ; he could not ask or expect them to bury him, for they had no implements with which to dig a grave. In accordance with his desire he was again bound on his horse and packed until another camp was reached, enjoying an occasional respite to allow his stiffened limbs to recover from the effects of being confined in one position. In this manner they travel¬ ed through the wild and unsettled country for ten days—following down the Russian River a long dis¬ tance and then turning Southwards towards Sonoma. On the tenth day they came to the farm of Mrs. Mark West, thirty miles from the town of Sonoma. Mrs. West, a very worthy woman, watched over and dili¬ gently cared for Wood during six weeks of intense suffering, when he was sufficiently recovered to go to his friends in San Francisco.
102
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
It will now be necessary to say something of the other faction of the original party, who separated from their comrades on the banks of Eel River.
They at¬
tempted to follow along the mountain chains near the coast, but were very slow in their progress on account of the snow on the high ridges.
The steep rocky
points and deep gulches and canons made traveling so extremely difficult that they abandoned theVoute, after struggling along for several days, and took anoth¬ er course which would lead them to the Sacramento Valley.
Their ammunition
was the result.
gave out,
and
hunger
One day Dr. Gregg, that brave old
man who had assumed command of
the expedition
when it started from the Trinity, fell from his horse and died without speaking. starvation.
His death was caused by
His surviving companions dug a hole with
sticks and put his body under ground, and then they covered the spot with rocks to prevent animals from molesting it.
Van Duzen, Southard and Truesdell
reached the Sacramento Valley a few days later than the arrival of the other party in the Sonoma Valley. Thus ended one of the most perilous journeys that ever.attended pioneer discovery in any country.
Oc¬
cupying many weeks, full of exciting incidents and cruel suffering, it will stand on the records of North¬ western California as a lasting memorial to the wonder¬ ful powers of endurance and the indomitable will of the men who constituted the vanguard of our civili¬ zation.
Scattered now the few who are living, forgot¬
ten except by their deeds those who are dead, the pio¬ neers of this expedition shall yet live in the monu-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’s PARTY.
IO3
merits of enterprise and achievements of industry so lavishly distributed on the soil they discovered.
Their
deeds were not new in the history of American con¬ quest.
They were but following the example of thou¬
sands whose work had already been accomplished and whose life pilgrimage was ended.
Yet their memory
deserves to be enshrined in the proud regard of the generation which now reaps the harvest from the seed they planted a third of a century ago.
104
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER II. Annals of Discovery — The Cruise of the Laura Virginia.
A glance at the map.—A long stretch of unknown coast.—The search for the mouth of the Trinity.—The Laura Virginia Asso¬ ciation.—Two Boards of Trustees.—Lieutenant Douglass Ottinger, U. S. N.—Remarkable voyage of the “ Laura Virginia.” —Burjal of Lieutenant Bache.—E. H. Howard’s expedition from Trinidad.—Rival ships at sea.—The “General Morgan” and the “ J. M. Ryerson.”—Off the bar.—A brave man needed.— H. H. Buhne, Second Officer.—The ship’s boats cross the Bar” —The 14th of April.—The “Laura Virginia” at anchor in the Bay.—Humboldt City.—Business of the Laura Virginia Associa¬ tion.—How steamers were subsidized.—Rise and fall of a me¬ tropolis. As this volume proposes to deal mainly with facts from the history of the territory now comprised within the limits of Humboldt county, it will be eminently proper for the reader to acquire, at the outset, some idea of its vast extent and prominent natural features by a glance at a modern map.
Beginning at the
South, we find that the division line between Mendo¬ cino and Humboldt counties is marked by the fortieth parallel; that the boundary line on the North is near the forty-second parallel; and
tracing its extent in
miles, we find that the county has a total length of
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
one hundred miles and a width of forty miles.
IO5
It is
bounded on the North by Del Norte and Siskiyou counties; on the South by Mendocino; on the East by Siskiyou and Trinity; and on the West by the Pa¬ cific
Ocean.
It has been carefully estimated from
reliable figures that Humboldt county contains 3,590 square miles, or 2,297,600 acres of land; that it has one hundred and seventy-five miles of tide land; that it is three times as large as the State of Rhode Island, one and one-half times as large as Delaware, nearly as large as Connecticut, and half as large as Massachu¬ setts.
This vast territory is drained by numerous
streams that flow into the bay and the ocean.
First
on the North is Klamath River, dividing Humboldt from Del Norte, the largest stream between the Sac¬ ramento and the Columbia. South, we
Following the coast line
find, in distances of from fifteen to forty
miles, Redwood Creek, Little, Mad, Eel, and Mattole Rivers, besides a number of smaller streams emptying into Humboldt Bay. From an historic point of view the Northwest coast presents many features of extraordinary interest.
Its
discovery and its early settlement contained elements of romance enough to fill a library with the adventures of gold-hunters, the struggles of pioneers, the discov¬ eries of voyagers by sea who sailed wherever the wind listed.
There are authentic accounts of Spanish ships,
driven by storms, running in under
the
Humboldt
coast; and to Spanish discovery must be attributed the first definite location of at least two prominent features of the coast line—Cape Mendocino and the
106
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
port of Trinidad.
It was the nth day of June, 1775,
the Sunday of the Holy Trinity, that
Bruno Ezerta
and Juan de Bodega sailed North in their ships, passing the unknown bay to the South, and anchored in the open
harbor which
they named
Trinidad.
Nearly
three-quarters of a century later occurred the Trinity River gold excitement, the cause of numberless expe¬ ditions to re-discover and locate Trinidad, and to find the mouth of the Trinity River, supposed to empty into the sea, a natural highway to the mines. As late as 1850 there was a coast line of seven hun¬ dred miles between Fort Ross and the mouth of the Columbia River, of which there was no exact topo¬ graphical knowledge.
Its prominent headlands were
defined on the marine charts with nothing more than approximate accuracy, and had been serviceable as danger signals of what was supposed to be a savage, inhospitable lee shore, rather than as welcome guides to commercial within
intercourse with
its limits.
any known harbor
Not a solitary white settlement
existed—not a white person was living on the shores of the Pacific in all that distance of seven hundred miles.
It was an open field for adventure, and, taken
in connection with the exciting discoveries of the precious metals already made at the head of the Sac¬ ramento and other streams of the interior flowing Westward, it naturally suggested many possible advan¬ tages to the locator of its most available point for ocean traffic.
Already a large
mining population in
the
wilds of Trinity and Siskiyou was dependent on the slow and expensive interior route for travel and the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
transportation of supplies.
107
It was believed that a coast
route by water would make a diversion of this trade. San Francisco, of course, was to be the starting-point for enterprises of this kind and of the required capital to conduct them.
Each of the several expeditions by
sea sent out from San Francisco in the winter of 49’50 had for its leading inducement the hope of dis¬ covering coastwise communication with the mines in the mountains
by some navigable stream, and, per¬
haps, of founding new cities that should
thereafter
shine as brilliant settings on this remote rim of Amer¬ ican territory. Among the first expeditions for the exploration bysea of the northern coast was one made under the auspices of the Laura Virginia Association.
The As¬
sociation was organized with two Boards of Trustees, one to reside in San Francisco, and one to go with the expedition. The Trustees residing in San Francisco were Cap¬ tain Joseph L. Folsom, U. S. A., President; Chas. B. Young, Secretary; C. B. Gallagher and-Simmons. The Trustees accompanying the expedition were E. H. Howard, President; . W. H. Havens and Robert T. Lamott.
The members of the Association, but re¬
cently arrived from the East and elsewhere, were ad¬ venturous in spirit and bold in enterprise, and they projected a voyage of general discovery, having special reference to the selection of some harbor as a depot for the distribution of merchandise to the mining districts of Northern
California.
The mines of the
Trinity and the Klamath, far up those streams, were
108
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
even then famous for their real and reputed wealth. They were isolated, and hemmed in by stupendous mountain
chains.
To
reach them
by way of the
Sacramento Valley and Shasta was perils an
and sufferings
unsettled
of
country.
As
blazed through the forests
a
long
to endure the
journey through
yet, no road
had been
to the sea, nor had the
Gregg party yet made known the result of their voy¬ age of exploration.
The
Trinity was supposed to
empty directly into the sea, as the Klamath did, and the mouths of neither had been located.
Situated in
a basin of the Trinity, ninety miles from the sea, was the mining camp
of Weaverville, and still farther
North and East were other regions rich in mineral wealth.
To these remote localities the transportation
of supplies was chiefly carried on by way of Red Bluff, the outlying settlement of the Sacramento Valley, and thence by pack-mules over a succession of rugged mountains that swarmed with
hostile
Indians.
To
divert the extensive trade of that part of the State into a more economical channel, and
to
discover a
landing place from the sea, were the primary objects of the Laura Virginia Association.
An ocean voyage,
prompted in some degree by love of adventure but more by love of gold, was to be the first visible effort of the Association to win renown. Anchored in the Bay of San Francisco was a staunch Baltimore-built craft of one hundred and twenty tons burden, the Laura Virginia, which was chartered by the Association, and gave
it a name.
Lieutenant
Douglass Ottinger, of the U. S. revenue cutter Frolic
IO9
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
on leave of absence, volunteered to take command of the vessel, and after taking on a cargo of general mer¬ chandise the expedition sailed from San Francisco in the latter part of March, 1850.
The vessel was provis¬
ioned for a two months’ voyage with fifty passengers. During the first day out there was a Southeast wind and rain, but on the second day the storm ceased and there was a light Northwest breeze and clear skies.
So
far as could be observed from the vessel, running close in shore, the coast up to the latitude of Cape Mendo¬ cino presented no break or depression indicative of any considerable valley or affluent of the sea.
Cape
Mendocino passed, the uniformity of the coast line ceased, the mountains sweeping inland and making a grand curve to the Northward. While sailing up the coast North of Cape Mendocino, Lieutenant Ottinger saw the mouth of Eel River and came to anchor two miles off the bar.
The next day
three other vessels also anchored in the same locality. A boat from one of them—the General Morgan— crossed the bar and entered the river.
Seeing the
General Morgans boat cross the river bar safely, Lieutenant Ottinger launched two boats for the same purpose, one commanded by himself and one by Al¬ bert Swain.
On the bar the breakers capsized Swain’s
boat, which was in advance, and Lieutenant Ottinger put back to the ship.
Upon reaching the vessel, he
informed the second officer, H. H. Buhne, of what had occurred, and requested him to take a crew and try to save the men who were clinging to the capsized boat. Buhne willingly consented to undertake the task, and
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
I IO
with his boat he went among the breakers and rescued from their perilous position four of the men—L. M. Burson, N. Duperu, Albert Swain and a man named Bell.
The fifth man of the crew, J. S. Rowen, was
drowned. Captain Ottinger abandoned the exploration of Eel River to the more fortunate seamen who had safely crossed the bar and headed his own vessel North.
Sail¬
ing close in to the shore, he saw distinctly the waters of what he conceived to bb a large bay, but he could not see any entrance to it.
This inability to discover the
entrance at that time was afterwards attributed to the fact that breakers on both the North and South spits were rolling heavily, the breakers from the South lap¬ ping over those from the North, and thus hiding the channel from the view of the discoverers on board the Laura Virginia. The vessel sailed on up to Trinidad, and from thence fifty miles farther North to the open roadstead where Crescent City is now situated.
Here there was one
vessel, the Cameo, at anchor, and another, the Par¬ agon, stranded on the beach.
A boa twas sent off
to the shore, where the crew were informed that a boat from another vessel had capsized while attempting to make the landing a few days before and several per¬ sons were drowned.
A search on the beach resulted
in the discovery of the lifeless body of one of the un¬ fortunate party—Lieutenant R. Bache, who had been an attache of the United States Coast
Survey.
A
plain coffin was prepared and the remains were buried, Lieutenant Ottinger officiating in the reading of the ritual service of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
I I
Remaining in the roadstead two days, the Laura Virginia sailed down the coast to Trinidad. While run¬ ning down the coast the crew noticed a streak of fresh¬ looking water making out from the land, and by examin¬ ation ascertained that it came from a large river North of Trinidad.
Lieutenant Ottinger ordered
Second
Officer Buhne to take a boat and sound the bar, but instructed him not to attempt a crossing.
Buhne fol¬
lowed instructions and returned to the ship.
The river
whose mouth was thus discovered was the Klamath. When the vessel arrived at Trinidad it was decided that a party should be landed there, whose duty it should be to explore on foot the coast line South to the bay which had been seen from the deck of the ship.
From those who volunteered there were selected
by E. H. Howard, who had the personal direction of that expedition, H. W. Havens, Samuel B. Tucker, Robert Lamott, S. W. Shaw and a Mr. Peebles.
Sup¬
plied with provisions and ammunition, the five men followed Howard and marched South down the beach. It was agreed with Captain Ottinger that the Laura Virginia should return to Trinidad and take the party on board.
Three or four hours’ travel brought the
party to the crossing of Mad River, whose Southern bank they perceived was lined with canoes, drawn up on the dry land, and in the background was a large rancheria of many lodges and hundreds of inhabitants. Yell after yell rang out from the rancheria when the whites appeared on the opposite shore, and scores of excited natives thronged the water’s edge.
Squaws
with their papooses were seen scampering from their
I 12
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
lodges to the rear, while the warriors, grasping bows and quivers, assembled in hasty pow-wow on the bank. The whites knew not how to talk to them; and they were equally at a loss how to talk to the whites.
In
pantomime the intelligence was sent across the stream by the whites that they meant no harm and only wanted to cross to the Indian rancheria.
After much
parleying in dumb show, which half satisfied but did not convince the natives, several canoes were manned and struck out across the swollen and eddying stream. There was a repetition on shore of the previous pan¬ tomime, the superstitious fear of the savages being ex¬ ceedingly difficult to overcome.
White men they had
never seen, unless, perchance, Dr. Gregg’s party had crossed their river here, and their observation of the strange visitors was accompanied by many ejaculations of wonder and surprise.
Finally consenting to take
the six men across the stream, motions and signs were made which signified the desire of the Indians that one only should cross at a time.
The canoes were
brought close to the bank and the whites motioned to get in.
Here was a predicament which had not been
foreseen.
To go across one at a time might be to
court the treachery of the Indians, and perhaps to meet death in its most terrible form.
A vigorous protest
was made to the proposition, and the Indians very re¬ luctantly consented to take all of them across at the same time.
Carried safely to the Southern shore of
the stream, the whites were surrounded by the curious natives, curious even to touch them and feel if they were really men and not fantastic figures from an In-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
dian’s dream.
I I3
Taking advantage of their superstitious
regard, the whites anxiously undertook to them with a sense of supernatural power.
impress
They told
the savage warriors, by expressive pantomime, that six white men could braves.
defeat in battle
a
thousand
A striking device to reach the superstitious
veneration of the Indians was suggested by a survey¬ or’s compass in the hands of one of the party.
An
eager circle of warriors, young and old, crowd around the whites while one of them explains the connection of the little instrument with the Great Spirit of the earth and sky, and seeks to fix his own identity as the “medicine man ” of the travelers.
The compass is
placed on the ground, and as the needle trembles and flutters on its pivot the Indians watch with increasing wonder.
The white “medicine man” takes a knife
and moves the blade slowly around the disk of the compass.
Slowly, with little quivering stops, like warn¬
ing fingers pointed at individual braves, the needle fol¬ lows the knife blade around the circle.
Filled with a
profound feeling of awe, the warriors see the knife withdrawn and the needle settle to its quiet rest.
The
white “ medicine man ” lifts the instrument to his ear, as if thus communicating with the Great Spirit; the Indians themselves draw nearer, eager to catch a stray whisper from the Unseen World, though it be in an unknown tongue;
the “ medicine
man ”
withdraws
the instrument and gravely endeavors to make them understand that all their secret thoughts and purposes are revealed to him through its agency. successful.
The ruse is
The untutored mind of the savage, deriv-
114
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ing from all nature continual additions to his super¬ stitious lore, sees in the little mechanical instrument a revelation of divine wisdom and power.
He regards
the whites with an awe which is not unmixed with reverence.
This one experiment would doubtless have
been sufficient to preserve the whites from the danger of an attack, but it was thought best to give another proof of their ability to protect themselves.
A target
is set up and pierced by bullet after bullet at sixty yards.
A flock of geese go sailing over the spot.
good shot brings one fluttering to the ground.
A The
natives are now thoroughly convinced of the super¬ natural attributes of their 'white visitors.
They are
safe from all danger while in the vicinity of this rancheria. Leaving a few presents at the rancheria, given to those who appeared to have authority, the party pro¬ ceeded on their way Southward, keeping on the beach, which was smooth and free from troublesome obstruc¬ tions.
They were followed several miles by many of
the natives, whose curiosity was not yet perfectly sat¬ isfied.
Stealthily running from hillock to hillock, on
a parallel line with the whites, the heads of the curious Indians would now and then be seen, just raised above a bank of drifted sand, the eager eyes watching, with all the fierceness their Creator gave them, every move¬ ment of the whites.
Late in the afternoon of the same
day the party saw the entrance to the bay. Howard’s party had accomplished the object of their mission, and it was with light hearts and high hopes that they started back to Trinidad on the following
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
115
morning, having camped the night before near the spot where the Humboldt Light House now stands. Traveling on the beach, and meeting with no difficul¬ ties, they reached Trinidad before night, keeping their own counsel, and revealing to no one the result of their journey.
On the next day the Laura Virginia
anchored in the harbor, and the ship’s boat was sent to take the party on board.
Lieutenant Ottinger was confirmed in his opinion that a large bay lay in the basin South of Trinidad by the report he received from Howard’s party.
On
the 9th day of April, 1850, the unanimous voice of those on board the Laura Virginia decided that an attempt should be made to cross the bar and enter the bay.
It was determined to send one of the ship’s boats
first, before attempting either to cross with passengers or take the vessel in.
Who could best command the
boat and direct the crew to a safe termination of what might prove to be a perilous undertaking ?
This grave
question met with the serious consideration it deserved, and the choice to which the company came was a most happy one.
It was agreed that Second Officer
Buhne possessed the qualifications necessary to an acceptable leader in the expedition across the unknown and perhaps perilous bar.
He was known to be a
good sailor, inured to the dangers and hardships of the sea, a brave man, and a man of common sense.
His
I 16
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
selection as the proper person to take the pioneer boat across the bar was a wise and judicious proceeding. Between ten and eleven o’clock on the morning of the 9th of April the boat was launched, and Buhne, with Wm. Broderson, James Baker, an Englishman named Palmer, and one other man whose name has been forgotten by the survivors, for his crew, started across the bar.
Skillful seamanship carried the boat
safely across the bar and into the harbor.
The crew
landed at a point opposite the entrance—for many years known as
Humboldt
Point, and now called
Buhne’s Point—where they remained till one o’clock in the afternoon, when, taking advantage of high wa¬ ter, the boat was headed for the sea.
Buhne made
soundings on the bar and found four and a half fath¬ oms of water in a well-defined channel.
Going
on
board the ship, he reported to Lieutenant Ottinger what he had seen and done, and it was decided that another trip should be made on the same day, this time with two boats, loaded with passengers, tents, provi¬ sions, etc.
The two boats, Buhne commanding the one
in advance, then crossed the bar and landed on the north beach at half past seven o’clock.
On the next
morning the whole party went across to the point and pitched their tents. days.
Here they all
remained three
On the 12th a vessel was seen off the bar, and
Buhne with his boat’s crew went out to her, supposing that she was the Laura Virginia. vessel, but was
It was not that
the Whiting, sailing towards
Eel
River, ambitious to be the first vessel to enter that stream.
The Captain of the Whiting, like the offi-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-TIIE LAURA VIRGINIA.
11 7
cers of a rival vessel, the J. M. Ryerson, believed that this river was the Trinity; and if they had observed the basin to the North with any interest, it was only indicative to them of a shallow lagoon or basin.
It
was late in the afternoon, and I^uhne and his crew boarded
the Whiting, remaining
there
all
night.
They were reticent of their own previous movements. It would not do for them to relate where they had been or what was their success.* The members of every expedition then exploring the coast considered themselves morally bound to keep a profound secret any discovery or location made by them.
Precisely
why this was so cannot be easily accounted for at the present day. A lively imagination can indeed surmise various reasons for secrecy.
Each expedition was ani¬
mated by a more or less envious jealousy of every other expedition, and every commander of a vessel was firmly convinced that the honor of first sailing into a bay or river ought to belong to him.
No trouble¬
some questions were asked of Buhne or his crew, the crew of the Whiting probably surmising that they had been away from their vessel on an excursion, and the night was passed quietly as the guests of the ves¬ sel.
On the morning of the next day, the 13th, the
Whiting was near Eel River, and the crew saw with disgust the J. M. Ryerson sail across the bar and into the river before them. Wishing to come up with his own vessel as soon as he could, Buhne parted company with the Whiting and proceeded North in the small boat.
In the after¬
noon the Laura Virginia came down from the North,
I 18
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
took Buhne and his crew on board, and stood off to sea during the night. at noon
The tide and wind being favorable
of the next day, April
14th, 1850, Second
Officer Buhne took the wheel and guided the Laura Virginia into the fray, where she anchored near the point on which the tents of the passengers were plain¬ ly visible. The 14th of April was a proud day for the Laura Virginia Association.
Captain Ottinger, and every
one of the officers and members of the expedition, felt highly elated because of the success which had attend¬ ed their voyage.
What
grand
castles
they
built
in the air is not for our generation to know; and per¬ haps it is well that we draw' not back too rudely the curtain of time that hides them from our view, for in the very act of exposing the unsubstantial glory of their hopes, we might, perchance, uncover to the world some day-dreams of our own.
The company, as a
matter of course, thought their fortunes were made, and they proceeded to take possession land for the site of the city that was to be.
of sufficient After con¬
siderable discussion the bay was christened, likewise the city.
Both were named “ Humboldt,” in honor of
the distinguished naturalist of that name, at the earn¬ est solicitation of a member of the expedition whose enthusiastic admiration for the illustrous Prussian was as boundless as the latter’s knowledge.
Afterwards the
Association voted to give the Baron Von Humboldt a choice lot in the city of his name ; and a deed of the same was written and sent to him, with a full account of the
adventures
of the company, for w'hich
the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
I 19
Association in due season received his kind acknowl¬ edgements over his own signature. As set forth in the articles of the Association, when any important discoveries were made the members ac¬ companying
the expedition were to select and take
possession of such lands and. locations as they should deem most eligible for commercial or agricultural pur¬ poses.
Each locator was to hold his claim for the joint
benefit of all the members, until, by a subsequent allot¬ ment, he should have his interest defined in severalty, with due regard to rights and shares in town sites as well as in the exterior lands.
A certain proportion
(one-sixteenth) of the whole was reserved as a con¬ tingent, chargeable with such extraordinary expenses as the making of trails and bridges, the necessary require¬ ments of protection against native enemies, and all matters of a public nature in which the benefit of the community was distinguished from that of the indi¬ vidual.
Lands were accordingly located on the shore
of the bay, opposite the entrance, covering a shore-line of four miles, and extending back indefinitely.
Hum¬
boldt Point was a central location, and here the city was located.
A town sprang up under the magical
activity of the pioneers.
An imposing array of build¬
ings and tents were erected along the city front, and preparations were soon completed to send out a party to open a trail to the gold mines of the Trinity. The first summer witnessed considerable increase in the population of the Bay, and of Humboldt City. The resident members of the Laura Virginia Association directed their best energies to the promotion of its in-
120
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
terests, and when contracts for public work were made that could not be satisfied out of the interest in con¬ tingent shares an order was drawn against the Board of Trustees in San Francisco.
Among many obliga¬
tions of this kind, the following is given to show the practical operations between the two Boards of Trus¬ tees before referred to:
“
To
$300. Messrs.
Folsom, Gallagher, and Simmons,
Trus¬
tees of Laura Virginia Association :— Please pay to Mr. Geo. O. Whitney three hundred dollars, and charge the same to Contingent Fund of said Association. E.
H. Howard,
Robt. H.
W.
T.
Lamott,
Havens,
Trustees L. V. Association. Humboldt,
June 19th, 1850.
P. S.—The above order is drawn for amount of ex¬ penses incurred in opening a road to the mines, we as Trustees deeming it better to raise the money from individual members than to draw upon the lots, which at this time are not as convertible into cash as they will be, we have reason to hope, a short time hence. Respectfully, etc., E.
H. Howard,
Robt. H. Humboldt,
June 19th, 1850.”
W.
T.
Lamott,
Havens.
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
I2I
Similar demands to the amount of several thousand dollars were referred to the San Francisco Trustees to be provided for and accounts was
paid.
The
never brought in
correctness of the question, but after
more or less delay they were sent back to the Hum¬ boldt Board with instructions that they be paid out of the sale of contingent city lots. the Bay always had
been
The Trustees on
empowered to dispose of
any part of this interest and apply the proceeds to the uses for which it had been reserved, but to give it an assured value work of local and public necessity had to be first done. advances of cash Francisco, that
When it was apparent that no
would be forthcoming from San
the discoverers at Humboldt were
acting only as a convenient appendage to headquar¬ ters, and without reimbursement they were expected to take
all
the
risks, spend
their time,
do
the
trail
making, the surveying, etc., with the privilege thrown in of footing the incidental expenses, it was agreed to disagree.
As an association on the original basis the
Laura Virginia scheme was brought to an end. No longer handicapped by the useless machinery of business with the San Francisco Board, the affairs of the Humboldt Trustees went smoothly.
Humboldt
City presented daily indications of reaching the rank of populous and
prosperous
towns.
There was no
relaxation of enterprising efforts to advance the wel¬ fare of the community, and
the estimate which the
outside public put upon the prospective importance of Humboldt may be approximated from correspond¬ ence which passed between E. H. Howard and San
122
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Francisco parties.
A letter from D. W. Coit, a San
Francisco membet* of the Association, read thirty-four years after it was written, has a curious interest.
An
influential and leading citizen of San Francisco at that date, Mr. Coit wrote:
“San Francisco,
E. H.
Howard,
May 3d, 1851.
Esq.:
Dear Sir:—I received some little time ago from you a petition to the Agent of the Postoffice Department with
respect to the establishment of a
postoffice at Humboldt, and in compliance with your request have handed it about to the parties interested here for their signatures
to be added to the list of
those obtained by you. I only wait the Agent’s return here, which is expected by the next steamer
from
Panama, to place the matter before him and endeavor to have some prompt action taken in the matter. You will, I think, be glad to hear that I have been in some
degree instrumental in
inducing
Captain
Knight (Agent for P. M. S. Company) to order his Oregon steamers to touch at our port on their way up and down the coast.
That company of course look
for advantages to their own private interests whereever they can obtain them, and if we wish to secure their stopping at our place exclusively, regularity on their trips, we must
and with
make some con¬
cessions of lots, and so I have assured Capt. Knight we should be prepared to do so under some positive engagement on his part. at present
He is not prepared to say
that they will construct improvements on
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
I 23
the water for the accommodation of their steamers, though he hinted at this in the remark, that they should require one entire block (three water-lots and the corresponding lots above tide water) to meet their wants.
Without anything being definitely settled
between us, Capt. Knight agrees that the Columbia, which leaves on Monday next for Oregon, shall touch at Humboldt for the purpose of her Captain (Le Roy) making a survey of the bay and noting the advantages of the different places on it which set up claims to prominence.
Capt. Le
Roy, from a conversation
have had with him, will go impressed
I
favorably to¬
ward our place; but there is no question that it will be politic to make him directly interested
in
the
place, by giving him individually such an interest as shall enlist him for us—I should say at least a half a share.
His report to Capt.
Knight and
to the
company will be very important; then he will always exercise great influence with the passengers which he will bring to the Oregon.
Bay from
hence,
as well as from
This I look upon as a very important turn¬
ing time in our affairs:
and this
new arrangement
proposed may be the pivot on which our whole suc¬ cess and prosperity may turn. I trust you have
not got me down on your pro¬
scription list as one not ready and willing at all times to do my share in
building up (what is to be, and
must be) the first seaport between
the
Bay of San
Francisco and the Columbia River. Believe me, dear sir, Your very obedient servant, D. W.
Coit. ”
124
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
In the belief that a liberal subsidy
would secure
regular steamer communication with the metropolis, and be followed by some if not all of the benefits in¬ dicated by Mr. Coit, the Laura Virginia Association« donated to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company the desired water frontage and town lots,
and in good
faith the company for a season performed their part of the contract. Humboldt City for a year or more kept in advance of any other town on the Bay.
Stores, pack trains,
mechanics’ shops and saloons gave unmistakable signs of business progress.
But that could only last while
the town could control the trade with the mines.
The
advantage of a nearer route, and an Indian trail from the head of the Bay that was practicable without costly improvements, settled the rivalry in favor of Union and against Humboldt City.
The castles in the air
built by its founders soon tumbled down about them, Union and Eureka divided the business of the Bay, t.he city that was to be faded from the visionary pro¬ jects of
the adventurers’
dream.
Humboldt City
succumbed to the inexorable decrees of fate, and to-day the scene of its once bustling life is abandoned to its original pastoral simplicity. If a complete account of the doings of the Laura Virginia
Association, its
meetings and proceedings,
were given to the world, it would, beyond a doubt, be intensely interesting to the reader of to-day.
Would
that a pen in young fingers might chronicle every mi¬ nute detail of that old society !
But it has passed
away, and with it a majority of its projectors.
Some
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA..
I 25
few remain—like land-marks in the more substantial form
of old houses—to be sadly missed when
whirligig of time sweeps them from the earth.
the
A few
are yet in the prime of manhood, albeit on the shady side of life.
Even to them, looking back through the long
vista of a third of a century gone, their pioneer Asso¬ ciation must seem like the unsubstantial creation of a dream, and like the substance that dreams are made of the cruise of the Laura Virginia.
126
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER III. Annals of
Discovery—Early Settlements and Voyages
by
Sea and Land.
Major P. B. Reading.—Mining excitement on the Trinity River.— Embryo cities in newly discovered territory.—Bucksport, Union and Eureka.—The Brannan brothers.—Warnerville and Klamath City.
A magical effect of the name of Trinity is that it calls to the mind of every one conversant with the history of Northwest California a host of pioneer scenes and reminiscences. Not the least interesting are the expeditions of discovery which had their end¬ ing or beginning on the banks of the Trinity River. The trappers of the Hudson Bay Company were fa¬ miliar with the larger streams in the neighborhood of the Shasta Valley and had visited the Trinity, but to the mining excitement occurring several years after the first visit by trappers is correctly attributed the permanent settlement of the Trinity, the Salmon and the Klamath. The first mining on the Trinity of which there is any authentic record was done by a party of trappers and explorers under direction of Major Pearson B. Reading, who settled in Shasta
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
county in 1847.
I 2J
In the spring of .1845 Reading left
Sutter’s Fort with 30 men and 100 pack horses for the purpose of trapping the streams of Upper Cali¬ fornia and Oregon.
In the month of May he crossed
the mountains from the Sacramento divide now known as
River, near a
the backbone,” and twenty or
thirty miles from there he discovered a large stream which he named the Trinity, supposing that it flowed into Trinidad charts.
Bay as
marked
on
the old
Spanish
He remained on the river three weeks, trap¬
ping, no known ledge of gold being acquired. years later,
in June, 1849,
Major
Four
Reading, then a
rancher in the Shasta Valley, organized a small party and went on an exploring expedition to the Trinity River.
The party traveled up the stream a consider¬
able distance and discovered the gold-bearing gravel bars which afterwards made the river famous.
Return¬
ing to the Sacramento River settlements in August, they spread the news of the gold discovery, and the rush for the Trinity began.
From that time there
were numerous expeditions of miners and adventurers, who explored the rivers and canons of the mountain¬ ous country between the Sacramento and the sea.
To
Reading’s expedition and the reports communicated to the Sacramento settlements by its members is attrib¬ uted, also, the subsequent wild search for the mouth of the Trinity.
The opinion became general that the
river discovered by Reading emptied its waters into Trinidad Bay, and it was naturally supposed that the best route to the mines would be by way of the river from the ocean.
Expedition after expedition was fitted
128
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
out by sea to discover the mouth of the Trinity, some on the co-operative plan, some by masters and owners of vessels, who charged enormous prices for passage in their vessels.
The
Cameo sailed
up
the
coast in
December, 1849, but returned to San Francisco with the report that no such place as Trinidad Bay could be discovered.
Contradictory reports came in, and
the Cameo at once sailed to the North, followed in quick succession by
the
Sierra Nevada, James K.
Whiting, Isabel, Arabian, General Morgan, Hector, California, J. M. Ryerson, Paragon, Maileroy, Galinda, Patapsco, and the successful Laura Virginia.
In
March, 1850, the real harbor of Trinidad was discovered by the Cameo, and was soon afterwards entered by the Laura
Virginia, James R.
Whiting and California.
The reception in San Francisco of the news of the dis¬ covery of Trinidad, and a little later of the discovery by seaof Humboldt Bay, created intense excitement.
Trin¬
idad was the name which, above all others, for a short period possessed a charm for adventurous spirits.
As if
by magic, embryo cities actually sprang up in the new¬ ly discovered
territory, or
were neatly drawn upon
paper. The first town-site which was located on Humboldt Bay was Humboldt City, by the Laura Virginia As¬ sociation, in April, 1850.
Next the towns of Bucks-
port, Union, and Eureka were located.
When the sur¬
vivors of the Gregg party reached Sonoma, and after L. K. Wood had sufficiently recovered his strength, a party of thirty men was organized to return overland to Humboldt Bay, and on the 19th of April, 1850, the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
I 29
party reached the bay, having occupied about twenty days in the trip from Sonoma.
In the narrative pub¬
lished by Mr. Wood, many years afterwards, he said: “We saw that the schooner Laura
Virginia was
inside, and that Humboldt Point was occupied by her party.
They did not see us, and that they should not
we shifted our course more to the North, coming upon the shore of the bay where Bucksport now stands. Here we left four of our number to occupy and make improvements on the land, the others proceeding as fast as possible across the bay at this point, by the help of the Indians, and made our way on foot to the head of the bay, where Areata (Union) now stands, and which we considered the only place for a town. We arrived here on the 21st of April, and stayed about three days, laying foundations for houses, post¬ ing notices with names, dates, etc., in order to show that the land was claimed and occupied; then all re turned by the East side of the bay to where we had left the four men.” In the same month (April) the town of Eureka was located on the South side of Humboldt Bay, and Trini¬ dad—first called Warnerville—was located at Trini¬ dad
Harbor.
Some peculiar circumstances accom¬
panied the location of the latter place.
Samuel Bran-
nan had fitted out the General Morgan, which was commanded by John Brannan, his brother.
Early in
April the two Brannans, each with a crew and ship’s boat, entered Eel River from their vessel anchored in the offing, naming the stream Brannan River, a name it failed to retain. 9
The Brannans explored the river
130
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the first day and on the second crossed a neck of land at the foot of a high bluff—now called Table Bluff and which they named Brannan Bluff—dragging their boats after them, and crossed
Humboldt Bay, from
whence they walked up the coast to Trinidad Harbor. There they found R. A. Parker and party, who had entered Trinidad
in
the James
R. Whiting.
Par¬
ker was accompanied by Charles C. Southard, of the old
Gregg party, J. C. Campbell, Frank
Lemmon,
Thomas J. Roach, Robert Atherton,-Ayres, and William Hawks, and had commenced to lay out a city. The Brannan party were given a hearty welcome and invited to join in laying out the new city. sented, and survey lines were streets located.
They con¬
run and blocks and
When a division of the lots was at¬
tempted a controversy arose which terminated disas¬ trously.
Parker’s party, which was smaller than the
Brannan party, wanted an equal division of the lots. The Brannan party objected, and finally left the place in disgust.
A few days later an expedition
Captain R. V. Warner arrived
on
the
under
brig Isabel
and located what they were pleased to call the City of Warnerville. Captain
On the day of the arrival of the brig
Warner erected a house and hoisted the
American
flag.
His house was the third one con¬
structed, R. A. Parker having erected the first and a Mr. Van Wyck the second.
Warnerville was located
and christened on the ioth of April, and on the 13th an Alcalde, Second Alcalde, and a Sheriff were elect¬ ed by the citizens, one hundred and forty votes being polled.
A pack-train arrived from the Trinity during
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
I
31
the same week, bringing glowing reports of the rich¬ ness of the
mines; and
with these flattering pros¬
pects the harbor of Trinidad and the city of Warnerville started on their career. Klamath City was one of the ephemeral produc¬ tions of the mining excitement.
When the
driven from Trinidad Head by a storm reached
in
Cameo, March,
Point St. George, she landed some of her
passengers
there.
These, B.
W.
Bullet,
Herman
Ehrenberg, J. T. Tyson, A. Heepe, and a Mr. Gunns, walked down the coast, and about the middle of April arrived at the mouth of the Klamath, which they sup¬ posed was the Trinity.
After traveling up the stream
some distance and locating homesteads near its mouth, the explorers went down to Trinidad, their stories of discovery adding fuel to the feverish excitement which already possessed the place.
They and others went
up to the mouth of the river and located a new town, which they called
Klamath
City.
Here they were
met by Eugene du Bertrand, sole survivor of a boat’s crew of five 'from the Cameo, that had come down from Point St. George, and attempting to cross the river bar in the boat had been upset in the_ break¬ ers.
Bertrand, being a good swimmer, saved himself,
with the
timely assistance of an Indian.
Klamath
City had a rapid growth and a mushroom existence. It was supposed that the river bars from the mouth up were all rich in gold, consequently prospectors and traders flocked to the new town in large numbers.
The
frames of houses, ready to be put together on arrival, were shipped from San Francisco, and it is said that
i32
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
one iron house was imported and erected in the town : as the Indians were living there in great numbers, the owner probably intended to guard against their attacks by inhabiting a castle which would be proof against shot and fire.
The growth of Klamath City was not
more rapid than its decline.
Prospectors at the mouth
of the river did not meet with the success they had anticipated, and left for other localities; the river bar was too dangerous to be crossed in safety by large vessels; traders were unable to bring in their wares by sea; explorers departed for other scenes; build¬ ings were taken down and carried away: and in a few months from its location the site of the prospective city was the same primeval solitude broken in upon by the first white explorer.
To-day there is not a ves¬
tige of the town to be seen, not a single visible testi¬ monial of the busy and exciting scenes that once transpired there.
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EXTREME NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER
I 33
IV.
Annals of Discovery.—The Extreme Northwest. The County of Del Norte.—Its first settlement.—Happy Camp.— Crescent City.—The story of the lost cabin.—Captain McDer¬ mott.—J. F. Wendell’s land grant.—Smith’s River Valley.
Intimately connected with the settlement and subse¬ quent history of Humboldt Bay, the extreme Northwest territory of California could not escape the notice of explorers who sailed up the unknown coast in ’50 or traveled across the trackless mountains in ’49.
The
county of Del Norte, formerly a part of the old county of Klamath, is situated in the Northwest corner of the State, and the name signifies in English “the North.” It is bounded on the East by Siskiyou county, on the West by the Pacific Ocean, on the South by Humboldt and Siskiyou counties, and on the North by the Oregon line.
It was a part of Klamath county until the Leg¬
islature of i856-’57 passed a bill providing for the divis¬ ion of that county and the creation of the new county of Del Norte.
The bill located the county seat at
Crescent City, and ordered an election held in May, 1857, for the first county officers. The first settlement in the territory comprising Del
134
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Norte county was made in 1851.
In the spring of
that year a party of prospectors and explorers, consist¬ ing of Capt. S. R. Tompkins, Robt. S. Williams, Capt. McDermott, Charles Moore, Thos. J. Roach, Charles Wilson, Charles Southard, two brothers named Swain, -Taggart, Geo.Wood, W. T. Stevens, B. Ray, Wm. Rumley, W. A. J. Moore, Jerry Lane, John Cox, J. W. Burke, James Buck, and-Penney, and several others whose names have been lost in the lapse of time, started from Trinidad on an expedition up the Klamath River, camping on every bar which showed the color of the gold they were seeking, and continu¬ ally compelled to keep guard against prowling Indians. The settlement they ultimately made was preceded by a bloody tragedy.
While the men were prospecting
two bars near each other, the Indians with many pro¬ fessions of friendship endeavored to induce them to move further up the river, saying that at a distance of less than “ one-half a sleep ” there were good camping grounds and gold diggings.
Three young men, Bar¬
ney Ray, Moore and Penney, believed the representa¬ tions of the Indians, went up the river together, and were foully murdered.
Immediately after the murder,
which occurred a few days after the three young men had arrived at their new location, several of their com¬ rades went up the river to & point directly opposite the place where they had pitched their tent.
The
party could see the tent still standing, but being un¬ able to hear or see anything of the three occupants, and seeing numbers of Indians skulking about the premises, they surmised that some misfortune had be-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EXTREME NORTHWEST.
fallen them.
I 35
Actuated by this belief they returned to
camp and organized a party of volunteers to go up the river and ascertain the fate of their friends.
Arriving
at the tent they learned that their fears had been well founded.
The Indians had murdered two of the three
men who had believed and followed them, and wounded the other.
The body of one, Barney Ray, was buried
on the spot, and another, Penney, mortally wounded, was carried down the river on a litter to Wingate’s Bar, where he died.
The body of Moore was not
found at the time, but several weeks afterward the re¬ mains of a dead body, supposed to have been his, were found in the river below, so much decayed as to be unrecognizable.
The perpetrators of the deed did not
go unpunished.
The party, determined to avenge the
death of their comrades, pursued the Indians, and fol¬ lowing their trail up the river discovered their village, a large number of huts indicating the home of a pow¬ erful tribe.
Satisfied with their discovery, they re¬
turned to camp, and the next morning at break of day made an attack on the Indians.
The majority of all
in the village were killed. outright.
The Indians had
no guns and were at the mercy of the whites. Two or three weeks after the murder of the three white men and the attack on the Indian village the party of pioneers removed from Wingate’s Bar to a camp higher up the stream, to a place which
they
united in giving the name of
And
Happy Camp.
thus, ushered in by a tragedy of death, the first settle¬ ment in the territory of Del Norte was made. Happy Camp! A name suggestive of cool shades of
136
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST..
forest trees, of sparkling streams from mountain sides; it brings a breath of the bracing air from mountain snows which fanned the cheeks of the hardy pioneer who dared to molest the Indian in his choicest hunting grounds; it suggests a land teeming with game and fruit, and all other rich and beneficent things bestowed by bountiful Nature—a land in which the footsore and weary Argonaut might find rest and happiness and peace.
However pleasant and suggestive the name
might be, it is certain that the pioneers of
Happy
Camp met with as many difficulties as others of their class, and the name itself was probably chosen more in a spirit of irony than as an expression of pleasure.
It
appears that on a certain evening the party, assembled around their camp-fires, were regaling themselves with the contents of a black bottle which passed freely from hand to hand, when some one proposed that the place should have a name.
Among others “ Happy Camp ”
was proposed and was adopted.
Three hearty cheers
were given for Happy Camp, the bottle was passed again, and thus the
new mining town
received its
christening. After the settlement of Happy
Camp,
and
when
settlements had been made at Trinidad and the mouth of the South
Klamath,
the
side of Point
somewhat strange
town of Crescent £ity, on the St. George, was located.
It is
that a permanent 'settlement was
not made here at an earlier date than 1852, for as early as the spring of 1850 several vessels anchored in the roadstead, including the Paragon, Cameo and Laura Virginia.
Crescent City had a peculiar and romantic
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY—EXTREME NORTHWEST.
I 37
origin. In 1849-50 a story was circulated throughout the Pacific Coast, and in many of the Eastern states, rivalling the legend of Captain
Kidd’s
equalling in imaginative qualities “ Arabian Nights.”
treasure, and
any- fable of the
There are many versions of the
story, the most generally accepted being to the effect that in the very earliest days of the mining excitement in California, a miner more adventurous than any of his fellows, armed necessary
mining
with
his rifle and supplied with
implements,
crossed
the
Coast
Range and prospected the gulches and ravines of the foot-hills near the seashore. One lucky day he “ struck it rich.”
The rich earth yielded its yellow treasures in
abundance, and the solitary miner erected a cabin in the wilderness, with the sole thought of amassing a fortune and returning to home and friends in the East. And there in the “ forest primeval,” with the giant trees towering above him, the lonely gold-hunter toiled as if for life, day after day, for many weary months, adding to his store of gold until it amounted to a fab¬ ulous sum.
The prowling Indian found his retreat at
last, and attacking him with overwhelming numbers left him senseless on
the ground, apparently dead.
The treasure was too well hidden to be easily found, and failing in their search for it, the savages set fire to the cabin, burning it to ashes.
When they had gone,
the miner recovered consciousness, but not his reason —the light of his mind had gone out, and left a flick¬ ering flame of disconnected thought.
Bereft of his
reason, he wandered out of the forest and into the home of civilization.
How he succeeded in finding
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
i3»
his way back to his friends in the East the legend saith not.
But (so the story goes) he did succeed in reach¬
ing his home, and
there, after a brief period, died.
Before his death his reason returned to him, and call¬ ing his friends around him he told them the story of his hidden treasure, describing minutely th6 locality of the cabin.
And from the account he gave it was
evident that the lost cabin was situated somewhere on the Northern coast of California. So
runs
the legend
of
the lost cabin.
And
however improbable the story may appear, it was, in various forms, circulated far and wide, and
many
parties were at different times fitted out to search for the bonanza.
In the spring of 1851 a party under
Captain McDermott were searching for the lost cabin in the vicinity of what is now known as French Hill. Ascending to the top of the hill, they saw before them a broad expanse depression
in
of ocean, with
here and there a
the coast line, and at one spot
in
particular a deep indentation in the rocky coast caused them to conclude that there was to be found a bay of considerable magnitude. was
circulated
in
the
The report of this discovery interior, and in
September,
1852, another party, composed of Captain Bell, Major J. B. Taylor, Henry Kennedy, Thomas McGrew, James D. Wall,
Richard
Humphreys,
Wm.
Osborn
and
three or four others started for the coast in search of the harbor seen by the McDermott party.
They pro¬
cured the necessary outfit at Althouse, Oregon, and were well prepared for their perilous and journey.
fatiguing
They were obliged to cut trails for them-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EXTREME NORTHWEST.
selves and
animals,
and
they met with
I 39
numerous
other obstacles which required great perseverance and labor to surmount.
Reaching the coast, they passed
through a valley near the sea where large herds of elk were feeding quietly by the way, unmindful of their presence.
For this reason they named it Elk Valley,
a name it bears at the present time.
Arriving at the
seashore the party camped on the beach, naming the roadstead to the South of them Paragon Bay.
Winter
was approaching, and their provisions would be soon exhausted;
so they dispatched a messenger, Richard
Humphreys,
to
San
charter a vessel
Francisco, instructing him
from
that port to
Paragon
to
Bay.
While in San Francisco Richard Humphreys met J. F. Wendell, and induced him to organize an expedition to Paragon Bay.
The expedition was soon organized
and equipped, and chartering the schooner Pomona set sail and arrived at Paragon Bay some time in the Fall of 1852.
Nothing was done
surveying and
locating a town-site, and
that year toward it was not
until the month of February, 1853, that any move was made in that direction.
During the Winter of 1852-
’53 A. M. Rosborough purchased a land warrant in J. F. Wendell’s name for the 320 acres on which Crescent City now stands, and in February, 1853, the land was surveyed by P. F. Robinson and divided into town lots.
Lots in the new town were transferred by deed
from J. F. Wendell to W. A Thorp, A. M. Rosborough, G. W. Jordan, A. K.Ward, Richard Humphreys,]. M. Peters, J. K. Irving, J. D. Cook, J. B. Taylor, B. J. Bell, W. S. Watterman, F. E. Weston, P. C. Bryant,
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
140
M. Martin, M. Smythe, A. Coyle, C. D. Parton, G. A Guthrie, H. Fellows, T. H. McGrew, D. C. Lewis, H. Kennedy, J. H..Short, F. S. Pomeroy, J. H. Boddeby, S. F. Watts and H. S. Fitch; and it appears from the deeds
that all
but seven
received
their lots for a
money consideration, ranging from $100 to $1,000, and that but six of the party besides J. F. Wendell were originally interested
in
the land.
The transfer to
W. A. Thorp was in consideration of having “ ren¬ dered services in and about Point St. George,” and F.
E. Weston, G. W. Jordan, A. K. Ward, Richard
Humphreys, J. W. Peters and J. K. Irving received their deeds in consideration of having “contributed equally with J. F. Wendell of their money, labor and materials in fitting out an George.”
expedition to
Point St.
Therefore, as only Weston, Jordan, Ward,
Humphreys, Peters, Irving and Wendell had origin¬ ally invested their means in the enterprise, they should be looked upon as the founders of Crescent City. The grant which Wendell had purchased from the State
was afterwards declared
to
be
invalid,
the
United States claiming the title to the land, and those who
had
invested in town
lots were in danger of
losing both the lots and their money.
An arrange¬
ment was finally made by which the Common Coun¬ cil of the
town purchased the land from the United
States at $2.50 per acre.
When the town was finally
and permanently located it was named Crescent City, because the bay or roadstead on which it is situated is in the form of a semicircle. Smith's River Valley, the only other settlement of
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EXTREME NORTHWEST.
I41
importance in the district, was settled in 1853. Among the arrivals at Crescent City during the
month
of
April of that year were Jas. Haight, Daniel Haight, H. Davis,-Downie and one or two others, who made the first settlement in Smith’s River Valley, lo¬ cating on the North side of Rowdy Creek, a small stream which flows from the mountains diagonally across the valley.
The valley itself is about ten miles
long and five miles wide.
Through the valley runs
Smith’s River, from which it received its name—a clear, limpid stream, Mountains.
heading away
This
off
in
river was one of
the the
Siskiyou numerous
threads in the mysterious entanglement of early names and localities which for a long time puzzled explorers and travelers.
Like the Trinity and the Klamath, its
course was an enigma and its name a riddle.
Much
speculation has been given to the subject, but no defi¬ nite conclusion has ever been arrived at as to how or when the river received its name. The most generally accepted theory of its origin is, that sometime in 1838 or 1839 a certain Captain Smith and party, in the em¬ ploy of the Hudson
Bay Company, camped on the
banks of this river and were murdered by the Indians. At the present time there are no records extant or persons living to substantiate this theory, and, besides, it is evident that it has no foundation in truth.
On
the contrary, the river undoubtedly owed its name to the ignorance of the early explorers and traders in re¬ gard to the typography of the Northern coast.
In
1842 Fremont camped on the shore of Klamath Lake, Oregon, and in his account of his second voyage of
142
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
exploration he remarks that he was forced to take ex¬ tra precautions to guard against the Indians, and says : “ I was not unmindful of the fate of and party.”
Captain Smith
From this it would appear that a Captain
Smith was murdered by the Indians, and it is well known that his name was given to another river, which empties into Rogue River in Oregon. Fremont’s voyage, and long
In the time of
after, a river in Oregon
now known as Illinois River was called Smith’s River, and it was supposed to empty into the ocean somewhere near the mouth of the present Smith’s River.
It was
natural, therefore, that those who crossed the moun¬ tains and traveled down the river to the coast should call the stream Smith’s River, believing as they did that the two rivers were one and the same.
In the
course of time, when the country became better known, the true Smith’s River received the name of Illinois, while the Del Norte river retained and has kept it ever since.
the former name
THE INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
43
CHAPTER V.
The First Four Years of Settlement.—The
Indians and
their Tribes.
Character of the population.—A slow transition.—Cosmopolitan com¬ munities.—Bitter rivalry between jealous towns.—The Indians. —Six general divisions.—Natural consequences of white settle¬ ment.
In the four years succeeding the discovery of Hum¬ boldt Bay the settlement of the Northwest country was rapid and continual.
It was not the permanent set¬
tlement of agricultural character, but rather the spas¬ modic and temporary settlement which comes of min¬ ing excitements.
Indeed, the early settlement of Hum¬
boldt, Klamath and Trinity counties was only the pre¬ lude to that permanent growth in population and in¬ dustry which later years witnessed.
All the wide scope
of territory tributary to Humboldt Bay, including the Eel River country, the stock-raising section of the Bald Hills, the Klamath River country from the Hoopa Valley to the sea, the Mad River country, and the set¬ tlements along the shores of the bay, were undergoing from 1849 to 1854 a constant period of
transition
from natural wildness and mining fluctuation to the
144
INDIAN WARS
OF THE NORTHWEST.
steady and enduring condition of farming and manu¬ facturing communities. process.
This transition was a slow
Gold mining was yet in the full tide of its
ascendancy, and it was only in mining communities that the whites were assembled together in sufficient numbers for mutual protection against savage Indians and savage Nature.
The farmers, few in number and
isolated in location, had to contend with difficulties which none but pioneers would dare to face.
The vil¬
lages scattered through the territory were far apart, and were separated by
high mountain chains, deep
rivers, and dense forests.
Every obstruction
which
uncultivated Nature throws in the way of man, every danger attending the inevitable conflict between the whites and the Indians, was present to defeat and dis¬ courage them. Without going into details which would more prop¬ erly belong to a professed history of the country, it is sufficient to state that the towns located as Trinidad, Union and Eureka grew into flourishing communi¬ ties, of most cosmopolitan population and most enter¬ prising character.
The mines were the arteries through
which they drew their sustenance.
Many ships laden
with articles for the miners’ use crossed the bar of Humboldt Bay or anchored in the roadstead of Trini¬ dad ; long cavalcades of heavily-laden mules toiled over the mountains to the head-waters of Mad River, the Salmon,or to the Trinity River mines; periodical gold excitements
occasioned
periodical seasons of rapid
growth and feverish prosperity; and through it all the times grew ripe for a more sober and a more perma-
THE
INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
nent settlement.
145
There were seasons of bitter rivalry
between the various towns in the vicinity. Crescent City, Union, Bucksport
Trinidad,
and Eureka each
claimed to be the proper and natural depot of supplies for the miner and the coming metropolis of the North. This jealousy was mcst pronounced between the three towns of Union, Bucksport and Eureka.
Each felt
big with impending greatness, and each desired, above all other things, the dignity of possessing the Court House and Jail.
The county of Humboldt was organ¬
ized in 1853, the town of Union being designated as the county seat.
Bucksport and Eureka did not cease
their bitter rivalry for the honor, and a contest was begun which resulted in two elections in 1854 to de¬ termine the relative claims of the three places.
Union
received the largest vote and was officially declared to be the county seat.
The agitation of the matter con¬
tinued, the charge of fraud on the part of Union Town¬ ship being frequently and persistently asserted.
The
Supervisors refused to erect a Court House in accord¬ ance with the wishes of the Unionites, and the contro¬ versy went on until it was finally determined by the Legislature of the State.
A law was passed at the
legislative session of 1855-56 removing the county seat from Union to Eureka. The Indian population was known to be largely in excess of the whites, though it was impossible, in con¬ sequence of the
unstable character of many of the
white settlements along the rivers and other gold-bear¬ ing streams, to make even a reasonable approximate of the number of the whites. 10
The Indians were dif-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
146
ferently situated.
They had not yet received the inex¬
orable decree of the white man, l< Move on,” and their rancherias presented more of the aspect of permanent settlement
than
the towns of the pioneers.
Their
numbers had not yet been decimated by death and dis¬ ease.
There were
mode of living.
no restraints of their liberty or
The “ Reservation ” system had not
yet been enforced by the Government, nor had the military authority extended to them in the remotest degree. At the beginning of the year 1854 the section of country unprovided with Indian Reservations and un¬ controlled by Indian agencies was very extensive. It was drained by the Salmon, Klamath, Trinity, Redwood Mad and Eel rivers and their tributaries, extending South to the Southern vicinity of Cape Mendocino. Ten thousand Indians lived within the boundaries of this region. They were divided into bands or tribes, and again subdivided into rancherias and families innu¬ merable.
With regard
to their tribal relations and
language they composed six general divisions. were the
There
Weoii and Put-ta-wott Co-will—Eel River
and Mad River Indians—who lived near the mouths of the two rivers and on Humboldt Bay, and the Palik Ai-li-qua—lower Indians—who ranged along the coast, and along the Klamath River from Trinidad to Bluff Creek, the latter being a small stream eight miles above the confluence of the Trinity and Klamath riv¬ ers, sixty miles from the sea.
At that point began the
territory of the Car-rook Ar-rah—North or upper In¬ dians—which extended up the Klamath ninety miles,
THE INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
147
being bounded on the North and East by the hunting grounds of the Shasta
Indians.
The No-ten-ta-yah
No-co-stah—Trinity Indians—comprising the fourth general division, occupied the Trinity from its junc¬ tion with the Klamath to the South Fork, and were also scattered over the Bald Hills and in various places on Redwood and Mad rivers.
The fifth division, the
Patch-wies, was a small band located on New River and on the main Trinity above the South Fork. tending through
all
that
section
of
Ex¬
country em¬
bracing the head-waters of Panther Creek, Redwood, Mad and Eel rivers, was a wing of the powerful tribe known as the Win-toons, or Mountain Diggers, and these constituted the sixth division. When the white
men first entered the region of
country inhabited by the six grand divisions of abo¬ rigines enumerated above, the native population was comparatively immense and individually much supe¬ rior in everything to the remnant of the race now ex¬ isting.
The men of the race were of good form, swift
of foot, keen of eye, athletic, possessed of great powers of endurance, while the opposite sex were also phy¬ sically well endowed. of the
Prior to that period the natives
region were as ignorant of the existence of
the white race as were the aboriginal inhabitants of the Atlantic side of our continent before the discovery of the new world ; and doubtless the former were as profoundly impressed by the advent among them of a new type of humanity, clad in the garb and armed with the weapons of civilization, as were their breth¬ ren who witnessed the landing of Europeans in Amer-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
48
ica for the first time.
Doubtless great wonder, not
unmixed with superstition, as to who these new beings were and from whence they came, filled the savage mind.
Be that as it may, it is unquestionable that the
Indians at first felt friendly towards the new comers. But this friendly feeling was not long to continue. While granting all that is claimed of intelligence, en¬ terprise, love of adventure, contempt of danger, etc., for those who left home and kindred for a journey to California the plains over, the Isthmus across, or the Horn around, in the memorable days of ’49, it must be admitted that many of these energetic and adven¬ turous seekers after the precious metal were not as careful always to respect the rights of those they came in contact with as they were to exact such considera¬ tion for themselves.
The majority of the immigrants
were in favor of dealing fairly and justly with the na¬ tives, and failed not to caution their associates who were heedless of consequences or oblivious of right, of the supreme importance, for the common good, of hon¬ orable conduct toward the savages, and for a time care was taken not to give cause for complaint. Soon other parties
of gold-hunters came, the
feeling that cau¬
tion was necessary wore off, and as had been foreseen by men of experience and good judgment, serious dif¬ ficulties commenced.
From being friendly in feeling
and demeanor, willingly serviceable as guides, in cross¬ ing streams and in various other ways, the Indians gradually began to show signs of discontent with and dislike of
their new acquaintances,
grew morose,
more and more kept aloof, and in many ways gave
THE INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
149
evidence that they considered the white man an un¬ welcome intruder into the country their race had held owership of and lordly jurisdiction over from time im¬ memorial.
This state of feeling was intensified by
the continued reprehensible action of individual white men, which early provoked the savages to petty depre¬ dations against the property of their civilized neigh¬ bors.
Among the causes that strengthened the feel¬
ing of hatred
against the whites and unwillingness
that they should permanently settle in the country, which by the summer of 1851 had firmly taken hold of the Indian mind, was the fear that their presence would interfere with the food supply that had hereto¬ fore abundantly satisfied
the wants
of the natives.
They cultivated no crops of any kind, but depended entirely for food upon the natural productions, the grand staple of all and most highly prized of which was salmon.
As the bear was held in high reverence
by eastern tribes, so was the salmon esteemed by the primitve men who dwelt on the banks of the three great rivers of the Pacific.
The Indians believed that
the establishment of a ferry by rope across a stream would stop salmon from further ascending ; and their “medicine men,” whose utterances were implicitly re¬ lied on—taught them that the salmon had become an¬ gered, and would soon desert all the inland waters of the region, because of the use of white men’s knives ; one of the Indian superstitions being that stone only should be used in dressing a fish, particularly the be¬ loved salmon.
The bread supply wis afforded
by
acorns and the seeds of the rich grasses with which
150
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the hill-sides and plains were bountifully covered, and the simple-minded Indian saw with dismay the ax of the invader ruthlessly destroying the fruitful oak, and cattle becoming so many
that the seeds would not
ripen where the women and children had annually har¬ vested ample store of what was to the natives as choice and important as the cultivated breadstuff’s of civiliza¬ tion to more favored peoples.
The superiority of fire¬
arms over bows and arrows was not unnoticed by those who used the latter weapon, and the fact was soon ap¬ parent that the deer and elk were becoming more shy than formerly, that they were even leaving their pre¬ vious haunts for others remote from thesound’of the rifle, which would result at no distant day in the loss to the red man of the pleasures and profits of the chase. To the foregoing causes of dissatisfaction with which the
natives viewed the
settlement of the
best por¬
tions of their country by white men, may properly be added the arrogance of manner the latter had adopted toward them.
As the settlements became numerous
there gathered to them from different directions men of some former frontier experience on this continent and
in
Australia and New Zealand, who evidently
thought it brave to assert by word and deed that an Indian had no rights; consequently, neither they nor their imitators tried to conciliate the natives by kind¬ ness and just dealing.
Service was exacted and pay¬
ment made or withheld as best suited the caprice of the civilized employer at the time.
When the natives
were complacent they were generally given some rec¬ ompense, but if they hesitated in obedience they were
THE INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
15
liable to coarse abuse. It is true that a majority of the white settlers did not approve of injustice towards the natives of the country,»but their disapprobation was generally of a negative character, and being en¬ gaged in their several avocations, such matters were allowed to drift along without their active interference. But these things rankled in the savage breast and made the average adult male of the race a sullen, sus¬ picious, disagreeable and unsafe neighbor. The Digger Indians have been considered the most degraded and ignorant of all the aboriginal inhabitants of the United States, but there is reason to doubt whether the adverse opinions formed concerning their character have always been sanctioned by justice. De¬ graded they certainly were, in the earliest years of white settlement, yet never so degraded as when the whites had firmly established their own houses over the ruins of Indian rancherias. If sentimentalists have gone to extremes in their judgment of the Indian character, so have those gone to extremes who look only to practical results. The whites found much to condemn in the Digger character, and they might have found, had they been so disposed, some few redeem¬ ing traits. One thing which operated strongly to keep the Indians of this coast under the influence of superstitious ignorance, and which at times precipi¬ tated difficulties and aggravated injuries, was the fact that there were no chiefs among them such as exist among the Cherokee or Sioux tribes. Certain wealthy Indians, owners of many horses, or successful hunters and fishers, were influential in their districts and exer-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
152
cised a kind of non-official authority over their tribes. But their authority was neither delegated from genera¬ tions of illustrious ancestors nor won by personal valor as warriors. was
It partook of a mercenary character, and
neither very binding nor very lasting.
The
majority of the Indians lived on fish, game, nuts and roots—and when the whites came to settle the country they saw their means of subsistence pass into hands made strong by the customs of civilized government. It was natural that disagreements should occur.
The
Indians were strongly attached to their homes, they soon imbibed the hereditary antipathy of the Indian race toward the whites, and they had no great chiefs, like the chiefs of many tribes of the East, to treat with the whites on important subjects. there were always
in
the
On the other hand
white settlements a few
lawless men who had left their abodes in “the States” for crimes against society, and they were continually stirring
up
hostility between
the
whites
and
the
Indians which every effort of the peaceably inclined could not subdue.
THE KLAMATH WAR.
153
CHAPTER VI. The Klamath War.
Tribes of the Klamath River.—Characteristics of the Indians.— Robert Walker’s ordeal.—A trial by fire.—Smoke and superstistition.—Col. McKee’s oration.—The ferry at Weitchpeck.— Ken-no-wah, Zeh-fip pah, Ma roo-kus and Kaw-tap-ish, four noted men.—Blackburn’s ferry.—Dangers menacing the whites.—Hos¬ tile Red Caps.—A general uprising.—Capt. Judah’s negotiations. —Union Volunteers.—Cel. Buchanan and his infirmness of pur¬ pose.—Capt. Judah relieved.—Contentions among the miners.— The mouth of the Salmon.—Capt. Buzelle and Capt. U. S. Grant.—Moreo and Cappell rancherias.—The month of March. —Confusion among the Volunteers.—Proposition of the Hoopas. —S. G. Whipple appointed Special Indian Agent.—Capt. Judah sent back to the Klamath.—Volunteer companies dismissed.— Klamath Reservation located.—End of the war. A mystery to early explorers was the Klamath River. Its long, tortuous course, leading away up in the lakes of Southern Oregon, was more than once crossed by the adventurous miner and supposed to be the Trin¬ ity or Salmon.
Its source was unknown after its mouth
had been discovered ; and some of those who discov¬ ered its mouth supposed that it was the Trinity. Gradu¬ ally, as the country to the North and South became better known, the Klamath attracted crowds of gold-
154
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
hunters, the identity of its tributaries was fixed in the public knowledge, and the Salmon and Trinity were assigned their true positions as feeders of the great stream.
The third river in magnitude on the coast of
California and Oregon, teeming with fish, and walled in by mountains alive with game, the Klamath was the home of many thousands of Indians, located on either side from the Oregon lakes to the ocean.
The Indians
of Humboldt Bay held intercourse with the Klamath tribes as far upas the Trinity, and their interests were intermingled in many ways ; therefore it is easy to un¬ derstand that whatever effected the interests of the lower or valley Indians was felt in many remote places by the upper or mountain Indians.
What was known
as the Klamath war, occurring in 1855, was the first serious trouble between any extensive body of Indians, and its origin may be traced indirectly to difficulties long past, local and personal in themselves, but convey¬ ing the hated intelligence to the mountain tribes that the whites were pushing their race to the wall.
They
had been, from the time of their first intercourse with the whites, extremely sensitive and jealous of any in¬ trusion upon their favorite hunting grounds.
Besides,
they were the most superstitious of all the tribes in the district, and as early as the spring of 1851 it was con¬ sidered necessary to keep a detachment of soldiers in the vicinity of Hoopa.
Suspicious and watchful, the
Indians aggravated real injuries and entertained imag¬ inary grievances. One mental characteristic of the Indians which made them peculiarly difficult to deal with, was an inability
THE KLAMATH WAR.
155
to distinguish between individuals and a tendency to generalize in considering the
most trivial subject.
Their tendency to generalize was strikingly exhibited in
the case of any injury sustained by themselves.
They were unable to distinguish between an individ¬ ual who had wronged or injured them and the commu¬ nity or race to which that individual belonged.
If a
white man killed one of their number, they were satis¬ fied if a white man was killed in return.
It mattered
not that the one who did the killing escaped.
“ Man
for man ” was their motto in war and peace.
An in¬
stance of their superstitious training is afforded by the experience of Robert Walker, a pioneer who located at Weitchpeck, on the Klamath, in thespringof 1851. He lived in a little log cabin on the bank of the river, just below its junction with the Trinity, in company with three other men.
It so happened that they had
been^ in their location but a short time when
Capt.
McMahon, commanding a detachment of troops, sur¬ rounded a small rancheria on the river bank and pro¬ ceeded to inflict a chastisement for some act of the Indians.
The rancheria being fired on by the troops,
the result was the death of an old squaw. Mahon then left with his company.
Capt. Mc¬
During the day
Walker and his three companions observed extraor¬ dinary activity among the Indians of the neighborhood. It was evidently about something which concerned themselves, for it was observed that they were gather¬ ing in large numbers near the cabin.
At ten o’clock
there were four hundred warriors in the vicinity, sta¬ tioned within call, and at that hour an old Indian who
156
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
appeared to be a leader approathed the cabin sur¬ rounded by a body-guard.
He entered and spoke to
Walker, saying that his people believed that the death of the squaw was brought about by the four white men in the cabin.
But his people would not kill the white
men if they were not guilty.
He would appeal to the
Mowema, the Great Spirit of his tribe, who would judge between the Indians and the white men.
If
Walker and his companions were guilty, he said, they must die; if not guilty, they should live.
High up
on the mountain there grew a kind of wood which was to be the instrument of their trial.
His men would
gather some of this wood; and then he would go up to
the place where the two rivers met, and on the
point of land fire.
between the waters he would build a
If the white men were guilty, the smoke would
come down and envelop the cabin; if they were inno¬ cent, the Great Spirit would cause the smoke to go the other
way.
Having
made
Indian was about to leave.
this
statement,
the
At this moment a happy
thought was suggested to Walker.
He
knew that
every day at noon during that season of the year a breeze was wafted up the river, regular in its duration and sufficiently strong to carry away from his cabin the smoke from any fire.
If he could keep the Indians
otherwise engaged until nearly noon, the smoke from their trial fire would go up the river on this breeze. With many questions and answers he engaged the time and attention of his visitors, and was rewarded by noting the minutes pass into hours till the sun was high in the heavens.
Then he let the Indians go, with
THE KLAMATH WAR.
157
the assurance of innocence and friendship, and with perfect confidence in the noon breeze as the personal representative of the Great Spirit.
The Indians had
procured the wood spoken of to the white men, and in a few minutes after the old leader had left the cabin a fire was built on the point of land between the two rivers.
Whatever mysterious incantations were per¬
formed by the “ medicine men ” of the tribe, and what¬ ever may have been their secret desire in regard to the matter, the noon breeze, sweeping up the Klamath, befriended and saved the whites.
The smoke soon
rose, and circled, and was carried away up the stream. So profound was the impression of the Indians, so im¬ plicit their faith in the efficacy of fire as a means of communication with the Great Spirit, that they lost no time in going back to the cabin and tendering their friendship to Walker and his companions.
The Great
Spirit had told them of the white men’s innocence, they said; they would be friends with them.
Walker
presented the spokesman with a lion’s skin, and in a week after the Indians returned with smoked salmon.
a present of
And ever after that occurrence the
Klamath Indians assumed a protectorate over the cabin of Walker, regarding him as a man whom the Great Spirit had recommended as a tried and true friend. Thus the superstition of the race was apparent in every act of their lives. Another characteristic of the Indians was their ina¬ bility to forget and forgive.
If one of their warriors
was killed, if one of their squaws was abused, if a rancheria was plundered, they never forgot or forgave.
INDIAN
i5«
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
The decree of vengeance once made by them was fixed and inexorable, and when bad white men imposed on them the good citizen was made to suffer equally with the
bad.
That the Indians
were
imposed
on and
cheated and abused in many instances was no fault of the
early settlers.
In nearly every case the guilty
white men were lawless outcasts, who had no homes to protect or character to lose.
Occasionally, too,
those who had authority from the Government to deal with the Indians would do so only to deceive them, On one occasion, in the fall of 1852, Colonel McKee, the Government’s first Indian Superintendent for Cali¬ fornia, went up the Klamath with a hundred mules loaded with presents for the Indians—beads, knives, handkerchiefs of bright colored stuff, and other articles of various descriptions and cheap cost that might satisfy the fancy of the men, women and children. Col. McKee, like nine out of ten employes of the In¬ dian Department, had little knowledge of the Indian character and less regard for the obligation of any agreement made with them.
He unloaded his mules
and distributed his presents, calling to his aid as in¬ terpreter the same Robert Walker whose life had been saved by the fortunate direction of a river breeze.
A
large number of Indians flocked to the camp of McKee, pleased with the presents he distributed and desirous of listening to his proposals for continued friendship and peace with the whites.
A day was set for the
making of a treaty which would be a lasting and effec¬ tual proof of the white man’s friendship.
The Indians
were present in larger numbers than before.
Then
THE KLAMATH WAR.
159
Col. McKee, with the pompous bearing of one high in authority, made a grandiloquent oration to the Indians, telling them
that the white men
were as many as
the leaves on the trees; that if they did not remain peaceable their rancherias would be destroyed, but if they remained quiet and inoffensive they should be protected in their lives and property.
He said in con¬
clusion that he wanted them to be good Indians until he could go to San Francisco and return, and when he returned, which was to be in so many moons, he would do more than he had done to prove the friendship of the Great Father at Washington.
Turning to Robert
Walker, he commanded him to interpret the speech to the red men.
It appears that Mr. Walker had estab¬
lished a ferry across the Klamath River, and in order to make it profitable it was necessary to have the co¬ operation and assistance of the Indians, especially in times of high water.
As when he conceived the idea
of detaining the Indians in his cabin until the noon breeze should carry the smoke from their trial fire up the river and away from his home, so now there came to him another happy suggestion.
He would
make Col.
turn.
McKee’s speech do a good
He
knew that the Indians would neither understand nor appreciate the address if literally translated, and he might in reality do Col. McKee a service by changing it to suit his own ideas.
Therefore he began his trans¬
lation by saying that the white men in San Francisco were more plentiful than the leaves on the trees, and ended by an assurance from Col. McKee of perpetual friendship, provided that the Indians should take care
160
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the Weitchpeck ferry until Col. McKee could go to San Francisco and return.
He would return in so
many moons, and during the time of his absence the Indians must do whatever he (Walker) should demand of them in the conducting and operating of the ferry. The interpreter having finished his translation, the Indians held a brief consultation and answered that they would accept the white man’s proposal.
Walker
reported to Col. McKee that his proposition was ac¬ cepted, and that the red men would be good Indians until he should return.
Col. McKee appeared to con¬
sider that his whole duty was not yet done, and imme¬ diately proceeded
to lay out a reservation, drawing
imaginary lines from Weitchpeck down the Klamath many miles, including a section of country which lies between the Hoopa and Klamath Reservations as at present located.
Having accomplished this, he packed
up his mules and rode away.
And that was the last
that was seen of Col. McKee.
The Indians kept their
part of the treaty—as it was translated to them by Robert Walker.
They faithfully observed their agree¬
ment to assist in operating the ferry, and were in fact ‘'good Indians” during the three or four months Col. McKee was to remain away.
But Col. McKee did
not return, the reservation he planned never assumed more tangible shape than so many lines on paper, and the Indians concluded that they had been wantonly deceived by him.
Particularly had they been disposed
to doubt the truth of the assertion that the white men were as numerous as the leaves on the trees: and they were now firmly of the opinion that Col. McKee lied
161
THE KLAMATH WAR.
to them, else he had not been afraid to return.
It
must be remembered that the Indians at that time had no correct ideas regarding the numerical strength or warlike power of the whites, for several years even en¬ tertaining the opinion that the strange visitors to their country might be all annihilated by concerted action of the native tribes. It might have been reasonably expected that imme¬ diately after it became apparent to the Indians that Col. McKee had broken his promise to them, and they were convinced that the treaty made with them was but a farce and a deceit, a general attack on the white settlements would have been begun. Such was not the case.
Among the Klamath Indians were four who ex¬
ercised
powerful
influence
and authority—Ken-no-
wah-i, known to the whites as “ Trinity Jim,” and Zeh-fip-pah, living on the upper Klamath; and Maroo-kus and Kaw-tap-ish, living on the lower Klamath. Since the first settlement of Northern California they had been firm friends of the white population, and by their exertions much property and many lives had been saved from destruction by their less friendly brethren. Many incipient difficulties had been adjusted or pre¬ vented by their intervention and assistance.
It was
owing to their efforts, more than to any other influ¬ ence, that a serious outbreak was not precipitated in 1852, and that there was actually a delay of over two years before any considerable number of hostile In¬ dians took the war-path. The trouble which had been brewing for so long a time could have no oth£r culmination than a struggle 11
162
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
for the possession of the Klamath River. The Indians were restless and uneasy, and occasionally would kill cattle found grazing on the hills.
Occasionally, too,
they would commit murder and rob and plunder.
In
1852 a horrible murder was committed on the Kla¬ math twelve miles below Weitchpeck, at a point called Blackburn’s Ferry. A trail had been cut through from Trinidad to this point, and a man named Blackburn had located a ferry there, together with a stopping place for travelers.
There was a little house built of
shakes, in which Blackburn and his wife lived ; and in front of it was a large canvas tent for the accommo¬ dation of
travelers.
One night, when there were five
men sleeping in the tent, and Blackburn and his wife in their house, the Indians made an attack. silent and barbarous.
It was
The five men in the tent slept
on the floor with their heads outward, touching the bottom of the canvas.
The Indians crept steathily
up and tomahawked them from the outside while they slept.
They then attacked the inmates of the house.
Blackburn was prepared for defense, and while his wife loaded one gun he fired another, thus keeping the Indians at bay until daylight appeared.
Up in
the mountains not far away there was a camp of eight white men, who, hearing the firing, went down to the ferry and drove off the Indians.
Blackburn and his
wife escaped without injury, but in connection with them there was a strange and sad incident.
Black¬
burn had been expecting his father to arrive from the East and had made preparations to receive him.
On
the morning after the attack on his house he went to
THE KLAMATH WAR.
63
a rancheria of supposed peaceable Indians, situated a few hundred yards above on a bench of the mountain, where he found the body of his father, who had been murdered there, almost within sight of the house of his son.
Whether the murderers were ever punished
cannot now be ascertained.
A volunteer company of
miners was raised and several rancherias were attacked and burned, and this was probably the extent of the punishment the Indians received. The years 1853 and 1854 passed without a general uprising on the Klamath, but every indication pointed to an approaching outbreak.
The Superintendent of
Indian Affairs for California paid no attention to the condition of the Indians of this section. an was stationed at Fort
Col. Buchan¬
Humboldt, near Eureka,
with a portion of the Fourth U. S.
Infantry, doing
nothing of special importance or advantage.
There
was no sub-agent in the district, nor were the Indians provided for in any way.
Their association with the
whites had been anything but beneficial
to
them;
traders and lawless characters sold them whisky and guns and ammunition; and contention among their tribes caused fighting between themselves. The
month
of January,
1855,
was a month
of
anxiety and suspense to the miners on the Klamath and Salmon rivers.
From many sources they received
information which led them to believe that a general outbreak among the Indians was about to occur.
So
great was the excitement and anxiety that the miners deserted their claims and congregated at the different trading posts, from
Gullion’s
Bar, on the
Salmon,
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
164
down to its mouth, and from Dillon’s Bar, on the Klamath, to Big Bar and the mouth of the Trinity. At each post the miners prepared to defend them¬ selves against the attacks of the savages.
It was de¬
termined to take from the Indian rancherias, wherever possible, such fire-arms and ammunition as could be found.
At some points the rancherias were visited
and the fire-arms taken.
At other points the Indians
obtained information of the intention of the whites, and their squaws and
children were sent into the
mountains with whatever fire-arms the warriors did not desire to carry with them. There
was another
danger
which
menaced
the
whites and was a constant source of alarm to them. It was the practice of certain unscrupulous traders to sell arms and ammunition to the Indians, as well as to
repair their guns.
The miners at Orleans Bar,
knowing how pregnant with danger to the whites was this practice, on the 6th of January held a public meeting and
pledged
themselves
could to stop the traffic. sons
thereafter
Indians should
to do what they
It was resolved that all per¬
detected
selling
be sentenced
to
fire-arms have
to
the
their heads
shaved, to receive twenty-five lashes, and afterwards to be driven from the camp.
It was also resolved to
make an immediate attempt to disarm the Indians in the vicinity of Orleans Bar.
In pursuance of the
last resolution the head men of the rancherias in the neighborhood
were
notified
that
non-compliance
would be visited with death to any Indian carrying weapons, and notice was given that all who refused to
THE KLAMATH WAR.
165
deliver up their arms would have until the 19th of January to surrender them.
The Orleans, Red Caps,
and a few other tribes, refused to part with their arms. Thus matters stood until the 19th of January, when a company of miners was organized for the purpose of destroying the rancheria of the Red Caps
On the
same day the company marched to the rancheria and demanded its surrender.
Their answer was a volley
of shot, which killed William Wheeler and Thomas O’Neil and wounded several others.
The death of
the two men demoralized the miners, who retreated to
Orleans, and immediately a messenger
was de¬
spatched to Col. Buchanan, commanding Fort Hum¬ boldt, asking
him
for assistance.
Col.
Buchanan
ordered Capt. Judah and 25 soldiers to the scene of the difficulty,
accompanied by Dr. Simpson of the
medical staff.
A party of mounted volunteers also
left the bay for Weitchpeck.
The road or trail to be
traveled was forty
length, over steep and
miles in
rough mountains and across rapid streams.
Before
they could reach the home of the Red Caps, other Indians on the Klamath would have ample time to prepare for war. While reinforcements were on the way to Orleans there were alarming indications in other places in the Klamath country.
The
Indians at Trinidad and on
Mad and Little rivers left their rancherias and went to the mountains.
On Redwood, Trinidad and the
Klamath a volunteer company from Trinidad attacked a party of Indians, killing two or three, including Charash, a notorious instigator of bad feeling.
Other
i66
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
skirmishes
and
conflicts
took
place,
the
Indians
robbing houses and killing cattle, and the whites pre¬ paring as best they could for a defense of their lives. Arms were scarce among the whites, and they were comparatively few in number.
The Indians were re¬
ported able to muster 3,500 warriors, at least half of them armed with guns and pistols. Hostilities developed rapidly at Orleans Bar. addition to Wheeler and
O’Neil, three
In
more were
placed in the list of the killed and two more among the wounded.
Two men, one named Dunham and
the other Proctor, were shot and killed while at work in their mining claim, a man named Smith was killed, and Messrs. Lamm and Johnson were wounded, all by the Red Cap Indians. In the latter part of January the detachment of soldiers under Capt. Judah camped at Weitchpeck and negotiations with the Indians were begun.
The
miners at first would not listen to any peace proposi¬ tions, assembling in large numbers, and announcing a
determination
to
commence
an
indiscriminate
massacre of all the Indians on the Klamath River and its tributaries. pacific course.
Capt. Judah insisted on a more
The Weitchpecks having surrendered
to him, he selected one or two of the most prominent warriors
from each rancheria to guide him to the
hostile Indians, those who had surrendered professing their anxiety to accompany the soldiers and prove their loyalty to the whites.
An event which added
strength to Capt. Judah’s position was the opportune arrival of a company
of mounted
volunteers
from
THE KLAMATH WAR.
167
Union, commanded by Captain F.
M. Woodward,
with Reason Wiley and F. M. Johnson as Lieutenants. The
pacific arrangements so
Weitchpeck were doomed to
nearly perfected at ignominious
failure.
Col. Buchanan, with an unfortunate infirmness of pur¬ pose which characterized his every movement,
had
no sooner ordered Capt. Judah to the Klamath than he ordered him back again.
Like the noted warrior
who marched his men up the hill and then marched them down, Col. Buchanan promulgated his orders and then
retracted them.
The recalling of Capt.
Judah put an end to all designs of peace, and pro¬ longed a reign of bloodshed which might have been prevented had he been
allowed to act on his own
judgment. In the meanwhile there was trouble up and down the Klamath.
At Orleans Bar the existing situation
of affairs and the prospects for the future were both deplorable.
Difficulties and contentions sprang up
among the miners.
The miners of Salmon River had
promptly answered the call of their brethren of the Klamath, and had come on the latter stream for the purpose of hunting from the mountains the hostile Indians.
But when they were informed that it was
intended to make a general attack on the tribes wher¬ ever found, hostile and peaceable alike, they con¬ demned the idea as the most atrocious folly.
Strife
between the miners themselves could not be otherwise than dangerous to their interests and advantageous to the Indians.
At the mouth of the Salmon the situa¬
tion was equally bad.
On the 24th day of January
9
168
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Capt. Buzelle arrived there with a company of volun¬ teers just in time to prevent a general massacre of the peaceable Indians by the Klamath miners.
Several
rancherias or tribes had surrendered to Capt. U. S Grant—an officer who afterwards distinguished him¬ self in the War of the Rebellion and became President of the United States—who was then stationed at the mouth of the Salmon, and at the request of Capt. Buzelle he delivered them to the Volunteers for pro¬ tection. Partly through the efforts of Capt. Judah, and partly through the protest of the Salmon River miners, the Klamath miners were prevented from inaugurating a wholesale massacre of the friendly Indians along the river, and in consequence the hostilities were confined to
the
Red
Cap tribe.
Mr. Roseborough, Indian
Agent at Fort Jones, arrived at Orleans Bar during the first week of
February, and
recommended
the
organization of four companies of Volunteers for the purpose of subduing the
hostile
Red Caps.
The
recommendation was favorably received by the miners, and Captains Flowers and Luffkin proceeded to organ¬ ize the companies, trusting that the State would reim¬ burse the men for the loss sustained by their services in the field. On the 4th of February Capt. F. M. Woodward, in company with five other white men, and guided by two Weitchpeck Moreo rancherias
Indians, went to the Capped and on
a tour of
inspection.
The
Indians there informed Capt. Woodward that a number of Red Caps were concealed near by, and offered to
1 HE KLAMATH WAR.
169
guide the whites to their hiding-place.
The two
Weitchpeck guides refused to accompany them, and said they meant the whites wrong; but Capt. Wood¬ ward, to test their loyalty, went with them.
After
taking him and his men a circuitous route, they led them into an ambush of hostiles, who opened fire on the party.
The shots did no injury.
Capt. Woodward
shot the guide in front of him, and one of his men killed an Indian in ambush, when the remainder fled. Darkness having come on, the fleeing Indians could not be followed.
The scouting party returned to
camp that night, and on the next day a portion of the Union Volunteer Company was collected, which, with Capt. Chesley Woodward’s company from
Salmon
River, went again to the Cappell and Moreo rancherias.
The two companies each attacked a rancheria.
Capt. F. M. Woodward’s party killed twenty warriors and took eighteen prisoners.
Capt. Chesley Wood¬
ward’s party killed six warriors and took five prison¬ ers.
The hostiles at the Cappell rancheria made a
considerable resistance, wounding Lieut. John Hughes in the arm. When the news of the Cappell and Moreo affair reached Union and doubt that imminent,
an
Eureka there was no longer a
Indian
war of undue severity was
if not already
begun.
The
merchants,
with the utmost liberality, opened their stores to the Volunteers, and sent long trains of
mules to
Klamath with provisions for their support.
the
And still
another step was taken which was expected to result in some relief from the heavy burdens imposed on the
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
170
community by the conduct of the
war.
Reliable
information of the situation of affairs was forwarded to the Executive of the State Government, and petitions for relief and assistance.
Nothing was expected of the
Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California.
He
had shown himself utterly i ndifferent to the necessities of the district, and had
taken no
action
whatever
towards providing troops to protect the settlements. Time passed on, and every day the situation on the Klamath was more deplorable.
Mining ceased to re¬
ward labor, for the miners were afraid to work; trad¬ ers sold no goods, for the trails to Union and Trin¬ idad could not be traveled except under the protection and expense of armed guards; the friendship of the peaceful Indians was not secure, for bad white men betrayed confidence and did wanton injury.
While
Captain Judah was on the Klamath he met with much opposition from
a certain class who advocated the
total extermination of all the Indians in that section, irrespective of location or peaceable disposition, and it was with great trouble and vexation that he managed to compromise matters by an agreement that Indians who would give up their arms and remain in their rancherias were to be protected in their lives and prop¬ erty.
All the miners on the river, with the exception
of less than one dozen, pledged themselves to abide by the agreement with the friendly Indians. Captain
Judah
returned
to
Fort
Humboldt,
After and
while the Volunteers were marching against the Cappel and Moreo rancherias, the few malcontents attacked a rancheria of friendly Indians and set fire to their
THE KLAMATH WAR.
171
effects—either with the desire of provoking them to join the hostile Red Caps, or through a cowardly dis¬ position to make mischief—causing a feeling among the friendly Indians that the whites did not intend to keep their pledges.
As if to aggravate the disorders
created by lawless acts of violence, miners and others on New River sold fire-arms
and ammunition to the
Indians in large quantities.
The distance from the
Klamath to New River was less than a day’s journey, the Indians of each river passed and repassed, and selling arms to the New River Indians was equivalent to selling to the Klamath Indians. March came, with its snow, and rain, and floods.
It
brought with it, also, the disheartening conviction that the people of the Klamath had nothing to hope for, in the form of aid, either from the Governor of the State, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, or the officer in command of the Military District of the Pacific Coast. All of these officials had been informed in January that a state of war existed on the Klamath, and all had ignored the appeals made to them for aid.
Col.
Buchanan did not replace Capt. J udah’s command when he
recalled him, and the absence of an authorized
official of the State or National Government resulted in confusion and anarchy.
There being no one with
authority to direct affairs, every officer and private in the five Companies of Volunteers who were in the field against the Indians had a voice in the management of the campaign, and as a natural consequence there was neither harmony nor concert of action between the citi¬ zens and Volunteers.
Jealousies and petty rivalries
172
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
interfered with
duty.
The Volunteers
were even
urged to disband, as there was apparently no prospect of their expenses being paid by the State.
Such was
the situation on the 1st of March. Some desultory fighting had occurred from time to time, and an occasional murder of lonely miners, but the Volunteers were inclined, for various reasons, to remain in camp or disband their organization.
An
unfortunate occurrence in connection with the Hoopa Indians may have had some influence in creating dis¬ content among the Companies.
The Hoopa Valley
Indians sent a delegation from their tribe to the lower Klamath and made a proposition to the whites, Rob¬ ert Walker acting as interpreter.
They proposed to
come down and assist the whites in capturing the hos¬ tile Red Caps, provided the whites would assure them protection to their own property during their absence. The Weitchpecks and other tribes also agreed to co¬ operate with the Hoopas.
The whites told the Indians
from Hoopa to return home and at the proper time they would be sent for.
A written proposition was
then presented to all the Captains of Volunteer Com¬ panies, except Capt. Chesley Woodward, who had gone to Union for provisions.
The propositions submitted
to the Captains stated that the friendly Indians on the Klamath River and in the vicinity had voluntarily of¬ fered to assist in killing or capturing the hostile Red Caps, under the direction and with the co-operation of the whites, and it was therefore proposed
that the
Captains join in the plan and give the friendly Indians an opportunity to show their sincerity in the proposi-
THE KLAMATH WAR.
tion they had made.
173
It was further proposed that the
whites all along the river agree and pledge themselves not to molgst or attack the Indians remaining on the river, or suffer them
to
be attacked, until the plan
agreed upon should be fully tried.
In case the plan
should not succeed, the agreement was to be that no change of plan would be considered or attack made without first having a consultation as to what was best to be done, in order that the whites might work to¬ gether to a common end.
The great necessity for co¬
operation, it was stated, was the imperative reason for making the proposed agreement.
The various Cap¬
tains on the river willingly consented to the agreement, and runners were sent above and below to inform the other tribes of the proposition made by the Hoopas. The Indians to whom runners were sent were willing to co-operate with the Hoopas.
The Captains, in the
meantime, had sent a runner to the Hoopa for the In¬ dians who had volunteered their services.
The runner
returned without them, conveying the information that the Indians wanted to come, but the whites of Hoopa had prevented them from doing so by telling them that if they left Hoopa they should never return to their homes again.
So
much of the plan, and the
most important part, therefore, had failed at the begin¬ ning,
When Capt. Chesley Woodward returned from
Union the proposition was presented to him and re¬ jected.
He gave as his reason for rejecting the prop¬
osition, that he desired to remain inactive until the re¬ turn of Mr. Roseborough, the Indian Agent, from San Francisco. The remainder of the Volunteer Companies
i74
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
also decided to remain inactive and wait for a turn in the tide of affairs, and Captain Young, who had gone down the river and brought up many Indian allies for the service, could do no more than tell them to go back and take care of themselves.
The Indians could not
understand such proceedings and were much disap¬ pointed. Another month passed, and to the great encourage¬ ment of the miners the first of April found affairs in a more promising condition.
The first news of an en¬
couraging nature was that S. G. Whipple had been appointed Special
Indian
Agent
for
Klamath
and
Humboldt counties, to begin the discharge of his duties immediately after appointment.
Next came the news
that Mr. Whipple had entered energetically upon his work, and that he was in favor of having Capt. Judah sent back to the Klamath.
Both of these morsels of
good news proved to be correct. of Indian Affairs for
The Superintendent
California had appointed Mr.
Whipple Special Indian Agent, and the latter gentle¬ man induced the officer in command at Fort Hum¬ boldt to order Capt. Judah to the Klamath. The first thing Capt. Judah did when he reached the Klamath
was to dismiss the
from the service.
Volunteer
Companies
They were inactive, divided in sen¬
timent, and jealous of one another; therefore thg best thing that could be done for them was to dismiss them. The next thing Capt. Judah did was to send runners down the river with the intelligence that a “ big talk” would be held on the 7th of April, and an invitation to all friendly Indians to attend.
At the
appointed
THE KLAMATH WAR.
175
time the friendly tribes assembled from all the rancherias on the lower Klamath. and solemn.
The council was long
Capt. Judah’s very presence inspired the
Indians with confidence.
He had an air about him
which made them believe in his. sincerity.
When he
told them that all would be well with them if they would put to death the Indians who had murdered white men and surrender the other hostiles, they gave a ready promise to do as he required. After the council of the 7th of April Capt. Judah’s command of 30 men were constantly out on scouts in the country where the Red Caps were hidden.
The
hostiles had been reduced to less than 50 in number, and were daily losing courage.
Within
two weeks
sixteen warriors of the tribe surrendered and one was killed.
From his camp at the mouth of the Salmon
Capt. Judah was able to hold rapid communication with
the tribes on the lower river, and to keep in
check any symptoms of disaffection that might appear among
them.
Undoubtedly
the
difficulties would
have been settled by the first of May had not the military authorities at
headquarters followed out their usual
eccentric course. report at
Capt. Judah was again ordered to
headquarters
and
his
command
Klamath was given to Capt. Jones.
on
the
The change, made
at the most inopportune time, prolonged hostilities a full month. Special Agent Whipple and Capt. Jones decided to inaugurate the Reservation system on the Klamath, as the most practicable way to end existing hostilities and to prevent trouble in the future.
They selected a
176
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
strip of country running up the river from its mouth twenty miles, and extending in width one mile on either bank, and this location was afterwards approved by the National Government, and is now known as the Klamath Reservation. Active measures were taken to persuade or compel the hostile Red Caps to sur¬ render and locate on the Reservation, and on the first of June the military and miners could announce with confidence that the war was ended. The Indians, worn out by a fruitless contest with the whites, were glad to accept the easy fate of life on a Reservation. The miners, after five months of danger and idleness, were rejoiced when the return of peace made work on the river bars possible and profitable.
EEL RIVER VALLEY.
177
CHAPTER VII. Eel River Valley.
A Retarded Section.—Two Score of Settlers.—The Price of safe¬ ty.—Difficulties of Pioneer Life.—Murder of Arthur Wigmore. —Col. Buchanan’s Opinion.—“ A Slave to Discipline.” From the time of its exploration by the pioneer party that came down from the Trinity in 1849, until the Spring of. 1854, that section of Humboldt county comprising
Eel River Valley was comparatively un¬
known to the whites. The mines of the Klamath had attracted thousands, whose sole idea was to dig for gold.
The wealth of soil spread out on the alluvial
bottoms of Eel River remained unnoticed and un¬ sought.
There were other reasons, too, why the pop¬
ulous settlement of the valley was delayed.
Markets
at Eureka or Union could be reached only by rough roads and
trails, or by costly boating on tide-water
sloughs; the lonely farmer was afraid to leave his lit¬ tle clearing long exposed to the depredations of Jndians and wild beasts; and the work of clearing and fencing and building occupied so much of his time that a large crop of any one thing was utterly imprac¬ ticable. 12
From
the
mouth of the Van Duzen to the
178
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ocean, and
from
the bay to the mountains on the
South, there was not to exceed two score of settlers who were actually attempting to convert the wilder¬ ness into homes.
Some of them were in isolated posi¬
tions, all of them so far from neighbors that a united defense against a common danger would impossible.
have
been
A man’s house was more truly his castle
here than ever in mediaeval times.
Unceasing watch¬
fulness and untiring energy were the price of safety. The rich soil yielded an abundance of vegetable food, the deer and the elk provided any quantity of meat. Pure water gushed from
every canon in the
hills.
There was no danger of starving. But aside from food and drink the pioneer farmer had nothing to reward the labor of his life.
There were none of the social
enjoyments to which he had been accustomed in the East, to cheer him in his contest with the wilderness by day; none of that sense of security impressed by civilized customs and laws to attend night.
his dreams by
To thoroughly appreciate the extent of his la¬
bor and the difficulty of his position, we must consider the stern facts of his life as ever present in wakeful¬ ness or sleep. It would have been strange indeed if the settlers on Eel River should have been unmolested by the In¬ dians.
They had little to tempt the appetite or cu¬
pidity of the savages, but there was tween
the two races
bad feeling be¬
here, as there was everywhere.
The Indians, jealous of the encroaching power of the whites, exhibited their feeling at intervals
by raids
on unprotected houses, or the murder of defenseless
EEL RIVER VALLEY.
settlers.
1/9
In September, 1854, occurred the murder of
Arthur Wigmore, a settler from Missouri, who lived near what was called banks of Eel River.
the
Lower
Rancheria, on the
Prior to Sunday, the 17th day of
September, the house of a Mr. Hawks had been robbed, and on that day Wigmore and
three other citizens
went to the rancheria and attempted to arrest an
In¬
dian who was believed to have been one of the rob¬ bers. made.
The Indians resisted, and On
Monday, the
18th,
the arrest was not Wigmore
returned
alone to the rancheria, after some article he had left there the day before.
On Tuesday a party went in
search of him, and on Wednesday they found his dead body, which had been thrown into a slough.
A party
of citizens made an examination of the body and the rancheria, and accused an Indian called Billy of hav¬ ing committed the murder. Upon the accusation being made known, the Indians of the rancheria fled to the mountains. The murder of Wigmore created a profound sensa¬ tion in Eureka and throughout Southern Humboldt. On Thursday, September 21st, the citizens of Eureka held a meeting, passed resolutions, and pledged them¬ selves to co-operate with the citizens of the valley in their efforts to arrest the murderer or punish the tribe, and on the 2 2d a party went from Eureka in pursuit of the Indians.
A party also went from Eel River,
enlisting in their service a small friendly tribe. two days the
In
Indians who had gone out returned,
bringing with them the head of an Indian, which, they said, had formerly been on the shoulders of Billy.
To
i8o
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
substantiate this statement, they produced a pistol which had been in the possession of Wigmore and which was recognized by one of his neighbors. the
time
when
the
murder
was committed,
At Col.
Buchanan, commanding the 4th Infantry at Fort Hum¬ boldt, was absent.
When he returned a few days lat¬
er, he sent Capt. Judah with a detachment of soldiers in search of any Indians who might have been im¬ plicated in the murder.
Capt. Judah took with him
two citizens and a number of friendly Indians.
After
a pursuit of nine days, marching over mountains and through dense chapparal, the detachment discovered a camp of a hundred savages, who were having a feast, and surrounded and surprised them.
Two Indians at
once confessed the killing of Wigmore, averring that they had provocation and were justified in putting him to death.
Capt. Judah went back to Fort Humboldt
with his detachment and delivered his two prisoners to
Col. Buchanan.
That officer announced that he
would hold the prisoners only until the civil authorities should demand them by requisition.
Now began one
of the frequent and injurious conflicts of opinion be¬ tween the civil and military authorities which some¬ times defeated justice and always brought it into con¬ tempt.
Col.
Buchanan contended that the military
had no authority to punish the Indians for the murder of a citizen, even after confession of guilt; the civil authorities intimated that Col. Buchanan was a “ slave to discipline,” and insisted that it was not their place to give trial to an Indian who had been captured and detained by the military.
The result of the contro-
EEL RIVER VALLEY.
181
versy was, by orders from the military headquarters, that the two Indians were discharged from custody at Fort Humboldt and escaped to their tribe. Unfortunate as every controversy between the citi¬ zens and the military was sure to be, the result of the difficulty concerning the Wigmore murder proved peculiarly so.
The
Indians,
emboldened
by a too
evident lack of unanimity among the whites, and imagining that others of their number might escape as easily as had
the
Wigmore
murderers, assumed a
threatening and dangerous attitude towards the settle¬ ments in the valley, robbing houses, killing stock, and murdering citizens.
The evil effects of the Wigmore
affair were experienced by the whites long after the murder itself had ceased to be a subject of comment and reminiscence.
182
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER VIII.
A Pioneer Family—Cooper’s Mills.
Five brothers from the British Provinces.—Their settlement in Eel River Valley.—Their farms and mills.—Incidents of life in a new country.—Tragic fate of David and Adolphus Cooper.—William, George and John Cooper.—Strange fortunes and strange deaths. —Alfred Delaseaux.—A chapter of sad events.
Less than three miles from the town of Hydesville is the scene of one of the strangest chapters of pio¬ neer history ever developed on the Northern coast. Flowing into Eel River from the Northeast is a small stream named Yager Creek, and along its banks is now a flourishing country of fine farms.
In the year
1851 five brothers named Cooper—John W., George, Adolphus, David and William—settled, together here and located farms and a water-mill site. The Cooper family, consisting of Captain William Cooper, his wife, six sons, three daughters, a son-inlaw and daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, arrived in San Francisco in July, 1850.
They came from the
British province of Prince Edward’s Island, in their own vessel, the Packet, bringing
with them house¬
building material, furniture, agricultural implements
A PIONEER FAMILV^COOPER’S MILLS.
183
and seed, and two years’provisions and supplies, expect¬ ing and intending to take up Government land on some of the navigable rivers where they could move the vessel and live on board until they had established homes on shore.
But as all the land of the country appeared to
be claimed under Spanish or Mexican grants and held at very high rates, and foreign built vessels not being allowed to move about in American waters without the expense of a Custom House officer on board, the orig¬ inal idea was abandoned, the vessel was sold, and the family decided to settle in San Francisco. The autumn and fall of
1850 were very sickly in
San Francisco, and seven members of the family, in¬ cluding all of the married women, fell victims to the various prevailing diseases.
This great mortality and
misfortune frightened the survivors away from that city, and the family separated, going to different por¬ tions of the State, with the understanding that they would meet together again wherever the most suitable place was found for making homes on Government lands and following their accustomed pursuits.
One brother
came to Humboldt in February or March, 1851.
His
representations of the country brought another brother and
the youngest
sister (now
Mrs.
Beckweth
of
Hydesville), with provisions and supplies, including agricultural implements and seed.
A settlement was
made that Spring, and a crop put in on two places near Hydesville and Rohnerville, in the Eel River country. During the following fall the and remaining sister (now
three other brothers
Mrs. Walter Van Dyke
of Oakland), arrived and settled near the other broth¬ ers.
184
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Coming from a British province, where the Indian was protected and treated under the law the same as the white man, the family brought those ideas; but as they understood that the natives of Humboldt were a very inferior class, and were not to be trusted, they concluded not to encourage them about, and to have as little as possible to do with them.
The youngest
sister, thirteen years of age, was the first member of the family brought into contact with them.
On their
way from the tide-water landing to their new home, in the spring of 1851, she was left alone with the baggage and supplies during the temporary absence of her brother.
Some Indians who were roaming about the
country, seeing no one but a child, approached and seemed very anxious to examine the baggage.
The
girl took her brother’s pistols and by her firmness and bravery prevented them from touching anything until he returned. Some time during the summer of 1851 a young Indian was caught who had robbed a settler’s cabin. A meeting of settlers was held to decide what was best to be done with him.
Several wanted to hang
him, but through the intervention of
the
Cooper
brothers and a few others he was saved from hanging and a flogging was substituted.
The ingratitude of
the Indian character is illustrated by the fact that one of the brothers and two of the other settlers (a Mr. McDermitt and Mr. Merrill) who advocated mercy to the culprit were among the first to fall victims to the murderous hands of his tribe. When the remainder of the family arrived, during
A PIONEER FAMILY
COOPER’S MILLS.
185
the fall of 1851, they all lived together at one hon^ for company and mutual protection.
Some time in
February or March, 1852, Mr. McDermitt and Merrill were killed and their home plundered.
Mr. The
two men lived together, but were isolated by being on a little prairie between the confluence of the Van Duzen and Eel rivers, being
separated from other set¬
tlers by the two rivers, and situated about two miles from the Cooper Farm.
The Cooper brothers assisted
in finding the bodies, which were hidden in a lake among the bushes, and buried them.
The boldness
of the act, and the awful manner in which the bodies were mangled, being literally cut to pieces with axes, struck terror to the hearts* of the settlers.
For a long
time both sisters, as well as the Cooper brothers, kept fire-arms under their pillows and ready for use at a moment’s notice.
by their bedside, During this ex¬
citement they were awakened one morning at break of day by the* excited barking of their dog.
The fam¬
ily instantly slipped softly out of their beds and seized their weapons.
One brother cautiously opened the
door, while another, with rifle to shoulder, was by his side near the door.
In a moment the crack of his
rifle announced that some danger was lurking outside. Upon opening the door they saw a dead wolf instead of an Indian.
The animal had been attracted by some
fresh meat hanging against the side of the house.
As
there were only twenty-three settlers in all the Eel River country then, and several hundred Indians, the situation of the whites was anything but pleasant. The Indians were notified that if they did not de-
186
INDIAN WA$S OF THE NORTHWEST.
liver up
the murderers of
McDermitt and
Merrill
within a certain time they would all be held responsi¬ ble.
No attention being paid to the notification, the
citizens turned out en masse and killed all the male Indians they could find in that section of the country. A few weeks afterwards two or three Indians told the settlers that they knew where the guilty parties were and offered to guide the whites to them.
An agree¬
ment was made to meet them late in the evening, in a little prairie.
Fifteen settlers started, and upon com¬
ing to the place of meeting, thirty or forty Indians, fully equipped for war, came out of the bush.
The
whites, fearing treachery, disarmed them, and placed their bows and quivers in charge of the settlers left to guard the riding animals.
The remainder, with the
Indians, started out on foot.
After traveling nearly
all night a halt was called by the Indians, and it was seen that the party was close to.a rancheria.
A plan
of attack was agreed upon, and as soon as daylight enabled
the attack was made.
Many Indians were
killed, and much plunder discovered, which proved that the Indian scouts were faithful in one instance. In fact, they proved more anxious to punish the guilty parties than
were
the whites, for they hunted the
wounded and knocked their brains out with rocks. After this
expedition
the settlers felt relieved, and
their fears were somewhat abated. Having considerable means, the Cooper family con¬ tributed liberally towards opening up thq first roads and trails in that section of the country.
During the
early part of the summer of 1852 ten of the settlers
A PIONEER FAMILY-COOPER’S MILLS.
187
joined the five brothers, and at considerable expense built a trail to the Hay Fork of the Trinity River, so as to connect Eel River with the Sacramento Valley, the primary object being to bring emigrant cattle across the mountains to stock their farms with, as none were to be had nearer than
the
Sacramento.
And it was ultimately owing to the enterprise of the Coopers that the few settlers in the neighborhood ob¬ tained lumber and flour in exchange for their produce. The five brothers were constantly in danger from the Indians during the first year of their settlement, but by hard work they soon began to make a considerable showing with their farm.
They established the first
dairy in the valley, and sold their butter in the Trinity mines for one dollar a pound.
They killed the first
pork, packed it to Eureka, and sold it for fifty cents a pound.
By their enterprise and courage they gained
a reputation on the bay which attracted settlers to the valley, and in the winter of 1851-52 there were twen¬ ty-three settlers from Yager Creek to the mouth of Eel River. The .trail having been opened from Eel River to the Sacramento Valley, in the autumn the five brothers decided that one of their number should go to Sacra¬ mento after cattle with which to stock their farms. William was selected to make the journey, which he accomplished without incident worthy of note.
At
Sacramento he made his purchases, drove the cattle up through the Sacramento Valley into Shasta, and from thence across the mountains into Trinity county, where he made a camp on the Hay Fork of the Trin-
188
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ity River.
On the trip to the Trinity from Shasta an
animal had fallen on him and injured one of his legs seriously.
He knew that he would not be able alone
to drive the cattle down
to Eel River Valley.
He
therefore remained at the house of Dr. Weed, at the Hay Fork of Trinity, and sent a messenger to his elder brother at home, John W. Cooper, asking for assistance to be sent to him.
John W. Cooper received the mes¬
sage and made arrangements to send assistance.
He
had intended to send Adolphus Cooper and a hired man, but the younger brother David importuned him so that he consented to let him go instead of the hired man.
The two were well supplied with fire-arms, bed¬
ding, extra clothing, provisions, and money with which to pay expenses.
The elder brother was anxious for
them to stay at home another day, when they might have company on their journey, but one of them, who had had much experience with the Indians, thought there was no danger, and so they went by themselves. A week should have sufficed for the trip to the Hay Fork of Trinity and return.
S,even, eight, ten days
passed, and the brothers did not return, nor were any tidings received from them.
The
elder brother at
home grew anxious for their safety.
He inquired dili¬
gently of travelers and of roving Indians, but no tidings of the whereabouts of his brothers could be gained. No one had seen them or heard
of
them.
Two
weeks passed, when an immigrant, arriving one day, exhibited a hat which he said he had picked up on the trail near a bunch of willows and which was recognized as one that had belonged to David Cooper.
189
A PIONEER FAMILY—COOPER’S MILLS.
Alarmed at this unexpected news, and fearful of some calamity having
befallen
the two,
George Cooper
headed a relief party of seven men, and started out over the trail they had taken. bad weather.
The party experienced
Rain fell incessantly and the mountain
brooks were swollen to impassable streams.
Fighting
their way through it all, they came to the place de¬ scribed by the immigrant.
There they found the spot
where the two brothers had camped on the first night out from home, on the head of Little Yager Creek, not more than twenty-two miles from Eel River, and after a careful search they discovered the remains of David Cooper in a pile of drift-wood some distance below the camp.
The body had been half eaten by wolves, but
the features were
still distinguishable.
The search
for the body of the other brother, both having unmistakeably been killed by Indians, was continued vigor¬ ously, but with no avail.
While
thus engaged the
party saw two Indian warriors coming along the trail, and, as a horrible reminder of the dark deed which had transpired here, one of the Indians sported a rubber cloak that one of the brothers had worn, and the other wore two or three articles of clothing which had been taken from the bodies of the victims.
Quickly secret¬
ing themselves, the party of white men waited until the two Indians got close beside them, and then their rifles blazed forth vengeance for a foul murder.
Carry¬
ing the remains of David Cooper the party returned sadly to the home the two young men had left in the hope and vigor of their youth.
And so ended
lives of two of the five brothers.
the
190
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
William Cooper waited at the Hay Fork of Trinity until his patience was exhausted, and thinking that his family did not receive his message, or by some means had been pfevented from sending him assistance, he abandoned the cattle and arrived safely at home, where he learned of the sad fate of his brothers.
One year
afterwards, his own death occurred, in a manner which would prove to many minds that Fate was working out in a most mysterious way some foreordained ending to this Cooper family.
A superstitious idea, certainly,
but one which must inevitably occur to those who contemplate seriously the strange fortunes of these brothers. After the search party returned, and while William Cooper was on his way home without the cattle, George Cooperand another man started to Hay Fork by way of Union
and
George found
Weaverville.
Arriving at Hay Fork,
the country covered with snow, his
brother gone, some of the cattle dead and the remain¬ der starving.
He gathered what he could as quickly
as possible, and succeeded, after much difficulty, in getting the strongest back to the Sacramento Valley. In 1853 the need of stock was again severely felt at the Cooper farm. William volunteered, as before, to go to the Sacramento Valley and drive cattle across the mountains.
John being the eldest of the brothers, the
management of their affairs naturally fell to him, and he was always expected to remain at home. too, was needed on the farm.
George,
The duty was impera¬
tive upon William that he again make the long and difficult journey to the Sacramento Valley.
His out-
A PIONEER FAMILY-COOPER’S MILLS.
I9I
ward trip was made in safety, as before, and as before he passed up through Shasta and across the mountains to the Hay Fork of Trinity.
When near that place
the injury he had received there a year pfevious, and which had never entirely healed, pained him exceed¬ ingly.
The hurt was aggravated by the severe hard¬
ships of travel, and he knew that it would be impossible for him to proceed much further without rest, so pain¬ ful were his injuries and so exhausted his strength. At this juncture, having arrived at the Hay Fork, he thought of applying at the house of Dr. Weed, where he had lodged on his former trip, for accommodations during the time required to renew his strength suffi¬ ciently to reach home.
Again extending the hospital¬
ity of a pioneer, Dr. Weed made the traveler welcome, and again did William Cooper rest in his house. never left it alive.
He
Weakened by exposure to the ele¬
ments, sick from the hurt received on a similar journey one year before, far from home, under the same strange roof which had
sheltered
him
then, he died.
Dr.
Weed, a man of kind nature and generous impulses, gathered his cattle and drove them down to the Coop¬ er ranch. Two of the five brothers now remained to face the future.
They were not men to be cast down by mis¬
fortune. Men they were of sturdy natures—men whose ancestral tree, it may be, was rooted deep in the stern courage of generations of pioneers.
During the sea¬
son of 1854-55 John and George Cooper built a flour¬ ing mill and a saw-mill, for many years afterwards known to the country round about as Cooper’s Mills.
192
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
As death reduced the number of the family those who remained were bound more firmly together, each suc¬ ceeding loss seeming greater than
the one before.
The two broftiers now remaining soon determined to confine themselves
to farming and dairying, which
they had already commenced, and which had proved reasonably profitable.
But as the family in the first
instance had located a mill-site, and the settlers had now begun to raise some grain, they were urged to build a mill sooner than was at first intended, and af¬ ter a grist-mill had been started, a saw-mill was added. These mills were built at great expense, requiring the digging of more than a mile of ditches in order to control the water-power.
It was an enormous under¬
taking in view of the facts that laboring men were paid from $5 to $9 a day and board, that the cost of machinery and freight was immense, and that the mills were built far in advance of any profitable demand for products.
Situated on the outskirts of the settlements,
in the edge of the dense redwood forests, the property became an easy and tempting prey to the depredating Indians, who commenced by plundering the mill in the absence of the brothers.
Notwithstanding their
great cost the mills would have been excellent proper¬ ty if there had been no trouble with the Indians. mills were started in the winter of
The
1854-55, on a
small stream, which at first enabled them to run only during the rainy season, the construction of a large ditch afterwards bringing water sufficient to turn the wheel at all seasons of the year. In March, 1855, John W. Cooper and James Nelson
A PIONEER FAMILY-COOPER^ MILLS.
193
were at work making butter boxes for packing to the Trinity.
Late in the afternoon Cooper went out to
gather up the cows for milking.
Close ^o the mill a
large tree had fallen, the path being between the mill and the tree.
He had crossed a little bridge and passed
the stump of the tree without a suspicion of danger. When he reached the other end of the trunk he saw a number of Indians crouched among the branches.
He
turned and ran, the mill on one side, the bridge on the other, and as he passed again the stump of the tree an Indian who was hid behind it shot an arrow at him.
He felt a stinging sensation and saw that the
arrow had wounded one of his fingers.
Calling to
Nelson to save himself, as he went by the shop, Cooper continued his flight.
Nelson was not far behind, and
as long as the two men could see arrows falling in front of them they never stopped for an instant.
Reaching
a safe place, the Indians having given up the pursuit, Cooper found that he had been struck by an arrow in one of the fingers of the right hand, and Nelson found two arrow holes through his clothing under the right arm.
This experience is related to show the constant
danger to which the brothers were subjected in their endeavor to establish a permanent and profitable bus¬ iness.
The mills were built in spite of difficulties, and
John and George Cooper sawed the first lumber and ground the first flour manufactured in the county South of Eureka.
Eleven hundred bushels of wheat were
ground during the first year, and the saw-mill, having a capacity of only 3000 feet per day, turned out suf¬ ficient lumber to supply the needs of the settlers in 13
194
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the upper part of the Valley.
From this mill came
the lumber to build the first house in the town of Hydesville.
One John Hyde, desirous of handing his
name down to posterity in a substantial way, gave it to the village, along with a piece of land for a town-site, and Cooper’s Mills furnished the planks and boards wherewith to construct in material form the idea of his ambition. Security was never long enjoyed.
As the Indians
were crowded from the coast settlements they went into the Bald Hills country, on the East side of the tim¬ ber belt.
When the stock men settled there the In¬
dians had no country, and had to take shelter in the timbered part and raid on the settlers of both sides for a living.
As they obtained arms and a knowledge of
their use they became more and more daring, till late in July, 1861, they shot and killed the fourth brother, George Cooper, in the day time, while he and a hired man were running the saw-mill, his family and the hired man narrowly escaping with their lives.
Two
men were sufficient to run the saw-mill, and when it was running the grist-mill would be idle.
George
Cooper and family, a wife and one child, lived in a house near the mills.
John Cooper lived on one of
the farms, situated on an upland some distance from the mills.
Two men who worked on the farm, in ad¬
dition to George and the saw-mill hand, usually slept in the latter’s house, making four men the effective force to guard against a night attack.
On the morn¬
ing of the 23d of July, 1861, two of the four men in the house went to the upper farm to work, and George
A PIONEER FAMILY
COOPER’S MILLS.
195
‘Cooper and Robert Tinkle started the mill for the usual day’s run.
The two men stood facing the saw,
talking about some matter connected with their work, when several guns were fired from behind a tree forty yards from the mills. lets. times.
Cooper fell, struck by two bul¬
Tinkle ran and escaped, though fired at several The wife of George Cooper, living in the house
near by, heard the firing, and looking out of the win¬ dow she saw the Indians robbing the mill.
Taking
her three months’ old baby in her arms she fled from the house and reached John Cooper’s residence on the upper farm, a mile distant. One of the five brothers was now left to face the future.
The subsequent history of the mills was but
a continuation of the misfortunes which had attended them from the first.
As the mills were custom mills,
and as their establishment had consumed the entire proceeds of valuable stock and dairy farms, and having his brother’s as well as his own family to provide a liv¬ ing for, it was very important that John Cooper should keep them in operation.
Therefore, soon aftfcr George
Cooper was killed, the citizens of the neighborhood petitioned the officer in command at Fort Humboldt for immediate military protection to enable John Coop¬ er to run the mills, but the breaking out of the Rebel¬ lion and of several Indian wars on the Pacific Coast prevented
the granting
of
the protection desired.
John Cooper then conceived the idea of running the mills by keeping a guard ol five armed men. plan was too expensive and was discontinued. er next tried to sell the mills.
The Coop¬
The Indians having
196
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
twice set them on fire, and constantly lying in ambush for an opportunity to rob and plunder, no one would make an offer for the property.
Matters went from
bad to worse, and Cooper had to give up the stock on the farms and other saleable property for the satisfaction of creditors.
After doing so, he and his brother’s
family abandoned their homes, to seek a livelihood where their lives would not be continually exposed to Indian cruelty.
In the Spring of 1862, Cooper went
to the mines of Oregon and Idaho, taking his own and his brother’s family with him.
In the autumn of 1865,
when it was considered that the Indians were entirely sub¬ dued, he returned with the families to his property and home. During his absence of nearly four years the wants of the settlers had caused a steam grist and saw mill to be erected in the village of Rohnerville, four miles dis¬ tant, and Cooper’s Mills were nearly a total loss Jn consequence. The baptism of blood was not yet completed at Cooper’s Mills.
One other tragedy was to be enacted
before the property should go to utter ruin and the enterprise of a lifetime be wasted. 186?, nearly
In the spring of
years after John Cooper returned
from Oregon to his home, the Indians shot and killed his brother-in-law, Albert Delaseaux, while the latter was plowing in a field near the mills. occurred on
The tragedy
Monday morning, the 8th of
March.
Early in the morning a sister of John W. Davis went up to J. W. Cooper’s farm and stated that Delaseaux wished to exchange work with Davis; he would do, dairy work for the latter if plowing was done for him.
A PIONEER FAMILY
COOPER’S MILLS.
19 7
The proposition having been stated, the sister returned to Delaseaux, who was her uncle, and with whom she was living at the time.
Mr. Davis was eating his
breakfast a few minutes later, when he heard a shot fired; and then, in quick succession, he heard two more, immediately followed again by three or four oth¬ ers.
Davis
instinctively
felt
that
something was
wrong and started for his uncle’s place.
He had got
but a short distance when he heard his sister screaming for help, and at the division fence between the two farms he met his mother and sister, who told him that the Indians had killed Delaseaux.
Davis told the girl
to hand him a pistol that she had in her hand, and continued on alone to within sixty yards of the house. • Stopping there, he saw two Indians go out at the back door of the house and two more come up from the field.
Raising the pistol, he fired one shot at the In¬
dians near the house, when three others in a field to the left fired at him. returned his fire. seven
The Indians at the house also
He could do nothing opposed to
Indians, well
armed and
desperate as they
were. Starting for Hydesville, he met Dr. Felt, a physician of the neighborhood, and urged that he go with him and find Delaseaux.
When they got to the house
everything was quiet and the Indians were gone, hav¬ ing plundered the dwelling of all the valuables it con¬ tained and destroyed what they could not carry away. The body of Delaseaux was found in the field where he had been plowing, close to the fence, less than one hundred yards from the house.
The Indians had
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
198
crawled up and secreted themselves in the brush grow¬ ing near the fence, and from there had shot their mur¬ derous bullets.
Two balls were shot in Delaseaux’s
left side, one going through his heart.
At the instant
of receiving the shot he gave a scream which was heard by the mother of John W. Davis, who looked out of the house and was shot at by two Indians.
The
two women fled from the house and met Davis at the division fence between the two farms.
While they
were running up the hill, the girl doing the best she could to urge her mother on, two more shots were fired at them which passed through the skirts of the elder lady.
The body of Delaseaux was taken to Cooper’s
house, where a large number of people from Hydesville and the neighboring farms congregated and dis- * cussed the particulars of the murder.
The same
evening the citizens sent a party in pursuit of the mur¬ derers, who returned after a few days and reported that no trace could be found of them. not allowed to rest here.
The matter was
There was in the neighbor¬
hood a man who was much feared by the Indians, Stephen Fleming by name, the prime of whose life had been passed in the hard experiences of border warfare.
He was noted for daring, bravery, and for
sagacity in following an Indian’s trail.
Six months
after the murder of Delaseaux a party under Fleming went on a scout to the headwaters of Larabee Creek. There were in the party Wm. Drinkwater, Wm. Bankhead, Silas Hoglan, James Wilburn and Wm. Wilburn. The trail of a marauding band of Indians was found and keenly followed.
One night the camp was dis-
A PIONEER FAMILY-COOPER’S MILLS.
covered and they laid in ambush till morning.
199
When
day was breaking they fired on the Indians and killed five.
One who was badly wounded left a bloody trail
behind him as he fled. low and kill him.
Drinkwater was eager to fol¬
Fleming tried to keep him back
with the others of the party, but was unsuccessful. Too eager to remain with his comrades as they fol¬ lowed the trail, he kept far in advance, and was soon shot and killed by the wounded Indian, who was con¬ cealed in the bushes.
Fleming and his party coming
up, they fired into the brush and killed the Indian. From the six
Indians killed Fleming took clothing
which had belonged to Delaseaux, thus showing that the band he had attacked was probably the same that committed the murder on the 8th of March. The long list of misfortunes which attended the spot clung to Cooper’s Mills in spite of every effort made by the surviving brother.
The destruction of
so much property had impoverished the family, and the loss of so many lives had caused purchasers to shun the place.
After the debts incurred by the
building and operation of the mills were paid by John W. Cooper, there was little left, besides a ruined and decayed home, for him to start the world anew with. He, a man of iron nerve, at last was discouraged and disheartened, and selling the property for a small sum he sought another location for himself and family.
In
later days fortune has smiled upon him—but too late to efface from his countenance the tell-tale marks of long years of hardship and suffering, yet soon enough to brighten his pathway to the grave.
Rarely paral-
200
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
leled in pioneer history is the strange story of the Coop¬ er family, stranger than fiction, conveying many les¬ sons from the past, of courage and perseverance, to the generation of to-day.
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN
’56.
201
CHAPTER IX. Indian Affairs in
’56.
Progress of the country.—False alarms and mysterious movements.— Restless tribes on the Klamath.—Negligence of the military authorities.—Excitement in Hoopa Valley.—Cattle killed at An¬ gel’s Ranch.—A tragedy on Bear River.
During the spring and summer of 1856 there was a constant succession of false alarms among the whites and mysterious movements among the Indians. On Humboldt Bay and along the streams in Eel River Valley the Indian tribes were swayed by superstitious fears, which found expression in ceremonies peculiar to their vague religious ideas. Earthquakes had re¬ cently been experienced, and the tribes, assembling at their rancherias, offered sacrifices to the “ God Spirit,” “ to hold the earth still.” In the minds of the savages, influenced as they were by external nature, was an un¬ defined conviction of some supreme and overruling power, before whom they knelt reverently, as children before a master. No theory of their undeveloped in¬ tellects could account for the earthquakes in any other light than as visitations of the Great Spirit, sent either as punishment for present trangressions or warnings
202
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
against trangressions of the future.
The valley In¬
dians had a tradition, handed down among them, that Humboldt Bay was produced by an earthquake which swallowed up the land and destroyed a large and pow¬ erful tribe of their people.
The prevalence of earth¬
quakes at any time was calculated to agitate
and
alarm them; and now, when the Klamath War was fresh in their memory, any convulsion of the earth was apt to suggest to them ideas incompatible with the safety of the
whites.
Their religious ceremonies lasted for
weeks at a time, partaking very much of the char¬ acter of the incantations and exhortations of magi¬ cians witnessed in some countries of the far East, with the exception that they danced furiously and madly, as if to propitiate with the vehemence of muscular ac¬ tion the much dreaded “ God Spirit” of their belief. While the lower,-or Valley tribes, observed their re¬ ligious rites and superstitious ceremonies, the tribes of the Klamath and Trinity were comporting themselves in a manner to terrify the whites.
The Reservation
system here, as elsewhere, proved a failure.
In the
history of the United States there never has been a time when the Reservation system was a success. The very difficulty of gathering different tribes from a wide scope of country and confining them within the limits of a Reservation was an argument used against the sys¬ tem when it was first proposed; and if we add the temptations of greed and avarice offered to public ser¬ vants, we may perhaps find a clue to the fatal defects of the system.
Where the Indians are numerous and
determined, the limits of a Reservation do not long
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
203
serve to restrain them, and where Indian agents are corrupt and dishonest, no good need be expected from it.
Col. Whipple, the sub-agent in charge of affairs
at the Klamath Reservation, was not a dishonest or corrupt man ; but the large number of Indians within his jurisdiction precluded the possibility of successful colonization.
In Hoopa Valley alone there were, ac¬
cording to the best estimates, at least two hundred warriors, who were far superior to the same number of whites in the knowledge and requirements of border warfare.
They had managed since the settlement of
the Valley by the whites to obtain a large number of guns and revolvers, and in the Spring of 1856 were much better armed than the same number of miners on the river bars.
Constant practice, also, had made
them expert in the use of fire-arms.
The Hoopa In¬
dians had, during the war with the Red Caps in 1855, supplied themselves with such
ammunition as they
could obtain from the miners and River and the Trinity.
traders
of
New
The white settlers in the Val¬
ley had good reason to apprehend trouble in 1856. Besides
being the natural tendency of things, many
suspicious signs were noted from time to time, such as the absence of some of the chief men who had been friendly towards the whites, the increased effrontery and impudent demands of the bad characters among the tribes, the frequent mysterious rites and dances, attended with a prophetic air of solemnity and terrible earnestness of purpose.
These and similar signs gave
credibility to • many mere rumors, and added greater weight to known facts than the situation warranted.
204
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
On the headwaters of the Klamath, and around the circumference of the lakes in which it rises, the tribes were restless and threatening.
It was rumored that
overtures had been made by the Oregon Indians to the tribes on the Klamath, and the absence of some of their leading men for long periods of time gave probability to this report. Never before had the negligence of the military authorities been so clearly presented to the people. They knew the urgent need of a strong military post on the lower Klamath, but they saw the authorities in¬ active at times of greatest danger.
They had reason
to expect an outbreak of the Klamath and
Trinity
tribes, probably reinforced by Oregon Indians, but they were aware that if an outbreak should occur Fort Humboldt could not respond to the call of the whites for help, either with men or munitions of war. In the month of March there was the most intense excitement throughout the suspicious
Hoopa Valley.
Certain
movements of the Indians alarmed the
whites to such an extent that flight from their homes appeared
the only means of safety.
Some families
left the valley and went to Humboldt Bay.
The fam¬
ilies on the East side of the river gathered at Kleiser’s Mill, the better to protect themselves in the event of an
attack, which
then
seemed imminent.
A
man
named Lack was sent to Union and Eureka for assist¬ ance, and Mr. Hill, who lived on the South Fork of the Trinity, at the same time started up that river to raise a company of volunteers.
The citizens of the
Bay, after a discussion on the matter, concluded to
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
205
send Captain Snyder to Hoopa, with instructions to hold a council with the head men of the tribes and endeavor to peaceably prevent an outbreak. Snyder was well known to the
Captain
Indians at Hoopa.
His home was there, and he had cultivated an exten¬ sive acquaintance with the chief men of the tribes. He started to the valley immediately after being in¬ formed of the wishes of the citizens, arriving there on the morning of the 30th day of March.
At his own
residence there were assembled a number of citizens, ready to leave the valley at a moment’s warning.
It
was with difficulty that he persuaded the excited peo¬ ple to permit him to have a council with the Indians for peace, being assured that it would be impossible to accomplish anything in that direction.
He went to
the rancherias alone, having refused company, and was met by many Indians with whom he was person¬ ally acquainted.
They told him, in response
to his
statement of the excitement among the whites, that they did not want to fight.
Captain Snyder informed
them that the whites would demand guns as a token of their desire for peace.
Without further parley
the Indians laid twelve guns before him, and prom¬ ised to surrender more on the day following. excitement quickly subsided.
The
Eleven more guns were
given up to the whites, the families went back to their homes, and a temporary peaceful quietness prevailed. One idea was brought into prominence by
the
Hoopa excitement, which was, that any anticipation of permanent and lasting peace would be folly of the the worst description; only the forcible annihilation
206
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the Indians, or the gradual
decay in power and
numbers that always accompanies their contact with the whites, would establish firmly the settlement of a civilized community
among them.
Nor could
the
miserable failure of the Reservation system escape the notice of the whites, many of whom expressed the opinion that the only guaranty against a warfare of long duration—one that would put a stop to all min¬ ing operations on the Klamath—would be a permis¬ sion to the Indians to remain where they were. every
rancheria there were old
In
Indians, influential
men, possessed of property, and as much attached to their homes as it is possible for a white man to be. When any trivial depredation was committed by the mountain tribes these old men used all their influence to compromise matters, and made such restitution of stolen property as lay in
their
power.
When
the
Klamath Reservation was planned and ordained, the old men of the Hoopa tribes said plainly that if any attempt
was
made
to
remove
their
people from
their homes by force they would not be responsible for the consequences.
As long as they were allowed
to remain in their rancherias, they said there should be no fear.
People who had enjoyed excellent oppor¬
tunities for observing closely the progress of affairs, and who were able to judge fairly the situation, were of the opinion that though a war of extermination might be resolved upon by the whites, it was easier to talk about it than to carry it into effect.
Every
miner who had participated in the campaign against the Red Caps, of doubtful success and enormous ex-
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
207
pense, could easily surmise the results of a conflict with twenty times the number of desperate Indians. In that rugged and mountainous country the soldiers of the regular Army, who knew absolutely nothing about Indian warfare, would
be useless and ineffec¬
tual; and how could volunteers, men acquainted with the mountains and the Indians, how could they act usefully when their very sustenance was a matter of caprice with the powers that were?
In August the town of Union was alarmed by re¬ ports of outrages by Indians on Redwood Creek.
A
settler named Ferrill went to town with the news that depredations of various kinds were being committed, and asked assistance to preserve property and pun¬ ish the Indians.
A party of twenty men, under the
leadership of Burr McConaha, left town and went out to Ferrill’s place, arriving there at twelve o’clock in the night.
They slept in a barn.
Next morning one of
the party named Jenkins was scouting in the vicinity, and found an Indian alone, who surrendered and was taken to the camp.
On the same day the party dis¬
covered the Indian camp on Pine Creek, twenty-seven miles from Union.
The camp was surrounded and a
sudden attack made, the result being the killing of seven warriors.
Having inflicted this punishment for
repeated depredations on the whites, the party returned to Ferrill’s house and moved his family to Union.
208
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
During the latter part of September Messrs. John¬ son and Brewer, of Angel’s Ranch, missed from their droves many head of cattle.
Careful search revealed
the fact that some had been killed and others wounded with arrows.
The cattle at the time were ranging
three or four miles Southeast of Angel’s Ranch, in the neighborhood of a range which belonged Hempfield.
to I. W.
The natives in the neighborhood were
much opposed to 'whites, and had several times threat¬ ened to kill their stock if they did not leave.
When
the depredations at Angel’s Ranch and vicinity had 'continued for a week the stock-raisers met at Hempfield’s and organized a company for mutual protection. There were but few settlers in a section of country many miles in extent, and the party at Hempfield’s numbered only ten men.
This little party, smarting
under a sense of the loss sustained, went in pursuit of the depredating Indians, and at daylight one morning they saw the fires of a rancheria in a thicket East of Hempfield’s Ranch, on the mountain divide towards Redwood Creek.
They attacked the rancheria and
killed ten of the Indians.
The latter, forty or fifty in
number, made a resistance at the first fire, and then fled ingloriously.
Although several guns were seen in
their hands, they used their bows exclusively in return¬ ing the fire of the whites.
One of the party,
W.
Hempfield, was struck by an arrow in the thigh, and seriously wounded.
A physician was sent for to at¬
tend to Hempfield’s wound, and the party continued on to Redwood Creek. The rancheria there was desert¬ ed, the Indians having received warning and fled to the mountains.
209
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
While the events above narrated were transpiring in the Northern part of the county, and while affairs on the Klamath were in a condition not at all flatter¬ ing to the whites, a tragedy was enacted in Southern Humboldt which originated grave fears of impending difficulties in Eel River Valley and the adjacent coun¬ try.
A man named Charles Hicks went out hunting
on Bear River, far from the settlements, and near a small
Indian
rancheria.
The Indians, seeing him,
went to meet him, and were profuse in their protesta¬ tions of friendship.
Several of them walked with him
a short distance, when one who walked behind sud¬ denly jerked his gun away and attempted to shoot him, but the gun did not fire.
Fifteen of them closed in on
him then, and he defended himself with a pistol and knife.
Freeing himself from their grasp, he started to
run, when a shot was fired at him, striking the left shoulder blade and lodging in the left arm.
Wounded
in this way, he succeeded in escaping, hiding from his pursuers in the brush.
The wound weakened him
so that he was afraid to risk another contest by ventur¬ ing out of his concealment.
Remaining secreted in
the brush for several days, he was seen by a number of squaws, who took him to a rancheria and cared for him until his friends arrived from the settlements.
The
Indians held a council when he was taken to their ran¬ cheria by the squaws regarding what disposition should be made of him, those in favor of sparing his life pre¬ vailing.
The friendly Indians secured the rifle which
had been taken from Hicks and presented it to the whites, in the hope of appeasing their anger by this 14
210
act.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
In a week later Hicks died from the effects of the
wound received, and the whites, following innumererable examples, organized a party of avengers and went after the guilty Indians.
They attacked a band
near Grizzly Bluff, killing seven, among whom were two who were recognized as having belonged to the rancheria near which Hicks received his wound.
At the end of the year 1856 the settlement and de¬ velopment of Humboldt county had reached promising proportions, notwithstanding the unsettled condition of Indian affairs.
Twenty thousand acres of land had
been pre-empted for agricultural or grazing purposes, the lands settled upon and improved being situated chiefly in the valleys of Eel River, Mad River and Bear River, and bordering on Humboldt Bay.
Homes were
established in the wilderness and farms appeared where two years before there had been no sign of a white man’s presence.
It was natural
that grazing and
stock raising should be the enterprises which first gained prominence in the new settlements.
Cattle
could be depended on to take care of themselves in a great measure, and it required no machinery and little capital to engage in the business.
The number of
cattle owned in the county was estimated at 1,100, and there had been driven in from other parts of the State more than 800 head.
It was also estimated that there
were in the county 500 horses and 480 mules.
These
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
21 I
did not include 300 mules used for packing merchan¬ dise to the mines and belonging to citizens of Trinity and
Klamath counties.
Agricultural
been wonderfully rapid since
1854.
progress had One thousand
acres in wheat produced 35,000 bushels; 950 acres in oats produced 40,000 bushels; 500 acres in barley produced 15,000 bushels; 500 acres in potatoes pro¬ duced 20,000 bushels.
From two or three saw mills
in 1854, the lumber industry had increased to nine steam saw
mills, with a combined
capacity of 24-
ooo.ooo feet per annum.
In every direction, and in
every industry based on
natural productions, there
were evidences of an active improvement—an improve¬ ment which could only be stayed or interrupted by Indian warfare.
Ill prepared as the pioneers were for
rapid settlement, few in number and weak in strength when compared to the aboriginal inhabitants of the country, there was nothing slow about the process of civilization in 1856. redskins to the wall.
The whites were crowding the
212
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER X. A Hard Winter.
Furious storms and obliterating snows.—Unequal warfare with the elements.—Men and animals lost in the mountains.—Tempo¬ rary exemption from Indian troubles.
Never did the pioneers of Northern California ex¬ perience a harder
Winter
than
that of
1856-57.
From the first of December, 1856, to the middle of April, 1857, storm after storm swept over the country —cold, pelting, blinding, drenching rain on the coast, snow everywhere on the mountains inland.
At Hum¬
boldt Bay there was a succession of terrific gales from the Southeast, terrible even to those who were accus¬ tomed to the storms of the open sea.
Old
Califor¬
nians likened the weather to that which prevailed in the Sierras in ’52. Of course there was no snow in the valleys near the sea, but there was almost an interminable rain storm. There was some variation in the weather, but it was always wet.
It was cold and wet, and warm and wet;
blustery and wet, and still and wet; wet overhead and wet under foot!
It rained when the clouds came from
the Southeast, it rained when
they came from the
A HARD WINTER.
213
Northwest, it rained when there were no clouds to be seen !
As a local newspaper aptly expressed the situ¬
ation, “ The sky was a water-sieve and sponge.”
the earth a
There was no Fall sowing of grain, because
the ground could not be prepared for the reception of seed.
Streams were bank full all the time and fre¬
quently overflowing. On the mountains there was an incredible amount of snow.
It was packed in the trails, obliterating and
hiding them
completely.
drifts in the gulches.
It was heaped in
huge
It was whirled and flurried in the
wind from the high peaks and the never-ending undu¬ lations of the hills; as if Nature, exulting in super¬ human power, was making a tremendous effort to bury every human thing deep under a covering of snow. Pack trains from Eel River Valley could get no fur¬ ther than the head of Yager Creek.
Pack trains from
Union were stopped by impassable barriers before they had gone twenty miles.
Men and animals were lost
in the snow, and other men in search of them were lost in their turn, reaching the settlements half-starved and half-frozen. • No furthe* thought was given to Indian wars in this unequal warfare with the elements of nature.
Self-
preservation was a necessity for both the Indian and the white man.
Neither could afford to jeopardize his
own life in a vain attempt to take the life of the other. So, through four months and a half of rain, and snow, and heavy gales, through four months and a half of extreme hardship and privation, there was complete freedom from any hostile demonstrations on the part
214
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the natives and a sense of perfect security among the whites. Men who came down from the mountains said there was more snow on the trails than ever known during any previous Winter since the earliest settlement of Northern
California.
There were many narrow es¬
capes from death by cold and exposure. aha, a
packer
to
Burr McCon-
the mines, started from Salmon
River to Union, by way of Orleans and Hoopa, to¬ gether with Frank Ball, C. S. Harrington and a China¬ man.
While crossing the mountains between Hoopa
and Redwood Creek all the animals gave out and the men were compelled to leave them and proceed on foot.
When within two miles of Redwood, Ball suc¬
cumbed to the cold and dropped to the ground ex¬ hausted.
Harrington
and the
Chinaman
McConaha remained behind with Ball. and Harrington and the snow.
went on.
Night set in,
the Chinaman lost their way in
They, too, were about to sink exhausted,
when a welcome gleam of light guided them to a hu¬ man habitation, the home of J. A. Ferrillon Redwood Creek. ing.
It was then in the early hours of the morn¬ Without delay a relief party set out to rescue
McConaha and Ball.
On the top of a hill they found
the two men crouching near a fire, Ball wrapped in McConaha’s coat.
Both were able to walk and were
escorted to a safe resting-place at Ferrill’s. In the early part of
January Capt. F. M. Wood¬
ward and a Mr. Wallace, traveling down the Klamath, encountered a severe storm on the mountain between McDonald’s Ferry and Redwood Creek, and the trail
A HARD WINTER.
215
being entirely obliterated they narrowly escaped death. Capt. Woodward, who had passed four Winters in that section, asserted that the storm, as regarded the quantity of snow, surpassed anything he had ever ex¬ perienced.
The snow on the mountains between Red¬
wood Creek and the Klamath was four feet deep, and on the same range West of deeper.
Hoopa it was two feet
On the higher mountains—the Salmon and
Trinity ranges—the quantity of
snow could only be
conjectured, for the trails were impassable everywhere. The only method of communication with the mines on
Salmon
River was by way of the mouth of that
stream, thence up to the mines through the river bot¬ toms on a bad and dangerous trail.
The pack-trains
of Gould & Mallet and Fort & Love were caught in the storm at Hiampum, at the mouth of the Hay Fork of Trinity, and several of the animals were lost in the snow.
Those in charge of the trains went down the
South Fork and main Trinity to shelter in Hoopa Valley. A few days of warm weather in the middle of Jan¬ uary melted the snow on the lower mountains, caus¬ ing a rapid and dangerous rise in all the streams. Mad
River was
higher than
it had been since the
Winter of ’54 and Eel River was bank full.
Klamath
River was not as high as the others, the snow on the higher mountains remaining firm and unmelted. Trin¬ ity county was one stretch of snow from end to end. Such a great quantity fell at Weaverville that the roofs of many buildings were broken down, including the Court House, Masonic Temple and the express office.
216
INDIAN
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
In the two months of December and January over fifteen inches of rain fell at Humboldt Bay.
When
the month of February came it was ushered in with a heavy downpour of rain.
Throughout February and
March the weather was extremely wet and
stormy,
streams were swollen, mountains covered with snow. The “ hardest Winter since the settlement by the whites,” was the general verdict pronounced on the season; and this verdict meant much more than ap¬ peared on the surface.
It meant a struggle for self-
preservation by the Indians, a struggle against natu¬ ral forces, in which the whites were not a factor.
A
hard Winter had brought temporary exemption from serious trouble with the native inhabitants.
217
A REVIVAL OF TRADE.
#
CHAPTER XI.
A Revival of Trade. The Spring of ’57.—General Prosperity in the Mines.—Trading Posts of Northern California.—Wonderful Industrial Progress in Seven Years.
Notwithstanding the extreme severity of the pre¬ ceding Winter the Spring of 1857 was remarkable for a wonderful
revival of all
branches of trade,
the
inauguration, in fact, of a commercial prosperity which only domestic difficulties would impede The
miners in
all
the districts on
the
or
hinder.
Klamath,
Salmon and Trinity had an abundance of water, and nearly all the claims
paid well.
mines meant prosperity elsewhere.
Prosperity in the Humboldt Bay,
as the natural supply depot of a vast mining region, enjoyed its share of the general prosperity, hampered, it is true, by primitive methods of travel and com¬ munication with the interior.
To move a cargo of
merchandise from the seaboard to the mines required an almost incredible amount of labor and expense. There were no roads.
It was early observed that
instead of following the ordinary law of settlement in a new State, commencing at the frontier and sweeping
2 18
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
along in regular order, like the onward movement of an army, the first immigrants to California scattered far and wide, here and there—to the extremes as well as to the central positions—in their wild pursuit after treasures imbedded in the soil.
They did not stop to
have the way smoothed before them;
there were no
mountains so high and sterile, no canons so deep and rugged, as to interrupt their progress.
Towns and
settlements sprang up simultaneously from Siskiyou to Mariposa ;
and a majority of the most productive
mining districts possessed only trails, rough and long, as connecting highways for trade and travel. so in
the Northern
districts.
The entire
It was internal
commerce of the Northern counties of the State was carried on in 1857 by means of pack-trains of hardy mules.
Trinity county alone contained one hundred
and twenty-eight trading-posts, doing an annual busi¬ ness of over a million dollars, yet every pound of merchandise sold over their counters was transported across the mountains by pack-trains.
The trade of
Siskiyou, much larger, was carried on in the same way. And when to those two counties was added Del Norte, Klamath and Humboldt the total represented was well up in the millions of dollars annually—a commerce conducted with
the simple
methods known to the
Spanish races in the mountains of Mexico and South America.
General
prosperity, under such adverse
circumstances, and after a Winter of unprecedented severity, was an omen full of encouragement to those who
had faith
country.
in
the resources and future of the
219
A REVIVAL OF TRADE.
The trade for the season was fairly commenced during the month of April.
Pack trains arrived at
Union and Eureka and departed daily, the supplies of merchandise from San Francisco scarcely keeping pace with the demand.
The diversion of the whole
carrying
upper Trinity from Shasta
trade
of
the
to Humboldt Bay was no longer a matter of doubt¬ ful prophecy. an
Farmers of
Humboldt county found
outlet for their superfluous crops and very re¬
munerative sales by the opening of passable trails to the mines; and those who had struggled along through the years of its early settlement, with no reward for their labor beyond a bare subsistence, now realized a high price for all their produce.
The lumber industry
also was attracting the attention of capitalists and paying handsomely those who were engaged in it.
A
wonderful progress had been made in seven years. But little more than seven years before, the Hum¬ boldt Bay country was unvisited by white men, with the exception of the
Gregg party in
1849.
The
Indian roamed over its wilds unmolested; the virgin resources of the country were as yet untouched by man.
Now the scene was changed.
A little cycle of
seven years had forced the Indian to his remotest haunt, had settled the country, had witnessed the growth of towns and the establishment of homes.
Since the
first settlement was made on the Bay there had been a large annual trade with the mines.
The first trad¬
ing was done wholly with the lower Trinity.
Mer¬
chandise from Union or Trinidad did not at first go further than the North Fork of Trinity, that stream
220
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
and its lower tributaries constituting the entire market for merchandise from Humboldt Bay during two years or more.
Other places then began to attract the
floating population of miners.
The settlements began
to extend lower down the Trinity and on to New River ;
the Klamath opened a new field for trade and
enterprise, the Salmon in its turn made a market for the trader, and both increased
in
importance until
they had outgrown very considerably the original and single field of the Trinity.
On each of these rivers
surface prospectors no longer secured from one to six ounces of gold per day, but the number of miners and the extent and productiveness of the deeper diggings had constantly increased.
Within a year a new trail
had been opened to the upper Trinity, which, by its superiority and the relative cheapness of transporta¬ tion. drew into this channel an amount of merchandise larger than that before sent either to the Klamath, the Salmon or the lower Trinity.
Some supplies for the
Klamath and Salmon were drawn from other shipping points on the coast, and Shasta and Red Bluff held undisputed possession of a large trade in the upper Trinity country.
Yet the natural commercial advan¬
tages of Humboldt
Bay, if properly sustained and
developed, could not fail
in the end to secure the
largest share of the trade of the whole region. was still
the
most important
trading post
Union on
the
bay, the solid prosperity and enterprise of the place being an excellent indication of the permanent and settled feeling that had come over the whole commu¬ nity.
There
was some stability of society, some
A REVIVAL OF TRADE.
permanency of
social
institutions.
22 1
The
nomadic
spirit that had infused its restless life into all classes a few years before now gave place to a settled desire for lasting and permanent homes.
The change from a
shifting, restless civilization to a more enduring social condition, always slow in mining countries, was grad¬ ually approaching its completion here.
General pros¬
perity stimulated and encouraged business men in their efforts to make Humboldt Bay what they be¬ lieved nature intended it to be, a point of supply and commercial outlet for a territory embracing two de¬ grees of latitude and over one and a half degrees of longitude.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
222
CHAPTER XII.
Quiet Close of a Peaceful Year.
Bill for the payment of Indian war claims.—Action of the Legisla¬ ture.—Some lost papers.—A disturbance at the Klamath Res¬ ervation.
Not absolutely devoid of other interest than that which attached to business affairs, but very quiet and peaceful, the last eight months of 1857 slipped away into the past with no bad omens of misfortune in the future.
The Indians, chastened and subdued by the
severe Winter they had with difficulty lived through, were compelled
by stress of circumstances to meet
half-way the friendly advances of peaceably-inclined whites.
The whites were too busily engaged in the
prosperous business enterprises of the year to find time or occasion for brawls and quarrels with the In¬ dians. One topic of general discussion in the Summer and Fall was a bill passed by the Legislature providing for the payment of Indian war claims.
The bill was
introduced by Representative S. G. Whipple, of Klam¬ ath, and the amount to be paid was not to exceed the sum of $410,000, a large part of it to be applied to
QUIET CLOSE OF A PEACEFUL YEAR.
223
the payment of claims which had accrued in the coun¬ ties of Siskiyou, Humboldt and Klamath.
The Treas¬
urer, Controller and Quartermaster were constituted a Board of Examiners to examine and audit claims. The passage of the bill was cheering to many settlers in the three counties named who had suffered from In¬ dian depredations and expended their means in quell¬ ing hostile tribes.
But there was a stay in the pro¬
ceedings, unlooked for and surprising.
In June the
Board of Examiners announced that they were ready for business, and notified the public that $410,000 had been appropriated “for services rendered and supplies furnished in an expedition against the Indians in the year 1855,” at the same time requesting parties having such claims to forward them to the President of the Board at Sacramento.
A previous session of the Leg¬
islature had appointed, in 1856, a Board of Commis¬ sioners to examine such claims, consequently no one thought of filing their claims a second time, the old Board of Commissioners having discharged their duty faithfully, filed their report, and forwarded to the Gov¬ ernor the necessary papers and vouchers of those hav¬ ing claims against the State.
When, in 1857, an ap¬
propriation had been made for the payment of the claims and a Board of Examiners appointed to audit them at Sacramento, the papers and vouchers surren¬ dered by the old Board of Commissioners suddenly disappeared.
Wm. C. Kibbe, President of the Board
of Examiners, thereupon gave notice that the original papers having been lost, others would have to be filed with the Board by all claimants.
Along in the month
224
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of December, after the claimants had been compelled to duplicate their vouchers, the original papers were found somewhere among the rubbish of the Capitol. The developments and surmises and conjectures inci¬ dent to these war claims furnished at least a topic of conversation
and
speculation
during
the closing
months of a quiet year. There were a few Indian depredations and disturb¬ ances, not frequent or serious enough to create any general alarm. In August, a young Spaniard in the employ of Mal¬ let & Gould, packers, was shot at by Indians on the trail three miles from Mad River.
He was riding be¬
hind the train when the first shot was fired, the ball passing through the fleshy part of his thigh.
He sup¬
posed it came from his own revolver, accidentally dis¬ charged,
and
dismounted
to examine
it.
Another
shot distinctly fired from the bush near by passed un¬ der his arm, cutting his shirt, and lodged in the side of his mule.
The boy then ran for the train and es¬
caped. On the 25th of November a disturbance occurred at the Klamath Reservation.
An Indian called Klam¬
ath Mike, who had endeavored for some time before to
incite
the
tribes
on
the
Reservation
to
war,
attempted to take the life of Major Heintzleman, the resident Agent of the Government.
The Major dis¬
covered the Indian in the act of shooting, and just in time to save his own life.
Klamath Mike fled from
the spot, followed by others of his tribe.
A party of
troops on the Reservation followed in pursuit, and a
QUIET CLOSE OF A PEACEFUL YEAR.
fight occurred,
in
which
fifteen
Indians were killed, Klamath
225
or twenty of the
Mike escaping.
The
latter was known to be a bad Indian, always at work to instigate difficulty and trouble on the Reservation. His followers
were principally renegades from the
Smith’s River Reservation, Del Norte county, and other localities further North.
In the afternoon of the day
of the attempted assassination of Major Heintzleman three travelers approached the Klamath River from the North—James Mathews, R. H. Paris and another named
Stephens—without arms and on foot.
As
they neared the river bank and ascended the steep incline of a little hill they were suddenly surrounded by forty or fifty Indians, hideous in war paint and armed with bows and knives, who crowded around them, apparently frantic with rage, brandishing and flourishing their long knives.
The three men ex¬
pected to be killed on the spot, but to their surprise and
relief
there
arose a
commotion
among
the
Indians, caused by a difference of opinion regarding the disposition to be made of them. cited “ pow-wow”
resulted
in
the
A noisy and ex¬ prisoners
being
marched off to the rancheria at the mouth of the river.
Here they saw
the dead body of an Indian,
about which the squaws were
moaning piteously.
Some of the most blood-thirsty of the inhabitants of the rancheria, including Klamath Mike and Lagoon Charlie, were eager to kill the white prisoners, and were with difficulty
restrained from
carrying their
designs into instant execution, taunting the whites with exclamations of how easily they could be killed 15
226
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
did the Indians will it, and with threats of vengeance. It was decided by the Indians, after arriving at their rancheria, that they would keep their prisoners alive till next morning, when they would finally determine what to do with them. Klamath Mike, who could talk broken English, then said to them in an insolent manner, pointing to the door of a filthy hut: “You go in there; in the morning we tell you what we do with you.” All night long the prisoners, shut up in their dark and reeking lodging, could hear the tramp of sentries around the hut or the guttural exclamations of the guard. At sunrise they were brought into an open space and a human ring was formed about them. A war dance, with all its accompanying horrors ex¬ cept death, was indulged in by their captors, followed by another “ pow-wow. ” The second “ pow-wow ” saved their lives. Some of the older Indians were op¬ posed to the proposition to put them to death, and through their interference a compromise was effected. The prisoners were placed in a canbe, manned by stalwart guards, and taken up the river. Their des¬ tination was a mystery to them, and they imagined it must be some new place of torture. They were hap¬ pily at fault in their gloomy expectations, for their captors landed at the Government farm, five miles above the mouth of the river, and liberated them in sight of Major Heintzleman’s headquarters. With the exception of the isolated instances already cited, violent acts by the Indians were rarely heard of in the closing months of 1857. Indian troubles of se¬ rious magnitude seemed to be things of a past so re-
QUIET CLOSE OF A PEACEFUL YEAR.
227
mote, in the restored confidence of this quiet year, that nothing less than a great and unforeseen accident might interrupt the general security. The industry and commerce of the country trib¬ utary to
Humboldt Bay
grew and flourished as it
had never flourished or grown before.
The lumber
industry, which had not created a perceptible break in the massive outline of the forests, furnished em¬ ployment to nearly three hundred men at high wages. Fields of wheat were sown in Eel River Valley that yielded seventy bushels to the acre.
Immense yields
of potatoes were recorded in the Mattole country and in the vicinity of Union.
That portion of the country
adapted to stock-raising and dairying was rapidly set¬ tled and populated with people and cattle.
Trade and
travel to the mines was brisk and profitable.
Every
industry of a new and growing country was prosper¬ ous and full of vitality.
228
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XIII. The War with the Win-toons—How it Commenced.
The domestic affairs of one “ Leroy.”—Shooting of Wm. E. Ross.— Three parties of Volunteers.—John Bell’s perilous position.— Death of Orrin Stevens.—The battle of Three Creeks.—Major Raines.—A playground for soldiers.—Murder of Paul Boynton. Mass meetings of the people.—Petitions for assistance.—Col. Henley’s waste basket.—Organization of Volunteer Companies. The Kibbe Guards.—Fight near Pardee’s Ranch.—John Harpst wounded—Capt. I. G. Messec’s Company.—Hardships of the Winter campaign. In the tribal classification of the Indians of North¬ western California, the Win-toons, or Mountain Dig¬ gers, are designated as the sixth general division, and their country
is
described as embracing the head¬
waters of Panther Creek, Redwood, Mad and Eel rivers. But the country described was only a portion of the territory in which the Win-toons lived.
The exact
meaning of their name, Win-toon, cannot be accurately determined, and it may be doubted whether it could be assigned to the tribes in a circumscribed area. There were other mountain tribes, chiefly confined to the banks of large streams ; but the Win-toons must have peopled the Bald Hills country in places far remote
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
from the larger streams.
229
They were a hardy race,
subsisting on game and nuts.
As their principal oc¬
cupation was hunting, unlike the lower or valley tribes, who subsisted on fish, the
Win-toons early became
accustomed to the use of fire-arms.
Before Dr. Gregg
and his companions descended the Trinity there were a few guns in the possession of the high mountain tribes, and when the valley Indians were using them ignor¬ antly and with little effect the Win-toons had acquir¬ ed a proficiency in their use which was anything but encouraging to travelers on the lonely trails. have been
It may
their early acquaintance with the whites
which induced them to remain friendly as long as they did, for as long as they were friendly they could procure fire-arms, and, unfortunately, fire-water.
For
several years after the Klamath War they committed occasional depredations on the property of stock-rais¬ ers in the Bald Hills, and when they saw their old hunting-grounds deserted by the deer and elk, the devil that is naturally an Indian’s companion began to as¬ sert itself.
Revenge was sweet to the savage, no less
than revenge is sweet to civilized man.
With that
blind fury which characterizes the race, indiscriminating and cruel, the Win-toons commenced their war by committing several atrocious murders. It was in the first week of February, 1858, that an event occurred which had a direct tendency to precipi¬ tate difficulties between the Win-toons and the whites. Among the worthless characters who infested the coun¬ try was a negro known by the name of “ Leroy.”
He
had adopted the Indian mode of life, and had taken to
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
230
his bosom one of the dusky maidens of the forest. She, tiring of him, resolved to rid herself of his un¬ welcome presence.
Three miles from Angel’s Ranch
they had made their camp and “ Leroy ” was dutifully hunting game with which to replenish their Winter larder.
The partner of his joys and sorrows here in¬
formed him that his services would be dispensed with, and if he did not forthwith depart her people would come and kill him. ground.
He, in no wise daunted, stood his
Two stout Indians assaulted him, one armed
with a hatchet, the other with a knife.
A brutal fight
ensued, in which the negro was badly wounded in the left breast by a blow with the hatchet.
The negro sub¬
sequently reached Angel’s Ranch, where he gave an account of the fight and reported that he had killed the two Indians with a knife. the camp.
A party of white men visited
There were no dead bodies on the spot,
and the Indians had robbed the camp of everything “ Leroy ” possessed, including the squaw.
A few days
after the affray an Indian went to Woodward & Barney’s place, on the Trinity trail, and was recognized as be¬ longing to the rancheria of the two who had attacked “ Leroy.’’
He was bound and chained to a tree, was
kept in that position till he confessed his knowledge of the attack on the negro, and later his tribe brought in the guns and pistols which had 'been taken from the camp.
They also confessed that the negro had killed
both of his assailants with a sheath-knife.
Being urged
to make further confessions of Indian depredations, and threatened with death if they did not tell the truth, they said that two men named Granger and Cook, who
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
23I
had disappeared from that vicinity a year before, were murdered by the Win-toons. “Leroy’s” fight and subsequent proceedings were not calculated to perpetuate peace.
An intense ex¬
citement spread among the Win-toons, creating a burn¬ ing desire to revenge themselves for the death of two of their number, and it culminated three months later in one of the boldest attacks ever committed by them. A white man was shot down on the Trinity trail, near Grouse Creek, on Wednesday, the 23d of June.
Two
packers, Henry Allen and Wm. E. Ross, accompanied by two Indian boys, were going up to the Trinity with their train.
As they were descending Grouse Creek
Hill, not expecting danger, Ross was shot from an ambush where a party of Indians were lying. shot three times.
He was
He fell from his mule, and when
Allen reached him he was unable to stand on his feet. Allen carried him away from the trail, made a bed for him, and sent one of the boys for assistance.
The
Indians came out from their ambush and coolly looked on while Allen unpacked the mules.
When the boy
started off they hailed him, but he put spurs to his mule and reached Pardee’s Ranch in safety.
A Mr.
Barney, who was a partner in the Pardee property and living on the place, started to Allen’s assistance and sent the boy on to Eureka.
When Mr. Barney reached
the spot where Ross had been shot he found Allen un¬ harmed and ministering to the wants of his wounded companion.
He had erected a barricade of packs from
the mules and was determined to stay with Ross to the end.
The boy who went for assistance arrived at
232
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Eureka at 6 o’clock in the evening, having traveled the 37 miles in less than five hours.
Dr. Baldwin, accom¬
panied by A. W. Gould, left immediately for the scene of the shooting, arriving there on Thursday morning, after a night’s ride through rain and darkness, on a rough mountain trail. a critical condition.
Ross was yet living, though in On Thursday night Mr. Barney
went to his home, and on Friday morning h'e went to Eureka for assistance to carry the wounded man back to the settlements.
He reported to the citizens of
Eureka that the wounds would
probably cause the
death of Ross, one of the balls having injured the spine.
The feeling attending this
deep and bitter.
intelligence was
Ross had been known as a peaceable,
industrious man, and had never so far as any one knew molested or injured the Indians.
An attempt had once
before been made to take his life by three Indians, near the same place on the Trinity trail where he was now lying wounded, and this fact, associated with the recent attacks, was taken as ground for belief that the Win-toons, for some unaccountable reason or for no reason, had deliberately planned to kill him.
Six citi¬
zens of Eureka formed the relief party which responded to the call for assistance, and were met at the spot where Ross lay by six men from
Hiampuu.
A rude
litter was constructed and Ross was carried to Pardee’s house, where he received careful attention.
Remain¬
ing there two weeks, he was removed to Eureka.
His
limbs had become paralyzed, and in his helpless con¬ dition it was necessary to use the greatest precaution in moving him.
A light frame-work of wood was made
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
233
and placed on the back of a gentle mule, inside of which a hammock was swung, and in this way the wounded man was carried down the mountain. Thoroughly
aroused
as
were
the
whites, and
thoroughly determined to punish the assailants of Ross, the Win-toons exceeded them in anger and determina¬ tion.
It was war to the knife, they said.
give no quarter, and expected none.
They would
Such assertions
by the Digger tribes were usually considered in the light of braggadocio, but the Win-toons were most war-like of all the Northern
the
Indians—having
somewhat of the freedom and boldness imparted by the spirit of their mountains, and as yet unawed by the number and power of the whites.
A general war was
anticipated by those who knew the Win-toons best. About the first of July three parties of volunteers were organized for a campaign against the Indians on Redwood and Upper Mad River, in the vicinity of the place where Ross was shot.
One party, under com¬
mand of John Bell, numbering 16 men, pursued the Indians closely for several days, and on Thursday morning, July 15th, they attacked a rancheria on Grouse Creek.
The party routed the
several warriors.
rancheria and killed
From reports made by Mr. Bell, it
appears that the Indians had been collected there, to the number of 100, with the intention of attacking Bell’s party.
They had divided their forces, desiring
to engage Bell before he reached the rancheria.
Bell,
however, did not go by the route they expected, pass¬ ing them and raiding the rancheria while a large force of the Indians were absent.
The Indians learned of
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
234
Bell’s position from some who escaped from the rancheria, and an ambush was made for his destruction. Retiring from their rancheria on his way to camp, Bell followed the trail into the ambush and was fired on by the Indians, one of his men, Orrin Stevens, being shot dead at the firsfrfire.
This demoralized the whites, and
they did not attempt to stand the assault of the conceal¬ ed savages.
They knew not how many of the foe were
opposed to them ; the Indian in his ambush, behind a rock or tree, or hidden in the grass, had a fair target before him of every one of the whites ; there was no advantage
that was not on the side of the savage.
By a miracle Bell escaped with the loss of only one man.
When he reached the camp he had left the day
before another surprise was awaiting him. was entirely broken up.
The camp
Provisions, blankets, cook¬
ing utensils, all were gone.
Ten mules had also been
driven off by the Indians.
Bell fell back to Pardee’s
Ranch, which he reached at daylight on Friday morn¬ ing.
The whole party were worn out and exhausted
and some of them were barefooted.
Bell concluded
to remain at Pardee’s Ranch until reinforcements could be received from Eureka.
He
knew
that
the In¬
dians were collecting in large numbers in the vicinity, and he had had sufficient evidence that .they were dis¬ posed to contest every inch of their territory with the whites.
It would therefore be the height of folly to
meet them with only 15 men. While Bell was falling back before superior num¬ bers a party of twelve citizens were doing what they could to protect lives and property in the vicinity of
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
235
the Buttes, an extensive grazing country on the head¬ waters of Mad River.
They were actively engaged
in scouting for two weeks, and were fatigued and worn out at the end of that time. Much excitement prevailed at Eureka, in the mean¬ time, concerning the sale of^ ammunition and firearms by white men to the Indians.
It was freely asserted
that certain persons of loose character drove a thriv¬ ing trade with the hostile tribes, supplying them with arms at exorbitant prices.
Threats were made that
Judge Lynch would hold court, but the crime charged never was fastened on any one person by sufficient evidence to convict. In addition to the selling of firearms and ammu¬ nition, there were other acts by bad white men which inflamed the passions of the Indians and injured the cause of the whites. August.
One instance was observed in
On the second day of that month two In¬
dian boys were driving a train of mules from Kneeland’s Prairie to Eureka, and when they were within six miles of town one of the boys was shot dead from his horse.
The other was fired at several times, es¬
caping uninjured; and riding into Eureka he told the story of the shooting, saying that it was done by white men.
The citizens at first refused to credit his state¬
ment
Finally a number went to the place indicated
and found the body of the murdered boy, shot in sev¬ eral
places.
The recurrence of such cold-blooded
deeds of murder did much to exasperate the hostile tribes and were condemned by all good citizens.
They
could not be prevented, however, and the consequence
INDIAN WARS OF THE
236
NORTHWEST.
was that the good citizens received punishment for the evil deeds of the bad. Since Orrin Stevens was killed, in the preceding month of July, nothing of importance had transpired in connection with Bell’s party until the 2d of August. The party had remained at Pardee’s Ranch, receiving a small reinforcement from Trinity county.
On the
2d of August sixteen men, commanded by Mr. Winslet, of Burnt Ranch, struck the trail of a party of Win-toon warriors near Three Creeks, a point some three miles from Lach’s trail leading to the head of Hoopa Val¬ ley.
The trail w^as fresh, and Winslet gave orders to
follow it.
With their usual cunning the Indians had
reckoned on that very order, and, secreting themselves, had
waited for
their pursuers.
The whites passed
right under the muzzles of the guns pointed at them from the ambush, Winslet himself being shot through the thigh.
His men did not observe that he was shot,
and he gave orders to charge the ambush, heading the charge in person. ground.
The Indians did not stand their
They made a running fight, keeping out of
sight as much as possible, jumping from behind
a
clump of bushes, firing, and running to shelter furth¬ er on.
After chasing
them
two or three hundred
yards, Winslet’s party halted upon ascertaining that he was wounded.
About this time John Skilling and
Chauncey Miller separated themselves from the party for a few minutes, and were fired on by three Indians. Miller fell dead at Skilling’s feet, his brain pierced by a rifle ball.
Several shots were fired at Skilling with¬
out effect.
Miller was carried to a spot two miles from
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
237
where he was shot and left there until the party could take care of Winslet.
Winslet was taken to Pardee’s
house, where he stayed until Wednesday evening, when he was able to ride to Angel’s Ranch, his wound being painful but not dangerously severe. The direct result of the two fights by Bell’s party was to present to the whites the very discouraging as¬ pect of Indian affairs.
It plainly appeared that the
Indians had adopted their natural mode of warfare— hiding in ambush, laying in wait in the thick bush through which the trails were cut, skulking behind rocks and trees, shooting, and running, and shooting again.
Few white men could oppose this method of
warfare with any kind of advantage to themselves. The difficulties were fast assuming a most serious charac¬ ter.
During the six preceding weeks the Win-toons
had made their hostility felt in such a manner as to cause alarm and apprehension.
So far, the parties
who had been in pursuit of them had been worsted in every engagement.
They had been compelled to fol¬
low trails into deep canons and ravines known to the Indians alone, death-traps to the whites.
Two good
men had been killed and two wounded, yet nothing had been accomplished towards subduing the hostiles. The men who were in the field were not organized un¬ der the laws of the State, for experience had taught them that the State was most ungrateful.
They were
spending their own time and money to subdue the hostiles.
It was not to be reasonably expected that
they would continue in the field any great length of time, poorly provisioned and fitted out at their own
238
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
expense, to expose themselves to the extremes of dan¬ ger and hardship.
But, if they withdrew, the settlers
on the trails, with all their stock, would be at the mercy of the savages.
What could be done ?
The Govern¬
ment would do nothing, the State would do nothing, the commanding officer at Fort Humboldt would do nothing.
Something had to be done, and that speed¬
ily, by somebody.
It was understood, to be sure, that
Major Raines, in command at Fort Humboldt, had expressed his willingness to give protection to the set¬ tlers, at the same time informing them of his inability to do so.
The forces of the regular Army had never
afforded much protection to the settlers, nor was any prospect visible of better service in the future.
Fort
Humboldt might have been appropriately called a play¬ ground for the soldiers.
For useful endeavor in sup¬
pressing hostilities and protecting homes the settlers had to look to the volunteer forces, and as these were not organized with the sanction of the Government or the expectation of pay, but rather on the sole re¬ sponsibility of individuals, their periods were brief and uncertain.
of
service
It was universally admitted
that Volunteer Companies, organized under the laws of the State, with authority to act and with expectation of pay, would be the best means of preserving and maintaining
peace between
the
two races on the
Northwest coast. While the citizens of the Bay towns were agitating the regular formation of Volunteer Companies, and raising money to defray their expenses, the hostile In¬ dians were not idle in their work of destruction.
All
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
239
up and down the stock-raising country of the Bald Hills there was consternation and fear.
Bold as the
Indians had been in the beginning—a boldness which was always mingled with treachery—their successes in action against Bell’s party had increased their hopes of finally exterminating the whites from their country. Barbarous acts of violence were now of daily occur¬ rence.
On the morning of the 14th
of September
occurred the murder of Paul Boynton, who dived with his family.ten miles from Union, on the Trinity trail. Boynton was killed within two hundred yards of his house, between seven and eight o’clock in the morning. Some packers had camped there during the night, and in the morning, as they were preparing to leave, he started off after his cows.
Before he was out of sight
the report of a rifle was heard, and a number of In¬ dians were seen
running away from
the premises.
The packers seized their guns and ran to Boynton’s assistance.
Close to a little wood, in whose impene¬
trable shadows the Indians had been hidden, they found the dead body of Boynton, yet warm, pierced through and through by a rifle ball.
From the position taken
by the attacking party it was assumed that they had been in ambush all night, and that they intended, after killing Boynton, to make a raid on the house and its inmates.
The presence of the packers had foiled their
designs on the house but had not prevented the death of its owner.
Mr. Boynton was from Cook county,
Illinois, and arrived at Humboldt Bay in 1853, residing at Union until 1857, when he settled at the place where he was killed.
240
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
On the morning after the murder of Boynton Par¬ dee’s Ranch was attacked.
The dogs at
Pardee’s
house kept the attacking party at bay for a few min¬ utes, when Messrs. Pardee and Barney went out in the yard and were instantly fired on.
Neither was hit
and the Indians did not follow up the attack.
When
night set in Pardee’s family started for Union, arriving safely at three o’clock on Thursday morning, having left their house and effects to be destroyed. Public meetings of the citizens of Union and Eu¬ reka were held for the purpose of considering and adopting some method of protection to life and prop¬ erty during the continuance of the war with the Wintoons.
At Union a large meeting was held, attended
by the citizens generally, and cussed in all its bearings. ple, in
the situation was dis¬
Mass-meetings of the peo¬
times of intense excitement
are frequently
dangerous and difficult to control, having a volcanic energy which needs only a sympathetic spark from a leading mind to burst out in ruin to itself and others. It was so at Union.
There were many in the excited
throng of townspeople who would have been in favor of any measure which
contained an
amount of cruelty in its composition.
extraordinary There was an¬
other class, far-seeing men, opposed to the extreme doctrines advocated by certain well-meaning but blood¬ thirsty citizens.
Thus two factions were developed,
whose differences had to be reconciled before intelli¬ gent or harmonious action could be taken.
The first,
or blood-thirsty faction, urged with undisputed justice that the hostile Indians deserved the severest punish-
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
24I
ment for their repeated and barbarous depredations upon the whites.
They cited the case of Ross, who,
while peaceably following his business as a packer on the public thoroughfare between Union and the Trin¬ ity, was shot and wounded in such a manner as to make his recovery hopeless ; of Stevens, who was shot dead while in
pursuit of the hostiles ; of Chauncey
Miller, a trader on the Trinity, who had volunteered to clear the trail of dangerous obstructions, and had given his life as the forfeit; of Winslet, severely wounded while leading his men against the savages; of
Boynton, murdered in cold blood within sight of
his wife and children. These atrocities, the extremists declared, called aloud for vengeance; not vengeance such as reason would suggest, but vengeance the most complete that human ingenuity could devise.
They
were in favor of a war of extermination, total exter¬ mination, of every man, woman and child in whose veins coursed the blood of the Indian race. It was not enough that the warriors be killed.
Every one of the
tribe, male and female, must be made a bloody exam¬ ple of.
Reasons were not wanting for the theory of
total extermination as the only safe plan. condition of affairs
in the
When the
Bald Hills country was
such that men were shot down in sight of their own homes, it was time for extraordinary measures of re¬ lief. The second, or conservative faction, opposed the idea of extermination, on the ground that the killing of women and children was condemned by the spirit of a civilized age and forbidden by the consciences of good men.
Besides, communities abroad would look
242
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
upon the measure as emanating from a wicked, cruel and barbarous people.
The extremists replied to this,
that communities unacquainted with the hardships of frontier life, and far removed from the danger to which their own lives and property were constantly exposed, might consider such treatment of the Indians fit only for barbarians; but they believed that a necessity suf¬ ficiently imposing to override every consideration de¬ manded
total extermination as indispensable to ade¬
quate relief. The Indian race must be exterminated from the mountain prairies lying between Humboldt Bay and the waters of the Trinity and
Klamath, or
the further development and progress of the country would be utterly impossible.
However desirable the
country might be for stock-raising and other purposes, white men could not settle there while armed savages were suffered to roam at large, waylaying the trails, killing men, pillaging homes, and driving off cattle. As the Indians were year after year obtaining more and more firearms, and becoming better and better skilled in their use, the longer they were permitted to live the worse it would be for the whites.
To this the
conservatives answered, that they were in favor of re¬ moving the Indians, but not by the total extermination plan.
There was another and a better way for which
they contended. There were three Indian Reservations accessible to Humboldt, Trinity and
Klamath coun¬
ties, the Mendocino, the Noma Cult, and the Klam¬ ath, all established by the Government to meet such requirements as the present situation demanded. They (the conservative element) were in favor of removing
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
243
all the Indians to the Government Reservations. Again the extremists replied, it would do no good to remove the
Indians to the Reservations, which had been in
existence several years and had conferred no percep¬ tible benefit upon anybody.
The Agents, sub-Agents
and clerks on the Reservations at various times had idled away their opportunities for good actions, and incurred the displeasure of the whites and the con¬ tempt of the Indians. In no sense had the Reservation system benefitted the Indians or anybody else.
An¬
other argument in favor of extermination was the in¬ efficiency of the military power.
There was a United
States military post at Fort Humboldt, yet the pio¬ neers of the country, whose enterprise was building up and developing its resources, were murdered at their own doors, because they had no protection.
It could
not be said that the Federal or State officers were ig¬ norant of the situation.
Many times had been urged
upon the attention of the Indian Department the ab¬ solute necessity of something being done in this sec¬ tion to avert an Indian war.
The citizens had peti¬
tioned the commander of the United States troops, and also the Governor, for aid.
The military officer
had not men enough at his disposal to protect his own garrison from attack, and the opinions of the Gov¬ ernor on the subject had not been made known to the people. And should the Governor see fit to call for the formation of volunteer companies, the extremists con¬ tended, an unreasonable time would elapse before they could be brought into active service, notwithstanding the apparent necessity for immediate action in order
244
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
to save the settlements.
If something was not done
'immediately all the settlements in
the Bald
Hills
would be broken up, and travel on the trails leading to the interior would be completely cut off.
With
such arguments, pro and con, the mass-meeting con¬ sumed the first portion of its time, and then the judg¬ ment of cool heads began to cause conviction.
In ev¬
ery popular assemblage of the people, and particularly in those which are originated by intense excitement, the radical element, the dangerous and impulsive idea, finds expression first.
The cooler and more conserva¬
tive element, timid and backward though it may seem to be, follows the impulsive sympathy of the moment until it sees an opportunity to lead, and then the su¬ periority of its power is felt and acknowledged. There were cool heads in the mass meeting at Union, whose better judgment prevailed over the hot ideas of those who clamored for extermination.
They saw that ex¬
termination would be impossible, and by no possible .twisting of moral ethics could it be made to appear justifiable.
The dissension resulted in the appointment
of a committee of five citizens, John O. Craig, A. H. Murdock, David Maston, E. L. Wallace and H. W. Havens, with full authority to devise and carry into execution such measures as they might deem most prudent and most efficient for the protection of the lives and property of the settlers, and with authority to convene the people in mass meeting whenever oc¬ casion should dictate.
Resolutions were adopted, the
preamble to which stated that the unprovoked murder of Paul Boynton, as well as other recent events, had
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
245
demonstrated in the most unequivocal manner the de¬ termined and deadly hostility of the Indian tribes in the vicinity, showing that nothing but prompt and en¬ ergetic measures on the part of the entire white popu¬ lation, acting unitedly, could prevent the frequent oc¬ currence of similar tragedies; and it was therefore re¬ solved, as the sense-of the meeting, that the Trustees of the town of Union be requsted to levy a tax of not less than fifty cents on each one hundred dollars’ worth of property, the proceeds to be appropriated to the payment of
any necessary expense incurred by the
committee of five in the discharge of their duty. The meeting, having adopted the preamble and resolution, quietly adjourned, leaving to the committee of five citi¬ zens the task of accomplishing further good results. At a special meeting of the Trustees of the town of Union, held to inquire into Indian affairs as affecting the public safety, the resolution adopted by the mass meeting of the people was presented for their consid¬ eration.
Three of the Board were present, C. J. Gard¬
ner, President, D. D. Averill, Secretary pro tem., and J. S. Fluent.
A communication
from
the citizens’
meeting, stating the action of that body, was present¬ ed and read.
On motion of J. S.
Fluent it was re¬
solved, that in accordance with the request of the citiizens a property tax be levied of fifty cents on each one hundred dollars’ worth of property within the cor¬ porate limits of the town of Union ; and it was further resolved, that the specified tax be appropriated to the payment of such necessary expenses in the prosecu¬ tion of the Indian war and the protection of the citi-
246
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
zens as the committee of five should incur during the continuance of the difficulties. Following the lead of the citizens of Union, the people of Eureka held a mass meeting to consider the situation, and on motion of Dan Pickard the resolution passed by the Union meeting was adopted, with one amendment which provided for the levying of a prop¬ erty tax of twenty-five cents, instead of fifty cents, on each one hundred dollars’worth of property within the corporate limits of the town.
The action of the peo¬
ple was reported to a special meeting of the Town Trustees, and an application was made to the Board to have the special tax levied and collected as recom¬ mended in the resolution.
The Trustees, having ex¬
amined the law on the subject, decided that they pos¬ sessed no power under the town charter to make the levy of this tax.
The extent of their authority, they
said, was to “ tax and collect money to be used in de¬ fraying the ordinary expenses of the town, including the erection and repair of wharves and the support of free schools.” That was the extent of their authority, as they understood it, which they regretted very much, the mem¬ bers of the Board being individually in favor of the plan proposed as the easiest and most equitable method of collecting
means to aid
in
against the hostile Indians.
carrying on
operations
Under the circumstances,
the committee of citizens who had made application to the Board for a property tax, and who were vested with like, powers as the Union Committee, concluded to solicit subscriptions to defray the expenses of arm¬ ing and supplying Volunteers, and of sending them to the country of the hostiles.
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
247
Gradually gaining ground, the plan of organizing Volunteer Companies assumed definite proportions, receiving the favorable opinion of all classes.
The in¬
terest of the whole community demanded that the set¬ tlers in the Bald Hills be protected where they were, instead of being compelled to abandon their homes. There was but one formidable objection to the organ¬ ization of Volunteer Companies: neither the National nor State Government had heretofore shown any desire to reimburse Volunteers for their expense of time and money.
In a community like that with which‘the
Win-toons had to deal, dependent as it was on the trade to the up-river mines, this objection, though for¬ midable, was not insurmountable.
Books were open¬
ed in Eureka for the enrollment of Volunteer Compa¬ nies and contracts were invited for furnishing the nec¬ essary supplies.
The movement was suddenly checked
by the arrival of forty-eight recruits to the regular Army, and the announcement that they were intended for service against the Indians.
Future events proved
how unfortunate this check was to the people.
The
number of men at the disposal of Major Raines, com¬ manding Fort Humboldt, was entirely insufficient to conduct a successful campaign, and, besides, they were nearly all fresh recruits, unused to military life and having no conception of the proper mode of warfare against hostile Indians.
Those who knew the usual
tactics of the regular Army when in the field against Indians had little faith in the efficacy of their services. Sad experience had taught many of the pioneers that military maneuvers were not usually associated with
248
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
successful campaigns against hostile natives, and ex¬ perience had also taught them that a volunteer force, equipped and organized by men of the community, was the only safe dependence of the frontier settlements. In the mass meetings at Union and Eureka it was stated by citizens that the Governor had been commu¬ nicated with, and that he had taken no notice what¬ ever of the petitions for aid which had been forwarded to him.
A week later certain facts were developed
which placed the matter in a new light.
A month
before the murder of Boynton a dispatch was received at Weaverville,
Trinity county,
addressed to J. C.
Burch, from John B. Weller, then Governor of the State, to the effect that if the necessity Was sufficient the Constitution gave the Executive authority to call out Volunteers to suppress Indian hostilities.
Mr.
Burch forwarded the dispatch to A. Wiley, publisher of the Weekly Times, at Eureka, who promptly fur¬ nished Governor Weller with the necessary proof that sufficient necessity did exist to warrant him in calling for Volunteers.
The proof was accompanied by a pe¬
tition for aid signed by many prominent citizens.
Mr.
Wiley’s letter and the petition from the citizens were delayed in the mails, reaching Sacramento a week later than the schedule time, being received by Governor Weller on the 31st of August.
After the murder of
Boynton, and while the people were discussing the propriety of organizing Volunteer Companies among themselves, Government, Eureka:
regardless the
of
following
reimbursement letter was
by
the
received at
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
249
Executive Department, Sacramento, Cal.,
Sept. 7th, 1858.
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 14th ult., together with the petition signed by the citizens of Humboldt, was delayed on the route and did not reach me until the 31st.
I immediately dispatched the Adjutant-Gen¬
eral to the headquarters of the Pacific Division, with a requisition for troops to clear the road from Weaverville to Humboldt Bay of the Indians, and give protec¬ tion and security to the people.
This course was nec¬
essary in order to give us a clear and indisputable claim against the Federal Government in the event that forces were called into the service.
The officer in
command, Lieut.-Col. Markall, reported that he had no troops
to send in
that direction.
Gen. Kibbe
was immediately dispatched to Weaverville to call out a military force if the difficulties referred to in the memorial still existed. Since he left I have received a letter from the Ad¬ jutant-General of this
Division of the U. S. Army,
somewhat different in its character from the reply of Lieut.-Col. Markall.
I enclose a copy.
The commu¬
nication between the Bay and Weaverville must be kept open at all hazards, and if the Federal forces who are paid to protect us against the Indians do not do it I will not hesitate to call out the militia. Very Truly, Your obedient servant, John
To A. Wiley.
B.
Weller.
250
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
The letter above given at once produced a feeling of satisfaction in the public mind.
It was manifested
in the Governor’s letter that his Excellency had in view the reimbursement of Volunteers by the Federal Government, which would rightfully be called upon to pay the expenses incurred.
The only thing to be re¬
gretted was that the Governor had not felt it a duty, under the circumstances, to call for Volunteers on his own responsibility, instead of referring to the slow and uncertain process of army movements.
The following
is the correspondence from the headquarters of the Pacific Division referred to in Governor Weller’s let¬ ter: Assistant Adjutant-General’s Office, Department of the Pacific, San Francisco,
Sir:
Sept. 6th, 1858.
Your letter to Gen. Clarke, of September 1st,
has just been handed to me, and in the absence of the General I hasten to inform your Excellency that the General, notified of the disturbances in
Humboldt
county, has so far anticipated your wishes as to send to Fort Humboldt all the men at his disposal.
This
detachment, now in the harbor, will be sent up by the earliest steamer, and the General trusts that it will give sufficient protection until a larger force, shortly to be placed at his disposal, will enable him to obtain full control over the Indians. I am, sir, your ob’t servant, W. W.
Markall,
A. A. General. To his Excellency, John B. Weller, Governor State of California, Sacramento City.
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
251
The Governor’s failure to issue an immediate call for Volunteers was the more to be regretted because the time when the reinforcements to the regular Army would arrive had not been fixed. Major Raines had ordered Capt. Underwood, a young and active officer, to take command of the recruits he was drilling for the field, but they were too few in number to be of much service in the Indian country, and the' advanta¬ ges of Volunteers over Regulars in the kind of service to be performed were too numerous to escape the at¬ tention of the settlers. It was asserted that a company of fifty Volunteers, acquainted with all the different localities, the watering-places, trails, mountains, and forest hiding-places resorted to by the Indians, would do better service than two hundred Regulars, who would have to acquire their knowledge of the country after they entered the campaign. Having this view of the matter from the commencement, and having an equal interest with Humboldt in clearing the Trinity of hostile savages, the citizens of Weaverville did not wait for the arrival of the United States troops. They organized an independent military Company under the Militia law of the State and equipped it for active service. The apparent awakening observable in the military Division of the Pacific was not accompanied by a cor¬ responding activity in the office of the Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Col. Henley, the gentleman who had the honor to hold that office, exerted himself most when he drew his salary. A little Indian war, in which a few white men, more or less, were brutally murdered,
252
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
did not trouble.his military conscience in the least. More in a spirit of irony than expectation of accom¬ plishing a good result, the people of Klamath and Humboldt undertook to remind Col. Henley that there were some duties connected with his office which did not relate to the mechanical effort of drawing his pay. Petition after petition had been sent to Col. Henley in relation to the Klamath Reservation, inquiring why no efforts were made to confine the Indians there, and as invariably as they were sent the Superintendent’s official waste basket received them.
It was presumed
that the official waste basket received them, for the people never after heard of them.
In order to bring
his duties forcibly before his official attention it was decided to send a personal messenger, Col. Snyder, of Hoopa Valley, being selected to represent the petition¬ ers, and ask the gracious permission of Col. Henley to place the hostile Indians on a Reservation.
As
convincing proof that there were such creatures as hostile Indians in the country, the Captain was pro¬ vided with two sturdy chiefs, whom he was instructed to present to the Superintendent at his office in San Francisco;
On Sunday evening, September 27th, the town of Union was
thrown
into a tremendous excitement.
About 10 o’clock in the evening some Mad River In¬ dians ran through the streets, saying that Indians from Hoopa and Redwood were destroying their rancheria
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
253
two miles from town, and murdering their women and children.
At another time such a report might have
been laughed at, in the light of a practical joke by the friendly tribes.
Coming at the time it did, in the
midst of an Indian war, the excited imagination of the people was in a condition to accept it as the truth. The alarm spread like fire.
Men hunted up weapons
of every description, and every woman and child in the town was placed in a fire-proof building owned by a citizen named Jacoby. The town was searched through and through for firearms, and when every available gun and pistol had been procured a large party of citi¬ zens volunteered to accompany the friendly Indians to their rancheria for the purpose of ascertaining how many of their women and children had been murder¬ ed.
Arriving at the rancheria they were surprised to
find it peaceful and quiet, with not a squaw or papoose missing, and not a sign of the presence of hostiles. Inquiring for the origin of the report, the Indians at the rancheria told them that the hostiles had not been seen. by.
Their footsteps were heard in the brush close The disgusted whites returned to town with the
information that the report made by the Indians was false, and between the hours of twelve o’clock and six the women and children were taken back to their homes.
Whether the friendly tribes, stolid and unused
to jokes, intended to perpetrate a practical hoax on the whites, or whether they were really frightened by something they saw or heard, was a query which no one seemed competent to answer. Considered in the light of a causeless panic, the ef-
254
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
feet of the Union excitement was not such as to create or maintain public confidence. It rather elicited severe criticism on the conduct of Major Raines, in keep¬ ing the troops under his command at Fort Humboldt at a time when they should have been in the field. The reinforcements mentioned in the Assistant Adju¬ tant-General’s
communication
to
Governor Weller
had arrived at Fort Humboldt on the 19th of Septem¬ ber, yet they had not, up
to
the 30th of the same
month, received orders to report for active duty against the hostiles.
The delay, so far as the ordinary citizen
could understand, was inexcusable;
The Trinity trail
was completely blockaded and the people were suffer¬ ing much inconvenience and great loss for want of an adequate military force to open it.
The arrival of the
troops had delayed the organization of
a Volunteer
Company at Eureka or Union which would have been in the field weeks before.
If the United States sol¬
diers had been sent to protect the trails and subdue hostile Indians, they had no business at Fort Hum¬ boldt, idling away time that ought to be spent in pur¬ suit of the
Win-toons.
These criticisms in turn pro¬
voked explanations, as such criticisms are apt to do, and the settlers were astonished to learn that the soldiers were waiting at Fort Humboldt for the officer who was to lead them against the Indians.
Captain Un¬
derwood, who had been assigned to the command, did arrive on the 2d of October, and a few days thereafter was sent out with 36 men, with orders to take a posi¬ tion in the neighborhood of Pardee’s Ranch, halfway between Union and the South Fork of Trinity.
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
255
Acting under instructions from Governor Weller, outlined in his letter to Mr. Wiley, General Kibbe, by virtue of authority of his commission as AdjutantGeneral of the State, went to Weaverville on the first of October and proceeded to organize a Company of Volunteers,
called the Kibbe Guards.
Mr. Maston,
of Weaverville, who had been admitted to a conference on the subject with the Executive at Sacramento, re¬ turned home
with
the
assurance to his people of
earnest work by the Governor in behalf of the white settlers.
The Kibbe Guards,# composed of pioneers
who knew the ways of the Indian and could meet him on his own ground with his own methods, organ¬ ized within three days, procured an armory building, and forwarded a requisition to Sacramento for seventy rifles. A Volunteer Company of eighty men was organ¬ ized at Big Bar, on the Trinity, October 14th, with I. G. Messec as Captain, and Mr. Winslet, of Ranch, as First Lieutenant.
Burnt
The Company started for
Captain Underwood’s camp immediately after organ¬ izing. Captain Underwood, stationed at Pardee’s Ranch, was kept busy with his small force of soldiers in es¬ corting trains across the mountains to the Trinity and Klamath.
The Indians avoided the trail and Captain
Underwood was not energetically inclined to follow them to their haunts. General Kibbe arrived at
Union on the
18th of
October, when he started pack trains to the Volunteers with two weeks’ supplies.
256
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
General Kibbe had not been two weeks at Union, perfecting his arrangements for an effective campaign, before the ever-revolving machinery of the Military Department singled out Captain Underwood as the subject of an experiment, and deprived the Volunteers of the little assistance he could give them by escort duty on the trail near Pardee’s Ranch.
Captain Under-
wood received orders to move his command to Hoopa Valley.
He had not been engaged in battles with In¬
dians, nor had his duties as escort required the exercise of superior military skill, yet he and his men had had time to get somewhat familiar with the trail to the Trinity and somewhat acquainted with the packers who frequented it.
Their removal would necessitate the
substitution of other strangers, who would
require
equal time to become familiar with the trail and ac¬ quainted with the packers.
The change was com¬
pleted by the removal of Lieutenant Collins from the Klamath Reservation and his assignment to Pardee’s Ranch with a force of twenty-five men, his post on the Reservation being filled by Lieutenant Crook, from Washington Territory. The Company of Volunteers under Captain Messec had the honor of the first engagement with the Wintoons.
On a scout in the vicinity of Pardee’s Ranch,
they attacked a hostile camp on Tuesday afternoon, October 26th.
A surprise had been planned which
was not effectual, owing to the light, which enabled the Indians to see the whites before they could sur¬ round the camp.
Taking to the bush as soon as at¬
tacked, the Indians offered a running fight, firing from
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
behind protecting trees and rocks.
257
One of the Vol¬
unteers, John Harpst, was shot in the left shoulder and severely injured.
Four Win-toon warriors were killed,
and two squaws and four children made prisoners. During the two weeks succeeding Messec’s skirmish near
Pardee’s Ranch a general movement up Mad
River was made by the Indians.
From the most reli¬
able information Captain Messec could obtain he was induced to believe that the hostiles had made a Winter camp high up on Mad River or on the headwaters of Yager Creek.
He had, since the fight in October,
thoroughly explored the entire section of country in the neighborhood of Pardee’s Ranch and not a single Indian had been found.
They'had temporarily taken
up their abode in more remote localities, perhaps hid¬ ing for the Winter in some far-off canon or secluded valley.
The Yager Creek country was the most prob¬
able locality of new occupation by the tribes who had been conspicuous in depredations near Pardee’s Ranch. The settlers on the headwaters of Yager Creek were few in number and incapable of long resistance.
The
country was prolific* in game and the forests lower down on the stream offered many secure retreats and hiding places.
Captain Messec ordered his Company
to cross Mad River, and led them in a march through the Yager Creek district.
His surmises regarding the
course of the hostiles were correct.
On the 13th and
14th of November he attacked three rancherias which had been recently located near Shower’s Pass.
In the
three fights five warriors were killed and twenty-six prisoners were taken. 17
Among the warriors captured
258
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
were two who had been wounded in the fight on Mad River.
They confessed that nearly all the Indians
who had been engaged in the depredations along the Trinity trail had moved to the headwaters of Mad River, Yager Creek and the Van Duzen.
The num¬
ber of the hostiles could not be ascertained, though it was supposed to amount to five or six hundred, which number would gradually dwindle down to less than one hundred as the whites drove them into the moun¬ tain passes.
No matter how many tribes joined in the
commencement of hostilities, it was constantly ob¬ served among the Digger race that a mere handful would contest the fight to the bitter end.
When any
considerable number had surrendered to the whites the remainder soon received the intelligence and their courage waned away. November passed on to its close without a percepti¬ ble change in the character of the campaign.
The
full confidence of the people was reposed in Captain Messec, who had established an enviable reputation for bravery, energy and perseverance.
The work that
he had undertaken, of driving the hostiles into close quarters and compelling them to surrender, was no easy task.
His energetic action
had accomplished
enough to indicate a successful and speedy termina¬ tion of the war, though the flight of the hostiles to the Yager Creek country might prolong the struggle far into the Winter months.
If the campaign were
prolonged through the Winter, Spring would find the hostiles in a position where escape would be impossi¬ ble.
They were already more anxious to hide than to
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
fight.
259
Their facilities for hiding presented the most
serious obstacles to their capture, their accurate knowl¬ edge of the country enabling them to watch the move¬ ments of an enemy and escape from one hiding place to another.
Still another danger that threatened the
successful termination of the war was the discourag¬ ing knowledge of the Volunteers that their services were not appreciated by the Government.
They had
left homes and employment, were expending their money and time, were enduring hardships that were severe even to pioneers—yet all appeals to the State or National Government for pecuniary aid they could not do otherwise than believe would meet with a cold reception.
No matter how deserving their conduct
might be, or what loss might be imposed on them¬ selves, the law-makers of the land would turn to great¬ er things, disdaining to recognize in the guise of In¬ dian fighters that spirit which had gained the inde¬ pendence of the Nation.
Poor comfort for men who
had left their own firesides to protect the homes of many score of other men!
Poor comfort, indeed,
when they reflected that the Volunteer expedition in which they were engaged, organized by General Kibbe, Adjutant-General of the State, was the only one which had ever been properly organized and conducted in California.
Expeditions of the past, poorly organized
and badly managed, had presented few meritorious claims to Congress, and had, in fact, so drawn the con¬ demnation of the people upon them strongly against like claims of
as to militate
future presentation.
The Federal Government was morally bound to in-
260
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
demnify the State of California for all expenses in¬ curred by order of the Executive for protection against Indians, but the Volunteers had no faith in the moral rectitude of the Government as exemplified in such matters.
In the midst of Winter, drenched by rain in
the low lands or trudging through snow on the moun¬ tains, the forces under the orders of General Kibbe were not in a suitable frame of mind to view the pros¬ pect with complaisance, and as bleak November deep¬ ened into bleaker December, bringing its complement of cold and drenching storms, the highest courage of the men was required to sustain them in their dreary camps.
26l
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
CHAPTER XIV. The War with the Win toons.—How it Ended.
One advantage.—Disposition of Prisoners.—Messec’s Campaign.— A Battle in the Redwoods.—The Volunteers Defeated.—A Retreat to Dow’s Prairie.—Condition and Ultimate Success of Gen. Kibbe’s Forces.—Fortunate Occurrence of a Storm.— Flooded and Famished, the Win-toons are Compelled to Sur¬ render. There was one advantage in fighting the Indians in mid-winter. tains. on
the
They could not live on the high moun¬
The tribes on Upper Mad River, on Redwood, various
forks
of the Van
Duzen, all
had
their Summer and Winter rancherias on the high, treeless mountains or in the deepest canons.
The
hostiles could not escape the Volunteers if the country of the foot-hills was thoroughly invested before the Spring sun thawed the snow on the mountains. Kibbe saw his opportunity.
Gen.
Capt Messec was eager
to adopt the plans of his superior officer.
So it came
to pass that the Win-toons were slowly driven into a circumscribed area on the headwaters of Mad River and the Yager, its limits narrowing as the Volunteers advanced.
The first blow of the mid-winter campaign
was strudk on the night of the 21st of December.
262
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Along the banks of Mad River, at various distances from a quarter of a mile to a mile apart, the Indians had made seventeen camps.
Acting under instruc¬
tions from Gen. Kibbe, Capt. Messec devised a plan to surprise and capture the camps, which then con¬ tained, in the aggregate, to the best of his information, about
one
hundred
Indians.
Dividing
his
com¬
mand into several small detachments, Capt. Messec ordered them to make a complete circuit of the camps and station guards at every available point of escape. This they did, and at the proper time, the Indian camps being hushed in slumber, the Volunteers charged in upon them and awakened the warriors to find them¬ selves prisoners.
So well was the surprise planned
and so quietly executed that not a gun was fired, not an Indian escaped.
Eighty-four prisoners were taken
and the camps were destroyed.
One singular feature
in the camp was the absence of guns, only two being found in the possession of 84 Indians.
It was Gen.
Kibbe’s impression that the savages, anticipating their capture, had hid their guns or given them to other Indians. What disposition was to be made of their prisoners was the absorbing, problem which perplexed the Vol¬ unteers in
the
first month of 1859.
Gen. Kibbe
applied to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California, and that officer promised to take care of the prisoners on some Reservation under his control. The promise was quickly given and slowly performed. On
the first of January Gen. Kibbe reported
120
prisoners in Capt. Messec’s camp, outnumbering the
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
263
Volunteers, and to keep these prisoners under guard in the mountains would have been a hazardous under¬ taking, especially as there was a probability of two or three hundred' more being captured at any time.
He
concluded to anticipate the tardy action of the Super¬ intendent of Indian Affairs, and taking the prisoners to Union he quartered them there until some permanent disposition could be made of them. this he went to
San
Having
done
Francisco to confer with the
dilatory Superintendent, leaving Capt. Messec to con¬ tinue operations in the field.
The removal of the
prisoners to a remote Reservation appeared to Gen. Kibbe the best way to provide against hostilities in the future.
With this opinion firmly impressed upon
his mind he sought a conference with the mysterious person who was supposed to pass a few of his leisure hours in one of the offices of the Indian Department. While Gen. Kibbe was on his official errand to San Francisco a rumor was current on the streets of Eu¬ reka that the
Volunteer expediton then
operating
against the Indians was to be disbanded by order of the Executive, and that the war was to be continued by recruits to the regular Army who had just arrived from the East.
The rumor appears to have grown out of a
correspondence between Governor Weller and Gen. Clarke, of the regular Army, in which the latter favored the prosecution of the war by the soldiers of the Unit¬ ed States.
Whether there was truth in it or not, the
report caused many bitter comments to be made on the policy of the Military Division of the Pacific.
The
people well knew that the officers at military head-
264
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
quarters had
persistently refused, before. Governor
Weller had issued a call for Volunteers, to allow the soldiers of the United States to take the field against the Indians.
The communication from Gen. Clarke to
the Executive of the State was very generally and very properly ascribed to the petty jealousy against Volunteers which
had frequently been exhibited by
the officers of the regular Army.
If Gen. Clarke de¬
sired to supersede Gen. Kibbe in the conduct of the war, his claims to precedence rested on a very unsub¬ stantial foundatiqn.
The few detachments of the reg¬
ular Army sent to the District had done very little fighting, and however valuable their services might be as escorts to pack trains, their attitude as non-comba¬ tants held no terror for the Indians and no encourage¬ ment for the whites.
It was a fortunate thing that
the project, if project it was, assumed no mere definite shape than a mere rumor, flying from one street cor¬ ner to another, and losing itself finally in the turmoil of the thoroughfare.
Capt. Messec was not idle with his Company.
Hav¬
ing cleared the headwaters of Yager Creek of hostiles, he drove those who were not captured further into the mountain
gorges, following them
up as fast as the
weather and the nature of the country would permit. In the middle of January he routed a band of hostiles in the mountains between Redwood and Hoopa Valley. They fled towards the coast and were trailed to the
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
vicinity of Dow’s
265
Prairie, north of Union.
Messec
had them nearly surrounded, and was making his ar¬ rangements to capture them, when they made their escape through the connivance of Lower Mad River Indians, who had professed friendship to the whites. Gen. Kibbe having returned from San Francisco, and being present with the command, gave orders that three of the head men of the treacherous friendly tribe be taken prisoners and held as hostages for the good behavior of the remainder.
The number of the hostile
band was not known when they fled from the moun¬ tains, and Capt. Messec, leaving the larger part of his command engaged in scouring the hills, took fourteen men and pursued them to the coast ten or twelve miles North of Union.
It was not supposed that there would
be any greater difficulty in capturing this band than had attended the taking of prisoners on Yager Creek. On the 27th of January Capt. Messec surmised from certain suspicious movements of some Lower Mad River Indians near Union, who had professed to be friendly, that the Win-toons were in
the
redwoods
somewhere between Dow’s Prairie and Liscom’s Hill. He started in pursuit with 14 men, fully determined to dislodge the hostiles. striking their trail early in the morning and following it all day.
Encamping for the
night on the trail, he started again at daylight.
At 9
o’clock in the morning the barking of dogs warned him that the Indian rancheria was near at hand
It
was not in sight, being situated, as near as they could determine, at the foot of a slight declivity, at the top of which they had halted.
Dividing his little force into
266
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
two parties of attack
7 men each, Capt. Messec prepared to
whatever lay before
him.
The two parties
separated, and descending the declivity simultaneously, they were suddenly confronted by a scene which had been farthest from their expectations.
Instead of a few
brush lodges, which they had expected to see, there were fourteen log houses before them, containing, as they afterwards estimated, at least one hundred and fifty Indians.
It was too late to retreat and the fight
commenced.
The savage warriors, adopting a method
as
old as their race, left the houses
and concealed
themselves in the brush, which was here very thick and dense.
From in front and on the right and left
the
shot
Indians
their
bullets and
arrows.
The
Volunteers stood their ground manfully, the unerring aim of their rifles telling with fearful effect upon the Indians as they left their houses, fifteen being shot down almost on the doorsteps.
Capt. Messec could
not ignore the superior numbers of the Indians, nor could he conceal the belief that the foe would have had little trouble in annihilating his force had their aim been as good as that of the Volunteers.
It was
necessary to take some position less exposed than the one then occupied by his men.
Separated into two
parties a hundred yards apart, they were exposed to the aim of the
enemy, who, secreted
ambush, fired, and hid, and fired again.
in their leafy The miraculous
escape of the whites could not continue much longer in
their present condition.
Capt. Messec sent an
order ringing out to his men, commanding them to concentrate their forces, take to the brush, and fight
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
267
the foe after his own fashion.
The manoeuvre was a
difficult and dangerous one.
If the two parties ad¬
vanced directly toward each other, they would be ex¬ posed to the murderous fire of the whole force of the savages; if they deployed to the right or left, the In¬ dians would consider that a retreat had been ordered ; if they retreated a few hundred yards for the purpose of forming anew, the foe would have time to take up new positions in unexpected ambushes.
The best that
could be done was to take to the brush in their im¬ mediate vicinity, never losing sight of the log houses, and firing whenever they caught a momentary glimpse of a skulking Indian.
Even this movement, simple
as it might appear, was fraught with danger; by leaving one position they exposed themselves to a hotter fire, momentarily, than was experienced before ; and it was not accomplished
without
bloodshed.
In this ma¬
noeuvre two of the Volunteers were severely wounded, one, John Houk, of Burnt Ranch, being shot through the hand and body by a yager ball, and another, S. Overlander, receiving two large bullets in the thighs. With two men thus wounded and incapable of further fighting, opposed
to a foe who outnumbered him
twenty to one, Capt. Messec had to do one of two things.
He had to sacrifice his
order a retreat to save them. course.
wounded
men or
He chose the latter
Taking with them the two who were wounded,
and driving before them 13 prisoners taken in the fight while they were attempting to escape through the brush, the Volunteers began their retreat.
The
Indians fully understood that the whites had sustained
268
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
a severe loss and that they had been obliged to with¬ draw ; and
understanding so
much, they sent out
scouts to harass them in their retreat.
One of these
scouts,
most
in
bravery.
particular,
exhibited
the
daring
He kept on their trail for seven hours, firing
at them from time to time as sheltering trees or bushes gave him opportunity.
In the afternoon he was far in
advance of the party, and secreting himself thirty steps from the trail, awaited their approach.
It was near
4 o’clock when the Volunteers passed his hiding place. As they did so, he rose and took deliberate aim at G. W. Werk, of Eureka, who had just been ordered to advance to the front and take a position behind the prisoners.
Werk was carrying two guns at the time,
otherwise he might have had an equal show with the Indian, for he saw him when he presented his gun to fire.
The ball was aimed at Werk's
head, but he
raised the gun on a level with his head and received the ball in his left arm, close to the elbow joint.
It
smashed the bone to splinters and severed an artery. Capt. Messec bound up the arm so as to
stop the
flow of blood, but not before Werk had become weak and exhausted from its loss.
The same Indian who
shot Werk crossed their trail half an hour later and fired at a Volunteer named Wilburn, missing him.
Sj
expert was he in hiding that it was impossible to get a shot at him, and Messec’s party was so small and his wounded men required so much attention that he could not make a deliberate attempt to capture him.
At 5
o’clock on Saturday morning the Volunteers reached Dow’s Prairie, exhausted and hungry.
None of the
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
269
party had had any sleep for fifty hours preceding, and their food had been scant and poor.
The wounded
men had suffered intensely on the way, and
it was
deemed necessary to take them to Union for medical treatment.
After a brief rest at Dow’s Prairie
the
party moved on to Union, arriving there late in the afternoon, and on the evening of the same day the in¬ juries of the wounded men were dressed and cared for. It may well be imagined that the news of Messec’s defeat spread with the rapidity which always attends evil tidings ; and it is not surprising that the prospect for a speedy termination of the Indian war did not then
appear as flattering as it had a month before.
The mode of warfare adopted by the Indians was not easily copied by the whites, and it was such as to render the idea of their complete subjugation an extremely hazardous proposition.
That they were well armed
and equipped was no longer a matter of doubt; and skilled as they had become in the use of firearms, there was no limit at which they might stop in their depre¬ dations.
It was no part of their method to keep their
guns in the rancherias, where they would be likely to lose them if surprised.
Their guns
were either in
their hands or hid in forest glens accessible only to Indians.
This was established by the fact that in all
the rancherias captured by surprise not a single gun fit for use had been found.
A warrior’s life was of no
importance in comparison with the value of his gun : he was at all times prepared for surprise, but never for the capture of his rifle.
Sometimes in the midst of a
figfit, when their courage deserted them under the fire
270
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the whites, they would secretly and covertly convey their guns to hiding places in the woods, and when the rancheria surrendered it would be in a defenseless con¬ dition.
Their rancherias were not large.
Except in
extraordinary cases, such as the general movement of the hostiles to the headwaters of Mad River and Yager Creek, which had enabled Capt. Messec to capture a large number of lodges, the tribes were susceptible of many divisions in time of war. to give battle in large numbers.
It was not their policy Rather would they
waylay the whites in parties of ten or fifteen, selecting deep canons and gloomy forests as the scenes of their exploits; and
when their
pursuers, thoughtless
of
present danger, passed on the trail, they would shoot from their ambush, and leaving it, hurry on to a more remote spot, there to
repeat the performance.
The
defeat and retreat of Capt. Messec’s small party must have had a wonderfully exhilarating effect on the scat¬ tered bands of hostiles who were wandering and hid¬ ing in the forests and the passes of the mountains. The effect produced on the whites was depressing for a time, until calmer judgment got the mastery
and
showed how futile would be the resistance of the sav¬ ages in the end.
The end might he delayed for several
•weeks or months, but come it would, as inevitably as the weeks should pass. While engaged in the pursuit of the Indians in the lower Mad River country Capt. Messec received in¬ telligence of the wounding of another of his Company Calvin Greer.
A detachment under command of A.
McNeil was fired on from ambush while in pursuit of
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
271
Indians near Albee’s Ranch, on Redwood, and Greer was shot and severely wounded. It has been stated that General Kibbe went to San Francisco for the purpose of interviewing the myster¬ ious personage invested with the office and perquisites of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California. His mission was successful.
He obtained the coveted in¬
terview, and also permission to remove the Indians cap¬ tured in the Win-toon war to the Government Reser¬ vation in Mendocino county.
When the fight near
Dow’s Prairie occurred there were one hundred squaws and papooses on board the bark Fanny Major, en route to the Mendocino coast.
The problem of what should
be done with Indian prisoners had been solved by the gracious condescension of the Department of Indian Affairs. Like every volunteer expedition that had ever took the field in Northern California, the forces directed by General Kibbe soon sustained serious pecuniary dam¬ age by their absence from home.
Some of them had
left profitable mining claims, which, long before the end of the war, were “ jumped ” by prospectors.
Some
had left their little clearings, in the heart of the forest, where they had hoped to have a hearthstone of their own.
Some had abandoned houses and herds on the
mountain ranges.
Some had left employment which
returned them a handsome remuneration for their labor. And some there were who had been the support of families now deprived of their assistance.
Knowing
these facts, General Kibbe was anxious that a treaty should be made with- the Indians, so that the Volunteers
272
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
might disband and return to their homes.
Fully con¬
vinced that the hostiles on Redwood, having suffered much, would willingly surrender if they could have proper assurance of proper treatment, and knowing of no other means of communication with them except through the tribes in friends of the
Hoopa Valley, who were the
Indians on Redwood, he despatched
Lieut. Winslett to Hoopa to ask aid of the chief men of the tribes.
Lieut. Winslett had no difficulty in en¬
listing the services of the Hoopa Indians.
He repre¬
sented to them that the hostiles on Redwood would be well treated if they surrendered and brought in their guns, and he impressed on their minds that much bloodshed would be averted by this course.
Three
head men of the Hoopas volunteered to go to the hos¬ tile tribes and induce them to surrender, and they actually started on their journey; but through some mysterious agency they received intelligence the first day out which
caused
them to retrace
their steps.
They could not again be induced to make a start. Lieut. Winslett returned to Gen. Kibbe and reported the failure of his enterprise.
What had caused the
three Hoopa Indians to retrace their steps so suddenly, and resist all inducements to make another start, re¬ mained a mystery to
the Volunteers.
There were
rumors that a certain class of white men who profited by the continuance of the Indian war, selling and trad¬ ing with the hostiles, had advised the Hoopas to have nothing to do with Gen. Kibbe’s scheme, for he meant them harm. Gen
Whatever the
reason may have been,
Kibbe was not the kind of man to be easily
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
thwarted in his designs.
273
He went to Hoopa himself,
and, by dint of much reasoning and some threats, suc¬ ceeded in procuring the services of three chief men to assist him in bringing the Redwood hostiles to ami¬ cable terms.
Of the three, one was a very aged and
influential medicine man, called Op-le-gow Mowema, an earthly representative, so to speak, of the Great Spirit to whom all tribes did reverence.
Elated with his
success, Gen. Kibbe returned to Union, where he ex¬ pressed the opinion that he would soon be able to ter¬ minate the war, provided that no more obstacles were thrown in his way by meddlesome white men. The weather during the last week of January and the first two weeks in February, 1859, was remark¬ ably severe.
For days together terrible gales blew
from the South-east, and torrents of rain fell.
The
streams were swollen to a height never before known to the whites.
Of Ryan’s Slough, emptying into the
bay between Eureka and Union, it is related that there were in it six hundred thousand feet of sawlogs, which went adrift, all the booms being insuffi¬ cient to hold them against the boisterous current that swept down from the mountains.
Salmon Creek,
emptying into the South Bay, was four feet higher than it had ever been known to be before. and Mad River were
not as high
as
Eel River the smaller
streams, yet were sufficiently swollen to make their crossing dangerous. tity of snow fell.
On the mountains a large quan¬
It was five feet deep at Elk Prairie
and two feet deep at Liscom’s Hill.
The storm, on
the mountains and in the valleys, was the worst of the 18
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
274
season, and had
not been
excelled in severity for
several years preceding. The storm Volunteers.
was a fortunate
occurrence for the
The hostiles, unable to hunt on the
mountains and afraid
to go down on the streams,
were actually starved
into
weeks.
submission within four
On the 29th of January Capt. Messec joined
Lieut. Winslett at Elk Prairie, where the whole com¬ mand went into camp for a week, when it was moved to Mad River, at which place preparations were made for another tour of the
adjacent country.
were but few engagements after the Dow’s fight.
There Prairie
There was a skirmish on January 28th, be¬
tween Lieut. Winslett’s detachment and a band of Indians on Redwood, in which several of the hostiles were killed, and Frank McCafferty, a Volunteer, was wounded.
From that date till the first of
matters remained quiet and uneventful.
March
Gen. Kibbe
was at Redwood, where he waited the result of a “ pow-wow ” between the three Hoopas and the hos¬ tiles.
About the 20th of February the Hoopas re¬
turned to Gen. Kibbe and reported that the hostiles were willing to make or receive propositions for a general surrender and a termination of all difficulties, but they desired to hold a “ big council ” with the white men, and they named the Big Lagoon, a body of water near the ocean, North of Trinidad, as the place for holding it.
Gen. Kibbe, accompanied by
Capt. Messec and 25 of his men, went to the Big Lagoon, accordingly, for the purpose of holding the council.
The council was not a complete success.
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
275
Many of the hostiles agreed to surrender, and many of them did, but the majority were apparently indif¬ ferent, preferring rather that the Volunteers should go to them than that they should go to the Volunteers. They were not able to fight, and could with difficulty subsist on their limited supply of miserable food. The severity of the weather prevented them from hunting or fishing. culable
amount
It would have averted an incal¬
of labor and
privation
from the
Volunteers had the Indians surrendered of their own accord.
Remaining in their rancherias, nothing could
be done except to hunt them out of their retreats and drive them to the bay like sheep. Starved and famished, the
Win-toons could no
longer fight; the Volunteers were energetic; and the end of the war came speedily.
Wherever the camps
or rancherias were found the Indians offered no re¬ sistance and made no attempt to escape.
Gen. Kibbe
made a contract with Captain Woodly, of the bark Fanny Major, to take a second consignment of pris¬ oners
to
Mendocino,
Redwood by Capt.
including
Messec
and
75
detachment under Lieut. Winslett. March
captured
on
25 captured by a On the 15th of
160 prisoners were taken from
Union and
placed on board the Fanny Major, and on the 17th the vessel sailed for Mendocino.
It was Gen. Kibbe’s
opinion that nearly all of the hostile Indians on Red¬ wood had been captured, and he accordingly made preparations to disband the Volunteers.
The Execu¬
tive of the State was communicated with, who replied that he was highly pleased with the manner in which
276
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the campaign had been conducted, and that he should urge upon the Legislature the propriety and necessity of paying from the State Treasury the expenses which had been incurred. If appeared from the statements of prisoners that the murders that led to the war had been committed by five Win-toons—five brothers—who lived on Upper Redwood. They were the murderers of Granger and Cook in March, 1857, whom they killed for the rifles, revolvers and ammunition in their possession. They were instrumental in the killing of Stevens and Miller, and subsequently they shot Mr. Boynton. They were the leading spirits in the inception of the war, and throughout the campaign they fought fiercely and bravely, exposing themselves to dangers which others of their tribe shrank from. .They were shot and killed by the Volunteers until only one remained. He, gloomy and defiant, was escorted to the Fanny Major with the other prisoners en route to Mendocino. A few of the Redwood Indians who had been of service to General itibbe in the expedition were not sent away, being told that they might thereafter live among the peace¬ able tribes of Lower Mad River. Among the number retained and permitted to remain in the country was one who had been long known to the settlers as “ Old Sandy,” the chief man of the Sweathouse tribe. He was regarded by the settlers on Redwood, and by those who traveled the trail constantly, as a good and faithful ally of the whites. He had always been friendly toward the whites, and it was the opinion of those best acquainted with him that he had always counseled
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS*
2 77
peace when any tribe exhibited a disposition to make trouble.
When Gen. Kibbe was shipping his human
cargo on board the Fanny Major “ Old Sandy” begged to be left at home, saying that he would render any service in
return that might be demanded of him.
General Kibbe was then endeavoring to devise some means of obtaining possession of many guns which had been secreted by the Indians.
True to their in¬
stincts, the prisoners had refused to divulge the places where they had hidden them..
“Old Sandy” willingly
promised to assist in finding the guns, and with that understanding he was allowed to remain in the coun¬ try.
Another who was allowed to remain was one of
the prisoners taken on Mad River in February.
After
his own capture he gave valuable aid to Gen. Kibbe, locating and describing the rancherias and suggesting plans for their capture. On the 20th of March the expedition was declared to be closed and the war ended.
During the week
that ensued Gen. Kibbe issued an order for the Volun¬ teer Company to disband at Big Bar, where they were mustered into service.
Several members of the Com¬
pany, however, whose homes were in Humboldt county, or who did not wish to return to Klamath or Trinity counties, were discharged at Union. The war being at an end, nothing remained to be done by the Volunteers except to seek remuneration from the Legislature for the losses they had sustained. Fortunately, the Volunteers had a friend in Governor Weller.
That gentleman represented in their behalf
that it had been a more difficult undertaking to subdue
278
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the Win-toons than was anticipated by anybody when the war commenced.
The expedition against them
took the field on the 25th of October, 1858, the officers at that time being confident that five or six weeks’ time, or two months at most, would be sufficient in which to suppress all hostile demonstrations.
Under the im¬
pression conveyed by this confident opinion of the officers, many men had joined the expedition who could ill afford to be away from their homes a great length of time, and who had sustained serious financial loss by the extended campaign.
The Winter had been
severe and the campaign hard and exhaustive.
That
it had been pushed to the utmost extent of physical endurance spoke volumes of praise for the officers and men engaged in the expedition, and especially did.the fact reflect honor upon Capt. Messec and Gen. Kibbe, whose bravery and devotion had done so much to quell the savages.
As the result of the expedition three
hundred Indians had been taken prisoners and sent to the Mendocino Reservation and nearly one hundred warriors had been killed.
By every code of honor and
of good faith, by every principle of public safety, the State of California was bound to indemnify the Volun¬ teers for the losses sustained
by them.
Governor
Weller, acting with sound discretion in the premises, and with reference to a communication made to him by Gen.
Kibbe, sent the following
Legislature:
message to the
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
279
Executive Department, Sacramento,
April 8, 1859.
To the Senate of California:
1 transmit, herewith, a report received on yesterday from the Adjutant-General, in regard to the late In¬ dian war in the
Northwestern part of the State.
These troops were in the field some five and a half months, and during a season of the year when they were compelled to endure great hardships.
They
have rendered very valuable services to the State, and I trust it may be the pleasure of the Legislature to make provision
at once for the payment of their
just demands. The compensation fixed by law is wholly inadequate for the services these patriotic men have rendered, and I therefore recommend an additional allowance.
A
just and liberal spirit on the part of the State will al¬ ways secure volunteers when
Indian
disturbances
occur. The Adjutant-General
having, with commendable
patriotism, taken the field in person, contributed much towards the success of the expedition, as well as the economical manner in which it seems to have been conducted. In compliance with a resolution adopted by the Military Committee of your honorable body, I trans¬ mitted to them, some weeks since, all the information then in this Department, touching this Indian war. To that communication I respectfully refer. John
B.
Weller.
280
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
The Legislature acted promptly after considering the representations
made,
and
a bill passed
both
Houses appropriating $52,000 out of the State Treas¬ ury to defray the expenses of the war with the Wintoons.
The entire cost of the war, aside from the pay
allowed to the men, footed up $30,400.
With 90 men
in service for over five months, and with heavy charges on account of the wounded and transportation of sup¬ plies, this large amount was considered a very eco¬ nomical expenditure, and was so in fact when compared to the cost of other similar wars.
The amount appro¬
priated was sufficient, after payment of actual ex¬ penses, to cover a compensation to the men of $50 per month. In the month of May Gen. Kibbe paid off the Vol¬ unteers in full; Capt. Messec took leave of his Com¬ pany ; and the settlers on the Trinity trail, as well as the people generally in the country ravaged by the Indians, were profoundly grateful that the war had ended so well.
A YEAR IN THE LOWLANDS.
281
CHAPTER. XV. A
Year in the Lowlands.
A Foolish Act and its Sequel.—“Captain Jim” and “San Fran¬ cisco John.”—A Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the Tribes of the Mattole. A whole year without Indian troubles in the low¬ lands around Humboldt Bay would have been a strange occurrence in the early history of the country.
Had
the tribes in the lowlands, familiarly known as “ the Valley tribes,” kept perfectly quiet and
inoffensive
during the period of the Win-toon war, there would have been some foundation for a profession of friend¬ ship toward the whites on their part.
No one who
knew the real character of the Digger race—their un¬ forgiving nature, their habit of ascribing to all white men the responsibility of
a wicked deed by an irre¬
sponsible individual, their jealous distrust of a people that had long usurped their hunting-grounds, their in¬ clination to treachery and deceit—no one having a knowledge of their nature was prepared to expect that they would remain indifferent and inoffensive specta¬ tors of the struggles of the mountain tribes. morning of the 29th of
On the
May, 1858, a party of
eight
282
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
or ten men went to a rancheria on Eel River, a few miles above its mouth, for the purpose, they said, of taking away guns that were in the possession of the Indians.
Without sufficient provocation to justify the
act, and with a lack of good judgment which was uni¬ versally condemned by the citizens generally, the men fired into the rancheria, killing one warrior and one squaw and wounding a squaw and a papoose.
The
righteous indignation of the citizens was aroused by the act, which might be the spark that would ignite the flame of a cruel war in the Southern part of the county.
On the 3d of June warrants were issued for
the arrest of the men who attacked the rancheria, Sheriff A. D. Sevier and a posse of deputies going out to make the arrests. that could be found.
Three of the party were all
C. A. Sherman, Wm. McDon¬
ald and a man named Baker were taken into custody by the Sheriff and conveyed
to Eureka.
Here they
had a legal examination before Justice Hansell, who held them to bail in the sum of
$3,000 each, on a
charge of murder. McDonald and Sherman procured bondsmen.
Baker was committed to jail, and Sher¬
man was soon after surrendered by his bondsmen.
It
was not long before a sequel to the Eel River affair occurred, if not induced by it, at any rate the result of
similar wanton acts, of violence by unprincipled
white men.
On the afternoon of the same day upon
which Sheriff
Sevier went to Eel River for the pur¬
pose of arresting the men who made the attack on the rancheria two white men were shot by Indians four miles from Eureka.
Ira Jordan
and John Mackey,
A YEAR IN THE LOWLANDS.
283
at work in the woods, were shot from an ambush and both wounded with buckshot.
The Indians were seen
but none of them were recognized.
The wounded
men were taken to Eureka, accompanied by a large number of loggers and other laborers in the redwoods. A meeting was held to consider such proceedings as might become necessary for the citizens to take in the matter of punishing the Indians who did the shooting. Two who sported the popular appellations of “ Captain Jim ” and “ San Francisco John ” were suspected of haying been engaged in the affair.
With no positive
knowledge that they were the guilty parties, but with an excited determination to avenge the wrong that had been done, the citizens sought the two in all the places usually frequented by them.
They were not found,
and to insure their ultimate appearance four other In¬ dians were taken to the jail in Eureka and held as hostages. fect.
The latter proceeding ’had the desired ef¬
Four days later “ Captain Jim ” and “ San Fran¬
cisco John” went to Fort Humboldt and surrendered themselves to Major Raines, the officer in command. Major Raines in turn surrendered them to the Sheriff of the county, who placed them in jail, where they re¬ mained two days.
They were then released, no evi¬
dence having been procured against them. Scarcely
had the excitement died out in Eureka
when Col. Whipple brought the news of a murder near the mouth of the Klamath.
A man named Van-
dall, traveling from Union to Crescent City, being un¬ acquainted with the
country employed two
guides at the Reservation.
Indian
The two Indians planned
284
INDIAN
WARS OF THE
NORTHWEST.
the murder of Vandall before starting on the journey. Intentionally taking the wrong trail, they led Vandall to the crossing of a stream.
Informing him that the
stream was too deep at the place where they were to be crossed with safety, they invited him to a point higher up, where there was a better crossing. ing the stream three or four stopped a few minutes, one of
hundred
Follow¬
yards, they
the guides improving
the opportunity to get hold of Vandall’s gun.
Then
occurred a sanguinary fight in the depths of the forest, with no human eye to see or hand to interfere.
The
guide who had seized the gun shot Vandall with it, and the latter drew his knife and plunged it deep into the Indian’s heart.
The other guide had in the mean¬
time possessed himself of Vandall’s pistol, with which he shot and killed him, not, however, until he had re¬ ceived a severe wound from
Vandall’s
knife.
The
wounded guide went back to the Reservation and re¬ ported that his party had been attacked by hostiles and he was the sole survivor. His story was discredited and the authorities of the Reservation took him into custody.
Accused of having been implicated in the
murder of Vandall, the guide made a full confession, detailing minutely the whole affair.
He was taken
back to the place where the murder was committed. In sight of the bloody spot where Vandall fell he was hanged to a tree.
The cause of
the murder was at¬
tributed to a desire on the part of
the guides to get
possession of Vandall’s money, a purse which had be¬ longed to him being found in the lodge of the mother of one of the guides.
It was very rarely the case that
an Indian murdered a white man for his money.
Mo-
A YEAR IN THE
LOWLANDS.
285
tives as base influenced him, but they were motives of revenge and wilful hate.
A murder for money was
a circumstance to be treasured in the traditions of a tribe as one of the singular effects of white civilization.
South of Eel River the Mattole empties into the ocean.
A strip of fertile agricultural land on each
side of the stream, several miles in extent, is known as the Mattole Valley.
In June, 1858, a
man named
Thornton was murdered in this Valley by Indians, who mutilated his body in a horrible manner. were unjointed, his
His limbs
head cut off; every species of
barbarity known to and practiced by the savages was perpetrated on Thornton’s corpse.
The settlers in
the Mattole Valley were incensed beyond forbearance. For a time there was an indiscriminate slaughter of such Indians as could be found by the settlers, twenty being killed in two weeks. For the three months succeeding the
murder of
Thornton there was no sense of security in the Mattole region.
The settlers kept their guns within reach at
all hours, fearful of the stealthy approach treacherous foe.
When
of their
the Win-toon war was ab¬
sorbing the interest of the people in the Northern and central districts of the county the situation in Mattole was of a more encouraging character.
The bloody
revenge of the settlers for the murder of Thornton had had a salutary effect on the tribes in the vicinity. They announced their willingness to make a treaty of peace and friendship with the whites.
For the purpose
286
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of agreeing upon some definite provisions of the treaty a mass-meeting of citizens was held on the 4th day of September. of the meeting.
L. W. Gillett acted as Chairman A Committee on Resolutions was
appointed by the meeting, composed of M. J. Conklin, J.
H.
Freuit,
Chairman.
H. T. Brown, Joel
Benton
and the
The real work of the meeting was left to
the discretion and action of the Committee on Reso¬ lutions, and from their report we may gain the gist of the proceedings taken.
The Committee, rejecting the
superfluity of a preamble, reported the following reso¬ lutions as the result of their deliberations, which were adopted by a unanimous vote : Resolved, That we, the citizens of Mattole Valley, do form and enter into a treaty of peace and friend¬ ship with the Indians on the following terms, viz: 1st.
That the
Indians
use
all due diligence
to
secure the persons of the three Indian murderers now running at large who were concerned in the murder of Mr. Thornton. 2d. all
That they shall furnish the citizens any and
information
that they may have, or be able to
obtain, in aiding to arrest the said murderers, and use all their influence to bring them to justice. 3d.
That we will protect them from all danger and
the other
Indians, by their giving information and
assisting to arrest the said murderers. 4th.
That the Indians must not set fire to the grass ;
that they must not drive away, molest or kill our cattle, horses, mules or hogs ; that they must not enter our en¬ closures;
that they must not steal from us; that they
must not reside on our claims without our consent.
287
A YEAR IN THE LOWLANDS.
Resolved,
That the Indians be permitted to return
and live in the Valley, collect their wild food, fish, etc. Resolved,
That this treaty of peace is only made
with the Mattoles, and does not extend to any other tribes of Indians, and that they must not harbor any Indians from Cuscouse Creek, Bear River, Eel River, or any other
Indians
who do
not belong to
the
Mattoles. Resolved,
That we discountenance
and
will
not
permit any white men to go into Indian rancherias, to interfere with the squaws or children, or in any way molest them. Resolved,
That we will not allow men who are
renegades from other portions of the State or county to reside in this Valley or live among the Indians. Resolved,
That we consider all such
persons a
disgrace to any settlement and a source of trouble and difficulty with the Indians.
We therefore cannot and
will not permit them to live among the Indians or us. Resolved,
That these resolutions be published in
the Humboldt Times, as a notice to the public and a warning to those white men who are renegades and fugitives from justice, and that we will not permit them in future to make our Valley a hiding-place for any such outlaws. [Signed]. ,
M. J
Conklin,
J. H.
Freuit,
H. T.
Brown,
Joel Benton,
L. W.
Gillett,
Committee on Resolutions.
288
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Had the provisions of such a treaty as was con¬ tained in the Mattole resolutions obtained recognition in every part of the county there would have been no trouble with the Indians which could not have been dealt with by the civil authorities.
But the provisions
of the treaty were set at defiance, first by the renegade white men against whom its strongest language was directed, and next by the Indians themselves.
Adopt¬
ed with all due solemnity, and in good faith, it was no fault of good citizens that the treaty was not carried out to the letter.
A class of outlaws, neither men
nor brutes, the scum of civilization, frequented the outskirts of the settlements, entailing upon the whites by their vicious practices the worst consequences of Indian warfare.
A year in the lowlands had not brought a better understanding between the whites and the Indians. January, 1859, did not witness a more pacific spirit than had January, 1858.
In the near vicinity of the
bay the valley tribes were scarcely awed into submis¬ sion by the martial preparations incident to the ex¬ pedition against the mountain hostiles.
South of
Eel River the Mattole treaty gave a brief respite to the settlers, a welcome calm of peace before a stform.
YAGER CREEK.
289
CHAPER XVI. Yager Creek.
Hostilities and depredations.—Death of J. C. Ellison.—The Hydesville Volunteers.
Yager Creek and vicinity, a section rich in grazing lands, which had attracted numbers of enterprising settlers, principally stock-raisers, was in a most defense¬ less condition in the Spring of 1859.
The disband¬
ing of the Volunteers had left that whole section again exposed to the marauding raids of roving bands of mischievous and hostile Indians.
The troops of
the regular Army stationed at Fort Humboldt were insufficient to prevent th6 wanton killing of cattle and destruction of homes, nor were the settlers them¬ selves
numerous
against the
enough
hostiles.
to
intimidate
or guard
Nearly one hundred soldiers
were lying idle in the garrison at Bucksport, Major Raines appearing as indifferent to the needs of the settlers as any of the idle men under his command. He was urged to send out a detachment and establish a military post somewhere near the headwaters of Yager Creek, so that it might answer the double pur¬ pose of guarding stock and affording protection to the travelers between the 19
Trinity and
the
Eel
River
$ 2 gO
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
settlements.
With characteristic delay, the troops
continued to idle away their time at Fort Humboldt. Major Raines was not unlike his predecessors at Fort Humboldt in his inability to distinguish the value of time and human lives. considered
valuable,
Time could not have been
for
it was
wantonly
wasted.
Human lives could not have been considered of much importance, unless, indeed, they were the lives of the soldiers of the garrison, who were seldom allowed to risk their own others.
in the preservation of the lives of
Something
was
always
insurmountable obstacle to ness of the troops^
in
the way as an
the activity and useful¬
While Gen. Kibbe was at Union
in March he had corresponded with Major Raines in relation to the condition and prospective disposi¬ tion of the troops, and among this correspondence was the following: Union,
March ir, 1859.
Sir:—I am informed by his Excellency, the Gov¬ ernor of California, that he has been notified that the Federal force now on this Bay is ready for immediate service, and is sufficient for the protection of the peo¬ ple, and to chastise the Indians, if it should become necessary. Please advise me if such
is the fact, and if your
troops are ready to take the field immediately. I have the honor to be, Your obedient servant, Wm. C.
Kibbe,
Adjutant-General of the State of California. To Major Raines, commanding Post, Bucksport, Hum¬ boldt Bay, California.
YAGER CREEK.
Fort Humboldt, California,
29I
March 16, 1859.
Sir: Your letter of nth instant came to hand Mon¬ day per express, and in answer I have to inform you that a needful supply of clothing for the troops, the shipment of which we have been notified, is hourly ex¬ pected.
When it arrives, they will be put in readiness
for the field without delay.
We supposed the steamer
would have brought it, but were disappointed. Very Respectfully, Your obedient servant, G.
J. Raines,
Major, Fourth Infantry, Commanding. To
W.
C.
Kibbe, Adjutant-General of California,
Union, California.
Two months elapsed, yet the clothing which had been hourly expected either did not arrive or was still insufficient to supply the wants of the soldiers.
The
real cause for delay was not on account of insufficient or delayed clothing.
The real cause lay in the fact
that Major Raines had an exalted opinion of his posi¬ tion entirely disproportionate to the station itself.
If
a scouting party was needed and demanded in the hills, he considered it his duty to dignify every halting place with the name of “ Post,” and he could not se¬ riously think of sending out a detachment of one hun¬ dred men without making preparations commensurate with an army of ten thousand.
It was the old story
292
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of army discipline and army dignity, which had been so disastrous to the efficiency of the regular Army in all campaigns against the Indians.
The settlers on
Yager Creek must look elsewhere for protection. In May a detachment of soldiers from Fort Hum¬ boldt under Capt. Lovell took the field in the Yager Creek country, too late to be of any valuable service. During the months they had been on garrison duty the Indians had never ceased their devilish mischief, and for six weeks preceding the first of May there had been a most exasperating slaughter of cattle on all the Yager Creek ranges.
On the ioth of May the
depredation on property was joined with of human life.
the taking
While hunting cattle on Yager Creek
James C. Ellison saw a number of Indians packing off the meat of the cattle they had killed.
He returned
to his camp, where he had left several other settlers, and informed them of what he had seen. tions were made to attack the thieving night.
When
they had perfected
Prepara¬
Indians that
their plans they
started, five in number, and had gone about two miles when two Indians belonging to a party secreted in the brush either by accident or design showed themselves to the whites. two.
The whites fired and killed one of the
The other, being wounded, jumped behind a
log where his companions lay concealed.
The whites
ran up to where they supposed the wounded Indian had fallen, and going around
the log, were within
twenty feet of thirty or forty Indians before they saw them.
Ellison was struck by an arrow in the groin.
When the arrow struck him he drew the shaft and
YAGER CREEK.
continued fighting until
293
the Indians were routed.
Two or three days later Ellison died, and was buried at Hydesville. The death of Ellison and the slaughter of stock preceding it discouraged the settlers in Creek section.
the Yager
All cattle that could be collected were
speedily driven to Mattole, and a splendid grazing country was once more deserted by the settler. Two days after Ellison’s death the Hydesville Vol¬ unteer Company was organized
Abram
Lyle was
elected Captain,H. J. Davis First Lieutenant, Eli Davis Second Lieutenant, and J. H. Morrison Commissary and Quartermaster. There were twenty-five men in the Company, which was provisioned and equipped for a scout of six weeks.
The provisions were stored at a
settler’s house on South Yager, where the company was divided into two squads, one going over to Mad River, the other to North Yager.
The detachment
operating on North Yager succeeded in trailing some Indians to their quarters in the redwoods.
Before
reaching the rancheria they came abruptly on three who were gathering clover, killing two of them and wounding the other.
The firing was heard by those
who were in the rancheria, who fled, carrying away with them everything that was of value in the shape of firearms. Men who had been hunting cattle brought in the information that several bands of Indians had been seen on the Van Duzen, and it was supposed that as the cattle were all moved from North Yager, and there was nothing left for them to prey on there, they would carry their depredations further south, into the
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
294
Van Duzen and Mattole districts. were energetic in their
The Volunteers
movements, and before the
first of June they had driven many roving bands of savages from the headwaters of Yager Creek and Mad River.
The detachment of United States troops un¬
der Capt. Lovell were encamped at Indian Gulch. When the six weeks for which the Volunteers had been
equipped had elapsed the Commissary, J. H.
Morrison, went to Eel River and procured more sup¬ plies, the Company having decided to remain in the field several months longer. As the Summer progressed there was a little activ¬ ity in military circles at Fort Humboldt. A portion of Capt. Underwood’s
Company was
ordered removed
from Hoopa and placed on the Trinity trail, and the detachment went into camp at Pardee’s house on Red¬ wood, in command of Lieut. Collins, within one day’s march of Capt. Lovell’s camp on Yager Creek. Thus matters went on until the approach of Win¬ ter.
Then, when the acorns, roots and other food be¬
gan to fail in the woods and on the hills, the roving tribes of depredating mountain savages renewed their raids on the cattle herds of the whites.
In December
cattle were lost in every drove between the Van Du¬ zen and Mad Rivers.
In the vicinity of Kneeland’s
Prairie and the Buttes twenty-five head of cattle were killed in two weeks. was driven killed, and
In one instance a band of cattle
into the redwoods, where the
fires
several
were
over which the meat was dried
were found still burning by a party of settlers.
The
firm of Dix Brothers started from Hydesville for Wea-
YAGER CREEK.
295
verville with a drove of cattle, and on the first night in the Bald Hills one of their drove was killed.
The
Hydesville Volunteers, as soon as the fact was known, started in pursuit, and trailed the Indians around Ya¬ ger Creek to where the trail struck across to the head of Elk River, where they were compelled to give up the chase. It was the opinion of a majority of the settlers on the Van Duzen and Yager that it would eventually be
necessary, in order to suppress the hostilities and
restore
protection to property, to organize Volunteer
Companies under the laws of the State, and with the expectation of receiving pay for services rendered. So far the citizens of Hydesville and vicinity had been taxed nearly a thousand dollars for the support of the Volunteers.
They felt their inability to endure the
burden
much
pressed
that unless relief was soon
longer.
The
opinion was freely ex¬ provided, from
some source, the entire country overrun by the hos¬ tile natives would In
this condition
Raines for
help;
be deserted by the white settlers. the settlers appealed and
he,
with
promised to look into the matter.
to
Major
military precision,
296
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XVII. '
From Bad to Worse.
Win-toons leaving the Reservations.—Reports of barbarous deeds.— A requisition for arms.—Sickening experience of hope deferred. —A mysterious League.—Secret meetings in lonely farmhouses. —The birthplace of the League.—Its members and originator.— The massacre at Indian Island.
Indian affairs rapidly assumed a most serious aspect. Every week and every day revealed the inefficiency of Army protection, the treachery and wanton cruelty of the Indians, the extreme suffering of white settlers, the urgent need of a Volunteer expedition like that which brought the Win-toon war to a successful close.
The
expedition under General Kibbe had done its work most effectually.
The Win-toons, placed on Reserva¬
tions, gradually deserted them in straggling parties and went back to their old homes, yet few of them had, up to this time (i860) joined the hostile tribes whose raids were made in their country.
They had
felt the power of a military force which knew how to fight them, and their belligerent spirit had not yet risen from a crushing defeat.
A similar expedition, directed
by efficient officers, would have suppressed hostilities
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
297
and punished the depredating tribes into submission. But another expedition like Gen. Kibbe’s was not practicable, for several reasons, the principal one being the fact that the payment of Volunteers for expenses and losses incurred was yet delayed and hindered at Sacramento.
If relief was to be obtained, it must come
from Volunteer Companies of citizens, conducted by citizens, organized with no definite expectation of pay and for the sole purpose of protecting their own homes. In the midst of the New Year festivities of i860 news was received of the murder of two strangers, in the Mattole Valley, under atrocious circumstances. Five men from Sacramento, whose names were un¬ known, had arrived at Bear Harbor in December on a hunting expedition, damping
there several weeks.
Their provisions gave out and two of the party were sent to Mattole for a fresh supply.
Two weeks passed
and they did not return to the camp.
Inquiries were
made in the settlement, which resulted in the convic¬ tion that the hunters had been murdered by some of the Mattole Indians.
A small party of Mattole settlers
attacked several rancherias and captured prisoners who divulged the particulars of the murder and the identity of the murderers.
A rifle, a powder flask, and blan¬
kets that had belonged to the murdered men were re¬ covered from one of the rancherias.
The prisoners
confessed that the two whites had been encamped for the night, when they were killed and their bodies cut to pieces and thrown into the surf. A growing excitement in the community was inten¬ sified by the relation of various versions and some
298
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
exaggerations of the Mattole murders.
A feeling of
insecurity spread through all classes—and the Indians themselves no longer confined their cattle-stealing and their murderous attacks to the Yager Creek country. Reports and rumors were rife of many barbarous deeds in nearly all sections of Humboldt county.
Not quite
a year had elapsed since Capt. Messec had closed his campaign against the Win-toons.
Many of the prison¬
ers sent to the Mendocino Reservation were back in their old homes, more subdued
than formerly and
smarting under chastisement and defeat; liable, never¬ theless, to take the war-path again at any moment. The situation, critical and absorbing, demanded the intervention of a Kibbe or a Messec to prevent the horrible consequences of another war between the two races. On Yager Creek the hostiles were daily more daring in their outrages, killing stock in the corrals and some¬ times in the presence of the owners.
The Hydesville
Volunteers, unable to continue in the field at their own expense, were disbanded and dispersed to their homes, leaving no check to the advance of the Indians. On North Yager a number of settlers banded together for mutual
protection, but were powerless
their neighbors. even worse.
to assist
On the Bald Hills the situation was
In the iatter part of January the Indians
collected a hundred head of cattle, belonging to dif¬ ferent persons, and drove them by the houses of white men in open sight.
The neighborhood was quickly
aroused and a party gave chase, regaining all but 20 or 30 head of the stock.
The settlers then drove their
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
stock together, for better security.
299
In doing so they
were compelled to desert their houses and other prop¬ erty. Preparations were made in the beginning of Febru¬ ary for the
organization of a Volunteer Company,
under the laws of the State, by E. L. Davis, appointed by the County Judge for that purpose, which was to take the field at once, trusting to the justice of the people to demand a recognition of their acts by the State Legislature.
There was a meeting of the citi¬
zens of Eel River Valley, at Hydesville, on Saturday, February 4th, i860, at which E. L. Davis presided, Henry Stern, of Union, acting as secretary.
The
Volunteer Company was duly organized according to law, officers being elected, viz: Seaman Wright, Cap¬ tain; E. D. Holland, First Lieutenant; Henry Robin¬ son and Thos. C. McNamara, Second Lieutenants; Eli Davis, P. Stansberry, G. Gray. J. O. Corder, Ser¬ geants; T. Wyatt, S. Ferguson, N. Underwood, S. Luce, Corporals.
There were 55 privates on the roll
at the first meeting.
Capt. Wright went to Eureka
on the following Monday and forwarded a notice of the organization, together with a requisition for arms, to Senator Ryan, that the proper attention of the Executive might be directed to the emergency in which the people were placed, an emergency which demanded that the Volunteers be called into the regular service of the State and provision made for their support. Pending action of the Executive, it was absolutely necessary for the Volunteers to go into active service of their own accord, equipped at their own expense,
300
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
and supplied with provisions by the merchant traders of the county.
Before the 15th of February the Com¬
pany had been provisioned and were in the field, scout¬ ing on the Van Duzen, with headquarters at Campton’s Ranch. February passed.
No reply to the requisition for
arms was received from Sacramento, nor was there any intimation that the Company would be called into service by the Governor.
Settlers on the Van Duzen,
despairing of aid from the State, and knowing that the Volunteers would soon be compelled to disorganize if aid was not received, made their preparations to aban¬ don that section should their worst fears be realized. A petition
setting forth the true condition
of the
country, and praying for adequate relief, was forwarded to the Governor himself, in the hope that he would properly consider the matter and take such official action as might be legitimate and just. To the other troubles of the settlers was added the sickening experience of hope deferred concerning the old Indian war claims and their payment by the State. For some mysterious reason the claims were not paid, though bonds had been issued three years before on the faith of the State.
The bonds had the provision
that claimants should
be paid* only “ out of
any
moneys which might be appropriated by Congress to this State to defray the expenses incurred in the sup¬ pression of Indian hostilities ”; consequently the value of the bonds amounted to nothing in the absence of any present or
prospective
National Treasury.
appropriation from the
If claims accruing in times long
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
301
past, some of them dating back to 1852, were not paid, what hope could the settlers have that claims of i860 would be paid ? Three successive sessions of Congress had been expected to make appropriations to pay the old claims, and three times was disappoint¬ ment the lot of the settler. Citizens had rendered valuable services and furnished supplies in perfect good faith, and every consideration of honor and of public policy should have prompted Congress to make necessary appropriations to cover the losses sustained. As a general thing the State bonds were held by those to whom they were issued. They were worthless for exchange, or as collateral security of any kind. The Pacific Coast representatives in Congress were fami¬ liar with the history of the claims and knew that there was no fraud or speculation connected with them, but no efforts of theirs appeared to be sufficient to secure an aj?propriation for the redemption of the bonds. Nor was there any immediate prospect of the State assuming the responsibility of paying the bonds with the funds of the Commonwealth. There was consid¬ erable discussion on the subject in the Legislature, and a bill was introduced directing the Treasurer to call in and pay the bonds; but certain sentimental members from San Francisco and Los Angeles, who considered that the Indians had been much abused, did all they could to defeat this measure of redress for the settlers. Hemmed round by innumerable difficulties, exas¬ perated and maddened beyond control, the stockraisers and farmers were prepared to sanction the
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
302
most desperate enterprises which contained the slight¬ est promise of relief.
Saturday evening, February 25th, in the year of our Lord i860, must ever be memorable in the records of Humboldt Bay.
On that date occurred one of those
strange and horrible deeds that sometimes appear in the history of all countries, marking with their black foulness the fairest epochs of civilized eras—a deed so conscienceless in its conception, so cruel and heartless in its execution, that even now, when the obscuring shadows of a quarter of a century intervene, the mind views it
with a revolting sense of horror.
sudden and swift, terrible and
It was
unexpected.
Few,
perhaps
none
but the participants, knew what was
coming.
The
perpetrators of the deed had. made
their preparations silently and in secret. had been
formed,
a league
whose
A league
members
were
bound to secrecy, who took a solemn oath that what¬ ever secret things
were confided
to their
breasts
should never be divulged while life should last.
The
names of the members were not to be revealed under penalty of death ;
nor was any deed of theirs, done
secretly and covertly, ever to living soul.
be
revealed
to any
How well that vow was kept by every
member of the league the years attest! times has lovely Spring melted
into
Twenty-five Summer, and
Summer deepened into Autumn, and Autumn died at the birth of Winter:
and through
all the changes
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
303
of the seasons and the years has that vow locked se. curely in the breast of each individual possessor the secrets of the league.
No word spoken in haste, no
confession on the bed of death, no transparent misery of a guilty conscience, ever disclosed what that vow had hidden.
The precise date on which the league
was formed, the names of its members, the names of its officers, their number and residence, are particulars which are buried in the breasts of the living or in the earth with the dead. places—in
The league met in out-of-the-way
lonely farm-houses or in
dwelling by the sea.
some isolated
There were, indeed, mysterious
whisperings in the community, flying bits of rumor, insignificant in themselves, but portentous of event¬ ful things; as though the wind, searching through the chinks of a settler’s cabin where the league had met, bore away fragments of their talk on its wings and scattered them among the boughs of the trees, that, in their turn, whispered the secrets to some gossiping woodsman, and thus sent them circling through the world.
These fragments, few in number, and with no
authentic origin, place the birth-place of the league in Eel
River Valley, where its originator,
resided.
Its membership, somewhere
and seventy-five
in
now dead,
between
fifty
number, included some of the
prominent men of the county.
All were men of
intelligence and nearly all men of family.
At least a
month prior to the 25th of February meetings were held at several places and at different times; and there were messengers hurrying from one house to another in various sections of the country.
The league was
304
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
perfecting some plan of work in the chosen field of its activity, whatever that might be. In Humboldt Bay there is an island opposite the city of Eureka, now covered with saw-mills and green fields; in i860 a long, irregular stretch of low-lying, sandy marsh-land, barely elevated above the possible reach of flooding tides.
Once, in some era of a distant
past, merely a continuation of the sand-dunes making inland from the sea ; then, in the volcanic convulsions of a more recent period, separated from the mainland by a shallow arm of the bay.
On this island lived a
tribe of Indians, comparatively inoffensive, generally pursuing their vocation of fishing in peaceable contig¬ uity to the white settlements. Superstitious, like others of their race, this tribe of Valley Indians worshipped annually the Great Spirit with barbaric offerings and supplications.
Once each year the friends of this
tribe would gather from far and near, and engage with them in the ceremonies of the annual assemblage, sometimes as many as five hundred men, women and children
congregating at
the
rancheria on
Indian
Island. The last week of February, i860, was devoted by the Indians to the ceremonies of their heathen rites. They had congregated, nearly two hundred of them, at the Indian Island rancheria, many visitors attend¬ ing from the tribes of Eel River and of Mad River. Let the reader imagine the scene on the night of February 25th, in the year of the Christian era one thousand eight hundred and sixty.
A collection of
low huts and mounds, where, for a full week, has re-
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
3°5
sounded the strange clamor of savage rites and tradi¬ tional observances of superstitious ceremonies.
Fires
redden against the back-ground of black darkness, casting curious and fearful shadows on the sides and roofs of rude habitations; figures,
themselves
like
shadows, seen for a moment in the glare of some bright flame, pass between the fires, and loud and monotonous sounds issue from the huts.
Here, a
curious dance, whose origin is lost in the mists of antiquity, is conducted.
On the floor are a score or
more of dancers, both sexes, fantastically bedecked with feathers and bedizened with paint.
They join hands,
and forming, commence a queer hopping dance, at the same time uttering hoarse, gutteral sounds, inter¬ spersed with hideous yells.
Presently a male Indian,
gay in feathers and bright paint, darts into the ring, jumping from side to side, keeping time to the mo¬ notonous sounds, and then darts out again.
Then the
same performance is repeated, and again repeated, and so continued through the night.
In another hut,
close by, is progressing a mysterious rite known
as
the “ ten nights’ dance,” which, as its name implies, never ceases until ten consecutive nights have passed. An excavation has been made for the hut, a large one, similar to a cellar, and around the sides of this ex¬ cavation are boards and planks, placed on end, dirt and sod being thrown up against them on the out¬ side.
Rough boards and poles form the low roof, in
the center of which is a hole through which the smoke escapes.
In one end of the hut a small aperture does
service as a door.
Inside, at one side of the room, a
3°6
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
long pole stretches from one end to the other.
In
the middle of the room, on the dirt floor, a fire burns and glows, the smoke curling lazily to the roof.
With
joined hands, forming a line outside the long pole, with faces to the wall, fifty Indians of both sexes stand, motionless as statues, their bodies bare head to the waist.
from
the
Suddenly a male at one end of the
line utters a low, humming sound, and instantly the entire line takes up the note, at the same instant slowly swaying with one accord to left and right.
The hum¬
ming sound increases in volume, grows faster and faster, until it reaches a melancholy howl, then the sound slowly descends and dies into
a whispering
sigh.
Again the leader gives his low, humming note, and again the volume of sound swells out on the night air. And thus, alternately high and low, the barbarous chant is continued, accompanied
by
the
swaying,
swinging motion of the line of human forms.
The
scene is awe-inspiring—the monotonous chant, that swells out defiantly now, and now sinks into an ex¬ piring wail of despair; the long, swaying line keeping time to the rude rhythm of the music; the fire, fed by some savage hand, now flashing up brightly, disclos¬ ing as if by a calcium light the
bare backs of the
Indians, the pole before which they stand, and the earthstained walls—now dying slowly out, transforming the swaying
bodies
into
ghostly forms,
peopling the
shadowy corners with dusky shapes mysterious, halfhidden and half-revealed. The night deepens, and the scene changes.
Boats
glide up to the shore near the rancheria, and from
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
them leap the forms of stalwart men.
3O7 '
An Indian,
passing, sees the sudden apparition and makes an ex¬ clamation of surprise. gleams, the Indian falls.
A hand is raised, a knife Like invisible agencies of
fate circling round a human life doomed to an awful destiny, ever drawing closer, closer, the fateful forms that leaped from the boats glide through the gloom, swiftly, silently, stealthily approaching the crowded hovels of the rancheria. that?
Hark!
What sound was
Was it a shriek, half stifled, that rang out
from the fire there? groans, and cries,
What pandemonium is this of and despairing women’s voices,
which echoes from hut to hut, where but a moment ago there was only the rhythmical cadence of savage song ? 11 cannot be! Yes, the forms creeping so stealth¬ ily upon the rancheria were white men, citizens of a civilized State in a civilized country, in their hands knives, and axes, and clubs, and in their hearts no mercy.
The Indians, stupified and sleepy, can make
no resistance.
More than half of the two hundred
are women and little children.
The axes and knives
gleam and flash, are uplifted, and descend. on all alike.
They fall
The savage warrior in the prime of life,
the old man tottering to the grave, the women with papooses in their arms, the infants themselves, share a common fate in one indiscriminate slaughter. than half a score escape.
Less
Four or five swim across
the narrow arm of the bay, and one or two others escape in canoes. When the sun rose on the morning of the 26th of February, i860, its bright rays shone on a horrible
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
3°8
scene at Indian Island.
Blood stood in pools, and
stained with red the walls of the huts, and dulled the green tints of the grass.
Here was a warrior, his
head split in twain : there a squaw, her skull crushed to a jelly; yonder a little child, with a knife wound through its heart.
Some had fled half-way across the
marsh and were struck down from behind.
Some had
almost gained the water and liberty when the knife or the ax did its deadly work. When the sun set on the evening of February, i860, it was known
the 26th of
in Eureka that there
had been other massacres simultaneously with the one at Indian Island.
Two other rancherias, one on the
South Beach near the entrance to the bay, and one near the mouth of Eel River, were visited on the same night, in the same stealthy manner, by men armed with the same weapons, axes and knives, and with the same
result.
In
the
three massacres
nearly three
hundred Indians were killed, at least one hundred and fifty being women and children. How many participat¬ ed in the massacres, or who they were, has never been divulged.
The league had done its work effectively,
but injudiciously.
The deed had stirred to its very
depths the thirst for revenge in the bosom of the In¬ dian, and had excited the indignation of a large class of white citizens.
It was the worst thing that could
have happened at the time.
It destroyed every hope
of peaceable solution of the many dangerous difficul¬ ties then existing between the whites and the Indians. The white settlers had received great provocation. Their property had been plundered and destroyed
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
309
citizens had been murdered, their patience had been tested to the fullest extent.
But nothing they had suf¬
fered, no depredations the savages had committed, could justify the cruel slaughter of innocent women and children that occurred at Indian Island.
3io
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XVIII. Three Months of Trouble.
Dissatisfaction with the Governor.—Meeting of the Citizens of Eel River.—The Grand Jury’s Report.—County Convention on In¬ dian Affairs.—Petty Fights and Petty Quarrels. that caused by
the
massacre at Indian Island could not soon die out.
An excitement so intense as
It
absorbed public discussion to the exclusion of every other subject.
It filled the public mind completely
during the three succeeding months after the massacre occurred.
The action of the Governor in refusing to
call into the service of
the State the Company of
Volunteers under Captain Wright was the occasion of much dissatisfaction and disappointment in Eel River Valley and on the Bald Hills, where the killing of cat¬ tle was still a common occurrence.
The citizens of
Hydesville and vicinity furnished the Company with provisions enough to last through the month of March, intending, at the end of that time, if no aid or encour¬ agement was received from the State, to assist the set¬ tlers in removing their families and property from all the stock-raising regions of the Bald Hills, thus leav¬ ing that fertile country uninhabited by the whites.
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
31 I
Among the Indians the commotion was greater than among the whites.
The tribes living in the vicinity of
Eureka and Union were afraid to live at their rancherias and were quartered at Fort Humboldt by Major Raines. B. Van Nest, Sheriff of Humboldt county, interested himself
in
Downey to wirh
energetic
proper authority
Wright.
efforts
make proper the
to
induce
Governor
provision for and
clothe
Volunteers under Capt.
He procured twenty-six affidavits of persons
who had lost cattle by the depredations of the Indians during a single year, and sent them, together with a petition for assistance, to the Governor.
Some of the
affidavits were not calculated to inspire the Governor with a sense of the effectiveness of the military, one affidavit stating that the affiant had heard a commis¬ sioned officer at Fort Humboldt assert that he (the of¬ ficer) would be glad if head of
the Indians would kill every
stock in the Bald Hills and then kill their
owners. The petition which accompanied the affidavits was calculated to impress the Governor with a lively sense of need on the part of the settlers and of duty unperformed on his part. A meeting of the citizens of Eel River was held at Hydesville on the 12th of March, W. T. Olmstead act¬ ing as Chairman and John W. Cooper as Secretary. Resolutions were adopted, first, that the citizens of Eel River deeply deplored “ the late unfortunate and indiscriminate destruction of Indian life,” and at the same time considered it “ their bounden duty to ex¬ press their indignation at the conduct of the Govern-
312
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ment, which was the whole cause of that sad affair”; second, that as white men supported the Government, their lives and property should be the first to receive protection from the Government—but as beings of a superior race, from principles of humanity they were sensible that the Indian should have protection also ; third, that as Major Raines had offered to meet the citizens of Eel River and assist them in any measure that might tend to promote peace and quietness be¬ tween the Indians and whites, and that for the obtain¬ ing of this object they were firmly convinced necessary to remove the
Indians from
it was
among
the
whites, Major Raines was therefore earnestly requested to cause the Indians to be collected together at some convenient point, and there kept in charge of
the
troops under his command, till the proper authority should cause their permanent removal. tions were published in the local
These resolu¬
newspapers and a
copy of the original was sent to Major Raines. The Grand Jury met in April at Eureka, and in closing their official report to the Court of Sessions they said:
“We cannot close our report without
commenting on the massacre of Indian women and children lately committed in this county. endeavored, by summoning before
We have
us a number of
citizens of this county whom we supposed would give us some information, to bring to trial
the persons
engaged in this revolting crime; and after a strict examination of all the witnesses nothing was elicited to enlighten us as to the perpetrators.
We would
express our condemnation of the outrage, and regret
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
that our investigation
313
of this matter has met with
a result so deplorable.” The result of discussion and the report of the Grand Jury was seen in a published announcement that public meetings would be held in each voting precinct of Humboldt county for the purpose of devising ways and means by which
to secure
assistance
to
the
sufferers from Indian depredations, the meetings to be held on
the 17th
day of
May,
and each meeting
to choose one or more delegates to a County Conven¬ tion on Indian Affairs to meet at Eureka on the 19th of the same month.
Places of preliminary meeting
were designated as Murdock’s Hall, Union; the Court House, Eureka; Col. Hagans’ residence, Bucksport; Van Aernam’s residence, Table Bluff; Palmer’s store, Eel River ; Spencer’s store, Hydesville ; Wm. White’s residence,
Yager
Salt River;
Creek;
Uri
Williams’ residence,
J. Morrison’s residence, Bear River;
V.
Kellogg’s residence, Lower Mattole; and G. Hadley’s residence, Upper Mattole.
In pursuance of the an¬
nouncement the meetings for the election of delegates to the proposed County Convention were held at the places designated on the 17th of May, the following being
chosen
to
represent
the
several
precincts:
Union, Messrs. Whaley and Whipple; Eureka, Messrs. Benson, Ryan, Sevier, Cooper and Monroe; Bucks¬ port, Messrs. Hagans and Edgar;
Table Bluff, Wm.
Clyde; Eel River, Jacob DeHaven ; Yager Creek, Mr. Bell; Hydesville, Capt. Wright; Mattole, B. Van Nest; Pacific, C. McAlister;
Bear River, Seth Kinman.
At two o’clock in the afternoon of the 19th of May
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
314
the County Convention on Indian Affairs assembled at Eureka.
S. G. Whipple was appointed Chairman,
and S. Cooper and B. Van Nest Secretaries, of the Convention.
A long discussion was had, lasting till
late in the evening, and resulting in the adoption of a preamble and resolutions reported by a committee to prepare them.
The preamble contained all the facts
in reference to the existing difficulties that were in any manner disclosed by the discussion of the subject in the Convention.
It briefly and pointedly recited
that by reason of the hostilities of the Indians in Humboldt county the amount of known injury done to citizens in the precincts of Yager Creek, Hydesville
and
Elk
River within
the
preceding
twelve
months was over $30,000, and the Convention believed that this estimate would be increased to $75,000 by correct statistics from all the precincts of the county. The preamble recited also that the Indians had com¬ mitted depredations from one end of the county to the other;
that by reason of such depredations many of
the settlers had been compelled to leave the homes which they had purchased from the Government and remove their cattle to more thickly settled portions of the county;
and that the Indians were then in posses¬
sion of the
Bald Hills country, the most desirable
portion of the
county
for grazing purposes;
that
many of the citizens had lost nearly all the property they possessed;
that a small
Volunteer Company under
the command of Capt. Wright was in the field three months, but being unable to support itself longer was compelled to disband;
that its place was supplied by
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
315
a company of Federal troops, and since the troops took the field the Indians appeared to be emboldened, inas¬ much as their depredations were greater than before; that from the resolutions adopted in the several pre¬ cincts it appeared that the Federal
troops
in
the
county were a curse and not a benefit; and, finally, that the citizens naturally expected some protection from the troops, but finding the sympathies of the commander to be with the Indian and not with the white man, the people felt unwilling to trust longer in him for protection, and should ask that an inde¬ pendent Company of Volunteers be immediately called into service.
To the Preamble were appended these
Resolutions: “ Resolved. That Col. Hagans is hereby appointed a delegate by the people of this county to represent to the Governor of the State of California the continued hostilities of the Indians and the imminent necessity which exists for the presence of a Volunteer force. “ Resolved, That in the opinion of this Convention the Federal troops in this county, under their present management, are of no benefit, so far as affording the slightest protection to the lives and property of our citizens. “ Resolved, That past experience has proved that Volunteer Companies, composed of citizens who have an interest in the county, are effective in quelling In¬ dian disturbances ; and therefore be it “ Resolved, That Governor Downey is most respect¬ fully requested to muster into the service of the State the Volunteer Company now organized for the pro¬ tection of the citizens of this county; and be it
3i<3
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
“ Resolved That the Indians of this county should be immediately removed to some remote Federal Res¬ ervation, as being the only guaranty of future peace.” After the adoption of the Preamble and Resolutions, and the appointment of a central committee of nine for the purpose of accumulating further statistics, the Convention adjourned. Col. Hagans, with the authority of the people and bearing their resolutions and statistics, went to Sac¬ ramento and Downey.
obtained an interview
with
Governor
The Governor stated, as the substance of
his views, that he was favorable to the proposition of calling into
the service of the State the Volunteers
under Capt. Wright, but it should be done on condition that they agreed to accept a certain compensation for all services and
furnish
their own
supplies.
He
thought that it would be impossible to procure supplies from merchants on credit except at ruinous rates.
At
the conclusion of the interview the Governor promised to write to Mr. Hagans, giving him definite instruc¬ tions, or visit in person the county said to be in need of aid.
The Governor did not keep either promise,
and, as might have been anticipated, the County Con¬ vention and Mr. Hagans’ interview produced nothing of importance in favor of the settlers.
March, April and May, the three months in which meetings were held and resolutions adopted and del-
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
317
egations appointed on the subject of Indian depreda¬ tions, were not alone noted for those events.
There
was a remarkable succession of petty fights with the Indians and of petty quarrels between the Military and the citizens. The fights with the Indians began with the year, nor did their cattle-stealing exploits grow less frequent or annoying.
Near Angel’s Ranch the residence of B.
Crogan was plundered and robbed during his absence, and John Stewart, living in
the same locality, had
blankets and other articles stolen from
him.
John
Warren, of Willow Creek, was chased by four Indians, escaping with difficulty.
A. L. Pardee, living on the
Trinity trail, near Mad River, was shot at three times by savages in the bush.
A ranch only three miles
from Hydesville was raided and cattle killed and driven off.
On the 10th of April two men were attacked
while cutting wood near Shelter Cove.
The Indians
sprang from the bushes and seized one of the white men, Moses Stafford, round the waist, while several arrows were shot at him by others, severely wounding him.
Stafford’s companion ran to his assistance and
struck the Indian holding him on the head, thus free¬ ing him.
Stafford shot one Indian dead and wounded
another, and the two men escaped with their lives. An Indian obtained by theft a rifle belonging to a miner on Clear Creek in the Klamath River country, and shot at him, supposing that he killed him, as he fell when the gun was discharged.
The Indian took
the gun to his home and told his tribe that he obtained it by killing the owner, a white man.
His tribe, upon
318
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
this confession, made him prisoner, delivering him to the whites, and recommended hanging.
The recom¬
mendation was complied with, and while the Indian was suspended the supposed murdered man walked home.
The
bullet from
the gun
had struck him
on the head, knocking him senseless, but not seriously injuring him.
Capt. D.
H. Snyder and a party of
whites made an attack on an Indian rancheria a short distance above Big Bend, Mad River. were killed and the rancheria broken up.
Ten warriors And during
all this time there was no intermission of hostile dem¬ onstrations in the Bald Hills country, on the head¬ waters of the Van Duzen, or on Yager Creek. The quarrel between the Military and citizens, to which allusion has been made, was one of long standding, almost coeval with the settlement of the country, always conspicuous in times of greatest danger and difficulty.
It was caused partly by the inefficiency of
the Military, and partly by a bitter jealousy existing among the officers of the regular Army against Volun¬ teer Companies and expeditions.
The inefficiency of
the regular troops was so well known and so universally recognized that it occasioned no comment in i860. Their jealousy of the
Volunteers, so often exposed,
was again illustrated in a bitter and envious opposition to
Gen. Kibbe, Adjutant-General of California, who
endeavored to induce the Legislature to act favorably on the claims for indemnity for losses sustained and expenses incurred by private persons during the Wintoon war and the war on Pitt River.
In both of these
wars Gen. Kibbe directed operations as commander of
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
the Volunteers.
319
The claims for the Win-toon war
were promptly allowed by the Legislature, although they were confined strictly to the actual expenses and pay of the men enlisted, without accounting for any individual losses or making provision for them.
Two
expeditions had been ordered out by the Governor since the Win-toon war—one for the supression of hostilities in Tehama county and one for the Pitt River campaign.
Gen. Kibbe, by virtue of his position as
Adjutant-General, was placed at the head of these ex¬ peditions.
He conducted them with ability and energy,
making a successful campaign and suppressing hos¬ tilities in each instance.
Traders and others had fur¬
nished the expeditions all the supplies they needed. When the claims for these supplies were filed with the Board of Examiners the jealous influence of the regular Army asserted itself.
Claim after claim was cut down
by the Examiners, notwithstanding the fact that Gen. Kibbe had made all contracts in person; and when the work of the Examiners was finished, and the claims were delivered to the Legislature for final action upon them, the jealous influence of the regular Army per¬ meated the lobby from end to end.
A committee was
appointed by the House to inquire into the validity of the claims, and this committee, after holding several meetings, asked for further time, insinuating that Gen. Kibbe had been guilty of fraudulent practices and that the Governor exceeded his authority when he author¬ ized the expeditions; and the committee cited the re¬ ports of regular Army officers to confirm the opinion that the expeditions were unjust and unnecessary, and
320
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
should not be paid for.
The whole proceeding was a
farce of Legislative action and a direct blow given by the Military to the citizen Volunteer, inspired by an ignoble feeling of inferiority and consequent vindictive jealousy.
The quarrel was taken up by every com¬
mander of every little Army post on the Pacific Coast. Major Raines, commanding at Fort Humboldt, had a natural
sympathy for
the Indians, which was aug¬
mented tenfold by his jealousy of the Volunteers.
In¬
stead of exercising martial law, he was in favor of trying in the courts all Indians suspected of murdering white men, whether the murders were committed by one or one hundred—a system that could not be other than a failure when applied to a savage race who knew nothing of law and would not have respected it if they had.
There was only one effective method of
suppressing Indian hostilities, and that was by punish¬ ing the hostiles in campaigns of armed forces. the
Volunteers accomplished.
refused to do. ments
That
That
Major Raines
His heart was too tender, his senti¬
too soft,
his sympathies
too
profound,
for
any but the loftiest motives of philanthropy to find expression in his military orders.
His officers in the
field were tied hand and foot by the severity of his orders.
No Indian could be killed unless he was de¬
tected in the act of killing a white man, and it was a crime for a soldier to shoot at an Indian who was driv¬ ing away cattle from the ranges of the settlers.
Fort
Humboldt was converted into a kind of hospital for sick Indians and refuge for well ones.
Major Raines
was unpopular with all classes of citizens, and his un-
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
321
popularity was greatly increased by his persistent re¬ fusal to gather the Indians of the bay together and send them to a Government Reservation.
After the
Indian Island massacre the tribes on the coast between Mad River and Eel River did not inhabit their rancherias.
A majority of those living in the vicinity of the
lower or Southern end of the bay were congregated at Fort Humboldt, by order of Major provided for at Government expense.
Raines, and were The lower Mad
River tribes were lounging around the village of Union, annoying and threatening the citizens.
Col. Buel,
agent at the Klamath Reservation, was communicated with and solicited to remove the Indians from the bay to that Reservation.
He replied that he would do so.
Under his instruction additional houses were built on the Reservation, and every needful preparation was made for the population. boldt.
reception of a large addition to the
In April Cap't. Buel went to Fort Hum¬
He told Major Raines that he had been re¬
quested by the citizens to take the Bay Indians on the Reservation, and that, wishing to comply with the re¬ quest, he had come to ask him (Major Raines) to allow the Indians quartered at the Fort to be taken to the Klamath.
The Major answered that the Indians did
not want to go and he would not compel them to go. Col. Buel went to Eureka, remained there a few days, and then sent the following note to Fort Humboldt: Eureka,
April iith, i860.
Sir:—I learn that you have in your possession and under your protection a number of Indians. I am here 21
322
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
for the purpose of removing those Indians to the Klamath Reservation, at which place I am prepared to subsist and protect them. I desire that you will deliver those Indians to me outside of
Fort Humboldt
Mili¬
tary Reservation, with an escort to protect them from here to the Klamath Indian Reservation. An immediate answer is respectfully requested. Very respectfully, Your Ob’t Serv’t, D. E. Indian Agent
in charge
Buel,
of1 the Klamath
Indian Reservation. To Maj. G. y. Raines, commanding Fort Humboldt. Col. Buel’s note was
handed to Major Raines by
Sheriff Van Nest, who was curtly informed that no an¬ swer need be expected. At the other end of the bay, the citizens of Union collected the Indians in that vicinity, 125 in number, and they were taken to the Reservation. A week later Major Raines relented, agreed
to acquiesce in
the
unanimous wish of the Eureka people, and set about collecting and removing the bay Indians in the vicin¬ ity of that town and the mouth of Eel River.
Guard¬
ed by a military escort, 315 Indians were taken from Fort Humboldt to the
Klamath Reservation.
Why
Major Raines had so suddenly vacated his former po¬ sition was not made public, but his action in that par¬ ticular was hailed with satisfaction
by the citizens,
many of whom thought that the breach which long existed between
the soldiers
had
and the settlers
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
might now be filled
323
up with more friendly relations.
The latter idea was not entertained for a long period. The events of the succeeding two months plainly re¬ vealed the old jealous and proud spirit, as strong and as pernicious as ever.
The Governor, with mistaken
ideas and deficient knowledge of the matter, declined to order Capt. Wright’s Volunteers into the service of the State for the protection of the settlers, but, in def¬ erence to the numerous petitions sent to him, request¬ ed Gen. Clarke of the regular Army to dispatch a fresh Company of soldiers to Fort Humboldt. The Company was sent, and immediately upon their arrival were or¬ dered to the Yager Creek country by Major They proved worse than useless.
Major
Raines.
Raines’ in¬
structions, if adhered to, would prevent the killing of an
Indian or the protection of the settler.
structions were
The in¬
adhered to, the consequence being
that after the arrival of the new Company the Indians killed more stock than before, and were bolder and more impertinent.
Major Raines looked on compos¬
edly, and enforced his rules strictly. renewed dissatisfaction
The result was
among the people
creased pomp and pride at Fort
and in¬
Humboldt.
The
breach between the soldier and the citizen was grow¬ ing wider and wider.
The character of Major Raines’
Indian policy may be surmised from certain orders sent to Lieut. R. G. McLearry, commanding the Com¬ pany of the 6th
Infantry sent up
by Gen. Clarke.
These are extracts : “ The Indians impressed with the idea that forbearance will save the lives of some of them, must have its effect.”
*
*
*
“ The hostility
324
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the
Indians is questionable.”
*
*
*
“ Some¬
thing may be done with a pacific understanding.
If
you take any prisoners, send them in, under guard, to this post, and if you cannot get at the Indians other¬ wise, try and make it known to them that you wiil feed them, then send to me, and I will come out and have a talk with them/’ Such orders would have fig¬ ured properly in a peace congress, but were not cal¬ culated to suppress a hostile Indian demonstration. Such orders made Major Raines the laughing-stock of the settlers, and his name a by-word among those who had served with the Volunteers. They knew that it was the hight of folly for a military commander to send a detachment of soldiers into a hostile Indian country wjth
the expectation
that from their mere
presence a treaty of peace would ensue and hostilities end.
That policy, to all acquainted with
the
Indian
character, appeared to be supremely ridiculous. In the midst of a fierce quarrel between the officers at Fort Humboldt and the citizens of Eureka and Union, in which harsh language and much abuse was indulged in by both sides, an important order was received at the fort from the headquarters of the De¬ partment of the Pacific. Clarke.
The order was from Gen.
It transferred Major Raines from Fort Hum¬
boldt to a post in Washington Territory.
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
325
CHAPTER XIX.
A Complicated Situation.
Population of Humboldt and Klamath in i860.—Indians returning from the Klamath Reservation.—Difficulties in Hoopa Valley.— The situation in the South.—James Casebeer.
Comparative peace was established between the mili¬ tary and the civilians by the appointment of Captain Lovell to the temporary command of Fort Humboldt. It was a relief to be rid of the endless disputes between the citizens and
Major Raines, and although Capt.
Lovell had not distinguished himself in the field it was hoped that he would exercise sensible discretion in giving orders as commander of the garrison.
Conten¬
tion having subsided to some extent, there was time and opportunity for people to look about them and see what industrial progress had been made in ten years. The census had been taken and several interesting conjectures about the population had been set at rest. According to the census of i860 the population of Humboldt county was 2,614, exclusive of Indians and soldiers.
Eureka township headed the list with 615,
Union had 557, Eel River 416, Pacific 351, Bucksport 216, Mattole 282 and Table Bluff 177.
This popula-
326
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
tion was of a permanent character and engaged in divers pursuits common to a new country. Klamath county, once so populous, was given 1,727 population by the census report, a great decrease from the first half of the decade. The placer, mines were being gradually worked out, and the formation of the new county of Del Norte had taken away from Klamath an extensive territory and much of her population. Yet the population of the Northwestern country was not of the floating character that it had been. There was a permanency of settlement, which, disclosed in the cen¬ sus, removed the country from the catalogue of frontier districts and placed it in the list of established com¬ munities. Much to the chagrin and indignation of the settlers the Indians removed from the vicinity of the bay to the Klamath Reservation did not remain there. In July, before they had had time to get accustomed to their Klamath quarters, a few of them straggled back to their old homes. In August there was a steady stream of the returning tribes, stealing away from the Reservation in bands of five or ten and invariably lo¬ cating near the scenes of their former life. The Agent at the Reservation claimed that they left at night and that his small force of guards was inadequate to pre¬ vent them from doing so. In September it was esti¬ mated that a hundred and fifty had returned to lower Eel River and as many more to the vicinity of Union and the ocean beach near the entrance to the bay. At this time the citizeqs presented a petition to Captain Lovell, in command of Fort Humboldt, asking him to
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
327
apprehend the returning Indians and take them back to the Reservation.
In October Colonel Buel, Agent
at the Reservation, went down to the bay, and an¬ nounced his intention of gathering up the runaway Indians and
taking them
back.
He stated
to the
citizens of Eureka that the Government did not au¬ thorize him to expend any money in taking the Indians back, and that any expense incurred would have to be paid by private subscription.
The oft-repeated rumor
that there was an insufficiency of food at the Reser¬ vation he pronounced'entirely false.
There was an
abundance of food, and the only difficulty was in mak¬ ing the Indians understand that the Government would not allow them to live anywhere but on the Reserva¬ tion.
Assisted by Sheriff Van Nest and others Col.
Buel commenced the work of collecting the Indians. Col. Buel abandoned the work in a week, declaring that he had encountered
opposition where
he had
expected assistance, and that to carry out his first in¬ tentions would involve a greater expense than he was prepared for.
This declaration may have contained
the main reason for the abandonment of the under¬ taking, yet it is a probability that the arrival at Eureka of Major John Drieblebis, Indian Agent for Northern California, had something to do with it.
Major Drie¬
blebis had a pleasant jaunt through the country.
Re¬
pairing to the Klamath Reservation, his official eyes detected several necessary changes in the management of the place.
A week was not allowed to pass without
at least one important change.
Col. Buel’s appoint¬
ment as Agent at the Reservation was revoked and G.
328
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
W. Terrill was appointed in his place.
An effectual
stop was made of all proceedings for the removal of the Indians to the Reservation.
Those who had not
left the Reservation now did so, with the consent, it was said, of Mr. Terrill, and it was not long before every tribe
removed
to the
Reservation
from
the
vicinity of the bay were occupying their old rancherias, or others in the same neighborhood.
The united in¬
fluence of all the whites, except a very small minority, was brought to bear on the new Agent at the Reser¬ vation to induce him to take the remaining Indians back.
It was represented to him that when the Indians
were taken from about the bay and coast to the Klam¬ ath Reservation it was a matter of universal congratula¬ tion, and nearly all had expressed a desire to cooperate in the task of removing them and enforcing their resi¬ dence on the Reservation.
The Indians were told
that they must not return to their old homes, and the Agent was assured that he would
receive necessary
assistance if they left the Reservation.
The principal
reason which they had urged to justify the removal of the Indians was, that they were in constant communi¬ cation with the mountain tribes, supplying them with ammunition and intelligence, and that there could be no permanent peaQe while the semi-domestic valley tribes were allowed to roam at will through the settle¬ ments and visit and trade with their mountain allies. Another potent argument in favor of the removal of the valley tribes was, that there was danger of a recur¬ rence of the horrible massacres which had disgraced the month of February.
The valley tribes had been
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
removed, and
now they were returning.
329
The first
stragglers to arrive from the Reservation told a pitiful tale of hunger and destitution, which was repeated by those who came later, saying that they were starved by the Agent and had to leave the Reservation in search of food.
Many were imposed on by them, and
they were allowed to remain
undisturbed while Mr.
Terrill was communicated with.
Mr. Terrill, in the
capacity of Agent at the Reservation, replied in a let¬ ter dated November 24, i860, to the representations made to him.
His letter was interesting, particularly
that portion of it which described the escape from the Reservation of
Mad
River and
Eel River Indians.
“ These Indians,” he wrote, “ about two hundred and twenty-five in number, have remained here, apparently contented, ever since Col. Buel removed them, until a week ago, when three Indians came up from Eel River and told them that there were many white men who wished them to return, and said they should not be molested or taken back to the Reservation.
They im¬
mediately prepared to escape from the Reservation, which object they accomplished one night, with the exception of about thirty, who were seen in time and prevented from leaving.”
Mr. Terrill also pronounced
untrue the Indians’ stories about starvation, stating, in addition, that a good crop had been raised of wheat, potatoes, peas and beans, enough to have fed the In¬ dians well had they remained on the Reservation; but, as he had only three men under his command he could not be expected to follow and return those who had left.
There was nothing more to be said by the Agent
330
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
or the citizens.
The situation, it was generally under¬
stood, was not much better than it was when the valley tribes were first removed from their homes.
A notice
was published inviting the citizens of Humboldt county to meet in their respective Townships on or before Wednesday, the 2d of January, 1861, and appoint dele¬ gates to a Convention to assemble at Eureka on Satur¬ day, January 5th, “to ascertain and express the sense of the people of the county as to the policy proper to be pursued relative to the Indians lately returned from the Reservation,” and to concert such measures as might be deemed advisable to secure uniformity of action, and also to “ consider and give public expres¬ sion to public sentiment touching Indian difficulties and depredations in the country generally.” Simultaneously, in the Summer of i860, and while the Valley Indians were returning from their confine¬ ment on the Klamath Reservation, there was received in the Bay settlements the intelligence of two murders, one committed by white men and the other by Indians. A drunken
citizen and a soldier in Hoopa Valley
murdered a young Indian, the son of a leader among his tribe, because he had attempted to protect a squaw. The two men were arrested and taken before a Justice of the Peace, who refused to accept the evidence of Indians who saw the deed committed, and for want of competent evidence ordered the prisoners discharged. An excitement intense and general was manifested by the tribes in the Valley, many of whom left their rancherias, presumably with the intention of taking the war-path and wreaking vengeance on some inno-
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
cent white man, as was their custom.
331
The murder by
Indians was committed with all the cruelty practiced by their race, and was remarkable for the mysterious circumstances that surrounded it and the tragic sequel that followed it.
A settler known by the name of
James Casebeer, who lived at the mouth of Eel River, on a place called “ the Island,” had been missing for three or four weeks, and his neighbors supposed that he was absent on business.
He lived alone, and con¬
sequently no suspicion of foul play was immediately aroused, nor was any search instituted for him.
Three
or four weeks after he was observed to leave home for the last time a dog that he had left behind acted in a strange and unusual manner; and when the neighbor who saw him went to the premises he found the dead body of Casebeer, half-hidden
in
ravine, watched and guarded
by the faithful dog.
the bushes of a
There was a deep cut on the back of the skull, made with an ax or hatchet.
The house, close by, had been
robbed of every valuable
thing
it
furniture, bedding, etc., 'having been
contained, carried
the
away.
The Justice of the Peace for the Township, Wm. Jameson, presided at an investigation of the myster¬ ious affair, which resulted in the arrest of an Indian named “Jack,” who was living with a settler named Tewkesbury. The fact thatCasebeer had been murdered by Indians was first intimated to Tewkesbury by a squaw, after which “Jack” himself told of it.
Some
of the Eel River settlers took “Jack” to the Island, and he conducted them to the spot where the murder was committed, and there he told them how it was
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
332
done.
He told them that on the day when Casebeer
disappeared he (“Jack”) was in
company with an
Indian named “Big Jack” and his two squaws; that they were passing by the house of Casebeer, on the Island, when they saw him close by chopping down trees;
that “Big Jack” looked through the window
and saw a gun in the house, and immediately proposed that the two Indians murder Casebeer; “Jack” re¬ fused, and “Big Jack” said he would kill the white man ;
that “ Big Jack ” crawled through the window,
got the gun in the house, slipped noiselessly up on Casebeer, and shooting him through the breast, cut brush'with his ax and covered the body from sight. Basing the necessity for their action on his confession, the settlers put “Jack” in the hands of the Sheriff Van
Nest,
Indians
and
it was
in
a
consultation
delivered to the whites. ber
with
Eel River
agreed that “Big Jack” should be Thursday evening, Septem¬
27th, i860, a constable arrived at Eureka from
Eel River, having with him the notorious “ Big Jack.” “Jack” and “Big Jack” were then placed under the care of Deputy Sheriff R. Wiley, Sheriff Van Nest being absent.
At that time there was no jail in the
county, the authorities confining prisoners wherever they could get available accommodations.
For the
two prisoners on this occasion Deputy Sheriff Wiley selected an old tumble-down wooden had once been a warehouse or store.
building that
In this building,
as unfit for the purpose as any place imaginable, the guilty Indians were confined :
and that same night a
mob gathered around the place, the rotten doors were
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
333
battered in, and “Jack” and “ Big Jack” were swung from a convenient tree, one Lynch acting as judge and jury. The situation was seriously alarming in Southern Humboldt during the closing months of i860.
In
October a dwelling-house
of
Southmayd
&
on
the
Osgood, south of
stock ranch Bear
River, was
burned during the absence of the owners.
There was
a renewal of depredations everywhere in the Southern portion
of the county.
Cattle
were
run off and
butchered, houses were robbed, the lives of settlers were constantly threatened.
On the Upper Mattole
lived a settler named A. A. Hadley, who, in December, was occupied, together with several
other men, in
getting out oak timber from the forests bordering Eel River near the mouth of the South Fork.
The men,
on the 6th of December, were taking timber from the place where they had cut it to the river.
A gun
loaded with buckshot was left under a tree near the scene of their labor.
An Indian secured the gun
unobserved, and secreting himself among the trees at a distance of a few paces, took deliberate aim at Mr. Hadley and fired. inflicted by the shot.
Five severe flesh wounds were Similar occurrences of common
report created anything but a pleasant feeling in the community. Capt. Lovell
displayed a commendable desire to
distribute the troops stationed at Fort Humboldt to the best advantage throughout the Southern districts, though it must be confessed that the people had little confidence in them.
The garrison was reinforced in
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
334
November by a detachment of 45 men of the Sixth Infantry.
Capt. Lovell ordered a detachment of 30
men, under Lieut. Flynn, to scout for 30 days in the vicinity of the mail route between Long Valley.
Hydesville and
The detachment was supplied with 30
days’ rations and 40 rounds of ammunition to each man.
Capt. Lovell’s special orders to Lieut. Flynn
directed him to proceed via Yager Creek to the South Fork of Eel River, giving such protection to settlers and their stock as circumstances might require, and also to ascertain whether any danger was apprehended at stations on the mail route between Healdsburg and Eureka.
GATHERING CLOUDS OF IMPENDING WAR.
335
CHAPTER XX. Gathering Clouds of Impending War.
Second County Convention on Indian Affairs.—The Attack on the Sproul Brothers.—A Fight at Iaqua.—Kentinshou Valley. Sad experiences and gloomy anticipations marked the opening three months of the year 1861. Indian
war of
That an
unusual severity was impending the
events of the preceding three months of i860 plainly indicated.
Mountain and valley tribes alike were rest¬
less, bold, blood-thirsty and arrogant. had deserted the hills. rusting in the fields. of the 5th of
Cattle-raisers
Farmers had left their plows
At two o’clock in the afternoon
January, 1861, for the second time a
Convention to consider Indian affairs assembled in Eureka.
Among the names of pioneers who figured
in that Convention are recognized those who, before and since, acted important parts in the development of Northern California.
From Union there were W.
C. Martin, R. B. Cave, W. S. Robinson, H. F. Janes and T. J. Titlow. From Eureka there were J. S. Mur¬ ray, W. Van Dyke, A. Monroe, Thomas Deap, C. S. Ricks and B. Van Nest.
Bucksport was represented
by W. Hagans, Mr. Knisely and F.
McDaniels; Eel
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
336
River by M. Liles; the Island by T. Eastlake. Thomas Dean was Chairman and B. Van Nest was Secretary. From Pacific Township was received and read to the Convention a communication signed by many citizens, stating that they were of the firm belief that the bay Indians should be kept on the Klamath Reservation, and recommending their immediate removal.
A simi¬
lar communication was also received from Hydesville. On motion of
Mr. Van Dyke a committee of dele¬
gates, one fropi each precinct, was appointed for the purpose of framing resolutions expressing the senti¬ ments
of
the
Convention.
The
Chair appointed
Messrs. Janes, Van Dyke, Liles, Knisely and Eastlake. After a recess the Committee on Resolutions reported progress.
They reported, as the sense of
the Con¬
vention and the finding of the Committee, that from nearly ten years’ experience the people of Humboldt county had become thoroughly satisfied that their own safety, as well as the welfare of the Indians, demanded that the latter should be ments and placed on
removed
from the settle¬
a Reservation ; that in view of
this conviction the citizens had generally cooperated with the Agent at the Klamath Reservation, and a year before had removed to that Reservation the vari¬ ous tribes on the bay and on lower Eel River and Mad River; that the removal of the Indians was high¬ ly judicious; and that the tribes which had escaped from the Reservation and returned to their old homes ought to be and must be immediately taken back to the Reservation.
A copy of the report and accompa¬
nying resolutions was transmitted to the Agent at the
GATHERING CLOUDS OF IMPENDING WAR.
337
Klamath Reservation, with a request to remove the Indians from the white settlements, and the Conven¬ tion adjourned.
It had accomplished nothing more
than a public declaration of the desire of the people. In no way had it solved the problems that perplexed the community. The problems with which the settlers had to deal were no ordinary ones, nor did those problems decrease in proportion to the increasing years.
Troubles rapid¬
ly thickened around them. The first attempt during the year to take human life which resulted seriously was in the middle of Jan¬ uary, the scene being laid on the South Fork of Ee’l River.
Two brothers lived there, Atwood and Gilbert
Sproul, clearing a farm on the bank of the river. the opposite shore lived a man named Armstrong.
On A
band of mountain Indians attacked the ranch, unex¬ pectedly and suddenly.
The brothers defended, their
home bravely and drove the Indians off, but not be¬ fore they had both been seriously wounded.
At Arm¬
strong’s, across the river from the Sproul ranch, Geo. A. Woods was stopping, and observing the attack on the Sproul brothers he launched a small raft on the swollen river and attempted to go to their assistance. The raft was unmanageable, and he abandoned it, near the middle of the stream, getting on a rock that jutted up from the turbulent current.
Remaining there for
a few minutes only, he endeavored to swim to the shore, and was drowned. The Sproul brothers, as soon as they could, moved across to Armstrong’s, where a strong stockade was built as a protection against fu¬ ture attacks. 22
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
338
At about the same time a fight occurred at Iaqua, which resulted disastrously to the Indians. of
ten hostiles stampeded a
days later a party of seven
drove of
A party
cattle.
Two
settlers in the neighbor¬
hood took their trail and followed it twenty-four hours. At four o’clock in the afternoon the Indians were dis¬ covered in a ravine, together with a large rancheria of their tribe.
The whites fired one round and made
a charge down the hill.
Thirteen of the hostiles were
left dead on the spot, while several escaped severely wounded.
None of
the whites were injured.
The
rancheria was sacked and burned, a large quantity of stolen provisions and other articles being recovered. East of the redwood forests on Eel
River and its
tributaries is a beautiful little valley called Ketinshou. A solitary settler lived there in the Spring of 1861. In the beginning of the previous Winter the settlers besides himself had, to avoid the loss of stock by cold and snow, moved down on Eel River.
In February
the Indians robbed the house of the remaining settler, John Fulwider, and drove
him from the place.
went to the nearest settlement. It was deserted. few families had
been
He The
compelled to leave everything
and seek a safer locality.
In the same neighborhood
was the ranch of a stock-raiser named Larabee, and here a murder had been committed and the dwelling burned. Ann Quinn, the cook at the ranch, was killed and burned in the building. David King was plowing in a field near the house, and when he heard the firing started towards it. The Indians fired at him and com¬ pelled him to retreat.
Ful wider was given up as dead.
GATHERING CLOUDS OF IMPENDING WAR.
339
His hat was found on the bank of Mad River with a bullet-hole in the lower portion of the crown, and on it clots of blood. Various other outrages occurred as time passed. Property was constantly destroyed, and there was no safety for settlers outside of the populous districts. Application was repeatedly made to Governor Downey for protection
by regular or State troops, and the
officers at Fort Humboldt bestirred themselves and issued numerous warlike orders ; but the soldiers knew nothing about Indian fighting, and the strictness of their military discipline would not permit learn. to
time, insignificant in
action.
them to
Small detachments were sent out from time number and
inefficient in
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
340
CHAPTER XXI.
The Clouds Break.
More trouble in Hoopa Valley.—The campaign of the Regulars.— Thirty volunteer guides.
In April, 1861, there was a period of turbulent com¬ motion in Hoopa Valley.
It began with the discovery
of a plot among the Indians to exterminate the white population of the Valley.
Families prepared to leave,
homes were guarded, houses were fortified with heavy stockades.
The
Hoopa tribes
peaceably-inclined of any in
had been
the most
the Northwest, and
it
was several weeks before the floating rumors of their hostile intentions were received by the settlers with any belief in their truth.
When the fact was known
beyond dispute that the tribes there had concocted a scheme to massacre the white residents and commence a general warfare, the excitement was in proportion to the gravity of the intelligence.
Capt. Underwood,
U. S. A., who was in command of Fort Gaston, acted with energy and zeal. He stationed a chain of guards for half a mile up and down the river in front of the Fort, and having done this, he sent messengers to the In¬ dians with a demand for the delivery of their guns to
THE CLOUDS BREAK.
him.
341
The wisdom of the demand for the guns was
questionable.
Capt.
Underwood’s
whole
available
force did not number over 60 men, and there were not more than 40 citizens who could assist in opposing the tribes if a war ensued.
Of the Indians there were
at least one thousand warriors within twenty miles of the Fort.
A demand for their guns would rather in¬
flame than quiet their discontent.
Nevertheless, Capt.
Underwood made the demand, announcing his readi¬ ness to enforce it.
With much reluctance a few of the
Indians in the vicinity of the Fort brought in their guns and surrendered them, the majority yet holding back and hiding themselves and their effects in the se¬ cret canons of the mountains.
And again, as in times
past, the elements were favorable to the cause of the whites.
At the time the demand for the guns was
made the Klamath River was rushing a swollen and dangerous stream through the mountain gorges. Even the expert Indian canoers hesitated to venture out on its swiftly running current amid tumbling refuse and debris.
The weather was opposed to war.
Indians rested on their arms.
The
Their canoes were hid
away and their squaws and papooses were sent to the mountains. war-path.
Still the weather kept them from
the
The storm was the salvation of the whites.
Unable to take the war-path, the Indians did much talking, and, like similar exercise among less savage races, much talking created dissension and strife in their own ranks.
They were divided in their councils,
some wishing to comply with the demands of Capt. Underwood, others stating that they would never yield
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
342
their arms, but would fight if the demand was persisted in.
Capt. Underwood made no overtures for peace
on any other condition than the surrender of their arms.
He knew that all the Hoopa tribes, living on
the proceeds of their fisheries, if driven from the river by war would be deprived of their accustomed mode of living, and he had good reason to suppose that this consideration would occur to their minds and ex¬ ert a greater influence for peace than permission to retain their arms.
It could not be definitely ascertain¬
ed how many guns were in Hoopa tribes.
the possession
of the
By those who were best informed the
number was estimated at about seventy-five, enough to preclude ideas of peace as long as they were in the hands of the savages.
Every Indian had a powerful
ambition to own a gun, and scarcely second in power to that ambition was the irresistible desire to shoot somebody when once the gun had been obtained. Capt. Underwood having, judiciously or injudiciously, made his demand, with wise discretion adhered to it when
made,
and in two weeks
thirty guns were
brought in from the surrounding country by more or less friendly Indians.
In the last week in April a de¬
tachment of 30 men was sent out from the
Fort to
intercept one of the largest tribes in the Valley, who had left their rancheria near the river and gone to the mountains with their arms, provisions and all other movable property.
The detachment was divided into
two or three small parties and faithfully scoured the country for many miles in all directions.
On the 14th
of May one party of 5 soldiers and 5 Volunteer guides,
THE CLOUDS BREAK.
accompanied
by John
343
Brehmer and A. W. Turner,
who had recently lost much property by Indian '’dep¬ redations, surprised and successfully attacked a large rancheria on Boulder Creek, seven miles from Blue Slide, in the Mad River country.
After a spirited as¬
sault the result was computed as 14 Indians killed and 20 wounded.
Several hundred pounds of fresh beef
was found in the rancheria, also many articles of cloth¬ ing and household goods, which were recognized as property that had been stolen from the settlers.
From
this time till the ending of the campaign, two months later, the Fort Gaston detachment was constantly on the march.
Preparations were made for an active cam¬
paign by the regular troops.
Capt. Lovell, command¬
ing at Fort Humboldt, was instructed by the General in command of the Pacific
Coast Division of the
Army to place every available detachment in the field, and a requisition was
received from
the
Governor
authorizing the enlistment, for a term of three months, of thirty Volunteer guides, whose duty should be to assist the various expeditions of soldiers.
The guides
were mustered into the service of the United States at Fort Humboldt on the 17th of April. ment shows
the names of Sergeants
The enroll¬ Chas. A. D.
Huestis and S. E. Phillips, Corporals Henry P. Larabee and Green Wilkinson, and privates W. M. Ha¬ gans, E. E. Turk, Leroy B. Weaver, Mannon Taylor, E. D. Holland, Geo. W. Huestis, Wm. A. Peasley, Stephen Robbins, B. F. Janes, Thos. P. Wyatt, John Dean, Henry Rogers, J. D. Skilling, C. H. Hendee, J.
W.
Shoemaker,
John Everett, M. W. Markham,
344
INDIAN
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
John Tewksbury, John C. Neece, Lewis Taylor, Pryor N. £)avis, Wm. Barnett, Cornelius Wasgatt, Edwin B. Hagans, Wm. Bradford and Thos. Griffith. All were hardy pioneers, experienced in mountain .travel and Indian fighting. valuable
aid to
the
would have been
They proved to be of in¬
regular forces,
worthless
which,
indeed,
without them.
They
were familiar with the country infested by the hostile tribes, were accustomed to a frontier life, and were acquainted with the hardships and dangers incident to the service upon which they had entered. The campaign was
now assuming an aspect of
business-like method and intelligent operation.
Capt.
Lovell had the general management of the campaign, directing from Fort Humboldt the movements of his detachments.
All of the effective force at Fort Hum¬
boldt, Fort Gaston and Camp Bragg were ordered to the field.
Lieut. J. B. Collins and a detachment
of
45 men had left Fort Humboldt on the 26th of March for Yager Creek and the neighboring district to the South Fork of Eel River.
Lieut. Collins
two engagements up to the 20th of April.
reported On Sun¬
day morning, the 14th, a detachment of 23 men from Collins’
command attacked
a rancheria near
Mad
River, twenty miles from the Van Duzen, in a brief fight killing 20 warriors and wounding several others ; and again, on the following morning, the detachment had a warm fight, attacking a rancheria where the estimated number of warriors was 150.
The Indians
here stood their ground well through the first assault, and then retreated, leaving five dead and three badly
THE CLOUDS BREAK.
wounded.
345
A soldier named Casey was wounded in
the engagement, an
arrow entering his body two
inches below the right shoulder blade. pulled the arrow out.
Lieut. Collins
The stone head was so deeply
imbedded that it broke short off and remained in Casey’s
body
until
a surgeon arrived
from
Fort
Humboldt. Other troops made rapid movements and had some engagements.
Lieut.
Dillon,
from
Camp
Bragg,
operated on the South Fork of Eel River; Captain Underwood’s detachment from Fort Gaston were in the vicinity of the headwaters of Redwood Creek and Mad River; Lieut. Collins was camped near the head of Larabee Creek.
The Indians were on the move
all the time, seeking to avoid attacks or to plan or execute ambushed surprises.
Lieut. Collins’ detach¬
ment marched at night, intercepting several bands of hostiles and killing a number of warriors.
On the
night of May 30th a march was made, and at 6 a rancheria was attacked and 25 Indians killed.
a. m.
In
this engagement John Stuart was wounded in the hand with an arrow. eria was wounded.
Three days later another ranch¬
attacked and
23 warriors were killed or
Lieut. Collins kept his detachment moving
all through the month of June, marching, and pack¬ ing their provisions and blankets on their backs. During the month three men of the detachment were wounded, none mortally. Capt. Underwood’s command was active and suc¬ cessful, but had one soldier killed in a skirmish after the fight at Boulder Creek.
In the vicinity of Hy-
346
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ampom the trails to the Trinity were watched by the Indians and packers were frequently attacked.
On
one occasion the packers of Sanford & Co. were mak¬ ing a camp when ambushed Indians startled them by a scattering flight of arrows, one of the packers named Thompson being wounded in the hand.
The packers
made fortifications of the freight and saddles, and stood the fire until two of their number returned from Capt. Underwood’s camp with assistance. By the
first of July the citizens were willing to
admit that the campaign had so far been conducted with ability by Capt. Lovell and his subordinate offi¬ cers, and had, in less than three months, inspired a hopeful confidence in their good judgment and sol¬ dierly qualities.
Compelled to fight, the Indians had
no time to slaughter cattle; tracked to their hidingplaces by the Volunteer guides, they could not escape defeat and severe punishment, if the campaign was prolonged;
but if the
Volunteer guides were
not
again mustered into service at the expiration of their first three months, the Regulars would again be at a disadvantage and the settlers in peril.
A RAIN OF DEATH.
347
CHAPTER XXII. A Rain of Death. Disbanding of the Volunteer guides.—Hostile tribes on the war-path. —Killing of Geo. D. Cooper, O. W. Wise,—Coates, Jerry Wil¬ son, Chas. E. Parker, Henry
Lemke, Christian Lemke, John
Stuart, C. A. D. Huestis, E. M. Sproul and Thomas Griffin.— Mass meetings at Hydesville and Eureka.—The battle of Thief Camp.
The thirty Volunteer guides were disbanded.
With
its accustomed alacrity the Military Department of the Pacific seized the first opportunity to make a serious mistake.
Neither the General commanding the De¬
partment nor the Governor of the State interested him¬ self in the slightest degree to prevent the disbanding of the guides, and when, on the 16th
of J uly, their
three months’ service had expired, Cap. Lovell dis¬ missed them at Fort Humboldt.
In the performance
of this duty Capt. Lovell addressed them in warm terms of praise.
He said :
“ Volunteers, the term of service which you volun¬ tarily offered to your country has expired, and you are now at liberty to retire, each one to his respective home.
I must take this occasion to express to you the
great satisfaction I feel at the manner and fidelity with
34§
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
which you have discharged your duties.
Soon after
your arrival at the theatre of your military operations, letters reached me from officers in command, testifying to your good
conduct as soldiers and men.
This
reputation you have, throughout, most fully sustained. In proof of the high opinion I have of your worth, I can only express the hope that, should another occasion arise when Volunteers are required, they .will follow your example and give the officer who mustered them into service the same satisfaction and pleasure I feel at this moment.
I am sorry that the funds necessary to
remunerate you for your services have not arrived.
It
is almost impossible to say when they may certainly be expected.
I hope very soon.
The conviction that
they are most richly deserved must prove a source of pleasant feeling to all concerned.” The disbanding of the Volunteer guides was follow¬ ed by most serious results.
In the vicinity of Knee-
land Prairie, Big Bend of Mad
River, on
the
Red¬
wood, and through to the Trinity, hostile demonstra¬ tions were of daily occurrence.
The Regular soldiers
could not fight without the aid and encouragement of the Volunteers, and the Indians knew it the Volunteers only. therefore,
When
the
They feared
Volunteer guides,
were dismissed from service, the
hostile
tribes were apprised of it by their friendly neighbors of the valleys, and fearing no other enemy, they com¬ menced a reign of terror which left death and devas¬ tation as its visible results.
During the six months
from July ist, 1861, the community was perpetually in mourning for good and industrious citizens, who were
A RAIN OF DEATH.
349
killed, some at their houses, some on the lonely trails and in the woods,but all by Indians.
It was a carnival
of death, terrible to contemplate even at this distant day.
It was inaugurated by the murder of George
Cooper, at Cooper’s Mills, in the month of July, and in quick succession the frightful list was lengthened with other pioneer names. Sunday, the nth day of August, was the date of the second murder of the series.
O. W.
Wise, a
farmer of Mattole, was walking toward his house from his milking-shed, on the evening of that day, and was fired at by Indians.
One rifle ball and half-a-dozen
arrows struck him, giving mortal wounds.
He died
on the following day. Two weeks later an attack was made on a house near the Van Duzen where three white men were liv¬ ing.
Late in the evening of Sunday, August 25th, one
of the men, named Coates, walked a short distance from the house and was fired at from the brush.
He
was struck by several rifle balls and instantly killed. The two men in the house heard the firing, caught up their guns, and rushed out to protect Coates, who was unarmed.
A brief fight ensued, one
Indian
being
killed, and one of the white men, named Bartlett, re¬ ceiving a flesh wound.
There were 25 in the attack¬
ing party. Early in September a Mad River settler, Jerry Wil¬ son, disappeared from
the
neighborhood, and when,
after two or three weeks, citizens from Union sought to find
him, believing that he had been
killed or
wounded, they discovered sufficient evidence to estab-
35°
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
lish their conclusion that the Indians had murdered him.
Circumstantial evidence also induced the belief
that he had been wounded first and then dragged to a spot secure from observation and tortured to death. October was not of blood.
to
pass without its christening
Chas. E. Parker, an estimable citizen, with
four companions, was scouting in the forest
between
Bear River Ridge and Eel River, in search of a noto¬ rious band of Indian thieves who had been plundering the settlements.
A rancheria was discovered on the
morning of October 20th, and without hesitation the five whites attacked it, killing two Indians, the remain¬ der fleeing to the thicket that surrounded the ranche¬ ria.
While the whites were consulting in an open
space they were fired on from
the
thicket, Mr. Par¬
ker receiving a wound from which he died in eight hours. November, too, passed through a fiery ordeal of murder and rapine.
At Brehmer’s
Ranch, on
Mad
River, twenty miles from Union, were living Mr. Brehmer, John Stuart, Christian and Henry Lemke, broth¬ ers, and another man, who were engaged in herding cattle in the vicinity.
On the morning of the 7th of
November they left the house in search of cattle, each going in a different direction.
Towards evening, as
Henry Lemke was returning home, and while four or five miles from the house, he received a bullet in the back, which
felled
him from his horse in a senseless
condition. When he returned to consciousness a min¬ ute later a number of hideous savages were stripping him of his clothes.
Realizing that his only chance for
A RAIN OF DEATH.
351
life was to feign death, he succeeded by a powerful ef¬ fort of the will in controlling his impulse to struggle with his assailants. He lay as limp and lifeless in their hands as though life had really left his body. They stripped him naked and started off; but one, as if to assure himself of the death of the victim, turned back and pointed a pistol at Lemke’s head. The ball grazed his neck, and burying itself in the ground threw dirt and gravel in his face. Still he lay motionless, ex¬ erting the full strength of his mind in a prodigious effort to refrain from every appearance of life. The ruse was successful. The Indians left him, and disap¬ peared in the forest. Lemke rose to his feet and started on foot, naked, for Brehmer’s house. He had gone but a little way when he saw his brother’s horse, riderless, running toward him from an opposite direc¬ tion. The horse knew him, and he caught and mount¬ ed the animal.- When he reached the house it was va¬ cant. None of the party who had gone out in the morning had returned. He turned away, and sick and faint, bleeding and dying, rode his brother’s horse in the direction of the nearest neighbor’s place, several miles distant. He met Brehmer and another man, who up to this time knew nothing of what had occurred. They returned to the house with Lemke, and through the night alternately guarded and watched over him. The wound he had received was mortal, and he died before morning. The next day the dead bodies of Christian Lemke and John Stuart were found on a trail near the house. December filled out the complement of horrors. A
352
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
house on the North fork of the Mattole River was then occupied by
John
Briceland, Thomas Griffiths,
E. M. Sproul, two Indian boys and a squaw.
Brice¬
land was the proprietor of the house, and was trying the experiment of civilizing the Indian boys, whom he called “ Billy ” and “ Frank.” The boys had lived with him over two years, and he trusted them with implicit confidence.
“ Billy ” was fourteen years old, “ Frank ”
seven. Briceland had given “ Billy ” a rifle, and allowed him to go out hunting with it.
In November “ Billy”-
went out hunting and was gone four days.
When
he returned he said that he had been lost, and Brice¬ land condoled with him for having had such a hard time.
On the night of December 2d the three white
men slept on the floor, rolled in their blankets.
Sev¬
eral hours after retiring Briceland was awakened by two shots, fired close to him.
He jumped up in the
dark, and began to feel about with his hands. were covered with blood.
They
He struck a match, and it
had no sooner blazed than Sproul roused from slumber and sat up.
his
As he did so a shot was fired
through a crack in the door, and
he was
instantly
killed. Briceland ran out of the house, and to his near¬ est neighbor’s, John Cathey, half a mile away, and re¬ mained till morning, when a number of settlers col¬ lected and returned with him to his house:
Sproul’s
lifeless body lay on the floor. Griffiths was just dying. The two Indian boys were gone, with “ Billy’s ” rifle, a pistol, and some of Briceland’s ammunition.
Three
days afterwards, at daybreak, as Cathey was going to his haystack, he saw “ Billy ” and “ Frank ” emerging
A RAIN OF DEATH.
353
from beneath it, where they had been concealed. ordered them to slop.
He
“ Billy ” attempted to run and
Cathey shot and killed him.
“ Frank ” then confessed
that when “ Billy ” had pretended to be lost he was with a tribe of Indians on Bear River, who persuaded him to return and kill Briceland.
They had tried to
kill Briceland on the night when the other men were killed,
but had missed him when the shooting was
done.
So many murders in half a year left a profound sensation in their train.
The community was startled
out of any idea of peace that may have been enter¬ tained at the beginning of the year.
The Indians had
entered upon a fanatical attempt to exterminate the whites or drive them from the settlements.
Naturally
the first thing that occurred to the people was to hold mass-meetings for the purpose of taking measures to secure protection
to life and
property.
The first
meeting was held at Eureka on the 24th day of July, which was attended by a large number of prominent citizens.
A. J. Huestis was President, J. M. Eddy and
Jonathan Clark, Vice-Presidents, and L. M. Burson, Secretary.
The President appointed S. G. Whipple,
James Hanna, John Vance, John Dolbeer, B. Van Nest, C. W. Long, Wm.
I. Reed, J. W. Dwyer, S.
Cooper, W. H. Pratt and R. W. Brett a committee to draft resolutions expressing the sense of the meeting. The committee reported, that whereas 22
the hostile
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
354
tribes were continuing their depredations and showing an extraordinary malignity in their warfare, destroying property with savage wantonness, shooting settlers in the mountains and murdering citizens on the borders of the densest settlements; and whereas the Federal force was wholly insufficient citizens;
to protect the lives of
therefore, the committee recommended that
resolutions be adopted that the Governor of the State be requested to ascertain whether the General com¬ manding the Military Division of the Pacific was able and willing to send
sufficient force
to
Humboldt
county to secure peace and safety to the citizens. was
also
resolved
that
the
citizens
It
request the
Governor to authorize the enrollment of State troops. A resolution of thanks was passed for the valuable services rendered by the United States soldiers and volunteer guides, but at the same time it was asserted that the force had been wholly insufficient and the period of service too short, and that since the Volun¬ teer guides were discharged the depredations and murders of the savages had become more frequent anjl alarming.
When the resolutions had been passed and
some unimportant details arranged, on motion of J. M. Eddy the
meeting appointed
S. G. Whipple a
delegate from Humboldt county to present the griev¬ ances of the people to the Governor of the State. A meeting was held at Hydesville at a later date with
the object of providing ways and
means of
emoving the Indians co the Klamath Reservation.
A RAIN OF DEATH.
355
Mr. Whipple was successful in his mission to the Governor.
Representing the true condition of affairs
in the North, and using all the influence he could command, he persuaded the Governor to authorize the formation and service of a Volunteer Company. On the 9th day of September, 1861, James T. Ryan, Brigadier-General of the Sixth Division, California State
Militia, mustered into service the Humboldt
Home Guards.
The officers chosen by the Company
were : G. W. Werk, Captain ; Green Wilkinson, First Lieutenant;
James Brown and John P. Warren, Sec¬
ond Lieutenants.
The duties of Quartermaster and
Commissary were performed by Major W. C. Martin. S. Lewis Shaw was Assistant-Adjutant on the staff of Brigadier-General Ryan, and T. D. Felt was Surgeon. The Company was enlisted for three months’ service, ending on the 9th of December.
During the first two
months the Company consisted of 55 men, rank and file; during the last month it was increased to 75 by the enlistment of 20 recruits.
The order for increase
of force by twenty men was based on the assumption that the entire command would operate outside the limits of Humboldt county; but the order was too late and the increase too small for any good to come of it. Governor Downey could never be brought to under¬ stand the nature of the country, the character of the Indians or their number, and the pressing need of the settlers for protection.
Like the Governors before
him, he had an idea that a little body of less than one hundred men would be entirely sufficient to suppress any Indian outbreak in the Northern country, and his
356
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
inclinations were in favor of the regular Army service. Only the
most urgent demands, possibly aided by
political motives, could have induced him in the first instance to authorize the enlistment of the Humboldt Home Guards, and a second concession in the shape of an order for 20 recruits was to him a serious com¬ promise
with
his
private
opinions.
The
service
rendered by the Home Guards during their short campaign was effective and valuable, but the force employed was absurdly inadequate to the exigencies of the occasion.
Capt. Werk divided the Company into
three detachments, for the purpose of operating in different sections where the hostile tribes had proved most
aggressive.
One
detachment,
under
Lieut.
Brown, went to the country south of Eel River;
a
detachment under Lieut. Wilkinson was stationed on the Van Duzen, with orders to range between the headwaters of Eel River and Mad River;
a detach¬
ment under Lieut. Warren was stationed north of Mad River; each detachment having an effective force of about 17 men.
The district which this one Company
was expected to protect and guard covered an area of at least one hundred miles North and South, extending inland to the Trinity county line. of a mountainous
The country was
nature, abounding in chaparral
thickets, impenetrable forests and impassable canons— a paradise for the savage, a purgatory for defenseless white settlers.
The country was inhabited by hostile
Indians to the number of 2,500, who were well sup¬ plied with firearms and expert in their use.
Without
specifying in detail all the various engagements be-
A RAIN OF DEATH.
357
tween the Guards and the Indians, it will be sufficient to state
that they
numbered
fifteen
in
the three
months’ campaign, with an aggregate loss on the side of the Indians of 75 killed and as many wounded. The Guards had 1 killed and 8 wounded.
Chas. A.
D. Huestis was killed; Wm. Peasely, James Brock, Samuel Mills, F. M. Donahue, Lieut. John P. Warren, Marshall
Russell,
Maurice
L.
Bosqui and
George
Watson were wounded. Throughout September and to the middle of Octo¬ ber there was a season of dry, warm weather, in which great fires raged on the mountains and in the forests, placing the Guards at serious disadvantage in follow¬ ing out the plans of the campaign.
It was impossible
to do much before the rains came, for the contest with the Indians was unequal enough without the added labor and danger of fighting fire.
The strange and
unusual delay of the rainy season threatened to render fruitless and abortive the campaign of the Guards. was late in the month of
It
November when they first
had an opportunity to distinguish themselves.
On
the 17th day of the month occurred the battle of Thief Camp.
On the day previous Lieut. Warren with a de¬
tachment of sixteen men left Thief Camp on the trail of a party of hostiles
who had killed
cattle in the
neighborhood and were packing the spoils to their rancherias.
That night, following close on the tracks
of the Indians, the Guards saw the light of fires in a large rancheria near Pardee’s Ranch.
The detach¬
ment halted for the night, and at half-past seven o’clock on the morning of the 17th an attack was made on
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
358
the rancheria.
There were nearly one hundred war¬
riors in the rancheria, who, contrary to the rules gov¬ erning their race in war, made a firm stand, and re¬ turned without flinching the teers.
fire
of
the
Volun¬
The fight continued in a desultory manner for
an hour, the
Indians firing
through port-holes in
their log houses, the Volunteers from behind trees and stumps.
The rancheria was in a singular commo¬
tion for a few minutes, when it was ascertained that one hundred warriors from a neighboring rancheria had slipped in unobserved and reinforced the besieged party. of
A squaw had gone to them in the beginning
the fight and brought them
to assist her tribe.
The position of the Guards was precarious and un¬ comfortable. falling.
Snow covered the ground and was still
The log houses of the rancheria were strong
structures, from which it would be difficult and hazard¬ ous to dislodge the enemy.
Chas. Huestis, who had
acted as guide to the attacking party, advised the men to keep behind the trees and fire-as they thought best. Disregarding this precaution in his own person, step¬ ping out from behind the trees, and becoming a target for the Indians in the rancheria, he fell, shot through the heart.
For nearly two hours longer the Guards
maintained the unequal fight, when, their ammunition being exhausted and six of their number being wound¬ ed, they were obliged to retreat and abandon the dead body of Huestis.
The six wounded were Lieut. War¬
ren, Mills, Donahue, Peasley, Bosqui and Watson. was estimated that twenty Indians were killed.
It The
Guards retreated to Thief Camp, twenty-three miles
A RAIN OF DEATH.
359
from Union, and on the same evening, the 17th, Capt. Werk sent I. W. Hempfield and three others to Capt. Wilkinson’s Camp in Larabee
Valley for reinforce¬
ments. ' The four men rode all night, and the next day started back with Lieut. Wilkinson and eleven men. They were joined at Thief Camp by fifteen citizens from Union.
The united force thus formed marched
to attack the rancheria for the second time, arriving there on the 20th.
The rancheria was deserted.
The
body of Huestis was dug up from the snow two rods from the spot where he fell.
Nine men were detailed
to convey the body to Union and the remainder of the force pushed on in pursuit of the Indians.
The In¬
dians were tracked to Redwood Creek and for some distance down that stream, when word was brought of the location of two rancherias near by.
The Volun¬
teer force was divided into two equal divisions, and under the command of Lieuts. Wilkinson and Warren proceeded on each side of the creek with the inten¬ tion of making a simultaneous attack on the two ranch¬ erias.
They were discovered by the Indians in one of
the rancherias,
who escaped.
The Warren detach¬
ment attacked the other rancheria and killed fourteen warriors.
One of the attacking party—Russell—was
slightly wounded in
the knee by a bullet.
On the
same day two of the Guards—I. D. Herrick and James Brock—went further down the stream, where they saw two Indians.
At a signal agreed upon they fired, kill¬
ing one of the Indians. The other fled and was chased by Brock, who fired two pistol shots at him, both of which struck but did not stop him.
Brock caught
him by the hair, and called on his comrade to shoot.
36O
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Herrick fired, the ball striking Brock in the hand, severely injuring three fingers. badly wounded.
The Indian escaped,
Coupled with the wounds received
in battle, and with the death of Huestis, this ludicrous termination of the expedition completed its disastrous story. Affairs on the Klamath were in a condition of un¬ settled and vexatious difficulty between the whites and the natives, and the settlers on the lower Trinity and on the borders of Trinity, Shasta and Klamath coun¬ ties were in hourly peril of death at the hands of hos¬ tile savages.
The mail carrier between
Humboldt
Bay and Weaverville was furnished with a military es¬ cort for protection. Families in remote districts moved to the populous settlements.
A miner named Wheel¬
wright was foully murdered at Big Bar.
The Gov¬
ernor was petitioned by citizens of Trinity and Kla¬ math to call out a Volunteer force to chastise the In¬ dians and afford protection where it was needed.
A
month rolled by and his Excellency made no response. Indignant and insulted, the Trinity county people sent this telegraphic dispatch:
Weaverville,
Gov.
Downey,
Sept. 6th, 1861.
Sacramento City:—The Indians in
our county are committing depredations daily—burn¬ ing dwellings and murdering citizens.
The women
and children have been removed to the settlements, and everybody lives in dread of attack.
A Company
of 25 men is absolutely necessary for the protection of life and property, and should be ordered out imme¬ diately.
Will your Excellency afford us this protec-
361
A RAIN OF DEATH.
tion?
The Humboldt Company will not be sufficient,
as the Indians will be driven from that county to this. We want protection for our own people.
Please answer
immediately. Signed,
I. G. Messec, Sheriff, E. J. Curtis, County Judge, C. E. Williams, District Attorney, M. G. Griffin, County Clerk, R. T. Miller, J. F. Chellis, A. C. Lawrence.
The Governor received the message, and, instead of replying directly, forwarded it to General Sumner, in command of the Department of the Pacific, who, three days later, sent a reply.
It was:
Headquarters Dep’t of the Pacific, San Francisco, Sept. 9, 1861. Governor :—I have received your letter of the 6th inst., in relation to the Indians in Trinity county. doubt very much these Indian reports.
I
If 25 men
would be a sufficient protection, it would seem that those people should take care of themselves, just at this time, when we have so much on our hands.
It
is impossible to send regular troops there now, as I am obliged to reinforce the troops in the Southern part of the State. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, E. V. Sumner, Brig.-Gen. U. S. Army.
362
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Thus the petition of the Trinity county pe'ople was laid on the shelf, and thus the matter stood when, on the 9th of December, the Humboldt Home Guards were discharged from service, leaving the whole tier of Northwest counties unprotected except by a feeble and inexperienced force of the regular Army, too few in number to inspire confidence and too inefficient to inspire respect.
Several Companies of Infantry and
one of Cavalry were stationed in various parts of the district, and a new post was established, called Fort Seward, in the Yager Creek country; Co. A, 3d Regi¬ ment of California Volunteers, relieved Capt. Lovell at Fort Humboldt and formed the garrison at Fort Seward.
But the wisdom of maintaining these posts
was never demonstrated by the deeds of the soldiers. On the contrary, the concluding paragraph in Capt. Werk’s official report of the campaign of the Hum¬ boldt Home Guards gives a graphic outline of the situation.
He wrote:
“In conclusion, I would state
that I am well satisfied there has not been a day since Capt. Collins left the field last Spring on which there has not been men or stock killed within the limits of this county; and since the little force under my com¬ mand has been withdrawn, the Indians seem to be re¬ doubling their efforts against the whites.”
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
363
CHAPTER XXIII.
Military Operations in 1862.
Correspondence
between
Governor
Downey,
Brigadier-General
Wright and Indian Superintendent Hanson.—The California Volunteers.—“A safe place for the troops.”
A change of base occurred in military circles in January, 1862.
Governor Downey, whose views were
before so narrowly restricted by an imperfect knowl¬ edge of the country and a supreme indifference to the petitions of the citizens, suddenly, through some occult influence known only to himself, experienced a complete change
of heart and revolution of ideas.
We find, by referring to the records of his official acts of that date, that he even went so far as to acknowl¬ edge personally the receipt of letters in relation to Indian hostilities in the counties of Humboldt and Mendocino.
A flood of conviction, not unlike the
elemental flood which swept the streets and filled the cellars of Sacramento in that Winter of ’61-62, must have visited his mind and obliterated the ideas that had once inhabited it.
We find, much to our surprise,
that he wrote a touching appeal to Gen. Wright in behalf of the settlers,
and
urged the
propriety of
364
increasing
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the
military
power
authority in certain districts.
and
extending its
He deprecated the
practice of calling into service home Companies of Volunteers, indicating to Gen. Wright that his prefer¬ ence lay with the regular troops.
Gen. Wright was
not slow in responding to the communication of the Governor.
He replied that the same ideas had occur¬
red to him—showing conclusively that great minds do sometimes meet—that he was fully satisfied of the necessity of an increase of force in the Humboldt District, and that he had intended, even before he re¬ ceived the Governor’s letter, to send an officer of rank, with two or three Companies, to Fort Humboldt.
He
designed, he said, to create a Military District, giving the officer whom he should send there full power over all the garrisons in that portion of the State. The correspondence
between
Governor
Downey
and Gen. Wright was followed by other correspond¬ ence on the same subject between Gen. Wright and George M. Hanson, Superintending Agent of Indian Affairs for the Northern District of California. Wright informed
Agent
Hanson
that the
Gen. Indian
disturbances in the Northwestern portion of the State rendered
it “ absolutely necessary to
take prompt
measures to collect all the Indians in that quarter and place them on Reservations set apart for their homes.” Having created the “ District of
Humboldt,” and
placed it under command of Col. Lippitt, of the 2d Infantry, California
Volunteers, he would “ instruct
Col. Lippitt to act promptly and vigorously in remov¬ ing the Indians to the Reservations,” and he “ trusted
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
I
862.
365
that the Indian Department would be prepared to re¬ ceive and subsist
them when collected
together.”
Agent Hanson replied, expressing his pleasure at the General’s determination, but referring to the fact of “the entire loss of everything on the Klamath Reser¬ vation by the recent flood in that country, leaving over two thousand Indians utterly destitute.”
This
would show, he thought, the impossibility of providing anything in that quarter for additional Indians. Nome Cult Reservation was
The
the best provided for,
and he would recommend that future removals be made to this place. Projects of doubtful utility sometimes look well on paper, and the people most directly interested, while they placed little confidence in the regular Army service, waited patiently for the outcome of so much military
correspondence
and bluster.
The forces
under Col. Lippitt, who was to take command of the new District, had not been long in service.
When
Gen. Sumner had prepared for an expedition through Arizona to Texas, a year before, he had mustered into his own service nearly all of the soldiers of the regular Army stationed on the Pacific Coast, replacing them by Companies of Volunteers, picked up in various parts of California and Oregon.
The troops under
Col. Lippitt belonged to the 2d Infantry, California Volunteers.
There was a possibility that they had
not yet attained to the state of listless apathy usual with the ordinary soldier on the Pacific Coast.
Not
many of them had had experience in Indian fighting, but they might learn, provided they were not inter¬ dicted by ridiculous orders from headquarters.
366
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Col. Lippitt and Staff, with Companies J and K, 2d Infantry, arrived at Fort January.
Humboldt on the 8th of
The Staff officers were:
Adjutant, Lieut.
John Hanna; Quartermaster, W. F. Sweasey; Surgeon, S. S. Todd.
Co. J was officered by C. D. Douglas,
Captain; Henry Flynn, 1st Lieut., and P. B. Johnson, 2d Lieut. nan,
Co. K was officered by Charles Heffer-
Captain;
C.
G. Hubbard,
1st
Lieut.;
J. J.
Robbins, 2d Lieutenant. The quarters at Fort Humboldt not being sufficiently capacious to accomodate all the
troops, a separate
post was established at Bucksport and named Fort Lippitt, Capt. Douglas commanding. as a temporary post only, to be
It was intended
occupied until the
troops should be ordered to the field. new posts were
established,
on the Van Duzen, 28 miles
one at
Three other Neal’s Ranch-,
East of Hydesville, one
at Brehmer’s Ranch, on Mad River, and one on Red¬ wood Creek, a mile below Minor’s Ranch.
The first
of these posts was named Fort Baker, the second Fort Lyon, the third Fort
Anderson.
Fort
Baker was
garrisoned by Co. A, 3d Infantry, Captain-Ketchum, Fort Lyon by Co. K, 2d Infantry, Captain Heffernan, and Fort Anderson
by Co.
Flynn commanding.
F, 2d
Infantry, Lieut.
Fort Seward was abandoned, by
order of Col. Lippitt.
Capt. Akers, with a small de¬
tachment of Cavalry,
was stationed near Cooper’s
Mills.
Lieut. Davis was left at Fort Humboldt with a
guard of 20 men. Having made the necessary preliminary
arrange¬
ments for the establishment of new posts, Col. Lip-
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
367
pitt made a tour of inspection through his District, visiting the Ter-wer.
new posts and Fort Gaston
and
Fort
Then, not greatly to the surprise of those
who had been acquainted with former military tactics, Col. Lippitt sat himself down at Fort Humboldt and inaugurated the “peaceful ” policy with which the peo¬ ple of Northern California had long been familiar—a policy of non-interference with tribes who were not caught in the very act of murdering white settlers. Col. Lippitt instructed his subordinate officers that the purpose for which the force was in the field was “ not to make war upon the Indians, nor to punish them for any murders or depredations hitherto committed, but to bring them in and place them permanently on a Reservation.”
The officers of every expedition were to
have strict orders from the commanders of each post to “effect the capture of such Indians, without blood¬ shed',' and every man in the field was prohibited by Col. Lippitt’s orders “ from killing or wounding an In¬ dian, unless in self-defense, in action, or by the orders of a superior officer.” Hampered by strict orders, and restrained by severe penalties, from fighting the Indians after their own fashion, the troops were powerless to accomplish any¬ thing while those restraints and those orders remained in force.
The officers could be nothing more than
military figure-heads, the soldiers picnic parties, the forts tenting-grounds for military parades.
The Cap¬
tains and Lieutenants, with perhaps one or two excep¬ tions, were willing to engage in an active campaign against the hostile Indians; but they could not move
368
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
contrary to Col. Lippitt’s orders.
The men
in
the
ranks were not destitute of ambition—a little training in Indian
warfare
might have made
by competent Volunteer guides them serviceable soldiers
in an
Indian country ; but they could not move contrary to the orders of their commanding officers.
The
new
forts might all have been classed with abandoned Fort Seward, which was situated in the heart of a hostile country, nearly equidistant from the white settlements in Southern Humboldt and Northern Mendocino.
A
soldier, when asked if Fort Seward was a judicious site for a military post, replied:
“Yes.
It is a safe
place for the troops, for when the streams are up no Indian can get within a thousand yards of the garri¬ son.”
THROUGH FIRE.
369
CHAPTER XXIV.
Through Fire.
Attack on Angel’s Ranch and shooting of George Zehndner.—Farm houses in flames.—Death of A. S. Bates.
March, April and May were memorable months in 1862, particularly the month of March. hand
was heard complaint of
On every
Indian depredations.
Weak and isolated settlements were abandoned
in
consequence of the increased boldness of the savages, who killed with impunity the stock left behind. the isolated and lonely settlements
From
the Indians ex¬
tended their depredations to more populous commu¬ nities, contracting their sphere of operations with each succeeding outrage. The bullet and the torch did their deadliest and most destructive work in the month of March.
On
Saturday, the 22d day of the month, an attack was made on Angel’s Ranch, where George Zehndner lived, 11 miles from Union.
It was late in the afternoon.
George Zehndner and his brother Jacob were plowing in adjacent fields, 500 yards from the house.
Unsus-
picious^of danger, they were quietly at work, when a shot was’fired from a spot close by where the Indians 24
370
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
had been hiding, George Zehndner being struck in the side, the ball passing around and lodging in the back.
Dropping to his knees, Zehndner contrived to
reach the fence, clambered over, and gained the cover of the woods, wounded and crippled as he was, closely pursued and frequently fired at by the savages.
Hav¬
ing an intimate knowledge of the neighborhood, he succeeded in eluding his pursuers and reached the house of R. Hanlon, less than a mile from his own. Jacob Zehndner escaped by flight when he heard the shot fired at his brother, and Mrs. Brehmer also es¬ caped by fleeing through the brush.
The Hanlons,
the Zehndners and Mrs. Brehmer went to Union on Sunday morning and were cared for by the citizens of that place.
During the day a party of citizens went
to
Ranch.
Angel’s
There
everything was in ruins,
charred and blackened rafters and beams tottering in unsightly desolation where yesterday had been sub¬ stantial and comfortable farm-houses.
The savages
had applied the torch to everything that would burn. On Monday, the 24th, a party of citizens went to the house of a farmer named Goodman, in the same neighborhood, and removed his family to the residence of A. S. Bates. On the same day the house was burned, and on
the
next,
day the
house vacated
by
Mr.
Hanlon was burned.
The excitement attending one
depredation
have
did not
time
to subside before
another occurred, the people of Union being in a con¬ tinual state of alarm not easily described. Wednesday, March 26th, was the date of a deed, daring and delib¬ erate, which startled the coolest and most self-possess-
THROUGH FIRE.
371
ed of the inhabitants into a new sense of impending danger.
Seven miles from Union, in a neighborhood
which had enjoyed the reputation of being secure and safe, a farmer named A. S. Bates was killed within three hundred yards of his house.
It was ten o’clock
in the morning, and he had gone out to look for cattle, when the people in the house heard the report of two guns.
A dog which had followed Bates returned with
a bleeding wound.
There were in the house Mrs.
Bates and her three children, Mr. Goodman and wife and five children, and B. Croghan.
A shower of bul¬
lets pelted against the side of the house.
The in¬
mates rushed out and fled towards the river.
Mrs.
Simmons and three children from a neighboring house joined them, carrying three guns.
She had fired the
guns as a signal to her husband, who had started for Union a few minutes
before the Indians appeared.
The fugitives reached the river in safety, where they were met by Mr. Simmons and Mr. Aiden, who took them down the river in canoes to Daby’s ferry.
Re¬
maining there all night, they went to Union on Thurs¬ day.
A party of citizens went from Union
to the
Bates farm, where they recovered the body of Bates, who had been killed by a bullet in the neck and an arrow through burned.
the body.
The buildings had been
The death of Mr. Bates was keenly felt in
the community.
He had resided on his farm since
1854, and had surrounded himself with the comforts of a beautiful home. of
His tragic death, so near the town
Union, enveloped the community in
gloom of doubt and distrust and fear.
the
heavy
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
372
A meeting of the citizens of Union was held on the 2d of April to consider the dangerous condition of affairs.
It was like previous meetings of the kind,
adopting resolutions expressing the sentiments of the people, and doing nothing more.
T. J. Titlow acted
as the presiding officer and C. A. Murdock as Secre¬ tary.
The resolutions adopted stated
that
every
dwelling east of the Hoopa trail for a distance of fifty miles, had been burnt by the Indians, and cattle and other property had
been wantonly destroyed.
For
more than a year, it was asserted, residents of Union had been prevented from going to the country except at great risk of their lives.
Improvements in building
had been stopped and population steadily diminished. The resolutions embodied a request to the authorities to
remove the
Hoopa tribe of Indians from their
rancherias, representing that they were in league with the hostile tribes; and also a request that all
the
tribes taken from their homes be removed to a distant Reservation, farther away than the vicinity of Crescent City and Mendocino, from whence they returned at their leisure.
Copies of the resolutions were sent to
Governor Stanford, to Brig. Gen. Wright, and to Col. Lippitt. Public meetings were doubtless effective in allaying public excitement, but they could not stop the depre¬ dations of the Indians.
April and May brought their
quota of events to the detriment of the whites.
A man
named Patrick Regan, an industrious stock-raiser, liv¬ ing five miles from Angel’s Ranch, was shot from the woods near his cabin and killed.
Cooper’s Mills were
THROUGH FIRE.
373
set on fire and robbed and plundered.
Oak Camp,
where W. H. Pratt’s pack-train was encamped, was attacked and the three men with the train driven off, some of the goods being carried away by the Indians and the remainder burnt.
Other alarming indications
were not lacking of a determined purpose to wage persistent and indiscriminating war on
the whites.
The suffering of the stock-raisers of Bear River and Mattole was terrible.
Cattle were driven off, houses
were robbed, travelers were murdered. protection and no reason to expect any.
There was no
374
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXV.
Daby’s Ferry.
A Night of Terror.—Ad ventures of a heroic Woman.—Mrs. Danskin’s fate.—Babes in the Wood.—Peter Nizet and George Danskin.
Five miles North of Union, where the main road crossed Mad River, a settler, S. Daby, had established a ferry and located Government land.
The house was
a stopping-place for travelers, well patronized, and the ferry property produced a handsome income. surrounding neighborhood was
The
not thickly settled.
The ferry-house was situated in a wild spot not far from the gloomy forests.
Daby himself saw the ad¬
vantages which were certain to accrue from an early settlement there, for he knew that the land, when once cleared and under cultivation, would be remarkably productive. low.
The Government price was exceedingly
He could afford to wait for increase of values
and profits. Supper was on the table at the Daby House at 6 o'clock on the evening of June 6th, 1862.
Around the
board gathered Mr. Daby and his wife, their three children, Mrs. Danskin, mother of Mrs. Daby, and a boy, George Danskin, Mrs. Daby’s nephew.
In a tent
DABYS FERRY.
375
near the house were two soldiers from Camp Gaston, and on the place were also a Frenchman named Peter Nizet and a half-breed Indian boy.
Nizet, who took his
meals with the family, had not come in. went to the door and called Nizet. a bullet whistled by him.
Mr. Daby
As he
did so
Other shots were heard.
Hastily closing the door, Daby said the Indians were firing at the house, and told the women and children to get under the bed in Mrs. Daby’s room.
The back
part of the house being built into a bank, and the bed¬ room
being next to it, the retreat was a safe one
so long as the house was not invaded.
Mrs. Daby,
Mrs. Danskin and the four children were in the bed¬ room a quarter of an hour, when Mr. Daby told them that their only prospect of escape was to run for the river.
A trail led from the house to the river bank
where the canoes were tied. carried the ferry-boat away.
The winter flood had The inmates of the house
and the two soldiers in the tent ran together towards the river.
Mr. Daby had one child, Peter Nizet had
one, and Mrs. Daby had the 13-months-old baby in her arms.
Before reaching the river one of the sol¬
diers was shot.
Twenty guns were flashing in the
gathering dusk of the evening, and bullets were flying through the air in every direction. dians on both sides of the river.
There were In¬
Exposed to a mur¬
derous cross-fire, with the prospect of escape dwindling into hopeless nothingness, the men and women and children leaped into a canoe and pushed out into the stream.
From the opposite bank sounded the report
of fire-arms.
A
fusilade
of
shot splashed in
the
376
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
water as the boat drifted with the current. Mrs. Danskin was struck by a bullet and slightly wounded. Not far down the river was a thicket of bushes. Mr. Daby suggested that a landing be made there and the party separate in the brush, for none could be saved if they continued in the canoe. The suggestion was followed, and the canoe landed. Mrs. Danskin went a few steps and fell, pierced by two bullets. Mrs. Daby, with the baby in her arms, had gone a short distance when a bullet struck her in the right arm, and she fell fainting to the ground. Although she was in a senseless condition for several minutes, she was dimly conscious of what was occurring around her. She heard her husband say to Nizet: “We will hide the children in the bushes.” Then she heard no more, and when consciousness fully returned she saw nobody but Indians. She picked up her baby and started toward the clump of bushes. The Indians surrounded her and robbed her of the money and jewelry she had about her person, taking her wedding ring from her finger. Having robbed her they told her to “find papooses” and go to Union. She asked them : “ Where is the little boy, George Danskin ? ” They answered: “ Indians take the waugee boy; you go to Areata (Union), and send men with plenty money, and you get the waugee boy.” Perceiving that the Indians did not intend to kill her or the children, she rose and went in search of the little girls. As she rose to her feet she distinctly recognized the features of two white men among the savages, imper¬ fectly disguised as Indians, who turned quickly and
daby’s ferry. walked away.
377
When she reached the nearest thicket
she heard a voice say “ Mamma ! ” and there she found the two girls, Lizzie, aged five, and Carrie, aged three years, now the wife of C. L. M. Howard of Eureka. Carrying the baby and leading the girls, she walked two miles until she reached the forest, where, sick and weary, she hid the two girls at the foot of a tree where the dense undergrowth formed an impenetrable screen.
Taking off two of her skirts, she put one
under and one above the children, telling them to be still and quiet till she returned for them.
Again, with
her baby in her arms, she started through the woods and the fields, reaching the Prigmore farm, three miles down the river.
The house was deserted.
She then
went back to the road, and reached the Janes’ farm, where there was only a sick man named Chapman and another man who watched over him. to his attendant:
“ I
am
Chapman said
not afraid to stay here
alone; you go and help Mrs. Daby to town.”
The
man carried the baby and they started for Union. It was two o’clock in the morning.
When they got to
the main road they met a great crowd coming up from Union, among them a physician and father and brothers.
Mrs.
Daby’s
Mrs. Daby went on to Union,
and the crowd of citizens went to the river.
Mr.
Daby, when the family separated at the river, had escaped unhurt, and carried the news of the attack to Union.
The two soldiers also got in that night, both
seriously though
not fatally wounded.
The relief
party from Union carried the dead body of Mrs. Danskin to town at daylight.
They had been unable
»
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
37
to find the two little girls, and were about to give up the search in despair, when a fortunate idea was car¬ ried into execution by Mrs. Daby’s youngest brother, John
Danskin.
A valuable dog belonging to
family was still on the place. the dog to him and said: dren!”
With what seemed
the
John Danskin called
“Jingo, go find the chil¬ to the excited men as
more than brute intelligence, the dog led them eagerly into the forest—and at the very spot where Mrs. Daby had left the children, stopped and growled, as if direct¬ ing further search.
Parting the intervening boughs
and brambles, the men saw the children lying there, locked in each other’s arms, fast asleep. Only Nizet, George Danskin, and the half-breed Indian boy remained to be accounted for.
The half-
breed was wounded in the thigh, and after a desperate fight, in which he killed two of his assailants, he escaped, crawling to Union in his disabled condition, reaching the town on Saturday night.
It was the general sup¬
position that Nizet had been killed and George Dans¬ kin carried into captivity by the Indians.
Rewards
were offered and searching parlies organized, but with no avail.
The days passed and neither Nizet or the
boy was heard of.
The Danskin family as a last re¬
sort employed friendly Hoopa Indians to make inquiries about the fate of Nizet and the boy, promising them a liberal reward for reliable information.
At the end of
nine days the Hoopa Indians returned and reported that they had ascertained the fate of the missing.
The
attacking Indians, they said, tried to capture the boy, but Nizet picked him up in his arms and ran to a large
daby’s ferry.
log which spanned the stream.
379 Half-way across the
stream Nizet was shot, falling to the water below with the boy in his arms.
They fell in a deep pool, where
a powerful eddy whirled them round and round and dragged them down to death.
When
their bodies
were recovered the arms of Peter Nizet still clasped the form of the boy, loyal even in death. It was a miraculous thing that any escaped from the river unhurt.
Besides being wounded in the arm, Mrs.
Daby had two bullet holes in the ruffles of her dress. There were three holes in the baby’s dress.
Mr. Daby
had a bullet hole through his hat. The Daby family never returned to their farm.
The
Indians burned the buildings and drove off the stock, and the land passed into the possession of others.
380
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXVI. Military Operations in 1862.
Marching and counter-marching.—A benevolent Indian Agent.— Lieut. Flynn’s detachment.—The force at Fort Humboldt.— Independent Companies. A resume of military operations in 1862, if carried through the year, would strike the intelligent reader as being a record of farcical movements and abortive campaigns.
Col. Lippitt’s command, either actuated
by explosive orders from headquarters or some nervously-energetic motive of its own, was constantly on the
move toward
imaginary
enemies,
with
purely
imaginary successful results. . There was marching and counter-marching; there were official orders from Fort Humboldt rivalling in weighty magnificence the proc¬ lamations of a Commander-in-Chief; there were forced marches with no visible or invisible object; there were changes and exchanges of garrisons and officers with no imaginable or reasonable purpose. One influence which made the movements of the troops more vacillating at this time than they would otherwise have been, and which made
the
various
military posts merely useless and expensive luxuries,
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
381
was the non-interference policy of the Indian-Depart¬ ment as represented by the Superintendent for Cali¬ fornia.
That official, Geo. M. Hanson, in a letter to
S. G. Whipple under date of April 21st, 1862, wrote that he was “ truly pained to see an account of so much trouble,” and that he had “ entertained a hope that the troops under command of Col. Lippitt would have succeeded, in a peaceful
manner, in collecting
and removing the Indians to Del Norte county.”
He
had made temporary provision for them in Del Norte county, and he still had hopes that Col. Lippitt would succeed in their removal “ without the absolute neces¬ sity of resorting to bloodshed.’’ zeal
in behalf of the
tendent exhorted
Waxing warm in his
Indians, this model Superin¬
the whites
toward those unfortunate
use
“forbearance
creatures.”
to
The idea of
keeping four or five hundred soldiers in an Indian country, where white settlers were daily being robbed or murdered, with orders not to resort to bloodshed in the punishment of the hostiles, could only have origin¬ ated with a benevolent Superintendent or a military commander.
It could not have been reasonably ex-
pected that the troops would do good service, or any service at all, influenced by the sentiments expressed by Superintendent Geo. M. Hanso n. Two new Companies arrived at Eureka in April and proceeded to Fort Gaston. the
2d Infantry, was in
Col. James N. Olney, of command.
Capt. Douglas,
Capt. Ketchum, Lieut. Staples, Capt. Heffernan and Lieut. Flynn were in the field with detachments from other posts.
Their engagements were few
and un-
382
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
important.
On the 26th of April Capt. Ketchum, with
a detachment of 25 men from Fort Baker, attacked a small rancheria on Larabee Creek and killed three or four warriors.
Lieut. Staples’ detachment had a skir¬
mish in the same neighborhood, in which 15 Indians were killed. Lieut. Flynn, commanding a detachment of 25 men from Fort Anderson, was scouting in the Mad River section, and on the night of the 6th of May the detach¬ ment camped near Croghan’s Ranch.
A camp fire was
burning cheerfully, around which the men reclined. Lieut. Flynn and John Saff, the latter being the guide to the detachment, were conversing near the fire, when they were startled by the report of half a dozen rifles within fifty yards of the camp.
One bullet struck Saff
in the thigh, inflicting a dangerous wound. Everywhere the troops were useless and inefficient. Cooper’s Mills were robbed and plundered while sol¬ diers were sleeping in a house forty yards away.
Robert
Neece was shot and dangerously wounded near Central Prairie, eighteen miles south of Eureka.
And though
Col. Lippitt did issue an order that the depredations and murders by the Indians amounted to “ a declara¬ tion of war” by them, and instructed the troops to act accordingly, the settlers had no more confidence in him than they formerly reposed
in
Major
Raines.
The force at Fort Humboldt was composed of 132 men, officers and privates, and of these there were 37 on the sick list, and 32 under arrest, for various offens¬ es against military discipline.
It was not surprising
that the people felt wronged and indignant.
Their
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
383
indignation was increased ten-fold by a visit made by Superintendent Hanson to the Klamath Reservation. Hanson took with him to the Reservation a large as¬ sortment of fancy articles’, colored glass beads, and ribbons, and went through the ludicrous ceremony of delivering fatherly advice and presents to the Indians, telling them that if they would be good to the whites the “ Great Father at Washington ” would be good to them—an agreement that was neither understood nor appreciated by the savages, who were in reality im¬ pressed only with a sense of the weakness of Hanson’s authority and the worthlessness of his promises. The question of organizing independent Companies of home Volunteers was generally discussed and de¬ cided in the affirmative.
When the news of the attack
on Daby's Ferry reached Eureka a mass meeting of the citizens was held at the Court House, to take into consideration measures for protection.
The meeting
authorized S. G. Whipple to open a muster-roll for the purpose of getting a sufficient number of names to form a Company of Riflemen, and a resolution was passed recommending the people in the different sec¬ tions of the country to organize independent Volunteer Companies, wherever practicable, under the laws of the State, and apply for and obtain public arms as a means of obtaining home protection.
Walter Van Dyke was
appointed to make proper application on behalf of the people for State arms, and also to interview General Wright on the subject of military affairs in Humboldt District.
The young men of Union also organized a
Company, under the Militia law of the State, for the protection of that neighborhood.
384
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
The appointment of Walter Van Dyke to interview Gen. Wright resulted in some interesting correspon¬ dence between the two gentlemen.
After visiting Gen.
Kibbe and obtaining a requisition for 30 rifles, Mr. Van Dyke addressed a note to Gen. Wright. Russ
House, San Francisco,
Brig.-Gen. Wright—Dear
It was:
June 12, 1862.
Sir:—The citizens of
Humboldt county, at a public meeting held at the Court House on the 9th and 10th inst., delegated me to lay before you the present alarming condition of Indian affairs in that section of the State, and to secure, if possible, further assistance, to enable the officer in command of that District, by more vigorous action, to kill or capture the armed bands of murderous savages now laying waste the country.
This is the only way,
I beg to suggest, by which to bring the present hostili¬ ties to a speedy close, and to prevent the war now being waged by these Indians from being protracted indefinitely, and thereby causing further sacrifice of the lives and property of our people at the hands of the savages. Trusting that it will be in your power to extend re¬ lief to the people in that section without any great delay, I am, Respectfully, your ob’t servant, Walter Van
Dyke.
Gen. Wright replied, on the same day, that he was “watching over the Indian difficulties” in the District of Humboldt “with much anxiety.”
Col. Lippitt, he
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
385
informed Mr. Van Dyke, had ten Companies of In¬ fantry and one of Cavalry in his District, and it had been supposed that his force “would be sufficient to maintain peace ”
The remainder of Gen. Wright’s
reply was composed of a panegyric on the “ability and energy” of the command under Col. Lippitt, and a promise that three full Companies should be added to the troops in the Humboldt District. 25
386
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXVII.
The Death Roll.
A Scene at
Muhlberg’s.—Tragedy on
Olmstead’s
the Trinity Trail.—W. T.
Adventures.—Massacre
at Whitney’s
Ranch.--
J. P. Albee.
From the time of the attack on Daby’s Ferry till the close of the year there was a ceaseless round of depre¬ dations and an appalling record of death. The smoking embers of Daby’s house had scarcely cooled before the torch was applied to the dwelling of G. F. Muhlberg, an industrious German farmer, two miles below on the river.
It was about 8 o’clock on the morning
of the 7th of June, the day after the attack at the Ferry, that Mrs. Muhlberg, looking out from a window in her house, saw a number of Indians on the hill-side not far away.
The Indians tried to hide behind the
fence on the
upper side of the house, where they
would be in a position to shoot Muhlberg as he went out.
His wife had already left the house when Muhl¬
berg, who was on the porch, divined their intention, and instead of passing through the room and out at the door jumped down from
the porch and joined
his wife below the house, and between it and the river.
THE DEATH ROLL.
387
Two hundred yards1 below there was a boat.
Muhl-
berg and his wife ran for the river and the Indians commenced firing at them.
Bullets splashed in the
water and knocked splinters from the boat as they pushed it out into the current.
A landing was safely
effected out of reach of the Indian rifles, and soon afterwards Mrs. Muhlberg reached Union.
Muhlberg
remained behind and watched the savages plunder and burn the house.
Lieut. Myers and several soldiers
arrived from the Janes farm but were afraid to attack the Indians. Other depredations, similar in character, followed thick and fast during the remainder of the year.
A
man was shot at near Eagle Prairie; a house was robbed in the Matto'le Valley; the residence of Neil Hill, two miles from Elk Camp, in Klamath county, was attacked on the night of the 30th of July, the only occupant being a man named Miller, who was seriously wounded Camp
and escaped through
while
the
the woods to
Indians burned
Elk
the house; J. F.
Denny, the mail carrier from Union, was warned that the woods were full of hostile tribes and that his life was in danger; a party of twelve persons, on way from Gold Bluff to Trinidad, were
their
twice fired
at from the brush, and an attempt was made to hem them in—their escape being effected by a circuitous route to the mouth of Redwood Creek, from whence one of the party went by sea to Trinidad in a canoe— the people of Trinidad at the same time assembling in a brick building, very much alarmed, and sending to Eureka for a tug to remove them from their hordes;
388
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Mr. Brehmer’s house on upper Mad River, from which he had
removed,
was burned
to the ground; E.
Horner was attacked near Rainbow
Ridge, several
bullets passing through his clothing and his horse be¬ ing shot; Wm. Bradford and K. N. Geer narrowly escaped death in the Bear River country, the former being driven from his home.
Tragic scenes were enacted on the Trinity trail. Four
men—William
Steven
Adams
T.
Olmstead,
Hiram
Lyons,
and James Grounds—who were en
route to Trinity county with a drove of beef cattle, on the ioth of July camped for the night at the Upper Mad
River ford, thirty-five
miles from
Hydesville.
Just before sunset supper was prepared and the men sat down to enjoy it.
As they did so two shots were
fired from the grass close by. fell dead.
Lyons sprang up and
Olmstead was struck by the second ball.
Adams and Grounds fled, reaching the settlements safely, the former on the same night and the latter the next day.
Olmstead ran a quarter of a mile in
the brush, the Indians pursuing and never losing sight of him.
When he would turn upon them they would
crouch in the grass and weeds, and when he turned to run they would be upon him again. stood in his way.
He got behind it.
A large rock Watching his
opportunity, he stepped quickly out and fired at his pursuers, killing one.
The fire was returned and he
THE DEATH ROLL.
389
received a second wound, in the right thigh.
The
Indians, not more than ten yards away, dropped down in the grass and disappeared.
Sorely wounded, Olm-
stead started up a ravine, through which a little creek rushed foaming to the river.
Before him was a steep
ascent, from which the water fell in a swift torrent. He slipped, and fell back into a pool, waist deep, at the foot of the bank.
A tree had fallen across the
ravine, below the pool, making a jam of driftwood there.
Olmstead swam under the log and sheltered
himself among the driftwood, securely hidden from sight.
When he had been so hidden a few minutes
there came
five
Indians,
who fired guns into the
drift and threw stones into the pool, and being satis¬ fied that their victim was gone, went away themselves. Olmstead remained in the drift till daylight, when he crawled out and broke two small limbs from a fallen tree, which he used as crutches.
Thus equipped/ he
labored up the ravine towards the trail.
The sun
rose, the air grew warm, and he was obliged to 'lie down, exhausted and weak.
At one o’clock in the
afternoon he attracted the notipe of a relief party from North Yager Creek and Fort Baker, who had received information from Adams of the attack at th€ ford. A litter was brought on which Olmstead was carried to Yager Creek. Two months after the attack on the Olmstead camp three men were killed in the daytime, while traveling the same trail, and nearly in the same spot.
Joseph
Bashow, Lewis Cash and another named Mann, were going to Trinity county with adrove of hogs. A pack
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
390
train was a short distance in advance of them.
The
two men with the pack train forded the river, uncon¬ scious of danger.
Bashow, Cash and Mann were shot
and killed by Indians concealed among the rocks, one falling in the bank.
river, the other two on the opposite
Cattle-drivers who arrived at the ford on the
same day saw the bodies and went to Fort Baker for assistance.
Whitney’s Ranch, on Redwood Creek, four miles below Fort Anderson, was the scene of a massacre on the morning of Monday, July 28th.
There were at
the house George Whitney, the owner, Wm. Mitchell, James Freeman, three soldiers belonging to Captain Douglas’ command, and a domesticated Indian boy. Between 9 and 10 o’clock the dogs barked furiously. Freeman
stepped out to reconnoitre.
A few paces
from the house he was shot at, the bullet grazing his head
He went back to the house and the inmates
waited a half an hour for further demonstrations, but saw or heard nothing more to indicate the proximity of Indians.
At this time two soldiers of the Cavalry
arrived, riding express from Fort Gaston to Fort Hum¬ boldt.
They had
seen
no
Indians,
they said, but
would advise the men at Whitney’s to stay in the house until the arrival of Capt. Douglas, who had been scout¬ ing in the neighborhood for several days, and who would return that way to Fort Anderson in a few hours.
After a brief conversation the express riders
THE DEATH ROLL.
391
went on ; and after consulting together the men at Whitney’s concluded to send word to Captain Doug¬ las of what had occurred and hasten his arrival. Free¬ man volunteered to go.
When he had gone Whitney
and Mitchell armed themselves and went to a field near the house to work, leaving the boy and the sol¬ diers in the house.
One of the soldiers stepped out
into the yard a few minutes later, and was instantly shot and killed by the Indians, receiving seven bullets in his breast.
At the same time the two men at work
in the field were shot, Mitchell being instantly killed and Whitney receiving a wound from which he died the next day. The Indian boy went out and recovered the dead soldier’s gun, and he and the two surviving soldiers defended themselves, killing two of their as¬ sailants
and
wounding several
others.
reached Capt. Douglas the sound of heard by
Before he
the firing was
Freeman, who explained the situation so
graphically that Douglas’ command started on the run for the scene, arriving there only to find that the In¬ dians were gone and their services would be too late.
After the attack on Whitney’s Ranch Capt. Doug¬ las removed the guard which had been stationed at J. P. Albee’s place, in the same neighborhood, Col. Lippitt informing him that guards could not be furnished “ to every isolated farm-house in the country.’’
Mr.
Albee, whose place was in a dangerous neighborhood,
392
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
being left without any means of defense, was compel¬ led to move his family to Union, and practically aban¬ doned his property.
He left valuable stock on the
place, and on the first of November he went back to ascertain what had become of it.
Five or six days af¬
terwards two men from Minor’s Ranch were on Albee’s land in search of stray mules. When they got near Al¬ bee’s house they saw a squaw, who appeared to be on the lookout, immediately giving an alarm when she saw the white men.
Five Indian warriors broke from
the garden, running towards the trail above the two men, as though intending to prevent their escape in that direction.
The latter spurred their horses and
gained the trail, by this means getting out of range of the Indians, and when they had reached a considerable eminence above the house, looked back and saw that it was in flames.
Not knowing that Albee had gone
to his place, the two men rode away, and it was not until three days had
passed that the news reached
Union of the burning of the house.
A volunteer re¬
lief party went to the place in search of Mr. Albee. All the improvements, the result of years of hard la¬ bor, were in ruins, and in a field, close to a plow with which he had been at work, lay Albee’s body, pierced with one arrow and two bullets. Albee had resided on this place since 1854.
He had ever been a friend to
the Indians, being so confident that his friendship for them was respected that he
hesitated to remove hi£
family to Union after frightful massacres had occur¬ red in localities less exposed than his own.
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
393
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Military Operations in 1862.
Union Volunteers and Eel
River Minute
Men.—The
Battle of
Light’s Prairie.—A Fight on Little River.—The Smith’s
River
Reservation.
Tired of waiting for the slow protection of United States soldiers, always expected but never afforded; tired of listening to dreadful details of Indian butcher¬ ies occurring at their own doors, the citizens of Union organized a Volunteer Militia Company, and elected as its officers Captain, G. W.,Ousley ; First Lieutenant, J. A. Whaley; Second
Lieutenants, A. Schumacher
and
Sergeants, S. Schobell, J. M.
C.
A.
Murdock ;
Short, C. C. Sands and
R. Burns; Corporals, J. E.
Wyman, J. C. Bull, Jr., John Harpst and H. C. Mills. There was also organized, in Eel River Valley, a Company called the Eel River Minute Men, with A. D. Sevier as Captain, and A. P. Campton, L. B. Wea¬ ver and John Kemp as Lieutenants. Of the regular Army forces there is little to relate. Their marching and counter-marching was continuous throughout the year, and several hundred prisoners of both
sexes were captured;
but the prisoners were
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
394 mostly of
friendly tribes, who willingly surrendered
for the sake of temporary shelter and food, and the depredations of the hostile tribes were neither dimin¬ ished in number nor severity. The organization of a Volunteer Company at Union was immediately followed by important results.
Soon
after the organization had been effected two white men
who lived with the
woods near the town.
Indians were seen in
the
Their camp was found, the two
men retreating further into the forest when they saw the citizens coming.
Their baggage, which they left
behind, contained articles which had been stolen from houses recently robbed, thus corroborating suspicion of their association with the Indians.
They were pur¬
sued by several parties of citizens belonging to the Volunteer Company, and one party of seven under Capt. Ousley, while in the vicinity of Dow’s Prairie, discovered a fresh trail, which was followed by them until dark.
The trail led to a camp in a small clear¬
ing called Light’s Prairie, five miles from Union. Capt. Ousley and his men got within fifty yards of the camp and could see the Indians around their fires.
They
had butchered a steer and were preparing their even¬ ing repast.
There appeared to be twenty-five or thirty
warriors, all well armed.
Capt. Ousley led his party
back to Union while the Indians were feasting, with¬ out attracting their notice or suspicion, and.before 12 o’clock that night, August 20th, a force of thirty Vol¬ unteers and seventeen soldiers of the regular Army was ready to march on the camp.
It was 4 o’clock of
the 21 st when the camp was reached.
The command-
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
395
ing officer, Capt. Ousley, formed the men in three di¬ visions and stationed them at different points. It was agreed that he should fire a signal shot for a general attack on the camp. The Indians had three fires burn¬ ing, and were sleeping on their arms, but they had no sentinels out.
Twenty minutes before the attack sev¬
eral shots were heard in the direction of Dow’s Prairie, evidently signals to the sleeping savages, who roused themselves and stirred up their fires.
At this moment
Capt. Ousley fired his gun and a round of bullets was poured into the camp. The attack was made too soon. Day was but just appearing over the Eastern hills, and it was not light enough to see objects in the camp dis¬ tinctly.
The whites were at a disadvantage in other
respects.
Fern and underbrush grew high and luxu¬
riant about the camp, forming avenues of
escape,
through which the savage warriors darted and were lost to sight.
Six were killed and the others fled.
One of the Volunteers, James Brock, was killed.
In
their flight the Indians had no time to carry away their dead or wounded. One of the latter James Brock stumbled over as the whites rushed upon the camp after the first fire.
He caught the wounded Indian by
the hair, who, throwing his arm around Brock, shot him through the heart with a pistol.
None of the
whites were wounded, Brock’s death being the only casualty. one which
Six rifles were taken in the fight, including had
belonged
to the
murdered men at
Whitney’s Ranch. On the next day after the fight at Light’s Prairie a squaw who had lived with a white family and was a
396
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
prisoner among her people contrived to escape from the rancheria where she was held and went back to the settlement.
She told the whites that hostile In¬
dians were camped on
Little River, ten miles above
its mouth, and she signified her willingness to guide the Volunteers to the place. true, a force of
Believing her story to be
thirty-five Volunteers and eighteen
Regulars, the former under Capt. Ousley,
the latter
under Lieut. Campbell, left Union on the 22d of Au¬ gust for Little River.
The squaw was faithful, and on
Sunday morning, the 24th, the camp was surrounded and an attack was planned. But investigation revealed the fact that the camp was deserted. The Indians had taken everything with them except some bloody gar¬ ments which had belonged to their wounded at Light’s Prairie.
A consultation was had by the whites and it
was unanimously agreed that the late occupants of the camp
had' not moved far,
as they had
too many
wounded to allow of swift or long-continued travel > they were in a new camp, not far away, either up or down the stream.
A difference of opinion here arose
between Capt. Ousley and Lieut. Campbell concerning the direction the Indians had taken—Campbell assert¬ ing that they had gone down the river,
Ousley as
strenuously maintaining the opinion that they gone up the stream. ion of
the party,
had
The dispute resulted in a divis¬
Lieut. Campbell going down
river, Capt. Ousley in the opposite direction.
the The
Volunteers had not proceeded far up the stream when they saw the foot-prints of one of the two white men who had fled from their camp near Union a week be-
MILITARY OPERATIONS
fore.
IN
1862.
397
A split across the sole of one boot was the clue
to the man’s identity, the imprint being plain and easily recognizable in the sand of the river bank.
At
3 o’clock in the afternoon the barking of a dog gave warning of the proximity of the Indians. Scouts came in with the information that the camp contained over fifty warriors, armed
with
guns
and pistols.
Capt.
Ousley divided his command into four squads, who took positions within easy rifle range of the camp. Their approach was noiseless and undisturbed.
The
Indians were camped on a sand-bar in the bed of the river.
Above and below the camp, agile warriors
were bathing and performing gymnastics in the sand. In camp, some were playing cards, some repairing and cleaning guns.
A number of squaws were preparing
food over a large fire.
The time was most auspicious
for a successful surprise and rout of the camp by the whites.
Capt. Ousley fired the signal shot, selecting
for his target a powerful Indian who was cleaning a gun.
At the first volley from the guns of the Volun¬
teers the Indians fled precipitately, leaving in the camp twenty-two dead, besides six rifles, ammunition, blan¬ kets and a miscellaneous assortment of articles from every house that had been plundered and burned dur¬ ing the preceding eight months.
While the plunder
was being examined, some of the Indians, secreted be¬ hind a rocky point which
jutted out into the river,
fired several shots, one ball striking a Volunteer named McDaniels and severely wounding him in the thigh. A hasty inventory of the dead disclosed among them the body of
the white man whose boot-tracks had
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
shown the way to the camp.
He was unknown to all
'—a waif of reckless humanity.
Capt.Ousley destroyed
the camp and on the second day returned to Union, having accomplished the object of his expedition. While Capt. Ousley was routing the Indians in the vicinity of Union the commanding officer at
Fort
Humboldt was.preparing to send all who had surren¬ dered to the Smith’s River Reservation. ervation was situated in
Del
Norte
This Res¬
county.
Its
creation was one of the official acts of Superintendent Hanson.
An exorbitant price was paid for several
farms, large and expensive buildings were erected, the whole representing an outlay of money entirely incon¬ sistent with economy or common-sense.
The Res¬
ervation itself was within an easy day’s travel of the Klamath River, and to keep the
Indians there would
require as many soldiers as Indians.
Lieut. Mulhol-
land was in command of a recruiting post on the peninsula opposite Bucksport, where prisoners were kept to
await transportation
Reservation.
Here
to
the Smith’s River
were over 800 savages of all
sizes and ages and of both sexes
They were kept
here until the steamer Panama was chartered by the Government to take them all to Del Norte county. The people of Del Norte did not want them, but it was in vain that they represented, in lengthy petitions, that their presence would endanger life and property, or that they would return to Humboldt county in a few months or weeks. had established the
The Indian Superintendent
Smith’s River Reservation.
To
make it profitable to anybody it must be populated.
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
Eight hundred
Indians
1862.
399
embarked on the steamer
Panama, and were taken to
Del
Norte.
As was
anticipated by everyperson having a knowledge of the county — with
the possible exception
of the
army
officers—the Indians did not remain on the Smith’s River Reservation two months.
October, November,
December, each witnessed a decrease in the number on the Reservation and an increase in the population of the
Klamath and
Mad River country.
month fully 300 warriors left the went back exploits.
to the
scenes of
In one
Reservation and
their former
bloody
400
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXIX.
The Mountaineer Battalion.
A Deserted Country.—Organization of the Mountaineer Battalion.— Companies A and B.—Preparations for War.—Stone Lagoon.
At the beginning of 1863 the hostile tribes had complete possession of all the Mad River and Red¬ wood country back as far as Hoopa.
Every channel
of traffic between Humboldt, Trinity and counties was effectually blockaded.
Klamath
The only farm¬
house saved from the torch the year before—on Mi¬ nor’s ranch—was now burned, and all other improve¬ ments on the place were destroyed.
On the North
side of Mad River, from the head of Redwood to its mouth, not a single dwelling had been saved from the general ruin.
Minor’s Ranch had been known as
the “ half-way house” between Fort Gaston and Union. Col. Lippitt was frequently urged to keep a detach¬ ment of soldiers there ;
but his military plans did not
include Minor’s Ranch ; and this, the only house left in the Redwood country, was added to
the list of
ruined homes, through the negligence and systematic fault of Col. Lippitt. The situation in Klamath county was well described
401
THE MOUNTAINEER BATTALION.
by its Grand Jury in their report of January, 1863; remarks about the services of the United States sol¬ diers there would
have applied with
equal
felicity
to any other part of the Humboldt district.
The
Klamath Grand Jury, with most refreshing frankness, said : “ The Jury find that that portion of Klamath county bordering on Humboldt county is entirely deserted, many of the houses and other improvements of our citizens in that region having been burned and laid waste, as well as many valuable lives being sacrificed to the brutal savages that infest that section.
Every
appeal of the citizens of Humboldt and Klamath coun¬ ties to the Governor of the State and the
Federal
authorities in California, for an active, efficient protec¬ tion against the murderous depredations of these hos¬ tile Indians, has proved of no avail.
The fact that
several companies of Volunteer United States soldiers are stationed in the two counties seems to render, in the estimation of the State and Federal authorities, any further protection or attention unnecessary, when the true facts are that these United States Volunteers are utterly worthless as a protection against Indians. The Jury does not desire to reflect upon the courage or discipline of these soldiers, but simply to state that the experience of the people of Humboldt and Klam¬ ath counties during the past twelve months has proved beyond question or cavil that through the inefficiency of officers or bad management they have entirely failed to punish for Indian atrocities and massacres, and utterly failed to protect our citizens against the
402
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
attacks and depredations of these murderous savages. We
recommend
that the proper authorities
make
another effort with the Governor of this State to call out a sufficient body of resident citizens of these two counties to chastise and expel forever, if possible, the hostile Indians from that portion of these counties at present made utterly untenable by their presence and depredations.” Weight and influence were given to the report of the Klamath Grand Jury by a reference to Indian af¬ fairs in the message of Governor Stanford to the State Legislature.
The Governor acknowledged the exist¬
ence of serious
trouble in
need of adequate relief. could not say.
the Northwest and
the
What that relief was to be he
He was willing to leave the question
to the law-makers and the military authorities. The report and the message were published in Jan¬ uary.
In February Senator Van Dyke and Assem¬
blymen Whipple and Wright—the legislative delega¬ tion from the counties of Humboldt, Del Norte and Klamath—visited General Wright and requested him to call upon Governor Stanford for the enlistment of Volunteers for special service against the Indians in the Northwest.
The legislative gentlemen represent¬
ed to Gen. Wright that their constituents were anxious to engage in such
Volunteer service, because
their
families and their homes were in danger, because they were familiar with the habits and haunts of the In¬ dians, and because they were confident of their own efficiency and distrusted the efficiency of soldiers en¬ listed abroad who were not interested in the establish¬ ment of permanent peace.
THE MOUNTAINEER BATTALION.
403
Gen. Wright was unable to resist the influence of the arguments made to him and politely gave his as¬ sent to the request preferred.
Governor Stanford as
promptly assented to the suggestions of Gen. Wright, on the
7th of February issuing his proclamation de¬
claring that Gen. Wright had asked for the enlistment of six companies of Volunteer troops,“for special ser¬ vices against the
hostile Indians in the Humboldt
District,” and inviting the citizens of the counties of Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Trinity, Siskiyou and Klamath “ to organize the number of Companies necessary to fill the requisition.”
The six Companies
were to comprise a Volunteer force to be known as the Mountaineer Battalion, to be mustered into service against the Indians only, and to be mustered out of service when peace should be permanently established. Commissions were issued to Geo. W.
Ousley, of
Union, and Chas. W. Long, of Eureka, authorizing them to organize and enroll two Companies in Hum¬ boldt county.
Inducements of various kinds were
held out to facilitate a rapid organization of the Bat¬ talion. and
Bounties were offered, contributions accepted,
taxes levied.
Mr.
Long opened his enrolling
books in Eureka and Ousley opened his in
Union.
A law was passed by the Legislature authorizing the Supervisors of Humboldt county .to levy a special tax and appropriate the money so raised to an increase of the pay of her Volunteers.
Several weeks elapsed be¬
fore the Companies were fully enrolled, some delay having been experienced in the transmission of nec¬ essary papers and instructions.
In April, the prelim-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
404
inary arrangements
having been completed,
Capt.
Fleming, U. S. A., mustered into the service of the United States, for the suppression of Indian hostilities, Companies A and B, Mountaineer Battalion.
Compa¬
nies C, D, E, and F were organized in other counties in the District, and completed the complement of the Bat¬ talion. The commanding officer of the Battalion was S. G. Whipple, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
A.
W. Hanna was Adjutant of the Battalion, W. H. Pratt Chief Quartermaster, and Jonathan
Clark Surgeon.
The officers of Co. A were: Captain, C. W. Long; ist Lieut., K. N. Geer; 2d Lieut., S. C. Beckwith ; Sergeants, W. P. Hanna, A. D. Sevier, L. B. Weaver and Wm. Bradford; Corporals, D.
L. Marshall, Jno.
Cathey, Henry Sneider, J. I. Owens, Wm. D. Mitchell, J. P. Chapman, Jesse Walker and N. Stansberry.
Co.
C was commanded by Captain Geo. W. Ousley, and the other officers were: ist Lieut., I. W. Hempfield ; 2d Lieut, Edward Hale;
Sergeants, Jasper N. Janes,
Wm. Hurst, John S. Hughes, Sam. Overlander and Jacob Underwood; Corporals, Jas. D. Barnes, Geo. Creighton, Milton C. Cunningham, H. Tilton, Jas. H. Underwood, Jas. B. Truman, J. B. Herrick and An¬ drew
A.
Pardee.
Capt.
Abraham
Miller,
Captain
Wm. C. Martin and Captain John P. Simpson were in command of the three Companies raised in Trinity, Siskiyou, Klamath
and
Del
Norte counties.
The
Mendocino Company did not participate in the opera¬ tions in the extreme Northwest. Familiar with the geography of the region, and with the habits and customs of the natives, inured to the
THE MOUNTAINEER BATTALION.
405
privations and hardships of life in a new country, the men of the Mountaineer Battalion were well adapted to the service before them and well prepared for the accomplishment of the work for which it had been called into existence.
Many of them were substantial
and influential citizens, whose only motive in entering the military service was to aid in terminating the In¬ dian depredations from which they had suffered severe¬ ly for many years.
The officers, from highest to lowest,
were zealous in the discharge of their duties.
Fortu¬
nately they were ignorant of the details of military affairs.
The importance of military discipline is not
paramount in the eyes of frontiersmen who have been used to fight Indians after their own fashion.
The
dark horizon of Indian affairs in the Northwest grew light with a bow of promise.
The
Indians prepared for war.
Lassac, a noted
leader among the hostile tribes, who had been sent to the Trinity Reservation and escaped from thence with two hundred of his people, stirred up discontent and revengeful feeling all along the Klamath, and others of his class kept alive the disaffection on Mad River and the Redwood.
Spies were sent out from the retreats
of the mountain tribes, who visited the valley tribes and learned of the organization and
movements of the
Volunteer soldiers; foraging parties made swift de¬ scents upon the ranches of the lower foot-hills, carrying
406
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
back whole carcasses of beef to be dried and stored for food; their pack-trains moved systematically from the scenes of cattle-slaughter to their secret rancherias on the Redwood or the Klamath; at one point on the Redwood, in the mountains above the Bald Hills, a log fort was constructed and strongly fortified; every¬ where in the hostile country, by a preconcerted agree¬ ment among the different tribes, extensive and elaborate preparations were made to give the whites a warm re¬ ception. Only one of the Redwood tribes contended for peace. The promptness with which this tribe and its objec¬ tions were swept away indicated with what fierce de¬ termination the hostile tribes awaited the fate, of war. On the East side of Stone Lagoon, a body of salt water four miles South of Redwood Creek, lived a tribe that had long been friendly to the whites.
They were un¬
commonly intelligent, uncommonly industrious, and their rancheria was the best of its class for many miles around.
Their white neighbors regarded them without
fear and expressed admiration for their peaceful and industrious habits.
One day in March a runner from
the Hoopas arrived, with intelligence that a war with the whites would soon occur, and demanding the sup¬ port of this tribe against the Mountaineer Battalion. The Hoopas had generally refrained from active war¬ fare, but now the strongest tribes were ready to take the war-path.
The Stone Lagoon tribe refused to listen
to any proposals for war with the whites. friends, and would remain so. to their tribe.
They were
The runners returned
In the night, on the nth of April, a
THE MOUNTAINEER BATTALION.
407
large party of the Hoopas and Redwoods attacked the Stone Lagoon Rancheria, massacred the tribe, and burned their houses.
The rancheria contained about
forty Indians of the friendly tribe, thirty of whom were killed and the others wounded, less than half a dozen surviving the gun or the knife.
Engaged in some
devotional exercise, or exhausted from participation in some savage rite, the Stone Lagoon tribe had put aside their arms and were defenseless when attacked.
One
squaw was carried off by the attacking party.
She
afterwards escaped, and said that the Hoopas were guilty of the massacre.
Sixty warriors of the Hoopa
tribe were camped on
Pine Creek, between Hoopa
Valley and Redwood—well provided with arms, am¬ munition and food.
They were bold and aggressive,
determined that every tribe of their race in the Red¬ wood and Klamath country should rise against the whites or incur a repetition of the massacre at Stone Lagoon.
408
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXX. Beginning of the Two Years’ War.
The Tribes that were Engaged in it.—Skirmish at Big Bend.—Oak Camp.—The Trinity.—Movements of the Mountaineers.—Ousley’s Camp at Faun Prairie.—Lieut. Hempfield’s Expedition. Dating from the massacre at Stone Lagoon, there was a war—the last of its kind in the Northwest terri¬ tory ; which lasted nearly two years, and was finally brought to a successful close by the Mountaineer Bat¬ talion—which was the culminating act in a long series of tragic scenes. It is impossible to state with reliable accuracy what tribes were engaged in it.
It is proba¬
ble that the Win-toons, and nearly all of the smaller and less
powerful
divisions, were on the war-path
against the whites.
The Hoopas, considered in the
complicated tribal relations, were known to be among the hostiles, and the same was known of all the moun¬ tain rancherias.
The valley tribes alone, whose fisher¬
ies were in the midst of white settlements, remained peaceable through the ordeal of the times.
The num¬
ber of hostile Indians can only be conjectured. There was no system or unity of action binding one rancheria to another. Their predatory warfare knew no con-
BEGINNING OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
nected force under one general direction.
409
If this had
been the case it would have required three times six companies of Volunteers to crush their hostile spirit. No estimate that is not simply a generalization from knowledge and experience can now be made of the number and tribal relations of the Indians engaged in the in
last
determined
Northwestern
struggle
California.
between
the
The list of
races peace¬
ful tribes should exclude all the mountain rancherias. The number of hostiles was sufficient for a formidable resistance to any advance of the Volunteers. Capt Flynn, U. S. A., must have the credit of lead¬ ing in the first actual engagement of the war, which occurred a few days before the Stone Lagoon massacre, in April, at a place called Big Bend, on the North fork of Eel River. soldiers under
A detachment of thirty-five U. S.
Capt.
Flynn and
Lieut.
Winschell
made an attack on a large rancheria, killing warriors and taking forty prisoners. ment a soldier named
thirty
In the engage¬
Timothy Lynch, who enlisted
in Oregon, was shot through the heart with an arrow. The guide to the soldiers was Steven Fleming, who led
Capt. Flynn to the rancheria
successful attack.
and planned the
One rifle was captured, and a large
number of bows, arrows and knives. Another attack—this time by Indians—was made on the last day of April, the scene being Oak Camp, and the object of attack the capture of a pack train. Oak Camp, three miles from Minor’s crossing of Red¬ wood Creek, was a favorite spot for surprising a train, thick brush and large rocks forming convenient re-
4io
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
treats for an ambushed foe. The train on this occasion was en route to Fort Gastjn, and was guarded by six soldiers.
The guard had camped on Redwood
the
night before, in company with other trains, but went on ahead in the morning.
As the train passed Oak
Camp there was a rapid firing from the brush and the guard in front was instantly killed.
Mules were shot
under the other guards, who fled to save their lives, one of them being wounded in the arm.
The mules
that were not killed were captured by the Indians, and also all the camp equipage of the guards, including a number of guns. Encouraged by their success, the Indians made a second attack at the same place a month later, captur¬ ing a pack-train of thirty animals laden with merchan¬ dise for Hoopa Valley and New River. five men with the train.
There were
One, Charles Raymond, was
shot and killed, and a man named Barham was twice wounded.
On the Trinity, for many miles above its confluence with the Klamath, there were indications of a general uprising of discontented tribes.
At Cedar Flat a trad¬
ing post was attacked and destroyed, the keeper and another man escaping to Burnt Ranch. Burnt Ranch
The family at
was removed to a safer locality, and
none too soon ; one day thereafter the Indians arrived and
set fire
to
everything
that
would
burn.
At
Barnard’s Ranch, in the same neighborhood, all the
BEGINNING OF THE TWO YEARS* WAR.
41 I
buildings were burned, the family having left the place. From Cedar Flat three thousand pounds of flour was carried off, besides other provisions.
That the out¬
break on the Trinity was primarily due to the neg¬ ligence and weak philanthropy of Col. Olney, com¬ manding at Fort Gaston, was believed by many who pro¬ fessed to be cognizant of the facts.
It was asserted
by them that Col. Olney had entertained a scheme for a treaty of peace, by which the past transgressions of the hostile tribes in his jurisdiction would have been forgiven and their permanent settlement in the Hoopa Valley assured; but the organization of the
Moun¬
taineer Battalion had put a stop to the treaty negotia¬ tions, and Col. Olney was fain to content himself with a masterly inactivity.
The
neighboring tribes, im¬
pressed only with a sense of what they considered the weakness of the whites, were bolder than ever before, and much less inclined to sue for peace at any price. Encouraged and elated by the success of their late raids, the Hoopa tribes were more than ever inclined to listen to the Redwoods and join them in whatever marauding expeditions they might undertake.
Movements of the Mountaineers were necessarily slow in the first months of the existence of the Bat¬ talion.
The Companies experienced delay in being
mustered in, and there were various other influences at work to prevent rapidity of action.
Three months
412
INDIAN
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the year had passed when Capt. Ousley went into camp at Daby’s Ferry on Mad River, and it was some weeks later when Capt. Long’s Company was stationed at Fort Baker.
The other Companies were not yet
full. Capt. Ousley did not remain long at Daby’s Ferry. In June he moved his command to Faun Prairie, where he was in a position to guard the Trinity trail. Capt. Ousley was in Union when the intelligence of Charles Raymond’s death reached that place.
With
21 of his own men and 9 citizens who volunteered to go, he started on the Ayeitchpee trail, hoping to head the Indians off before they got to Hoopa, where, it was supposed, the majority of them came from.
He did
not meet with the success he anticipated, the Indians evading him. field left
At about the same time Lieut. Hemp-
Faun Prairie with 40 men and found the
trail made by the Indians in their flight.
At the head
of Willow Creek they made a stand, and
Hempfield
recovered a number of animals belonging to the trains captured by them at Oak Camp. were injured in tachment found
None of the whites
the engagement.
Hempfield’s de¬
and buried Charles Raymond near
the spot where he fell.
The scenes that met their eyes
while traveling through the country were not reassur¬ ing.
The slaughter of stock had been wantonly ex¬
travagant.
They rode for hours over the deserted
stock ranges, and were never out
of sight of dead
animals—cattle, mules and horses.
An incident illus¬
trating the treachery of the savages attended the re¬ taking of the captured mules by Hempfield.
Near the
BEGINNING OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
head of Willow Creek, following their
413
trail
along
a bald ridge, he saw a bundle of clothing hanging in an oak tree, securely fastened by ropes.
The thought
occurred to Hempfield that this might be a decoy of the Indians, devised to lead him into an ambush, and so it proved
to be
upon subsequent
investigation.
Hempfield made a detour with his detachment and fell in with the stolen mules that he recovered.
The In¬
dians were seen in the brush, and a number of shots were exchanged with them, but Hempfield did not deem it prudent to attack them with his small force. Reporting the results of his expedition to Capt. Ousley at Faun Prairie, the latter prepared to march on the Indians with a force of ioo men, and was to have started to their camp a few days after Hempfield’s return, when an order was received from headquarters transferring him and his command to Fort Gaston. Henceforth, military affairs in the Humboldt Dis¬ trict had only to do with the Mountaineer Battalion. Col. Lippitt’s regiment was relieved from duty here and assigned
to other posts.
Lieut. Col. Whipple
assumed command at Fort Humboldt, where he es¬ tablished the headquarters of the Battalion.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
4H
CHAPTER XXXI.
The Two Years’ War.
A Raid near Trinidad.—Battle of Redwood Creek.—Scouting parties from the forts.—Death of Samuel Minor, Joseph Sumption and John McNutt.—The Trinity.—Sandy Bar.—Capt. Miller’s De¬ feat.—The Willow Creek Fight.—Position of the Mountaineers.
A sensational scene interrupted the monotony of life at Trinidad in June.
The people, every minute
expecting an army of savage warriors to sweep down upon the place like so many human vultures, in hot haste prepared for the worst.
Some left for Union
and Eureka; some barricaded their houses and pre¬ pared to fight; all anticipated that an attack would be made upon them.
Their fear was caused by a raid
of the enemy near the town. warriors, coming unexpectedly
A band of Redwood into the settlement,
drove the laborers away from the Trinidad saw-mill, robbed a house and burned it, went to the mouth of Little River and robbed and burned another house, and when they had secured enough booty to satisfy them, returned to the mountains from whence they came. The Mountaineers were not
inactive.
They had
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
41 5
enough to do, when pack-trains had to be escorted across the mountains,
houses had
to be guarded,
swiftly moying bands of savages had to be trailed over deserted hills
and through dangerous canons.
The
escorting of pack-trains was the most dangerous part of their work, and it was in the performance of this duty that a detachment of Co. C
participated in a
hard-fought battle on Redwood Creek, near Minor’s Ranch—a fight that is recorded in local history as one of the most desperate encounters that occurred during the war.
Manheim’s pack-train of 35 mules, escorted
by Lieut. Middleton and 18 men of Co. C, went from Union to Fort Gaston, on Monday, July 6th, with a load of flour; and on Tuesday morning, the 7th, they started on their return.
In
the evening the train
camped on Redwood Creek, twenty miles from Fort Gaston and close to Minor’s
Ranch. . Here Lieut.
Middleton and two others left the train and pushed on to
Union, the escort remaining
with the train
under command of Sergeant G. W. Day.
The men
were up early on the morning of the 8th.
Their
frugal meal was soon eaten and
preparations were
made for the homeward journey.
The mules were
driven up, and the packs were being placed on them, when the enemy opened fire from two sides of the camp, from the underbrush across the creek, and from a high bluff in the rear.
The entire force of the
whites at this time consisted of Sergeant Day and 17 men of Co. C, two men of Co. B, and two packers— 22 in all.
The Indians numbered at least 100, and
they had the advantage in position, as well as profit-
416
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ing by the confusion in the camp resulting from the surprise. guns.
The
Indians, too, were
well armed with
Not an arrow was sent into the camp, but a
rain of bullets fell
thick and fast.
The fight had
lasted three'hours, half of the white force being dis¬ abled, when five of the
Mountaineers climbed the
bluff in the rear, dislodged the enemy and drove them across the creek.
At noon the
Indians reluctantly
withdrew, carrying their dead and wounded from the field.
How many Indians were killed could not be
ascertained.
The
Mountaineers
suffered severely.
In their exposed position it would have been impos¬ sible to gain shelter, and contesting the fight bravely and stubbornly, as they did, added to the danger of their position.
Two men were despatched to Fort
Gaston for reinforcements, and Sergeant Day took account of his, losses. in
Ten men, half of the number
camp, were wounded
in
the fight.
The official
list of the wounded prepared by Sergeant Day con¬ tained the names of Chas. L. Kell, Co. C, wounded in thigh and arm, dangerously; John Blum, Co. C, right lung and leg, dangerously; Wm. Taylor, Co. C, thigh, shoulder and hand, dangerously; Gilford Bridges, Co. C,
ankle, severely;
slightly;
George
Andrew
Foote,
Co.
Robinson, Co. C, thigh
B,
thigh,
and leg,
slightly; Wm. Stevenson, Co. C, leg, slightly; Wm. Griffin, Co. C, cheek and arm, slightly; J. McMahan, Co. C, hand, slightly.
Sergeant Day was also slightly
wounded in the thigh.
At 4 o’clock of Thursday
morning Sergeant Hurst and .7 men of Co. B arrived and reinforced the tired and exhausted detachment,
THE TWO YEARS
WAR.
417
and on Friday 10 men from Co. C arrived from Union. The wounded men could not be moved before their wounds were dressed. moned to the camp.
Three surgeons were sum¬
When the surgeons considered
their removal safe, the wounded were conveyed to Fort Humboldt.
The fact that the fight was with
men of Co. C, which was raised in Trinity county ex¬ clusively, and the further fact that great bravery had been exhibited by them, naturally elevated that Com¬ pany at once to a high place in the estimation of the people.
The battle could not be claimed as a victory,
it is true, yet it had shown, in the beginning of a long conflict, the brave and determined character of the Mountaineer Battalion. Reports from the scouting parties first sent out from the Forts were not of an encouraging nature. scouts were energetic and
The
persistent, yet the only
practical result of their work was a knowledge that the Indians were trying to concentrate their forces. exact locality of their base of operations was
The not
determined, though it was understood to be some¬ where in the Redwood Creek region
Some tribes
were in the mountains at the head of Pilot Creek, where they were almost inaccessible, and where they might elude the vigilance of pursuers until hunger compelled them to seek the more open country of the foot-hills.
Co. B sent out many small detachments
for scouting purposes, who
thoroughly explored the
country in the vicinity of Fort Baker. and’ Beckwith
Lieuts. Geer
and Sergeant Bradford traveled over
a large extent of country in the neighborhood of 27
418
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Yager Creek and Larabee Valley, satisfying them¬ selves that the enemy had moved to another locality. The locality of the hostile tribes was not long con¬ cealed.
It was brought to the attention of the citizens
of Union, especially, in a manner which could inspire nothing biit feelings of dreqd and dismay.
The 3d of
August was a day marked by excitement in Union fully equal to that which had reigned in Trinidad a few weeks before.
The women
and children
were
gathered in a fire-proof store for protection, the Areata Guards turned out with their arms, citizens who did not belong to the Guards were armed with anything of which a weapon could be made, and every possible preparation was made to resist the general attack which all anticipated was soon to be made.
It transpired,
however, that a general attack had not been planned by the Indians;
the sole cause of the excitement was
the murder of a citizen in the suburbs of the village. The murder was atrocious and horrible, being com¬ mitted by a few Redwood Indians, the victim being Samuel Minor, a logger of Union.
Samuel and Isaac
Minor, brothers, and Wesley Sumption were at work in the woods a few hundred yards from the village on the morning of August 3d.
Isaac worked a little while-
and then returned to town:
Samuel remained at his
work in the woods, and Sumption, who was driving the team, left the logging camp with his third load at 11 o’clock.
Sumption had driven away when he heard
a shout back in the woods.
Thinking that Minor had
cut his foot, or that a tree had fallen on him, Sump¬ tion ran back to his assistance.
A horrible scene was
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
419
revealed when he had ‘passed the intervening trees. He saw Minor lying face downward on the ground; saw an
Indian fix an arrow to his bow and drive
it deep into Minor’s prostrate form; Indian take Minor’s ax and strike blow on
the
head.
and saw another him
Sumption raised up his fallen comrade. had shot him
first in
Sumption witnessed
a
powerful
Then the murderers left, and His assailants
the back, the deeds
being
exhibition of their ferocity.
merely
which
the superfluous
Minor was not dead, and
in the house of his brother he lingered till half-past seven o’clock that evening.
Capt. Miller, of Co. C,
arrived that evening with a detachment of Mountain¬ eers,
and started in pursuit of the murderers, but
it was impossible to follow their trail.
Guards pa¬
trolled the streets of Union through the night follow¬ ing the
murder,
and
Col. Whipple
ordered
Capt.
Miller to send out scouting parties daily between Mad River and Freshwater Slough.
That the deed was
committed by a few—probably not more than four or five—did not lessen the probability that there was a large tribe in the immediate neighborhood of Union.
August and
September brought desolation
death to the Trinity.
and
That section of the vast mining
region of the North was almost depopulated through the effects of the war.
Every house in one of the
most thickly-settled districts on the river, for a dis-
420
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
tance of twenty miles along the stream, was sacked and burned by the Indians.
To make matters worse,
a number of the tribes near Hoopa were at war among themselves, and were ' thus
rendered more
savagely ferocious than Nature had made them. A wounded Indian arrived at Hoopa Valley from the upper country in the beginning of September, and represented to the citizens there that while he was staying at the house of a white man Redwood Indians attacked the place and killed the man and a woman, besides wounding him in the leg.
A few days later
the report'was confirmed by a Chinaman who had passed near the blackened ruins of the house.
Capt.
Ousley, in command at Fort Gaston, detailed Corporal Underwood to the scene, with orders to bury the dead and pursue the Indians.
Corporal Underwood ascer¬
tained that the burned dwelling had been inhabited by a man named Merrick and a woman who was known by the
name of
Madame Weaver, both of
•whom had been killed by the Indians.
The charred
remains of the man were lying in the ruins of the house where he had fallen.
By his side were the fire¬
proof parts of a rifle, a shot-gun and a Colt’s revolver —evidence that the house had been bravely defended. Following closely on the news of the attack at Mer¬ rick’s house—so closely that the general excitement had no time to subside—came intelligence to military headquarters of other equally terrible deeds.
News of
any kind was apt to travel slowly along the Trinity or the Klamath ; and even the startling intelligence of extraordinary Indian atrocities, when it reached the
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
421
populous settlements near the sea, was not apt to be of much service as a guide to military operations. But. any extraordinary occurrence on the mail trail— the chief highway of trade and traffic to the mines— was usually reported to the trading posts within a day or two thereafter. From Fort Gaston to Weaverville the mail was car¬ ried by Wallace Van Aernam, who, in times of dan¬ ger, was escorted by a military guard.
Van Aertiam,
escorted by Owen Washington and Wm. S. Terry, of Company C, left Hoopa Valley for Weaverville on the night of the 14th of September.
At Sandy Bar,
five miles below Taylor’s Flat, they were fired on from the brush.
Terry was shot through the body and fell
from his mule.
Washington, who was yet unhurt,
dismounted, and attempted to raise Terrry from the ground.
A second volley was fired from the brush.
Washington was struck by two bullets, one in the thigh and one in the side. Perceiving that it would be certain death to remain, and that Terry had received a mortal wound, he remounted his own mule and es¬ caped, going to Little Prairie, from whence he was carried to Cox’s Bar.
Van Aernam rode on after the
first volley was fired, and Washington supposed that he had escaped, until, on the way to Little Prairie, he saw his mule on the trail riderless.
Two days from
that time a posse of citizens went from Cox’s Bar to Sandy Bar, intending to find Terry’s body and Van Aernam.
Close to the trail, at the root of a pro¬
jecting stump, one of the party picked up a slip of pa¬ per. hand:
On it was written, in a hurried but nervous
422
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Shot by Indians—back at the River—this morning W S Van Aernam Terry's body was where Washington had left it, and was mutilated almost beyond recognition.
The flesh
had been cut from the face ; a large knife, run direct¬ ly through the neck, pinioned the head to the ground. The disappearance of Van Aernam was explained by his note, but his fate was yet a mystery.
He might
have escaped to the settlements on foot, or he might be lying somewhere in the woods, perishing of hunger, if he lived at all ; and if dead, his body should be somewhere near Sandy Bar.
The neighborhood was
scoured for miles and miles, but no trace of Van Aer¬ nam was discovered.
The mail bags were found, un¬
opened, and saddle-bags that had been rifled of their contents.
When the news reached Col. Whipple that
Van Aernam had not been found, he ordered a de¬ tachment of fifteen men, accompanied by J. F. Denny, mail contractor, to go and search for him.
Little hope
was entertained that he would be found alive.
Those
who knew him regarded the note he left on the trail as only an evidence of his unflinching nerve strong in death.
Three weeks after the fatal attack at Sandy
Bar Mr. Denny found Van Aernam’s dead body not far from where the note was picked up.
His watch,
pistol and money had been taken from him. His body had not been mutilated.
That he was not found soon¬
er must be attributed to the negligence or excitement of those who had previously searched for him.
Owen
Washington, who escaped to the settlements at Little
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
423
Prairie, died there of his wounds, at the house of a farmer.
People in the vicinity of
Humboldt Bay did not
confine their attention to the exciting news from the Trinity.
They had incidents of the war at home to
demand their greatest interest. The death of two citi¬ zens occurred soon after Minor was killed.
One, Jo¬
seph Sumption, who saw Minor killed, was shot near the same spot on the 23d of August, and in the same manner—the Indians firing from an ambush behind logs and trees.
The other victim, John McNutt, was
shot on the 2d of September while riding in the Mattole Valley. Four full and efficient Companies, each containing eighty men of the Mountaineer Battalion, were now ready for action in the field, and the enrollment of two more Companies was progressing satisfactorily.
Wm.
C. Martin, of Union, received a commission as Cap-, tain of
Co. C, and went up to Del Norte county for
the purpose of recruiting his force. Col. Whipple dis¬ posed the four Companies in service to the best possi¬ ble advantage.
Fort Baker was abandoned, and Com¬
pany A, Captain Long, was ordered to go into quarters at Iaqua, between Kneeland’s Prairie and the head of Yager Creek.
Captain Ousley was relieved from Fort
Gaston and ordered to the field, that post being as¬ signed to
Major Taylor’s command from Siskiyou.
Co. C, Capt. Miller, guarded the Trinity border, and
424
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Co. E, Capt. Simpson, was posted
along the mail
route on the Northern boundary of Mendocino.
Never had there been a week of greater excitement in Hoopa Valley than the first week in September. An Indian charged with several murders was arrested by Lieut. Hempfield on Willow Creek, and search was made for two other Hoopa Indians suspected of hav¬ ing been
implicated in
Madame Weaver.
the killing of Merrick and
It was ascertained that they were
in the rancheria of
the Ma-til-tins, the largest and
most powerful of the peaceable tribes in the Valley, situated one mile from Fort Gaston.
Lieut. Hemp-
field and three men were sent to arrest the Indians and take them to the Fort. to give up the culprits.
The Ma-til-tins refused
Major Taylor and several citi¬
zens went to the rancheria and demanded the murder¬ ers.
The Ma-til-tins again refused to surrender them.
Major Taylor then told the leading Indians that if the murderers were not given up in three days he would attack the rancheria and destroy it.
Returning to the
Fort, preparations were made to guard against the possible resistance of other tribes that professed to be peaceable, and detachments were posted in available po¬ sitions to watch the movements of the Ma-til-tins.
A
warning was sent out to all the friendly tribes to re¬ main in their own rancherias for twenty days.
Wo¬
men and children of white families living in the Val-
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
425
ley were given accommodations in the garrison.
The
three days’ notice expired and the murderers were still in the Ma-til-tin Rancheria.
On the night of the
third day Capt. Ousley left the Fort with twenty men, passing to the Eastward, over the summit of
Trinity
Mountain, so as to flank the rancheria on the East side.
On the morning of the expiration of the no¬
tice Lieut. Hempfield with twenty-five men made a circuit to the Westward and approached the rancheria from that quarter.
In the meantime Sergeant Hurst
with another detachment had taken a position -below the rancheria, while Major Taylor, with one cannon and
a detachment of
artillerymen, passed up the
West bank of the Trinity.
The rancheria was com¬
pletely invested from all sides.
Major Taylor waited
quietly for several hours, when the
Indians, seeing
that he was disposing his forces in fighting trim, as quietly surrendered.
One hundred and fifteen prison¬
ers were taken and escorted to a position under the guns of the Fort, where they were allowed to remain. The easy victory, achieved without fighting, gained by Major Taylor was offset by the disastrous defeat of
Capt. Miller and a detachment of sixteen men of
Co. C, in November.
Miller was returning to Fort
Gaston from Weaverville.
Passing through a field
five miles above the mouth of the South Fork of Trin¬ ity, a skirmish was had and two Indians were killed. The others retreated, and were seen no more until the detachment was crossing the South Fork, when the Indians in their turn made an
attack from the hill¬
side commanding the crossing. Two men were wound-
426
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ed while in the stream. Miller urged his men across, and in extricating them from their exposed position several mules were lost, three, loaded with the camp equipage, provisions and the U. S. mail, falling into the hands of the Indians. The attack was so sudden, and his position so exposed to the fire of the enemy, that Capt. Miller appears to have been well satisfied to escape with his detachment at the expense of the mules and stores and with two men wounded. Capt. Ousley commanded a detachment from Fort Gaston which was immediately dispatched in pursuit of the Indians who had defeated Miller. After a long scout with 15 men, in which he recovered the U. S. mail lost by Miller, Capt. Ousley camped at the mouth of Willow Creek, November 16th, intending to return to the fort within two or three days. The provisions being nearly exhausted, two of the men—privates Buckman and Johnson—went up the creek in search of game on the morning of the 17th. Capt. Ousley and 4 men, scouting near the camp, followed a fresh trail that led up a rocky ridge. They were still near the camp when they heard firing on the creek below them. Ousley hastened in the direction of the firing and saw Buckman and Johnson defending themselves against an attack of the enemy. Ordering the whole force of 13 men to join him, he started to the assistance of the two men, from the camp, but had not reached them when another party of Indians appeared and the fight became general. Capt. Ousley was wounded*in the leg, Johnson was struck in the breast, and another man was wounded in the thigh, the last two being so
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
427
severely hurt that they could no longer participate in the fight and were carried to the camp.
The loss of
these, and of two others who were detailed to their protection, reduced the force to 12, who gallantly main¬ tained their position.
Qnce Capt. Ousley attempted
to gain the shelter of a group of trees, but on nearing it a warm reception was given by Indians concealed there.
Capt. Ousley was compelled
to
resume his
former position, which he held until the close of the fight.
His little detachment, opposed by 40 Indians
armed wjth guns, fought bravely for eight hours. Their position was exposed, the foe dodging from tree to tree and hiding in the brush; yet they stood their ground through all the fight, some escaping miracu¬ lously from menacing death.
Corporal Underwood
had the charger shot from his powder flask; private Adams had the stock of his gun shattered; a ball struck one of private Nichols shoes, tearing off part of the sole and grazing the skin; another man received a ball through the leg of one boot.
After fighting
eight hours the Indians withdrew, carrying away of their number 7 dead and 10 wounded. total loss was 3 wounded.
Capt. Ousley’s
The Indians were from the
South Fork of Trinity and from Redwood tribes. While the Mountaineers were getting in position for Winter quarters there went down to General Wright several petitions from Trinity county asking that addi¬ tional troops be sent to the Humboldt District. petitioners were represented
The
by Governor Stanford,
Col. Whipple, A. Wiley,.and Senator Jones of Trinity, who had a personal interview with Gen. Wright, stat-
428
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ing very explicitly the necessity for sending more troops to the District.
The General agreed to send two Com¬
panies of the 2d Regiment, California Volunteers; and in December the two Companies arrived at Fort Hum¬ boldt, and were assigned to garrison and scouting duty in the vicinity of Humboldt Bay. Latest intelligence from Fort Gaston induced the belief that some of the Hoopa Valley tribes were pre¬ paring for a desperate struggle.
The citizens of Hoopa
Valley and the troops at the fort were given notice to leave, the Indians declaring that they would wage re¬ lentless war upon
them.
The
hostile
tribes really
represented only a small part of the native population of the Hoopa country.
There were many strong tribes
and rancherias that could not be induced to go to war with the whites.
Yet the hostile tribes were suffi¬
ciently numerous to create a lively apprehension of their power and designs.
Major Taylor exerted his
full authority and capacity to afford protection to the settlers, and before the end of the year they were all under the guarding guns of the fort.
THE TWO YEARS
WAR.
429
CHAPTER XXXII. The Two Years’ War.
Shelling a Log Fort at Bald Mountain and escape of the Indians.— Concentration of Troops.—Disastrous raid in the Salmon River Country.—“Big Jim’s” Band.—“ Ceonaltin John.”—Sheriff Brown’s Independent Company.—A resolution in the Legisla¬ ture.—Reinforcements. .
A remarkable engagement occurred in the month
of December at Bald Mountain, five miles from An¬ gel’s Ranch and one mile south of the old trail lead¬ ing from Union to the Trinity River,—an engagement which was remarkable for its character in an Indian country, for the fact that it developed into a genuine siege, for the nature of the assault and the defense, for the adroit manner in which the besieged escaped the besiegers, and for the criticism and comment it origi¬ nated.
The Indians had constructed a log fort, en¬
closing a spring of water, so arranged as to command the approaches from every direction.
There were four
log houses, pierced with loop-holes, and situated in the center of a small prairie, surrounded by hills covered with heavy timber, on the flank of Bald Mountain. On the South was a deep ditch or gulch, impassible
43°
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
to those who did not know the ground.
Col. Whipple,
who was at Fort Gaston, ordered Lieut. Middleton to take thirty-five men and attack the Indian fort.
Lieut.
Middleton arrived on the ground on Christmas morn¬ ing, and without delay the attack was commenced. The Indians had a clean sweep of the little prairie from their port-holes, for which reason it. was not con¬ sidered advisable to attempt to storm the fortress with the small force under Lieut. Middleton.
The fight¬
ing was confined to shooting from the shelter of the woods, a brisk fire being maintained from the fort. For two hours this preliminary engagement lasted, one of Middleton’s men belonging to Co. C being wounded.
Middleton then withdrew his command out
of range and sent for reinforcements.
At half-past
8 o’clock on the evening of the 25th Capt. Ousley and fifteen men of Co. B left Fort Gaston for Bald Moun¬ tain, arriving at the scene of the fight before sunrise on the 26th.
Lieut. Middleton was not there, nor was
his command anywhere within sight.
Capt. Ousley,
ignorant of Middleton’s whereabouts, and unwilling to attack the fort with fifteen men, fell back and remain¬ ed inactive until 11 o’clock, when he was joined by Lieut. Beckwith and 24 men of Co. A, and by Lieut. Hale and
15 men of Co. B.
The latter also brought
a howitzer and shells from Fort Gaston.
The inferior
officers informed Capt. Ousley that they had seen In¬ dians on the road, which induced him to begin the at¬ tack that day, instead of waiting another day for Mid¬ dleton’s detachment to return—because he was confi¬ dent that as soon as the Indians learned of the arrival
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
431
of the howitzer they would quit their position. »
first shot was fired at half past twelve o’clock.
The Lieut.
Beckwith was on the right with 24 men, Lieut. Hale in the center with 20 men, and 10 men operated the howitzer on the left, making a total of 54 as the num¬ ber of the attacking force.
At 4 o’clock the amuni-
tion for the howitzer was exhausted, and as he had no axes, without which the fort could not be successfully stormed, Capt. Ousley prudently withdrew and camped for the
night.
The
Indians
were still
sion of the fort and had shown yield.
in posses¬
no disposition to
The second day’s fight had accomplished no
more than the first.
The fort had been considerably
damaged by shells from the howitzer, but its strength had not been materially diminished.
The vigorous
fire from the port-holes had not slackened, nor had the whites succeeded in killing many of the Indians. man of Co. B was wounded.
One
At five o’clock 10 men
from Lieut. Middleton’s command arrived from a place where he had camped on Bald Mountain.
As dark¬
ness gathered Capt. Ousley posted a strong picket all around the fort, with instructions to give warning of any suspicious movement by the Indians or any at-‘ tempt to leave their strong-hold.
The sun rose on the
third day of the siege, the first Sunday after Christmas. There was silence at the fort.
Not a sound issued
from its port-holes, not a flash or a whistling bullet, no movement of any kind gave sign or token of the presence of a savage foe within. easily
explained.
The
Indians
The silence was
were
gone.
Right
through the ranks of the surrounding pickets they
432
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
had passed, amid the darkness and the shadows of the night
Three hundred sturdy warriors, who might
have been captured or killed, were once more on the war-path, leaving their fort to be destroyed, but leaving in it nothing of value to the whites. No one could fix the blame for the failure at Bald Mountain upon any particular officer or man ; but the severe criticism on the affair, and the harsh censure of all who might have been derelict in duty or incapa¬ ble in management, were quite sufficient to demon¬ strate the depth of indignation which pervaded the community.
The censure and criticism provoked a
letter from Capt. Ousley to J. E. Wyman, of Eureka, in which he stated that if anybody was to blame he alone was the man ; that there was no way to prevent the escape of the Indians, because the fort was sur¬ rounded by tall grass through which it was easy for them to crawl out unperceived; and that having tried to do his duty faithfully he had no apologies to make for the unfortunate occurrence. ended,
Here the discussion
and with it the criticism
and the censure.
Capt. Ousley was respected as a brave and conscien¬ tious and diligent officer; and as he had voluntarily as¬ sumed the full blame for the Bald Mountain failure, the people were readily inclined to the opinion that the af¬ fair was one of the unforeseen accidents of war which cannot be prevented and for which no one should be uncharitably condemned.
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
It was Col.
433
Whipple’s policy to concentrate his
troops at Hoopa, in January, 1864, as many as could be spared, from the military posts, transient or perman¬ ent, in the District.
The available force at Fort Gas¬
ton was increased to 350 men, the garrison being re¬ inforced by a part of Co. D under Lieut. Herrick, a part of Co. A, and all of Captain Pico’s Cavalry Com¬ pany of Native Californians. It was well that the concentration of troops was made so soon, for hostilities were commenced by the Indians in a locality which had been comparatively tranquil and secure in the preceding stages of the war. The field of operations was suddenly extended to the South Fork of Salmon River. the settlements there by
A raid was made on
Hoopa
Indians, who de¬
stroyed property and killed and wounded many people. Six white men were known to have been killed, and a large number of Chinese miners.
Two stores were
robbed and destroyed, from which much ammunition was carried away.
The Indians who made the raid
were divided into three bands—one headed by “ Big Jim,” one by “ Ceonaltin John,” and one by “ Hand¬ some Billy.”
These notables of their tribe knew the
country thoroughly, were thoroughly acquainted with the white settlements and the Indian retreats, and so great was their influence that they were reputed to control all but one of the Redwood tribes, notwith¬ standing their own
relationship with
the
Hoopas.
The three bands contained 150 warriors, well armed, possessed of large stores of ammunition.
Their raid
on the South Salmon was unexpected and unprepared 28
434
for.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Success to them was easy, because the settlers
and miners were quietly pursuing their accustomed avocations at the time, unconscious of danger.
When
a realizing sense of their peril was felt by the miners, and preparations were
made
for defense, six white
men had already met their death : John Teague, Robt. Roberts, Jesse Staleup, Geo. and another known
Brown, W. B. Teaters,
as Italian
Frank.
The miners
gathered at Salmon Bridge and fought through the greater part of Saturday and Sunday, January 16th and 17th, and prevented the passage of the bridge. In this fight John Teague was killed.
When intel¬
ligence of the raid was received at Fort Gaston two detachments were ordered out under Capt. Ousley, Co. B, and Lieut. Middleton, Co. C, with instructions to intercept the Indians on their return to Hoopa Valley; but they failed to accomplish
the object for which
they were sent, the three leaders of the enemy being so much better acquainted with the country that they easily avoided the troops and reached the Valley by a secret trail.
In the Valley, late at night, two detach¬
ments, under Lieuts. Middleton and Hempfield, crossed the Trinity River with “ Big Jim ” in his camp.
the
intention of surprising
Spies who were watching
their movements betrayed them, and when they had surrounded the camp they were chagrined to find in it nobody but a few women and children.
“ Big Jim ”
and his band had escaped on the first intimation of their approach. There was great activity at Fort Gaston. parties were sent out daily and nightly.
Scouting
Capt. Ousley,
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
with twenty men of
435
Co. B, established a post on
Redwood Creek. An Independent Volunteer Company, containing 50 miners from Salmon River and Orleans Bar,
together with
twenty friendly Indians of the
Klamath and Salmon tribes, arrived at the Fort under command of the Sheriff of Klamath county, T. M. Brown.
Capt. Baird’s Company, raised in
Siskiyou
county, was daily expected to report for duty. On the 29th of January one of Capt. Pico’s men was shot and mortally wounded by Indians concealed in the Ceonaltin Rancheria, from which all the ablebodied males were supposed to be absent.
Nearly all
the Ceonaltins were out under their leader, “Ceonaltin John,” and Lieut. Herrick, with a detachment of Co. C, was sent in pursuit of them.
As usual, the Indians
escaped under cover of the brush-clad ravines.
The
tribe having escaped, a few days later the rancheria of the Ceonaltins was destroyed by fire. a nest of vipers.
It had been
“Ceonaltin John,” from whom it
derived its name, was the leading spirit in the uprising of the Hoopa and Redwood tribes, and he was the most daring and intelligent, the bravest and shrewdest of all leaders of his race in Northern California.
It was
believed in many quarters that he had been the leader of the band that carried destruction to the homes of Bates, Daby and Muhlberg, and he was also reported to have been engaged in a majority of the desperate fights on Redwood Creek since the settlement of the country by the whites. During the time that the raid on the Salmon was attracting public notice the Representative in
the
43^
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
State Legislature from Humboldt county, A. Wiley, introduced a resolution expressing the conviction that reinforcements
of troops
were urgently needed
subdue the Indian war in the Northwest.
to
In his pre¬
amble he stated that the war then progressing in the Northern counties
was far more extensive
in
its
results than people in other parts of the State under¬ stood or suspected;
that 1,500 armed warriors were
in the field against the whites;
that in a few years
past there had been three score of citizens murdered and many homes reduced to dust and ashes;
that the
hostile tribes were constantly adding to their supply of arms and ammunition by murder and robbery, and were inciting peaceable tribes to rebellion. debate was had on the resolution.
A long
Some of the mem¬
bers from towns on the plains and from the extreme South were disposed to doubt the truth of reports concerning the gravity of the war; and others, of the class of sentimental philanthropists, were disposed to view the trouble as an incident of oppression by the whites.
So indisputable and clear was the proof pre¬
sented that even the scruples of the two classes named were overcome.
The resolution requesting the Gov¬
ernor to send more troops to the Humboldt Military District was passed with only one dissenting vote.
THE TWO YEARS
WAR.
437
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The Two Years’ War.
More Troops.—Change of Commanders.—Attack on J. M. Dyer’s house.—The Mattole country.—Movements of the Mountaineers. —White Thorn Valley.—Snyder’s Ranch.—Humboldt Ridge.— Booth’s Run.
Having passed both Houses, the resolution asking for more troops for the Humboldt District went to the Governor, and the latter, conferring with Gen. Wright, brought the question to an issue.
Whatever General
Wright’s opinion may have been about a so-called “implied censure” of the military authorities contained in the resolution, his action did not manifest any feel¬ ing of wounded pride or spiteful antipathy.
Promptly
agreeing that it would be best to send more troops to the scene of the Indian hostilities, he wrote an official letter to Mr. Wiley, stating that he would send Col. Black with 250 men to take the field and make a vigor¬ ous campaign.
He would make a change of com¬
manders, giving Col. Black command of the Humboldt District.
He had no fault to find with Col. Whipple,
who had been active, zealous and energetic: inasmuch as he was sending a large force of the 6th Infantry he
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
438
deemed it proper to give the command of the District to Col. Black. Col. Black and staff, and Companies C, E and G, 6th Regiment, California Volunteers, arrived at Fort Humboldt from San Francisco on Wednesday, Febru¬ ary 17th, and on the very same day there was a call for their services. An attack was made on the house of J. M. Dyer, near Union, by forty or fifty Indians, only Mrs. Dyer and a hired man being on the place. in Union.
Mr. Dyer was
The hired man was plowing in a field be¬
tween the house and the bay at the time when the Indians appeared, which was about 11 o’clock in the morning.
He was shot at several times and wounded
in the arm.
Seeing that the Indians were between
him and the house, he turned and ran towards the bay. Four of the Indians pursued him, firing as they ran. His heavy shoes were clogged with mud from the plowed ground and his pursuers gained on him.
He
knew that they would overtake him if he did not throw off his impeding shoes.
This he could not do without
cutting the strings which tied them to his feet.
Stop¬
ping short, and turning toward his pursuers, he drew a sheath-knife from its scabbard.
The Indians thought
the knife was a pistol, stopped, and dodged out of the way.
Their intended victim took advantage of their
mistake, quickly cut the strings and kicked the shoes from his feet, resumed his flight, and escaped.
Mrs.
Dyer, hearing the shots and divining their origin, fled from the house, taking the precaution to hide a gun in a feather bed so that it might not be carried away
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
and used against the whites.
439
The Indians completely
pillaged the house, turned over the beds and found the hidden gun, took every article of clothing, opened grain sacks and scattered the contents on the ground, and ended their work by setting fire to the building. By this time Union was aroused and citizens were hastening to the scene, a messenger being sent to Fort Humboldt for assistance.
The Indians were gone
when the citizens arrived, and they were able by hard work to extinguish the flames and save the building. Three hours after Col. Black’s troops arrived at Fort Humboldt the messenger from Union stated his mis¬ sion.
A detachment of 65 men of Co. C, C. V., under
Capt. Bulkeley, started across the bay within fifteen minutes thereafter.
While Northern Humboldt and the counties of Trin¬ ity and Klamath were the scenes of the notable events of the war, and while public attention was generally directed to them, events of a serious character were transpiring in the Southern part of the county, on the Mattole.
The protection afforded to settlers in the
Mattole country, either by Volunteers or Regulars, had always
been
spasmodic and
inefficient, and
it was
scarcely more efficient now than it had been in former years.
Destruction of life and property was scarcely
less frequent. Two settlers, P. Mackey and Thos. Lambert, were attacked on the morning of the 2 3d of February.
They
440
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
were returning from the fields to their house, were a-foot and armed only with their revolvers.
They had
got within half a mile of the house and were fired on from behind, Lambert being struck in the back and head, falling and instantly expiring.
Mackey escaped
to the house. Following a precedent which had been established by the people of the Southern country years before, the settlers of the Mattole assembled together in mass meeting, when the two months which had elapsed after the killing of Lambert demonstrated anew the critical condition of the settlement and military protection.
the inadequacy of
The meeting was a reproduction
of others that had preceded it, with the addition of fresher and newer details of destruction.
A few years
before, it was said, the settlements of Upper and Lower Mattole were thriving and populous: a large propor¬ tion of the inhabitants were of a permanent class who had acquired homes and built houses.
The desolating
Indian war had been destructive of all growth and prosperity.
The settlers, many of whom were stock-
raisers, had been compelled to drive their stock away and abandon their ranges, and many had fallen victims to savage ferocity.
A preamble and resolutions, de¬
tailing at great length the difficulties and dangers by which they were surrounded, were adopted by the set¬ tlers, and one of their number, M. J. Conkling, was dele¬ gated to interview Col. Black and ask for military pro¬ tection of some kind. Mr. Conkling, in pursuance of the duty imposed on him, had an interview with Col. Black, and that officer
441
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
was prompt to assure the citizens of
Mattole, through
him, that he would grant their request at the earliest practicable moment.
Upon
the surface, the result of the Spring cam¬
paign of 1864 was not satisfactory ; but to those who looked beneath the surface it was apparent that the Indians were losing ground.
The best way to termin¬
ate an Indian war was to keep the Indians moving, and this
the
Mountaineers, assisted
Volunteers, were doing.
by
the
California
The succession of fights and
scouts and skirmishes kept the hostile tribes moving from one
rancheria to another, from
one camp to
another, and gave them no time to recuperate their forces or provisions. The record of
the
Mountaineers was creditable.
Lieut. Frazer, Co. E, was stationed at Upper Mattole with twelve men.
In February he was on a scout in
White Thorn Valley, twenty-five miles from the Up¬ per Mattole, and here he killed, in a series of attacks on rancherias, fourteen hostile Indians, besides taking twenty-one prisoners.
The expedition to the White
Thorn, small as it was, did much to relieve the settlers of the Mattole from the depredations of the band of roving savages who killed McNutt and Lambert. In other localities where the war raged fiercest there was hard fighting and loss of life—fighting that was not remarkable for numerical strength of contending
442
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
forces, but whose result was as important to Northern California as the issue of conflicts of mighty hosts at the South was to the Union.
The two years’ war was
unquestionably a war for supremacy between the two races then inhabiting the country. On the Salmon River there was severe fighting with Trinity Indians by detachments of Mountaineers un¬ der Lieuts.
Randall and Middleton, several soldiers
and many Indians being killed. Snyder’s Ranch, situated on a ridge between Mad River and Redwood Creek, was the scene of a fight on the 2d of March.
Scouts from a detachment un¬
der Lieut. Geer, Co. A, located a camp of the hostiles on the evening of the ist, and returning to their own camp reported to their commanding officer.
Before
daylight on the 2d the detachment was disposed at a convenient distance from the camp of the enemy, who had chosen ground with discretion, the broken ridges, deep gulches and thick chaparral forming natural ad¬ vantages which were sure to be appreciated by savage warriors.
At daylight the attack was made.
The In¬
dians stood their ground for several minutes,
then
broke and fled, leaving three of their dead and five prisoners with the whites.
One of the Mountaineers
received a severe wound in the leg, the shot fracturing and breaking the bones.
A considerable amount of
clothing and blankets was captured, and After the fight Lieut.
one gun.
Geer returned to his camp.
Guards were posted on the night of the 2d and orders were given that no one should leave the camp.
On
the morning of the 3d private Wilson left the camp,
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
443
alone, saying that he intended to kill a deer.
He had
not been gone five minutes when the guards heard two shots in the direction he had taken.
Lieut. Geer
could not believe that the two shots had been fired by Wilson so near the camp. sent out to reconnoitre.
A number of
men were
Three hundred yards from
the sentry they found their comrade on the ground, dead, having been shot twice by ambushed Indians. The reconnoitreing party were fired at when they ap¬ proached the body, but none were struck. Lieut. Geer was untiring and zealous in pursuit of
the Indians,
yet the wild and broken character of the country, its impenetrable forests, and chaparral-covered hills, and dangerous canons, all were against him and favorable to an enemy whose acquaintance with the country was the growth of an intimacy dating from birth. Two months passed before Lieut. Geer could strike a blow to avenge his loss at Snyder’s Ranch.
On the
ist of May he, in company with Lieut. Taylor of Co. E, C. V., with a detachment of seventeen men, fol¬ lowed a trail on Humboldt Ridge, near the headwaters of Elk River. Two mules had been taken from camp to pack the blankets and supplies. was seen
Lieut.
When the fresh trail
Geer detailed privates Perry and
Mills, of Co. E, to drive the mules back on the trail they had come and intercept the Government train under Hugh Hamilton, which was then on its way to I aqua, giving them instructions to return
to
camp
when they had delivered the animals to Hamilton. Geer and Taylor followed the fresh trail and on the night of the same day they saw the fires of the Indian
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
444
camp.
Next morning the camp was captured, and in
the fight six of the enemy were killed and five prison¬ ers taken.
The
two men who had started for the
Government train with the mules did not fare so well. As they approached the locality known as Booth’s Run, a deep canon forming the
outlet of
Winter
streams, they saw the train on the opposite side.
As
they attempted to cross the canon Mills was shot and killed and Perry was wounded.
The latter escaped,
reaching Lieut. Geer’s camp after having wandered over the country, demented and bewildered, for two days and nights. In May occurred the death of Corporal J. D. Barnes, of Co. B, C. M.,
who was attacked
at
Kneeland’s
Prairie by seven Indians and a white man. alone.
him to drop his gun. wound.
He was
The first shot fractured his right arm, causing Another shot gave him a mortal
Clinging to his saddle, he rode four miles to
Company headquarters, where he died in three hours. The loss of life among the whites had indeed been terrible since the beginning of the year, yet valuable results had been accomplished. Many Indian warriors had been killed and many more captured and sent to Fort Humboldt.
Tribes and families, aggregating 175
in number of individuals, surrendered themselves vol¬ untarily to Capt. Hull at Fort Bragg, and an equal number were captured by detachments in the field. The large surrender to Capt. Hull was probably in¬ duced by a very successful raid which he had made on the Indians in the vicinity of his camp in April—a raid
in
which
25 warriors were killed, 15 prisoners
taken, and a number of rancherias destroyed.
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
445
CHAPTER XXXIV. The Two Years’ War. Military Affairs.—Another Change of Commanders.—Operations in the
field.—Lieuts.
Frazer
and
Geer.—Richard
Johnson’s
Daughter.—Alfred Varian.
In July military circles experienced another change. Col. Black, who had been assigned to the command of the
Humboldt District, was ordered
Stanton to
report at West
Lieut.-Col. Whipple, of the
by
Secretary
Point, New York, and Mountaineers, was rein¬
stated in the command of the District. Col. Black had been in command of the District a few months only.
His character as an officer in an
Indian country had not been fully developed.
His
actions had been energetic and full of promise, to say the least, and a generous testimonial presented to him by the enlisted men of his regiment, on the eve of his departure for New York,
may
be considered as a
spontaneous recognition of his merits as an officer and gentleman,
Lieut.-Col. Whipple
resumed the com¬
mand of the District with ripened experience and un¬ abated ardor. Some changes
were
made
in the disposition of
446 troops.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Co. I, 2d Infantry, was ordered to the Peninsula
opposite Bucksport, to guard prisoners prior to their removal to Reservations.
Co G, 6th Infantry, Capt.
Cook, was transferred to Fort Humboldt from Iaqua. Co. C, 6th Infantry, Capt. Buckley, was ordered from Boynton’s Prairie to Iaqua.
Lieut. Geer, of Co. A,
C. M., was ordered to relieve Lieut. Frazer, of Co. E, C. M., commanding the detachment of the Battalion stationed on the Mattole. Movements in the field during the Summer months were principally confined to the operations of Lieuts. Frazer- and Geer.
To them had been assigned the
duty of ridding the Mattole country of the marauding tribes that had made it desolate.
Their work was
accomplished with energy and success.
On the morn¬
ing of the 8th of July Lieut. Frazer destroyed a rancheria in
the
mountains, and
on
the
notorious warrior of a daring tribe. equally successful,
nth
killed a
Lieut. Geer was
scouting with ceaseless watchful¬
ness, killing many desperate warriors and capturing many prisoners.
The favorable progress of the war and the gradual submission and capture of the hostile tribes was not unattended by incidents of sad import.
Small bands
of daring savages, their hands red with the blood of innocent victims, still colored with the horror of their deeds the current chronicles of the time. Two events occurred—one in
July and one in
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
447
August—which exhibited the depth of depravity to which the Indian race can descend.
The first occur¬
rence was in Eel River Valley, where a white girl, aged nine years, the daughter of
Richard Johnson,
and a domesticated Indian girl living with the same family, were attacked and cruelly wounded while pick¬ ing blackberries in the woods.
The Indian girl saw
ten or twelve warriors in the wood and began to shout for help, when she was told by them that if she made any more noise they would kill her.
She ran toward
the house, half a mile distant, and was shot several times with arrows.
Richard Johnson’s daughter was
overtaken, beaten on the head with stones, and left senseless.
The Indian girl escaped to the house of
Capt. Wasgatt and parties were soon out in search of her companion. ing morning,
The child was found on the follow¬
having been
wounded and exposed hours.
to
in
the
woods, seriously
the cold, for nearly ten
Though the wounds inflicted were not fatal,
the affair was justly considered an act of brutality meriting
the
severest punishment
that
could
be
devised by avenging settlers. The second occurrence was on the Klamath River —a murder which was never surpassed in the annals of border life for cold-blooded depravity.
The
cruelty and devilish
victim, like those of the preceding
outrage on Eel River Valley, was a child. Alfred
Varian, seven
The boy,
years of age, lived with his
guardian, L. Houghton, eight miles from Orleans Bar. One day he was missed from the house by a man who had been left on the place by Mr. Houghton, who was
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
448
away from duration
home.
failed
to
A search of twenty-four
hours’
reveal
T. M.
his
whereabouts.
Brown, Sheriff of Klamath county, Judge Carey and others, joined in the search with all the assistance they could
give.
Still
no clue to the
missing child.
Suspicion rested on a young Indian who had started from Houghton’s house with a letter to Orleans Bar. He had not delivered the letter nor had he returned to
Houghton’s.
With
commendable alacrity the
friendly Indians in the neighborhood volunteered to arrest the suspected one and bring him to Hough¬ ton’s place.
They did so, and
the young
Indian,
taken back to the scene of his crime, confessed that he had murdered the child.
He led his captors to a
gulch, two hundred yards from the house, where he had buried his little victim.
Under a great pile of
stones the body lay, crushed and mangled. derer exhibited
the
most stoical
The mur¬
indifference,
and
even smiled on the little face upturned to the light, as if the boy were only sleeping, “ after the fashion of the dead,” and he had come to wake him to life again. Such
heartless cruelty
was enough
to invoke the
swiftest punishment known to the unwritten law of the
mines;
but the
rough
miners
who gathered
around the murdered and the murderer had enough respect for the law of the land to keep them from interfering with the Sheriffs prerogative.
The mur¬
derer was placed in the Klamath county jail, to await the formalities of the law, and was afterwards executed on the scaffold for his crime.
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
449
CHAPTER XXXV. End of The Two Years’ War.—Permanent Peace Established. All quiet on the Trinity and the Klamath.—Movements of Troops.— Prisoners on the Peninsula.—The Mountaineers mustered out. Promotions and appointments.—The Government’s Indian poli¬ cy and the Reservation System.—Early Reserves in the Hum¬ boldt District.—Col. McKee and his Eel River Scheme.—Rob¬ inson’s
“Bonanza.”—Mendocino and Mattole.—The Hoopa
Reservation.—The Mouth of the Klamath.—Permanent Peace.
The Winter of 1864-65 witnessed the final extinc¬ tion of Indian troubles in the Northwest.
The vigor¬
ous policy pursued by Col. Whipple, and the unflag¬ ging efforts of the officers and men of his command, brought the two years’ war to a successful close, and terminated forever the Indian depredations which had threatened the existence and prosperity of the white settlers.
The result had not been accomplished with¬
out serious
loss of life, but it was
certainly better
that lives should be lost in battle than in massacres and murders.
The troops of the Mountaineer- Battal¬
ion behaved nobly during their long service, and when they were mustered out the kind wishes of the com¬ munity went with them. The movements of the Mountaineers in 29
1865 were
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
450
directed to their prospective “ mustering out” of ser¬ vice and to a quick completion of any needful work which yet remained to be done.
In January Lieut.
Middleton, Co. C, arrived at the Peninsula with a large number of prisoners, comprising the last of the hostiles in Trinity county.
By their capture, it was said,
Trinity county was cleared of all Indians who lived in rancherias and tribal relations, the few who remained being wandering and peaceful domesticated families, too few in number to be feared or avoided.
The
Klamath country was quiet and prosperous once more. The miners, unharassed by war, prepared for a profit¬ able Summer’s work.
The trails were opened and the
arteries of commerce pulsated with renewed life. Gradually the last remnants of hostile tribes in Hum¬ boldt county were brought in and confined on Peninsula. band
the
the
By the time orders were received to dis¬ Mountaineer
Battalion
the
blessings
of
peace were experienced throughout the entire North¬ west.
That it would be a permanent peace there was
little reason to doubt.
The hostile tribes had been
killed or captured, had been flooded by storms and driven by man, had been starved and beaten into abso¬ lute and final subjection.
There was but one question
to be decided, how to dispose of the large number of prisoners, and that was a question for the Government to decide.
The Mountaineers had done their duty.
They were ready to be honorably discharged. Prior to the discharge of the Mountaineers several promotions
were announced,
and in the
other regiments of the Volunteers.
both in the battalion In
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
451
the Battalion, Capt. C. W. Long was promoted to the rank of Major, and First Lieptenant K. N. Geer was promoted to a Captaincy. Major Wright, of the 6th C, V., was transferred to the 2d Reg¬ iment, and made a Lieutenant-Colonel. Capt. O’Brien, of the 2d, was promoted to be Major of the 6th Regiment, and Capt. Morton was promoted to a similar position in the 7th Regiment. After the discharge, in recognition of the value of his services, Lieut-Col. Whipple was awarded a commission as Brevet-Colonel, U. S. A. An order for the discharge of the Mountaineer Battalion was received at Fort Humboldt in June, and on the 14th day of that month the men were mustered out of service. Accompanying the order of discharge was a special order from the Headquarters of the Department of California commending the Volunteers, a copy of which is here given : Headquarters Department of California, San Francisco, Cal., July 7, 1865. Special Orders No. 145. The occasion of the mustering out of the United States service of the Battalion of Mountaineers, Cali¬ fornia Volunteer Infantry, is taken to commend them and their most worthy commander, Lieut.-Col S. G. Whipple, for the valuable services they and he have rendered the country in connection with the suppression of the Indian hostilities in the district of Humboldt. Far away from the great battles of the
45 2
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
East, with nothing of the excitement which the in¬ tense interest concentrated on
these
great events
creates, this Battalion has undergone much privation and toil, and has discharged the arduous duty imposed on them readily, earnestly and successfully, and merits the thanks of the Department. By command of Major-General McDowell. R.
C.
Drum,
Assistant Adjutant-General. The services of the Battalion are
appreciated
by
all who remember that twenty years have passed and the peace they established has not been broken, nor is there any apprehension that it ever will be.
The
Battalion was composed of men who had been for years residents and citizens of the counties of Del Norte,
Klamath, Trinity,
Siskiyou, Mendocino and
Humboldt—men who were identified with the inter¬ ests of the country—and the work they undertook was accomplished with the knowledge that the safety of their own homes depended upon the result.
Not only
were the enlisted men of the Battalipn regarded with public favor, but the officers, as well, escaped the censure which seems a part of military glory were held in high repute.
and
The standing of the com¬
manding officer, Col. S. G. Whipple, particularly with his inferior officers and the men of his command, can be derived from the correspondence that follows:
END OF THE TWO YEARS
Fort Gaston, Cal.,
WAR.
453
March 25th, 1865.
Sir: I have the honor to send you a slight testimo¬ nial of respect and esteem, in the shape of a writing desk, the operative and speculative efforts of your friends Thompson and Watson; the operative portion being the handiwork of the former, aided somewhat by the latter in speculation only. It is not for its intrinsic value alone that it is sent, but that it may ever be a memento of the many ob¬ stacles overcome by a portion, at least, of those who, under a brave and skillful leader, have been instrumen¬ tal in bringing to a successful issue a campaign fraught with vexation
and danger;
as a remembrance
of
pleasant hours spent while serving your country, in an organization that will soon be numbered among the things that were. Neither the fir tree, nor the cypress, nor the cedar of Lebanon are added to enhance its value; but the yew of the forest, the laurel of the mountain, and the manzanita of
the banks of the
turbid
Trinity are
intermingled to form a curious and compact whole, the union of which, I trust, may be firm and enduring. Hoping that it may be received with feelings of sat¬ isfaction, it is with pleasure I subscribe myself, Most respectfully, Your obedient friend and servant, John
A.
Watson.
Lieut.-Col. S. G. Whipple,
1st Battalion Mountaineers, California Volunteers, Commanding Humboldt Military District, Fort Humboldt, California.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
454
Fort Humboldt, Cal.,
April 8th, 1865.
My dear Watson: Upon my return fj-om San Franciso a few days ago, I was deeply gratified by the peru¬ sal of your polite and kind letter, which was accom¬ panied by a writing desk, a present from you and Thomas Thompson of Company “ B.” Not for the intrinsic value of the desk (though that is not inconsiderable) is it chiefly prized by me, but the spirit which prompted its construction and presen¬ tation, the cordial and hearty manner in which it is of¬ fered, the associations connected with the time and place of its manufacture, together with the fact that it is the gift of well-tried comrades and staunch friends when friends were needed—all conspire to render be¬ yond money computation the worth of this artistic piece of workmanship.
This present will always be
treasured by me as among the most precious of my valuables. Please accept for yourself, and kindly convey to Mr. Thompsons my grateful thanks for the souvenir. Sincerely your friend, S. G. 1st
Lieutenant John
A.
Whipple.
Watson,
Fort Gaston. The duty of the Battalion, while sustained and in¬ duced by the strongest of all earthly ties, was in itself of a purely military character—to hunt, fight, and sub¬ due the hostile Indians.
Having accomplished these
things, their labors were ended.
Whatever remained
to be done to effect a complete and final adjustment
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
455
of Indian affairs in the Northwest must thenceforth devolve upon another and different arm of the Govern¬ ment.
Whatever complications might thereafter grow
out of the disposition of Indian prisoners or the loca¬ tion and condition of Indian Reservations could in no manner be attributed
to any lesser power than the
National Government and its officers.
Always ineffective, and always putrid with fraud, the Government’s Indian policy had been, for many years, a legitimate subject of ridicule by pioneers.
It may
indeed be said that from its very inception the policy of the Government on Indian affairs was extremely weak, and in relation to the system of colonizing the Indians in the midst of white settlements was extremely ridiculous.
The colonizing, or Reservation
was inaugurated by
Mr.
Fillmore’s
system,
Administration
and continued in force by his successors.
When Fill¬
more assumed the responsibilities of Government the Indian problem was yet to be experimented with.
It
had not passed beyond the first stage of experimental measures.
But as Administration succeeded Admin¬
istration, and the Reservation system exposed more and more of its inherent defects and corruption, it was not strange that the people became critical and sensi¬ tive.
It was not strange that the inhabitants of border
States denounced
the
system as an inducement to
fraudulent practices and an utterly abortive provision
456
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
against Indian disturbances.
It was strange that the
system should have been continued by successive Adminstrations, and it is stranger that it is continued to the present day.
Some ineffectual attempts have been
made to remodel and remedy the procedure of the United States in the management of Indian affairs. Abraham Lincoln, with that comprehensive sympathy with all the real grievances of the people which ever characterized him, understood the defects of the Reser¬ vation system, and urged upon Congress the duty of revising and remedial legislation. ists
and certain
Certain sentimental¬
interested Government contractors
used all their influence to defeat wise legislation on the subject; and the consequence was that the meas¬ ures finally passed rather tended to make the matter worse than it was before.
No reform worthy of the
name has ever been made in the Reservation system since Fillmore unwisely inaugurated it.
To-day it is
as weak in practice,as fraudulent in management, as in¬ efficient in results, as it was when Congress disregarded Lincoln’s wise advice. Of all the counties in the State of California the five which composed the military district of Humboldt suffered most from the Government’s Indian policy. When the State was admitted into the Union it was estimated that an aggregate of 65,000 Indians resided within the jurisdiction of the first Superintendent of Indian affairs for California, Col. Redick McKee.
In
1857 there were six Reservations in the State, which were presumed—in Government official circles—to be supporting and civilizing 12,000 of the total of 65,000
END OF THE TWO YEARS’
Indians. the same.
WAR.
457
The number of Reservations was not always The estimate for 1857 was made by Col.
Henley, then Superintendent, and it may have been colored by the gifted imagination of a zealous officer. Allowing for extraordinary zeal and lively imagination —a combination of faculties which was extremely liable to promote a slip of the tongue—we may safely con¬ clude that the total number of Indians colonized and “civilized” in California never exceeded 10,000 at one time.
As the number of Reservations was decreased
or increased to suit the whim or convenience of differ¬ ent Superintendents, the number of Indians gathered under their paternal care was diminished or multiplied.
One of the first Reservations in the State was locat¬ ed in Humboldt
county by Col. McKee—the same
McKee who carried a ton of beads and trinkets to the Klamath River Indians, drew imaginary lines for a Reservation there, and never returned to complete the treaty so auspiciously made
with the assistance of
Robert Walker—and was situated at the mouth of Eel River. In the Summer of 1851, when Col. McKee visited the Northern tribes for the first time, he told them of the generosity of the Government, and ex¬ torted from them, by the magic influence of presents they could appreciate and speeches they could not un¬ derstand, a promise to be “ good Indians,” and inhabit peacefully the homes the Great Father at Washington
»
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
45
might provide for them. Col. McKee was accompanied by a detachment of United States soldiers under CaptPaul, from Benicia barracks, who established his camp at the head of the Bay.
The Eel River Reservation
had a nominal existence of several years, though, like all of Col. McKee’s visible schemes, it never attained to
more
Some
than
a shadow among practical projects.
preliminary correspondence
relating
scheme is of more than ordinary interest. be
read
between
to
the
It need not
the lines to convey an idea of the
enormous and flagrant abuses which were perpetrated in the name of the Government. Prior to the establish¬ ment of the Eel River Reservation Col. McKee wrote : Camp Union,
Head of Humboldt Bay, Sept. 18, 1851.
To Messrs. E. H. Howard, Kennerly, Dobbins and N. Duperu, Humboldt Bay: Gentlemen:—Finding it impossible, in the absence of interpreters, to communicate with the Indians on Eel River and this bay, and that in consequence no formal treaty can be made with them at this time, I have, nevertheless, in view of their destitute con¬ dition, concluded to set apart for their use a small dis¬ trict of country between the mouth of Eel River and Cape
Mendocino, and make some little temporary
provision for their support and improvement. of the Reservation Kelsey:
A plot
I left for you with Mr. Samuel
and I have left with Mr. Charles A. Robin¬
son, of Eel River, as the property of the United States, in trust, for the use of the Indians who may settle on the Reservation, besides some beef and hard bread,
459
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
three pair of fine, large, American oxen, and $140 in money to pay for three ox-yokes, three log chains, and a large prairie plow now building in this town. have also ordered from San A.
Francisco,
to care
Messrs. of
E.
Long &
H.
I
McNiel,
Howard, for C.
Robinson, as above, a half-dozen chopping axes
and half a dozen corn hoes. Mr. Robinson engages to fence in and break up and plant in potatoes, during this Fall and Winter, five or six acres of land in the Reservation, and, with the assistance of the Indians, make as large a crop as possible;
all of which is to be for the use
Indians who may be on the
of the
Reserve, or who may
agree to remove to it. I have entire confidence in Mr. Robinson doing all he has engaged to do, but as the whole community is interested in
the object,
I beg you to advise with
him and render him any assistance in your power. Should
any accident happen
to him,
rendering it
impossible for Mr. R. to fulfil his engagements prior to the arrival of a regularly appointed Agent of the Government to superintend
Indian
affairs in
this
neighborhood, I hereby authorize you to take posses¬ sion of the above Government property and preserve it until called for. In the meantime it is understood that Mr. Robinson is to have the cattle, etc., for his own use and benefit after the above work shall be done for the Indians. I am, with respect, Your friend and ob’t serv’t, Redick McKee,
U. S. Indian Agent for California.
460
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
According to the standard of values at that time Robinson was virtually paid about $2,000 for breaking up and planting six acres of ground.
Robinson had
a “bonanza,” and he was shrewd enough to know it. The gentlemen honored with the advisory powers im¬ plied in McKee’s letter found their position a sinecure, there is reason to believe, but without even a chance to share in a division of the financial proceeds of the scheme. glory.
Robinson got the money and they got the Robinson, with that freedom of action so truly
characteristic of your free-born American citizen, con¬ ducted the Eel River Reservation for himself, by him¬ self, and appropriated to himself all of the property of the Government held by him, without bonds, “ in trust for the Indians.”
Pioneers who were personally ac¬
quainted with Col. McKee gave him the credit of being a philanthropic and conscientious man, and that he was moved by what he considered a principle of “ higher law” to interpret in the broadest sense the letter of his authority, and to exceed his written authority when he thought the spirit of his mission demanded such extraordinary action.
He
relied too much
on the
honesty of others, and was too negligent of business methods, to be a safe executive officer in a responsible position, and his philanthropic sentimental views were totally at variance with any common-sense treatment of the Indians.
At the time of his death he had a
claim against the Indian Department of the Govern¬ ment, on account of money expended by himself and others in the prosecution of a misguided “ civilizing ” process, amounting to over $60,000.
The claim was
461
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
preferred by himself, as Indian Agent, and under the head of “ private relief bills ” was on the Congressional calendar for twenty years.
The claim was never al¬
lowed, and is as utterly forgotten now as the Eel River Reservation, or Col. McKee himself.
When Robinson
had appropriated the oxen, and the money, and the agricultural implements, the Reservation lost its vital power and lapsed into a merely nominal existence; and even this, after a brief period, was extinguished by time and improvement.
Another of the early Reservations was the Mendo¬ cino, fifty miles South of Cape Mendocino.
For gross
mismanagement and fraudulent practices the Mendo¬ cino Reservation should rank at the head of all Gov¬ ernment failures.
In connection with this Reserva¬
tion a fraud was attempted in 1857-58, which, if it had succeeded, would have robbed many worthy citizens of their homes.
In the Summer of
1857 a report
was circulated that the limits of the Reservation had been, or were about to be, extended to Bear River, Humboldt county.
Col. Henley was Superintendent
of Indian Affairs for California at that time.
In an¬
swer to an inquiry on the actual or proposed limits of the Reservation the sub-Agent, H. S. Ford, replied, under date of July 25, 1857, that he had been informed by the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and also by Dr. Gwin, Senator for California, that Congress had appropriated the land from the mouth of Bear River
462
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
to the mouth of the Noyo River three miles from the coast,” for an Indian Reservation.
Against this in¬
formation the people of Bear River and Mattole re¬ belled as unreliable and unsatisfactory.
They had re¬
ceived no official notice of the limits of the Reserva¬ tion being extended so as to dispossess them of their homes, and they were not disposed to submit to such a scheme without interposing a most emphatic objec¬ tion and remonstrance.
They knew that Congress
alone would have power to extend and locate the lines of the Reservation and they had received no notice of such action.
Thoroughly convinced that there was
a fraudulent design somewhere, a scheme to rob them of their homes, the citizens of Mattole and Bear River, and also a large number in other portions of Hum¬ boldt county, signed a remonstrance and sent it to J. W. Denver, Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Wash¬ ington.
The remonstrance represented that a Reser¬
vation of the extent reported would greatly injure the county of Humboldt, because it would appropriate for the use of the Indians nearly one-half of the coast line; that it would nearly ruin 60 or 70 settlers in the Bear River and Mattole Valleys, whose homes were but just established ; and that such a Reservation would be unnecessarily large for the number of Indians in the vicinity.
The remonstrance in conclusion urged upon
the Commissioner the injustice of the whole proceed¬ ing, and asked him to use his influence to prevent an injurious extension of the limits of the Reservation, if such extension had not already been made.
Not sat¬
isfied with a simple remonstrance, the citizens of Hum-
463
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
boldt county held a mass meeting at Eureka to con¬ sider the subject.
A. J. Huestis was Chairman and
H. W. Havens and L. K. Wood were Secretaries. W. Havens, of
Union, James T.
H.
Ryan, of Eureka,
Jonathan Clark, of Bucksport, Jesse Dungan, of Table Bluff, Wjn. M. Taylor, of Eel River, S. Lewis Shaw, of Pacific, Cornelius Odell, of Bear River, and John Casard, of Mattole, were the Committee on Resolu¬ tions.
The resolutions were similar in tone and spirit
to the remonstrance, but the meeting went further, and authorized a representative, Thomas Swales, to present the subject more fully to the proper officials of the Government.
Months passed before any satis¬
factory information was received from Washington. Officials of the Mendocino Reservation, presuming to act with Government authority, studiously circulated the report that the
Reservation included Bear River
and Mattole Valley, and some private land was actually taken possession of in the name of the Government. Petitions and remonstrances
burdened
the mail
to
Washington ; the most profound silence was main¬ tained by the Superintendent for California; and sev¬ enty settlers of Bear River and Mattole were kept in a condition of constant fear. The State Legislature took up the subject and dis¬ cussed the fraud, but
having no power of definite ac¬
tion in the premises, ended the matter by enacting, on the
last day of the session of 1857, a sarcastic and
amusing measure, “An Act declaratory and amenda¬ tory of certain other Acts,” “ and for the purposes of affording relief to other than State prisoners.” Section
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
464 i
declared “that place commonly called Humboldt
county” to be “ an Indian Reservation of the second class.” Section 2 provided: “ The Indian Agents shall immediately take possession of said territory, and cor¬ ral a certain Indian called ‘ Lo, the poor Indian,’ and all the tribe under him, at or near the county seat, and there keep
them
in a comfortable condition under
suitable shelter, and feed them upon the provisions of this Act.”
Section 3 provided : “ The Indian Agents
shall keep in full operation the saw-mills therein situ¬ ated, for the purpose of manufacturing sawdust, upon which
alone the said ingens shall
be fed; provided
that nothing in this section shall be so construed as to apply to‘John Brown’s little ingen boy,’who is still young and unprotected.” As the Act was passed in the last hour as well as in the last day of the session, it was not engrossed as the law of the land. The Indian Department at
Washington was ap¬
prised, after many months had passed, of the action of local officials on the Mendocino Reservation, and of the fears of the settlers there; and either through a lack of diligence on the part of lobbyists, or because of a lack of courage on the part of local schemers, the project of dispossessing seventy settlers of their homes ended in abject failure. Other frauds in connection with Indian Reserva¬ tions in Mendocino county, of more recent date, have been attended with greater success.
For instance, a
special committee on Indian affairs was appointed by Congress in
1884, and a sub-committee was author-
END OF THE TWO YEARS
WAR.
465
ized to visit and inspect the Reservations in Califor¬ nia.
Senator Dawes, of the sub-committee, transmit¬
ted its official report to Congress in the present year (1885), and in that report it is stated that of the 102,000 acres of land embraced in the Round Valley Res¬ ervation, in Mendocino county, only 5,000 or 6,000 acres are occupied by the
Indians.
themselves are not self-supporting.
The Indians
The Agent buys
6,000 pounds of beef every year to feed them.
This
beef is purchased of men who enjoy the exclusive use of all but a very small portion of the Reservation. Cattle fattened on land belonging to the Indians are sold to the Agent on the Reservation to feed them White men, who pay nothing to the Government, who have
no legal authority, occupy nearly 95,000 acres
of the 102,000 acres constituting the
Reservation,
upon which they herd sheep and have erected fences. The names of the illegal white occupants of the Reser¬ vation, with the number of acres'controlled by each, are contained in the report. principal tracts are:
The illegal holders of the
Henley Brothers and Gibson,
28,000 acres; J. G. Short, 18,500 acres; Jacob Updegraff, 11,000; D. Z. Johnson, 12,000 acres; and G. E. White, 7,600 acres.
The economy with which the
few remaining acres are devoted to the use of the In¬ dians is illustrated in the fact that during twelve years prior to 1885 the Government'paid out, on account of expense incurred by this Reservation, the immense sum of $241,000.
The committee further report that
the Indians on the Reservation are confined to a very small proportion of
their lands;
that
the Agency
466
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
herds of cattle are reduced; that the buildings are out of repair; and that general demoralization prevails: all owing to the bad and fraudulent manner in which the Reservation is conducted.
Another striking example of the failure and injus¬ tice of the Reservation system is presented by a tract of
country twenty miles long and two
miles
wide
which extends up the Klamath River from its mouth. Col. S. G. Whipple, who located the Reservation in 1855, was actuated by what he considered the best policy under the circumstances that then existed ; in reality the worst policy that has ever been pursued in any country with native tribes.
The Reservation was
practically a failure from the time of its location, and for ten years past it has been practically abandoned by the Government; yet it is a fact that the lands em¬ braced in it are now withheld from actual settlement by white people.
A territory rich in minerals and
timber and fisheries, twenty miles long and two miles wide, is sacredly preserved to the use of less than 150 Indians. Indian
Citizens have represented the facts to the Department,
bills, special
Congressmen
have
introduced
and general, committees have made re¬
ports, yet the Reservation is effectually secured from ' white occupation by the idiotic provisions of a false and foolish system.
We need not depart from official
sources to derive information in regard to this Reser.
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
467
vation which will lead any fair mind to the conclusion that it is an imposition on the people and a fraud of the worst description. by Congressman
In 1880 a bill was introduced
Berry to declare
the
Reservation
abandoned by the Government and open to settlement by citizens, and the Committee on Indian Affairs made a very exhaustive report in returning the bill to the House with a recommendation that it pass.
They
stated plainly that “ the formation of this Reservation was exceedingly wrong and unjust to the public inter¬ ests, as it rendered all the lands lying outside, opposite and adjoining the same comparatively valueless, as the water front on both banks was within the Reserva¬ tion.”
From a mass of testimony brought before the
Committee it appeared that after the destruction of the Indian settlements and the public property at the mouth of the river, by the freshet of 1861-’62, it was generally understood and believed that the Govern¬ ment had abandoned all claim to the lands embraced within the Reservation. and
As a result of such belief
understanding, citizens
and improved certain many of
entered
portions
upon, occupied
of these lands, and
them expended large sums of money and
much labor in the erection of their homes.
To dispel
any doubts which might be entertained as to the rights of settlers on the Reservation, in the year 1874 the Hon. J. K. Luttrell applied to the Department of the Interior for information as to whether “ the Klamath River Reservation was still held as such by the Gov# ernment,” and the reply he received was :
468
INDIAN* WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs, Washington,
D. C., Feb. 27, 1874.
Sir:—In response to your verbal inquiry concerning the Klamath Indian Reservation in California, I will state that the Reservation in question, being described as a strip of country commencing at the coast of the Pacific
Ocean and
extending one
each side of the Klamath
mile in width on
River, and
up the same
twenty miles, was approved by the President on the 16th of November, 1855, as one of the two Reserva¬ tions for Indians in California authorized by a clause in the Indian Appropriation Act of (Stat. L., vol. 10, p. 699).
March 3, 1855.
In the year 1861 nearly all
of the arable land was destroyed by a freshet, render¬ ing the Reservation almost worthless, in view of which a new Reservation was established adjacent thereto by order of the Secretary of the Interior, dated May 1862.
3,
This Reservation was known as the Smith’s
River Reservation, and was discontinued by a clause in the Indian Appropriation
Act approved July 27,
1868 (Stat. L., vol. 15, p. 22).
The Klamath Reserva¬
tion has not been used for any public purpose since the freshet referred to, and the
Department has no
claim upon it. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Edward Shuter,
Commissioner. ^
Hon.
J. K.
Luttrell,
House of Representatives.
END OF THE TWO YEARS* WAR.
469
This official communication, proceeding from an authorized agent of the Government, was relied upon as an official declaration that the Government had re¬ linquished and abandoned all claim to the lands of the Reservation which had been conferred upon it by the act of March 3, 1855. had been for years belief.
It was confirmatory of what
the general
understanding and
Settlers on the abandoned Reservation rested in
security.
As natural to such an event, possessed with
the idea that the title to their homes and the result of their labor would remain undisturbed, a fresh impetus was given to the improvement of farms, the building of houses, the establishment of fisheries, the erection of mills, and many other processes of development in¬ cident to the settlement of a new country.
In the
progress of this development the wants of the settlers called for mail facilities, and a post-office was established at the mouth of the Klamath River.
The establish¬
ment of this office was another recognition on the part of the agents of the Government of the permanency of the white settlement and occupation. In
the year 1877 the Government re-asserted its
rights on the Reservation
It was in evidence before
the Committee on Indian Affairs that some time in the Spring of 1872 Lieut. James Halloran visited the Res¬ ervation and reported to the Government a condition of affairs which would lead to hostilities between the whites and Indians if the whites were not removed. This report of Lieut. Halloran was, through the Waf Department, laid before the Secretary of the Interior, and, in turn, he called upon the Secretary of War to
470
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
cause the settlers to be removed from the Klamath Reservation. Acting upon an order from the War Department, Gen.-Irwin McDowell, commanding the Departmentof the Pacific, on the 19th of October, 1877, ordered Capt. Parker to notify the settlers on the Reservation to leave immediately, and this order he executed by notifying fourteen persons to leave with their property, four of whom were admitted to be without the limits of the Reservation. These settlers earnestly protested against being forced to leave.
Subsequently the order was
modified, allowing them six months in which to aban¬ don their homes.
The settlers protested that they had
lived there many years in the belief that they were on the public lands, and that such belief was strengthened by the universal impression that such was the fact, and that the Government had relinquished its claim, as evidenced by the letter of the Commissioner of In¬ dian
Affairs addressed to the Hon. J. K. Luttrell,
Representative from California. Under Gen. McDowell's order, however, the settlers were removed or driven off; and at the time of their removal it was in evidence before the Committee on Indian Affairs that the whole number of Indians, male and female, occupying the Reservation did not exceed 125.
There was unimpeachable sworn testimony to
establish this fact. The concluding paragraphs of the report to Con¬ gress made by the Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom the bill for abandonment of the Klamath Reser¬ vation was referred, presents the situation in concise and explicit terms.
The report says :
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
471
“ Should this Committee admit the power of the President to establish permanent Reserves by executive order, there should be a protest entered against the manner in which that power was exercised in estab¬ lishing the Klamath
River Reservation.
A reserve
containing but forty square miles of territory, cover¬ ing forty miles of water front, extending but one mile back from the river banks, is, to say the least, prepos¬ terous.
This Reservation might as well extend ten or
twenty miles back from the water, on each side of the river, as one mile, inasmuch as no one can or will set¬ tle on lands outside of the Reserve for its entire length, as they would be cut off from the river, which is the only and natural highway.
The injustice which has
been arbitrarily inflicted upon the settlers is at once apparent.
To permit a few Indians to hold 40 sec¬
tions of land, and thereby control over 400 sections is an injustice, if not an outrage, that should not for a moment be tolerated. “ It is clear that the Government exercised no con¬ trol over the Klamath Reservation for a period of six¬ teen years ; that settlers went upon lands in good faith, believing that the Government had abandoned the Re¬ serve ; that in 1874 the Commissioner of Indian Affairs declared officially that ‘ The Klamath Reservation has not been used for any public purpose since the freshet referred to, and the Department has no claim upon it.’ These facts are to be considered in determining the relative rights of each race of settlers.
While
the
Committee would not do an injustice to the Indian, they are at the same time unwilling to permit an out-
472
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
rage to be inflicted upon the white settlers who entered upon these lands in good faith, and under the sanc¬ tion of the Government have made valuable improve¬ ments thereon.
These white settlers are, in the opin¬
ion of the Committee, as much entitled to the protec¬ tion of the Government as other good citizens who, by the power of the Government, are protected from an invasion of their rights and the destruction of their homes and property. “ There are other and conclusive arguments to be urged in favor of restoring these lands to the public domain.
By the singular construction of this Reserva¬
tion, as shown in this report, a large area of the public lands, embracing many thousands of 'acres of fertile lands, are practically withheld from settlement and improvement.
The Klamath River is 300 miles in
length, taking its source near the Oregon line.
The
stream is now navigable for 40 miles, and by a slight expense in the removal of rocks from the river bed would be navigable for
100 miles or more.
The
climate and the nature of the soil both combine to render tlje commercial values of this stream of great importance.
It is asserted by competent
authority
that this section has no equal in California as a fruit and wine growing country.
Along the entire length
of the Klamath River, and especially within the Re¬ serve in question, and back of it, are large bodies of the best timber in use, including redwood, yellow and white pine, and cedar.
The natural highway to these
immense values is the Klamath River, none of which can be appropriated to the uses and arts of civiliza¬ tion so long as the Reservation remains as such.
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
473
“If there be no use for this abandoned Reserve for the purposes originally intended, the Committee can see no valid reason why it should not be restored to the public domain.
Entertaining this view, after an
impartial and careful consideration of all the evidence submitted, the Committee are constrained to vote in favor of the measure, and they therefore return the bill to the House with
the recommendation that it
pass.” The bill did not pass.
And successive sessions of
Congress revived and discussed the subject, ^and got no further than the Committee on Indian Affairs; and at the present time (1885) there is no immediate prospect of the lands of the
Reservation being re¬
stored to the public domain.
With the experience of their
own
times
before
them, it was natural that the people of Northwestern California should feel deeply interested in the disposi¬ tion of the prisoners when their last Indian war was drawing to a close, triumphantly for them.
What
was to be done with the hundreds of prisoners con¬ fined on the Peninsula?
Were they to be colonized
and “ civilized ” on the Klamath or on the Mendocino Reservation, in the midst of the white settlements, near to their old haunts and their old homes; or were they to be sent away to some far-off abode where they would not be tempted to return and renew their war-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
474
fare on the whites ? and Winter mind.
of
This inquiry, in the
Autumn
1864, was uppermost in the public
It was soon answered in a way that sent new
consternation and surprise to all minds and awakened old doubts and fears. The office of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California was rarely filled by any one man for any great length of tine.
A year or two, at most, seemed
tp satisfy the Government that a change was needed. Whether this fact was dufe to certain eccentricities of conduct, attributed to the various Superintendents, not in precise conformity with the moral code, or whether the Government desired to distribute its official favors so as to confer the greatest good upon the greatest number, cuts no figure in the case.
It is sufficientfor
our purpose, in the pursuit of knowledge respecting Indian affairs twenty years ago, to be informed that, in the course of evolution attending the office, Austin Wiley, of Humboldt county, was invested with a little brief authority under the name of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California. Mr. Wiley had been a resident of Humboldt county since its permanent settlement by the whites.
He
knew the needs and the desires of the people, who thought they could trust him to use his influence with the Indian Department against the colonization in their midst of the Indian tribes.
For several years man¬
ager of the leading newspaper in the county, he had been
consistent in
advocating the
removal of the
Indians to a residence far distant from their native homes.
His opposition to
the colonization
system
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
475
existing in Northern California was represented in the columns of his paper as unflinching and unequivocal. When it was learned that Mr. Wiley, as Superin¬ tendent of Indian Affairs, had determined to adopt a policy directly opposite to that which he had advo¬ cated so persistently as publisher, the surprise and consternation of the people may be imagined but not described.
All through Humboldt county, all up and
down the Klamath and Trinity, mass-meetings of the people were held, and resolutions adopted, strongly condemning the proposed colonization of the hostile tribes in Northern
California.
The dangers of the
system were recounted, the liability of the Indians to return to their rancherias and resume the war-path; and Superintendent Wiley was urged not to be a party to a scheme which he knew would be detri¬ mental and might be ruinous.
The Superintendent
was so directly implicated in the controversy that he could do no less than defend himself.
He replied, in
a published letter, that he was not to blame;
that he
was expected to carry out the designs of the Govern¬ ment; that if the Government designed to colonize the Indians, he could not be individually responsible, even though he appeared to act contrary to his own feelings and opinions; and that he had endeavored to have the Indians removed to some point South of San Fran¬ cisco, but had failed. To follow the controversy through
all its phases
would be neither pleasant nor instructive. It ended in disappointment to the people.
Superintendent Wiley
carried out the policy of the Government to the very
476
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
letter. A new Reservation was located in the Hum¬ boldt District, in the heart of the Indian country. By virtue of the power vested in him by an Act of Congress, passed April 8, 1864, Superintendent Wiley located for an Indian Reservation the whole of Hoopa Valley, perfecting the location and taking possession in February, 1865. A Commission was appointed to appraise the improvements of the settlers in the Val¬ ley and their lands were possessed by the Government. Two thousand Indians were gathered within the limits of the Hoopa Reservation.
The unsatisfactory settlement of the Hoopa contro¬ versy may be entitled the last act in the closing scene of Indian troubles in the Northwest. The fears re¬ newed by the location of the Reservation were fortu¬ nately destined to be unfulfilled. In an earlier period of white occupation the country would undoubtedly have been plunged again into the horrors of Indian warfare. The contiguity of the captured hostiles to their former homes would have been a resistless temp¬ tation which they could not have withstood. But the white population had now increased until it outnum¬ bered the Indians two to one. The tribes that formerly were most noted for hostility and numerical strength had become weak and powerless. Their strength was exhausted and their spirit broken. Henceforth, wher¬ ever the remnants of hostile tribes might be gathered,
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
477
the whites would be numerous enough and powerful enough to awe them into submission.
The end of the
Two Years’ War was the beginning of permanent peace between the two races in the Northwest, a peace that was to endure unbroken through all the years of the future. [the; end.]
APPENDIX.
The Northwest as It Is—Humboldt, D$l Norte, Trinity.
Having witnessed the earliest voyages of discovery by sea and land on the Northwest coast of California, and followed the adventurers through the perils and conquests of location and settlement; having seen the development of a country and the growth of towns ; having passed in review the Indian wars and difficul¬ ties—having, in fact, seen the country as it was, the story would not be complete did we not see it as it is. The
Northwest—particularly the
Humboldt, Trinity and
three counties of
Del Norte—has been sadly
ignored by the tourist and the capitalist.
The wealth
of the country has been produced in it, and its rich men have grown from poverty to affluence there;
the
beautiful and rich offerings of its natural scenes have seldom received inspection from any but its own in¬ habitants.
This has been the truth of the past, albeit
4 Bo*
APPENDIX.
the enterprise of the present is extending the possibil¬ ities and fame of a long-neglected region.
It will be
not only interesting, but advisable and proper, to ap¬ pend to the preceding volume a brief account of the natural features and resources, the social and indus¬ trial status, of the three counties which comprise the territory to which it relates.* Separated
by one little county from the Oregon
line are the. forests bays of Humboldt.
and mountains, the rivers and Isolated and inacessible by cheap
and easy means of transportation, Humboldt county, rich
as
it is
grazing lands,
in
timber, minerals, agricultural
and
for a quarter of a century dreamed
away its existence in the sluggishness of backwoods growth, and only within the two years have those rapid improvements occurred which always precede or ac¬ company the material development of a new country. Even now there are many people in San Francisco who could not locate Humboldt Bay without looking on the map, and it is a common thing for travelers to express unbounded surprise when visiting this section for the first time.
They are astonished to find a large
and deep bay, a city of 7,000 inhabitants, and a country marvelously rich in natural resources. As before remarked, the Northwest has been singu¬ larly neglected—has never received that attention from immigrants and capitalists which its advantages merit. *It is proper to state that this Appendix has been compiled from special articles‘written by the author and published in the San Francisco Call and the San Francisco Chronicle, and from the writings of T. E. Jones on Trinity county.
APPENDIX.
481
For many years there has been current in San Fran¬ cisco and other cities of the State an expression which, for baffling vagueness and general unreliability, can¬ not be surpassed, and which might, under varying cir¬ cumstances, mean much or little. been
discreetly condensed
North.”
This expression has
into two words:
“ Up
Until within the past two years, a person
contemplating a trip to Humboldt county from San Francisco would answer the inquiries of his friends by saying,
“Oh, I’m only going up North,” leaving
the comforting reflection that he might be going to Point Reyes or Alaska.
So little
was known about
the resources of the county, so little thought given to the
possibilities of future development, that Hum¬
boldt in general, and Eureka in particular, were tacitly acknowledged to have an existence in the Northern part of
the State, but an
existence which created a
second thought in none but speculative minds. in
With¬
the past two years (i884-’85) there has been an
awakening of interest in regard
to the lumber re¬
sources of Northern California, and this interest has chiefly centered in Humboldt county. been a steady flow of
immigration
The result has and capital to
Humboldt Bay, and a wonderful spirit of improve¬ ment and progression in the county seat, Eureka. The quickest and safest means of reaching Eureka from San Francisco is, at present, by steamer, the distance being 221 nautical miles.
The run from bar to bar
is usually made in 22 hours, and although not pleasant to those who are susceptible to seasickness, the trip is attended by all the comforts, as well as some of the 81
482
APPENDIX.-
discomforts, incident to an ocean voyage.
The steam¬
ers are commodious and elegantly and conveniently ap¬ pointed, and the officers are courteous and obliging. The steamer Humboldt, owned in Eureka and com¬ manded by George Paton, makes her regular weekly trips and is one of the staunchest vessels in the coast service.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company have
also put a steamer on this route, and competition for passengers and freight is lively and persistent.
Hum¬
boldt county may also be reached by stage and rail¬ road from Sonoma county. boldt firm of
The enterprising Hum¬
Robarts Bros, have recently inaugur¬
ated a steamship line between San Francisco and Eel River, the steamer Mary D. Hume having made sev¬ eral successful voyages there during the present year (1885). and
There is a good depth of water on the bar,
the river is entered
danger.
without difficulty or great
The success of the venture by Robarts Bros,
will have a decided tendency to encourage the raising of fruit and other perishable products in Eel River Valley, and in the matter of freight it will effect a sav¬ ing to the
farmers of
many thousands of
dollars
annually. Eureka, the county seat, and the metropolis Qf the Northwest, is situated on the Southern side of Hum¬ boldt
Bay, seven
miles from the entrance.
years ago the place
Thirty
was a wilderness, the primeval
forests coming down to the garden plots of the first settlers.
Now it is a city of 7,000 inhabitants and is
growing faster than any other town in California, with the possible exception of
Los Angeles.
The
town
APPENDIX.
483
is well laid out, with broad streets and ample wharves and water front.
It is lighted , by gas, and there is an
excellent system of water works.
The churches are
many and large, and the schools are taught by compe¬ tent teachers.
The business blocks would be credita¬
ble to any community, and many of the residences are models of comfort.
The most noticeable thing about
the place at present is its wonderful growth.
It is
spreading in all directions—a mile from the city front back into the woods; another mile Westward on the tide lands which stretch inland from the ocean; and still another mile Eastward to the marshes that fringe the bay.
The total population of the county is now
estimated as being in the neighborhood of 25,000. The first impressions of the stranger in Eureka, especially if he come from a strictly agricultural coun¬ try, are not likely to be correct.
In the first place,
the streets to him have a deserted appearance.
He
does not hear the noisy rattle of wagons and trucks, and he wonders if the trading community is having a holiday.
Again, there is at first an indefinable sense
of isolation, of being fenced out from the world and hemmed in within a narrow compass by the dark line of unbroken forest, and he is apt to speculate upon the probable effect of the surroundings upon the minds and hearts of the people, and to wonder if they are narrow and customs.
pinched in
their every-day habits and
He has been familiar with boundless land¬
scapes, offering no obstacle to the sweep of the eye. Here the mountains and forests seem to have made room reluctantly for the waters of the bay, and stand
484
APPENDIX.
like impregnable
walls
inclosing a' forbidden
These are his first impressions. pressions
are effaced
mind the facts.
as
land.
By and by these im¬
observation
brings to his
He learns that the trading community
prefers the great highway of the bay to thoroughfares of cobble-stones, and the busy stores and shops attest the commercial importance of the place.
The sense
of isolation is indeed slow to pass away, but gradually it leaves him as he becomes accustomed to the topo¬ graphical features of the country.
The forests, above
all, change in their aspect to him.
He explores the
dark recesses of the wood arid finds in the stately magnificence of the trees' a new revelation of strength and independence. exercise
Can it be that such surroundings
a binding, narrowing, debasing
He finds that this idea is a mistaken one.
influence! Acquaint¬
ance with the people developes the fact that nowhere in the world can more liberality be found, more gen¬ erosity, more public spirit and laudable desire for the public good.
The people of Eureka, with few excep¬
tions, are ever ready to lend a helping hand and an encouraging word, and the stranger who learns to know them eventually comes to the conclusion that Nature has been their teacher, that something of the grandeur of the mighty redwoods
has entered into
their souls and expanded their perceptions and their sympathies. Eureka is, in every particulars flourishing city, and its importance is all the more wonderful when it is con¬ sidered that but a little over thirty years have passed since
the discovery of
Humboldt
Bay.
The prin-
APPENDIX.
485
cipal industry is the manufacture of lumber. The har¬ bor has a Custom House, foreign shipping is constant¬ ly arriving, and
Humboldt
Bay is destined soon
to
take an important place among the commercial har¬ bors of the world.
There are three newspapers and
several excellent hotels. The Humboldt County Bank is a flourishing institution, established in 1873, with a paid up capital of $200,000
The commercial interests
of the city are guarded by a Chamber of Commerce composed of prominent business men.
Secret, busi¬
ness, benevolent and social societies are well repre¬ sented. The new Odd Fellows’ Hall is a fine structure, indicating the very prosperous condition of that or¬ der.
The public buildings are not to be boasted of,
the Court
House, in
particular, being a rickety old
edifice, as weather-beaten
and scarred
by the rough
usages of time as any member of the Humboldt So¬ ciety of Pioneers.
It is gratifying to know, however,
that the Board of
Supervisors are erecting a new
Court House, of brick and iron, which will cost over $100,000 and be an ornament to the city and county. There are no Chinese in the city of Eureka. Not long ago, in the heart of the city, four hundred Mongolians lived in filthy quarters and criminal practices, quarrel¬ ing and fighting among themselves, endangering the lives of citizens, defying the officers of the law.
A
prominent citizen, passing the Chinese quarter, was shot and killed by highbinders. blaze of
excitement.
thronged with
The town was in a
The largest public
determined
men,
hall was
and only by the
strongest persuasions of a cooler minority was a terri-
APPENDIX.
486
ble conflagration
and loss of life prevented.
Cooler
counsels prevailed. The Chinese were given 24 hours to leave the place.
They left, with all their personal
effects, and joined their brethren in San Francisco. To-day there
is
not a single
Chinaman
residing in
Eureka, and the people have said in the most emphatic terms that none shall hereafter reside there. The progress of and
Humboldt county in commercial
industrial pursuits
has
been rapid and great.
Within the past ten years the value of taxable property has more than doubled.
The assessment roll of 1883
placed the value of lands and town lots in the county at $2,763,858, and the value of all ments at $709,835.
building improve¬
In 1884 there was an increase of
probably $1,000,000, on account of timber land entered and purchased from the Government since ber, 1883, and an increase of $200,000 in
Decem¬
buildings.
The export of lumber products gives employment to a large fleet of sailing vessels. A very important feature of the lumber trade, which is just now coming into prominence here, is the foreign demand for redwood. Rough and clear lumber, doors, sash, laths and shingles are staple articles of export to Australia, South Amer¬ ica, Mexico and the Sandwich Islands, and there is a possibility that a large trade will come from Europe when the Panama canal is completed.
But, although
the commercial growth of Humboldt must always de¬ pend upon the prosperity of her mills, the manufac¬ ture of lumber is not the only industry of the county. In the city of Eureka there are three furniture facto¬ ries, a factory for making doors, moldings and ready-
APPENDIX.
487
made houses for shipment to Australia, a factory for the making of the Finch gun (a rifle invented citizen
by a
of the town), a white labor cigar factory, a
granite yard where native stone is worked up, a large tannery, a brickyard, a saw factory, a foundry and ma¬ chine
shop, boiler works where heavy repairing is
done, a basket factory, extensive s.hip-yards, a large pork-packing house, a salmon cannery, besides a num¬ ber of other industries of lesser importance.
In the
country towns, also, are a variety of thriving indus¬ tries, notably a long-established and large tannery in Areata.
It is estimated that the value of all exports
from Humboldt
Bay in 1884, including agricultural
and lumber products, was at least $4,000,000.
Out¬
side of the county seat there are two newspapers, both published in Eel prise and the
River Valley, the
Rohnerville Herald,
Ferndale Enter¬ which
represent
well the industries and resources of Southern
Hum¬
boldt. It has been asserted that it will be but a few years before the builders of the nineteenth century will be forced to find some poses.
new material for building pur¬
While it is interesting to theorize on the length
of time the forests will last at the rate they are being consumed at the present timfc, and while the above statement may be true of certain localities, it can hardly apply to Humboldt.
From the Southern line of Hum¬
boldt county, extending to the Klamath River on the North, is a vast forest of the finest timber in the world. The variety is mostly redwood, spruce and fir, though some cedar is found at a distance from the coast.
The
488
APPENDIX.
redwoods are of immense size, many of them being from ten to fifteen feet in diameter.
It is almost im¬
possible to estimate the amount of this vast body of timber or the wealth which it will yet create.
Already
has the manufacture of lumber become the chief in¬ dustry of the city and county; but the lumber business here is yet in its infancy.
The lumber now sawed is
a trifling amount to that which will be cut in a few years to come.
The most reliable figures obtainable
in relation to the lumber trade are contained in a re¬ port of the Eureka Chamber of Commerce.
It is there
stated that within the limits of the county are 450,000 acres of redwood, which will cut on an average 100,000 feet to the acre.
The redwood supply in this county
is greater than the whole timber reserve of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin put together, and there are also large bodies of pine
and spruce.
Within the
county there are now seventeen sawmills which manu¬ facture for the export trade.
Nearly all of these saw¬
mills have shingle and lath mills attached, and there are five or six mills which manufacture shingles exclu¬ sively.
The value of the lumber exported in 1884 was
$3,250,000, representing
something over 70,000,000
feet. Agriculture in Humboldt is of necessity secondary to the lumber industry.
In the entire county there
are less than 35,000 acres of cultivated land, the re¬ mainder of the area being covered by timber or de¬ voted to stock raising and sheep husbandry.
Nearly
all the farming land is comprised in the country ad¬ jacent to Areata, on the bay, seven
miles north
of
APPENDIX.
Eureka, and
in
Eel
489
River Valley surrounding the
flourishing towns of Springville, Ferndale, Rohnerville and Hydesville, in the Southern part of the county. The soil is rich and inexhaustible, producing thirtyfive to1 ninety
bushels of oats to the acre, thirty to
eighty-five bushels of barley, thirty to sixty bushels of wheat, five to seven tons of potatoes.
Horticulture is
receiving much attention now, and it has been dem¬ onstrated that in certain sections of the county, far enough inland to be free from the fogs, a most ex¬ cellent quality of fruit can be raised with ease and profit.
The climate is never very cold, and there is
always abundance of rain to insure the growth of what¬ ever is planted.
The moist climate always prevents a
failure of crops, whether of .grain or fruit, and in all the deplorable seasons when Southern California is scorching beneath the sun of a dry year, Humboldt farmers are rewarded with bountiful crops. Aside from the various short lines of lumber-trans¬ portation
roads
there are three railroad enterprises
which deserve mention—the Areata and Mad River, the
Eureka and
Trinidady and
Eureka railroads.
the Eel
River and
The first named road is owned by
Korbel Brothers of San Francisco, is twelve miles in length, and extends from the Areata wharf to the North Fork of Mad River.
The road is fitted up for passenger
and freight traffic, and is doing a thriving business. The second road mentioned—the Eureka and Trinidad —is not yet in existence.
Articles of incorporation
have been filed, by a local company, having a capital stock of $750,000, and it is proposed to construct a
APPENDIX.
490
standard-gauge road from Eureka to the town of Trini¬ dad, via Areata, a distance of twenty-eight miles North. It is expected that the road will be completed in 1886. The
most
important
railroad
enterprise
ever in¬
augurated in the county is the Eel River and Eureka Railroad, which
is to extend, when completed, from
Eureka to a point on the Van Duzen, a tributary of Eel River forty miles South.
The company building
this road consists of local capitalists, and was incor¬ porated in 1882 with a capital stock of $1,200,000. Twenty miles of this road have been completed, and passenger and freight trains run from the bay to Hydesville, in Eel River Valley.
The road runs through a
splendid agricultural country and also taps some ex¬ tensive belts of fine timber.
It is
a broad-gauge,
solidly constructed, and is equipped with first-class cars and locomotives. It would be impossible to measure with exactness the future of Humboldt county—its growth, its develop¬ ment, its rank among the prosperous communities of a great State.
It has all the elements of enduring and
permanent prosperity; it has boundless natural advan¬ tages which are destined to be the source of inex¬ haustible wealth;
and its
isolated condition will be
changed by railroad connection with San Francisco within the next five years.
If future progress shall
not be retarded by adverse circumstances; if the de¬ mand for redwood lumber continues; if Government improvements to navigation already begun are prose¬ cuted with vigor, the improvement in Humboldt county will continue, its resources develop, its commerce grow,
APPENDIX.
its trade expand.
49 1
Very little and insignificant things,
these “ ifs,” to be sure; yet little things sometimes change the destinies of nations.
Wonderful develop¬
ments have taken place in the thirty years past, and still more wonderful will be the progress of the thirty years to come.
Nearest to Humboldt Bay, and closely allied to it in business interests, is the smallest of the trio of Northwest counties. California is fortunate in names.
the matter of beautiful •
Her villages, cities, streams, mountains and
counties have derived from the native Californians or the Indian tribes names as picturesque and attractive as the localities which bear them.
It is a noticeable
fact that the inhabitants of Northern California, as a rule, do not pronounce the Spanish and Indian names correctly.
.Especially is this the case in regard to Del
Norte—the inhabitants giving it the pronunciation of “ Del Nort,” as if omitting the final letter of the last word.
This sounds hard, guttural and harsh, and one
who hears it involuntarily sighs for the smooth, flow¬ ing speech of the Southern Californians, that sweet musical1 cadence of the Spanish tongue which is so charming among the Angelenos.
Del Norte, signify¬
ing “the North,’’ is situated in the extreme Northwest corner of California, and is bounded on the East by Siskiyou county, on the West by the Pacific Ocean, on the North by Curry and Josephine counties, Oregon,
APPENDIX.
492
and on the South by Humboldt and Siskiyou coun¬ ties. The Legislature of 1856-57 passed a bill providing for the division of Klamath county and for the creation of the new county of
Del
Norte.
It located the
county seat at Crescent City, and ordered an election held in May, 1857, for the election of the first county officers. The
tract of country in which
Crescent
City is
situated is somewhat remarkable by its location im¬ mediately at the foot of the Coast Range of moun¬ tains, which elsewhere, from
San
Francisco to
the
Columbia River, with few exceptions, rise abruptly from the ocean, without leaving more of low bench land than here and there a sandy beach or the bottom grounds of a river that finds an outlet in the sea.
On
the right hand, running due North with the Humboldt meridian, is
the
redwood ridge, from 300 to
1,000
feet high, forming the first bank or tier of the Coast Range, which, after passing
Smith’s River, turns to
the left to close up again with the ocean.
Crescent
City is situated on the Southerly side of a low prom¬ ontory extending from the great Coast Range.
The
extremity of this promontory forms Point St. George, and consists of table land elevated some 50 or 60 feet above the level of the sea.
On the North side this
promontory consists of low sands, and in the interior is a shallow laguna of considerable size.
The South¬
erly side at the site of the town consists of low timber land.
The
harbor of Crescent City affords good
shelter in Summer, but it is open and unprotected
APPENDIX.
493
against the Southerly gales which prevail during the Winter months on
this Coast, and which at times
cause a heavy swell
to set in from the Southwest
dangerous to vessels in the harbor.
It is conceded
by all that this danger might be obviated by closing up with a breakwater the gap half a mile wide be¬ tween the headland of Crescent City (Battery Point) and the rocks South of it.
Vessels can find good an¬
chorage in five or six fathoms of water, and if needed improvements to the
harbor were made
be safe at all seasons of the year. bar, being an open roadstead.
it would
The harbor has no
It is situated 280 miles
North of San Francisco and about the same distance South
of the
Columbia
River.
Perhaps
the best
evidence of the dangerous character of the harbor during the Winter months and of the necessity for im¬ provements could be furnished by the Underwriters, who lose large sums every Winter on account of vessels which part their lines and go ashore on the beach at Crescent City.
The smooth character of the
beach prevents vessels going ashore there from be¬ coming total wrecks, but the heavy surf pounds them against the ground until they sustain severe damage, costing a large amount to repair. estimated
Although
it is
that it would require $3,000,000 to build
a complete breakwater here,
a much less sum, say
$1,030,000, would suffice to make such improvements as would render the harbor safe in all seasons. Crescent City, as seen from the ocean, does not present a very attractive appearance.
The buildings
are nearly all low, wooden structures, and seen from
APPENDIX.
494
the deck of an approaching steamer the town looks like a collection of huts.
The place improves on a
nearer view, and perhaps it is the grandeur of the sur¬ rounding scenery which gives it such a dwarfed, poor appearance at first sight. pactly built.
It is well laid out and com¬
There are twelve brick buildings and
one stone warehouse.
The population is about 1200.
There are two churches and twelve saloons.
Several
secret societies flourish here, the Odd Fellows, Ma¬ sons, Good Templars, and A. O. U. W.
The schools
of Crescent City are among the best in the State, and at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876 they received credit for the best exhibit of work done in the public schools of California.
The business of the town is
principally confined to lumbering operations.
Rail¬
roads from the Elk River and Lake Earl mills extend to the end of the wharf, where vessels load with lumber. West of the wharf, on an island about one hundred yards from shore, stands the Crescent City lighthouse. It is a low, grayish colored stone structure, elevated fifty feet above the sea and facing the bay; from its centre rises a tower in which at eventide a revolving light guides vessels entering the harbor and warns mariners at sea of the dangers of the rocky coast. The Government is constructing a new lighthouse of the first class, modelled after the famous Eddystone lighthouse, on
Seal
Rock, off
Point
St.
George.
There is one newspaper published in Crescent City, the Record, J. E. Eldredge
proprietor.
Crescent
City is reached by steamer from San Francisco and Eureka, and by stage from Smith’s River Valley and Jacksonville, Oregon.
APPKNDIX.
495
Nestled at the foot of the mountains, the village of Del Norte, in Smith’s River Valley, forms a pretty picture.
The houses are white and new looking, and
contrast pleasantly with the surrounding forests and fields.
Four miles Northwest of Del Norte, at the
mouth of Smith’s River, is situated the Hume saw mill, having a capacity of 30,000 feet per day, and the Occident and Orient Commercial Company’s fishery and cannery.
Near the mouth of the river are a num¬
ber of sloughs, branching out from the right and left, and during the fishing season these waters' are literally alive with salmon.
The fishing season extends from
the first of September to the middle of November.
A
smooth, level beach affords excellent facilities for haul¬ ing seines, and as the fishing is not interfered with by rapid currents or obstructing drifts it is an easy matter to catch and handle the fish.
There has been a fish¬
ery at the mouth of Smith’s River for over twenty years, but the present extensive cannery was established only a few years ago, the fish having formerly been put up exclusively in barrels.
In 1877 Wm. Fender, the
owner of the fishery, leased it to the Occident and Orient Commercial Company for a term of ten years. Since
the
company
came
into possession of
the
property they have expended over $10,000 in making improvements.
The main building is 200 feet long
and 60 feet wide. , The annual product of the cannery is worth over $40,000. experienced in shipping.
Some difficulty is at present The entrance to the river
is dangerous for either sailing vessels or steamers, on account of sunken rocks in the channel.
An appro-
APPENDIX.
496
priation of ten or fifteen thousand dollars, applied to improvements at the mouth of the river, would be sufficient to make a safe and easy entrance. needed
improvements were
made,
If the
not only would
fish from the cannery be shipped, but lumber from mills
on
the river, minerals from
the
mountains
and produce from valley farms would also fbrm a por¬ tion of the exports. There are only three villages of importance in the county, the third being Happy Camp, situated ninety miles east of Crescent City.
It is built on both sides
of Indian Creek, near its junction with the Klamath River.
Surrounded by mountains, the only means of
reaching it being by thriving trade. mineral
mountain trails, it yet has a
The country around it is rich in
wealth
and a large capital is
mining property.
invested
in
The village contains three or four
stores, two hotels and two or three saloons. stores do a large
business, and it is said
The
that the
merchants of Happy Camp pay annual freight charges to the amount of twelve thousand dollars. From the southern line of Del Norte county, ex¬ tending to the dividing line, between California and Oregon, is a vast forest of redwood, spruce and fir. The timber lands in the county that may easily be made available are estimated as follows: Elk Valley, 24,300 acres; Smith’s River, 51,200; Mill Creek, 48,000;
Klamath
River,
238,700 acres.
This
115,200;
making a total of
estimate includes only those
sections of timber land that may be easily made avail¬ able.
Taking the very low estimate of 250,000 feet
APPENDIX.
497
of lumber to the acre, the above area would represent a total of 59,675,000,000 feet.
Calculating the num¬
ber of working days in saw mills at 300 per annum, and limiting their capacity to 25,000 feet per day, these forests would furnish material to one saw mill for 8,525
years; to five saw mills for 1,705
years;
to ten saw mills for 853 years; to twenty saw mills for 426 years.
There are at present seven saw mills
in the county, with a combined capacity of about 15,000,000 feet per annum. The mineral wealth of Del Norte county is known to be immense.
Gold mining has been steadily and
successfully pursued since 1851.
The placer diggings
on Smith’s River and on the Klamath, the black sand on the ocean beach, and more especially the extensive hydraulic mining carried on in the region of Happy Camp, all demonstrate everywhere in this section the presence of gold in paying quantities. Happy Camp is the only section of the county that has yet received any benefit from capital.
A large amount of money
has been invested in Happy Camp mines, and they are now
being
worked with profit.
There are several
mines in the vicinity now lying idle which only need capital to make them paying properties.
Poin^ Look¬
out, an old mining locality, was several years worked with varying success by many parties.
Indian Flat,
another old mining locality, is situated
on the other
side of the Klamath and almost directly opposite Point Lookout. Between it and Muck-a-Muck Flat, a distance of six miles, is gravel
a continuous
deposits, 82
range of gold-bearing
extending at some
points several
4q8
APPENDIX.
miles back from the river.
Various places on the dif¬
ferent forks of Indian Creek, long since abandoned by those who had to depend
upon
their own
arms
to
wrest the gold from the hard cement and adamantine rock, can be made to pay well by the use of improved machinery and under the supervision of practical min¬ ers. The mining districts comprising Big Flat, Haynes Flat and French Hill are rich in gravel deposits.
Be¬
sides these placer mines, there are several well-defined leads of gold-bearing quartz, and the black sands on the ocean beach are heavy with fine gold. Hill Quartz Mine, situated in the miles
Bald
The Bald
Hills, twelve
northeast of Crescent City, has been worked
more or less for twenty years, but the parties prospect¬ ing it, having limited means, did not give it a fair test. Some very rich specimens have been found of this ledge.
in spurs
The Del Norte Gold Mining Company
own the mine. The beach mines are worthy of an extended notice, for they are destined to be an important feature in the future industries of Del Norte.
The existence
of vast deposits of gold-bearing sands on the sea-coast of California, Oregon and Washington Territory has been a-matter of notoriety for over a quarter of a cen¬ tury.
The value of these deposits is fabulous.
The
largest deposits of gold-bearing black sands are in the vicinity of Humboldt Bay, Gold Bluff, the Klamath River and Crescent City.
Gold Bluff miners have been
working for twenty years, and it is the most exten¬ sively worked beach mine on the coast.
One claim on
the beach four miles South of Crescent City has also
APPENDIX.
been worked for several years.
499 The return per ton is
very meagre, and the tailings prove by careful assay to be nearly as rich in the precious metal as the sand before washing.
The black sand is very heavy, but
the gold obtained from it is so light that when dry it will float on the surface of water.
In addition to gold
the sand contains many other varieties of minerals The opinion has been held by some that this beach gold comes from the bottom of the ocean, but a ma¬ jority believe that it comes from the bluffs along the coast and that the action of the sea working night and day is the great natural separator.
And it has
been remarked that when the direction of the wind is such that the surf breaks square on the beach it rolls up quantities of coarse gravel, and no black sand is visible; but that, when it cuts the beach at an angle, the gravel is washed into heaps at certain spots, and in others black sand is deposited more or less rich in gold.
Attempts have been made to separate the gold
from the sand by various processes with machinery, and by chlorination and boiling, until finally nearly all parties working these mines have returned to the old process of sluicing.
Only a moiety of the gold is ob¬
tained by this process, yet the work pays a small profit. The value of these sands is greatly enhanced by the quantities of platinum
they contain, which
is now
wasted, owing to the imperfect manner by which the gold is obtained.
The various processes hitherto tried
have been unable to accomplish anything more than by the primitive process of sluicing, and the beach mines of Del Norte will continue to temptingly expose
500
APPENDIX.
their riches until some inventive Yankee discovers a method of extracting the gold from the sand. There are several ledges of silver-bearing quartz in the county.
In fact, nearly all the gold-bearing quartz
contains some silver, and the copper and chrome ores contain more or less.
Time will demonstrate that
there are silver mines here unequalled elsewhere on the coast. There are well-defined and extensive copper and chrome leads.
Copper ore was discovered-in i860, in
the Northwestern part of the county, on the Low Di¬ vide, a depression in the Coast Range which forms the dividing line between this part of the State and Ore¬ gon.
There are five good copper mines in the Low
Divide District, viz:
the “ Hanscom,” “Occidental,”
“Alta,” “Union” and “Monmouth,” all located on fine leads.
From i860 to 1863 there were shipped from the
“Alta” and “Union” mines about 2,000 tons of good copper ore, its market value per ton in San‘Francisco being over $60.
For several years past the mines
have remained idle, the owners lacking the necessary capital or enterprise to work
them.
The
chrome
mines are situated on Low Divide Hill, in the vicinity of the copper mines.
Attention was first directed to
the chrome ores in 1868; claims were located, opened and worked in 1869.
The Tyson Smelting Company,
of Baltimore, Md., from
1869 to 1873 made annual
shipments of 1,500 tons of this ore. ages forty per cent.
The ore aver¬
From 1873 to the present time
the shipments have been irregular and light, and but little work has been done in the Winter, the annual product averaging about 600 tons.
APPENDIX.
501
The Low Divide District is one vast body of min¬ eral wealth. Not only does it contain enormous quan¬ tities of copper and chrome, but immense deposits of iron ore of various grades and classes are found there. Iron ore is found in various parts of the county, but the bulk of it is situated in the Low Divide District. Besides the chrome, there are deposits of the red and brown hematite and the magnetic iron ores. These Ores have all been tested by scientific men, who have pronounced them as of very high grade, but no at¬ tempt has ever been made to extract or work them. Coal was discovered several years ago on Point St. George, and a company was formed to work the mines. But like many other companies who have attempted to work mines in the vicinity of Crescent City, the coal company was destitute of capital; and after sink¬ ing a shaft some seventy or eighty feet, and finding excellent prospects, they were compelled to suspend work at the urgent request of creditors. This is the only coal mine that has ever been worked here, though the same coal—a brown coal of valuable properties— has been discovered in various parts of this section of country. That portion of the county comprising Elk Valley and Smith’s River Valley consists of eighteen square miles of the richest and best agricultural land, the formej containing three square miles and the latter fifteen. The quality of the land varies somewhat in dif¬ ferent localities, but in general it is a heavy black soil, raising the finest of vegetables, oats, wheat and barley, and the best and most nutritious grasses. A compar-
502
APPENDIX.
atively small amount of the arable land of the county is cultivated, dairying being the great industry, which requires
nearly all
the
land for grazing purposes.
The yield of grain is about thirty bushels of
wheat
per acre, fifty bushels of oats, forty bushels of barley. New land yields from eight to twelve tons of potatoes per acre, and land which has been under cultivation for years from two to five tons per acre.
There is a
small amount of arable land in the vicinity of Happy Camp, and on Indian Creek.
Of the cultivated fruits,
the apple and plum do exceedingly well. The climate is similar to that of Humboldt county. In that portion of the county near the sea, comprising Crescent City and vicinity, Elk Valley and Smith’s River Valley and vicinity, it is in general very mild and healthy.
Severe frosts are seldom experienced,
the heat in Summer is not oppressive, and although little or no rain falls in the Summer months, the close proximity of the ocean insures moisture enough in the atmosphere to sustain the vigorous growth of plants. During five months of the year, from the first of Nov¬ ember to the first of April, much rain falls, and occa¬ sionally furious wind storms occur.
The temperature
is nearly the same throughout the year, there being but little difference between the Winter and Summer months. The warm gulf stream of the ocean, which has such a great influence on the climate of other parts of the county, has little effect on that of Happy Camp, and during the Winter season it is sometimes very cold there, snow frequently falling several feet in depth. The surrounding mountains are covered with snow
APPENDIX.
503
during a greater portion of the Winter, and the trail between Crescent City and Happy Camp is sometimes covered by drifts to the depth of feet.
fifteen or twenty
During the summer months it is warmer than
at Crescent City, the heat of Summer being more in¬ tense than the cold of Winter.
Trinity—also intimately associated in commercial relations with Humboldt Bay—is almost exclusively a mining county.
As the gold miners were the first
settlers of the county, so mining has continued to be the chief industry of the population. mining was confined
The earliest
to the beds and bars of the
numerous streams, but with the introduction of hy¬ draulics
operations were carried on
extended scale.
upon
a more
Two causes, in the meanwhile, com¬
bined to keep the county from advancing in popula¬ tion and consequent development to the same degree enjoyed by other counties whose natural were not greater. kinds of
mining
resources
One was the distance which all supplies
had to be
transported;
another, the fact that the greater portion of the county lay away from any direct line of travel.
Other points
much nearer a base of supplies, and more accessible, offered as invicing fields of labor, and it followed that during those years when the mines were in the flush of success counties of less area possessed three times the population.
The result is that at the pres-
APPENDIX.
5°4
ent time there are openings for successful mining here that, had the country been more favorably and con¬ veniently situated, would have been worked out years ago. to
One thing, however, should be borne in mind--
mine successfully with the methods now in use
requires organization.
With
each year that passes
the miner requires more water for working, as the deposits are followed back.
It is not now so easy a
matter for three or four men to combine together, and, by putting a ditch on some place they have found, secure themselves in the possession of a claim which will furnish labor for years.
There are many places in
the county to which the attention of capital can be directed for safe and profitable investment. The town of Weaverville is the county seat. a pretty and busy place.
mostly built of brick, while the citizens are surrounded orchards.
It is
The business houses are with
residences
tasteful
of the
grounds and
The town and vicinity contain 800 inhab¬
itants, exclusive of Chinese. Trinity county 'is one
hundred
miles
in length,
North and South, and from twenty-six to seventy miles in,width.
It contains over 3,000 square miles of terri¬
tory, and 2,300 inhabitants, excluding the
Chinese,
who probably number two-thirds as many more. There is an inconsiderable amount of farming land in the county, nearly all of which is situated in two valleys, the Trinity and Hay Fork. two valleys
the farming land
Aside from these
is generally in small
patches, used for the production of fruit and vegeta¬ bles.
Fruits grow to
perfection, and in
flavor are
APPENDIX.
505
much superior to the fruit grown in the Sacramento Valley.
The climate is cold in Winter and warm in
Summer, resembling some of the moderate regions of the Eastern States. It is in the production of gold that Trinity excels, the annual
yield
being nearly one
million dollars.
The Trinity gold bears a high standard of fineness—all the camps, with two or three exceptions, producing dust that assays over 900 fine. Weaverville is distant from Sacramento City 218 miles.
The route is by the California and Oregon Rail¬
road to Redding, 170 miles; thence by stage nearly due West through the town of .Shasta to the Tower House.
At this point the
stage
road divides, one
route leading through French Gulch in Shasta county to Trinity Centre, and thence to Fort Jones and Yreka; the other crossing the mountains by way of Lewiston to Weaverville, the
terminus.
The distance from
Redding to Weaverville, 48 miles, is made by stage. Passengers leaving Weaverville at nine San Francisco the next evening.
a. m.
reach
Commercial com¬
munication with Humboldt Bay is had by means of pack-trains, over mountain
trails.
In former years
fully three-fourths of the merchandise exported to Trinity went by way of Humboldt Bay and over the trails, and at the present time there is a large traffic from Humboldt to the mines on New River.
* NORTHWEST ——--m BLEDSOE.
Indian Wars OF THE
NORTHWEST.
A
CALIFORNIA
SKETCH.
A. J. BLEDSOE.
San Francisco : BACON & COMPANY, BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS, Comer Clay and Sansome Streets. 1885.
Copyright, 1885, By A. J. BLEDSOE.
TO
THE
PIONEERS
OF
CALIFORNIA,
And to their Descendants,
The Native Sons of the Golden West, This Book is Inscribed,
THE AUTHOR.
ERRATA. Page 28.
For “ prior to the first day of January, 1885,” read “ 1855.'
Pages 107, 111, 120. Page 63.
For “Robert T. Lainott,” read “Robert S. Ba Motte.”
For “ T. W. Brown,” read “ T. M. Brown.”
Page 70. It is erroneous to class N. Duperu among the dead. ” living, at San Francisco.
He is now
CONTENTS. Introduction
CHAPTER I. Annals of Discovery—Dr. Gregg’s Party.
Pioneers of Rich Bar.—A starved-out camp.—An expedition to the sea.—Dr. Josiah Gregg, of Missouri.—The 5th of November, 1849.—Across the Coast Range.—How the South Fork of Trin¬ ity was discovered.—Suffering of the explorers.—In the Red¬ woods.—Ocean’s welcome roar.—Discovery of Trinidad, Little River, Mad River and Humboldt Bay.—Factions in the party. —L. K. Wood, of Kentucky.—David A. Buck, of New York. —Discovery of the Van Duzen.—A controversy and a separa¬ tion.—A combat with grizzlies.—Terrible condition of L. K. Wood and adventures of his party.—Death of Dr. Gregg by star¬ vation .73
CHAPTER II. Annals of Discovery — The Cruise of the Laura Virginia.
A glance at the map.—A long stretch of unknown coast—The search for the mouth of the Trinity.—The Laura Virginia Asso-
10
CONTENTS. ciation.—Two Boards of Trustees.—Lieutenant Douglass Ottinger, U. S. N.—Remarkable voyage of the “ Laura Virginia.” —Burial of Lieutenant Bache.—E. H. Howard’s expedition from Trinidad.—Rival ships at sea.—The “General Morgan” and the “ J. M. Ryerson.”—Off the bar.—A brave man needed.— H. H. Buhne, Second Officer.—The ship’s boats cross the Bar. —The 14th of April.—The “Laura Virginia” at anchor in the Bay.—Humboldt City.—Business of the Laura Virginia Associa¬ tion.—How steamers were subsidized.—Rise and fall of a me¬ tropolis .104
CHAPTER III. Annals of
Discovery—Early Settlements and Voyages
by
Sea and Land.
Major P. B. Reading.—Mining excitement on the Trinity River.— Embryo cities in newly discovered territory.—Bucksport, Union and Eureka.—The Brannan brothers.—Warnerville and Klamath City.126
CHAPTER IV. Annals of Discovery.—The
Extreme Northwest.
The County of Del Norte.—Its first settlement.—Happy Camp.— Crescent City.—The story of the lost cabin.—Captain McDer¬ mott.—J. F. Wendell’s land grant.—Smith’s River Valley.. 133
CONTENTS.
I I
CHAPTER V. The First Four Years of Settlement.—The
Indians and
their Tribes.
Character of the population.—A slow transition.—Cosmopolitan com¬ munities.—Bitter rivalry between jealous towns.—The Indians. —Six general divisions.—Natural consequences of white settle¬ ment .143
CHAPTER VI. The Klamath'War.
Tribes of the Klamath River.—Characteristics of the Indians.— Robert Walker’s ordeal.—A trial by fire.—Smoke and superstistition.—Col. McKee’s oration.—The ferry at Weitchpeck.— Ken-no-wah, Zeh-fip-pah, Ma-roo-kus and Kaw-tap-ish, four noted men.—Blackburn’s ferry.—Dangers menacing the whites.—Hos¬ tile RedCaps.—A general uprising.—Capt. Judah’s negotiations. —Union Volunteers.—Col. Buchanan and his infirmness of pur¬ pose.—Capt. Judah relieved.—Contentions among the miners.— The mouth of the Salmon.—Capt. Buzelle and Capt. U. S. Grant.—Moreo and Capped rancherias.—The month of March. —Confusion among tlie Volunteers.—Proposition of the Hoopas. —S. G. Whipple appointed Special Indian Agent.—Capt. Judah sent back to the Klamath.—Volunteer Companies dismissed.— Klamath Reservation located.—End of the War
iS3
12
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VII. Eel River Valley.
A Retarded Section.—Two Score of Settlers.—The Price of safe¬ ty.—Difficulties of Pioneer Life.—Murder of Arthur Wigmore. —Col. Buchanan’s Opinion.—“A Slave to Discipline.”....
177
CHAPTER VIII. A
Pioneer Family—Cooper’s Mills.
Five brothers from the British Provinces.—Their settlement in Eel River Valley.—Their farms and mills.—Incidents of life in a new country.—Tragic fate of David and Adolphus Cooper.—William, George and John Cooper.—Strange fortunes and strange deaths. —Alfred Delaseaux.—A chapter of sad events.182
CHAPTER IX. Indian Affairs in ’56.
Progress of the country.—False alarms and'mysterious movements.— Restless tribes on the Klamath.—Negligence of the military authorities.—Excitement in Hoopa Valley.—Cattle killed at An¬ gel’s Ranch.—A tragedy on Bear River.201
CONTENTS.
13
CHAPTER X. A
Hard Winter.
Furious storms and obliterating snows.—Unequal warfare with the elements.—Men and animals lost in the mountains.—Tempo-, rary exemption from Indian troubles.212
CHAPTER XI. A
Revival of Trade.
The Spring of ’57.—General Prosperity in the Mines.—Trading Posts of Northern California.—Wonderful Industrial Progress in Seven Years.217
CHAPTER XII. Quiet Close of a Peaceful Year.
Bill for the payment of Indian War Claims.—Action of the Legisla^
ture.—Some lost papers.—A disturbance at the Klamath Res¬ ervation .222
CHAPTER XIII. The War with the Win-toons—How it Commenced.
The domestic affairs of one “Leroy.”—Shooting of Wm. E. Ross.— Three parties of Volunteers.—John Bell’s perilous position.--
CONTENTS. Death of Orrin Stevens.—The battle of Three Creeks.—Major Raines.—A play ground for soldiers.—Murder of Paul Boynton. Mass meetings of the people.—Petitions for assistance.—Col. Henley’s waste basket.—Organization of Volunteer Companies. The Kibbe Guards.—Fight near Pardee’s Ranch.—John Harpst wounded—Capt. I. G. Messec’s Company.—Hardships of the Winter campaign.228
CHAPTER XIV. The War with the Win-toons.—How it Ended.
One advantage.—Disposition of Prisoners.—Messec’s Campaign.— A Battle in the Redwoods.—The Volunteers Defeated.—A Retreat to Dow’s Prairie.—Condition and Ultimate Success of Gen. Kibbe’s Forces.—Fortunate Occurrence of a Storm.— Flooded and Famished, the Win-toons are Compelled to Sur¬ render .261
CHAPTER XV. A
Year in The Lowlands.
A Foolish Act and its Sequel.—“ Captain Jim ” and “ San Fran¬ cisco John.”—A Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the Tribes of the Mattole. 281
CONTENTS.
*5
CHAPER XVI. Yager Creek.
Hostilities and depredations.—Death of J. C. Ellison.—The Hydesville Volunteers...289
CHAPTER XVII. *
From Bad to Worse.
Win-toons leaving the Reservations.—Reports of barbarous deeds.— A requisition for arms.—Sickening experience of hope deferred. —A mysterious League.—Secret meetings in lonely farmhouses. —The birthplace of the League.—Its members and originator.— The massacre at Indian Island.296
CHAPTER XVIII. Three Months of Trouble.
Dissatisfaction with the Governor.—Meeting of the Citizens of Eel River.—The Grand Jury’s Report.—County Convention on In¬ dian Affairs.—Petty Fights and Petty Quarrels.310
i6
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XIX. A
Complicated Situation.
Population of Humboldt and Klamath in i860.—Indians returning from the Klamath Reservation.—Difficulties in Hoopa Valley.— The situation in the South.—James Casebeer.325
CHAPTER XX. Gathering Clouds of Impending War.
Second County Convention on Indian Affairs.—The Attack on the Sproul Brothers.—A Fight at Iaqua.—Kentinshou Valley. .335
CHAPTER XXI. The Clouds Break.
More trouble in Hoopa Valley.—The campaign of the Regulars.— Thirty volunteer guides.340
CHAPTER XXII. A
Rain of Death.
Disbanding of the Volunteer guides.—Hostile tribes on the war-path. —Killing of Geo. D. Cooper, O. W. Wise,—Coates, Jerry Wil-
CONTENTS.
17
son, Chas. E. Parker, Henry Lemke, Christian Lemke, John Stuart, C. A. D. Huestis, E. M. Sprout and Thomas Griffin.— Mass meetings at Hydesville and Eureka.—The battle of Thief Camp.347
CHAPTER XXIII. Military Operations in 1862. Correspondence
between
Governor Downey,
Brigadier-General
Wright and Indian Superintendent Hanson.—The California Volunteers.—“A safe place for the Troops.”.363
CHAPTER XXIV. Through Fire.
Attack on Angel’s Ranch and shooting of George Zehndner.—Farm houses in flames.—Death of A. S. Bates .369
CHAPTER XXV. Daby’s Ferry.
A Night of Terror.—Adventures of a heroic Woman.—Mrs. Danskin’s fate.—Babes in the Wood.—Peter Nizet and George Danskin. .374 2
i8
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXVI. Military Operations in 1862.
Marching and counter-marching.—A benevolent Indian Agent.— Lieut. Flynn’s detachment.—The force at Fort Humboldt.— Independent Companies.380
CHAPTER XXVII. The Death Roll.
A Scene at Muhlberg’s.—Tragedy on the Trinity Trail.—W. T. Olmstead’s
Adventures.—Massacre
at Whitney’s
Ranch.--
J. P. Albee.386
CHAPTER XXVIII. Military Operations in* 1862.
Union Volunteers and Eel River Minute Men.—The Battle of Light’s Prairie.—A Fight on Little River.—The Smith’s River Reservation.393
CHAPTER XXIX. The Mountaineer Battalion.
A Deserted Country.—Organization of the Mountaineer Battalion.— Companies A and B.—Preparations for War.—Stone Lagoon.
..
49°
CONTENTS.
19
CHAPTER XXX. Beginning of the Two Years’ War. The Tribes that were Engaged in it.—Skirmish at Big Bend.—Oak Camp.—The Trinity.—Movements of the Mountaineers.—Ousley’s Camp at Faun Prairie.—Lieut.
Hempfield’s Expedition.
.408
CHAPTER XXXI. The Two Years’ War. A Raid near Trinidad.—Battle of Redwood Creek.—Scouting parties from the forts.—Death of Samuel Minor, Joseph Sumption and John McNutt.—The Trinity.—Sandy Bar.—Capt. Miller’s De¬ feat.—The Willow Creek Fight.—Position of the Mountaineers. ...4i4
CHAPTER XXXII. The Two Years’ War. Shelling a Log Fort at Bald Mountain and escape of the Indians.— Concentration of Troops.—Disastrous raid in the Salmon River Country.—“Big
Jim’s”
Band.—“ Ceonaltin
John.”—Sheriff
Brown’s Independent Company.—A resolution in the Legisla¬ ture.—Reinforcements.*.429
20
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XXXIII. The Two Years’ War. More Troops.—Change of Commanders.—Attack on J. M. Dyer’s house.—The Mattole country.—Movements of the Mountaineers. —White Thorn Valley.—Snyder’s Ranch.—Humboldt Ridge.— Booth’s Run.....437
CHAPTER XXXIV. The Two Years’ War. Military Affairs.—Another Change of Commanders.—Operations in the
field.—Lieuts. Frazer
and
Geer.—Richard
Johnson’s
Daughter.—Alfred Varian.445
CHAPTER XXXV. End of The Two Years’ War.—Permanent Peace Established. All quiet on the Trinity and the Klamath.—Movements of Troops.— Prisoners on the Peninsula.—The Mountaineers mustered out. Promotions and appointments.—The Government’s Indian poli¬ cy and the Reservation System.—Early Reserves in the Hum¬ boldt District.—Col. McKee and his Eel River Scheme.—Rob¬ inson’s
‘‘‘Bonanza.”—Mendocino and
Mattole.—The
Hoopa
Reservation.—The Mouth of the Klamath.—Permanent Peace. ...449
Appendix*.
479
THE PIONEERS. Introductory to
“Indian Wars of The Northwest.”
An old-time writer of romance, whose volumes are favorites of mine, once, in the introductory chapter to a book of his, expressed this opinion:— “ The truth seems to be, that, when he casts his leaves forth upon the wind, the author addresses, not the many who will fling aside his volume, or never take it up, but the few who will understand him bet¬ ter than his schoolmates or lifemates.
Some authors,
indeed, do far more than this, and indulge themselves in such confidential depths of revelation as could fit¬ tingly be addressed only and exclusively to the one heart and mind of perfect sympathy; as if the printed book, thrown at large on the wide world, were certain to find out the divided segment of the writer’s own nature, and complete his circle of existence by bring¬ ing him into communion with it.
It is scarcely decor-
jous, however, to speak all, even where we speak im¬ personally.
But, as thoughts are frozen and utterance
benumbed, unless the speaker stand in some true rela¬ tion with his audience, it may be pardonable to imag¬ ine that a friend, a kind and apprehensive, though not the closest friend, is listening to our talk; and then, a native
reserve being thawed by this genial
22
INTRODUCTION.
consciousness, we may prate of the circumstances that lie around us, and even of ourself, but still keep the inmost Me behind its veil.
To this extent, and with¬
in these limits, an author, methinks, may be autobio¬ graphical, without violating either the reader’s rights or his own.” With a precedent of such distinguished eminence at my back, I shall
offer no apology for assuming
to establish, through the medium of an introductory chapter, a more or less personal readers.
relation
with my
First, let me say, that one year ago I had
no definite purpose of leaving the narrow field of jour¬ nalism for the broad field of a higher literature; and, perhaps, now that I have done so, the first production of the matured thought will be the last. deed
thought much
of the
work
I
I had in¬
finally under¬
took to do, but to my inexperienced view the project seemed so stupendous as to be utterly impracticable. Nor can I claim the full meed of praise or blame which usually falls to the lot of an author. the character of editor that I
It was rather in
engaged in the liter¬
ary work resulting in this volume—putting together in a connected way such historic incidents as fell from the lips of aged men or were discovered between the lines of faded manuscripts and old papers. The narrow field of journalism—always narrow—is much too narrow for a young man of proper ambition, if he desires to keep his self-respect; and a position as editor of a country daily is not long to be endured by any person of pronounced spirit.
opinions
and aggressive
INTRODUCTION. I
23
Resolved, as I was, to drop journalism and take up the law, I was at a loss what to do with the superflu¬ ous time which young practitioners who are waiting for clients generally have at their disposal.
Since
early youth my time had been passed in the active life of the printing-office, from the duties of the office “ devil ” to the editorial chair; and when I had, finally, in a literal and spiritual sense, shaken the dust of the sanctum from my feet, at least a portion of my former activity must somehow find new expression.
Then it
was that the hitherto half-formed and vaguely outlined idea of this volume took definite shape in my mind. The earliest and most pleasing recollections of my boyhood were grouped around pioneer tales.
Often
in the picture gallery of my memory appeared one scene, to be dwelt upon and retained to the last mo¬ ment in the passing shadows of the mind: Winter.
A
homestead in the
snow, and wind, and darkness. warmth, and cheerfulness.
West.
Without,
Within, light, and
A wide, open fire-place,
where the hickory logs snap and sparkle in the heat. Children
in
the room.
And sitting in their accus¬
tomed corners by the fire two old people, who, for nearly four decades, had journeyed through the world as man and wife—who, looking at the glowing coals and in each other’s eyes, drew from the storehouse of their memories strange tales of years long past, rich in the lore and reminiscence of life on the frontier; until
we children, drawing closer, listened
with all
our ears while they talked of times preceding by two decades the war with Mexico; of men whose bones
INTRODUCTION.
24
and deeds had been covered by the earth years and years before we were born; of scenes in the history of border States—border States
no longer—that even
then were dim on history’s page; of brave and daring pioneers, who had crossed the Mississippi, or explored the wilds of the Missouri; of Daniel Boone and Crock¬ ett; of Indian wars, occurring when these tyo old peo¬ ple were young, or related to them by old as
they; of
the
Florida wars,
relatives
as
and of expedi¬
tions to the frontier of the Carolinas; of early settle¬ ments in the remotest territory of the Louisiana Pur¬ chase ; of adventurous families who had cut their way into the wilderness and made themselves a home; of men whose deeds had made them heroes, of women whose true devotion had made them little less than ministering angels.
New and pliant minds received
indelible impressions from those stories old.
Upon
my own mind—I must confess it—the impression was so vivid that I would scarcely have wondered if some¬ time the people of whom they talked had shambled from their graves and marched in dumb review before us.
Upon my mind—I must confess it—the impres¬
sion was so strong that a secret desire possessed me to write in a book those narratives of earlier days than ours, and so give them the world-wide
recognition
which I felt assured their merit demanded. ish
thought, undoubtedly;
but
A child¬
conceived, as such
thoughts generally are, in the purest spirit of philan¬ thropy. The experience of maturer years obliterated quite the purpose of my conceit, yet the impressions of
INTRODUCTION.
childhood remained firm and lasting.
25 So, when I had
finally broken the shackles that bound me in the thralldom of journalistic duty, and was casting about for some employment to fill up superfluous timfe in the commencement of my new profession of the law, it was natural that my mind should revert to the pro¬ ject of book-writing which had occupied it in boy¬ hood.
Here, then, was my opportunity.
A little re¬
flection convinced me that narratives of events trans¬ piring a half a century ago, imperfectly remembered, seen but
dimly through the
mists of many years,
would meet a cold reception in the hurrying, bustling, practical age of the present.
And now, having de¬
cided upon a record of local interest and comparative¬ ly recent date, thirty years even seems a long leap back into the past; and I should scarcely essay to make it, were not a local interest attaching to the ex¬ cursion. I do not pretend to say that much might not have been written under the title of this book which I have left unwritten.
Nor do I propose to adopt the practice
of many writers, who, realizing the shortcomings of the human
intellect, and being half-ashamed of them,
apologize to their readers for not attaining a higher degree of excellence.
Rather would I launch my lit¬
erary craft without a word concerning its defects or its merits, knowing, as I do, that the rough waves of public opinion will very soon test its seaworthiness. It is not to be expected that the work will have a general circulation. local nature only.
Its interest is, in the main, of a I shall feel perfectly and thoroughly
26
INTRODUCTION.
satisfied if the circulation of the work is extensive among my friends and neighbors. What better -fame cap a man acquire than the good opinion of his neigh¬ bors? And if the favoring breeze of public com¬ mendation shall, perchance, fill the sails of this creation ojf my labor, that will be most satisfactory which eman¬ ates from the people I know and appreciate. I have endeavored to sketch, in a manner that would not be entirely devoid of interest, the facts and incidents and reminiscences attainable from the material at my com¬ mand. , There were doubtless many incidents of the earliest settlement of the northern coast, not obtained by me, which would be intensely interesting could they be portrayed by a faithful pen and transferred to the pages of a book; but time, ruthless in its destroying touch, has covered many a guiding landmark under the weight of accumulated years—and in the memory of men, likewise, has been obliterated many a land¬ mark in the landscape of the mind. Only such scat¬ tered fragments as have escaped the universal destruc¬ tion and building up anew, attendant upon the evolu¬ tion of the years, may now find a place in the chronicles of pioneer life in California. As through the open windows of a car we catch glimpses, brief yet vivid, of the country through which we pass, so through the open vistas of time may we gain an occasional view, transient and fleeting, of a past that has been dead these many years. '
INTRODUCTION.
27
Pioneer societies perpetuate on the Pacific Coast the associations and deeds of those who settled the coun¬ try.
In the centennial year of American independence
the Society of Humboldt County Pioneers was organ¬ ized in the City of Eureka.
Some account of the or¬
ganization of the society, and brief biographical refer¬ ence to a few of its prominent members, should be a fit¬ ting and appropriate introduction
to a narrative of
pioneer days. The Society of Humboldt County Pioneers was or¬ ganized on the 22d day of January, 1876, and re-or¬ ganized and incorporated on the 12th day of May, 1881.
The initiatory steps for the organization of the
Society were taken on the 8th of January, 1876, in the city of Eureka.
A meeting notice had been published
over the signatures of Judges J. E. Wyman and A. J. Huestis, Major E. H. Howard, Captain H. H. Buhne and F. S. Duff, and the meeting itself was held at the business office of Major Howard, who was chosen Secretary, Judge Huestis being Chairman.
A com¬
mittee was selected to draw up a Constitution and By¬ laws, to be submitted at an adjourned meeting on the 22d of the same month.
The adjourned meeting was
held at the City Hall in Eureka, when the Constitution and By-laws were submitted and adopted.
The elec¬
tion for permanent officers to serve during the first year of the Society’s existence was then held. Huestis was elected Deming and J. E.
President, Jas. Hanna, Wyman
Howard Secretary, R.
Vice-Presidents,
W. Brett
Treasurer,
A. J. Byron E. H. C.
W-
Long Marshal, and J. Cullburg, C. S. Ricks, George
INTRODUCTION.
28
Graham, Jfis. Russ, F. S.
Duff and A. Brizard the
Board of Directors. From the date of its organization until
1881 the
Society held numerous meetings, business and social, and the latter were characterized by excellent literary programmes and imposing civic display. 1881 it became apparent that the
In the year
Society was out¬
growing its somewhat irregular and imperfect organi¬ zation ; and at the earnest solicitation of some of the • most enthusiastic members, a meeting was held
on
the 14th of April, for the purpose of perfecting and strengthening the organization.
Several changes in
the organic laws of the Society were here suggested, and a committee was appointed to report at a meeting on
the
12th of May a plan for the
reorganization
of the Society and its incorporation under the laws of the State.
On the 12th of May, which was the
time for the fifth annual meeting of the Society, the committee appointed on the 14th of April made a re¬ port and a new Constitution and Articles of Incorpo¬ ration were considered and adopted.
Under Article
11. of the Constitution, (1) “Any person who was a resident of the territory now known as the county of Humboldt prior to the 1st day of January, 1885, (2) or was a resident of Trinity county at the time Hum¬ boldt county was a part thereof, and has since become a resident of Humboldt county as now established, (3) and his or her descendant of full age, (4) and the hus¬ band or wife of such person or descendant, (5) and members of the First Battalion of Mountaineers, Cali¬ fornia Volunteers, honorably discharged, are eligible
INTRODUCTION.
29
to become members ; and (6) honorary members may be admitted without these qualifications, and life mem¬ bers on such terms as may be fixed by the By-laws.” The range of membership was thus made wide enough to embrace elements that would keep the Society alive long after the original Pioneers had passed away, and wide enough, also, to give ample scope for the intro¬ duction of youthful ambition and energy. Since the date of the reorganization and incorpora¬ tion, 1881, the Society has flourished and grown ; its membership including, at the present time, the major¬ ity of those who found the country in its wild, natural condition, and have brought it up to the dignity and prosperity of civilized culture.
The annual meetings
of the Society, especially, have been important and highly interesting.
The county of Humboldt was es¬
tablished by Act of the Legislature, on the 12th of May, 185^, and for that reason the Society set apart this day as the time for annual meetings.
In giving
some idea of the character of these meetings, and as throwing some additional light on
the organization
and objects of the Society itself, I have obtained offi¬ cial minutes of the annual gathering of 1882.
On the
12th of May, of that year, the Pioneers and their friends met at Russ Hall, in the city of Eureka, for the an¬ nounced purpose of talking over old times and having a general
reunion.
Preceding the
speech-making,
some old-fashioned songs, “ Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot,” “ The Dearest Spot,” and others of like character, were sung by a glee club.
The meeting
was called to order by John Vance, who made a brief
INTRODUCTION.
30
address of welcome and congratulation.
Mr. Vance
then introduced Rev. J. S. Todd, of Areata, who spoke as follows:
“ Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : “ I feel somewhat embarrassed today.
Preachers are
not generally embarrassed, because they have so much speaking to do, and appear so often, that they do not become embarrassed.
But this is something new to
me—new faces and a hew subject.
The committee
asked me, Mr. President, to make an address on this occasion.
I said, No.
My duties for the
last few
weeks, and, in fact, for nearly all winter, were so hard, that I had not the time to prepare an address that I think any Pioneer would like to hear.
I am embar¬
rassed, too, because I don’t know that I can claim to be a Pioneer.
I did not understand how it was exactly,
until it was explained to me by your committee. When I came here, in 1868, I did not invest in lands, nor in steamboats, nor in railroads, nor in homesteads, nor in farms: I didn’t go to work in that manner, but I in¬ vested in
one of your true, simon-pure girls.
Mr.
President, it has been some time since I made that purchase; and I can say to this audience, that if they ever made such an investment, and are as well satis¬ fied as I am, the name of Pioneer will go down to hundreds of generations.
I suppose that is the reason
you permitted me to become a member of your Soci¬ ety ; and I thank you for the honor.
When I was in¬
vited to make a speech on this occasion, I thought I would look over my burial roll.
Since I have been
INTRODUCTION.
31
among you, I have laid in the dust over one hundred of your citizens; and in that one hundred—I counted as near as I could—I thought there were fifty that had come, or their parents had come, to this country be¬ tween the years of 1849 and 1851; and you may know from that, that I am somewhat acquainted with the his¬ tory of you Pioneers; for when a minister pays the last solemn tribute of respect to the departed, it is his business to inquire into the history of that person— when he came to this country, and what he has done ; and a great many whose names are remembered with pleasure—names that are identified with the interests of this country, and even of this county—I have buried in the silent grave, with my tears and my prayers ; and with my consolations, I have done all I could to com¬ fort and sustain. “ I have been so long among you, though not as a pioneer, I feel that I have become a pioneer. pioneer by instinct. hills
I
nected
I am a
These mountains I love, these
love, and these redwoods.
Everything con.
with
I
this county
I
love.
went away;
I
thought there was, perhaps, a better place than Hum¬ boldt county.
I went to an old-settled place, but I
sighed for these mountains, and
I sighed for these
bald-headed men, whom the President of this Society has spoken to you to-day about. ciety of these men.
I sighed for the so¬
I wanted to be back, and the first
opportunity that presented itself, I rushed back to these old spots and to the men that have built up this great county.
The President of this Society said that he
wanted to give the traditions—no, not the traditions,
INTRODUCTION.
32
but the facts—of the settlement of this county to the rising generation.
That is a duty that we owe to our
children, and I think they will appreciate it much bet¬ ter than we do.
It takes many years for a country to
have a history, and as it becomes settled up, and as our mutual interests become harmonized and strengthened, then we can enter upon an intellectual and moral de¬ velopment; for I find in the history of any country the material is first, the intellectual is next, and then, I believe, the spiritual.
I ought to speak, of course,
for the ministry; but I do not happen to be a pioneer. I was not like the apostle who went into a new place so that he would not build upon another man’s foun¬ dation.
I had to build upon another man’s foundation.
There had been pioneers before me, who had reared a superstructure to the God and Christ I worship.
I am
thankful to these pioneers, who built the ships and rail¬ roads and the saw-mills.
I am thankful when I speak
of the religious element in this county.
I am thank¬
ful that they reared spires to heaven, and that they laid religious foundations, as well as material and intellect¬ ual.
And I can say for the Church, at least, that their
memory will
be held in fond remembrance by the
Church for all that they have done to build up the in¬ fluence of the blessed Master; and I trust that the trials, and the difficulties and the troubles and the anxieties which the fathers of this county have endured may be handed down, and the succeeding generations will ap¬ preciate it much more than we do, and in years to come there will be a history—an honorable history—to be transmitted to coming generations.
I thank you, Mr.
INTRODUCTION.
33
President, for having the honor of being a member of this Society, and I assure you that I will do all I can to transmit to my own children and to yours the great good which you have done in this county.” The next speaker was Judge J. P. Haynes, who said:
“ Mr.
,
President Ladies and Gentlemen :
“ Some two or three days since a friend said to me : ‘ I see that you Pioneers are going to have a little celebration on the 12th of this month, and you are to deliver an address on that occasion.’
I replied to him :
‘ It is true that the Pioneers propose to have a little time on the 12th; but, my friend, I apprehend you are mistaken as to your assertion that I am to deliver an address on that occasion.’
He replied:
41 saw it in
the newspaper, and I took it for granted that it was so.’
I turned my attention
to the columns of the
newspaper, and to my great surprise I saw that my name was announced, in connection with others, whose duty it would
be to address
their brothers of the
Pioneer Association, and those citizens who might honor us with their presence to-day. siderably by surprise.
I was taken con¬
I had not been consulted, and
I had not even been notified by the committee that it was expected that I should deliver an address, and con¬ sequently I feel a good deal of that embarrassment which Brother Todd spoke of when he was on the stand.
I feel so much embarrassed, indeed, that I feel
small enough almost to creep into this big fiddle lying
INTRODUCTION.
34
over here on my right.
But I said to Brother Todd,
when he was inclined to complain, as I was, of this want of notice, and the little time given us to prepare our speeches, ‘ Oh,’ said
I, ‘ that is an
old pioneer
trick—that is a touch of the olden time.
You would
remember, if you had been in this country as long as I have, that in early days there never was a more liberalhearted or more open-handed people than the pioneers of California.’
They were free with their own, and
sometimes I must say—truth compels me to say—they were inclined to be a little liberal with the things that belonged to somebody else.
There was a good neigh¬
borly feeling all through the country.
If a man hap¬
pened to be in need of anything he didn’t have in his cabin, he would go over to his next neighbor, and if he saw the article he wanted, he would help himself without ceremony; and if the neighbor was placed in the same position at any subsequent time, he would return the compliment by going over and
helping
himself to anything he wanted; and, as our departed friend Brett used to say, ‘ It was all right.’
Very well.
I understand this is to be a sort of free-and-easy ar¬ rangement—a kind of go-as-you-please concern, as they say in California.
They have departed from the usual
rules adopted on such occasions.
As a general thing,
when we come together for the purpose of celebrating an
anniversary occasion,
some
one
is selected
as
speaker, or ‘orator of the day,’ as they call him, gran¬ diloquently.
He is supposed to prepare an extensive
speech, and dwell at length on such subjects as are proper to talk of on
the
occasion.
But this com-
INTRODUCTION.
35
mittee. true to the instincts of pioneers, have departed from the beaten path and struck out on a new one of their own originating.
So they said: ‘We will call
the pioneers and their friends together, and we will have something like an old-fashioned Methodist class meeting, where the people talk after the minister him¬ self has addressed the audience, where each one in turn is called upon to express their feelings to the brethren that surround them.’
A good many years
ago I used to attend those meetings.
I was more in
the habit of attending church then than I have been in modern days.
I was very much interested in those
meetings, for men who were not supposed to have any of the faculties of an orator, or the ability to make anything like a speech, under the influence of their religious zeal and the feeling that possessed them on those occasions would address the audience and make speeches as eloquent and as logical and convincing as the minister himseif.
I hope some of that sort of
feeling will be infused into our brother pioneers to-day. There are men who cannot make a set speech, yet if you were to be with them sometimes when they are sitting around the stove or fire-place, and hear them spin their yarns—of the old days and the hardships, of the perils and the dangers they encountered, by reason of the savages that inhabited the country with them— you would find it the most interesting talk you could listen to.
If they can’t make any speeches, they can
tell us at least a few of those yarns, as they would talk them over at home, and it would be found as interest¬ ing as a regular set speech, if not more so.
I remem-
INTRODUCTION.
36
ber that a good many years ago, in the section of country where I was born and raised, when I was quite a little boy, there were a few very old people living in the country at
that time—men and women whose
heads were gray, and who were tottering almost on the verge of the grave—people who had left their homes on the Atlantic slope away back in 1765, 1770, and 1775, and had crossed over the mountains, and dared all the dangers of the wilderness, and come over that great and unknown country now designated as the Mississippi Valley.
They were the pioneers of the
country ; and the most interesting period of my life, I think, was when I used to be sitting around one of those broad, hospitable western fire-places, and listen¬ ing to the old people telling the adventures they had met with in early days when they settled the country. We felt admiration, we felt respect for them; we felt sympathy for them by reason of the hardships they had endured in opening up that vast country, and it was for that that we idolized them after they were dead and gone. “ I hope, Mr. President, when we grow old as they grew old, we will be looked up to with the respect that they were, by reason of the fact that we came in¬ to this county at its earliest age.
I don’t know but
that I may consume too much of the time of this audience; I do not like to encroach upon
the time
allotted to others ; but there are certain peculiarities pertaining to the old pioneer settlers of this country which it will, perhaps, be as well to give a brief refer¬ ence to.
I am talking of that wonderful versatility of
INTRODUCTION.
37
genius—I suppose you might call it so—which enabled every man to adapt himself to the emergencies of the occasion in which
he
was placed.
For
instance, a
man did not pretend to confine himself to one par¬ ticular calling, or to his profession, or to his trade. Every one of the first arrivals wanted to go to the mines.
If he succeeded there, very well; but you
know there was not one in a thousand, perhaps, that made a final success of it.
Well, a man
who was a
lawyer by profession, when he came here had got be¬ yond an organized Court, and sometimes beyond an organized government.
There was nothing in
profession for him to do.
his
A physician would come
out, but the country was so healthy that there was no occasion for his services.
If he still remained in
the country, and could not find anything in his line, he would do the next-best thing.
If he could not prac¬
tice the medical profession, if an opportunity afforded he would agree to drive an ox team ; and if a lawyer could not practice law, he would shingles for some one.
make shakes
or
They were always perfectly
willing to take up with anything that would make a living.
I had a pretty strong illustration of this before
I came to the State of California.
When we were on
our way out to this country, coming by the Isthmus, by some means or other we had all been advised in the city of New York, before we sailed from there, not to buy a full ticket all the way through to California. They advised us to buy a ticket to Panama, and when at Panama we could get a ticket to San Francisco cheaper, because the emigrants, a good many of them,
INTRODUCTION.
3«
got disgusted when they reached Panama, and would sell out their ticket, and the rest of it would take us to San Francisco.
There was quite a party
of us
associated, coming to this country together, who went by that advice.
We bought these half-way tickets.
When we got to Panama,
there
was an immense
crowd of people there, but there were very few of them going back.
They were all going to the land of gold.
We were deceived and left—were at the Isthmus a month or more before we started for California.
We
didn’t have a great deal of money left then, and the passage was so high that we found all of us could not go.
We collected together and divided up our little
fund as far as it would go, and we found we had enough to purchase tickets for all except one.
There was one
unfortunate member of the party whom we could not furnish
with a ticket, our money being exhausted.
We were feeling very bad about it.
The steamer was
to start the next morning, and as we shook hands with our friend, our sympathies were aroused in his behalf, but we could not help him. when we parted.
We all
felt very sad
We went to the steamer in those
days in one of those steamer-boats or sail-boats —they were small boats—while the steamer lay some con¬ siderable distance out. aboard.
It was dark before we all got
Pretty soon after getting aboard I retired to
my state-room, and the next morning when I woke up we were on our way, and a good many miles from land.
I got up early and walked out on deck.
It
was just a little after daylight, and who should I see standing on the deck but our friend Jim, whom we
INTRODUCTION.
39
had left at Panama under such adverse circumstances. The way he was walking the deck, the Captain him¬ self didn’t appear half so pompous as our friend Jim. He was pompous enough to be not only the Captain, but the owner of the boat—not only that one, but all the line that ran between San Francisco and Panama. I was surprised, and said: come here ?’ he. he
‘ Hallo, Jim, how did you
‘ I am better off than any of you,’ said
1 How is that ?’ I asked.
‘ I shipped as butcher,’
replied, ‘and will get $100 and my passage.’
I
had happened to be acquainted with that young man from infancy, and all the knowledge he had ever had of butchering was such as he had learned when a boy. He had
taken his pocket-knife and helped the old
man slit the ears of a hog or calf, to put a mark on them.
That is all the knowledge he ever had of the
art or mystery of butchering.
This only shows the
character of our people. “ There was another peculiarity of early days that perhaps it would be as well for me to revert to, and that was that you never could tell much about a man from his external appearance.
In the mines you saw
people every day whose garb was peculiar.
They
looked coarse and rough in external appearance, but you could not tell anything about them from their appearance.
In the States and countries you came
from, in meeting a man you could form some idea as to what manner of man he was.
You could place
some estimate on his intellect, or on his moral charac¬ ter, or social standing; you could form some opinion. But that rule did not apply in California at all.
You
40
INTRODUCTION.
could not begin to tell what a man was from his ap¬ pearance, with his long beard growing way down on his breast, his moustache reaching back to his ears, with
his
patched
red
or
blue
you have heard so have been received tution
shirt, and
with
his
pants
with the traditional self-raising flour sack
in
much
an educated
an
education
the
about.
This man may
gentleman,
and may have
at
country.
the
most
He
may
learned insti¬ have
been
a
man of high social position and of vast intellectual power. this.
But
there
was
nothing
that
indicated
You could not tell what his character or stand¬
ing or ability was. own person.
I had an illustration of that in my
I was going across the mountains very
early in 1852, and a part of my trip was from the good old mining town
of Shasta to
Weaverville.
The
mines had been discovered in Trinity some time be¬ fore that, and new finds
had been recently made;
consequently there was a good deal of emigration up from the Sacramento Valley, around by Shasta and Weaverville.
I had not
city when I got up there.
been very long out of the There were a great many
people traveling this trail—in fact, you could scarcely go half a dozen rods but you would meet someone, or someone would overtake you.
In fact, you could see
someone go over that trail all the time, and meet just as many as you would in passing up or down Third street in your town
to-day.
I had not been a great
while out of the city of San Francisco, and I had not yet shed my city rig.
I had on a plug hat, and I had
on a white shirt, and a very long black coat that came
INTRODUCTION.
down about half-way between
41
my knees and feet.
I was going along the trail, when I was overtaken by a man.
He came along and looked at me—looked
up at the hat and at the white shirt collar, that seemed to attract his attention next. me out.
Still, he could not make
I was evidently a puzzle to him.
Finally
he looked down and saw the long-tailed coat, and at once I saw a gleam of intelligence in
his eye.
He
thought he had spotted
me.
you going, my friend ?’
‘ I am going over here to
Weaverville,’
I
replied.
He said: ‘ Where are
He looked
said he,‘you are going over the boys, aren’t you ?’ out for the boys ? stand the
there
again.
Said I: ‘ Going over to open
Explain yourself.
I don’t under¬
meaning of your expression.’
gave me a kind
‘ Oh,’
to open out for
Well, he
of quizzical look, and putting his
hands this way (illustrating) said: boys a little game?’
Said
I:
‘ Going to give the
‘Oh
no, my friend,
you are very much mistaken; that is not my business at all.’
He looked at me, and
then at the hat, and
then at the white shirt collar; and then he took along look at that long-tailed black coat, and said: ‘ I take it back, and I beg your pardon, my friend; I presume you are a minister of the gospel?’
I said: ‘Wrong
again; just as badly mistaken in the last guess as you were in dressed
the
first.’
The fact
was, everybody was
as I have described; and, as
learned, there
were only two
I afterwards
professions that wore
plug hats and white shirts and long-tailed black coats at that time.
That is where
he
made the mistake;
and ladies and gentlemen I believe I have not worn a
INTRODUCTION.
42
plug hat or a long-tailed black coat from that day to this, because I was sailing under false colors, and I do not like to sail under false colors at all.
Great good¬
ness ! Here I have been talking all this and there sits that reporter.
foolishness,
That lets me out.
“ While I have been talking to you here, I have been trying to think of
some very pretty poetry that I
thought I would wind up on.
Sometimes when they
make a regular set speech, they take delight in winding up with a grand flourish of poetry.
That reminds me
that in my quarter of the country I once knew an old man.
He was a very wicked old man—a pretty hard
case.
He told this anecdote about himself:
He was
traveling one time, and was crossing a bridge—a nar¬ row bridge and a rather risky sort of a concern—and all at once he
heard a kind of a crash, and looking
ahead of him he saw that the supports, or props, of the bridge were giving way.
There was a tremendous
swollen winter torrent running a great many feet be¬ neath him, and he began to think his final day had come.
He said he thought he had been a very wicked
man, and it was time for him to pray if
he ever ex¬
pected to pray, but he said there was the trouble.
He
never had been a praying man, and he could not for the life of him think of there came
a suitable prayer.
into his mind
At last
a little prayer his mother
had learned him when he was a little boy at her knee. It began, ‘ Now
I
lay me down to sleep,’
and he
said: ‘ I didn’t think it was appropriate for the occa¬ sion, and so I didn’t say it.’
And so I don’t think my
poetry is appropriate for the occasion.
So I leave it
INTRODUCTION.
43
to those that follow me to give you a little poetry, if they think it necessary to do so.
Mr.
Chairman, I
have addressed the audience in a rambling, rollicking spirit, and perhaps have taken up more time than should. a good
I
Some of us have been living in this county many years—over thirty years.
There
are
men and women in this audience who were born and who have children that were born years after some of us came to this coast. is passing swiftly.
This admonishes us that time
As we grow old the days and the
months and the years seem to be shorter.
The sun¬
shine in the morning does not seem so bright to our eyes as it was thirty years ago and more when we came to the country.
The dew does not form such beauti¬
ful sparkling diamonds on the grass in the early morn¬ ing as it did then.
Age is beginning to tell on a good
many of the pioneers, and a great many of them have gone.
We have passed the meridian
of
life.
We
have got to the top of the divide between birth and death, and as we go down on the other side we seem to move with accelerated speed.
And it will not be a
great while until we shall reach the narrow pit at the bottom of the hill.
We hope and
believe that we
have done our part in the opening and settling of this country; and as has been remarked
by the eloquent
gentleman who addressed you previously to myself, it is to be hoped that the men who will take our places will fulfill the duties of life in a manner honorable to themselves and that will bring honor to our memories.” The last address of the day was delivered by E. H. Howard, and was in the following words :
INTRODUCTION.
44
“ Mr.
President, Ladies and Gentlemen
:--
“ The first settlement in a country always marks an important era in its history.
Our New England fore¬
fathers were pilgrims of persecution from their homes, and pioneers to that inhospitable shore, who sought more elbow room, so to speak, for their consciences, and to have the enjoyment of their religion, with none to molest or to make afraid.
On account of some sup¬
posed flavor of sanctity in their character they were called Puritans.
On the other hand, the forefathers of
the Pacific—for it does not take long to become fore¬ fathers here—came in quest of more elbow-room for the pursuit of w’ealth, and so have come to be known as the Argonauts.
Somehow, pioneers, in their history
as in their lives, have always had a pretty hard time of it, and been exposed to the charge of doing some very hard and wicked things.
Our Puritan ancestors, no
doubt, wrestled stoutly for the blessing of Heaven and each other’s spiritual welfare, and made vigorous use of the means at hand for the converting of the natives. But when they failed to fetch the red man to his knees by preaching and praying, the persuasive method of powder and ball was a most effectual one in completing his conversion on the battle-field.
We read that they
converted heretic Quakers and Baptists into exile from their communities, and witches, fastened to the stake, and fenced in with blazing fagots, they converted in¬ to innocent ashes.
As between the Argonauts and
Puritans, I don’t know but that in many respects the Argonauts have the best of it. never charged anyone with
Surely the Argonauts witchcraft; neither did
INTRODUCTION.
45
they persecute in the name of the Lord, nor in any other name, any man or woman for religion’s sake And now come the home missionaries.
I defy you to
name a spot on the face of the globe where there is so large an organization as in California for the conver¬ sion of the ‘ Heathen Chinee’—back to his native country.
As members of this organization we have as¬
sumed the name of Pioneers, and in a certain sense we are, but it must be conceded that we are not the pioneers of discovery on this coast, but pioneers only as to its settlement.
It must be conceded that other
men before us were the pioneers of discovery on this western shore.
It was Spain who, with her daring
warriors, first penetrated this continent.
It was her
expeditionary bands, led by such adventurers as Cor¬ tez and Pizarro, who swept with fire and sword from the domain of Montezuma and the Incas a higher civil¬ ization than they brought.
They ravaged the country
from ocean to ocean, and wherever in the annals of Spanish discovery we trace her career in
the New
World, we find that civilization has ever halted on the heels of her conquests.
There is one fact that I think
it would be well to call your attention to, that it was just fifty years after the discovery of this continent, and about thirty years after Balboa, standing upon the heights of Darien, gazed upon a western sea flashing at his feet, that the first discovery on the coast line of this State was that lying within the boundary of our own county, and now known as Cape Mendocino, one of the boldest headlands of this coast, and one of the most westerly settlements
of the
English-speaking
INTRODUCTION.
46
people.
This was in 1542.
Not until
1769,
when
the Jesuit fathers planted the first mission within the present borders of this State, had any attempt at set¬ tlement been made.
For one hundred and fifty years
preceding that event no ray of civilization had ever penetrated this solitary domain.
No human footstep
save that of the savage had ever trod the dim paths of its mountain recesses and forests, nor had any sound of civilized life from fireside, field or temple found an echo in its unvisited depths.
Seemingly, it was a land
that had passed out of the remembrance of mep.
It
was a domain abandoned to the savages, with its un¬ told treasures waiting for the coming race, for the Ar¬ gonauts of ’49 and ’50, to break the seal under which they had lain for ages. “ And here we stand—we can go no further.
Prac¬
tically, the advice that Greeley gave, ‘Go West,young man,’ here has found its limitation, where Nature has set her mountain buttresses against the sea, and erected her eternal monuments to our territorial empire on the West.
Any further advance must be
with the
ocean under our feet and our nearest continental neigh¬ bors eight thousand miles
away.
Looking at the
subject in a more general light, we must acknowledge that the
plucky and
energetic Anglo-American,
in
settlement and civilization, has eclipsed every other people in the‘ elevation of his race and the grandeur of his territorial possessions.
No matter what has been
his motive, whether of gain
or adventure,
he has
always contrived to hold the ground on which he has set up his door posts and planted his household gods.
INTRODUCTION.
47
No returning wave of population has given signal of retreat or surrender.
He loves his country for itself--
he loves it all the more for the vastness of its virgin solitudes.
They present new fields
whereon to im¬
press the stalwart heroism and virtues of individual character, where, as the founder of new communities, he can
contemplate from
his primitive cabin
the
multiplied homes and industries that owe their begin¬ ning to the experiences in which he has borne a part The American
reverses
the rule of the Roman as
given us by Sevilla—he conquers where he inhabits, not in the sense implied by the historian, by the force of his arms, but by the force of his civilization.
The
settlement of the country has ever led him foremost, even to its remotest corners, and, although at times our territorial rights have been doubtful, he never felt a want of confidence in his mission Even as to the country here to the Washington Territory and occupied or
held
as a pioneer. north of
Oregon—when
by a treaty of
us--
it was
joint occupation
with Great Britain, in discussing the
abrogation of
that treaty, John Quincy Adams, on the floor of Con¬ gress, declared that we need have no fear as to whose possession it would ultimately fall;
that ‘ any people
who would cross a continent of three thousand miles, dragging make
their prairie-schooners
that
far land
in their chambers.’ than fulfilled.
with
ox-teams,
to
their home, would
conquer it
The prophecy has
been more
From the rock of the Pilgrims to our
lines on the Pacific no barriers of distance or danger have kept him back or held him in pause.
He has a
INTRODUCTION.
48
warrant for his possessions in that primal command which bade our first parents go forth and cultivate the earth.
In the olden time armies were accustomed to
be in the van of settlement and colonization, but on this continent, so far as our country is concerned, the settler has soldier.
always
been
a long way ahead
of the
It is by institutions molded to protect the
natural rights of
man, and at the same time preserve
the peaceful policy of an enlightened civilization, that he has built up new commonwealths, and compelled the agencies of intelligence and matter to yield their tribute to his prosperity.
He has sounded the desert,
and waters have burst from its surface to bless it with fertility for the
husbandman.
He has smitten the
rock and mountain, and out of their bosom have come glittering ingots to reward the toil of the miner. short, the triumphs of the pioneers
have
In
not been
lighted up by the firebrands of war, but throughout the steady march of the century, as now, the schoolhouse, the pulpit and the press have illuminated his pathway and achieved his proudest victories.”
As a matter of interest, worthy of preservation, a list of pioneer members of the Pioneer Society, pre¬ pared on the date of the reorganization, May 12th, 1881, is given below. Averell D. D. Allard Richard. Brizard Alex....
* pi--,. m,Date of arrival in Date of arrival in Place of Nativity. California. Humboldt County. Maine.December, 1849.June, 1850. .New Hampshire_February, 1853.December, 1853. .France.September, 1849_August, 1850.'..
INTRODUCTION.
49
Date of arrival in Date of arrival in California. Humboldt County. Brown J. H. . .Illinois. . . August, 1850. . .January, 1851.. .. Bull J. C., Sr. .. Massachusetts. ..November, 1850.. ..May, 1854. Bull J. C., Jr. Buhne H. H. .. Denmark. ..June, 1849. ..April, 1850. 1849.. .. “ “. Brett R. W. .. England. .. December, 1849,. . .July, 1851. Barnum G. N .... . .New York. .. April, 1854. ..April, 1854. Brown T. M. . .Tennessee. ..October, 1849_ ..March, 1850. Cullberg I. .. Sweden. . .November, 1853.. ..November, 1853. Clark Jonathan.. .. Indiana. .. November, 1849.. ..June, 1850. Comstock H. S... .. Pennsylvania. ..April, 1853. ..November, 1854. . .July, 1857. . .July, 1857. Daniels H. S. ..New Hampshire.. ..February, 1853... ..April, 1853. Deming Byron.... . .Vermont. ..July, 1850. ..March, 1851. Dart H. J. .. Connecticut. . .May, 1850. DeHaven J. J... .. Missouri. ..August, 1849. ..June, 1853. DuffF. S. . .July, 1849. Dungan J. H. .. Kentucky. ..February, 1852... ..February, 1853.. EspieW. C. ..October, 1849_ ..November, 1852. Fay Geo. M. . .Connecticut. ..August, 1852. ..October, 1852... Fay Nahum. ..November, 1852.. ..April, 1853. FossT. H. .. Maine. ..April, 1850. .. August, 1852.... FalorM. J. .. Ohio. ..August, 1850. . .September, 1851. Gastman Henry... 1854. Gardner C. J. ..April, 1850. Graham Geo. . -July, 1852. Graham Thos. R.. .. Mississippi. ..December, 1853.. ..December, 1853. Gannon James.... .. Ireland. ..August, 1854. ..October, 1854... Hale Edward. ..December, 1849.. . .March, 1852. Hansen John. . .July, 1849. . .September, 1853. Hanna James. .. Pennsylvania. ..May, 1850. ..February, 1854.. Hanna Wm. P.... “ . ... ..September, 1856.. ..October, 1857... Hasty Cyrus L.... ■June, 1852. Howard E. H.... ..New York. ..April, 1850. Huestis A. J. .. October, 1849HuestisW. F.... “ “ _ Jackson Chas. .. Maine. ..May, 1854. ..June, 1854...*.. Jansen Otto E.... .. Denmark. Jones D. R. Kelsey D. B. ..March, 1853_ Keleher John. Kimball J. H. .. Massachusetts .... ..March, 1850. .. March, 1853_ Kingston Henry..... Pennsylvania. • July, 1853. Place of Nativity.
50
INTRODUCTION.
■aiafaa.
Place of Nativity. Da^r,in LeMinn J. J. B.... .New Brunswick... •May, 1850. ..March, 1853.... Lowell David B.... .Maine. ..November, 1851.. ..January, 1852... ..October, 1846.... . .August, 1850.... Long Chas. W. .New Brunswick... ..August, 1850. . .September, 1850. Long W. S. . Pennsylvania. .. October, 1854.... ..October, 1854... Lucus Moses. . Massachusetts. . .July, 1849. ..July, 1850. McKenna W. J.... . Australia. ..August, 1849. . .January, 1853... “ “ ... McKenna James... . California. . Munson Daniel.... . Maine. ..May, 1852. ..May, 1853. Murray J. S. . Scotland. ..August, 1849. ..December, 1850 May, 1851. Murray J. S., Jr ... .Great Britain._ .. “ “ Monroe Alonzo.... . Connecticut. . .February, 1850. .. ••June, 1852. Marble A. P. .New York. ..November, 1852.. ..February, 1853.. Minor Isaac. . Pennsylvania. . .March, 1852. .. December, 1853. Morrison Donald.. .New Brunswick.. 1849.. ..June, 1850. Osgood B. F. .Massachusetts_ . .January, 1850 .. .. ..October, 1852... “ 1852 .... • August, Pardee A. L.. .New York. .. “ ... Peuter P. F. . Ireland. ..April, 1854. 1855 '1850.. 1853 Pollard B. H. C.. .. Kentucky. .. ‘ ' Patrick Marshall.....Illinois. 1852.. 1853 Ricks C. S. ..Indiana. ..August, 1849. • July, 1850 . Richardson Chas.. .. Maine. ..November, 1853.. ..November, 1853. Russ Joseph. .. “ . • 1852. Robinson W. S... .. Virginia. 1852 Rohner Henry.... .. Switzerland. 1851 1849-• Sevier A. D. .. Indiana. ..September, 1850.. ..March, 1851_ Southmayde J. L. ..New Hampshire.. . .March, 1853. • July, 1853. Schmidt J. C. . .Wurtemburg. . .November, 1850.. 1850 Smiley J. C. .. Maine. ..January, 1853. Stokes B. M. .. Virginia. 1854 Stokes J. P. .. Missouri. 1854 1854-. Sweasey Richard.. .. Indiana. ..August, 1850. Spear A. C. . .New York. ..July, 1852. Showers J. 0. ..New York.. ..February, 1851.. Scott H. P. .. Germany... .July, 1849. Tilley Geo. H.... .. Rhode Island_...September, 1849.....May, 1850. Xydd Peter. .. Ireland. ..February, 1853.. Vance John. 1852.. Walsh Thomas... .. Ireland.....February, 1851... Whaley J. A. . .New York. ••June, 1850. West W. A. .. Connecticut. 1849. 1851 Waite B. L. .. .September, 1850. ...March, 1851_ Warren Jno. P... .. Ohio. ..September, 1854.
“
INTRODUCTION.
Place of Nativity. Wiggins Chase. Wyman J. E... Wiley Reason .. Wiley Austin... Windier Louis.. Wood Gabriel. Watson Jno. A. Young Jno. T..
Date of arrival in California.
.Massachusetts.May, 1850. .Illinois.October, 1849.. “ . “ 1852. .Germany. 1851. .Prussia.September, 1851 .New Hampshire. . . .October, 1851... .Connecticut. “ 1849 ..
51 Date of arrival in Humboldt County. 1852. .May, 1851. • December, 1852. .October, 1853... 1852... .March, 1853_ . February,r 1852.. .May, 1850.
Note.—The above list does not include the de¬ scendants of Pioneers, nor does it include any who arrived in Humboldt county after the year 1857, nor does it include those who have joined the Society since its reorganization in 1881.
The life history of each of the pioneers, if elaborated with the detail of actual experience, would of itself be intensely interesting. It is not the purpose of this work to do more than sketch, very briefly, some out¬ lines of a few individual careers in Humboldt county. One of the most enterprising settlers of pioneer days is Joseph Russ. A native of Maine, born in 1825, he had reached his majority when the California gold ex¬ citement occurred. He had already engaged in vari¬ ous business enterprises in Maine and Massachusetts, and when the exodus of gold-hunters commenced from the former State he was prepared to go, not with empty hands, but with material for a good start in the world. He purchased in Maine the framework of a large business house, and also a lot of flour, sailing
INTRODUCTION.
52
with his goods on the bark Midas for the voyage around Cape Horn.
The voyage around the
Horn
was made without difficulty or accident in five months, the vessel arriving at San Francisco on the 15‘th of March, 1850. For two years Mr. Russ experienced the ups
and downs of California life, engaging in min¬
ing, merchandising, cattle-driving, and various other enterprises. of cattle
In the fall of 1852 he purchased a band
and
started for Humboldt county,
across the mountains to Eel
River Valley.
going While
there he made many trips through the surrounding country, and he and a party of friends went into win¬ ter quarters on the site of the present town of Ferndale.
In the spring of 1853 Mr. Russ associated him¬
self with Berry
Adams and took a large drove of
cattle into Humboldt from the
Sacramento Valley.
Since that time he has been in business continuously, uniformly successful, and he is now ranked as a mil¬ lionaire. His worldly possessions embrace many thou¬ sand acres of land, including twenty-one dairy ranches upon which 2,000
cows are milked, and he is also
the owner of valuable real estate used for other pur¬ poses.
Being a millionaire, and having raised himself
from comparative poverty to great wealth without the aid of such advantages as early education and culture may give, it is natural that Mr. Russ should enjoy the confidence of the people, particularly as he is noted for the generosity of his disposition and the honesty of his business transactions.
In 1873 he was elected
to represent Humboldt county in the State Legisla¬ ture, and in 1875 he was nominated by acclamation as
INTRODUCTION.
the Republican candidate for the State Senate.
53 At
the election he was defeated, his opponent, Judge McGarvey, receiving a small majority. In 1880 Mr. Russ was one of the delegates from California to the Re¬ publican Convention at Chicago, and in 1884 he was again called to active political life by election to the State Legislature.
In all the walks of life he has been
a good illustration of the class known in America as “ self-made men,” and none of the pioneers of Cali¬ fornia have contributed more liberally to the welfare and prosperity of the Commonwealth, and especially have the relations between himself and the hundreds of men in his employ been cordial, friendly, and mutu¬ ally advantageous. I trust the indulgent reader will pardon me if I cite the name of H. H. Buhne as that of my ideal of a typical pioneer, nor is it with any desire to flatter Mr. Buhne that I thus segregate and distinguish him from the mass of his early companions. Yet his life has been so remarkable, so full of adventurous enterprises, and is being crowned with such exuberant measure of success in his declining years—a success that has not chilled his heart, nor turned him against those upon whom for¬ tune has not smiled—that it would be strange indeed if one who knew him well should withhold for mere pru¬ dential reasons the just meed of honor which is due him. Mr. Buhne was born in Denmark, in 1822. Coming from a seafaring race, and of a seafaring family, his youth was passed on the ocean.
After several years’ service
as cabin boy and before the mast he entered a school of navigation in June, 1845, and in October of the
INTRODUCTION.
54
same year received a certificate of competency as a seaman.
Then followed a*year of roving in foreign
waters : including a cruise in a whaling ship, as First Officer, to the South Seas; a shipwreck on one of the Cape Verde Islands; a voyage in a small
schooner
from the scene of the wreck to Salt Island, one of the Cape Verde group; another voyage in a Bremen bark to Rio Janeiro; and a trip before the mast from there to Hamburg, from whence he returned to his home. In July, 1846, the restless sailor shipped as Third Of¬ ficer in the whaling ship Clementine, for the Arctic Ocean.
After a long cruise in the Arctic, the Clem¬
entine entered the bay of San Francisco, in the month of November, 1847.
From that time
until the dis¬
covery and settlement of Humboldt Buhne’s life was a succession of active enterprises on sea and land. While the Clementine was swinging at anchor in the harbor of San Francisco her and went to Sonoma.
the ship’s- doctor deserted Buhne and a boat’s crew
were detailed to pursue the deserter and bring him back.
After a chase of two days through the adjacent
country the pursuers returned to Sonoma without the fugitive.
At Sonoma the boat’s crew deserted, and
Buhne and the constable who accompanied him were compelled to go back to the ship minus the doctor and minus the sailors who had manned their boat.
After
three weeks spent at San Francisco the Clementine sailed for Magdalena Bay on another whaling voyage, and in March, 1848, the vessel went to the Sandwich Islands.
Here Buhne left her, reshipping as Second
Officer on the Dutch ship Zudipole, which sailed on a
INTRODUCTION.
whaling voyage in April.
55
When the whaling season
was ended the Zudipole sailed for the Navigator Is¬ lands, arriving there in December, 1848.
It was here
that the news of the discovery of gold in California reached the crew of the vessel.
Sailing to a port on
the coast of Chili, the cargo of the ship, oil and whale¬ bone, was sent to Amsterdam, and then negotiations were opened for carrying passengers and freight to San Francisco.
Here Mr. Buhne was also promoted
to the position of first officer of the ship.
In June,
1849, the Zudipole arrived at San Francisco with 150 passengers.
Buhne and some of his companions left
the ship and went to the mines.
Accustomed to the
sea all his life long, as he had been, Buhne could not thrive, physically or financially, away from the breath of the salt sea breeze, and after a month passed in the mining camps near Auburn he was seized with a vio¬ lent sickness which continued for two weeks.
When
he was well enough to move about he went to Au¬ burn, and stayed with a friend until he could secure a conveyance to Sacramento, from whence he went down the river to San Francisco.
There he found a board¬
ing house, kept by two of his old shipmates, and re¬ mained with them during his illness and slow recovery. Five or six months of hardship and sickness had not been sufficient to crush his stout spirit, but had given him a renewed liking for the sea; and it was not long before he again trod the deck
of a ship, this time
as Second Officer of the Laura Virginia.
The cruise
of the vessel, and Mr. Buhne’s participation in the dis¬ coveries made by her crew, are detailed in the second
INTRODUCTION.
>6
chapter of this book.
The vicissitudes of fortune are
exemplified in the adventures that befell Buhne after the discoveryof Humboldt Bay. In May, 1850, he was badly wounded by an arrow from an Indian bow. One of his business adventures was the piloting of vessels in and out of the bay.
This business he followed un¬
til he had accumulated several hundred dollars in cash. He then went
to San
Francisco
and
purchased a
stock of groceries, loading on the schooner Caroline for Humboldt Bay. goods lost.
The vessel was wrecked and the
Sick and penniless, Buhne reached San
Francisco, where he met the master of the brig New¬ castle, who invited him on board that vessel until his health was recovered. In a short time he shipped in a small schooner, as Mate, for Humboldt Bay.
In 1851
he went to Trinity River, working in the mines at Big Bar and Cox’s Bar.
He was not successful, and soon
returned to Humboldt Bay, where he took command of the brig Colorado.
Soon after assuming command
of the ship the master of the Holmes requested help in getting his vessel to sea.
Buhne yielded to a re¬
quest for his services, and was on board when the ves¬ sel was cast into the breakers on the South Spit. The masts were cut away, and the vessel lay in a perilous position during the whole of one night, the crew being unable to leave her.
On the following day an attempt
was made to launch a boat.
In lowering the boat into
the water the bows were stove, and Buhne and one of the crew jumped into the boat to bail the water out. The boat capsized and 'Buhne
and
his
companion
clung to the bottom until they were washed off by the
INTRODUCTION.
57
breakers. The boat was regained, and again they were washed off, this being repeated several times.
Finally
his companion was washed away by the waves, and Buhne was left alone
on
the bottom of the boat.
Drifting around for many hours, the boat was washed ashore, and when Buhne, who was unconscious and insensible, recovered high and dry.
Too
his senses, he was weak to
in the boat
walk, he crawled
up
among the sand-dunes, and, completely exhausted, went to sleep.
Indians awakened him, and he asked
their assistance in getting back to Humboldt Point. At first they could not be persuaded to assist him, but after a pow-wow among themselves they motioned for him to get up and follow them ; and when they saw his inability to walk, they carried and dragged him along the sand-spit to a point half the distance across.
Here the Indians left him for a few minutes,
when two sailors from the wreck, who were searching for his body, stumbled upon him.
The sailors carried
him to the bay and rowed across to Humboldt Point. It had been supposed by the people there that he was drowned, and flags on the shipping in the harbor were at half-mast when the two sailors arrived with him. When Buhne recovered from the exhaustion and ner¬ vous strain occasioned by his last perilous experience, he abandoned the command of the Colorado, and con¬ tracted with the business men on the bay to act as pi¬ lot for the
harbor.
His first piloting was done in a
small boat, with which he crossed and recrossed the bar, always attended by more or less danger.
As the
commerce and industry of the port increased, it be-
INTRODUCTION.
58
came necessary to provide better facilities, and steamtugs were brought to the bay, Captain Buhne taking command of the first to arrive.
From that time forth
his fortunes prospered. Wealth is now his, and health, and a happy home, and for many years to come, in the ordinary course of life, should he be the most con¬ spicuous example among the Pioneers of name and fortune won by hard endeavor and honest toil. Of the Laura Virginia Association, and one of its original projectors, was Elias H. Howard* a pioneer who yet lives in the community he helped to found. He was born in New York, in 1818.
He removed to
the West in 1844, and to California in 1849, arriving at San Francisco in December of that year.
At San
Francisco he engaged in the practice of law, his part¬ nerbeing Stephen J. Field, at present on the Supreme Court Bench.
The firm did not hold together long,
both partners being attracted away by the prevailing gold excitement,
it was in
March, 1850, that Mr.
Howard cast his fortunes with the Laura Virginia As¬ sociation and joined the expedition that was destined to work out such momentous results.
From the dis¬
covery of the Bay by sea until the present time How¬ ard has been active in political life.
At a meeting of
the Laura Virginia Association, held on the shores of the unexplored and mysterious bay, he was elected Alcalde, and in nearly two years later, in 1852, he was elected Public Administrator for the County of Trini¬ ty, which then included the present territory of Hum¬ boldt.
In
1856-57
he
was
District
Attorney of
INTRODUCTION.
59
Humboldt county, and in 1858-59 was County Su¬ perintendent of Schools.
A Republican in politics, he
was for several years Chairman of the County Com¬ mittee.
Later, the city of Eureka having assumed
the duties
and
responsibilities
of a metropolis,
he
served as Police Judge, and at the present time is a Justice of the Peace for the Township. John Vance, a pioneer mill-owner and successful business man, is a native of
Nova Scotia,
born
in
1821, who located first in the United States at Roxbury, Massachusetts.
In July, 1849, he arrived at San
Francisco, and in the summer of 1852 located at Eu¬ reka.
His subsequent career has been that of a man
strong in his own judgment and completely self-reli¬ ant.
By mere force of will-power he has conquered
and overcome
obstacles that
would have
defeated
many other men; and the results of his energy and pluck are visible in mills, railroads, hotels, ships and stores.
He built the
first railroad
in
Humboldt
County, and his lumber was the first product of the mills to appear in foreign markets.
In all the com¬
mercial interests of the county of special importance his name has figured prominently. Isaac Minor is another of the Pioneers who is ac¬ tively engaged in the manufacture of the staple com¬ mercial article of the county, lumber, and who expe¬ rienced all the hardships of frontier life on the North¬ west coast.
A native of Pennsylvania, he
left that
State for California in 1852, arriving in Humboldt
6o
INTRODUCTION.
county in December, 1853.
For a number of years
he engaged in the business of packing to the mines, afterwards settling on a stock ranch, where he remain¬ ed until the Indians destroyed the property whose ac¬ cumulation had required the work of years.
Thence
removing to a farm near Union, he was successful in agricultural pursuits, and from 1875 time
to the present
he has been equally successful in the lumber
business. In the summer of 1850 a merchandising firm opened business in Ricks.
Eureka under the
name of Crozier &
One of the partners, C. S. Ricks, has been
and is so intimately connected with the commercial and industrial history of the place that to pass him by with casual notice would be obviously improper. The firm of Crozier & Ricks exhibited unbounded confidence in the place, acquiring, as a business spec¬ ulation, an undivided one-half interest in the original town site of Eureka.
Mr. Ricks soon afterwards pur¬
chased the interest of his partner therein, and by lib¬ erality and enterprise he induced settlement and in¬ vestment in Eureka.
For a third of a century he has
given his time and ability to the improvement of the city and the advancement of his own business inter¬ ests.
Blocks of fire-proof stores, dozens of tenement
houses, a large livery stable, and one of the most com¬ plete water-works in the State, have grown up under his business management.
Honored, as many of the
pioneer residents have been, with the political choice of the people, he represented Humboldt two terms in
6l
INTRODUCTION.
the State Legislature, and in 1861 he was appointed to fill a vacancy as District Attorney, which office he held for one term. The oldest member of the Humboldt legal
frater¬
nity, and, barring the infirmities of age, one of the brightest minds of all the bright men of the Pacific Coast, another of the Pioneers. James Hanna, deserves the feeble tribute of the pen. in
He was born in 1806,
Philadelphia, or, more properly speaking, in the
District of Southwark, then some distance from the corporate limits of the city itself, but now a part of it. His early life was full of stirring political scenes, and had he remained in Pennsylvania till the slavery agi¬ tation reached its climax, he would undoubtedly have attained a high rank among the advocates of freedom. He received such general education
as the
private
schools of his time afforded, and in 1820 a position was obtained for him as clerk in a large mercantile house in Philadelphia.
He remained there six years,
during that time making two voyages to the West In¬ dies as supercargo.
In 1826 he engaged for the first
time in politics, making stump speeches in behalf of the Whig party.
He commenced the study of law in
1829, being admitted to the Philadelphia bar in 1832. In the same year, 1832, he was elected by the Whigs to represent his county in the Pennsylvania Legislature. One year later he was the Whig candidate for the State Senate, and was defeated.
Again, in
1835, he
was nominated for the Senate by the Whigs and re¬ ceived a certificate of election.
He was admitted to a
62
INTRODUCTION.
seat in the Senate chamber, but was ousted from the office by his opponent, who contested the election and won his case.
Until 1850, Hanna’s life was thencefor¬
ward not particularly eventful.
Then he left Philadel¬
phia and went to San Francisco, and in 1854 arrived at Eureka.
During the subsequent period to the present,
he has been noted as a lawyer of exceptional ability, an orator of eminent merit and power, brilliant with the flashings of a strong and cultured intellect, a citi¬ zen of admirable reputation for honor and integrity. In politics he is a Republican, having willingly assum¬ ed relationship with that party when the Whigs ceased to exist as an independent organization.
He served
one term as District Attorney of Humboldt county. Of late years he has persistently refused to accept nomination for official position.
His abilicy, his in¬
tegrity, his wealth of years and learning, have created for him a niche in public estimation which will be hard to fill when he is gone. Arriving at Humboldt Bay in August, 1850, and lo¬ cating at Union, A. Brizard was one of the early pio¬ neers. He was a native of France, born in Bordeaux in 1839.
A boy in years when he came to Humboldt
county, he was a man in experience before the perma¬ nent settlement of the county had been assured against the obstructing presence of Indians and the absence of organized government.
The severe winter of
1852-
’53 he spent in the Trinity River mines, and from that time till the year 1858 his life was full of the peculiar hardships of early settlement.
In 1858 he engaged in
63
INTRODUCTION.
mercantile business at Union, where he has since re¬ sided. A man who is known to everybody in the three Northwest counties of California, T. W. Brown, pres¬ ent Sheriff of Humboldt, is a good specimen of
the
vigorous and well-preserved pioneer. His life has been a most eventful one, and if all the stories of pioneer days that fall from his lips were gathered in a book, it would be a
very interesting, though possibly some¬
what profane, volume.
He is, as I have said, a good
specimen of the vigorous and well-preserved pioneer. To a native energy of character is added the self-reli¬ ance which a life-time on the border is apt to give a man.
It is
not surprising that for an exceptionally
long period he has been
exceptionally successful
in
his career as a public man and politician. Fora longer period than
any other man in the State of California
he has held the office of Sheriff. in
1829,
Born in the West,
he saw much of the pioneer life
border States and Territories, and when, in
of
the
1849, he
crossed the plains to California, it was not with inex¬ perienced feet that he penetrated the wild mountains of the Northern coast.
He was soon familiar
with
the vast territory which now comprises the counties of Shasta,
Trinity, Del
thirteen years he was
Norte and Humboldt, and for Sheriff
of
Klamath
county.
Since his removal to Humboldt county he has been Sheriff over eight years, aggregating a term of over twenty years’ active service in office.
that important public
INTRODUCTION.
64
In September, 1850, Charles
W. Long arrived at
Humboldt Bay, and ever since he has been identified prominently with the growth of the country.
Like
nearly all of the pioneers, his business pursuits have been various and attended with diversified success or failure. . But whether failure or success attended his lumbering, farming or merchandising enterprises, his name and means were always connected in some way with the settlement and the development of the country. Henry Rohner is another of the Pioneers who ex¬ perienced a full share of pioneer hardships, and has attained a success in life commensurate with his ex¬ perience. 1852
When he settled in
and
Humboldt county in
located a farm in Eel River Valley the
country was as truly a wilderness as were the barren plains he had crossed between the Missouri and Pacific.
the
His farming operations were repeatedly sus¬
pended or interrupted until 1862, when his permanent career as a farmer and business man was commenced. He has the honor of being the acknowledged founder of the town of Rohnerville, where he built the first store and
engaged
in merchandising during several
years ; and occupying a portion of the farm where he tilled the soil by day and stood guard over his family by night, twenty-two years ago, is the flourishing vil¬ lage of
Springville,
where his present comfortable
home is situated. Isaac Cullberg, a native of Sweden, a resident of Union, located there in 1853, engaging in farming for
INTRODUCTION.
65
the first three years, and then in the merchandising business.
His business interests have been interwoven
with the progress of the county and his public-spirited enterprise has contributed much to the development of its resources.
He recently retired from business
with a comfortable competency and a beautiful home, to pass the remainder of his days in a quiet and repose unknown to his earlier years. A. Wiley,
a pioneer of ’53, is one of the oldest
newspaper publishers in California.
In 1855 he was
engaged in publishing the Humboldt Times, which had been founded by Dr. Coleman a year before, Walter Van Dyke being a partner in the enterprise with him. In the political history of the county, as well as in the journalistic field, Mr. Wiley’s name has figured with some prominence.
He was elected to the Legislature
from Humboldt county in 1863, and was made Chair¬ man of the Committee on Indian Affairs.
In April,
1864, he received appointment as Superintendent of Indian
Affairs for California.
Resuming the news¬
paper business in 1865, he purchased an interest in the San Francisco Call, which he held for about a year, when he sold out and returned to Humboldt county. For a number of years he was engaged in farming and various business pursuits, until in 1880 he took charge of the Areata Leader, a weekly paper then published at theoldtownof Union. Hepublishedthatpaperoneyear, when, in partnership
with W. L.
Heney, he estab¬
lished the Telephone at Eureka, which was afterwards merged in the Times, and is now published by Wiley & Heney as the Times-Telephone. 5
66
INTRODUCTION.
John P. Haynes, who has filled a large place in the history of Northern California, came to the State in the spring of ’52.
He was born in Kentucky in 1826 ;
joined a Volunteer Company and served through the Mexican war; studied law at the University of Louis¬ ville and graduated
in
1851.
His first permanent
location in California was in Klamath county, where he mined during the summer of ’52, and in the Fall was elected to the office of District Attorney.
In 1853
he removed to Crescent City, and was reelected Dis¬ trict Attorney, and again, upon the organization of Del Norte county, he served a third term in the same capacity.
In 1858 he was a candidate for District
Judge, his opponent, Wm. R. Turner, defeating him by a majority of two votes.
A year later he was
elected Senator from the 12th District, which com¬ prised the counties of Del Norte, Klamath and Siski¬ you.
Nine years afterwards, in 1868, he was appointed
by Governor Haight Judge of the 8th District, com¬ posed of the counties of Del Norte, Klamath and Hum¬ boldt, the incumbent having resigned the office.
He
was elected by the people to the same office in 1869, and was reelected in 1875. He removed from Crescent City to Eureka in 1869, and when the office of District Judge was abolished by the adoption of the New Con¬ stitution, he was elected Superior Judge of the county of Humboldt,
continuing in that office until in the
election of 1884 he was defeated at the polls by J. J. DeHaven.
In
politics a Democrat, Judge
has been consistent, a thing that cannot
Haynes
be said of
some of his political colleagues of early days.
In all
INTRODUCTION.
67
his private and public life he has been known and recognized as a thoroughly conscientious and honor¬ able man, and when the fortunes of politics removed him from his judicial seat he took with him into pri¬ vate life the good will and best wishes of the people, of whatever political complexion and belief.
An honored
Pioneer, his name will deserve a prominent place in the records of the Humboldt Society long after the grave shall have closed over his mortal form. Humboldt Bar was not as well known to early nav¬ igators as it is to seamen of today; channels and shifting sands had
its treacherous
not been surveyed
and mapped out for their guidance; consequently there were frequent wrecks among the breakers near the entrance and
on
the sand-spits on either side,
where the surf soon ground and pounded furiously to pieces the luckless craft that had missed its bearings. A Massachusetts vessel, the Susan Wardwell, attempt¬ ing to cross the bar in March, 1851, was wrecked in the breakers, three men being lost.
Capt. C Wasgatt,
who had brought the vessel around Cape Horn a year before, was true to his post as long as any hope re¬ mained for his ship; and through fourteen hours he drifted with her in the angry sea.
He then succeeded
in leaving the wreck unharmed, and entering the Eel River country, settled there, living now at the village of Hydesville. A. Berding, of Eel River Valley, is one of the Pio¬ neers, having arrived in Humboldt county in 1857. He is a prosperous business man of the Valley.
INTRODUCTION.
68
Henry H. Ticknor, a sailor, born in New York in 1814, arrived at Humboldt in 1852.
He was identified
with the early agricultural development of the country bordering the bay, and with the industrial growth of the upper Eel River country. Franklin G. Boynton settled in Eel River Valley in 1857, and is not only a pioneer of Humboldt county, but a ’49 er of California as well. Samuel Strong, a native of Ohio, is one of the pio¬ neer farmers of Humboldt, arriving here in 1853, being engaged in agricultural pursuits from that time to the present. Leonard S. Hicks, W. S. Robinson, David R. Rob¬ erts, Salmon Brown, Richard Johnson, Jackson Saw¬ yer, J. G. Kenyon, William Campton, Francis Francis and J. C. Smiley are also pioneer residents who have done much to develop the country. At Table Bluff lives a pioneer who may be said to represent a class—a very small class—unique even in the history of the West, prolific as it has been in the strangest forms of human character.
Seth Kinman,
the pioneer referred to, was born in Pennsylvania in 1815, and came to California in 1849.
In 1852 he
located in Humboldt county, making a contract with Col. Buchanan, commanding at
Fort Humboldt, to
furnish the post with bear and elk meat.
He acquired
the art of making chairs from the horns of elk and
INTRODUCTION.
69
deer, curiously combined in some instances with the skins and heads of grizzly and black bear. these chairs gained
One of
for him a national renown.
It
was made of buck horns, and was presented by Kinman to President Buchanan, in 1857.
the month of May,
Kinman, through the instrumentality of Peter
Donahue, of San Francisco, was sent with the chair to Washington, and made
the presentation in
person.
His brief speech to the President, delivered in the rud¬ est vernacular of the West, was replied to in a courte¬ ous and
complimentary manner.
General
Denver,
who had introduced Kinman, now introduced Dr. O. W. Wozencraft, of California, who assured the Presi¬ dent that the best regards of the people of his State ac¬ companied the chair.
During the whole of Buchanan’s
administration, the chair occupied a conspicuous posi¬ tion in the East Room of the White House.
A mania
for chair making possessed Kinman from that time forth.
He made a chair of elk-horns, which he took
to Washington and presented to Abraham Lincoln in 1864, made a huge grizzly bear chair and presented it to Andrew Johnson in 1865, and in 1876 presented an
elk-horn
chair to
President
Hayes.
Kinman’s
home at Table Bluff is a veritable museum of curios¬ ities gathered in the chase, and an evening spent with him affords one the opportunity to listen for hours to thrilling stories of hunting adventures and fights on the border.
During
Indian
the Indian wars in
Northern California he acted as guide to various expe¬ ditions.
INTRODUCTION.
70
There are other members of the Pioneer Society whose notice.
names
and
history are
worthy of extended
Many of them are mentioned in the pages
recording events of the Indian wars, their adventures and services forming the most interesting chapters of pioneer history.
And there are the names and deeds
of dead pioneers!
How many have passed to the
bourne beyond the grave! inent.
Through
The list is long and prom¬
a retrospective view will
pass the
names of a score of pioneers who braved the dangers of the wilderness and paved the way for civilization— the names of A. J. Huestis, a county officer and Judge many years ago; Dr. Jonathan Clark, first Postmaster on Humboldt Bay, military surgeon at Fort Humboldt, Mayor of the city of Eureka, county and State legis¬ lator; J. E. Wyman, pioneer lawyer, Judge and editor; Jacob DeHaven and L. K. Wood, county officers of the early days ;
John A. Watson, a pioneer resident
of Trinity and Humboldt;
Albert Delaseaux and J.
P. Albee, both cruelly murdered by Indians ;
N. Du-
peru and John Van Aernam ; Alexander Gilmore and S. Lewis Shaw; Jonathan Freese and Alonzo Mon¬ roe and John Burman—and so we might go on with an ever-lengthening list until we had reached back to the very earliest deaths of pioneers on the Northern coast, back to the names of men who died just when they had reached their promised
land, whose trial-
worn bodies have been hidden by the kindly earth for more than thirty years.
INTRODUCTION.
71
I cannot close this introduction without inscribing something in the nature of a card of thanks to those who have kindly assisted me with material preparation of this volume.
for the
For data on the organ¬
ization of the Pioneer Society I am indebted to the published writings of E. H. Howard and W. F. Huestis; the record of Dr. Gregg’s party of explorers I obtained from the document published many years ago by L. K. Wood, one of the party, whose exact language I have not hesitated in many instances to use, as being more striking and graphic than any I could employ; the account of the cruise of the Laura Virginia, and of the business affairs and discoveries of the Laura Virginia Association, was obtained from E. H. Howard and H. H. Buhne; to Robert Walker I am indebted for much valuable information concern¬ ing the
Klamath
War, to Col. S. G. Whipple for
information concerning the organization of the Moun taineer Battalion, and to Mrs. S. Daby, W. T. Olmstead and George Zehndner for the particulars of their own thrilling adventures; John W. Cooper has placed me under obligation for material which I could not have obtained elsewhere', and so has John W. Davis; other information, data and material, too various for separate mention, have been freely afforded me by G. F. Muhlberg, I. W. Hempfield, E. Sharp, P. B. McConnaha, Henry Rohner, C. W. Long, W. H. Pratt, J. B. Brown, Wm. Nixon, John
Harpst, Jas.
H.
Boutelle, T. J.
Titlow, C. Hanson, J. F. Denny,and others; and to A. Wiley, W.
L. Heney and J. C. Bull, Jr., I
indebted for the use and
am
inspection of files of old
72
newspapers.
INTRODUCTION.
To all who have aided a doubtful under¬
taking with their undoubted assistance and encourage¬ ment I tender my sincere regard and thanks. Eureka, May i, 188^'
Indian Wars of the Northwest.
CHAPTER I. Annals of Discovery—Dr. Gregg’s Party.
Pioneers of Rich Bar.—A starved-out camp.—An expedition to the sea.—Dr. Josiah Gregg, of Missouri.—The 5th of November, 1849.—Across the Coast Range.—How the South Fork of Trin¬ ity was discovered.—Suffering of the explorers.—In the Red¬ woods.—Ocean’s welcome roar.—Discovery of Trinidad, Little River, Mad River and Humboldt Bay.—Factions in the party. —L. K. Wood, of Kentucky.—David A. Buck, of New York. —Discovery of the Van Duzen.—A controversy and a separa¬ tion.—A combat with grizzlies.—Terrible condition of L. K. Wood and adventures of his party.—Death of Dr. Gregg by star¬ vation.
Indian
Wars
in America have always
peaceful civilization.
preceded
Wherever the white man
has
sought to establish his home the Indian has been com¬ pelled to move on with his wigwam and his primitive customs.
So it has been in the California territory
lying on the sea-coast between the 41st and 42d paral¬ lels.
The Indian, uncertain in his movements, idle
in his habits, instinctively learns to dread the approach
INDIAN WARS OF THE
74
NORTHWEST.
of a busy and permanent population.
And too often
is it true that the pioneers of civilization, rudely un¬ mindful of the prior
rights of those who first pos¬
sessed the soil, see in the savage inhabitant of a new country only a legitimate object of oppression injury.
and
Not that a conflict between the whites and
the Indians—as inevitable as the rising and the set¬ ting of the sun—could in any manner be averted; yet unwarranted acts of violence have frequently precipi¬ tated troubles which might have been delayed
for
years. The very early history of the pioneers who opened the way to settlement and civilization in the California territory now comprised in the counties of Humboldt, Trinity and Del Norte, whose best energies
were ex¬
pended in the development of the country, presented an exception to the long list of lawless adventurers who disgraced the annals of discovery.
The discover¬
ers and early settlers of Humboldt, especially, were men of character, men of ambition, men of almost in¬ domitable will
and of never-flagging perseverance.
They were attracted hither by their thirst for gold, and, too, by an adventurous spirit of enterprise that prompted them to seek out untrodden paths.
A book
on the early history of this country, though it profess to deal solely with
Indian affairs, would not be com¬
plete if it gave but a passing notice to the first pio¬ neers and the eventful period of their advent. A third of a century ago the Northern coast of Cal¬ ifornia was a primeval wilderness, inhabited only by wild beasts and wilder Indians.
Visited it had been,
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
75
seen from afar off by storm-driven mariners, but not until the year 1849 could the claim of discovery be made by any living person.
In that year, during the
month of October, a party of explorers was organized at Rich Bar, a mining camp on the Trinity River. The details of the organization of an expedition that was finally to reach the sea are peculiar.
The popu¬
lation of Rich Bar was about forty miners, wbo were in a miserable condition, poorly clad, and without pro¬ visions.
Some of the more hardy and adventurous
grew tired of the prospect before them, and lent a wil¬ ling ear to the stories told by friendly Indians who had once visited the sea.
Not more than eight suns
distant, said the Indians, the ocean was ; and also a large and beautiful bay, surrounded by fertile extensive prairie lands.
and
Such stories the Indians told
as fired the imagination of the Whites and urged on a desire to quit their uncomfortable residence at Rich Bar.
The rains of the winter season set in, attended
by sleet and snow.
The provisions, scarce at the com¬
mencement of the rains, seemed now to be beyond possibility of replenishment.
It was proposed that an
expedition be organized to search for the bay described by the Indians. tive
Among those who were most ac¬
in organizing the
expedition
was one
Josiah
Gregg, a physician by profession, formerly of Missouri. • He was a man of firm character, extensive informa¬ tion, and possessing natural qualifications for lead¬ ership in pioneer enterprises.
Upon him fell the duty
of command.
The day fixed for the start was the 5th
of November.
Twenty-four of the forty men in the
76
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
camp agreed to join the expedition under the leader¬ ship of Dr. Gregg. The day of departure arrived, but with it came no change in the weather. The rain still fell in torrents. Two Indian guides, whose services had been secured, refused to travel in such weather, and sixteen of the white men who had volunteered for the expedition announced their determination to with¬ draw, thus reducing the party to eight. The expedi¬ tion now consisted of the following persons: Dr. Josiah Gregg, of Missouri; Thomas Seabring, of Illinois ; David A. Buck, of New York; J. B. Truesdell, of Oregon; Charles C. Southard, of Boston ; Isaac Wil¬ son, of Missouri; L. K. Wood, of Kentucky ; and another man by the name of Van Duzen. It was determined to make a start, in spite of the inclement weather and unfavorable prospects. An in¬ ventory of the provisions showed flour, pork and beans sufficient for ten days’ rations for eight men. No time was lost, and on this memorable day, the 5th of November, 1849, commenced an expedition of which one of the party afterwards remarked, that “ the marked and prominent features were constant and un¬ mitigated toil, hardship, privation and suffering.” Before them, and all around them, rose mountains, huge and rugged, furrowed down their rocky sides with deep-cut gorges g.nd impassable canons. The first day’s journey was up the east side of a high mountain, the ground for a long distance up being completely saturated with water. The ascent of the mountain was tedious, difficult, and at times danger¬ ous. Before reaching the summit, snow took the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
77
place of slippery mud, but without increasing the ease of the ascentj
If there had been a trail, it was now
completely obliterated, and the party were compelled to grope their way through the snow drifts, up the icy inclines.
At length they reached the summit and
looked away toward the West.
As they gazed upon
the wild and rugged country spread out before them, and thought'that all those snow-crested mountains lay between them and the sea, it was natural that a feeling of dread should come over them, and doubts as to the result of the expedition they had undertaken. the time for reconsideration had passed.
But
They must
push on. At an early hour on the morning of the second day the little party, having camped on the
Summit the
night before, began their descent of the
mountain.
But the descent of the first mountain was only the beginning of a second ascent, as tedious and difficult and dangerous as the other.
The mountains consti¬
tuting the Coast Range are nearly parallel with each other, and likewise parallel with the sea; so that, as the general direction of the coast is nearly North and South, and the course of the party was nearly West, they were compelled to pass over a continual succes¬ sion of mountains. Nothing beside the ordinary routine of traveling, and stretching their wearied limbs on the snow at night, occurred during the four days’ marching.
As
the shades of night were gathering on the sixth day, and while the party were passing over a sterile, rocky country, a sound was heard like the rolling and break-
78
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ing of the surf on a distant sea-shore.
A halt was
made for the night, and early on the following morn¬ ing David A. Buck was delegated to ascertain if the ocean was anywhere within sight.
He left the camp
alone, an$ in the afternoon he returned and reported the discovery of a large stream, which, swollen by the rains, rushed with a mighty roar through the moun¬ tain gorges.
He had discovered the South Fork of
Trinity River. Again did the expedition continue on its way, de¬ scending the South Fork to its junction wjth the main Trinity.
There they crossed the stream, climbing a
steep bank on the opposite shore.
At the top of this
bank they came suddenly upon an Indian rancheria, or village.
The whites were surprised, and so were
the Indians.
The latter had never seen a white man,
and when they appeared a scene of the wildest con¬ fusion ensued.
Warriors, squaws and papooses joined
in a mad flight from the place ; some plunging head¬ long into the river, not venturing to look behind them until they had reached a considerable elevation on the mountain side, while others sought a hiding place in the thickets and among the rocks.
The whites at¬
tempted to induce the Indians to return, indicating by signs that no harm was intended them, but with no avail.
Then the whites, not knowing how much of
their journey yet remained to be accomplished, and being almost destitute of provisions, proceeded to levy toll on the Indians by appropriating a quantity of smoked salmon found in the huts.
A short distance
from the Indian rancheria a camp was made for the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
79
night.
It was now the turn of the whites to be sur¬
prised.
There came marching towards the camp in
the dusk of the evening some eighty savage warriors, with painted faces and bodies, looking like so many demons, armed and prepared for battle. were in a predicament.
The whites
Every rifle belonging to the
party had been rendered useless by water when cross¬ ing the river, and the
only hope of safety seemed to
to lie in a bold and indifferent attitude.
Signs were
made that the Indians should not enter the camp. They halted, and two of the whites advanced towards them, holding up to their view some beads and other fancy articles.
With these they were highly pleased
and soon became apparently friendly. spokesman of the warriors
The chief or
represented as well as he
could in the absence of intelligible language that the Indian people were very numerous ; that the whites were in their power and at their mercy.
The whites
answered, employing intelligible signs,
that one of
their guns could kill as many of the Indians at a single shot as would stand one behind Another.
The
chief was not satisfied, and demanded an exhibition of the wonderful power of the gun. predicament.
Here was another
The guns were all wet and nothing
could be done with them in that condition, and if the Indians insisted on witnessing an exhibition on the spot the chances were against the whites.
A parley
was conducted with the chief, and after much persua¬ sion he consented to postpone his demand until the following morning.
At the first signs in the East of
coming day the party were up and ready to start; but
8o
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the Indians, as if anticipating that the engagement of the previous evening might be broken, had already as¬ sembled in large numbers in the vicinity of the camp. The whites saw that a refusal to satisfy the curiosity of the savages would be a hazardous thing, and hand¬ ing a small piece of paper to an Indian, one of
the
party directed him to place it on a tree sixty paces distant.
The shot was fired, perforating the paper and
entering the tree.
The Indians were terror-stricken.
They had not expected a noise from the gun, and the report, more than the hole in the tree caused by the shot, seemed to inspire a profound awe and veneration. The Indians offered the greatest respect and volun¬ teered what advice they might by signs and gestures. It had been the intention of the whites to follow Trin¬ ity River down to its mouth, its course at this point being Northwest.
Against this the Indians cautioned
them, asserting that there were large tribes of natives scattered all along the river to its mouth, who would certainly oppose a passage through their country, and they also informed the whites that the best route to the sea, both in point of distance and on account of the Indians, was to leave the river and go Westward. Two days’ travel toward the west from the point where the strange Indians had been encountered, and the party discovered that their stock of provisions was exhausted.
Flour, pork, beans, all were gone.
On
the night of the 13th of November the party retired supperless to bed. ing on covered.
the
The animals
fine grass
During
the
fared
with which
the
better, feed¬ hills
were
succeeding day a halt was
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
81
several times made for the purpose of considering a proposition to return, but as often was the proposition voted down, under the belief that the sea could be reached in much less time than would be required to return to the river.
All day long the party picked
their way through an almost impenetrable forest, and when at night they reached a little opening in the woods and pitched their tents, the exhaustion of hun¬ ger was added to their other discomforts. they retire supperless to
an
Again did
uneasy slumber.
On
the following morning the whole party started out in search of game, and after a short hunt succeeded in killing several deer.
Their hunger being appeased,
they set about curing a quantity of venison for future use.
Several
days were
consumed in
this
work,
when, packing their animals and proceeding on foot, they pushed on
towards the distant sea.
Finally,
the venison which had been cured was all consumed, and the second, third and fourth days of enforced fast¬ ing came and passed.
As if to add to their distress,
grass disappeared, and the animals suffered intensely from want of food.
Nothing could be obtained
for
them but leaves, and in places even these could be procured only by cutting down tall trees.
Two of the
horses gave out and were left behind. Next occurred
one of those
happy mutations in
their singular fortune that gave them
hope where
they had entertained despair and encouraged them to persevere to the end.
They reached another moun¬
tain prairie where there was an abundance of game and grass. 6
In this place they remained three days,
82
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
collecting and preparing meat for use while traveling. Having prepared as large a quantity of meat as their animals could carry, the party broke camp and pro¬ ceeded on
their voyage.
matter of conjecture.
Where they were
was a
Where the bay was for which
they were searching was also a matter of conjecture —indeed, it grew to be almost mythical, so endless seemed
the long chain of mountains, so mysterious
and world-wide the forest depths. For ten more days the party struggled on through the forests and across the
mountains.
ment was their constant companion.
Disappoint¬ For ten days
they saw no living thing that could be made available or useful for food, and in less than a week the cured meat was consumed.
They were then compelled to
subsist on a species of nut, resembling the acorn, bitter and unpalatable.
On the tenth day there was another
change for the better.
Weary and footsore, exhausted
and weak, the explorers reached another opening in the forest, and without waiting to select a camping place they hastened in search of game.
Ascending a
rocky eminence that overlooked the surrounding coun¬ try 'for a considerable distance a most attractive scene was presented to their view.
They saw herds of deer
and bands of elk feeding close at hand.
After a brief
consultation it was determined to attack the elk, and the party accordingly separated in order to approach one large band from different directions. In less than half an hour the report of a rifle rang out on the air, and was quickly followed by two more. L. K. Wood heard the shots, and judging from the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
83
direction of the sound that they were fired by Van Duzen, he hastened to the assistance of his comrade. He had gone but a few steps when he saw Van Duzen facing two ferocious-looking grizzly bear and loading his rifle, while near by lay three other bear, two dead and one with its back broken. Wood to stop where he was.
Van Duzen called on The latter did not heed
the warning, preferring to venture a shot at one of the surviving bear.
The shot was fatal
to the shaggy
monster and brought him dead to the ground; and at the same moment Mr. Wilspn, who had been attracted to the spot by the frequent firing, sent a ball through the heart of the remaining bear.
There was feasting on
bear meat that night, supplemented by venison brought in by others of the party. At the end of five days, which had been well spent in
curing meat, camp was broken and the expedi¬
tion continued. very slow.
Progress up to this time had been
The distance traveled had not exceeded
an average of seven miles a day.
The character of the
country now presented a change, the mountain ridges being less high and abrupt than those already passed. But as the party got on lower ground the timber be¬ came thicker and thicker.
Nature had not then been
disturbed in her solitudes, and so luxuriant was the growth of the redwoods, so interwoven the dense under¬ growth, so nearly impassable the frequent barriers of fallen trees, that the utmost exertions could not accom¬ plish more than two miles of travel through the forest in a day.
There were no trails; immense quantities
of fallen timber encumbered the ground in almost in-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
84
extricable confusion, in many instances the logs being piled one upon another in such a manner that the only alternative was to literally cut a way through.
To go
around them was often as impossible as it would have been to go over them.
Two men were therefore sent
ahead with axes, who, as occasion required, would chop into and slab off sufficient to construct a sort of plat¬ form, by means of which the pack animals were driven up on the logs and forced to jump off on the opposite side. On the evening of the third day from their “ bear camp,” as the explorers called the spot where they had killed the grizzlies, their ears were greeted with the welcome sound of the surf.
On the morning of the
fourth day Mr. Wilson and Mr. Van Duzen proposed to go to the coast in advance of the party, and at the same time to mark out the best route for the animals. This proposition was agreed to, and the two men left camp.
In the evening of the same day they returned,
bringing the tidings that they had reached the sea¬ shore, not more than six miles away.
The morning of
the fifth day found the explorers, with light hearts and buoyant hopes, ready to continue their arduous jour¬ ney.
For three days they attempted to get their horses
through the redwood forests.
Exhaustion and starva¬
tion had reduced the animals to the last extremity. Three died, and the remainder were so weak that the least obstacle would cause them to fall, requiring much time and labor to get them on their feet again.
At
length the worn-out men and horses issued from their dismal forest prison, and caught at the same instant a
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’s PARTY.
view of “ ocean’s changing wonders.”
85
The point at
which they reached the sea was at the mouth of a small stream now known as Little River.
From this
stream the party pushed on Northward, following the coast about eleven miles, where a lake or lagoon ar¬ rested further progress.
Perceiving that it would be
impossible to proceed further North without encoun¬ tering the dreaded redwood forests, they determined to retrace their steps and go South along the coast to San Francisco, if such a voyage should be possible. Traveling South about eight miles, they camped on a headland which they had passed on their way North, which they called “ Gregg’s Point,” but which is now known by the name given it by its Spanish discoverers, Trinidad. It would be a natural expectation of anyone reading these pages to learn that the utmost harmony existed among the members of the little expedition which had so bravely, and at so great a sacrifice of health and comfort, struggled over mountains and thrdugh for¬ ests
till
they reached
the sea.
Unfortunately the
pleasure of so recording is denied to the historian. During the two days in which the party camped at Trinidad there were many evidences of growing dis¬ content, and when the journey was resumed an open disruption occurred.
While crossing a deep gulch
near the Point, two of Dr. Gregg’s mules mired down, and he called lustily for assistance. . Not one of the party would aid him.
One and all declared that they
would no longer give aid to man or beast, and that from that time forward each would constitute a com-
86
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
pany to himself, under obligations to no one, free to act as best suited his own notions.
In obedience to
this resolve, one of the party, L. K. Wood, visited the chief of a tribe of Indians who lived close at hand, and gave him to understand that he desired to remain with him awhile.
Wood also asked protection from
the Indian, and a place in his wigwam, agreeing to furnish as compensation all the elk meat that might be demanded.
The Indian chief readily consented to
Wood’s proposition, giving many friendly assurances that no harm should come to him.
The agreement
thus made was not, as it happened, destined* to be fulfilled.
Notwithstanding the
disaffection
of the
company for each other, when
they began
to get
ready for another start it appeared that there was no other alternative than for them to travel together. when the others
saw that Wood
was
So
not making
preparations to go with them, and on the
contrary
seemed inclined to remain where he was, they remon¬ strated with him, and demanded the conduct.
re*ason for his
He told them of the agreement he had'
made with the Indian chief, and of his determination to remain at Trinidad.
All were violently opposed
to the arrangement, and they urged, as a reason why Wood should not persist in his determination, that when they were all together they were not sufficiently strong to pass through the Indian country in safety if the savages saw fit to oppose them.
They also urged
that for Wood to remain with the Indians at Trinidad was to abandon himself to certain destruction, while at the same time it decreased the probability of any
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
of the party reaching the settlements in safety.
87
Wood
replied that he had no horse that could travel, that he was not able
to walk,
and that he would
rather
be killed by the Indians than again incur the risk of starvation.
Truesdell, who had two animals left,
offered to sell one of them to Wood for one hundred dollars, provided he wpuld agree to remain with the party.
After much controversy the offer made by
Truesdell was accepted and
Wood continued with
the party. The first serious difficulty having been overcome, the party passed on down the coast, crossing Little River in safety.
A few miles South of Little River
another stream was reached—a large river, running bank full, swollen by heavy rains.
The party had kept
as near the sea as possible, and it was decided to at¬ tempt a crossing near its mouth.
And now the har¬
mony which had existed for a short time was agaip disturbed.
Dr. Gregg wished to ascertain the latitude
of the river’s mouth, but the remainder of the com¬ pany declined to wait for him.
Regardless of their
opposition, he proceeded to unpack his instruments and prepare for his observations.
His companions
were equally obstinate in adhering to their determina¬ tion
to go on without delay.
Their animals were
crossed over, and placing themselves and their blankets in canoes they pushed off from the bank.
Dr. Gregg,
convinced that he would be left behind, hastily caught up his instruments and ran for the canoes, and after wading several steps in the water, he was taken on board.
Arrived on the opposite shore, a scene of
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
88
passion and excitement ensued.
The doctor, an old
man, braved his younger companions, and denounced them in bitter terms for what he deemed their un¬ kindness to himself.
Hot words
passed from both
sides, until some of the party, at best not too amiable in their dispositions, half decided to inflict summary punishment on the old physician by consigning him and his instruments to the river.
Undoubtedly this
would have been done had not wiser councils pre¬ vailed.
The quarrel
was
smoothed
over, but the
stream, in commemoration of the difficulty, was called Mad River, which name it bears to this day. That night a camp was made in the sand-hills a mile back from the beach.
Neither the condition nor
temper of the party was such as to give much encour¬ agement to any of them.
The constant trial, suffering
and danger to which they were exposed had worn them out physically and mentally.
The main object of the
expedition, the discovery of the bay described to them by the Trinity River Indians, had been quite forgotten ; the only thought of the explorers now was, how they should extricate themselves from the situation they were in and exchange it for one of more comfort and less danger.
Immediately after camping Mr. Buck
and Mr. Wood went in search of water for drinking purposes.
A short distance from camp the two men
separated, Buck going in one direction and Wood in another.
In a few minutes Wood came to a slough
which contained water not altogether agreeable to the taste, but which he concluded might answer every nec¬ essary purpose.
He returned to the camp with some
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
of the slough water.
89
Mr. Buck came in and placed
his kettle of water before the company without saying a word.
Doctor Gregg, not relishing the water Wood
had brought, was the first to drink from Buck’s kettle. He had no sooner drank than he turned fiercely on Buck and asked: “ Where did you get that water ?” Buck replied: “ About a half a mile from here.”
The
doctor remarked: “You certainly did not get it out of the ocean, and we would like to know where you did get it.”
Buck answered : “ I dipped it out of a
bay of smooth water.” was greatly excited.
The curiosity of the explorers Buck was sullen and cross, and
refused to gratify them by explanations.
It was dark,
he said, and he could not tell the extent of the bay; that it was a bay he was morally certain.
All this
occurred on the night of the 20th of December, 1849, and on this date, therefore, was the first discovery of the bay by Americans.
So, to David A. Buck, of New
York, must be ascribed the honor of being the first American discoverer that trod the shores of this farwestern harbor.
The explorers did
not forget to
christen the body of water thus accidentally discovered by one of themselves. “Trinity
Bay.” which
They gave
it the
was afterwards
name of
permanently
changed to “ Humboldt.” At daylight on the morning of the 21st of Decem¬ ber the camp was moved over to the bay on a strip of sandy beach now known as the Peninsula. party remained during the day.
Here the
Indians came to the
camp, curious to see the white men.
From the In¬
dians the white men learned that they could not go
90 ■
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
further down the beach, on account of the entrance to the bay, which was just below them; and they inti¬ mated, also, that the entrance could not be crossed, for the water there was deeper than the trees growing on the peninsula were tall.
To satisfy himself, Mr. Buck
went down to the entrance, and when he returned he confirmed the statements of the Indians, and expressed the opinion that it would be dangerous to attempt to cross to the opposite shore. Early on the next morning the party started North¬ ward around the bay, keeping as near the water as the many small sloughs
would permit.
After making
their way through bush and swamp, swimming sloughs and nearly drowning themselves, they arrived on the evening of the second day at a beautiful plateau skirt¬ ing the Northeast end of the bay.
Here they camped,
and here it was that the town of Union (now Areata) was located. ber, an
The next day being the 25th of Decem¬
elk’s head was
Christmas feast.
roasted
in the ashes for a
On the 26th of December the party,
following an indistinct Indian trail through the woods back of where the city of Eureka is now situated, reached the bay again where the town of Bucksport was afterwards located, giving the place its name in honor of David A. Buck, the discoverer of the bay. It now plan
became
of future
organized
the
succeeded in
necessary to
action.
When
explorers had
decide upon the
some
expedition was
resolved
that if they
reaching the bay, and provided
the
surrounding country was adapted to agricultural pur¬ poses, they would locate land for themselves and lay
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
out a town.
91
The deplorable condition in which they
now found themselves—with health and strength ex¬ hausted and impaired, and with ammunition nearly gone—induced them to abandon their first intention, and to use all possible dispatch in making their way to the settlements.
Accordingly they turned their faces
towards the South, hoping to reach the settlements on San Francisco Bay. slow, rain
Their progress was
falling almost
incessantly
travel to be difficult and wearisome.
extremely
and
causing
On the third
day after leaving the bay a large river arrested further progress.
Approaching the
river’s bank
the party
came suddenly upon two very old Indians, who, see¬ ing white men for the first time, fell to the ground as if they had been shot.
The white men dismounted
and made the old Indians rise, giving them to under¬ stand that they were their friends, but it was with much difficulty that the superstitious fears of the savages could be restrained.
The two Indians were
loaded with eels, which, they informed the white men, had been obtained from the river.
The party were
ravenously hungry, and helping themselves to eels, a feast was soon then
enjoyed.
the
The Indians were
induced to set the party across the river in
canoes, swimming the mules.
Just above the point
where the crossing was made a tributary emptied into the stream, and this was named the Van Duzen.
The
large stream was named Eel River, from the fact that the party lived on eels for several days, obtaining them from the
Indians in exchange for beads and
small pieces of iron.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
92
An
unfortunate
members of
1
controversy
the expedition
Eel River.
It was
traveled in
order to
arose
during
among
their stay
the on
in relation to the course to be reach
the nearest settlement.
Some contended that the best way was directly down the coast to San Francisco.
Others maintained that
the shortest and most advantageous route would be to proceed up the river as far as its course seemed to warrant, and
then
leaving it, to take a
direction to the settlements. ensued.
Neither faction
Southerly
A harsh, fierce quarrel
would yield to the other.
Finally, all prospects of reconciliation having been abandoned, four of the explorers, Seabring, Wilson
and
Wood,
resolved
Buck,
to continue on their
journey together, following up Eel River.
The other
members of the expedition, Dr. Gregg, Van Duzen, Southard and Truesdell, announced their determina¬ tion of traveling along the coast.
Equally divided in
their quarrel, the factions of the expedition separated and each went its way. The remaining experiences of the first named, or Eel River party, present a series of terrible hardships and sufferings—terrible even to the contemplation of those who live in a happier time, when civilization has been achieved by the pioneer.
On the first day after
the party left the camp on Eel River a severe snow¬ storm commenced, which in a short time completely obliterated every sign of
a trail and hid from their
view every land-mark that could guide them in their course.
The snow, blown fiercely on biting winds,
blocked up the paths and drifted in great heaps in the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
hollows.
They could not go on.
93
Hungry and cold,
surrounded by the most gloomy and disheartening pros¬ pects, the four men made another camp—fast being hemmed in by snow, without food either for themselves or their animals.
Five days passed before they were
able to move from this camp.
While the snow was
not too deep the mules pawed the ground bare and ob¬ tained enough grass to prevent starvation.
The men
were fortunate enough to kill a small deer, sufficient to supply sustenance for life if not for strength.
By the
time they could extricate themselves from their unfor¬ tunate situation in the snow there was nothing left of the deer meat but the skin.
Leaving this perilous
camp the men continued their course up the river as best they could—sometimes aided by an Indian, some¬ times following blindly the trail of
elk, and at other
times cutting a road with their axes. For several days all that they had or could obtain to subsist on was the deer skin they had saved and a few acorns.
When the
necessity became extreme, they cut the deer skin in pieces, boiled them in water, and drank the water and chewed the hide.
They saw many grizzly bears, and
on the second day out from the snow-camp they de¬ termined, weak as they were, to attack eight of the monsters they saw standing in a little mountain prairie at the foot of a ravine.
It was agreed that Wilson,
Seabring and Wood should make the attack.
The
courage of Seabring did not prove equal to a hand-tohand conflict with the grizzlies, so he sought safety for himself by climbing a tree.
Wilson and Wood ad¬
vanced within three hundred yards of the nearest bear,
94
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
where a consultation was held concerning the mode of making the attack.
Of the party which had original¬
ly started from Trinity River, L. K. Wood was recog¬ nized as the bravest and coolest, and it is not surpris¬ ing that the most dangerous feature of any undertaking was always assigned to him.
In this instance it was
arranged that Wood should advance as close as pos¬ sible, fire at a bear, and then seek the most available tree for safety.
Wood consented readily to the ar¬
rangement, with the exception of the latter part.
In¬
deed, he was so completely prostrated by exposure and hunger, that had
he felt disposed to run his limbs
could not have executed
their functions.
Being a
man of superior courage and much obstinancy, it was not at all probable that he would refuse to face what¬ ever danger might come.
The two men, Wilson and
Wood, advanced to within fifty paces of the grizzlies, when Wood leveled his rifle at the nearest one and fired.
The shot was apparently fatal, for the grizzly
fell, biting and tearing the earth as though in the ago¬ nies of death.
Wilson adjured Wood to “run ! run !”
Instead of complying with this advice Wood com¬ menced reloading his rifle.
Wilson now discharged
his rifle and brought down a bear.
When the first
shot was fired, five of the grizzlies had retreated up the mountain.
Two had been shot and were stretch¬
ed out on the ground, and a third yet remained, erect, deliberately sitting back on her haunches, and evident¬ ly not feeling disposed to yield the ground without a contest, all the while turning her glaring eyes first on her fallen companions and then on the men.
Wilson
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
was afraid to face her and ran for a tree.
95
Unfortu¬
nately for Wood, he could not get the ball down on the powder he had placed in his gun, and while in this predicament the bear came rushing at him. succeeded in getting beyond buckeye iree.
her reach
Wood
in a small
He now made another effort to force
the ball down in his rifle, but with no better success than at first, and he was therefore compelled to use his gun to beat the bear off as she attacked the tree for the purpose of breaking it down or shaking him out of it.
This was kept up for two or three minutes,
when, to Wood’s horror and surprise, he saw the bear he had shot leap to its feet and come bounding toward the tree.
No blow that he might inflict on the wound¬
ed and maddened bear could resist or even check her. The first spring she made on the tree broke it down, and the two bears jumped for Wood.
He gained his
feet before they could get hold of him and ran down the mountain in the direction of a small tree some thirty yards away.
He could distinctly feel the breath
of the wounded bear as she grabbed at his heels.
He
reached the tree without being caught, seized hold of the trunk, and swung his body around so as to afford the bear room to pass him, which she did, going head¬ long down the mountain twenty yards before she could turn back.
Wood exerted all his energies to climb the
tree, but before he could get six feet from the ground the other bear seized him by the right ankle.
By this
time the wounded bear had returned, and, as he fell, grabbed at his face. by the left shpulder.
He dodged, and she caught him The moments that followed
96
INDIAN
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
were the most critical that can be imagined, but dur¬ ing all the time Wood’s presence of mind did not for¬ sake him.
Immediately after one bear had caught him
by the shoulder, the other still having hold of his an¬ kle, the two pulled against each other as if to tear him into pieces.
In this way they stripped him of his
clothes, dislocated his hip, and inflicted many fleshwounds.
They seemed unwilling to take hold of his
flesh, for when they had almost entirely divested him of his clothes they both left him, the bear that had not been shot disappearing in the ravine. The wounded bear walked slowly up the hillside about a hundred yards, and then deliberately seated herself and fasten¬ ed her gaze on Wood.
He lay still and motionless.
After remaining in this situation for several minutes Wood ventured to move.
The first motion brought
the bear on him again, roaring furiously.
She placed
her nose violently against his side, and then raised her head and gave vent to frightful and unearthly yells. Wood kept his presence of mind and remained per¬ fectly quiet, hoping the bear would leave him; in this hope he was not disappointed, for after standing over him a few moments the brute again walked away. Wood now determined to put himself reach if it were possible for him to do so.
beyond her Up to this
time he had been unconscious of the extent of the in¬ juries
he had received.
rise and found that
Not until he attempted to
he could not use his right leg,
was his true condition known to him.
Turning to
look about and assure himself that his enemy had dis¬ appeared, his heart grew sick and faint—not more than
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
97
a hundred yards distant he saw the bear sitting defi¬ antly erect, with glaring eyes fixed full upon him. Slowly and most carefully, his injured limb swollen, inflamed and painful, he dragged
himself over the
ground to the little tree from which he had been pulled by the bear, and after much difficulty succeeded in climbing it about eight feet.
In the meanwhile Wil¬
son had left his tree and now approached the one into which Wood had climbed.
The bear, seeing him,
came bounding toward him with the greatest ferocity. Wood called to Wilson to run for an adjoining tree, and he did so, being barely able to get beyond reach of the infuriated bear.
The bear seated herself under
the trees and kept her eyes steadily on the two men, uttering an angry howl as either of them attempted to
move.
A
few
minutes
passed like so many
hours, when, to the great relief and joy of the men, the bear left the spot and disappeared in the distance. Now that all fear of further visits from the bear was past, Wood began fully to realize his condition, the wounds he had received becoming momentarily more painful.
Seabring and Buck coming up, Wood was
carried some distance down the mountain, where there was a place suitable for camping.
Here the party re¬
mained twelve days, subsisting entirely on the meat afforded by the grizzly Wilson had shot. It now became a source of much anxiety to know when and
how they should leave this spot, and what
disposition they should make of Wood, for he grew rapidly worse instead of
better.
At first it was
thought that, by remaining in camp ten or twelve 1
98
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
days, Wood’s injuries might be so far healed as enable them to continue their journey.
to
No one sup¬
posed that the injuries he had received were as serious as
they now proved
to be.
At the expiration of
twelve days, Wood’s condition having in no way im¬ proved, his companions consulted him in regard to the course which ought to be pursued.
Each insisted that
it was absolutely necessary that no more time should be lost in camp; that they were destitute of clothing and without shoes to protect their feet from the thorns and briers that were ever in their path; daily feeling the effects of strength;
that all were
fast-failing health
and
and that the fact of very seriously impaired
powers of endurance was only too evident to them all. They stated, also, that their ammunition was nearly exhausted, and when it was gone starvation would be certain in these wilds.
The meaning of this represen¬
tation was obvious to Wood, and in reply he stated to his companions that they had
remained with
him
as long as he could expect or ask; that they ought to save themselves if they could ;
but, as they had seen
proper to speak of the matter, he would ask of them one more favor.
He desired to suggest two ways in
which they could dispose of him, either of which he would prefer to being abandoned to his fate in the condition and place in which he then was. The first sug¬ gestion was, to endeavor to induce the Indians who had visited them during their stay here to take care of him until they could go to the settlements and return.
The
second suggestion was, in case the Indians refused to take care of him, to put an end to his sufferings.
The
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
99
first of these suggestions was cheerfully acquiesced in by each of the three men, though nothing was said by them in regard to the latter; the idea of putting their comrade’s sufferings to an end by taking his life was not yet to
be
seriously considered.
suggestion was acted upon promptly. the
neighboring
Indians
proposition submitted
The first
The chief of
was sought, and
to him.
The
Wood’s
Indian
chief
readily assented to the application for aid, and prom¬ ised to faithfully attend to Wood and supply him with food until the other three white from
the settlements.
men could
return
He agreed to come on
the
following morning and convey Wood to his rancheria, which was about three miles further up the river. At the appointed time the Indian chief presented himself, together with three of his men, and expressed his readiness to fulfill his agreement, but demanded some presents before taking Wood to his rancheria. All the beads in the possession
of the party were
gathered together and given to the Indians.
They
were not sufficient to satisfy their demands.
They
still wanted more.
Their demand for more was re¬
peated and complied with, until everything the men had, except such articles as necessity absolutely re¬ quired them to retain, was given up, in order to avoid offending the chief.
At length, when it was plain
that they had gotten all they could, the chief turned to his companions and rancheria.
He
bade
them
immediately followed
return
to ‘the
them, leaving
the whites to regret the folly of reposing too much confidence in heartless savages.
IOO
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
While the Indians were ransacking the camp Wood dragged himself upon a litter which had been prepared for him.
He had no thought of treachery on the part
of the Indians until he saw them depart with their booty.
When he fully understood
that the Indian
chief had actually repudiated his agreement, and knew that his
first suggestion
had come to
naught, he
concluded that now he should either be abandoned to endure the gnawing pangs of hunger, and at last perish alone, a victim of starvation, or that he should be released from his torture by shooting. For a space
there was a solemn
and profound
silence in the little camp—a silence which no one seemed disposed to interrupt.
Wood turned his face
from his companions, that they might not be embar¬ rassed in their consultations or in carrying into exe¬ cution any plan they might agree upon. talked in whispers. in regard to adopted.
The men
There was a difference of opinion
the course
which
ought now to
be
They agreed that it would be a deplorable
necessity which would compel them to abandon their comrade, but under the circumstances no other course presented itself to their minds.
The discussion was
finally ended by the determination
of Wilson, who
announced that he should not leave Wood, and should carry him in some way, if he was able and willing to endure the pain.
Seabring then went to Wood and
inquired for his opinion on the subject of carrying him with them.
He replied to Seabring’s inquiries,
that they might take him to the river, where they had already secured a canoe for the purpose of crossing,
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY—DR. GREGG’S PARTY.
IOI
and that he would then tell them whether he could further endure the pain caused by travel. In the event of not being able to continue with them, all he had to ask of them was to leave him in the canoe, to drift whither fate might direct. Much time was consumed in lifting Wood to his seat in the saddle, and it was necessary to tie him on with cords, the fearful agony he endured making him as helpless as a child. Seabring led his horse down the mountain, and after a long and tedious march they reached the river and camped. On the next morning Wood was again consulted and asked if he felt able to continue on the journey. He replied that as long as he lived, if it so pleased them, he desired to have them carry him on, and if he should die he want¬ ed them to cut the cords with which he was bound and pass on ; he could not ask or expect them to bury him, for they had no implements with which to dig a grave. In accordance with his desire he was again bound on his horse and packed until another camp was reached, enjoying an occasional respite to allow his stiffened limbs to recover from the effects of being confined in one position. In this manner they travel¬ ed through the wild and unsettled country for ten days—following down the Russian River a long dis¬ tance and then turning Southwards towards Sonoma. On the tenth day they came to the farm of Mrs. Mark West, thirty miles from the town of Sonoma. Mrs. West, a very worthy woman, watched over and dili¬ gently cared for Wood during six weeks of intense suffering, when he was sufficiently recovered to go to his friends in San Francisco.
102
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
It will now be necessary to say something of the other faction of the original party, who separated from their comrades on the banks of Eel River.
They at¬
tempted to follow along the mountain chains near the coast, but were very slow in their progress on account of the snow on the high ridges.
The steep rocky
points and deep gulches and canons made traveling so extremely difficult that they abandoned theVoute, after struggling along for several days, and took anoth¬ er course which would lead them to the Sacramento Valley.
Their ammunition
was the result.
gave out,
and
hunger
One day Dr. Gregg, that brave old
man who had assumed command of
the expedition
when it started from the Trinity, fell from his horse and died without speaking. starvation.
His death was caused by
His surviving companions dug a hole with
sticks and put his body under ground, and then they covered the spot with rocks to prevent animals from molesting it.
Van Duzen, Southard and Truesdell
reached the Sacramento Valley a few days later than the arrival of the other party in the Sonoma Valley. Thus ended one of the most perilous journeys that ever.attended pioneer discovery in any country.
Oc¬
cupying many weeks, full of exciting incidents and cruel suffering, it will stand on the records of North¬ western California as a lasting memorial to the wonder¬ ful powers of endurance and the indomitable will of the men who constituted the vanguard of our civili¬ zation.
Scattered now the few who are living, forgot¬
ten except by their deeds those who are dead, the pio¬ neers of this expedition shall yet live in the monu-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-DR. GREGG’s PARTY.
IO3
merits of enterprise and achievements of industry so lavishly distributed on the soil they discovered.
Their
deeds were not new in the history of American con¬ quest.
They were but following the example of thou¬
sands whose work had already been accomplished and whose life pilgrimage was ended.
Yet their memory
deserves to be enshrined in the proud regard of the generation which now reaps the harvest from the seed they planted a third of a century ago.
104
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER II. Annals of Discovery — The Cruise of the Laura Virginia.
A glance at the map.—A long stretch of unknown coast.—The search for the mouth of the Trinity.—The Laura Virginia Asso¬ ciation.—Two Boards of Trustees.—Lieutenant Douglass Ottinger, U. S. N.—Remarkable voyage of the “ Laura Virginia.” —Burjal of Lieutenant Bache.—E. H. Howard’s expedition from Trinidad.—Rival ships at sea.—The “General Morgan” and the “ J. M. Ryerson.”—Off the bar.—A brave man needed.— H. H. Buhne, Second Officer.—The ship’s boats cross the Bar” —The 14th of April.—The “Laura Virginia” at anchor in the Bay.—Humboldt City.—Business of the Laura Virginia Associa¬ tion.—How steamers were subsidized.—Rise and fall of a me¬ tropolis. As this volume proposes to deal mainly with facts from the history of the territory now comprised within the limits of Humboldt county, it will be eminently proper for the reader to acquire, at the outset, some idea of its vast extent and prominent natural features by a glance at a modern map.
Beginning at the
South, we find that the division line between Mendo¬ cino and Humboldt counties is marked by the fortieth parallel; that the boundary line on the North is near the forty-second parallel; and
tracing its extent in
miles, we find that the county has a total length of
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
one hundred miles and a width of forty miles.
IO5
It is
bounded on the North by Del Norte and Siskiyou counties; on the South by Mendocino; on the East by Siskiyou and Trinity; and on the West by the Pa¬ cific
Ocean.
It has been carefully estimated from
reliable figures that Humboldt county contains 3,590 square miles, or 2,297,600 acres of land; that it has one hundred and seventy-five miles of tide land; that it is three times as large as the State of Rhode Island, one and one-half times as large as Delaware, nearly as large as Connecticut, and half as large as Massachu¬ setts.
This vast territory is drained by numerous
streams that flow into the bay and the ocean.
First
on the North is Klamath River, dividing Humboldt from Del Norte, the largest stream between the Sac¬ ramento and the Columbia. South, we
Following the coast line
find, in distances of from fifteen to forty
miles, Redwood Creek, Little, Mad, Eel, and Mattole Rivers, besides a number of smaller streams emptying into Humboldt Bay. From an historic point of view the Northwest coast presents many features of extraordinary interest.
Its
discovery and its early settlement contained elements of romance enough to fill a library with the adventures of gold-hunters, the struggles of pioneers, the discov¬ eries of voyagers by sea who sailed wherever the wind listed.
There are authentic accounts of Spanish ships,
driven by storms, running in under
the
Humboldt
coast; and to Spanish discovery must be attributed the first definite location of at least two prominent features of the coast line—Cape Mendocino and the
106
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
port of Trinidad.
It was the nth day of June, 1775,
the Sunday of the Holy Trinity, that
Bruno Ezerta
and Juan de Bodega sailed North in their ships, passing the unknown bay to the South, and anchored in the open
harbor which
they named
Trinidad.
Nearly
three-quarters of a century later occurred the Trinity River gold excitement, the cause of numberless expe¬ ditions to re-discover and locate Trinidad, and to find the mouth of the Trinity River, supposed to empty into the sea, a natural highway to the mines. As late as 1850 there was a coast line of seven hun¬ dred miles between Fort Ross and the mouth of the Columbia River, of which there was no exact topo¬ graphical knowledge.
Its prominent headlands were
defined on the marine charts with nothing more than approximate accuracy, and had been serviceable as danger signals of what was supposed to be a savage, inhospitable lee shore, rather than as welcome guides to commercial within
intercourse with
its limits.
any known harbor
Not a solitary white settlement
existed—not a white person was living on the shores of the Pacific in all that distance of seven hundred miles.
It was an open field for adventure, and, taken
in connection with the exciting discoveries of the precious metals already made at the head of the Sac¬ ramento and other streams of the interior flowing Westward, it naturally suggested many possible advan¬ tages to the locator of its most available point for ocean traffic.
Already a large
mining population in
the
wilds of Trinity and Siskiyou was dependent on the slow and expensive interior route for travel and the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
transportation of supplies.
107
It was believed that a coast
route by water would make a diversion of this trade. San Francisco, of course, was to be the starting-point for enterprises of this kind and of the required capital to conduct them.
Each of the several expeditions by
sea sent out from San Francisco in the winter of 49’50 had for its leading inducement the hope of dis¬ covering coastwise communication with the mines in the mountains
by some navigable stream, and, per¬
haps, of founding new cities that should
thereafter
shine as brilliant settings on this remote rim of Amer¬ ican territory. Among the first expeditions for the exploration bysea of the northern coast was one made under the auspices of the Laura Virginia Association.
The As¬
sociation was organized with two Boards of Trustees, one to reside in San Francisco, and one to go with the expedition. The Trustees residing in San Francisco were Cap¬ tain Joseph L. Folsom, U. S. A., President; Chas. B. Young, Secretary; C. B. Gallagher and-Simmons. The Trustees accompanying the expedition were E. H. Howard, President; . W. H. Havens and Robert T. Lamott.
The members of the Association, but re¬
cently arrived from the East and elsewhere, were ad¬ venturous in spirit and bold in enterprise, and they projected a voyage of general discovery, having special reference to the selection of some harbor as a depot for the distribution of merchandise to the mining districts of Northern
California.
The mines of the
Trinity and the Klamath, far up those streams, were
108
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
even then famous for their real and reputed wealth. They were isolated, and hemmed in by stupendous mountain
chains.
To
reach them
by way of the
Sacramento Valley and Shasta was perils an
and sufferings
unsettled
of
country.
As
blazed through the forests
a
long
to endure the
journey through
yet, no road
had been
to the sea, nor had the
Gregg party yet made known the result of their voy¬ age of exploration.
The
Trinity was supposed to
empty directly into the sea, as the Klamath did, and the mouths of neither had been located.
Situated in
a basin of the Trinity, ninety miles from the sea, was the mining camp
of Weaverville, and still farther
North and East were other regions rich in mineral wealth.
To these remote localities the transportation
of supplies was chiefly carried on by way of Red Bluff, the outlying settlement of the Sacramento Valley, and thence by pack-mules over a succession of rugged mountains that swarmed with
hostile
Indians.
To
divert the extensive trade of that part of the State into a more economical channel, and
to
discover a
landing place from the sea, were the primary objects of the Laura Virginia Association.
An ocean voyage,
prompted in some degree by love of adventure but more by love of gold, was to be the first visible effort of the Association to win renown. Anchored in the Bay of San Francisco was a staunch Baltimore-built craft of one hundred and twenty tons burden, the Laura Virginia, which was chartered by the Association, and gave
it a name.
Lieutenant
Douglass Ottinger, of the U. S. revenue cutter Frolic
IO9
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
on leave of absence, volunteered to take command of the vessel, and after taking on a cargo of general mer¬ chandise the expedition sailed from San Francisco in the latter part of March, 1850.
The vessel was provis¬
ioned for a two months’ voyage with fifty passengers. During the first day out there was a Southeast wind and rain, but on the second day the storm ceased and there was a light Northwest breeze and clear skies.
So
far as could be observed from the vessel, running close in shore, the coast up to the latitude of Cape Mendo¬ cino presented no break or depression indicative of any considerable valley or affluent of the sea.
Cape
Mendocino passed, the uniformity of the coast line ceased, the mountains sweeping inland and making a grand curve to the Northward. While sailing up the coast North of Cape Mendocino, Lieutenant Ottinger saw the mouth of Eel River and came to anchor two miles off the bar.
The next day
three other vessels also anchored in the same locality. A boat from one of them—the General Morgan— crossed the bar and entered the river.
Seeing the
General Morgans boat cross the river bar safely, Lieutenant Ottinger launched two boats for the same purpose, one commanded by himself and one by Al¬ bert Swain.
On the bar the breakers capsized Swain’s
boat, which was in advance, and Lieutenant Ottinger put back to the ship.
Upon reaching the vessel, he
informed the second officer, H. H. Buhne, of what had occurred, and requested him to take a crew and try to save the men who were clinging to the capsized boat. Buhne willingly consented to undertake the task, and
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
I IO
with his boat he went among the breakers and rescued from their perilous position four of the men—L. M. Burson, N. Duperu, Albert Swain and a man named Bell.
The fifth man of the crew, J. S. Rowen, was
drowned. Captain Ottinger abandoned the exploration of Eel River to the more fortunate seamen who had safely crossed the bar and headed his own vessel North.
Sail¬
ing close in to the shore, he saw distinctly the waters of what he conceived to bb a large bay, but he could not see any entrance to it.
This inability to discover the
entrance at that time was afterwards attributed to the fact that breakers on both the North and South spits were rolling heavily, the breakers from the South lap¬ ping over those from the North, and thus hiding the channel from the view of the discoverers on board the Laura Virginia. The vessel sailed on up to Trinidad, and from thence fifty miles farther North to the open roadstead where Crescent City is now situated.
Here there was one
vessel, the Cameo, at anchor, and another, the Par¬ agon, stranded on the beach.
A boa twas sent off
to the shore, where the crew were informed that a boat from another vessel had capsized while attempting to make the landing a few days before and several per¬ sons were drowned.
A search on the beach resulted
in the discovery of the lifeless body of one of the un¬ fortunate party—Lieutenant R. Bache, who had been an attache of the United States Coast
Survey.
A
plain coffin was prepared and the remains were buried, Lieutenant Ottinger officiating in the reading of the ritual service of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
I I
Remaining in the roadstead two days, the Laura Virginia sailed down the coast to Trinidad. While run¬ ning down the coast the crew noticed a streak of fresh¬ looking water making out from the land, and by examin¬ ation ascertained that it came from a large river North of Trinidad.
Lieutenant Ottinger ordered
Second
Officer Buhne to take a boat and sound the bar, but instructed him not to attempt a crossing.
Buhne fol¬
lowed instructions and returned to the ship.
The river
whose mouth was thus discovered was the Klamath. When the vessel arrived at Trinidad it was decided that a party should be landed there, whose duty it should be to explore on foot the coast line South to the bay which had been seen from the deck of the ship.
From those who volunteered there were selected
by E. H. Howard, who had the personal direction of that expedition, H. W. Havens, Samuel B. Tucker, Robert Lamott, S. W. Shaw and a Mr. Peebles.
Sup¬
plied with provisions and ammunition, the five men followed Howard and marched South down the beach. It was agreed with Captain Ottinger that the Laura Virginia should return to Trinidad and take the party on board.
Three or four hours’ travel brought the
party to the crossing of Mad River, whose Southern bank they perceived was lined with canoes, drawn up on the dry land, and in the background was a large rancheria of many lodges and hundreds of inhabitants. Yell after yell rang out from the rancheria when the whites appeared on the opposite shore, and scores of excited natives thronged the water’s edge.
Squaws
with their papooses were seen scampering from their
I 12
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
lodges to the rear, while the warriors, grasping bows and quivers, assembled in hasty pow-wow on the bank. The whites knew not how to talk to them; and they were equally at a loss how to talk to the whites.
In
pantomime the intelligence was sent across the stream by the whites that they meant no harm and only wanted to cross to the Indian rancheria.
After much
parleying in dumb show, which half satisfied but did not convince the natives, several canoes were manned and struck out across the swollen and eddying stream. There was a repetition on shore of the previous pan¬ tomime, the superstitious fear of the savages being ex¬ ceedingly difficult to overcome.
White men they had
never seen, unless, perchance, Dr. Gregg’s party had crossed their river here, and their observation of the strange visitors was accompanied by many ejaculations of wonder and surprise.
Finally consenting to take
the six men across the stream, motions and signs were made which signified the desire of the Indians that one only should cross at a time.
The canoes were
brought close to the bank and the whites motioned to get in.
Here was a predicament which had not been
foreseen.
To go across one at a time might be to
court the treachery of the Indians, and perhaps to meet death in its most terrible form.
A vigorous protest
was made to the proposition, and the Indians very re¬ luctantly consented to take all of them across at the same time.
Carried safely to the Southern shore of
the stream, the whites were surrounded by the curious natives, curious even to touch them and feel if they were really men and not fantastic figures from an In-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
dian’s dream.
I I3
Taking advantage of their superstitious
regard, the whites anxiously undertook to them with a sense of supernatural power.
impress
They told
the savage warriors, by expressive pantomime, that six white men could braves.
defeat in battle
a
thousand
A striking device to reach the superstitious
veneration of the Indians was suggested by a survey¬ or’s compass in the hands of one of the party.
An
eager circle of warriors, young and old, crowd around the whites while one of them explains the connection of the little instrument with the Great Spirit of the earth and sky, and seeks to fix his own identity as the “medicine man ” of the travelers.
The compass is
placed on the ground, and as the needle trembles and flutters on its pivot the Indians watch with increasing wonder.
The white “medicine man” takes a knife
and moves the blade slowly around the disk of the compass.
Slowly, with little quivering stops, like warn¬
ing fingers pointed at individual braves, the needle fol¬ lows the knife blade around the circle.
Filled with a
profound feeling of awe, the warriors see the knife withdrawn and the needle settle to its quiet rest.
The
white “ medicine man ” lifts the instrument to his ear, as if thus communicating with the Great Spirit; the Indians themselves draw nearer, eager to catch a stray whisper from the Unseen World, though it be in an unknown tongue;
the “ medicine
man ”
withdraws
the instrument and gravely endeavors to make them understand that all their secret thoughts and purposes are revealed to him through its agency. successful.
The ruse is
The untutored mind of the savage, deriv-
114
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ing from all nature continual additions to his super¬ stitious lore, sees in the little mechanical instrument a revelation of divine wisdom and power.
He regards
the whites with an awe which is not unmixed with reverence.
This one experiment would doubtless have
been sufficient to preserve the whites from the danger of an attack, but it was thought best to give another proof of their ability to protect themselves.
A target
is set up and pierced by bullet after bullet at sixty yards.
A flock of geese go sailing over the spot.
good shot brings one fluttering to the ground.
A The
natives are now thoroughly convinced of the super¬ natural attributes of their 'white visitors.
They are
safe from all danger while in the vicinity of this rancheria. Leaving a few presents at the rancheria, given to those who appeared to have authority, the party pro¬ ceeded on their way Southward, keeping on the beach, which was smooth and free from troublesome obstruc¬ tions.
They were followed several miles by many of
the natives, whose curiosity was not yet perfectly sat¬ isfied.
Stealthily running from hillock to hillock, on
a parallel line with the whites, the heads of the curious Indians would now and then be seen, just raised above a bank of drifted sand, the eager eyes watching, with all the fierceness their Creator gave them, every move¬ ment of the whites.
Late in the afternoon of the same
day the party saw the entrance to the bay. Howard’s party had accomplished the object of their mission, and it was with light hearts and high hopes that they started back to Trinidad on the following
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
115
morning, having camped the night before near the spot where the Humboldt Light House now stands. Traveling on the beach, and meeting with no difficul¬ ties, they reached Trinidad before night, keeping their own counsel, and revealing to no one the result of their journey.
On the next day the Laura Virginia
anchored in the harbor, and the ship’s boat was sent to take the party on board.
Lieutenant Ottinger was confirmed in his opinion that a large bay lay in the basin South of Trinidad by the report he received from Howard’s party.
On
the 9th day of April, 1850, the unanimous voice of those on board the Laura Virginia decided that an attempt should be made to cross the bar and enter the bay.
It was determined to send one of the ship’s boats
first, before attempting either to cross with passengers or take the vessel in.
Who could best command the
boat and direct the crew to a safe termination of what might prove to be a perilous undertaking ?
This grave
question met with the serious consideration it deserved, and the choice to which the company came was a most happy one.
It was agreed that Second Officer
Buhne possessed the qualifications necessary to an acceptable leader in the expedition across the unknown and perhaps perilous bar.
He was known to be a
good sailor, inured to the dangers and hardships of the sea, a brave man, and a man of common sense.
His
I 16
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
selection as the proper person to take the pioneer boat across the bar was a wise and judicious proceeding. Between ten and eleven o’clock on the morning of the 9th of April the boat was launched, and Buhne, with Wm. Broderson, James Baker, an Englishman named Palmer, and one other man whose name has been forgotten by the survivors, for his crew, started across the bar.
Skillful seamanship carried the boat
safely across the bar and into the harbor.
The crew
landed at a point opposite the entrance—for many years known as
Humboldt
Point, and now called
Buhne’s Point—where they remained till one o’clock in the afternoon, when, taking advantage of high wa¬ ter, the boat was headed for the sea.
Buhne made
soundings on the bar and found four and a half fath¬ oms of water in a well-defined channel.
Going
on
board the ship, he reported to Lieutenant Ottinger what he had seen and done, and it was decided that another trip should be made on the same day, this time with two boats, loaded with passengers, tents, provi¬ sions, etc.
The two boats, Buhne commanding the one
in advance, then crossed the bar and landed on the north beach at half past seven o’clock.
On the next
morning the whole party went across to the point and pitched their tents. days.
Here they all
remained three
On the 12th a vessel was seen off the bar, and
Buhne with his boat’s crew went out to her, supposing that she was the Laura Virginia. vessel, but was
It was not that
the Whiting, sailing towards
Eel
River, ambitious to be the first vessel to enter that stream.
The Captain of the Whiting, like the offi-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-TIIE LAURA VIRGINIA.
11 7
cers of a rival vessel, the J. M. Ryerson, believed that this river was the Trinity; and if they had observed the basin to the North with any interest, it was only indicative to them of a shallow lagoon or basin.
It
was late in the afternoon, and I^uhne and his crew boarded
the Whiting, remaining
there
all
night.
They were reticent of their own previous movements. It would not do for them to relate where they had been or what was their success.* The members of every expedition then exploring the coast considered themselves morally bound to keep a profound secret any discovery or location made by them.
Precisely
why this was so cannot be easily accounted for at the present day. A lively imagination can indeed surmise various reasons for secrecy.
Each expedition was ani¬
mated by a more or less envious jealousy of every other expedition, and every commander of a vessel was firmly convinced that the honor of first sailing into a bay or river ought to belong to him.
No trouble¬
some questions were asked of Buhne or his crew, the crew of the Whiting probably surmising that they had been away from their vessel on an excursion, and the night was passed quietly as the guests of the ves¬ sel.
On the morning of the next day, the 13th, the
Whiting was near Eel River, and the crew saw with disgust the J. M. Ryerson sail across the bar and into the river before them. Wishing to come up with his own vessel as soon as he could, Buhne parted company with the Whiting and proceeded North in the small boat.
In the after¬
noon the Laura Virginia came down from the North,
I 18
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
took Buhne and his crew on board, and stood off to sea during the night. at noon
The tide and wind being favorable
of the next day, April
14th, 1850, Second
Officer Buhne took the wheel and guided the Laura Virginia into the fray, where she anchored near the point on which the tents of the passengers were plain¬ ly visible. The 14th of April was a proud day for the Laura Virginia Association.
Captain Ottinger, and every
one of the officers and members of the expedition, felt highly elated because of the success which had attend¬ ed their voyage.
What
grand
castles
they
built
in the air is not for our generation to know; and per¬ haps it is well that we draw' not back too rudely the curtain of time that hides them from our view, for in the very act of exposing the unsubstantial glory of their hopes, we might, perchance, uncover to the world some day-dreams of our own.
The company, as a
matter of course, thought their fortunes were made, and they proceeded to take possession land for the site of the city that was to be.
of sufficient After con¬
siderable discussion the bay was christened, likewise the city.
Both were named “ Humboldt,” in honor of
the distinguished naturalist of that name, at the earn¬ est solicitation of a member of the expedition whose enthusiastic admiration for the illustrous Prussian was as boundless as the latter’s knowledge.
Afterwards the
Association voted to give the Baron Von Humboldt a choice lot in the city of his name ; and a deed of the same was written and sent to him, with a full account of the
adventures
of the company, for w'hich
the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
I 19
Association in due season received his kind acknowl¬ edgements over his own signature. As set forth in the articles of the Association, when any important discoveries were made the members ac¬ companying
the expedition were to select and take
possession of such lands and. locations as they should deem most eligible for commercial or agricultural pur¬ poses.
Each locator was to hold his claim for the joint
benefit of all the members, until, by a subsequent allot¬ ment, he should have his interest defined in severalty, with due regard to rights and shares in town sites as well as in the exterior lands.
A certain proportion
(one-sixteenth) of the whole was reserved as a con¬ tingent, chargeable with such extraordinary expenses as the making of trails and bridges, the necessary require¬ ments of protection against native enemies, and all matters of a public nature in which the benefit of the community was distinguished from that of the indi¬ vidual.
Lands were accordingly located on the shore
of the bay, opposite the entrance, covering a shore-line of four miles, and extending back indefinitely.
Hum¬
boldt Point was a central location, and here the city was located.
A town sprang up under the magical
activity of the pioneers.
An imposing array of build¬
ings and tents were erected along the city front, and preparations were soon completed to send out a party to open a trail to the gold mines of the Trinity. The first summer witnessed considerable increase in the population of the Bay, and of Humboldt City. The resident members of the Laura Virginia Association directed their best energies to the promotion of its in-
120
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
terests, and when contracts for public work were made that could not be satisfied out of the interest in con¬ tingent shares an order was drawn against the Board of Trustees in San Francisco.
Among many obliga¬
tions of this kind, the following is given to show the practical operations between the two Boards of Trus¬ tees before referred to:
“
To
$300. Messrs.
Folsom, Gallagher, and Simmons,
Trus¬
tees of Laura Virginia Association :— Please pay to Mr. Geo. O. Whitney three hundred dollars, and charge the same to Contingent Fund of said Association. E.
H. Howard,
Robt. H.
W.
T.
Lamott,
Havens,
Trustees L. V. Association. Humboldt,
June 19th, 1850.
P. S.—The above order is drawn for amount of ex¬ penses incurred in opening a road to the mines, we as Trustees deeming it better to raise the money from individual members than to draw upon the lots, which at this time are not as convertible into cash as they will be, we have reason to hope, a short time hence. Respectfully, etc., E.
H. Howard,
Robt. H. Humboldt,
June 19th, 1850.”
W.
T.
Lamott,
Havens.
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
I2I
Similar demands to the amount of several thousand dollars were referred to the San Francisco Trustees to be provided for and accounts was
paid.
The
never brought in
correctness of the question, but after
more or less delay they were sent back to the Hum¬ boldt Board with instructions that they be paid out of the sale of contingent city lots. the Bay always had
been
The Trustees on
empowered to dispose of
any part of this interest and apply the proceeds to the uses for which it had been reserved, but to give it an assured value work of local and public necessity had to be first done. advances of cash Francisco, that
When it was apparent that no
would be forthcoming from San
the discoverers at Humboldt were
acting only as a convenient appendage to headquar¬ ters, and without reimbursement they were expected to take
all
the
risks, spend
their time,
do
the
trail
making, the surveying, etc., with the privilege thrown in of footing the incidental expenses, it was agreed to disagree.
As an association on the original basis the
Laura Virginia scheme was brought to an end. No longer handicapped by the useless machinery of business with the San Francisco Board, the affairs of the Humboldt Trustees went smoothly.
Humboldt
City presented daily indications of reaching the rank of populous and
prosperous
towns.
There was no
relaxation of enterprising efforts to advance the wel¬ fare of the community, and
the estimate which the
outside public put upon the prospective importance of Humboldt may be approximated from correspond¬ ence which passed between E. H. Howard and San
122
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Francisco parties.
A letter from D. W. Coit, a San
Francisco membet* of the Association, read thirty-four years after it was written, has a curious interest.
An
influential and leading citizen of San Francisco at that date, Mr. Coit wrote:
“San Francisco,
E. H.
Howard,
May 3d, 1851.
Esq.:
Dear Sir:—I received some little time ago from you a petition to the Agent of the Postoffice Department with
respect to the establishment of a
postoffice at Humboldt, and in compliance with your request have handed it about to the parties interested here for their signatures
to be added to the list of
those obtained by you. I only wait the Agent’s return here, which is expected by the next steamer
from
Panama, to place the matter before him and endeavor to have some prompt action taken in the matter. You will, I think, be glad to hear that I have been in some
degree instrumental in
inducing
Captain
Knight (Agent for P. M. S. Company) to order his Oregon steamers to touch at our port on their way up and down the coast.
That company of course look
for advantages to their own private interests whereever they can obtain them, and if we wish to secure their stopping at our place exclusively, regularity on their trips, we must
and with
make some con¬
cessions of lots, and so I have assured Capt. Knight we should be prepared to do so under some positive engagement on his part. at present
He is not prepared to say
that they will construct improvements on
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA.
I 23
the water for the accommodation of their steamers, though he hinted at this in the remark, that they should require one entire block (three water-lots and the corresponding lots above tide water) to meet their wants.
Without anything being definitely settled
between us, Capt. Knight agrees that the Columbia, which leaves on Monday next for Oregon, shall touch at Humboldt for the purpose of her Captain (Le Roy) making a survey of the bay and noting the advantages of the different places on it which set up claims to prominence.
Capt. Le
Roy, from a conversation
have had with him, will go impressed
I
favorably to¬
ward our place; but there is no question that it will be politic to make him directly interested
in
the
place, by giving him individually such an interest as shall enlist him for us—I should say at least a half a share.
His report to Capt.
Knight and
to the
company will be very important; then he will always exercise great influence with the passengers which he will bring to the Oregon.
Bay from
hence,
as well as from
This I look upon as a very important turn¬
ing time in our affairs:
and this
new arrangement
proposed may be the pivot on which our whole suc¬ cess and prosperity may turn. I trust you have
not got me down on your pro¬
scription list as one not ready and willing at all times to do my share in
building up (what is to be, and
must be) the first seaport between
the
Bay of San
Francisco and the Columbia River. Believe me, dear sir, Your very obedient servant, D. W.
Coit. ”
124
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
In the belief that a liberal subsidy
would secure
regular steamer communication with the metropolis, and be followed by some if not all of the benefits in¬ dicated by Mr. Coit, the Laura Virginia Association« donated to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company the desired water frontage and town lots,
and in good
faith the company for a season performed their part of the contract. Humboldt City for a year or more kept in advance of any other town on the Bay.
Stores, pack trains,
mechanics’ shops and saloons gave unmistakable signs of business progress.
But that could only last while
the town could control the trade with the mines.
The
advantage of a nearer route, and an Indian trail from the head of the Bay that was practicable without costly improvements, settled the rivalry in favor of Union and against Humboldt City.
The castles in the air
built by its founders soon tumbled down about them, Union and Eureka divided the business of the Bay, t.he city that was to be faded from the visionary pro¬ jects of
the adventurers’
dream.
Humboldt City
succumbed to the inexorable decrees of fate, and to-day the scene of its once bustling life is abandoned to its original pastoral simplicity. If a complete account of the doings of the Laura Virginia
Association, its
meetings and proceedings,
were given to the world, it would, beyond a doubt, be intensely interesting to the reader of to-day.
Would
that a pen in young fingers might chronicle every mi¬ nute detail of that old society !
But it has passed
away, and with it a majority of its projectors.
Some
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-THE LAURA VIRGINIA..
I 25
few remain—like land-marks in the more substantial form
of old houses—to be sadly missed when
whirligig of time sweeps them from the earth.
the
A few
are yet in the prime of manhood, albeit on the shady side of life.
Even to them, looking back through the long
vista of a third of a century gone, their pioneer Asso¬ ciation must seem like the unsubstantial creation of a dream, and like the substance that dreams are made of the cruise of the Laura Virginia.
126
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER III. Annals of
Discovery—Early Settlements and Voyages
by
Sea and Land.
Major P. B. Reading.—Mining excitement on the Trinity River.— Embryo cities in newly discovered territory.—Bucksport, Union and Eureka.—The Brannan brothers.—Warnerville and Klamath City.
A magical effect of the name of Trinity is that it calls to the mind of every one conversant with the history of Northwest California a host of pioneer scenes and reminiscences. Not the least interesting are the expeditions of discovery which had their end¬ ing or beginning on the banks of the Trinity River. The trappers of the Hudson Bay Company were fa¬ miliar with the larger streams in the neighborhood of the Shasta Valley and had visited the Trinity, but to the mining excitement occurring several years after the first visit by trappers is correctly attributed the permanent settlement of the Trinity, the Salmon and the Klamath. The first mining on the Trinity of which there is any authentic record was done by a party of trappers and explorers under direction of Major Pearson B. Reading, who settled in Shasta
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
county in 1847.
I 2J
In the spring of .1845 Reading left
Sutter’s Fort with 30 men and 100 pack horses for the purpose of trapping the streams of Upper Cali¬ fornia and Oregon.
In the month of May he crossed
the mountains from the Sacramento divide now known as
River, near a
the backbone,” and twenty or
thirty miles from there he discovered a large stream which he named the Trinity, supposing that it flowed into Trinidad charts.
Bay as
marked
on
the old
Spanish
He remained on the river three weeks, trap¬
ping, no known ledge of gold being acquired. years later,
in June, 1849,
Major
Four
Reading, then a
rancher in the Shasta Valley, organized a small party and went on an exploring expedition to the Trinity River.
The party traveled up the stream a consider¬
able distance and discovered the gold-bearing gravel bars which afterwards made the river famous.
Return¬
ing to the Sacramento River settlements in August, they spread the news of the gold discovery, and the rush for the Trinity began.
From that time there
were numerous expeditions of miners and adventurers, who explored the rivers and canons of the mountain¬ ous country between the Sacramento and the sea.
To
Reading’s expedition and the reports communicated to the Sacramento settlements by its members is attrib¬ uted, also, the subsequent wild search for the mouth of the Trinity.
The opinion became general that the
river discovered by Reading emptied its waters into Trinidad Bay, and it was naturally supposed that the best route to the mines would be by way of the river from the ocean.
Expedition after expedition was fitted
128
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
out by sea to discover the mouth of the Trinity, some on the co-operative plan, some by masters and owners of vessels, who charged enormous prices for passage in their vessels.
The
Cameo sailed
up
the
coast in
December, 1849, but returned to San Francisco with the report that no such place as Trinidad Bay could be discovered.
Contradictory reports came in, and
the Cameo at once sailed to the North, followed in quick succession by
the
Sierra Nevada, James K.
Whiting, Isabel, Arabian, General Morgan, Hector, California, J. M. Ryerson, Paragon, Maileroy, Galinda, Patapsco, and the successful Laura Virginia.
In
March, 1850, the real harbor of Trinidad was discovered by the Cameo, and was soon afterwards entered by the Laura
Virginia, James R.
Whiting and California.
The reception in San Francisco of the news of the dis¬ covery of Trinidad, and a little later of the discovery by seaof Humboldt Bay, created intense excitement.
Trin¬
idad was the name which, above all others, for a short period possessed a charm for adventurous spirits.
As if
by magic, embryo cities actually sprang up in the new¬ ly discovered
territory, or
were neatly drawn upon
paper. The first town-site which was located on Humboldt Bay was Humboldt City, by the Laura Virginia As¬ sociation, in April, 1850.
Next the towns of Bucks-
port, Union, and Eureka were located.
When the sur¬
vivors of the Gregg party reached Sonoma, and after L. K. Wood had sufficiently recovered his strength, a party of thirty men was organized to return overland to Humboldt Bay, and on the 19th of April, 1850, the
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
I 29
party reached the bay, having occupied about twenty days in the trip from Sonoma.
In the narrative pub¬
lished by Mr. Wood, many years afterwards, he said: “We saw that the schooner Laura
Virginia was
inside, and that Humboldt Point was occupied by her party.
They did not see us, and that they should not
we shifted our course more to the North, coming upon the shore of the bay where Bucksport now stands. Here we left four of our number to occupy and make improvements on the land, the others proceeding as fast as possible across the bay at this point, by the help of the Indians, and made our way on foot to the head of the bay, where Areata (Union) now stands, and which we considered the only place for a town. We arrived here on the 21st of April, and stayed about three days, laying foundations for houses, post¬ ing notices with names, dates, etc., in order to show that the land was claimed and occupied; then all re turned by the East side of the bay to where we had left the four men.” In the same month (April) the town of Eureka was located on the South side of Humboldt Bay, and Trini¬ dad—first called Warnerville—was located at Trini¬ dad
Harbor.
Some peculiar circumstances accom¬
panied the location of the latter place.
Samuel Bran-
nan had fitted out the General Morgan, which was commanded by John Brannan, his brother.
Early in
April the two Brannans, each with a crew and ship’s boat, entered Eel River from their vessel anchored in the offing, naming the stream Brannan River, a name it failed to retain. 9
The Brannans explored the river
130
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the first day and on the second crossed a neck of land at the foot of a high bluff—now called Table Bluff and which they named Brannan Bluff—dragging their boats after them, and crossed
Humboldt Bay, from
whence they walked up the coast to Trinidad Harbor. There they found R. A. Parker and party, who had entered Trinidad
in
the James
R. Whiting.
Par¬
ker was accompanied by Charles C. Southard, of the old
Gregg party, J. C. Campbell, Frank
Lemmon,
Thomas J. Roach, Robert Atherton,-Ayres, and William Hawks, and had commenced to lay out a city. The Brannan party were given a hearty welcome and invited to join in laying out the new city. sented, and survey lines were streets located.
They con¬
run and blocks and
When a division of the lots was at¬
tempted a controversy arose which terminated disas¬ trously.
Parker’s party, which was smaller than the
Brannan party, wanted an equal division of the lots. The Brannan party objected, and finally left the place in disgust.
A few days later an expedition
Captain R. V. Warner arrived
on
the
under
brig Isabel
and located what they were pleased to call the City of Warnerville. Captain
On the day of the arrival of the brig
Warner erected a house and hoisted the
American
flag.
His house was the third one con¬
structed, R. A. Parker having erected the first and a Mr. Van Wyck the second.
Warnerville was located
and christened on the ioth of April, and on the 13th an Alcalde, Second Alcalde, and a Sheriff were elect¬ ed by the citizens, one hundred and forty votes being polled.
A pack-train arrived from the Trinity during
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
I
31
the same week, bringing glowing reports of the rich¬ ness of the
mines; and
with these flattering pros¬
pects the harbor of Trinidad and the city of Warnerville started on their career. Klamath City was one of the ephemeral produc¬ tions of the mining excitement.
When the
driven from Trinidad Head by a storm reached
in
Cameo, March,
Point St. George, she landed some of her
passengers
there.
These, B.
W.
Bullet,
Herman
Ehrenberg, J. T. Tyson, A. Heepe, and a Mr. Gunns, walked down the coast, and about the middle of April arrived at the mouth of the Klamath, which they sup¬ posed was the Trinity.
After traveling up the stream
some distance and locating homesteads near its mouth, the explorers went down to Trinidad, their stories of discovery adding fuel to the feverish excitement which already possessed the place.
They and others went
up to the mouth of the river and located a new town, which they called
Klamath
City.
Here they were
met by Eugene du Bertrand, sole survivor of a boat’s crew of five 'from the Cameo, that had come down from Point St. George, and attempting to cross the river bar in the boat had been upset in the_ break¬ ers.
Bertrand, being a good swimmer, saved himself,
with the
timely assistance of an Indian.
Klamath
City had a rapid growth and a mushroom existence. It was supposed that the river bars from the mouth up were all rich in gold, consequently prospectors and traders flocked to the new town in large numbers.
The
frames of houses, ready to be put together on arrival, were shipped from San Francisco, and it is said that
i32
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
one iron house was imported and erected in the town : as the Indians were living there in great numbers, the owner probably intended to guard against their attacks by inhabiting a castle which would be proof against shot and fire.
The growth of Klamath City was not
more rapid than its decline.
Prospectors at the mouth
of the river did not meet with the success they had anticipated, and left for other localities; the river bar was too dangerous to be crossed in safety by large vessels; traders were unable to bring in their wares by sea; explorers departed for other scenes; build¬ ings were taken down and carried away: and in a few months from its location the site of the prospective city was the same primeval solitude broken in upon by the first white explorer.
To-day there is not a ves¬
tige of the town to be seen, not a single visible testi¬ monial of the busy and exciting scenes that once transpired there.
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EXTREME NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER
I 33
IV.
Annals of Discovery.—The Extreme Northwest. The County of Del Norte.—Its first settlement.—Happy Camp.— Crescent City.—The story of the lost cabin.—Captain McDer¬ mott.—J. F. Wendell’s land grant.—Smith’s River Valley.
Intimately connected with the settlement and subse¬ quent history of Humboldt Bay, the extreme Northwest territory of California could not escape the notice of explorers who sailed up the unknown coast in ’50 or traveled across the trackless mountains in ’49.
The
county of Del Norte, formerly a part of the old county of Klamath, is situated in the Northwest corner of the State, and the name signifies in English “the North.” It is bounded on the East by Siskiyou county, on the West by the Pacific Ocean, on the South by Humboldt and Siskiyou counties, and on the North by the Oregon line.
It was a part of Klamath county until the Leg¬
islature of i856-’57 passed a bill providing for the divis¬ ion of that county and the creation of the new county of Del Norte.
The bill located the county seat at
Crescent City, and ordered an election held in May, 1857, for the first county officers. The first settlement in the territory comprising Del
134
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Norte county was made in 1851.
In the spring of
that year a party of prospectors and explorers, consist¬ ing of Capt. S. R. Tompkins, Robt. S. Williams, Capt. McDermott, Charles Moore, Thos. J. Roach, Charles Wilson, Charles Southard, two brothers named Swain, -Taggart, Geo.Wood, W. T. Stevens, B. Ray, Wm. Rumley, W. A. J. Moore, Jerry Lane, John Cox, J. W. Burke, James Buck, and-Penney, and several others whose names have been lost in the lapse of time, started from Trinidad on an expedition up the Klamath River, camping on every bar which showed the color of the gold they were seeking, and continu¬ ally compelled to keep guard against prowling Indians. The settlement they ultimately made was preceded by a bloody tragedy.
While the men were prospecting
two bars near each other, the Indians with many pro¬ fessions of friendship endeavored to induce them to move further up the river, saying that at a distance of less than “ one-half a sleep ” there were good camping grounds and gold diggings.
Three young men, Bar¬
ney Ray, Moore and Penney, believed the representa¬ tions of the Indians, went up the river together, and were foully murdered.
Immediately after the murder,
which occurred a few days after the three young men had arrived at their new location, several of their com¬ rades went up the river to & point directly opposite the place where they had pitched their tent.
The
party could see the tent still standing, but being un¬ able to hear or see anything of the three occupants, and seeing numbers of Indians skulking about the premises, they surmised that some misfortune had be-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EXTREME NORTHWEST.
fallen them.
I 35
Actuated by this belief they returned to
camp and organized a party of volunteers to go up the river and ascertain the fate of their friends.
Arriving
at the tent they learned that their fears had been well founded.
The Indians had murdered two of the three
men who had believed and followed them, and wounded the other.
The body of one, Barney Ray, was buried
on the spot, and another, Penney, mortally wounded, was carried down the river on a litter to Wingate’s Bar, where he died.
The body of Moore was not
found at the time, but several weeks afterward the re¬ mains of a dead body, supposed to have been his, were found in the river below, so much decayed as to be unrecognizable.
The perpetrators of the deed did not
go unpunished.
The party, determined to avenge the
death of their comrades, pursued the Indians, and fol¬ lowing their trail up the river discovered their village, a large number of huts indicating the home of a pow¬ erful tribe.
Satisfied with their discovery, they re¬
turned to camp, and the next morning at break of day made an attack on the Indians.
The majority of all
in the village were killed. outright.
The Indians had
no guns and were at the mercy of the whites. Two or three weeks after the murder of the three white men and the attack on the Indian village the party of pioneers removed from Wingate’s Bar to a camp higher up the stream, to a place which
they
united in giving the name of
And
Happy Camp.
thus, ushered in by a tragedy of death, the first settle¬ ment in the territory of Del Norte was made. Happy Camp! A name suggestive of cool shades of
136
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST..
forest trees, of sparkling streams from mountain sides; it brings a breath of the bracing air from mountain snows which fanned the cheeks of the hardy pioneer who dared to molest the Indian in his choicest hunting grounds; it suggests a land teeming with game and fruit, and all other rich and beneficent things bestowed by bountiful Nature—a land in which the footsore and weary Argonaut might find rest and happiness and peace.
However pleasant and suggestive the name
might be, it is certain that the pioneers of
Happy
Camp met with as many difficulties as others of their class, and the name itself was probably chosen more in a spirit of irony than as an expression of pleasure.
It
appears that on a certain evening the party, assembled around their camp-fires, were regaling themselves with the contents of a black bottle which passed freely from hand to hand, when some one proposed that the place should have a name.
Among others “ Happy Camp ”
was proposed and was adopted.
Three hearty cheers
were given for Happy Camp, the bottle was passed again, and thus the
new mining town
received its
christening. After the settlement of Happy
Camp,
and
when
settlements had been made at Trinidad and the mouth of the South
Klamath,
the
side of Point
somewhat strange
town of Crescent £ity, on the St. George, was located.
It is
that a permanent 'settlement was
not made here at an earlier date than 1852, for as early as the spring of 1850 several vessels anchored in the roadstead, including the Paragon, Cameo and Laura Virginia.
Crescent City had a peculiar and romantic
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY—EXTREME NORTHWEST.
I 37
origin. In 1849-50 a story was circulated throughout the Pacific Coast, and in many of the Eastern states, rivalling the legend of Captain
Kidd’s
equalling in imaginative qualities “ Arabian Nights.”
treasure, and
any- fable of the
There are many versions of the
story, the most generally accepted being to the effect that in the very earliest days of the mining excitement in California, a miner more adventurous than any of his fellows, armed necessary
mining
with
his rifle and supplied with
implements,
crossed
the
Coast
Range and prospected the gulches and ravines of the foot-hills near the seashore. One lucky day he “ struck it rich.”
The rich earth yielded its yellow treasures in
abundance, and the solitary miner erected a cabin in the wilderness, with the sole thought of amassing a fortune and returning to home and friends in the East. And there in the “ forest primeval,” with the giant trees towering above him, the lonely gold-hunter toiled as if for life, day after day, for many weary months, adding to his store of gold until it amounted to a fab¬ ulous sum.
The prowling Indian found his retreat at
last, and attacking him with overwhelming numbers left him senseless on
the ground, apparently dead.
The treasure was too well hidden to be easily found, and failing in their search for it, the savages set fire to the cabin, burning it to ashes.
When they had gone,
the miner recovered consciousness, but not his reason —the light of his mind had gone out, and left a flick¬ ering flame of disconnected thought.
Bereft of his
reason, he wandered out of the forest and into the home of civilization.
How he succeeded in finding
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
i3»
his way back to his friends in the East the legend saith not.
But (so the story goes) he did succeed in reach¬
ing his home, and
there, after a brief period, died.
Before his death his reason returned to him, and call¬ ing his friends around him he told them the story of his hidden treasure, describing minutely th6 locality of the cabin.
And from the account he gave it was
evident that the lost cabin was situated somewhere on the Northern coast of California. So
runs
the legend
of
the lost cabin.
And
however improbable the story may appear, it was, in various forms, circulated far and wide, and
many
parties were at different times fitted out to search for the bonanza.
In the spring of 1851 a party under
Captain McDermott were searching for the lost cabin in the vicinity of what is now known as French Hill. Ascending to the top of the hill, they saw before them a broad expanse depression
in
of ocean, with
here and there a
the coast line, and at one spot
in
particular a deep indentation in the rocky coast caused them to conclude that there was to be found a bay of considerable magnitude. was
circulated
in
the
The report of this discovery interior, and in
September,
1852, another party, composed of Captain Bell, Major J. B. Taylor, Henry Kennedy, Thomas McGrew, James D. Wall,
Richard
Humphreys,
Wm.
Osborn
and
three or four others started for the coast in search of the harbor seen by the McDermott party.
They pro¬
cured the necessary outfit at Althouse, Oregon, and were well prepared for their perilous and journey.
fatiguing
They were obliged to cut trails for them-
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EXTREME NORTHWEST.
selves and
animals,
and
they met with
I 39
numerous
other obstacles which required great perseverance and labor to surmount.
Reaching the coast, they passed
through a valley near the sea where large herds of elk were feeding quietly by the way, unmindful of their presence.
For this reason they named it Elk Valley,
a name it bears at the present time.
Arriving at the
seashore the party camped on the beach, naming the roadstead to the South of them Paragon Bay.
Winter
was approaching, and their provisions would be soon exhausted;
so they dispatched a messenger, Richard
Humphreys,
to
San
charter a vessel
Francisco, instructing him
from
that port to
Paragon
to
Bay.
While in San Francisco Richard Humphreys met J. F. Wendell, and induced him to organize an expedition to Paragon Bay.
The expedition was soon organized
and equipped, and chartering the schooner Pomona set sail and arrived at Paragon Bay some time in the Fall of 1852.
Nothing was done
surveying and
locating a town-site, and
that year toward it was not
until the month of February, 1853, that any move was made in that direction.
During the Winter of 1852-
’53 A. M. Rosborough purchased a land warrant in J. F. Wendell’s name for the 320 acres on which Crescent City now stands, and in February, 1853, the land was surveyed by P. F. Robinson and divided into town lots.
Lots in the new town were transferred by deed
from J. F. Wendell to W. A Thorp, A. M. Rosborough, G. W. Jordan, A. K.Ward, Richard Humphreys,]. M. Peters, J. K. Irving, J. D. Cook, J. B. Taylor, B. J. Bell, W. S. Watterman, F. E. Weston, P. C. Bryant,
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
140
M. Martin, M. Smythe, A. Coyle, C. D. Parton, G. A Guthrie, H. Fellows, T. H. McGrew, D. C. Lewis, H. Kennedy, J. H..Short, F. S. Pomeroy, J. H. Boddeby, S. F. Watts and H. S. Fitch; and it appears from the deeds
that all
but seven
received
their lots for a
money consideration, ranging from $100 to $1,000, and that but six of the party besides J. F. Wendell were originally interested
in
the land.
The transfer to
W. A. Thorp was in consideration of having “ ren¬ dered services in and about Point St. George,” and F.
E. Weston, G. W. Jordan, A. K. Ward, Richard
Humphreys, J. W. Peters and J. K. Irving received their deeds in consideration of having “contributed equally with J. F. Wendell of their money, labor and materials in fitting out an George.”
expedition to
Point St.
Therefore, as only Weston, Jordan, Ward,
Humphreys, Peters, Irving and Wendell had origin¬ ally invested their means in the enterprise, they should be looked upon as the founders of Crescent City. The grant which Wendell had purchased from the State
was afterwards declared
to
be
invalid,
the
United States claiming the title to the land, and those who
had
invested in town
lots were in danger of
losing both the lots and their money.
An arrange¬
ment was finally made by which the Common Coun¬ cil of the
town purchased the land from the United
States at $2.50 per acre.
When the town was finally
and permanently located it was named Crescent City, because the bay or roadstead on which it is situated is in the form of a semicircle. Smith's River Valley, the only other settlement of
ANNALS OF DISCOVERY-EXTREME NORTHWEST.
I41
importance in the district, was settled in 1853. Among the arrivals at Crescent City during the
month
of
April of that year were Jas. Haight, Daniel Haight, H. Davis,-Downie and one or two others, who made the first settlement in Smith’s River Valley, lo¬ cating on the North side of Rowdy Creek, a small stream which flows from the mountains diagonally across the valley.
The valley itself is about ten miles
long and five miles wide.
Through the valley runs
Smith’s River, from which it received its name—a clear, limpid stream, Mountains.
heading away
This
off
in
river was one of
the the
Siskiyou numerous
threads in the mysterious entanglement of early names and localities which for a long time puzzled explorers and travelers.
Like the Trinity and the Klamath, its
course was an enigma and its name a riddle.
Much
speculation has been given to the subject, but no defi¬ nite conclusion has ever been arrived at as to how or when the river received its name. The most generally accepted theory of its origin is, that sometime in 1838 or 1839 a certain Captain Smith and party, in the em¬ ploy of the Hudson
Bay Company, camped on the
banks of this river and were murdered by the Indians. At the present time there are no records extant or persons living to substantiate this theory, and, besides, it is evident that it has no foundation in truth.
On
the contrary, the river undoubtedly owed its name to the ignorance of the early explorers and traders in re¬ gard to the typography of the Northern coast.
In
1842 Fremont camped on the shore of Klamath Lake, Oregon, and in his account of his second voyage of
142
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
exploration he remarks that he was forced to take ex¬ tra precautions to guard against the Indians, and says : “ I was not unmindful of the fate of and party.”
Captain Smith
From this it would appear that a Captain
Smith was murdered by the Indians, and it is well known that his name was given to another river, which empties into Rogue River in Oregon. Fremont’s voyage, and long
In the time of
after, a river in Oregon
now known as Illinois River was called Smith’s River, and it was supposed to empty into the ocean somewhere near the mouth of the present Smith’s River.
It was
natural, therefore, that those who crossed the moun¬ tains and traveled down the river to the coast should call the stream Smith’s River, believing as they did that the two rivers were one and the same.
In the
course of time, when the country became better known, the true Smith’s River received the name of Illinois, while the Del Norte river retained and has kept it ever since.
the former name
THE INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
43
CHAPTER V.
The First Four Years of Settlement.—The
Indians and
their Tribes.
Character of the population.—A slow transition.—Cosmopolitan com¬ munities.—Bitter rivalry between jealous towns.—The Indians. —Six general divisions.—Natural consequences of white settle¬ ment.
In the four years succeeding the discovery of Hum¬ boldt Bay the settlement of the Northwest country was rapid and continual.
It was not the permanent set¬
tlement of agricultural character, but rather the spas¬ modic and temporary settlement which comes of min¬ ing excitements.
Indeed, the early settlement of Hum¬
boldt, Klamath and Trinity counties was only the pre¬ lude to that permanent growth in population and in¬ dustry which later years witnessed.
All the wide scope
of territory tributary to Humboldt Bay, including the Eel River country, the stock-raising section of the Bald Hills, the Klamath River country from the Hoopa Valley to the sea, the Mad River country, and the set¬ tlements along the shores of the bay, were undergoing from 1849 to 1854 a constant period of
transition
from natural wildness and mining fluctuation to the
144
INDIAN WARS
OF THE NORTHWEST.
steady and enduring condition of farming and manu¬ facturing communities. process.
This transition was a slow
Gold mining was yet in the full tide of its
ascendancy, and it was only in mining communities that the whites were assembled together in sufficient numbers for mutual protection against savage Indians and savage Nature.
The farmers, few in number and
isolated in location, had to contend with difficulties which none but pioneers would dare to face.
The vil¬
lages scattered through the territory were far apart, and were separated by
high mountain chains, deep
rivers, and dense forests.
Every obstruction
which
uncultivated Nature throws in the way of man, every danger attending the inevitable conflict between the whites and the Indians, was present to defeat and dis¬ courage them. Without going into details which would more prop¬ erly belong to a professed history of the country, it is sufficient to state that the towns located as Trinidad, Union and Eureka grew into flourishing communi¬ ties, of most cosmopolitan population and most enter¬ prising character.
The mines were the arteries through
which they drew their sustenance.
Many ships laden
with articles for the miners’ use crossed the bar of Humboldt Bay or anchored in the roadstead of Trini¬ dad ; long cavalcades of heavily-laden mules toiled over the mountains to the head-waters of Mad River, the Salmon,or to the Trinity River mines; periodical gold excitements
occasioned
periodical seasons of rapid
growth and feverish prosperity; and through it all the times grew ripe for a more sober and a more perma-
THE
INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
nent settlement.
145
There were seasons of bitter rivalry
between the various towns in the vicinity. Crescent City, Union, Bucksport
Trinidad,
and Eureka each
claimed to be the proper and natural depot of supplies for the miner and the coming metropolis of the North. This jealousy was mcst pronounced between the three towns of Union, Bucksport and Eureka.
Each felt
big with impending greatness, and each desired, above all other things, the dignity of possessing the Court House and Jail.
The county of Humboldt was organ¬
ized in 1853, the town of Union being designated as the county seat.
Bucksport and Eureka did not cease
their bitter rivalry for the honor, and a contest was begun which resulted in two elections in 1854 to de¬ termine the relative claims of the three places.
Union
received the largest vote and was officially declared to be the county seat.
The agitation of the matter con¬
tinued, the charge of fraud on the part of Union Town¬ ship being frequently and persistently asserted.
The
Supervisors refused to erect a Court House in accord¬ ance with the wishes of the Unionites, and the contro¬ versy went on until it was finally determined by the Legislature of the State.
A law was passed at the
legislative session of 1855-56 removing the county seat from Union to Eureka. The Indian population was known to be largely in excess of the whites, though it was impossible, in con¬ sequence of the
unstable character of many of the
white settlements along the rivers and other gold-bear¬ ing streams, to make even a reasonable approximate of the number of the whites. 10
The Indians were dif-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
146
ferently situated.
They had not yet received the inex¬
orable decree of the white man, l< Move on,” and their rancherias presented more of the aspect of permanent settlement
than
the towns of the pioneers.
Their
numbers had not yet been decimated by death and dis¬ ease.
There were
mode of living.
no restraints of their liberty or
The “ Reservation ” system had not
yet been enforced by the Government, nor had the military authority extended to them in the remotest degree. At the beginning of the year 1854 the section of country unprovided with Indian Reservations and un¬ controlled by Indian agencies was very extensive. It was drained by the Salmon, Klamath, Trinity, Redwood Mad and Eel rivers and their tributaries, extending South to the Southern vicinity of Cape Mendocino. Ten thousand Indians lived within the boundaries of this region. They were divided into bands or tribes, and again subdivided into rancherias and families innu¬ merable.
With regard
to their tribal relations and
language they composed six general divisions. were the
There
Weoii and Put-ta-wott Co-will—Eel River
and Mad River Indians—who lived near the mouths of the two rivers and on Humboldt Bay, and the Palik Ai-li-qua—lower Indians—who ranged along the coast, and along the Klamath River from Trinidad to Bluff Creek, the latter being a small stream eight miles above the confluence of the Trinity and Klamath riv¬ ers, sixty miles from the sea.
At that point began the
territory of the Car-rook Ar-rah—North or upper In¬ dians—which extended up the Klamath ninety miles,
THE INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
147
being bounded on the North and East by the hunting grounds of the Shasta
Indians.
The No-ten-ta-yah
No-co-stah—Trinity Indians—comprising the fourth general division, occupied the Trinity from its junc¬ tion with the Klamath to the South Fork, and were also scattered over the Bald Hills and in various places on Redwood and Mad rivers.
The fifth division, the
Patch-wies, was a small band located on New River and on the main Trinity above the South Fork. tending through
all
that
section
of
Ex¬
country em¬
bracing the head-waters of Panther Creek, Redwood, Mad and Eel rivers, was a wing of the powerful tribe known as the Win-toons, or Mountain Diggers, and these constituted the sixth division. When the white
men first entered the region of
country inhabited by the six grand divisions of abo¬ rigines enumerated above, the native population was comparatively immense and individually much supe¬ rior in everything to the remnant of the race now ex¬ isting.
The men of the race were of good form, swift
of foot, keen of eye, athletic, possessed of great powers of endurance, while the opposite sex were also phy¬ sically well endowed. of the
Prior to that period the natives
region were as ignorant of the existence of
the white race as were the aboriginal inhabitants of the Atlantic side of our continent before the discovery of the new world ; and doubtless the former were as profoundly impressed by the advent among them of a new type of humanity, clad in the garb and armed with the weapons of civilization, as were their breth¬ ren who witnessed the landing of Europeans in Amer-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
48
ica for the first time.
Doubtless great wonder, not
unmixed with superstition, as to who these new beings were and from whence they came, filled the savage mind.
Be that as it may, it is unquestionable that the
Indians at first felt friendly towards the new comers. But this friendly feeling was not long to continue. While granting all that is claimed of intelligence, en¬ terprise, love of adventure, contempt of danger, etc., for those who left home and kindred for a journey to California the plains over, the Isthmus across, or the Horn around, in the memorable days of ’49, it must be admitted that many of these energetic and adven¬ turous seekers after the precious metal were not as careful always to respect the rights of those they came in contact with as they were to exact such considera¬ tion for themselves.
The majority of the immigrants
were in favor of dealing fairly and justly with the na¬ tives, and failed not to caution their associates who were heedless of consequences or oblivious of right, of the supreme importance, for the common good, of hon¬ orable conduct toward the savages, and for a time care was taken not to give cause for complaint. Soon other parties
of gold-hunters came, the
feeling that cau¬
tion was necessary wore off, and as had been foreseen by men of experience and good judgment, serious dif¬ ficulties commenced.
From being friendly in feeling
and demeanor, willingly serviceable as guides, in cross¬ ing streams and in various other ways, the Indians gradually began to show signs of discontent with and dislike of
their new acquaintances,
grew morose,
more and more kept aloof, and in many ways gave
THE INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
149
evidence that they considered the white man an un¬ welcome intruder into the country their race had held owership of and lordly jurisdiction over from time im¬ memorial.
This state of feeling was intensified by
the continued reprehensible action of individual white men, which early provoked the savages to petty depre¬ dations against the property of their civilized neigh¬ bors.
Among the causes that strengthened the feel¬
ing of hatred
against the whites and unwillingness
that they should permanently settle in the country, which by the summer of 1851 had firmly taken hold of the Indian mind, was the fear that their presence would interfere with the food supply that had hereto¬ fore abundantly satisfied
the wants
of the natives.
They cultivated no crops of any kind, but depended entirely for food upon the natural productions, the grand staple of all and most highly prized of which was salmon.
As the bear was held in high reverence
by eastern tribes, so was the salmon esteemed by the primitve men who dwelt on the banks of the three great rivers of the Pacific.
The Indians believed that
the establishment of a ferry by rope across a stream would stop salmon from further ascending ; and their “medicine men,” whose utterances were implicitly re¬ lied on—taught them that the salmon had become an¬ gered, and would soon desert all the inland waters of the region, because of the use of white men’s knives ; one of the Indian superstitions being that stone only should be used in dressing a fish, particularly the be¬ loved salmon.
The bread supply wis afforded
by
acorns and the seeds of the rich grasses with which
150
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the hill-sides and plains were bountifully covered, and the simple-minded Indian saw with dismay the ax of the invader ruthlessly destroying the fruitful oak, and cattle becoming so many
that the seeds would not
ripen where the women and children had annually har¬ vested ample store of what was to the natives as choice and important as the cultivated breadstuff’s of civiliza¬ tion to more favored peoples.
The superiority of fire¬
arms over bows and arrows was not unnoticed by those who used the latter weapon, and the fact was soon ap¬ parent that the deer and elk were becoming more shy than formerly, that they were even leaving their pre¬ vious haunts for others remote from thesound’of the rifle, which would result at no distant day in the loss to the red man of the pleasures and profits of the chase. To the foregoing causes of dissatisfaction with which the
natives viewed the
settlement of the
best por¬
tions of their country by white men, may properly be added the arrogance of manner the latter had adopted toward them.
As the settlements became numerous
there gathered to them from different directions men of some former frontier experience on this continent and
in
Australia and New Zealand, who evidently
thought it brave to assert by word and deed that an Indian had no rights; consequently, neither they nor their imitators tried to conciliate the natives by kind¬ ness and just dealing.
Service was exacted and pay¬
ment made or withheld as best suited the caprice of the civilized employer at the time.
When the natives
were complacent they were generally given some rec¬ ompense, but if they hesitated in obedience they were
THE INDIANS AND THEIR TRIBES.
15
liable to coarse abuse. It is true that a majority of the white settlers did not approve of injustice towards the natives of the country,»but their disapprobation was generally of a negative character, and being en¬ gaged in their several avocations, such matters were allowed to drift along without their active interference. But these things rankled in the savage breast and made the average adult male of the race a sullen, sus¬ picious, disagreeable and unsafe neighbor. The Digger Indians have been considered the most degraded and ignorant of all the aboriginal inhabitants of the United States, but there is reason to doubt whether the adverse opinions formed concerning their character have always been sanctioned by justice. De¬ graded they certainly were, in the earliest years of white settlement, yet never so degraded as when the whites had firmly established their own houses over the ruins of Indian rancherias. If sentimentalists have gone to extremes in their judgment of the Indian character, so have those gone to extremes who look only to practical results. The whites found much to condemn in the Digger character, and they might have found, had they been so disposed, some few redeem¬ ing traits. One thing which operated strongly to keep the Indians of this coast under the influence of superstitious ignorance, and which at times precipi¬ tated difficulties and aggravated injuries, was the fact that there were no chiefs among them such as exist among the Cherokee or Sioux tribes. Certain wealthy Indians, owners of many horses, or successful hunters and fishers, were influential in their districts and exer-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
152
cised a kind of non-official authority over their tribes. But their authority was neither delegated from genera¬ tions of illustrious ancestors nor won by personal valor as warriors. was
It partook of a mercenary character, and
neither very binding nor very lasting.
The
majority of the Indians lived on fish, game, nuts and roots—and when the whites came to settle the country they saw their means of subsistence pass into hands made strong by the customs of civilized government. It was natural that disagreements should occur.
The
Indians were strongly attached to their homes, they soon imbibed the hereditary antipathy of the Indian race toward the whites, and they had no great chiefs, like the chiefs of many tribes of the East, to treat with the whites on important subjects. there were always
in
the
On the other hand
white settlements a few
lawless men who had left their abodes in “the States” for crimes against society, and they were continually stirring
up
hostility between
the
whites
and
the
Indians which every effort of the peaceably inclined could not subdue.
THE KLAMATH WAR.
153
CHAPTER VI. The Klamath War.
Tribes of the Klamath River.—Characteristics of the Indians.— Robert Walker’s ordeal.—A trial by fire.—Smoke and superstistition.—Col. McKee’s oration.—The ferry at Weitchpeck.— Ken-no-wah, Zeh-fip pah, Ma roo-kus and Kaw-tap-ish, four noted men.—Blackburn’s ferry.—Dangers menacing the whites.—Hos¬ tile Red Caps.—A general uprising.—Capt. Judah’s negotiations. —Union Volunteers.—Cel. Buchanan and his infirmness of pur¬ pose.—Capt. Judah relieved.—Contentions among the miners.— The mouth of the Salmon.—Capt. Buzelle and Capt. U. S. Grant.—Moreo and Cappell rancherias.—The month of March. —Confusion among the Volunteers.—Proposition of the Hoopas. —S. G. Whipple appointed Special Indian Agent.—Capt. Judah sent back to the Klamath.—Volunteer companies dismissed.— Klamath Reservation located.—End of the war. A mystery to early explorers was the Klamath River. Its long, tortuous course, leading away up in the lakes of Southern Oregon, was more than once crossed by the adventurous miner and supposed to be the Trin¬ ity or Salmon.
Its source was unknown after its mouth
had been discovered ; and some of those who discov¬ ered its mouth supposed that it was the Trinity. Gradu¬ ally, as the country to the North and South became better known, the Klamath attracted crowds of gold-
154
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
hunters, the identity of its tributaries was fixed in the public knowledge, and the Salmon and Trinity were assigned their true positions as feeders of the great stream.
The third river in magnitude on the coast of
California and Oregon, teeming with fish, and walled in by mountains alive with game, the Klamath was the home of many thousands of Indians, located on either side from the Oregon lakes to the ocean.
The Indians
of Humboldt Bay held intercourse with the Klamath tribes as far upas the Trinity, and their interests were intermingled in many ways ; therefore it is easy to un¬ derstand that whatever effected the interests of the lower or valley Indians was felt in many remote places by the upper or mountain Indians.
What was known
as the Klamath war, occurring in 1855, was the first serious trouble between any extensive body of Indians, and its origin may be traced indirectly to difficulties long past, local and personal in themselves, but convey¬ ing the hated intelligence to the mountain tribes that the whites were pushing their race to the wall.
They
had been, from the time of their first intercourse with the whites, extremely sensitive and jealous of any in¬ trusion upon their favorite hunting grounds.
Besides,
they were the most superstitious of all the tribes in the district, and as early as the spring of 1851 it was con¬ sidered necessary to keep a detachment of soldiers in the vicinity of Hoopa.
Suspicious and watchful, the
Indians aggravated real injuries and entertained imag¬ inary grievances. One mental characteristic of the Indians which made them peculiarly difficult to deal with, was an inability
THE KLAMATH WAR.
155
to distinguish between individuals and a tendency to generalize in considering the
most trivial subject.
Their tendency to generalize was strikingly exhibited in
the case of any injury sustained by themselves.
They were unable to distinguish between an individ¬ ual who had wronged or injured them and the commu¬ nity or race to which that individual belonged.
If a
white man killed one of their number, they were satis¬ fied if a white man was killed in return.
It mattered
not that the one who did the killing escaped.
“ Man
for man ” was their motto in war and peace.
An in¬
stance of their superstitious training is afforded by the experience of Robert Walker, a pioneer who located at Weitchpeck, on the Klamath, in thespringof 1851. He lived in a little log cabin on the bank of the river, just below its junction with the Trinity, in company with three other men.
It so happened that they had
been^ in their location but a short time when
Capt.
McMahon, commanding a detachment of troops, sur¬ rounded a small rancheria on the river bank and pro¬ ceeded to inflict a chastisement for some act of the Indians.
The rancheria being fired on by the troops,
the result was the death of an old squaw. Mahon then left with his company.
Capt. Mc¬
During the day
Walker and his three companions observed extraor¬ dinary activity among the Indians of the neighborhood. It was evidently about something which concerned themselves, for it was observed that they were gather¬ ing in large numbers near the cabin.
At ten o’clock
there were four hundred warriors in the vicinity, sta¬ tioned within call, and at that hour an old Indian who
156
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
appeared to be a leader approathed the cabin sur¬ rounded by a body-guard.
He entered and spoke to
Walker, saying that his people believed that the death of the squaw was brought about by the four white men in the cabin.
But his people would not kill the white
men if they were not guilty.
He would appeal to the
Mowema, the Great Spirit of his tribe, who would judge between the Indians and the white men.
If
Walker and his companions were guilty, he said, they must die; if not guilty, they should live.
High up
on the mountain there grew a kind of wood which was to be the instrument of their trial.
His men would
gather some of this wood; and then he would go up to
the place where the two rivers met, and on the
point of land fire.
between the waters he would build a
If the white men were guilty, the smoke would
come down and envelop the cabin; if they were inno¬ cent, the Great Spirit would cause the smoke to go the other
way.
Having
made
Indian was about to leave.
this
statement,
the
At this moment a happy
thought was suggested to Walker.
He
knew that
every day at noon during that season of the year a breeze was wafted up the river, regular in its duration and sufficiently strong to carry away from his cabin the smoke from any fire.
If he could keep the Indians
otherwise engaged until nearly noon, the smoke from their trial fire would go up the river on this breeze. With many questions and answers he engaged the time and attention of his visitors, and was rewarded by noting the minutes pass into hours till the sun was high in the heavens.
Then he let the Indians go, with
THE KLAMATH WAR.
157
the assurance of innocence and friendship, and with perfect confidence in the noon breeze as the personal representative of the Great Spirit.
The Indians had
procured the wood spoken of to the white men, and in a few minutes after the old leader had left the cabin a fire was built on the point of land between the two rivers.
Whatever mysterious incantations were per¬
formed by the “ medicine men ” of the tribe, and what¬ ever may have been their secret desire in regard to the matter, the noon breeze, sweeping up the Klamath, befriended and saved the whites.
The smoke soon
rose, and circled, and was carried away up the stream. So profound was the impression of the Indians, so im¬ plicit their faith in the efficacy of fire as a means of communication with the Great Spirit, that they lost no time in going back to the cabin and tendering their friendship to Walker and his companions.
The Great
Spirit had told them of the white men’s innocence, they said; they would be friends with them.
Walker
presented the spokesman with a lion’s skin, and in a week after the Indians returned with smoked salmon.
a present of
And ever after that occurrence the
Klamath Indians assumed a protectorate over the cabin of Walker, regarding him as a man whom the Great Spirit had recommended as a tried and true friend. Thus the superstition of the race was apparent in every act of their lives. Another characteristic of the Indians was their ina¬ bility to forget and forgive.
If one of their warriors
was killed, if one of their squaws was abused, if a rancheria was plundered, they never forgot or forgave.
INDIAN
i5«
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
The decree of vengeance once made by them was fixed and inexorable, and when bad white men imposed on them the good citizen was made to suffer equally with the
bad.
That the Indians
were
imposed
on and
cheated and abused in many instances was no fault of the
early settlers.
In nearly every case the guilty
white men were lawless outcasts, who had no homes to protect or character to lose.
Occasionally, too,
those who had authority from the Government to deal with the Indians would do so only to deceive them, On one occasion, in the fall of 1852, Colonel McKee, the Government’s first Indian Superintendent for Cali¬ fornia, went up the Klamath with a hundred mules loaded with presents for the Indians—beads, knives, handkerchiefs of bright colored stuff, and other articles of various descriptions and cheap cost that might satisfy the fancy of the men, women and children. Col. McKee, like nine out of ten employes of the In¬ dian Department, had little knowledge of the Indian character and less regard for the obligation of any agreement made with them.
He unloaded his mules
and distributed his presents, calling to his aid as in¬ terpreter the same Robert Walker whose life had been saved by the fortunate direction of a river breeze.
A
large number of Indians flocked to the camp of McKee, pleased with the presents he distributed and desirous of listening to his proposals for continued friendship and peace with the whites.
A day was set for the
making of a treaty which would be a lasting and effec¬ tual proof of the white man’s friendship.
The Indians
were present in larger numbers than before.
Then
THE KLAMATH WAR.
159
Col. McKee, with the pompous bearing of one high in authority, made a grandiloquent oration to the Indians, telling them
that the white men
were as many as
the leaves on the trees; that if they did not remain peaceable their rancherias would be destroyed, but if they remained quiet and inoffensive they should be protected in their lives and property.
He said in con¬
clusion that he wanted them to be good Indians until he could go to San Francisco and return, and when he returned, which was to be in so many moons, he would do more than he had done to prove the friendship of the Great Father at Washington.
Turning to Robert
Walker, he commanded him to interpret the speech to the red men.
It appears that Mr. Walker had estab¬
lished a ferry across the Klamath River, and in order to make it profitable it was necessary to have the co¬ operation and assistance of the Indians, especially in times of high water.
As when he conceived the idea
of detaining the Indians in his cabin until the noon breeze should carry the smoke from their trial fire up the river and away from his home, so now there came to him another happy suggestion.
He would
make Col.
turn.
McKee’s speech do a good
He
knew that the Indians would neither understand nor appreciate the address if literally translated, and he might in reality do Col. McKee a service by changing it to suit his own ideas.
Therefore he began his trans¬
lation by saying that the white men in San Francisco were more plentiful than the leaves on the trees, and ended by an assurance from Col. McKee of perpetual friendship, provided that the Indians should take care
160
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the Weitchpeck ferry until Col. McKee could go to San Francisco and return.
He would return in so
many moons, and during the time of his absence the Indians must do whatever he (Walker) should demand of them in the conducting and operating of the ferry. The interpreter having finished his translation, the Indians held a brief consultation and answered that they would accept the white man’s proposal.
Walker
reported to Col. McKee that his proposition was ac¬ cepted, and that the red men would be good Indians until he should return.
Col. McKee appeared to con¬
sider that his whole duty was not yet done, and imme¬ diately proceeded
to lay out a reservation, drawing
imaginary lines from Weitchpeck down the Klamath many miles, including a section of country which lies between the Hoopa and Klamath Reservations as at present located.
Having accomplished this, he packed
up his mules and rode away.
And that was the last
that was seen of Col. McKee.
The Indians kept their
part of the treaty—as it was translated to them by Robert Walker.
They faithfully observed their agree¬
ment to assist in operating the ferry, and were in fact ‘'good Indians” during the three or four months Col. McKee was to remain away.
But Col. McKee did
not return, the reservation he planned never assumed more tangible shape than so many lines on paper, and the Indians concluded that they had been wantonly deceived by him.
Particularly had they been disposed
to doubt the truth of the assertion that the white men were as numerous as the leaves on the trees: and they were now firmly of the opinion that Col. McKee lied
161
THE KLAMATH WAR.
to them, else he had not been afraid to return.
It
must be remembered that the Indians at that time had no correct ideas regarding the numerical strength or warlike power of the whites, for several years even en¬ tertaining the opinion that the strange visitors to their country might be all annihilated by concerted action of the native tribes. It might have been reasonably expected that imme¬ diately after it became apparent to the Indians that Col. McKee had broken his promise to them, and they were convinced that the treaty made with them was but a farce and a deceit, a general attack on the white settlements would have been begun. Such was not the case.
Among the Klamath Indians were four who ex¬
ercised
powerful
influence
and authority—Ken-no-
wah-i, known to the whites as “ Trinity Jim,” and Zeh-fip-pah, living on the upper Klamath; and Maroo-kus and Kaw-tap-ish, living on the lower Klamath. Since the first settlement of Northern California they had been firm friends of the white population, and by their exertions much property and many lives had been saved from destruction by their less friendly brethren. Many incipient difficulties had been adjusted or pre¬ vented by their intervention and assistance.
It was
owing to their efforts, more than to any other influ¬ ence, that a serious outbreak was not precipitated in 1852, and that there was actually a delay of over two years before any considerable number of hostile In¬ dians took the war-path. The trouble which had been brewing for so long a time could have no oth£r culmination than a struggle 11
162
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
for the possession of the Klamath River. The Indians were restless and uneasy, and occasionally would kill cattle found grazing on the hills.
Occasionally, too,
they would commit murder and rob and plunder.
In
1852 a horrible murder was committed on the Kla¬ math twelve miles below Weitchpeck, at a point called Blackburn’s Ferry. A trail had been cut through from Trinidad to this point, and a man named Blackburn had located a ferry there, together with a stopping place for travelers.
There was a little house built of
shakes, in which Blackburn and his wife lived ; and in front of it was a large canvas tent for the accommo¬ dation of
travelers.
One night, when there were five
men sleeping in the tent, and Blackburn and his wife in their house, the Indians made an attack. silent and barbarous.
It was
The five men in the tent slept
on the floor with their heads outward, touching the bottom of the canvas.
The Indians crept steathily
up and tomahawked them from the outside while they slept.
They then attacked the inmates of the house.
Blackburn was prepared for defense, and while his wife loaded one gun he fired another, thus keeping the Indians at bay until daylight appeared.
Up in
the mountains not far away there was a camp of eight white men, who, hearing the firing, went down to the ferry and drove off the Indians.
Blackburn and his
wife escaped without injury, but in connection with them there was a strange and sad incident.
Black¬
burn had been expecting his father to arrive from the East and had made preparations to receive him.
On
the morning after the attack on his house he went to
THE KLAMATH WAR.
63
a rancheria of supposed peaceable Indians, situated a few hundred yards above on a bench of the mountain, where he found the body of his father, who had been murdered there, almost within sight of the house of his son.
Whether the murderers were ever punished
cannot now be ascertained.
A volunteer company of
miners was raised and several rancherias were attacked and burned, and this was probably the extent of the punishment the Indians received. The years 1853 and 1854 passed without a general uprising on the Klamath, but every indication pointed to an approaching outbreak.
The Superintendent of
Indian Affairs for California paid no attention to the condition of the Indians of this section. an was stationed at Fort
Col. Buchan¬
Humboldt, near Eureka,
with a portion of the Fourth U. S.
Infantry, doing
nothing of special importance or advantage.
There
was no sub-agent in the district, nor were the Indians provided for in any way.
Their association with the
whites had been anything but beneficial
to
them;
traders and lawless characters sold them whisky and guns and ammunition; and contention among their tribes caused fighting between themselves. The
month
of January,
1855,
was a month
of
anxiety and suspense to the miners on the Klamath and Salmon rivers.
From many sources they received
information which led them to believe that a general outbreak among the Indians was about to occur.
So
great was the excitement and anxiety that the miners deserted their claims and congregated at the different trading posts, from
Gullion’s
Bar, on the
Salmon,
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
164
down to its mouth, and from Dillon’s Bar, on the Klamath, to Big Bar and the mouth of the Trinity. At each post the miners prepared to defend them¬ selves against the attacks of the savages.
It was de¬
termined to take from the Indian rancherias, wherever possible, such fire-arms and ammunition as could be found.
At some points the rancherias were visited
and the fire-arms taken.
At other points the Indians
obtained information of the intention of the whites, and their squaws and
children were sent into the
mountains with whatever fire-arms the warriors did not desire to carry with them. There
was another
danger
which
menaced
the
whites and was a constant source of alarm to them. It was the practice of certain unscrupulous traders to sell arms and ammunition to the Indians, as well as to
repair their guns.
The miners at Orleans Bar,
knowing how pregnant with danger to the whites was this practice, on the 6th of January held a public meeting and
pledged
themselves
could to stop the traffic. sons
thereafter
Indians should
to do what they
It was resolved that all per¬
detected
selling
be sentenced
to
fire-arms have
to
the
their heads
shaved, to receive twenty-five lashes, and afterwards to be driven from the camp.
It was also resolved to
make an immediate attempt to disarm the Indians in the vicinity of Orleans Bar.
In pursuance of the
last resolution the head men of the rancherias in the neighborhood
were
notified
that
non-compliance
would be visited with death to any Indian carrying weapons, and notice was given that all who refused to
THE KLAMATH WAR.
165
deliver up their arms would have until the 19th of January to surrender them.
The Orleans, Red Caps,
and a few other tribes, refused to part with their arms. Thus matters stood until the 19th of January, when a company of miners was organized for the purpose of destroying the rancheria of the Red Caps
On the
same day the company marched to the rancheria and demanded its surrender.
Their answer was a volley
of shot, which killed William Wheeler and Thomas O’Neil and wounded several others.
The death of
the two men demoralized the miners, who retreated to
Orleans, and immediately a messenger
was de¬
spatched to Col. Buchanan, commanding Fort Hum¬ boldt, asking
him
for assistance.
Col.
Buchanan
ordered Capt. Judah and 25 soldiers to the scene of the difficulty,
accompanied by Dr. Simpson of the
medical staff.
A party of mounted volunteers also
left the bay for Weitchpeck.
The road or trail to be
traveled was forty
length, over steep and
miles in
rough mountains and across rapid streams.
Before
they could reach the home of the Red Caps, other Indians on the Klamath would have ample time to prepare for war. While reinforcements were on the way to Orleans there were alarming indications in other places in the Klamath country.
The
Indians at Trinidad and on
Mad and Little rivers left their rancherias and went to the mountains.
On Redwood, Trinidad and the
Klamath a volunteer company from Trinidad attacked a party of Indians, killing two or three, including Charash, a notorious instigator of bad feeling.
Other
i66
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
skirmishes
and
conflicts
took
place,
the
Indians
robbing houses and killing cattle, and the whites pre¬ paring as best they could for a defense of their lives. Arms were scarce among the whites, and they were comparatively few in number.
The Indians were re¬
ported able to muster 3,500 warriors, at least half of them armed with guns and pistols. Hostilities developed rapidly at Orleans Bar. addition to Wheeler and
O’Neil, three
In
more were
placed in the list of the killed and two more among the wounded.
Two men, one named Dunham and
the other Proctor, were shot and killed while at work in their mining claim, a man named Smith was killed, and Messrs. Lamm and Johnson were wounded, all by the Red Cap Indians. In the latter part of January the detachment of soldiers under Capt. Judah camped at Weitchpeck and negotiations with the Indians were begun.
The
miners at first would not listen to any peace proposi¬ tions, assembling in large numbers, and announcing a
determination
to
commence
an
indiscriminate
massacre of all the Indians on the Klamath River and its tributaries. pacific course.
Capt. Judah insisted on a more
The Weitchpecks having surrendered
to him, he selected one or two of the most prominent warriors
from each rancheria to guide him to the
hostile Indians, those who had surrendered professing their anxiety to accompany the soldiers and prove their loyalty to the whites.
An event which added
strength to Capt. Judah’s position was the opportune arrival of a company
of mounted
volunteers
from
THE KLAMATH WAR.
167
Union, commanded by Captain F.
M. Woodward,
with Reason Wiley and F. M. Johnson as Lieutenants. The
pacific arrangements so
Weitchpeck were doomed to
nearly perfected at ignominious
failure.
Col. Buchanan, with an unfortunate infirmness of pur¬ pose which characterized his every movement,
had
no sooner ordered Capt. Judah to the Klamath than he ordered him back again.
Like the noted warrior
who marched his men up the hill and then marched them down, Col. Buchanan promulgated his orders and then
retracted them.
The recalling of Capt.
Judah put an end to all designs of peace, and pro¬ longed a reign of bloodshed which might have been prevented had he been
allowed to act on his own
judgment. In the meanwhile there was trouble up and down the Klamath.
At Orleans Bar the existing situation
of affairs and the prospects for the future were both deplorable.
Difficulties and contentions sprang up
among the miners.
The miners of Salmon River had
promptly answered the call of their brethren of the Klamath, and had come on the latter stream for the purpose of hunting from the mountains the hostile Indians.
But when they were informed that it was
intended to make a general attack on the tribes wher¬ ever found, hostile and peaceable alike, they con¬ demned the idea as the most atrocious folly.
Strife
between the miners themselves could not be otherwise than dangerous to their interests and advantageous to the Indians.
At the mouth of the Salmon the situa¬
tion was equally bad.
On the 24th day of January
9
168
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Capt. Buzelle arrived there with a company of volun¬ teers just in time to prevent a general massacre of the peaceable Indians by the Klamath miners.
Several
rancherias or tribes had surrendered to Capt. U. S Grant—an officer who afterwards distinguished him¬ self in the War of the Rebellion and became President of the United States—who was then stationed at the mouth of the Salmon, and at the request of Capt. Buzelle he delivered them to the Volunteers for pro¬ tection. Partly through the efforts of Capt. Judah, and partly through the protest of the Salmon River miners, the Klamath miners were prevented from inaugurating a wholesale massacre of the friendly Indians along the river, and in consequence the hostilities were confined to
the
Red
Cap tribe.
Mr. Roseborough, Indian
Agent at Fort Jones, arrived at Orleans Bar during the first week of
February, and
recommended
the
organization of four companies of Volunteers for the purpose of subduing the
hostile
Red Caps.
The
recommendation was favorably received by the miners, and Captains Flowers and Luffkin proceeded to organ¬ ize the companies, trusting that the State would reim¬ burse the men for the loss sustained by their services in the field. On the 4th of February Capt. F. M. Woodward, in company with five other white men, and guided by two Weitchpeck Moreo rancherias
Indians, went to the Capped and on
a tour of
inspection.
The
Indians there informed Capt. Woodward that a number of Red Caps were concealed near by, and offered to
1 HE KLAMATH WAR.
169
guide the whites to their hiding-place.
The two
Weitchpeck guides refused to accompany them, and said they meant the whites wrong; but Capt. Wood¬ ward, to test their loyalty, went with them.
After
taking him and his men a circuitous route, they led them into an ambush of hostiles, who opened fire on the party.
The shots did no injury.
Capt. Woodward
shot the guide in front of him, and one of his men killed an Indian in ambush, when the remainder fled. Darkness having come on, the fleeing Indians could not be followed.
The scouting party returned to
camp that night, and on the next day a portion of the Union Volunteer Company was collected, which, with Capt. Chesley Woodward’s company from
Salmon
River, went again to the Cappell and Moreo rancherias.
The two companies each attacked a rancheria.
Capt. F. M. Woodward’s party killed twenty warriors and took eighteen prisoners.
Capt. Chesley Wood¬
ward’s party killed six warriors and took five prison¬ ers.
The hostiles at the Cappell rancheria made a
considerable resistance, wounding Lieut. John Hughes in the arm. When the news of the Cappell and Moreo affair reached Union and doubt that imminent,
an
Eureka there was no longer a
Indian
war of undue severity was
if not already
begun.
The
merchants,
with the utmost liberality, opened their stores to the Volunteers, and sent long trains of
mules to
Klamath with provisions for their support.
the
And still
another step was taken which was expected to result in some relief from the heavy burdens imposed on the
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
170
community by the conduct of the
war.
Reliable
information of the situation of affairs was forwarded to the Executive of the State Government, and petitions for relief and assistance.
Nothing was expected of the
Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California.
He
had shown himself utterly i ndifferent to the necessities of the district, and had
taken no
action
whatever
towards providing troops to protect the settlements. Time passed on, and every day the situation on the Klamath was more deplorable.
Mining ceased to re¬
ward labor, for the miners were afraid to work; trad¬ ers sold no goods, for the trails to Union and Trin¬ idad could not be traveled except under the protection and expense of armed guards; the friendship of the peaceful Indians was not secure, for bad white men betrayed confidence and did wanton injury.
While
Captain Judah was on the Klamath he met with much opposition from
a certain class who advocated the
total extermination of all the Indians in that section, irrespective of location or peaceable disposition, and it was with great trouble and vexation that he managed to compromise matters by an agreement that Indians who would give up their arms and remain in their rancherias were to be protected in their lives and prop¬ erty.
All the miners on the river, with the exception
of less than one dozen, pledged themselves to abide by the agreement with the friendly Indians. Captain
Judah
returned
to
Fort
Humboldt,
After and
while the Volunteers were marching against the Cappel and Moreo rancherias, the few malcontents attacked a rancheria of friendly Indians and set fire to their
THE KLAMATH WAR.
171
effects—either with the desire of provoking them to join the hostile Red Caps, or through a cowardly dis¬ position to make mischief—causing a feeling among the friendly Indians that the whites did not intend to keep their pledges.
As if to aggravate the disorders
created by lawless acts of violence, miners and others on New River sold fire-arms
and ammunition to the
Indians in large quantities.
The distance from the
Klamath to New River was less than a day’s journey, the Indians of each river passed and repassed, and selling arms to the New River Indians was equivalent to selling to the Klamath Indians. March came, with its snow, and rain, and floods.
It
brought with it, also, the disheartening conviction that the people of the Klamath had nothing to hope for, in the form of aid, either from the Governor of the State, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, or the officer in command of the Military District of the Pacific Coast. All of these officials had been informed in January that a state of war existed on the Klamath, and all had ignored the appeals made to them for aid.
Col.
Buchanan did not replace Capt. J udah’s command when he
recalled him, and the absence of an authorized
official of the State or National Government resulted in confusion and anarchy.
There being no one with
authority to direct affairs, every officer and private in the five Companies of Volunteers who were in the field against the Indians had a voice in the management of the campaign, and as a natural consequence there was neither harmony nor concert of action between the citi¬ zens and Volunteers.
Jealousies and petty rivalries
172
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
interfered with
duty.
The Volunteers
were even
urged to disband, as there was apparently no prospect of their expenses being paid by the State.
Such was
the situation on the 1st of March. Some desultory fighting had occurred from time to time, and an occasional murder of lonely miners, but the Volunteers were inclined, for various reasons, to remain in camp or disband their organization.
An
unfortunate occurrence in connection with the Hoopa Indians may have had some influence in creating dis¬ content among the Companies.
The Hoopa Valley
Indians sent a delegation from their tribe to the lower Klamath and made a proposition to the whites, Rob¬ ert Walker acting as interpreter.
They proposed to
come down and assist the whites in capturing the hos¬ tile Red Caps, provided the whites would assure them protection to their own property during their absence. The Weitchpecks and other tribes also agreed to co¬ operate with the Hoopas.
The whites told the Indians
from Hoopa to return home and at the proper time they would be sent for.
A written proposition was
then presented to all the Captains of Volunteer Com¬ panies, except Capt. Chesley Woodward, who had gone to Union for provisions.
The propositions submitted
to the Captains stated that the friendly Indians on the Klamath River and in the vicinity had voluntarily of¬ fered to assist in killing or capturing the hostile Red Caps, under the direction and with the co-operation of the whites, and it was therefore proposed
that the
Captains join in the plan and give the friendly Indians an opportunity to show their sincerity in the proposi-
THE KLAMATH WAR.
tion they had made.
173
It was further proposed that the
whites all along the river agree and pledge themselves not to molgst or attack the Indians remaining on the river, or suffer them
to
be attacked, until the plan
agreed upon should be fully tried.
In case the plan
should not succeed, the agreement was to be that no change of plan would be considered or attack made without first having a consultation as to what was best to be done, in order that the whites might work to¬ gether to a common end.
The great necessity for co¬
operation, it was stated, was the imperative reason for making the proposed agreement.
The various Cap¬
tains on the river willingly consented to the agreement, and runners were sent above and below to inform the other tribes of the proposition made by the Hoopas. The Indians to whom runners were sent were willing to co-operate with the Hoopas.
The Captains, in the
meantime, had sent a runner to the Hoopa for the In¬ dians who had volunteered their services.
The runner
returned without them, conveying the information that the Indians wanted to come, but the whites of Hoopa had prevented them from doing so by telling them that if they left Hoopa they should never return to their homes again.
So
much of the plan, and the
most important part, therefore, had failed at the begin¬ ning,
When Capt. Chesley Woodward returned from
Union the proposition was presented to him and re¬ jected.
He gave as his reason for rejecting the prop¬
osition, that he desired to remain inactive until the re¬ turn of Mr. Roseborough, the Indian Agent, from San Francisco. The remainder of the Volunteer Companies
i74
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
also decided to remain inactive and wait for a turn in the tide of affairs, and Captain Young, who had gone down the river and brought up many Indian allies for the service, could do no more than tell them to go back and take care of themselves.
The Indians could not
understand such proceedings and were much disap¬ pointed. Another month passed, and to the great encourage¬ ment of the miners the first of April found affairs in a more promising condition.
The first news of an en¬
couraging nature was that S. G. Whipple had been appointed Special
Indian
Agent
for
Klamath
and
Humboldt counties, to begin the discharge of his duties immediately after appointment.
Next came the news
that Mr. Whipple had entered energetically upon his work, and that he was in favor of having Capt. Judah sent back to the Klamath.
Both of these morsels of
good news proved to be correct. of Indian Affairs for
The Superintendent
California had appointed Mr.
Whipple Special Indian Agent, and the latter gentle¬ man induced the officer in command at Fort Hum¬ boldt to order Capt. Judah to the Klamath. The first thing Capt. Judah did when he reached the Klamath
was to dismiss the
from the service.
Volunteer
Companies
They were inactive, divided in sen¬
timent, and jealous of one another; therefore thg best thing that could be done for them was to dismiss them. The next thing Capt. Judah did was to send runners down the river with the intelligence that a “ big talk” would be held on the 7th of April, and an invitation to all friendly Indians to attend.
At the
appointed
THE KLAMATH WAR.
175
time the friendly tribes assembled from all the rancherias on the lower Klamath. and solemn.
The council was long
Capt. Judah’s very presence inspired the
Indians with confidence.
He had an air about him
which made them believe in his. sincerity.
When he
told them that all would be well with them if they would put to death the Indians who had murdered white men and surrender the other hostiles, they gave a ready promise to do as he required. After the council of the 7th of April Capt. Judah’s command of 30 men were constantly out on scouts in the country where the Red Caps were hidden.
The
hostiles had been reduced to less than 50 in number, and were daily losing courage.
Within
two weeks
sixteen warriors of the tribe surrendered and one was killed.
From his camp at the mouth of the Salmon
Capt. Judah was able to hold rapid communication with
the tribes on the lower river, and to keep in
check any symptoms of disaffection that might appear among
them.
Undoubtedly
the
difficulties would
have been settled by the first of May had not the military authorities at
headquarters followed out their usual
eccentric course. report at
Capt. Judah was again ordered to
headquarters
and
his
command
Klamath was given to Capt. Jones.
on
the
The change, made
at the most inopportune time, prolonged hostilities a full month. Special Agent Whipple and Capt. Jones decided to inaugurate the Reservation system on the Klamath, as the most practicable way to end existing hostilities and to prevent trouble in the future.
They selected a
176
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
strip of country running up the river from its mouth twenty miles, and extending in width one mile on either bank, and this location was afterwards approved by the National Government, and is now known as the Klamath Reservation. Active measures were taken to persuade or compel the hostile Red Caps to sur¬ render and locate on the Reservation, and on the first of June the military and miners could announce with confidence that the war was ended. The Indians, worn out by a fruitless contest with the whites, were glad to accept the easy fate of life on a Reservation. The miners, after five months of danger and idleness, were rejoiced when the return of peace made work on the river bars possible and profitable.
EEL RIVER VALLEY.
177
CHAPTER VII. Eel River Valley.
A Retarded Section.—Two Score of Settlers.—The Price of safe¬ ty.—Difficulties of Pioneer Life.—Murder of Arthur Wigmore. —Col. Buchanan’s Opinion.—“ A Slave to Discipline.” From the time of its exploration by the pioneer party that came down from the Trinity in 1849, until the Spring of. 1854, that section of Humboldt county comprising
Eel River Valley was comparatively un¬
known to the whites. The mines of the Klamath had attracted thousands, whose sole idea was to dig for gold.
The wealth of soil spread out on the alluvial
bottoms of Eel River remained unnoticed and un¬ sought.
There were other reasons, too, why the pop¬
ulous settlement of the valley was delayed.
Markets
at Eureka or Union could be reached only by rough roads and
trails, or by costly boating on tide-water
sloughs; the lonely farmer was afraid to leave his lit¬ tle clearing long exposed to the depredations of Jndians and wild beasts; and the work of clearing and fencing and building occupied so much of his time that a large crop of any one thing was utterly imprac¬ ticable. 12
From
the
mouth of the Van Duzen to the
178
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ocean, and
from
the bay to the mountains on the
South, there was not to exceed two score of settlers who were actually attempting to convert the wilder¬ ness into homes.
Some of them were in isolated posi¬
tions, all of them so far from neighbors that a united defense against a common danger would impossible.
have
been
A man’s house was more truly his castle
here than ever in mediaeval times.
Unceasing watch¬
fulness and untiring energy were the price of safety. The rich soil yielded an abundance of vegetable food, the deer and the elk provided any quantity of meat. Pure water gushed from
every canon in the
hills.
There was no danger of starving. But aside from food and drink the pioneer farmer had nothing to reward the labor of his life.
There were none of the social
enjoyments to which he had been accustomed in the East, to cheer him in his contest with the wilderness by day; none of that sense of security impressed by civilized customs and laws to attend night.
his dreams by
To thoroughly appreciate the extent of his la¬
bor and the difficulty of his position, we must consider the stern facts of his life as ever present in wakeful¬ ness or sleep. It would have been strange indeed if the settlers on Eel River should have been unmolested by the In¬ dians.
They had little to tempt the appetite or cu¬
pidity of the savages, but there was tween
the two races
bad feeling be¬
here, as there was everywhere.
The Indians, jealous of the encroaching power of the whites, exhibited their feeling at intervals
by raids
on unprotected houses, or the murder of defenseless
EEL RIVER VALLEY.
settlers.
1/9
In September, 1854, occurred the murder of
Arthur Wigmore, a settler from Missouri, who lived near what was called banks of Eel River.
the
Lower
Rancheria, on the
Prior to Sunday, the 17th day of
September, the house of a Mr. Hawks had been robbed, and on that day Wigmore and
three other citizens
went to the rancheria and attempted to arrest an
In¬
dian who was believed to have been one of the rob¬ bers. made.
The Indians resisted, and On
Monday, the
18th,
the arrest was not Wigmore
returned
alone to the rancheria, after some article he had left there the day before.
On Tuesday a party went in
search of him, and on Wednesday they found his dead body, which had been thrown into a slough.
A party
of citizens made an examination of the body and the rancheria, and accused an Indian called Billy of hav¬ ing committed the murder. Upon the accusation being made known, the Indians of the rancheria fled to the mountains. The murder of Wigmore created a profound sensa¬ tion in Eureka and throughout Southern Humboldt. On Thursday, September 21st, the citizens of Eureka held a meeting, passed resolutions, and pledged them¬ selves to co-operate with the citizens of the valley in their efforts to arrest the murderer or punish the tribe, and on the 2 2d a party went from Eureka in pursuit of the Indians.
A party also went from Eel River,
enlisting in their service a small friendly tribe. two days the
In
Indians who had gone out returned,
bringing with them the head of an Indian, which, they said, had formerly been on the shoulders of Billy.
To
i8o
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
substantiate this statement, they produced a pistol which had been in the possession of Wigmore and which was recognized by one of his neighbors. the
time
when
the
murder
was committed,
At Col.
Buchanan, commanding the 4th Infantry at Fort Hum¬ boldt, was absent.
When he returned a few days lat¬
er, he sent Capt. Judah with a detachment of soldiers in search of any Indians who might have been im¬ plicated in the murder.
Capt. Judah took with him
two citizens and a number of friendly Indians.
After
a pursuit of nine days, marching over mountains and through dense chapparal, the detachment discovered a camp of a hundred savages, who were having a feast, and surrounded and surprised them.
Two Indians at
once confessed the killing of Wigmore, averring that they had provocation and were justified in putting him to death.
Capt. Judah went back to Fort Humboldt
with his detachment and delivered his two prisoners to
Col. Buchanan.
That officer announced that he
would hold the prisoners only until the civil authorities should demand them by requisition.
Now began one
of the frequent and injurious conflicts of opinion be¬ tween the civil and military authorities which some¬ times defeated justice and always brought it into con¬ tempt.
Col.
Buchanan contended that the military
had no authority to punish the Indians for the murder of a citizen, even after confession of guilt; the civil authorities intimated that Col. Buchanan was a “ slave to discipline,” and insisted that it was not their place to give trial to an Indian who had been captured and detained by the military.
The result of the contro-
EEL RIVER VALLEY.
181
versy was, by orders from the military headquarters, that the two Indians were discharged from custody at Fort Humboldt and escaped to their tribe. Unfortunate as every controversy between the citi¬ zens and the military was sure to be, the result of the difficulty concerning the Wigmore murder proved peculiarly so.
The
Indians,
emboldened
by a too
evident lack of unanimity among the whites, and imagining that others of their number might escape as easily as had
the
Wigmore
murderers, assumed a
threatening and dangerous attitude towards the settle¬ ments in the valley, robbing houses, killing stock, and murdering citizens.
The evil effects of the Wigmore
affair were experienced by the whites long after the murder itself had ceased to be a subject of comment and reminiscence.
182
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER VIII.
A Pioneer Family—Cooper’s Mills.
Five brothers from the British Provinces.—Their settlement in Eel River Valley.—Their farms and mills.—Incidents of life in a new country.—Tragic fate of David and Adolphus Cooper.—William, George and John Cooper.—Strange fortunes and strange deaths. —Alfred Delaseaux.—A chapter of sad events.
Less than three miles from the town of Hydesville is the scene of one of the strangest chapters of pio¬ neer history ever developed on the Northern coast. Flowing into Eel River from the Northeast is a small stream named Yager Creek, and along its banks is now a flourishing country of fine farms.
In the year
1851 five brothers named Cooper—John W., George, Adolphus, David and William—settled, together here and located farms and a water-mill site. The Cooper family, consisting of Captain William Cooper, his wife, six sons, three daughters, a son-inlaw and daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, arrived in San Francisco in July, 1850.
They came from the
British province of Prince Edward’s Island, in their own vessel, the Packet, bringing
with them house¬
building material, furniture, agricultural implements
A PIONEER FAMILV^COOPER’S MILLS.
183
and seed, and two years’provisions and supplies, expect¬ ing and intending to take up Government land on some of the navigable rivers where they could move the vessel and live on board until they had established homes on shore.
But as all the land of the country appeared to
be claimed under Spanish or Mexican grants and held at very high rates, and foreign built vessels not being allowed to move about in American waters without the expense of a Custom House officer on board, the orig¬ inal idea was abandoned, the vessel was sold, and the family decided to settle in San Francisco. The autumn and fall of
1850 were very sickly in
San Francisco, and seven members of the family, in¬ cluding all of the married women, fell victims to the various prevailing diseases.
This great mortality and
misfortune frightened the survivors away from that city, and the family separated, going to different por¬ tions of the State, with the understanding that they would meet together again wherever the most suitable place was found for making homes on Government lands and following their accustomed pursuits.
One brother
came to Humboldt in February or March, 1851.
His
representations of the country brought another brother and
the youngest
sister (now
Mrs.
Beckweth
of
Hydesville), with provisions and supplies, including agricultural implements and seed.
A settlement was
made that Spring, and a crop put in on two places near Hydesville and Rohnerville, in the Eel River country. During the following fall the and remaining sister (now
three other brothers
Mrs. Walter Van Dyke
of Oakland), arrived and settled near the other broth¬ ers.
184
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Coming from a British province, where the Indian was protected and treated under the law the same as the white man, the family brought those ideas; but as they understood that the natives of Humboldt were a very inferior class, and were not to be trusted, they concluded not to encourage them about, and to have as little as possible to do with them.
The youngest
sister, thirteen years of age, was the first member of the family brought into contact with them.
On their
way from the tide-water landing to their new home, in the spring of 1851, she was left alone with the baggage and supplies during the temporary absence of her brother.
Some Indians who were roaming about the
country, seeing no one but a child, approached and seemed very anxious to examine the baggage.
The
girl took her brother’s pistols and by her firmness and bravery prevented them from touching anything until he returned. Some time during the summer of 1851 a young Indian was caught who had robbed a settler’s cabin. A meeting of settlers was held to decide what was best to be done with him.
Several wanted to hang
him, but through the intervention of
the
Cooper
brothers and a few others he was saved from hanging and a flogging was substituted.
The ingratitude of
the Indian character is illustrated by the fact that one of the brothers and two of the other settlers (a Mr. McDermitt and Mr. Merrill) who advocated mercy to the culprit were among the first to fall victims to the murderous hands of his tribe. When the remainder of the family arrived, during
A PIONEER FAMILY
COOPER’S MILLS.
185
the fall of 1851, they all lived together at one hon^ for company and mutual protection.
Some time in
February or March, 1852, Mr. McDermitt and Merrill were killed and their home plundered.
Mr. The
two men lived together, but were isolated by being on a little prairie between the confluence of the Van Duzen and Eel rivers, being
separated from other set¬
tlers by the two rivers, and situated about two miles from the Cooper Farm.
The Cooper brothers assisted
in finding the bodies, which were hidden in a lake among the bushes, and buried them.
The boldness
of the act, and the awful manner in which the bodies were mangled, being literally cut to pieces with axes, struck terror to the hearts* of the settlers.
For a long
time both sisters, as well as the Cooper brothers, kept fire-arms under their pillows and ready for use at a moment’s notice.
by their bedside, During this ex¬
citement they were awakened one morning at break of day by the* excited barking of their dog.
The fam¬
ily instantly slipped softly out of their beds and seized their weapons.
One brother cautiously opened the
door, while another, with rifle to shoulder, was by his side near the door.
In a moment the crack of his
rifle announced that some danger was lurking outside. Upon opening the door they saw a dead wolf instead of an Indian.
The animal had been attracted by some
fresh meat hanging against the side of the house.
As
there were only twenty-three settlers in all the Eel River country then, and several hundred Indians, the situation of the whites was anything but pleasant. The Indians were notified that if they did not de-
186
INDIAN WA$S OF THE NORTHWEST.
liver up
the murderers of
McDermitt and
Merrill
within a certain time they would all be held responsi¬ ble.
No attention being paid to the notification, the
citizens turned out en masse and killed all the male Indians they could find in that section of the country. A few weeks afterwards two or three Indians told the settlers that they knew where the guilty parties were and offered to guide the whites to them.
An agree¬
ment was made to meet them late in the evening, in a little prairie.
Fifteen settlers started, and upon com¬
ing to the place of meeting, thirty or forty Indians, fully equipped for war, came out of the bush.
The
whites, fearing treachery, disarmed them, and placed their bows and quivers in charge of the settlers left to guard the riding animals.
The remainder, with the
Indians, started out on foot.
After traveling nearly
all night a halt was called by the Indians, and it was seen that the party was close to.a rancheria.
A plan
of attack was agreed upon, and as soon as daylight enabled
the attack was made.
Many Indians were
killed, and much plunder discovered, which proved that the Indian scouts were faithful in one instance. In fact, they proved more anxious to punish the guilty parties than
were
the whites, for they hunted the
wounded and knocked their brains out with rocks. After this
expedition
the settlers felt relieved, and
their fears were somewhat abated. Having considerable means, the Cooper family con¬ tributed liberally towards opening up thq first roads and trails in that section of the country.
During the
early part of the summer of 1852 ten of the settlers
A PIONEER FAMILY-COOPER’S MILLS.
187
joined the five brothers, and at considerable expense built a trail to the Hay Fork of the Trinity River, so as to connect Eel River with the Sacramento Valley, the primary object being to bring emigrant cattle across the mountains to stock their farms with, as none were to be had nearer than
the
Sacramento.
And it was ultimately owing to the enterprise of the Coopers that the few settlers in the neighborhood ob¬ tained lumber and flour in exchange for their produce. The five brothers were constantly in danger from the Indians during the first year of their settlement, but by hard work they soon began to make a considerable showing with their farm.
They established the first
dairy in the valley, and sold their butter in the Trinity mines for one dollar a pound.
They killed the first
pork, packed it to Eureka, and sold it for fifty cents a pound.
By their enterprise and courage they gained
a reputation on the bay which attracted settlers to the valley, and in the winter of 1851-52 there were twen¬ ty-three settlers from Yager Creek to the mouth of Eel River. The .trail having been opened from Eel River to the Sacramento Valley, in the autumn the five brothers decided that one of their number should go to Sacra¬ mento after cattle with which to stock their farms. William was selected to make the journey, which he accomplished without incident worthy of note.
At
Sacramento he made his purchases, drove the cattle up through the Sacramento Valley into Shasta, and from thence across the mountains into Trinity county, where he made a camp on the Hay Fork of the Trin-
188
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ity River.
On the trip to the Trinity from Shasta an
animal had fallen on him and injured one of his legs seriously.
He knew that he would not be able alone
to drive the cattle down
to Eel River Valley.
He
therefore remained at the house of Dr. Weed, at the Hay Fork of Trinity, and sent a messenger to his elder brother at home, John W. Cooper, asking for assistance to be sent to him.
John W. Cooper received the mes¬
sage and made arrangements to send assistance.
He
had intended to send Adolphus Cooper and a hired man, but the younger brother David importuned him so that he consented to let him go instead of the hired man.
The two were well supplied with fire-arms, bed¬
ding, extra clothing, provisions, and money with which to pay expenses.
The elder brother was anxious for
them to stay at home another day, when they might have company on their journey, but one of them, who had had much experience with the Indians, thought there was no danger, and so they went by themselves. A week should have sufficed for the trip to the Hay Fork of Trinity and return.
S,even, eight, ten days
passed, and the brothers did not return, nor were any tidings received from them.
The
elder brother at
home grew anxious for their safety.
He inquired dili¬
gently of travelers and of roving Indians, but no tidings of the whereabouts of his brothers could be gained. No one had seen them or heard
of
them.
Two
weeks passed, when an immigrant, arriving one day, exhibited a hat which he said he had picked up on the trail near a bunch of willows and which was recognized as one that had belonged to David Cooper.
189
A PIONEER FAMILY—COOPER’S MILLS.
Alarmed at this unexpected news, and fearful of some calamity having
befallen
the two,
George Cooper
headed a relief party of seven men, and started out over the trail they had taken. bad weather.
The party experienced
Rain fell incessantly and the mountain
brooks were swollen to impassable streams.
Fighting
their way through it all, they came to the place de¬ scribed by the immigrant.
There they found the spot
where the two brothers had camped on the first night out from home, on the head of Little Yager Creek, not more than twenty-two miles from Eel River, and after a careful search they discovered the remains of David Cooper in a pile of drift-wood some distance below the camp.
The body had been half eaten by wolves, but
the features were
still distinguishable.
The search
for the body of the other brother, both having unmistakeably been killed by Indians, was continued vigor¬ ously, but with no avail.
While
thus engaged the
party saw two Indian warriors coming along the trail, and, as a horrible reminder of the dark deed which had transpired here, one of the Indians sported a rubber cloak that one of the brothers had worn, and the other wore two or three articles of clothing which had been taken from the bodies of the victims.
Quickly secret¬
ing themselves, the party of white men waited until the two Indians got close beside them, and then their rifles blazed forth vengeance for a foul murder.
Carry¬
ing the remains of David Cooper the party returned sadly to the home the two young men had left in the hope and vigor of their youth.
And so ended
lives of two of the five brothers.
the
190
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
William Cooper waited at the Hay Fork of Trinity until his patience was exhausted, and thinking that his family did not receive his message, or by some means had been pfevented from sending him assistance, he abandoned the cattle and arrived safely at home, where he learned of the sad fate of his brothers.
One year
afterwards, his own death occurred, in a manner which would prove to many minds that Fate was working out in a most mysterious way some foreordained ending to this Cooper family.
A superstitious idea, certainly,
but one which must inevitably occur to those who contemplate seriously the strange fortunes of these brothers. After the search party returned, and while William Cooper was on his way home without the cattle, George Cooperand another man started to Hay Fork by way of Union
and
George found
Weaverville.
Arriving at Hay Fork,
the country covered with snow, his
brother gone, some of the cattle dead and the remain¬ der starving.
He gathered what he could as quickly
as possible, and succeeded, after much difficulty, in getting the strongest back to the Sacramento Valley. In 1853 the need of stock was again severely felt at the Cooper farm. William volunteered, as before, to go to the Sacramento Valley and drive cattle across the mountains.
John being the eldest of the brothers, the
management of their affairs naturally fell to him, and he was always expected to remain at home. too, was needed on the farm.
George,
The duty was impera¬
tive upon William that he again make the long and difficult journey to the Sacramento Valley.
His out-
A PIONEER FAMILY-COOPER’S MILLS.
I9I
ward trip was made in safety, as before, and as before he passed up through Shasta and across the mountains to the Hay Fork of Trinity.
When near that place
the injury he had received there a year pfevious, and which had never entirely healed, pained him exceed¬ ingly.
The hurt was aggravated by the severe hard¬
ships of travel, and he knew that it would be impossible for him to proceed much further without rest, so pain¬ ful were his injuries and so exhausted his strength. At this juncture, having arrived at the Hay Fork, he thought of applying at the house of Dr. Weed, where he had lodged on his former trip, for accommodations during the time required to renew his strength suffi¬ ciently to reach home.
Again extending the hospital¬
ity of a pioneer, Dr. Weed made the traveler welcome, and again did William Cooper rest in his house. never left it alive.
He
Weakened by exposure to the ele¬
ments, sick from the hurt received on a similar journey one year before, far from home, under the same strange roof which had
sheltered
him
then, he died.
Dr.
Weed, a man of kind nature and generous impulses, gathered his cattle and drove them down to the Coop¬ er ranch. Two of the five brothers now remained to face the future.
They were not men to be cast down by mis¬
fortune. Men they were of sturdy natures—men whose ancestral tree, it may be, was rooted deep in the stern courage of generations of pioneers.
During the sea¬
son of 1854-55 John and George Cooper built a flour¬ ing mill and a saw-mill, for many years afterwards known to the country round about as Cooper’s Mills.
192
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
As death reduced the number of the family those who remained were bound more firmly together, each suc¬ ceeding loss seeming greater than
the one before.
The two broftiers now remaining soon determined to confine themselves
to farming and dairying, which
they had already commenced, and which had proved reasonably profitable.
But as the family in the first
instance had located a mill-site, and the settlers had now begun to raise some grain, they were urged to build a mill sooner than was at first intended, and af¬ ter a grist-mill had been started, a saw-mill was added. These mills were built at great expense, requiring the digging of more than a mile of ditches in order to control the water-power.
It was an enormous under¬
taking in view of the facts that laboring men were paid from $5 to $9 a day and board, that the cost of machinery and freight was immense, and that the mills were built far in advance of any profitable demand for products.
Situated on the outskirts of the settlements,
in the edge of the dense redwood forests, the property became an easy and tempting prey to the depredating Indians, who commenced by plundering the mill in the absence of the brothers.
Notwithstanding their
great cost the mills would have been excellent proper¬ ty if there had been no trouble with the Indians. mills were started in the winter of
The
1854-55, on a
small stream, which at first enabled them to run only during the rainy season, the construction of a large ditch afterwards bringing water sufficient to turn the wheel at all seasons of the year. In March, 1855, John W. Cooper and James Nelson
A PIONEER FAMILY-COOPER^ MILLS.
193
were at work making butter boxes for packing to the Trinity.
Late in the afternoon Cooper went out to
gather up the cows for milking.
Close ^o the mill a
large tree had fallen, the path being between the mill and the tree.
He had crossed a little bridge and passed
the stump of the tree without a suspicion of danger. When he reached the other end of the trunk he saw a number of Indians crouched among the branches.
He
turned and ran, the mill on one side, the bridge on the other, and as he passed again the stump of the tree an Indian who was hid behind it shot an arrow at him.
He felt a stinging sensation and saw that the
arrow had wounded one of his fingers.
Calling to
Nelson to save himself, as he went by the shop, Cooper continued his flight.
Nelson was not far behind, and
as long as the two men could see arrows falling in front of them they never stopped for an instant.
Reaching
a safe place, the Indians having given up the pursuit, Cooper found that he had been struck by an arrow in one of the fingers of the right hand, and Nelson found two arrow holes through his clothing under the right arm.
This experience is related to show the constant
danger to which the brothers were subjected in their endeavor to establish a permanent and profitable bus¬ iness.
The mills were built in spite of difficulties, and
John and George Cooper sawed the first lumber and ground the first flour manufactured in the county South of Eureka.
Eleven hundred bushels of wheat were
ground during the first year, and the saw-mill, having a capacity of only 3000 feet per day, turned out suf¬ ficient lumber to supply the needs of the settlers in 13
194
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the upper part of the Valley.
From this mill came
the lumber to build the first house in the town of Hydesville.
One John Hyde, desirous of handing his
name down to posterity in a substantial way, gave it to the village, along with a piece of land for a town-site, and Cooper’s Mills furnished the planks and boards wherewith to construct in material form the idea of his ambition. Security was never long enjoyed.
As the Indians
were crowded from the coast settlements they went into the Bald Hills country, on the East side of the tim¬ ber belt.
When the stock men settled there the In¬
dians had no country, and had to take shelter in the timbered part and raid on the settlers of both sides for a living.
As they obtained arms and a knowledge of
their use they became more and more daring, till late in July, 1861, they shot and killed the fourth brother, George Cooper, in the day time, while he and a hired man were running the saw-mill, his family and the hired man narrowly escaping with their lives.
Two
men were sufficient to run the saw-mill, and when it was running the grist-mill would be idle.
George
Cooper and family, a wife and one child, lived in a house near the mills.
John Cooper lived on one of
the farms, situated on an upland some distance from the mills.
Two men who worked on the farm, in ad¬
dition to George and the saw-mill hand, usually slept in the latter’s house, making four men the effective force to guard against a night attack.
On the morn¬
ing of the 23d of July, 1861, two of the four men in the house went to the upper farm to work, and George
A PIONEER FAMILY
COOPER’S MILLS.
195
‘Cooper and Robert Tinkle started the mill for the usual day’s run.
The two men stood facing the saw,
talking about some matter connected with their work, when several guns were fired from behind a tree forty yards from the mills. lets. times.
Cooper fell, struck by two bul¬
Tinkle ran and escaped, though fired at several The wife of George Cooper, living in the house
near by, heard the firing, and looking out of the win¬ dow she saw the Indians robbing the mill.
Taking
her three months’ old baby in her arms she fled from the house and reached John Cooper’s residence on the upper farm, a mile distant. One of the five brothers was now left to face the future.
The subsequent history of the mills was but
a continuation of the misfortunes which had attended them from the first.
As the mills were custom mills,
and as their establishment had consumed the entire proceeds of valuable stock and dairy farms, and having his brother’s as well as his own family to provide a liv¬ ing for, it was very important that John Cooper should keep them in operation.
Therefore, soon aftfcr George
Cooper was killed, the citizens of the neighborhood petitioned the officer in command at Fort Humboldt for immediate military protection to enable John Coop¬ er to run the mills, but the breaking out of the Rebel¬ lion and of several Indian wars on the Pacific Coast prevented
the granting
of
the protection desired.
John Cooper then conceived the idea of running the mills by keeping a guard ol five armed men. plan was too expensive and was discontinued. er next tried to sell the mills.
The Coop¬
The Indians having
196
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
twice set them on fire, and constantly lying in ambush for an opportunity to rob and plunder, no one would make an offer for the property.
Matters went from
bad to worse, and Cooper had to give up the stock on the farms and other saleable property for the satisfaction of creditors.
After doing so, he and his brother’s
family abandoned their homes, to seek a livelihood where their lives would not be continually exposed to Indian cruelty.
In the Spring of 1862, Cooper went
to the mines of Oregon and Idaho, taking his own and his brother’s family with him.
In the autumn of 1865,
when it was considered that the Indians were entirely sub¬ dued, he returned with the families to his property and home. During his absence of nearly four years the wants of the settlers had caused a steam grist and saw mill to be erected in the village of Rohnerville, four miles dis¬ tant, and Cooper’s Mills were nearly a total loss Jn consequence. The baptism of blood was not yet completed at Cooper’s Mills.
One other tragedy was to be enacted
before the property should go to utter ruin and the enterprise of a lifetime be wasted. 186?, nearly
In the spring of
years after John Cooper returned
from Oregon to his home, the Indians shot and killed his brother-in-law, Albert Delaseaux, while the latter was plowing in a field near the mills. occurred on
The tragedy
Monday morning, the 8th of
March.
Early in the morning a sister of John W. Davis went up to J. W. Cooper’s farm and stated that Delaseaux wished to exchange work with Davis; he would do, dairy work for the latter if plowing was done for him.
A PIONEER FAMILY
COOPER’S MILLS.
19 7
The proposition having been stated, the sister returned to Delaseaux, who was her uncle, and with whom she was living at the time.
Mr. Davis was eating his
breakfast a few minutes later, when he heard a shot fired; and then, in quick succession, he heard two more, immediately followed again by three or four oth¬ ers.
Davis
instinctively
felt
that
something was
wrong and started for his uncle’s place.
He had got
but a short distance when he heard his sister screaming for help, and at the division fence between the two farms he met his mother and sister, who told him that the Indians had killed Delaseaux.
Davis told the girl
to hand him a pistol that she had in her hand, and continued on alone to within sixty yards of the house. • Stopping there, he saw two Indians go out at the back door of the house and two more come up from the field.
Raising the pistol, he fired one shot at the In¬
dians near the house, when three others in a field to the left fired at him. returned his fire. seven
The Indians at the house also
He could do nothing opposed to
Indians, well
armed and
desperate as they
were. Starting for Hydesville, he met Dr. Felt, a physician of the neighborhood, and urged that he go with him and find Delaseaux.
When they got to the house
everything was quiet and the Indians were gone, hav¬ ing plundered the dwelling of all the valuables it con¬ tained and destroyed what they could not carry away. The body of Delaseaux was found in the field where he had been plowing, close to the fence, less than one hundred yards from the house.
The Indians had
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
198
crawled up and secreted themselves in the brush grow¬ ing near the fence, and from there had shot their mur¬ derous bullets.
Two balls were shot in Delaseaux’s
left side, one going through his heart.
At the instant
of receiving the shot he gave a scream which was heard by the mother of John W. Davis, who looked out of the house and was shot at by two Indians.
The
two women fled from the house and met Davis at the division fence between the two farms.
While they
were running up the hill, the girl doing the best she could to urge her mother on, two more shots were fired at them which passed through the skirts of the elder lady.
The body of Delaseaux was taken to Cooper’s
house, where a large number of people from Hydesville and the neighboring farms congregated and dis- * cussed the particulars of the murder.
The same
evening the citizens sent a party in pursuit of the mur¬ derers, who returned after a few days and reported that no trace could be found of them. not allowed to rest here.
The matter was
There was in the neighbor¬
hood a man who was much feared by the Indians, Stephen Fleming by name, the prime of whose life had been passed in the hard experiences of border warfare.
He was noted for daring, bravery, and for
sagacity in following an Indian’s trail.
Six months
after the murder of Delaseaux a party under Fleming went on a scout to the headwaters of Larabee Creek. There were in the party Wm. Drinkwater, Wm. Bankhead, Silas Hoglan, James Wilburn and Wm. Wilburn. The trail of a marauding band of Indians was found and keenly followed.
One night the camp was dis-
A PIONEER FAMILY-COOPER’S MILLS.
covered and they laid in ambush till morning.
199
When
day was breaking they fired on the Indians and killed five.
One who was badly wounded left a bloody trail
behind him as he fled. low and kill him.
Drinkwater was eager to fol¬
Fleming tried to keep him back
with the others of the party, but was unsuccessful. Too eager to remain with his comrades as they fol¬ lowed the trail, he kept far in advance, and was soon shot and killed by the wounded Indian, who was con¬ cealed in the bushes.
Fleming and his party coming
up, they fired into the brush and killed the Indian. From the six
Indians killed Fleming took clothing
which had belonged to Delaseaux, thus showing that the band he had attacked was probably the same that committed the murder on the 8th of March. The long list of misfortunes which attended the spot clung to Cooper’s Mills in spite of every effort made by the surviving brother.
The destruction of
so much property had impoverished the family, and the loss of so many lives had caused purchasers to shun the place.
After the debts incurred by the
building and operation of the mills were paid by John W. Cooper, there was little left, besides a ruined and decayed home, for him to start the world anew with. He, a man of iron nerve, at last was discouraged and disheartened, and selling the property for a small sum he sought another location for himself and family.
In
later days fortune has smiled upon him—but too late to efface from his countenance the tell-tale marks of long years of hardship and suffering, yet soon enough to brighten his pathway to the grave.
Rarely paral-
200
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
leled in pioneer history is the strange story of the Coop¬ er family, stranger than fiction, conveying many les¬ sons from the past, of courage and perseverance, to the generation of to-day.
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN
’56.
201
CHAPTER IX. Indian Affairs in
’56.
Progress of the country.—False alarms and mysterious movements.— Restless tribes on the Klamath.—Negligence of the military authorities.—Excitement in Hoopa Valley.—Cattle killed at An¬ gel’s Ranch.—A tragedy on Bear River.
During the spring and summer of 1856 there was a constant succession of false alarms among the whites and mysterious movements among the Indians. On Humboldt Bay and along the streams in Eel River Valley the Indian tribes were swayed by superstitious fears, which found expression in ceremonies peculiar to their vague religious ideas. Earthquakes had re¬ cently been experienced, and the tribes, assembling at their rancherias, offered sacrifices to the “ God Spirit,” “ to hold the earth still.” In the minds of the savages, influenced as they were by external nature, was an un¬ defined conviction of some supreme and overruling power, before whom they knelt reverently, as children before a master. No theory of their undeveloped in¬ tellects could account for the earthquakes in any other light than as visitations of the Great Spirit, sent either as punishment for present trangressions or warnings
202
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
against trangressions of the future.
The valley In¬
dians had a tradition, handed down among them, that Humboldt Bay was produced by an earthquake which swallowed up the land and destroyed a large and pow¬ erful tribe of their people.
The prevalence of earth¬
quakes at any time was calculated to agitate
and
alarm them; and now, when the Klamath War was fresh in their memory, any convulsion of the earth was apt to suggest to them ideas incompatible with the safety of the
whites.
Their religious ceremonies lasted for
weeks at a time, partaking very much of the char¬ acter of the incantations and exhortations of magi¬ cians witnessed in some countries of the far East, with the exception that they danced furiously and madly, as if to propitiate with the vehemence of muscular ac¬ tion the much dreaded “ God Spirit” of their belief. While the lower,-or Valley tribes, observed their re¬ ligious rites and superstitious ceremonies, the tribes of the Klamath and Trinity were comporting themselves in a manner to terrify the whites.
The Reservation
system here, as elsewhere, proved a failure.
In the
history of the United States there never has been a time when the Reservation system was a success. The very difficulty of gathering different tribes from a wide scope of country and confining them within the limits of a Reservation was an argument used against the sys¬ tem when it was first proposed; and if we add the temptations of greed and avarice offered to public ser¬ vants, we may perhaps find a clue to the fatal defects of the system.
Where the Indians are numerous and
determined, the limits of a Reservation do not long
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
203
serve to restrain them, and where Indian agents are corrupt and dishonest, no good need be expected from it.
Col. Whipple, the sub-agent in charge of affairs
at the Klamath Reservation, was not a dishonest or corrupt man ; but the large number of Indians within his jurisdiction precluded the possibility of successful colonization.
In Hoopa Valley alone there were, ac¬
cording to the best estimates, at least two hundred warriors, who were far superior to the same number of whites in the knowledge and requirements of border warfare.
They had managed since the settlement of
the Valley by the whites to obtain a large number of guns and revolvers, and in the Spring of 1856 were much better armed than the same number of miners on the river bars.
Constant practice, also, had made
them expert in the use of fire-arms.
The Hoopa In¬
dians had, during the war with the Red Caps in 1855, supplied themselves with such
ammunition as they
could obtain from the miners and River and the Trinity.
traders
of
New
The white settlers in the Val¬
ley had good reason to apprehend trouble in 1856. Besides
being the natural tendency of things, many
suspicious signs were noted from time to time, such as the absence of some of the chief men who had been friendly towards the whites, the increased effrontery and impudent demands of the bad characters among the tribes, the frequent mysterious rites and dances, attended with a prophetic air of solemnity and terrible earnestness of purpose.
These and similar signs gave
credibility to • many mere rumors, and added greater weight to known facts than the situation warranted.
204
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
On the headwaters of the Klamath, and around the circumference of the lakes in which it rises, the tribes were restless and threatening.
It was rumored that
overtures had been made by the Oregon Indians to the tribes on the Klamath, and the absence of some of their leading men for long periods of time gave probability to this report. Never before had the negligence of the military authorities been so clearly presented to the people. They knew the urgent need of a strong military post on the lower Klamath, but they saw the authorities in¬ active at times of greatest danger.
They had reason
to expect an outbreak of the Klamath and
Trinity
tribes, probably reinforced by Oregon Indians, but they were aware that if an outbreak should occur Fort Humboldt could not respond to the call of the whites for help, either with men or munitions of war. In the month of March there was the most intense excitement throughout the suspicious
Hoopa Valley.
Certain
movements of the Indians alarmed the
whites to such an extent that flight from their homes appeared
the only means of safety.
Some families
left the valley and went to Humboldt Bay.
The fam¬
ilies on the East side of the river gathered at Kleiser’s Mill, the better to protect themselves in the event of an
attack, which
then
seemed imminent.
A
man
named Lack was sent to Union and Eureka for assist¬ ance, and Mr. Hill, who lived on the South Fork of the Trinity, at the same time started up that river to raise a company of volunteers.
The citizens of the
Bay, after a discussion on the matter, concluded to
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
205
send Captain Snyder to Hoopa, with instructions to hold a council with the head men of the tribes and endeavor to peaceably prevent an outbreak. Snyder was well known to the
Captain
Indians at Hoopa.
His home was there, and he had cultivated an exten¬ sive acquaintance with the chief men of the tribes. He started to the valley immediately after being in¬ formed of the wishes of the citizens, arriving there on the morning of the 30th day of March.
At his own
residence there were assembled a number of citizens, ready to leave the valley at a moment’s warning.
It
was with difficulty that he persuaded the excited peo¬ ple to permit him to have a council with the Indians for peace, being assured that it would be impossible to accomplish anything in that direction.
He went to
the rancherias alone, having refused company, and was met by many Indians with whom he was person¬ ally acquainted.
They told him, in response
to his
statement of the excitement among the whites, that they did not want to fight.
Captain Snyder informed
them that the whites would demand guns as a token of their desire for peace.
Without further parley
the Indians laid twelve guns before him, and prom¬ ised to surrender more on the day following. excitement quickly subsided.
The
Eleven more guns were
given up to the whites, the families went back to their homes, and a temporary peaceful quietness prevailed. One idea was brought into prominence by
the
Hoopa excitement, which was, that any anticipation of permanent and lasting peace would be folly of the the worst description; only the forcible annihilation
206
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the Indians, or the gradual
decay in power and
numbers that always accompanies their contact with the whites, would establish firmly the settlement of a civilized community
among them.
Nor could
the
miserable failure of the Reservation system escape the notice of the whites, many of whom expressed the opinion that the only guaranty against a warfare of long duration—one that would put a stop to all min¬ ing operations on the Klamath—would be a permis¬ sion to the Indians to remain where they were. every
rancheria there were old
In
Indians, influential
men, possessed of property, and as much attached to their homes as it is possible for a white man to be. When any trivial depredation was committed by the mountain tribes these old men used all their influence to compromise matters, and made such restitution of stolen property as lay in
their
power.
When
the
Klamath Reservation was planned and ordained, the old men of the Hoopa tribes said plainly that if any attempt
was
made
to
remove
their
people from
their homes by force they would not be responsible for the consequences.
As long as they were allowed
to remain in their rancherias, they said there should be no fear.
People who had enjoyed excellent oppor¬
tunities for observing closely the progress of affairs, and who were able to judge fairly the situation, were of the opinion that though a war of extermination might be resolved upon by the whites, it was easier to talk about it than to carry it into effect.
Every
miner who had participated in the campaign against the Red Caps, of doubtful success and enormous ex-
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
207
pense, could easily surmise the results of a conflict with twenty times the number of desperate Indians. In that rugged and mountainous country the soldiers of the regular Army, who knew absolutely nothing about Indian warfare, would
be useless and ineffec¬
tual; and how could volunteers, men acquainted with the mountains and the Indians, how could they act usefully when their very sustenance was a matter of caprice with the powers that were?
In August the town of Union was alarmed by re¬ ports of outrages by Indians on Redwood Creek.
A
settler named Ferrill went to town with the news that depredations of various kinds were being committed, and asked assistance to preserve property and pun¬ ish the Indians.
A party of twenty men, under the
leadership of Burr McConaha, left town and went out to Ferrill’s place, arriving there at twelve o’clock in the night.
They slept in a barn.
Next morning one of
the party named Jenkins was scouting in the vicinity, and found an Indian alone, who surrendered and was taken to the camp.
On the same day the party dis¬
covered the Indian camp on Pine Creek, twenty-seven miles from Union.
The camp was surrounded and a
sudden attack made, the result being the killing of seven warriors.
Having inflicted this punishment for
repeated depredations on the whites, the party returned to Ferrill’s house and moved his family to Union.
208
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
During the latter part of September Messrs. John¬ son and Brewer, of Angel’s Ranch, missed from their droves many head of cattle.
Careful search revealed
the fact that some had been killed and others wounded with arrows.
The cattle at the time were ranging
three or four miles Southeast of Angel’s Ranch, in the neighborhood of a range which belonged Hempfield.
to I. W.
The natives in the neighborhood were
much opposed to 'whites, and had several times threat¬ ened to kill their stock if they did not leave.
When
the depredations at Angel’s Ranch and vicinity had 'continued for a week the stock-raisers met at Hempfield’s and organized a company for mutual protection. There were but few settlers in a section of country many miles in extent, and the party at Hempfield’s numbered only ten men.
This little party, smarting
under a sense of the loss sustained, went in pursuit of the depredating Indians, and at daylight one morning they saw the fires of a rancheria in a thicket East of Hempfield’s Ranch, on the mountain divide towards Redwood Creek.
They attacked the rancheria and
killed ten of the Indians.
The latter, forty or fifty in
number, made a resistance at the first fire, and then fled ingloriously.
Although several guns were seen in
their hands, they used their bows exclusively in return¬ ing the fire of the whites.
One of the party,
W.
Hempfield, was struck by an arrow in the thigh, and seriously wounded.
A physician was sent for to at¬
tend to Hempfield’s wound, and the party continued on to Redwood Creek. The rancheria there was desert¬ ed, the Indians having received warning and fled to the mountains.
209
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
While the events above narrated were transpiring in the Northern part of the county, and while affairs on the Klamath were in a condition not at all flatter¬ ing to the whites, a tragedy was enacted in Southern Humboldt which originated grave fears of impending difficulties in Eel River Valley and the adjacent coun¬ try.
A man named Charles Hicks went out hunting
on Bear River, far from the settlements, and near a small
Indian
rancheria.
The Indians, seeing him,
went to meet him, and were profuse in their protesta¬ tions of friendship.
Several of them walked with him
a short distance, when one who walked behind sud¬ denly jerked his gun away and attempted to shoot him, but the gun did not fire.
Fifteen of them closed in on
him then, and he defended himself with a pistol and knife.
Freeing himself from their grasp, he started to
run, when a shot was fired at him, striking the left shoulder blade and lodging in the left arm.
Wounded
in this way, he succeeded in escaping, hiding from his pursuers in the brush.
The wound weakened him
so that he was afraid to risk another contest by ventur¬ ing out of his concealment.
Remaining secreted in
the brush for several days, he was seen by a number of squaws, who took him to a rancheria and cared for him until his friends arrived from the settlements.
The
Indians held a council when he was taken to their ran¬ cheria by the squaws regarding what disposition should be made of him, those in favor of sparing his life pre¬ vailing.
The friendly Indians secured the rifle which
had been taken from Hicks and presented it to the whites, in the hope of appeasing their anger by this 14
210
act.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
In a week later Hicks died from the effects of the
wound received, and the whites, following innumererable examples, organized a party of avengers and went after the guilty Indians.
They attacked a band
near Grizzly Bluff, killing seven, among whom were two who were recognized as having belonged to the rancheria near which Hicks received his wound.
At the end of the year 1856 the settlement and de¬ velopment of Humboldt county had reached promising proportions, notwithstanding the unsettled condition of Indian affairs.
Twenty thousand acres of land had
been pre-empted for agricultural or grazing purposes, the lands settled upon and improved being situated chiefly in the valleys of Eel River, Mad River and Bear River, and bordering on Humboldt Bay.
Homes were
established in the wilderness and farms appeared where two years before there had been no sign of a white man’s presence.
It was natural
that grazing and
stock raising should be the enterprises which first gained prominence in the new settlements.
Cattle
could be depended on to take care of themselves in a great measure, and it required no machinery and little capital to engage in the business.
The number of
cattle owned in the county was estimated at 1,100, and there had been driven in from other parts of the State more than 800 head.
It was also estimated that there
were in the county 500 horses and 480 mules.
These
INDIAN AFFAIRS IN ’56.
21 I
did not include 300 mules used for packing merchan¬ dise to the mines and belonging to citizens of Trinity and
Klamath counties.
Agricultural
been wonderfully rapid since
1854.
progress had One thousand
acres in wheat produced 35,000 bushels; 950 acres in oats produced 40,000 bushels; 500 acres in barley produced 15,000 bushels; 500 acres in potatoes pro¬ duced 20,000 bushels.
From two or three saw mills
in 1854, the lumber industry had increased to nine steam saw
mills, with a combined
capacity of 24-
ooo.ooo feet per annum.
In every direction, and in
every industry based on
natural productions, there
were evidences of an active improvement—an improve¬ ment which could only be stayed or interrupted by Indian warfare.
Ill prepared as the pioneers were for
rapid settlement, few in number and weak in strength when compared to the aboriginal inhabitants of the country, there was nothing slow about the process of civilization in 1856. redskins to the wall.
The whites were crowding the
212
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER X. A Hard Winter.
Furious storms and obliterating snows.—Unequal warfare with the elements.—Men and animals lost in the mountains.—Tempo¬ rary exemption from Indian troubles.
Never did the pioneers of Northern California ex¬ perience a harder
Winter
than
that of
1856-57.
From the first of December, 1856, to the middle of April, 1857, storm after storm swept over the country —cold, pelting, blinding, drenching rain on the coast, snow everywhere on the mountains inland.
At Hum¬
boldt Bay there was a succession of terrific gales from the Southeast, terrible even to those who were accus¬ tomed to the storms of the open sea.
Old
Califor¬
nians likened the weather to that which prevailed in the Sierras in ’52. Of course there was no snow in the valleys near the sea, but there was almost an interminable rain storm. There was some variation in the weather, but it was always wet.
It was cold and wet, and warm and wet;
blustery and wet, and still and wet; wet overhead and wet under foot!
It rained when the clouds came from
the Southeast, it rained when
they came from the
A HARD WINTER.
213
Northwest, it rained when there were no clouds to be seen !
As a local newspaper aptly expressed the situ¬
ation, “ The sky was a water-sieve and sponge.”
the earth a
There was no Fall sowing of grain, because
the ground could not be prepared for the reception of seed.
Streams were bank full all the time and fre¬
quently overflowing. On the mountains there was an incredible amount of snow.
It was packed in the trails, obliterating and
hiding them
completely.
drifts in the gulches.
It was heaped in
huge
It was whirled and flurried in the
wind from the high peaks and the never-ending undu¬ lations of the hills; as if Nature, exulting in super¬ human power, was making a tremendous effort to bury every human thing deep under a covering of snow. Pack trains from Eel River Valley could get no fur¬ ther than the head of Yager Creek.
Pack trains from
Union were stopped by impassable barriers before they had gone twenty miles.
Men and animals were lost
in the snow, and other men in search of them were lost in their turn, reaching the settlements half-starved and half-frozen. • No furthe* thought was given to Indian wars in this unequal warfare with the elements of nature.
Self-
preservation was a necessity for both the Indian and the white man.
Neither could afford to jeopardize his
own life in a vain attempt to take the life of the other. So, through four months and a half of rain, and snow, and heavy gales, through four months and a half of extreme hardship and privation, there was complete freedom from any hostile demonstrations on the part
214
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the natives and a sense of perfect security among the whites. Men who came down from the mountains said there was more snow on the trails than ever known during any previous Winter since the earliest settlement of Northern
California.
There were many narrow es¬
capes from death by cold and exposure. aha, a
packer
to
Burr McCon-
the mines, started from Salmon
River to Union, by way of Orleans and Hoopa, to¬ gether with Frank Ball, C. S. Harrington and a China¬ man.
While crossing the mountains between Hoopa
and Redwood Creek all the animals gave out and the men were compelled to leave them and proceed on foot.
When within two miles of Redwood, Ball suc¬
cumbed to the cold and dropped to the ground ex¬ hausted.
Harrington
and the
Chinaman
McConaha remained behind with Ball. and Harrington and the snow.
went on.
Night set in,
the Chinaman lost their way in
They, too, were about to sink exhausted,
when a welcome gleam of light guided them to a hu¬ man habitation, the home of J. A. Ferrillon Redwood Creek. ing.
It was then in the early hours of the morn¬ Without delay a relief party set out to rescue
McConaha and Ball.
On the top of a hill they found
the two men crouching near a fire, Ball wrapped in McConaha’s coat.
Both were able to walk and were
escorted to a safe resting-place at Ferrill’s. In the early part of
January Capt. F. M. Wood¬
ward and a Mr. Wallace, traveling down the Klamath, encountered a severe storm on the mountain between McDonald’s Ferry and Redwood Creek, and the trail
A HARD WINTER.
215
being entirely obliterated they narrowly escaped death. Capt. Woodward, who had passed four Winters in that section, asserted that the storm, as regarded the quantity of snow, surpassed anything he had ever ex¬ perienced.
The snow on the mountains between Red¬
wood Creek and the Klamath was four feet deep, and on the same range West of deeper.
Hoopa it was two feet
On the higher mountains—the Salmon and
Trinity ranges—the quantity of
snow could only be
conjectured, for the trails were impassable everywhere. The only method of communication with the mines on
Salmon
River was by way of the mouth of that
stream, thence up to the mines through the river bot¬ toms on a bad and dangerous trail.
The pack-trains
of Gould & Mallet and Fort & Love were caught in the storm at Hiampum, at the mouth of the Hay Fork of Trinity, and several of the animals were lost in the snow.
Those in charge of the trains went down the
South Fork and main Trinity to shelter in Hoopa Valley. A few days of warm weather in the middle of Jan¬ uary melted the snow on the lower mountains, caus¬ ing a rapid and dangerous rise in all the streams. Mad
River was
higher than
it had been since the
Winter of ’54 and Eel River was bank full.
Klamath
River was not as high as the others, the snow on the higher mountains remaining firm and unmelted. Trin¬ ity county was one stretch of snow from end to end. Such a great quantity fell at Weaverville that the roofs of many buildings were broken down, including the Court House, Masonic Temple and the express office.
216
INDIAN
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
In the two months of December and January over fifteen inches of rain fell at Humboldt Bay.
When
the month of February came it was ushered in with a heavy downpour of rain.
Throughout February and
March the weather was extremely wet and
stormy,
streams were swollen, mountains covered with snow. The “ hardest Winter since the settlement by the whites,” was the general verdict pronounced on the season; and this verdict meant much more than ap¬ peared on the surface.
It meant a struggle for self-
preservation by the Indians, a struggle against natu¬ ral forces, in which the whites were not a factor.
A
hard Winter had brought temporary exemption from serious trouble with the native inhabitants.
217
A REVIVAL OF TRADE.
#
CHAPTER XI.
A Revival of Trade. The Spring of ’57.—General Prosperity in the Mines.—Trading Posts of Northern California.—Wonderful Industrial Progress in Seven Years.
Notwithstanding the extreme severity of the pre¬ ceding Winter the Spring of 1857 was remarkable for a wonderful
revival of all
branches of trade,
the
inauguration, in fact, of a commercial prosperity which only domestic difficulties would impede The
miners in
all
the districts on
the
or
hinder.
Klamath,
Salmon and Trinity had an abundance of water, and nearly all the claims
paid well.
mines meant prosperity elsewhere.
Prosperity in the Humboldt Bay,
as the natural supply depot of a vast mining region, enjoyed its share of the general prosperity, hampered, it is true, by primitive methods of travel and com¬ munication with the interior.
To move a cargo of
merchandise from the seaboard to the mines required an almost incredible amount of labor and expense. There were no roads.
It was early observed that
instead of following the ordinary law of settlement in a new State, commencing at the frontier and sweeping
2 18
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
along in regular order, like the onward movement of an army, the first immigrants to California scattered far and wide, here and there—to the extremes as well as to the central positions—in their wild pursuit after treasures imbedded in the soil.
They did not stop to
have the way smoothed before them;
there were no
mountains so high and sterile, no canons so deep and rugged, as to interrupt their progress.
Towns and
settlements sprang up simultaneously from Siskiyou to Mariposa ;
and a majority of the most productive
mining districts possessed only trails, rough and long, as connecting highways for trade and travel. so in
the Northern
districts.
The entire
It was internal
commerce of the Northern counties of the State was carried on in 1857 by means of pack-trains of hardy mules.
Trinity county alone contained one hundred
and twenty-eight trading-posts, doing an annual busi¬ ness of over a million dollars, yet every pound of merchandise sold over their counters was transported across the mountains by pack-trains.
The trade of
Siskiyou, much larger, was carried on in the same way. And when to those two counties was added Del Norte, Klamath and Humboldt the total represented was well up in the millions of dollars annually—a commerce conducted with
the simple
methods known to the
Spanish races in the mountains of Mexico and South America.
General
prosperity, under such adverse
circumstances, and after a Winter of unprecedented severity, was an omen full of encouragement to those who
had faith
country.
in
the resources and future of the
219
A REVIVAL OF TRADE.
The trade for the season was fairly commenced during the month of April.
Pack trains arrived at
Union and Eureka and departed daily, the supplies of merchandise from San Francisco scarcely keeping pace with the demand.
The diversion of the whole
carrying
upper Trinity from Shasta
trade
of
the
to Humboldt Bay was no longer a matter of doubt¬ ful prophecy. an
Farmers of
Humboldt county found
outlet for their superfluous crops and very re¬
munerative sales by the opening of passable trails to the mines; and those who had struggled along through the years of its early settlement, with no reward for their labor beyond a bare subsistence, now realized a high price for all their produce.
The lumber industry
also was attracting the attention of capitalists and paying handsomely those who were engaged in it.
A
wonderful progress had been made in seven years. But little more than seven years before, the Hum¬ boldt Bay country was unvisited by white men, with the exception of the
Gregg party in
1849.
The
Indian roamed over its wilds unmolested; the virgin resources of the country were as yet untouched by man.
Now the scene was changed.
A little cycle of
seven years had forced the Indian to his remotest haunt, had settled the country, had witnessed the growth of towns and the establishment of homes.
Since the
first settlement was made on the Bay there had been a large annual trade with the mines.
The first trad¬
ing was done wholly with the lower Trinity.
Mer¬
chandise from Union or Trinidad did not at first go further than the North Fork of Trinity, that stream
220
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
and its lower tributaries constituting the entire market for merchandise from Humboldt Bay during two years or more.
Other places then began to attract the
floating population of miners.
The settlements began
to extend lower down the Trinity and on to New River ;
the Klamath opened a new field for trade and
enterprise, the Salmon in its turn made a market for the trader, and both increased
in
importance until
they had outgrown very considerably the original and single field of the Trinity.
On each of these rivers
surface prospectors no longer secured from one to six ounces of gold per day, but the number of miners and the extent and productiveness of the deeper diggings had constantly increased.
Within a year a new trail
had been opened to the upper Trinity, which, by its superiority and the relative cheapness of transporta¬ tion. drew into this channel an amount of merchandise larger than that before sent either to the Klamath, the Salmon or the lower Trinity.
Some supplies for the
Klamath and Salmon were drawn from other shipping points on the coast, and Shasta and Red Bluff held undisputed possession of a large trade in the upper Trinity country.
Yet the natural commercial advan¬
tages of Humboldt
Bay, if properly sustained and
developed, could not fail
in the end to secure the
largest share of the trade of the whole region. was still
the
most important
trading post
Union on
the
bay, the solid prosperity and enterprise of the place being an excellent indication of the permanent and settled feeling that had come over the whole commu¬ nity.
There
was some stability of society, some
A REVIVAL OF TRADE.
permanency of
social
institutions.
22 1
The
nomadic
spirit that had infused its restless life into all classes a few years before now gave place to a settled desire for lasting and permanent homes.
The change from a
shifting, restless civilization to a more enduring social condition, always slow in mining countries, was grad¬ ually approaching its completion here.
General pros¬
perity stimulated and encouraged business men in their efforts to make Humboldt Bay what they be¬ lieved nature intended it to be, a point of supply and commercial outlet for a territory embracing two de¬ grees of latitude and over one and a half degrees of longitude.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
222
CHAPTER XII.
Quiet Close of a Peaceful Year.
Bill for the payment of Indian war claims.—Action of the Legisla¬ ture.—Some lost papers.—A disturbance at the Klamath Res¬ ervation.
Not absolutely devoid of other interest than that which attached to business affairs, but very quiet and peaceful, the last eight months of 1857 slipped away into the past with no bad omens of misfortune in the future.
The Indians, chastened and subdued by the
severe Winter they had with difficulty lived through, were compelled
by stress of circumstances to meet
half-way the friendly advances of peaceably-inclined whites.
The whites were too busily engaged in the
prosperous business enterprises of the year to find time or occasion for brawls and quarrels with the In¬ dians. One topic of general discussion in the Summer and Fall was a bill passed by the Legislature providing for the payment of Indian war claims.
The bill was
introduced by Representative S. G. Whipple, of Klam¬ ath, and the amount to be paid was not to exceed the sum of $410,000, a large part of it to be applied to
QUIET CLOSE OF A PEACEFUL YEAR.
223
the payment of claims which had accrued in the coun¬ ties of Siskiyou, Humboldt and Klamath.
The Treas¬
urer, Controller and Quartermaster were constituted a Board of Examiners to examine and audit claims. The passage of the bill was cheering to many settlers in the three counties named who had suffered from In¬ dian depredations and expended their means in quell¬ ing hostile tribes.
But there was a stay in the pro¬
ceedings, unlooked for and surprising.
In June the
Board of Examiners announced that they were ready for business, and notified the public that $410,000 had been appropriated “for services rendered and supplies furnished in an expedition against the Indians in the year 1855,” at the same time requesting parties having such claims to forward them to the President of the Board at Sacramento.
A previous session of the Leg¬
islature had appointed, in 1856, a Board of Commis¬ sioners to examine such claims, consequently no one thought of filing their claims a second time, the old Board of Commissioners having discharged their duty faithfully, filed their report, and forwarded to the Gov¬ ernor the necessary papers and vouchers of those hav¬ ing claims against the State.
When, in 1857, an ap¬
propriation had been made for the payment of the claims and a Board of Examiners appointed to audit them at Sacramento, the papers and vouchers surren¬ dered by the old Board of Commissioners suddenly disappeared.
Wm. C. Kibbe, President of the Board
of Examiners, thereupon gave notice that the original papers having been lost, others would have to be filed with the Board by all claimants.
Along in the month
224
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of December, after the claimants had been compelled to duplicate their vouchers, the original papers were found somewhere among the rubbish of the Capitol. The developments and surmises and conjectures inci¬ dent to these war claims furnished at least a topic of conversation
and
speculation
during
the closing
months of a quiet year. There were a few Indian depredations and disturb¬ ances, not frequent or serious enough to create any general alarm. In August, a young Spaniard in the employ of Mal¬ let & Gould, packers, was shot at by Indians on the trail three miles from Mad River.
He was riding be¬
hind the train when the first shot was fired, the ball passing through the fleshy part of his thigh.
He sup¬
posed it came from his own revolver, accidentally dis¬ charged,
and
dismounted
to examine
it.
Another
shot distinctly fired from the bush near by passed un¬ der his arm, cutting his shirt, and lodged in the side of his mule.
The boy then ran for the train and es¬
caped. On the 25th of November a disturbance occurred at the Klamath Reservation.
An Indian called Klam¬
ath Mike, who had endeavored for some time before to
incite
the
tribes
on
the
Reservation
to
war,
attempted to take the life of Major Heintzleman, the resident Agent of the Government.
The Major dis¬
covered the Indian in the act of shooting, and just in time to save his own life.
Klamath Mike fled from
the spot, followed by others of his tribe.
A party of
troops on the Reservation followed in pursuit, and a
QUIET CLOSE OF A PEACEFUL YEAR.
fight occurred,
in
which
fifteen
Indians were killed, Klamath
225
or twenty of the
Mike escaping.
The
latter was known to be a bad Indian, always at work to instigate difficulty and trouble on the Reservation. His followers
were principally renegades from the
Smith’s River Reservation, Del Norte county, and other localities further North.
In the afternoon of the day
of the attempted assassination of Major Heintzleman three travelers approached the Klamath River from the North—James Mathews, R. H. Paris and another named
Stephens—without arms and on foot.
As
they neared the river bank and ascended the steep incline of a little hill they were suddenly surrounded by forty or fifty Indians, hideous in war paint and armed with bows and knives, who crowded around them, apparently frantic with rage, brandishing and flourishing their long knives.
The three men ex¬
pected to be killed on the spot, but to their surprise and
relief
there
arose a
commotion
among
the
Indians, caused by a difference of opinion regarding the disposition to be made of them. cited “ pow-wow”
resulted
in
the
A noisy and ex¬ prisoners
being
marched off to the rancheria at the mouth of the river.
Here they saw
the dead body of an Indian,
about which the squaws were
moaning piteously.
Some of the most blood-thirsty of the inhabitants of the rancheria, including Klamath Mike and Lagoon Charlie, were eager to kill the white prisoners, and were with difficulty
restrained from
carrying their
designs into instant execution, taunting the whites with exclamations of how easily they could be killed 15
226
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
did the Indians will it, and with threats of vengeance. It was decided by the Indians, after arriving at their rancheria, that they would keep their prisoners alive till next morning, when they would finally determine what to do with them. Klamath Mike, who could talk broken English, then said to them in an insolent manner, pointing to the door of a filthy hut: “You go in there; in the morning we tell you what we do with you.” All night long the prisoners, shut up in their dark and reeking lodging, could hear the tramp of sentries around the hut or the guttural exclamations of the guard. At sunrise they were brought into an open space and a human ring was formed about them. A war dance, with all its accompanying horrors ex¬ cept death, was indulged in by their captors, followed by another “ pow-wow. ” The second “ pow-wow ” saved their lives. Some of the older Indians were op¬ posed to the proposition to put them to death, and through their interference a compromise was effected. The prisoners were placed in a canbe, manned by stalwart guards, and taken up the river. Their des¬ tination was a mystery to them, and they imagined it must be some new place of torture. They were hap¬ pily at fault in their gloomy expectations, for their captors landed at the Government farm, five miles above the mouth of the river, and liberated them in sight of Major Heintzleman’s headquarters. With the exception of the isolated instances already cited, violent acts by the Indians were rarely heard of in the closing months of 1857. Indian troubles of se¬ rious magnitude seemed to be things of a past so re-
QUIET CLOSE OF A PEACEFUL YEAR.
227
mote, in the restored confidence of this quiet year, that nothing less than a great and unforeseen accident might interrupt the general security. The industry and commerce of the country trib¬ utary to
Humboldt Bay
grew and flourished as it
had never flourished or grown before.
The lumber
industry, which had not created a perceptible break in the massive outline of the forests, furnished em¬ ployment to nearly three hundred men at high wages. Fields of wheat were sown in Eel River Valley that yielded seventy bushels to the acre.
Immense yields
of potatoes were recorded in the Mattole country and in the vicinity of Union.
That portion of the country
adapted to stock-raising and dairying was rapidly set¬ tled and populated with people and cattle.
Trade and
travel to the mines was brisk and profitable.
Every
industry of a new and growing country was prosper¬ ous and full of vitality.
228
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XIII. The War with the Win-toons—How it Commenced.
The domestic affairs of one “ Leroy.”—Shooting of Wm. E. Ross.— Three parties of Volunteers.—John Bell’s perilous position.— Death of Orrin Stevens.—The battle of Three Creeks.—Major Raines.—A playground for soldiers.—Murder of Paul Boynton. Mass meetings of the people.—Petitions for assistance.—Col. Henley’s waste basket.—Organization of Volunteer Companies. The Kibbe Guards.—Fight near Pardee’s Ranch.—John Harpst wounded—Capt. I. G. Messec’s Company.—Hardships of the Winter campaign. In the tribal classification of the Indians of North¬ western California, the Win-toons, or Mountain Dig¬ gers, are designated as the sixth general division, and their country
is
described as embracing the head¬
waters of Panther Creek, Redwood, Mad and Eel rivers. But the country described was only a portion of the territory in which the Win-toons lived.
The exact
meaning of their name, Win-toon, cannot be accurately determined, and it may be doubted whether it could be assigned to the tribes in a circumscribed area. There were other mountain tribes, chiefly confined to the banks of large streams ; but the Win-toons must have peopled the Bald Hills country in places far remote
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
from the larger streams.
229
They were a hardy race,
subsisting on game and nuts.
As their principal oc¬
cupation was hunting, unlike the lower or valley tribes, who subsisted on fish, the
Win-toons early became
accustomed to the use of fire-arms.
Before Dr. Gregg
and his companions descended the Trinity there were a few guns in the possession of the high mountain tribes, and when the valley Indians were using them ignor¬ antly and with little effect the Win-toons had acquir¬ ed a proficiency in their use which was anything but encouraging to travelers on the lonely trails. have been
It may
their early acquaintance with the whites
which induced them to remain friendly as long as they did, for as long as they were friendly they could procure fire-arms, and, unfortunately, fire-water.
For
several years after the Klamath War they committed occasional depredations on the property of stock-rais¬ ers in the Bald Hills, and when they saw their old hunting-grounds deserted by the deer and elk, the devil that is naturally an Indian’s companion began to as¬ sert itself.
Revenge was sweet to the savage, no less
than revenge is sweet to civilized man.
With that
blind fury which characterizes the race, indiscriminating and cruel, the Win-toons commenced their war by committing several atrocious murders. It was in the first week of February, 1858, that an event occurred which had a direct tendency to precipi¬ tate difficulties between the Win-toons and the whites. Among the worthless characters who infested the coun¬ try was a negro known by the name of “ Leroy.”
He
had adopted the Indian mode of life, and had taken to
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
230
his bosom one of the dusky maidens of the forest. She, tiring of him, resolved to rid herself of his un¬ welcome presence.
Three miles from Angel’s Ranch
they had made their camp and “ Leroy ” was dutifully hunting game with which to replenish their Winter larder.
The partner of his joys and sorrows here in¬
formed him that his services would be dispensed with, and if he did not forthwith depart her people would come and kill him. ground.
He, in no wise daunted, stood his
Two stout Indians assaulted him, one armed
with a hatchet, the other with a knife.
A brutal fight
ensued, in which the negro was badly wounded in the left breast by a blow with the hatchet.
The negro sub¬
sequently reached Angel’s Ranch, where he gave an account of the fight and reported that he had killed the two Indians with a knife. the camp.
A party of white men visited
There were no dead bodies on the spot,
and the Indians had robbed the camp of everything “ Leroy ” possessed, including the squaw.
A few days
after the affray an Indian went to Woodward & Barney’s place, on the Trinity trail, and was recognized as be¬ longing to the rancheria of the two who had attacked “ Leroy.’’
He was bound and chained to a tree, was
kept in that position till he confessed his knowledge of the attack on the negro, and later his tribe brought in the guns and pistols which had 'been taken from the camp.
They also confessed that the negro had killed
both of his assailants with a sheath-knife.
Being urged
to make further confessions of Indian depredations, and threatened with death if they did not tell the truth, they said that two men named Granger and Cook, who
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
23I
had disappeared from that vicinity a year before, were murdered by the Win-toons. “Leroy’s” fight and subsequent proceedings were not calculated to perpetuate peace.
An intense ex¬
citement spread among the Win-toons, creating a burn¬ ing desire to revenge themselves for the death of two of their number, and it culminated three months later in one of the boldest attacks ever committed by them. A white man was shot down on the Trinity trail, near Grouse Creek, on Wednesday, the 23d of June.
Two
packers, Henry Allen and Wm. E. Ross, accompanied by two Indian boys, were going up to the Trinity with their train.
As they were descending Grouse Creek
Hill, not expecting danger, Ross was shot from an ambush where a party of Indians were lying. shot three times.
He was
He fell from his mule, and when
Allen reached him he was unable to stand on his feet. Allen carried him away from the trail, made a bed for him, and sent one of the boys for assistance.
The
Indians came out from their ambush and coolly looked on while Allen unpacked the mules.
When the boy
started off they hailed him, but he put spurs to his mule and reached Pardee’s Ranch in safety.
A Mr.
Barney, who was a partner in the Pardee property and living on the place, started to Allen’s assistance and sent the boy on to Eureka.
When Mr. Barney reached
the spot where Ross had been shot he found Allen un¬ harmed and ministering to the wants of his wounded companion.
He had erected a barricade of packs from
the mules and was determined to stay with Ross to the end.
The boy who went for assistance arrived at
232
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Eureka at 6 o’clock in the evening, having traveled the 37 miles in less than five hours.
Dr. Baldwin, accom¬
panied by A. W. Gould, left immediately for the scene of the shooting, arriving there on Thursday morning, after a night’s ride through rain and darkness, on a rough mountain trail. a critical condition.
Ross was yet living, though in On Thursday night Mr. Barney
went to his home, and on Friday morning h'e went to Eureka for assistance to carry the wounded man back to the settlements.
He reported to the citizens of
Eureka that the wounds would
probably cause the
death of Ross, one of the balls having injured the spine.
The feeling attending this
deep and bitter.
intelligence was
Ross had been known as a peaceable,
industrious man, and had never so far as any one knew molested or injured the Indians.
An attempt had once
before been made to take his life by three Indians, near the same place on the Trinity trail where he was now lying wounded, and this fact, associated with the recent attacks, was taken as ground for belief that the Win-toons, for some unaccountable reason or for no reason, had deliberately planned to kill him.
Six citi¬
zens of Eureka formed the relief party which responded to the call for assistance, and were met at the spot where Ross lay by six men from
Hiampuu.
A rude
litter was constructed and Ross was carried to Pardee’s house, where he received careful attention.
Remain¬
ing there two weeks, he was removed to Eureka.
His
limbs had become paralyzed, and in his helpless con¬ dition it was necessary to use the greatest precaution in moving him.
A light frame-work of wood was made
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
233
and placed on the back of a gentle mule, inside of which a hammock was swung, and in this way the wounded man was carried down the mountain. Thoroughly
aroused
as
were
the
whites, and
thoroughly determined to punish the assailants of Ross, the Win-toons exceeded them in anger and determina¬ tion.
It was war to the knife, they said.
give no quarter, and expected none.
They would
Such assertions
by the Digger tribes were usually considered in the light of braggadocio, but the Win-toons were most war-like of all the Northern
the
Indians—having
somewhat of the freedom and boldness imparted by the spirit of their mountains, and as yet unawed by the number and power of the whites.
A general war was
anticipated by those who knew the Win-toons best. About the first of July three parties of volunteers were organized for a campaign against the Indians on Redwood and Upper Mad River, in the vicinity of the place where Ross was shot.
One party, under com¬
mand of John Bell, numbering 16 men, pursued the Indians closely for several days, and on Thursday morning, July 15th, they attacked a rancheria on Grouse Creek.
The party routed the
several warriors.
rancheria and killed
From reports made by Mr. Bell, it
appears that the Indians had been collected there, to the number of 100, with the intention of attacking Bell’s party.
They had divided their forces, desiring
to engage Bell before he reached the rancheria.
Bell,
however, did not go by the route they expected, pass¬ ing them and raiding the rancheria while a large force of the Indians were absent.
The Indians learned of
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
234
Bell’s position from some who escaped from the rancheria, and an ambush was made for his destruction. Retiring from their rancheria on his way to camp, Bell followed the trail into the ambush and was fired on by the Indians, one of his men, Orrin Stevens, being shot dead at the firsfrfire.
This demoralized the whites, and
they did not attempt to stand the assault of the conceal¬ ed savages.
They knew not how many of the foe were
opposed to them ; the Indian in his ambush, behind a rock or tree, or hidden in the grass, had a fair target before him of every one of the whites ; there was no advantage
that was not on the side of the savage.
By a miracle Bell escaped with the loss of only one man.
When he reached the camp he had left the day
before another surprise was awaiting him. was entirely broken up.
The camp
Provisions, blankets, cook¬
ing utensils, all were gone.
Ten mules had also been
driven off by the Indians.
Bell fell back to Pardee’s
Ranch, which he reached at daylight on Friday morn¬ ing.
The whole party were worn out and exhausted
and some of them were barefooted.
Bell concluded
to remain at Pardee’s Ranch until reinforcements could be received from Eureka.
He
knew
that
the In¬
dians were collecting in large numbers in the vicinity, and he had had sufficient evidence that .they were dis¬ posed to contest every inch of their territory with the whites.
It would therefore be the height of folly to
meet them with only 15 men. While Bell was falling back before superior num¬ bers a party of twelve citizens were doing what they could to protect lives and property in the vicinity of
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
235
the Buttes, an extensive grazing country on the head¬ waters of Mad River.
They were actively engaged
in scouting for two weeks, and were fatigued and worn out at the end of that time. Much excitement prevailed at Eureka, in the mean¬ time, concerning the sale of^ ammunition and firearms by white men to the Indians.
It was freely asserted
that certain persons of loose character drove a thriv¬ ing trade with the hostile tribes, supplying them with arms at exorbitant prices.
Threats were made that
Judge Lynch would hold court, but the crime charged never was fastened on any one person by sufficient evidence to convict. In addition to the selling of firearms and ammu¬ nition, there were other acts by bad white men which inflamed the passions of the Indians and injured the cause of the whites. August.
One instance was observed in
On the second day of that month two In¬
dian boys were driving a train of mules from Kneeland’s Prairie to Eureka, and when they were within six miles of town one of the boys was shot dead from his horse.
The other was fired at several times, es¬
caping uninjured; and riding into Eureka he told the story of the shooting, saying that it was done by white men.
The citizens at first refused to credit his state¬
ment
Finally a number went to the place indicated
and found the body of the murdered boy, shot in sev¬ eral
places.
The recurrence of such cold-blooded
deeds of murder did much to exasperate the hostile tribes and were condemned by all good citizens.
They
could not be prevented, however, and the consequence
INDIAN WARS OF THE
236
NORTHWEST.
was that the good citizens received punishment for the evil deeds of the bad. Since Orrin Stevens was killed, in the preceding month of July, nothing of importance had transpired in connection with Bell’s party until the 2d of August. The party had remained at Pardee’s Ranch, receiving a small reinforcement from Trinity county.
On the
2d of August sixteen men, commanded by Mr. Winslet, of Burnt Ranch, struck the trail of a party of Win-toon warriors near Three Creeks, a point some three miles from Lach’s trail leading to the head of Hoopa Val¬ ley.
The trail w^as fresh, and Winslet gave orders to
follow it.
With their usual cunning the Indians had
reckoned on that very order, and, secreting themselves, had
waited for
their pursuers.
The whites passed
right under the muzzles of the guns pointed at them from the ambush, Winslet himself being shot through the thigh.
His men did not observe that he was shot,
and he gave orders to charge the ambush, heading the charge in person. ground.
The Indians did not stand their
They made a running fight, keeping out of
sight as much as possible, jumping from behind
a
clump of bushes, firing, and running to shelter furth¬ er on.
After chasing
them
two or three hundred
yards, Winslet’s party halted upon ascertaining that he was wounded.
About this time John Skilling and
Chauncey Miller separated themselves from the party for a few minutes, and were fired on by three Indians. Miller fell dead at Skilling’s feet, his brain pierced by a rifle ball.
Several shots were fired at Skilling with¬
out effect.
Miller was carried to a spot two miles from
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
237
where he was shot and left there until the party could take care of Winslet.
Winslet was taken to Pardee’s
house, where he stayed until Wednesday evening, when he was able to ride to Angel’s Ranch, his wound being painful but not dangerously severe. The direct result of the two fights by Bell’s party was to present to the whites the very discouraging as¬ pect of Indian affairs.
It plainly appeared that the
Indians had adopted their natural mode of warfare— hiding in ambush, laying in wait in the thick bush through which the trails were cut, skulking behind rocks and trees, shooting, and running, and shooting again.
Few white men could oppose this method of
warfare with any kind of advantage to themselves. The difficulties were fast assuming a most serious charac¬ ter.
During the six preceding weeks the Win-toons
had made their hostility felt in such a manner as to cause alarm and apprehension.
So far, the parties
who had been in pursuit of them had been worsted in every engagement.
They had been compelled to fol¬
low trails into deep canons and ravines known to the Indians alone, death-traps to the whites.
Two good
men had been killed and two wounded, yet nothing had been accomplished towards subduing the hostiles. The men who were in the field were not organized un¬ der the laws of the State, for experience had taught them that the State was most ungrateful.
They were
spending their own time and money to subdue the hostiles.
It was not to be reasonably expected that
they would continue in the field any great length of time, poorly provisioned and fitted out at their own
238
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
expense, to expose themselves to the extremes of dan¬ ger and hardship.
But, if they withdrew, the settlers
on the trails, with all their stock, would be at the mercy of the savages.
What could be done ?
The Govern¬
ment would do nothing, the State would do nothing, the commanding officer at Fort Humboldt would do nothing.
Something had to be done, and that speed¬
ily, by somebody.
It was understood, to be sure, that
Major Raines, in command at Fort Humboldt, had expressed his willingness to give protection to the set¬ tlers, at the same time informing them of his inability to do so.
The forces of the regular Army had never
afforded much protection to the settlers, nor was any prospect visible of better service in the future.
Fort
Humboldt might have been appropriately called a play¬ ground for the soldiers.
For useful endeavor in sup¬
pressing hostilities and protecting homes the settlers had to look to the volunteer forces, and as these were not organized with the sanction of the Government or the expectation of pay, but rather on the sole re¬ sponsibility of individuals, their periods were brief and uncertain.
of
service
It was universally admitted
that Volunteer Companies, organized under the laws of the State, with authority to act and with expectation of pay, would be the best means of preserving and maintaining
peace between
the
two races on the
Northwest coast. While the citizens of the Bay towns were agitating the regular formation of Volunteer Companies, and raising money to defray their expenses, the hostile In¬ dians were not idle in their work of destruction.
All
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
239
up and down the stock-raising country of the Bald Hills there was consternation and fear.
Bold as the
Indians had been in the beginning—a boldness which was always mingled with treachery—their successes in action against Bell’s party had increased their hopes of finally exterminating the whites from their country. Barbarous acts of violence were now of daily occur¬ rence.
On the morning of the 14th
of September
occurred the murder of Paul Boynton, who dived with his family.ten miles from Union, on the Trinity trail. Boynton was killed within two hundred yards of his house, between seven and eight o’clock in the morning. Some packers had camped there during the night, and in the morning, as they were preparing to leave, he started off after his cows.
Before he was out of sight
the report of a rifle was heard, and a number of In¬ dians were seen
running away from
the premises.
The packers seized their guns and ran to Boynton’s assistance.
Close to a little wood, in whose impene¬
trable shadows the Indians had been hidden, they found the dead body of Boynton, yet warm, pierced through and through by a rifle ball.
From the position taken
by the attacking party it was assumed that they had been in ambush all night, and that they intended, after killing Boynton, to make a raid on the house and its inmates.
The presence of the packers had foiled their
designs on the house but had not prevented the death of its owner.
Mr. Boynton was from Cook county,
Illinois, and arrived at Humboldt Bay in 1853, residing at Union until 1857, when he settled at the place where he was killed.
240
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
On the morning after the murder of Boynton Par¬ dee’s Ranch was attacked.
The dogs at
Pardee’s
house kept the attacking party at bay for a few min¬ utes, when Messrs. Pardee and Barney went out in the yard and were instantly fired on.
Neither was hit
and the Indians did not follow up the attack.
When
night set in Pardee’s family started for Union, arriving safely at three o’clock on Thursday morning, having left their house and effects to be destroyed. Public meetings of the citizens of Union and Eu¬ reka were held for the purpose of considering and adopting some method of protection to life and prop¬ erty during the continuance of the war with the Wintoons.
At Union a large meeting was held, attended
by the citizens generally, and cussed in all its bearings. ple, in
the situation was dis¬
Mass-meetings of the peo¬
times of intense excitement
are frequently
dangerous and difficult to control, having a volcanic energy which needs only a sympathetic spark from a leading mind to burst out in ruin to itself and others. It was so at Union.
There were many in the excited
throng of townspeople who would have been in favor of any measure which
contained an
amount of cruelty in its composition.
extraordinary There was an¬
other class, far-seeing men, opposed to the extreme doctrines advocated by certain well-meaning but blood¬ thirsty citizens.
Thus two factions were developed,
whose differences had to be reconciled before intelli¬ gent or harmonious action could be taken.
The first,
or blood-thirsty faction, urged with undisputed justice that the hostile Indians deserved the severest punish-
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
24I
ment for their repeated and barbarous depredations upon the whites.
They cited the case of Ross, who,
while peaceably following his business as a packer on the public thoroughfare between Union and the Trin¬ ity, was shot and wounded in such a manner as to make his recovery hopeless ; of Stevens, who was shot dead while in
pursuit of the hostiles ; of Chauncey
Miller, a trader on the Trinity, who had volunteered to clear the trail of dangerous obstructions, and had given his life as the forfeit; of Winslet, severely wounded while leading his men against the savages; of
Boynton, murdered in cold blood within sight of
his wife and children. These atrocities, the extremists declared, called aloud for vengeance; not vengeance such as reason would suggest, but vengeance the most complete that human ingenuity could devise.
They
were in favor of a war of extermination, total exter¬ mination, of every man, woman and child in whose veins coursed the blood of the Indian race. It was not enough that the warriors be killed.
Every one of the
tribe, male and female, must be made a bloody exam¬ ple of.
Reasons were not wanting for the theory of
total extermination as the only safe plan. condition of affairs
in the
When the
Bald Hills country was
such that men were shot down in sight of their own homes, it was time for extraordinary measures of re¬ lief. The second, or conservative faction, opposed the idea of extermination, on the ground that the killing of women and children was condemned by the spirit of a civilized age and forbidden by the consciences of good men.
Besides, communities abroad would look
242
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
upon the measure as emanating from a wicked, cruel and barbarous people.
The extremists replied to this,
that communities unacquainted with the hardships of frontier life, and far removed from the danger to which their own lives and property were constantly exposed, might consider such treatment of the Indians fit only for barbarians; but they believed that a necessity suf¬ ficiently imposing to override every consideration de¬ manded
total extermination as indispensable to ade¬
quate relief. The Indian race must be exterminated from the mountain prairies lying between Humboldt Bay and the waters of the Trinity and
Klamath, or
the further development and progress of the country would be utterly impossible.
However desirable the
country might be for stock-raising and other purposes, white men could not settle there while armed savages were suffered to roam at large, waylaying the trails, killing men, pillaging homes, and driving off cattle. As the Indians were year after year obtaining more and more firearms, and becoming better and better skilled in their use, the longer they were permitted to live the worse it would be for the whites.
To this the
conservatives answered, that they were in favor of re¬ moving the Indians, but not by the total extermination plan.
There was another and a better way for which
they contended. There were three Indian Reservations accessible to Humboldt, Trinity and
Klamath coun¬
ties, the Mendocino, the Noma Cult, and the Klam¬ ath, all established by the Government to meet such requirements as the present situation demanded. They (the conservative element) were in favor of removing
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
243
all the Indians to the Government Reservations. Again the extremists replied, it would do no good to remove the
Indians to the Reservations, which had been in
existence several years and had conferred no percep¬ tible benefit upon anybody.
The Agents, sub-Agents
and clerks on the Reservations at various times had idled away their opportunities for good actions, and incurred the displeasure of the whites and the con¬ tempt of the Indians. In no sense had the Reservation system benefitted the Indians or anybody else.
An¬
other argument in favor of extermination was the in¬ efficiency of the military power.
There was a United
States military post at Fort Humboldt, yet the pio¬ neers of the country, whose enterprise was building up and developing its resources, were murdered at their own doors, because they had no protection.
It could
not be said that the Federal or State officers were ig¬ norant of the situation.
Many times had been urged
upon the attention of the Indian Department the ab¬ solute necessity of something being done in this sec¬ tion to avert an Indian war.
The citizens had peti¬
tioned the commander of the United States troops, and also the Governor, for aid.
The military officer
had not men enough at his disposal to protect his own garrison from attack, and the opinions of the Gov¬ ernor on the subject had not been made known to the people. And should the Governor see fit to call for the formation of volunteer companies, the extremists con¬ tended, an unreasonable time would elapse before they could be brought into active service, notwithstanding the apparent necessity for immediate action in order
244
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
to save the settlements.
If something was not done
'immediately all the settlements in
the Bald
Hills
would be broken up, and travel on the trails leading to the interior would be completely cut off.
With
such arguments, pro and con, the mass-meeting con¬ sumed the first portion of its time, and then the judg¬ ment of cool heads began to cause conviction.
In ev¬
ery popular assemblage of the people, and particularly in those which are originated by intense excitement, the radical element, the dangerous and impulsive idea, finds expression first.
The cooler and more conserva¬
tive element, timid and backward though it may seem to be, follows the impulsive sympathy of the moment until it sees an opportunity to lead, and then the su¬ periority of its power is felt and acknowledged. There were cool heads in the mass meeting at Union, whose better judgment prevailed over the hot ideas of those who clamored for extermination.
They saw that ex¬
termination would be impossible, and by no possible .twisting of moral ethics could it be made to appear justifiable.
The dissension resulted in the appointment
of a committee of five citizens, John O. Craig, A. H. Murdock, David Maston, E. L. Wallace and H. W. Havens, with full authority to devise and carry into execution such measures as they might deem most prudent and most efficient for the protection of the lives and property of the settlers, and with authority to convene the people in mass meeting whenever oc¬ casion should dictate.
Resolutions were adopted, the
preamble to which stated that the unprovoked murder of Paul Boynton, as well as other recent events, had
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
245
demonstrated in the most unequivocal manner the de¬ termined and deadly hostility of the Indian tribes in the vicinity, showing that nothing but prompt and en¬ ergetic measures on the part of the entire white popu¬ lation, acting unitedly, could prevent the frequent oc¬ currence of similar tragedies; and it was therefore re¬ solved, as the sense-of the meeting, that the Trustees of the town of Union be requsted to levy a tax of not less than fifty cents on each one hundred dollars’ worth of property, the proceeds to be appropriated to the payment of
any necessary expense incurred by the
committee of five in the discharge of their duty. The meeting, having adopted the preamble and resolution, quietly adjourned, leaving to the committee of five citi¬ zens the task of accomplishing further good results. At a special meeting of the Trustees of the town of Union, held to inquire into Indian affairs as affecting the public safety, the resolution adopted by the mass meeting of the people was presented for their consid¬ eration.
Three of the Board were present, C. J. Gard¬
ner, President, D. D. Averill, Secretary pro tem., and J. S. Fluent.
A communication
from
the citizens’
meeting, stating the action of that body, was present¬ ed and read.
On motion of J. S.
Fluent it was re¬
solved, that in accordance with the request of the citiizens a property tax be levied of fifty cents on each one hundred dollars’ worth of property within the cor¬ porate limits of the town of Union ; and it was further resolved, that the specified tax be appropriated to the payment of such necessary expenses in the prosecu¬ tion of the Indian war and the protection of the citi-
246
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
zens as the committee of five should incur during the continuance of the difficulties. Following the lead of the citizens of Union, the people of Eureka held a mass meeting to consider the situation, and on motion of Dan Pickard the resolution passed by the Union meeting was adopted, with one amendment which provided for the levying of a prop¬ erty tax of twenty-five cents, instead of fifty cents, on each one hundred dollars’worth of property within the corporate limits of the town.
The action of the peo¬
ple was reported to a special meeting of the Town Trustees, and an application was made to the Board to have the special tax levied and collected as recom¬ mended in the resolution.
The Trustees, having ex¬
amined the law on the subject, decided that they pos¬ sessed no power under the town charter to make the levy of this tax.
The extent of their authority, they
said, was to “ tax and collect money to be used in de¬ fraying the ordinary expenses of the town, including the erection and repair of wharves and the support of free schools.” That was the extent of their authority, as they understood it, which they regretted very much, the mem¬ bers of the Board being individually in favor of the plan proposed as the easiest and most equitable method of collecting
means to aid
in
against the hostile Indians.
carrying on
operations
Under the circumstances,
the committee of citizens who had made application to the Board for a property tax, and who were vested with like, powers as the Union Committee, concluded to solicit subscriptions to defray the expenses of arm¬ ing and supplying Volunteers, and of sending them to the country of the hostiles.
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
247
Gradually gaining ground, the plan of organizing Volunteer Companies assumed definite proportions, receiving the favorable opinion of all classes.
The in¬
terest of the whole community demanded that the set¬ tlers in the Bald Hills be protected where they were, instead of being compelled to abandon their homes. There was but one formidable objection to the organ¬ ization of Volunteer Companies: neither the National nor State Government had heretofore shown any desire to reimburse Volunteers for their expense of time and money.
In a community like that with which‘the
Win-toons had to deal, dependent as it was on the trade to the up-river mines, this objection, though for¬ midable, was not insurmountable.
Books were open¬
ed in Eureka for the enrollment of Volunteer Compa¬ nies and contracts were invited for furnishing the nec¬ essary supplies.
The movement was suddenly checked
by the arrival of forty-eight recruits to the regular Army, and the announcement that they were intended for service against the Indians.
Future events proved
how unfortunate this check was to the people.
The
number of men at the disposal of Major Raines, com¬ manding Fort Humboldt, was entirely insufficient to conduct a successful campaign, and, besides, they were nearly all fresh recruits, unused to military life and having no conception of the proper mode of warfare against hostile Indians.
Those who knew the usual
tactics of the regular Army when in the field against Indians had little faith in the efficacy of their services. Sad experience had taught many of the pioneers that military maneuvers were not usually associated with
248
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
successful campaigns against hostile natives, and ex¬ perience had also taught them that a volunteer force, equipped and organized by men of the community, was the only safe dependence of the frontier settlements. In the mass meetings at Union and Eureka it was stated by citizens that the Governor had been commu¬ nicated with, and that he had taken no notice what¬ ever of the petitions for aid which had been forwarded to him.
A week later certain facts were developed
which placed the matter in a new light.
A month
before the murder of Boynton a dispatch was received at Weaverville,
Trinity county,
addressed to J. C.
Burch, from John B. Weller, then Governor of the State, to the effect that if the necessity Was sufficient the Constitution gave the Executive authority to call out Volunteers to suppress Indian hostilities.
Mr.
Burch forwarded the dispatch to A. Wiley, publisher of the Weekly Times, at Eureka, who promptly fur¬ nished Governor Weller with the necessary proof that sufficient necessity did exist to warrant him in calling for Volunteers.
The proof was accompanied by a pe¬
tition for aid signed by many prominent citizens.
Mr.
Wiley’s letter and the petition from the citizens were delayed in the mails, reaching Sacramento a week later than the schedule time, being received by Governor Weller on the 31st of August.
After the murder of
Boynton, and while the people were discussing the propriety of organizing Volunteer Companies among themselves, Government, Eureka:
regardless the
of
following
reimbursement letter was
by
the
received at
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
249
Executive Department, Sacramento, Cal.,
Sept. 7th, 1858.
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 14th ult., together with the petition signed by the citizens of Humboldt, was delayed on the route and did not reach me until the 31st.
I immediately dispatched the Adjutant-Gen¬
eral to the headquarters of the Pacific Division, with a requisition for troops to clear the road from Weaverville to Humboldt Bay of the Indians, and give protec¬ tion and security to the people.
This course was nec¬
essary in order to give us a clear and indisputable claim against the Federal Government in the event that forces were called into the service.
The officer in
command, Lieut.-Col. Markall, reported that he had no troops
to send in
that direction.
Gen. Kibbe
was immediately dispatched to Weaverville to call out a military force if the difficulties referred to in the memorial still existed. Since he left I have received a letter from the Ad¬ jutant-General of this
Division of the U. S. Army,
somewhat different in its character from the reply of Lieut.-Col. Markall.
I enclose a copy.
The commu¬
nication between the Bay and Weaverville must be kept open at all hazards, and if the Federal forces who are paid to protect us against the Indians do not do it I will not hesitate to call out the militia. Very Truly, Your obedient servant, John
To A. Wiley.
B.
Weller.
250
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
The letter above given at once produced a feeling of satisfaction in the public mind.
It was manifested
in the Governor’s letter that his Excellency had in view the reimbursement of Volunteers by the Federal Government, which would rightfully be called upon to pay the expenses incurred.
The only thing to be re¬
gretted was that the Governor had not felt it a duty, under the circumstances, to call for Volunteers on his own responsibility, instead of referring to the slow and uncertain process of army movements.
The following
is the correspondence from the headquarters of the Pacific Division referred to in Governor Weller’s let¬ ter: Assistant Adjutant-General’s Office, Department of the Pacific, San Francisco,
Sir:
Sept. 6th, 1858.
Your letter to Gen. Clarke, of September 1st,
has just been handed to me, and in the absence of the General I hasten to inform your Excellency that the General, notified of the disturbances in
Humboldt
county, has so far anticipated your wishes as to send to Fort Humboldt all the men at his disposal.
This
detachment, now in the harbor, will be sent up by the earliest steamer, and the General trusts that it will give sufficient protection until a larger force, shortly to be placed at his disposal, will enable him to obtain full control over the Indians. I am, sir, your ob’t servant, W. W.
Markall,
A. A. General. To his Excellency, John B. Weller, Governor State of California, Sacramento City.
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
251
The Governor’s failure to issue an immediate call for Volunteers was the more to be regretted because the time when the reinforcements to the regular Army would arrive had not been fixed. Major Raines had ordered Capt. Underwood, a young and active officer, to take command of the recruits he was drilling for the field, but they were too few in number to be of much service in the Indian country, and the' advanta¬ ges of Volunteers over Regulars in the kind of service to be performed were too numerous to escape the at¬ tention of the settlers. It was asserted that a company of fifty Volunteers, acquainted with all the different localities, the watering-places, trails, mountains, and forest hiding-places resorted to by the Indians, would do better service than two hundred Regulars, who would have to acquire their knowledge of the country after they entered the campaign. Having this view of the matter from the commencement, and having an equal interest with Humboldt in clearing the Trinity of hostile savages, the citizens of Weaverville did not wait for the arrival of the United States troops. They organized an independent military Company under the Militia law of the State and equipped it for active service. The apparent awakening observable in the military Division of the Pacific was not accompanied by a cor¬ responding activity in the office of the Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Col. Henley, the gentleman who had the honor to hold that office, exerted himself most when he drew his salary. A little Indian war, in which a few white men, more or less, were brutally murdered,
252
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
did not trouble.his military conscience in the least. More in a spirit of irony than expectation of accom¬ plishing a good result, the people of Klamath and Humboldt undertook to remind Col. Henley that there were some duties connected with his office which did not relate to the mechanical effort of drawing his pay. Petition after petition had been sent to Col. Henley in relation to the Klamath Reservation, inquiring why no efforts were made to confine the Indians there, and as invariably as they were sent the Superintendent’s official waste basket received them.
It was presumed
that the official waste basket received them, for the people never after heard of them.
In order to bring
his duties forcibly before his official attention it was decided to send a personal messenger, Col. Snyder, of Hoopa Valley, being selected to represent the petition¬ ers, and ask the gracious permission of Col. Henley to place the hostile Indians on a Reservation.
As
convincing proof that there were such creatures as hostile Indians in the country, the Captain was pro¬ vided with two sturdy chiefs, whom he was instructed to present to the Superintendent at his office in San Francisco;
On Sunday evening, September 27th, the town of Union was
thrown
into a tremendous excitement.
About 10 o’clock in the evening some Mad River In¬ dians ran through the streets, saying that Indians from Hoopa and Redwood were destroying their rancheria
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
253
two miles from town, and murdering their women and children.
At another time such a report might have
been laughed at, in the light of a practical joke by the friendly tribes.
Coming at the time it did, in the
midst of an Indian war, the excited imagination of the people was in a condition to accept it as the truth. The alarm spread like fire.
Men hunted up weapons
of every description, and every woman and child in the town was placed in a fire-proof building owned by a citizen named Jacoby. The town was searched through and through for firearms, and when every available gun and pistol had been procured a large party of citi¬ zens volunteered to accompany the friendly Indians to their rancheria for the purpose of ascertaining how many of their women and children had been murder¬ ed.
Arriving at the rancheria they were surprised to
find it peaceful and quiet, with not a squaw or papoose missing, and not a sign of the presence of hostiles. Inquiring for the origin of the report, the Indians at the rancheria told them that the hostiles had not been seen. by.
Their footsteps were heard in the brush close The disgusted whites returned to town with the
information that the report made by the Indians was false, and between the hours of twelve o’clock and six the women and children were taken back to their homes.
Whether the friendly tribes, stolid and unused
to jokes, intended to perpetrate a practical hoax on the whites, or whether they were really frightened by something they saw or heard, was a query which no one seemed competent to answer. Considered in the light of a causeless panic, the ef-
254
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
feet of the Union excitement was not such as to create or maintain public confidence. It rather elicited severe criticism on the conduct of Major Raines, in keep¬ ing the troops under his command at Fort Humboldt at a time when they should have been in the field. The reinforcements mentioned in the Assistant Adju¬ tant-General’s
communication
to
Governor Weller
had arrived at Fort Humboldt on the 19th of Septem¬ ber, yet they had not, up
to
the 30th of the same
month, received orders to report for active duty against the hostiles.
The delay, so far as the ordinary citizen
could understand, was inexcusable;
The Trinity trail
was completely blockaded and the people were suffer¬ ing much inconvenience and great loss for want of an adequate military force to open it.
The arrival of the
troops had delayed the organization of
a Volunteer
Company at Eureka or Union which would have been in the field weeks before.
If the United States sol¬
diers had been sent to protect the trails and subdue hostile Indians, they had no business at Fort Hum¬ boldt, idling away time that ought to be spent in pur¬ suit of the
Win-toons.
These criticisms in turn pro¬
voked explanations, as such criticisms are apt to do, and the settlers were astonished to learn that the soldiers were waiting at Fort Humboldt for the officer who was to lead them against the Indians.
Captain Un¬
derwood, who had been assigned to the command, did arrive on the 2d of October, and a few days thereafter was sent out with 36 men, with orders to take a posi¬ tion in the neighborhood of Pardee’s Ranch, halfway between Union and the South Fork of Trinity.
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
255
Acting under instructions from Governor Weller, outlined in his letter to Mr. Wiley, General Kibbe, by virtue of authority of his commission as AdjutantGeneral of the State, went to Weaverville on the first of October and proceeded to organize a Company of Volunteers,
called the Kibbe Guards.
Mr. Maston,
of Weaverville, who had been admitted to a conference on the subject with the Executive at Sacramento, re¬ turned home
with
the
assurance to his people of
earnest work by the Governor in behalf of the white settlers.
The Kibbe Guards,# composed of pioneers
who knew the ways of the Indian and could meet him on his own ground with his own methods, organ¬ ized within three days, procured an armory building, and forwarded a requisition to Sacramento for seventy rifles. A Volunteer Company of eighty men was organ¬ ized at Big Bar, on the Trinity, October 14th, with I. G. Messec as Captain, and Mr. Winslet, of Ranch, as First Lieutenant.
Burnt
The Company started for
Captain Underwood’s camp immediately after organ¬ izing. Captain Underwood, stationed at Pardee’s Ranch, was kept busy with his small force of soldiers in es¬ corting trains across the mountains to the Trinity and Klamath.
The Indians avoided the trail and Captain
Underwood was not energetically inclined to follow them to their haunts. General Kibbe arrived at
Union on the
18th of
October, when he started pack trains to the Volunteers with two weeks’ supplies.
256
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
General Kibbe had not been two weeks at Union, perfecting his arrangements for an effective campaign, before the ever-revolving machinery of the Military Department singled out Captain Underwood as the subject of an experiment, and deprived the Volunteers of the little assistance he could give them by escort duty on the trail near Pardee’s Ranch.
Captain Under-
wood received orders to move his command to Hoopa Valley.
He had not been engaged in battles with In¬
dians, nor had his duties as escort required the exercise of superior military skill, yet he and his men had had time to get somewhat familiar with the trail to the Trinity and somewhat acquainted with the packers who frequented it.
Their removal would necessitate the
substitution of other strangers, who would
require
equal time to become familiar with the trail and ac¬ quainted with the packers.
The change was com¬
pleted by the removal of Lieutenant Collins from the Klamath Reservation and his assignment to Pardee’s Ranch with a force of twenty-five men, his post on the Reservation being filled by Lieutenant Crook, from Washington Territory. The Company of Volunteers under Captain Messec had the honor of the first engagement with the Wintoons.
On a scout in the vicinity of Pardee’s Ranch,
they attacked a hostile camp on Tuesday afternoon, October 26th.
A surprise had been planned which
was not effectual, owing to the light, which enabled the Indians to see the whites before they could sur¬ round the camp.
Taking to the bush as soon as at¬
tacked, the Indians offered a running fight, firing from
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
behind protecting trees and rocks.
257
One of the Vol¬
unteers, John Harpst, was shot in the left shoulder and severely injured.
Four Win-toon warriors were killed,
and two squaws and four children made prisoners. During the two weeks succeeding Messec’s skirmish near
Pardee’s Ranch a general movement up Mad
River was made by the Indians.
From the most reli¬
able information Captain Messec could obtain he was induced to believe that the hostiles had made a Winter camp high up on Mad River or on the headwaters of Yager Creek.
He had, since the fight in October,
thoroughly explored the entire section of country in the neighborhood of Pardee’s Ranch and not a single Indian had been found.
They'had temporarily taken
up their abode in more remote localities, perhaps hid¬ ing for the Winter in some far-off canon or secluded valley.
The Yager Creek country was the most prob¬
able locality of new occupation by the tribes who had been conspicuous in depredations near Pardee’s Ranch. The settlers on the headwaters of Yager Creek were few in number and incapable of long resistance.
The
country was prolific* in game and the forests lower down on the stream offered many secure retreats and hiding places.
Captain Messec ordered his Company
to cross Mad River, and led them in a march through the Yager Creek district.
His surmises regarding the
course of the hostiles were correct.
On the 13th and
14th of November he attacked three rancherias which had been recently located near Shower’s Pass.
In the
three fights five warriors were killed and twenty-six prisoners were taken. 17
Among the warriors captured
258
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
were two who had been wounded in the fight on Mad River.
They confessed that nearly all the Indians
who had been engaged in the depredations along the Trinity trail had moved to the headwaters of Mad River, Yager Creek and the Van Duzen.
The num¬
ber of the hostiles could not be ascertained, though it was supposed to amount to five or six hundred, which number would gradually dwindle down to less than one hundred as the whites drove them into the moun¬ tain passes.
No matter how many tribes joined in the
commencement of hostilities, it was constantly ob¬ served among the Digger race that a mere handful would contest the fight to the bitter end.
When any
considerable number had surrendered to the whites the remainder soon received the intelligence and their courage waned away. November passed on to its close without a percepti¬ ble change in the character of the campaign.
The
full confidence of the people was reposed in Captain Messec, who had established an enviable reputation for bravery, energy and perseverance.
The work that
he had undertaken, of driving the hostiles into close quarters and compelling them to surrender, was no easy task.
His energetic action
had accomplished
enough to indicate a successful and speedy termina¬ tion of the war, though the flight of the hostiles to the Yager Creek country might prolong the struggle far into the Winter months.
If the campaign were
prolonged through the Winter, Spring would find the hostiles in a position where escape would be impossi¬ ble.
They were already more anxious to hide than to
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
fight.
259
Their facilities for hiding presented the most
serious obstacles to their capture, their accurate knowl¬ edge of the country enabling them to watch the move¬ ments of an enemy and escape from one hiding place to another.
Still another danger that threatened the
successful termination of the war was the discourag¬ ing knowledge of the Volunteers that their services were not appreciated by the Government.
They had
left homes and employment, were expending their money and time, were enduring hardships that were severe even to pioneers—yet all appeals to the State or National Government for pecuniary aid they could not do otherwise than believe would meet with a cold reception.
No matter how deserving their conduct
might be, or what loss might be imposed on them¬ selves, the law-makers of the land would turn to great¬ er things, disdaining to recognize in the guise of In¬ dian fighters that spirit which had gained the inde¬ pendence of the Nation.
Poor comfort for men who
had left their own firesides to protect the homes of many score of other men!
Poor comfort, indeed,
when they reflected that the Volunteer expedition in which they were engaged, organized by General Kibbe, Adjutant-General of the State, was the only one which had ever been properly organized and conducted in California.
Expeditions of the past, poorly organized
and badly managed, had presented few meritorious claims to Congress, and had, in fact, so drawn the con¬ demnation of the people upon them strongly against like claims of
as to militate
future presentation.
The Federal Government was morally bound to in-
260
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
demnify the State of California for all expenses in¬ curred by order of the Executive for protection against Indians, but the Volunteers had no faith in the moral rectitude of the Government as exemplified in such matters.
In the midst of Winter, drenched by rain in
the low lands or trudging through snow on the moun¬ tains, the forces under the orders of General Kibbe were not in a suitable frame of mind to view the pros¬ pect with complaisance, and as bleak November deep¬ ened into bleaker December, bringing its complement of cold and drenching storms, the highest courage of the men was required to sustain them in their dreary camps.
26l
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
CHAPTER XIV. The War with the Win toons.—How it Ended.
One advantage.—Disposition of Prisoners.—Messec’s Campaign.— A Battle in the Redwoods.—The Volunteers Defeated.—A Retreat to Dow’s Prairie.—Condition and Ultimate Success of Gen. Kibbe’s Forces.—Fortunate Occurrence of a Storm.— Flooded and Famished, the Win-toons are Compelled to Sur¬ render. There was one advantage in fighting the Indians in mid-winter. tains. on
the
They could not live on the high moun¬
The tribes on Upper Mad River, on Redwood, various
forks
of the Van
Duzen, all
had
their Summer and Winter rancherias on the high, treeless mountains or in the deepest canons.
The
hostiles could not escape the Volunteers if the country of the foot-hills was thoroughly invested before the Spring sun thawed the snow on the mountains. Kibbe saw his opportunity.
Gen.
Capt Messec was eager
to adopt the plans of his superior officer.
So it came
to pass that the Win-toons were slowly driven into a circumscribed area on the headwaters of Mad River and the Yager, its limits narrowing as the Volunteers advanced.
The first blow of the mid-winter campaign
was strudk on the night of the 21st of December.
262
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Along the banks of Mad River, at various distances from a quarter of a mile to a mile apart, the Indians had made seventeen camps.
Acting under instruc¬
tions from Gen. Kibbe, Capt. Messec devised a plan to surprise and capture the camps, which then con¬ tained, in the aggregate, to the best of his information, about
one
hundred
Indians.
Dividing
his
com¬
mand into several small detachments, Capt. Messec ordered them to make a complete circuit of the camps and station guards at every available point of escape. This they did, and at the proper time, the Indian camps being hushed in slumber, the Volunteers charged in upon them and awakened the warriors to find them¬ selves prisoners.
So well was the surprise planned
and so quietly executed that not a gun was fired, not an Indian escaped.
Eighty-four prisoners were taken
and the camps were destroyed.
One singular feature
in the camp was the absence of guns, only two being found in the possession of 84 Indians.
It was Gen.
Kibbe’s impression that the savages, anticipating their capture, had hid their guns or given them to other Indians. What disposition was to be made of their prisoners was the absorbing, problem which perplexed the Vol¬ unteers in
the
first month of 1859.
Gen. Kibbe
applied to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California, and that officer promised to take care of the prisoners on some Reservation under his control. The promise was quickly given and slowly performed. On
the first of January Gen. Kibbe reported
120
prisoners in Capt. Messec’s camp, outnumbering the
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
263
Volunteers, and to keep these prisoners under guard in the mountains would have been a hazardous under¬ taking, especially as there was a probability of two or three hundred' more being captured at any time.
He
concluded to anticipate the tardy action of the Super¬ intendent of Indian Affairs, and taking the prisoners to Union he quartered them there until some permanent disposition could be made of them. this he went to
San
Having
done
Francisco to confer with the
dilatory Superintendent, leaving Capt. Messec to con¬ tinue operations in the field.
The removal of the
prisoners to a remote Reservation appeared to Gen. Kibbe the best way to provide against hostilities in the future.
With this opinion firmly impressed upon
his mind he sought a conference with the mysterious person who was supposed to pass a few of his leisure hours in one of the offices of the Indian Department. While Gen. Kibbe was on his official errand to San Francisco a rumor was current on the streets of Eu¬ reka that the
Volunteer expediton then
operating
against the Indians was to be disbanded by order of the Executive, and that the war was to be continued by recruits to the regular Army who had just arrived from the East.
The rumor appears to have grown out of a
correspondence between Governor Weller and Gen. Clarke, of the regular Army, in which the latter favored the prosecution of the war by the soldiers of the Unit¬ ed States.
Whether there was truth in it or not, the
report caused many bitter comments to be made on the policy of the Military Division of the Pacific.
The
people well knew that the officers at military head-
264
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
quarters had
persistently refused, before. Governor
Weller had issued a call for Volunteers, to allow the soldiers of the United States to take the field against the Indians.
The communication from Gen. Clarke to
the Executive of the State was very generally and very properly ascribed to the petty jealousy against Volunteers which
had frequently been exhibited by
the officers of the regular Army.
If Gen. Clarke de¬
sired to supersede Gen. Kibbe in the conduct of the war, his claims to precedence rested on a very unsub¬ stantial foundatiqn.
The few detachments of the reg¬
ular Army sent to the District had done very little fighting, and however valuable their services might be as escorts to pack trains, their attitude as non-comba¬ tants held no terror for the Indians and no encourage¬ ment for the whites.
It was a fortunate thing that
the project, if project it was, assumed no mere definite shape than a mere rumor, flying from one street cor¬ ner to another, and losing itself finally in the turmoil of the thoroughfare.
Capt. Messec was not idle with his Company.
Hav¬
ing cleared the headwaters of Yager Creek of hostiles, he drove those who were not captured further into the mountain
gorges, following them
up as fast as the
weather and the nature of the country would permit. In the middle of January he routed a band of hostiles in the mountains between Redwood and Hoopa Valley. They fled towards the coast and were trailed to the
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
vicinity of Dow’s
265
Prairie, north of Union.
Messec
had them nearly surrounded, and was making his ar¬ rangements to capture them, when they made their escape through the connivance of Lower Mad River Indians, who had professed friendship to the whites. Gen. Kibbe having returned from San Francisco, and being present with the command, gave orders that three of the head men of the treacherous friendly tribe be taken prisoners and held as hostages for the good behavior of the remainder.
The number of the hostile
band was not known when they fled from the moun¬ tains, and Capt. Messec, leaving the larger part of his command engaged in scouring the hills, took fourteen men and pursued them to the coast ten or twelve miles North of Union.
It was not supposed that there would
be any greater difficulty in capturing this band than had attended the taking of prisoners on Yager Creek. On the 27th of January Capt. Messec surmised from certain suspicious movements of some Lower Mad River Indians near Union, who had professed to be friendly, that the Win-toons were in
the
redwoods
somewhere between Dow’s Prairie and Liscom’s Hill. He started in pursuit with 14 men, fully determined to dislodge the hostiles. striking their trail early in the morning and following it all day.
Encamping for the
night on the trail, he started again at daylight.
At 9
o’clock in the morning the barking of dogs warned him that the Indian rancheria was near at hand
It
was not in sight, being situated, as near as they could determine, at the foot of a slight declivity, at the top of which they had halted.
Dividing his little force into
266
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
two parties of attack
7 men each, Capt. Messec prepared to
whatever lay before
him.
The two parties
separated, and descending the declivity simultaneously, they were suddenly confronted by a scene which had been farthest from their expectations.
Instead of a few
brush lodges, which they had expected to see, there were fourteen log houses before them, containing, as they afterwards estimated, at least one hundred and fifty Indians.
It was too late to retreat and the fight
commenced.
The savage warriors, adopting a method
as
old as their race, left the houses
and concealed
themselves in the brush, which was here very thick and dense.
From in front and on the right and left
the
shot
Indians
their
bullets and
arrows.
The
Volunteers stood their ground manfully, the unerring aim of their rifles telling with fearful effect upon the Indians as they left their houses, fifteen being shot down almost on the doorsteps.
Capt. Messec could
not ignore the superior numbers of the Indians, nor could he conceal the belief that the foe would have had little trouble in annihilating his force had their aim been as good as that of the Volunteers.
It was
necessary to take some position less exposed than the one then occupied by his men.
Separated into two
parties a hundred yards apart, they were exposed to the aim of the
enemy, who, secreted
ambush, fired, and hid, and fired again.
in their leafy The miraculous
escape of the whites could not continue much longer in
their present condition.
Capt. Messec sent an
order ringing out to his men, commanding them to concentrate their forces, take to the brush, and fight
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
267
the foe after his own fashion.
The manoeuvre was a
difficult and dangerous one.
If the two parties ad¬
vanced directly toward each other, they would be ex¬ posed to the murderous fire of the whole force of the savages; if they deployed to the right or left, the In¬ dians would consider that a retreat had been ordered ; if they retreated a few hundred yards for the purpose of forming anew, the foe would have time to take up new positions in unexpected ambushes.
The best that
could be done was to take to the brush in their im¬ mediate vicinity, never losing sight of the log houses, and firing whenever they caught a momentary glimpse of a skulking Indian.
Even this movement, simple
as it might appear, was fraught with danger; by leaving one position they exposed themselves to a hotter fire, momentarily, than was experienced before ; and it was not accomplished
without
bloodshed.
In this ma¬
noeuvre two of the Volunteers were severely wounded, one, John Houk, of Burnt Ranch, being shot through the hand and body by a yager ball, and another, S. Overlander, receiving two large bullets in the thighs. With two men thus wounded and incapable of further fighting, opposed
to a foe who outnumbered him
twenty to one, Capt. Messec had to do one of two things.
He had to sacrifice his
order a retreat to save them. course.
wounded
men or
He chose the latter
Taking with them the two who were wounded,
and driving before them 13 prisoners taken in the fight while they were attempting to escape through the brush, the Volunteers began their retreat.
The
Indians fully understood that the whites had sustained
268
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
a severe loss and that they had been obliged to with¬ draw ; and
understanding so
much, they sent out
scouts to harass them in their retreat.
One of these
scouts,
most
in
bravery.
particular,
exhibited
the
daring
He kept on their trail for seven hours, firing
at them from time to time as sheltering trees or bushes gave him opportunity.
In the afternoon he was far in
advance of the party, and secreting himself thirty steps from the trail, awaited their approach.
It was near
4 o’clock when the Volunteers passed his hiding place. As they did so, he rose and took deliberate aim at G. W. Werk, of Eureka, who had just been ordered to advance to the front and take a position behind the prisoners.
Werk was carrying two guns at the time,
otherwise he might have had an equal show with the Indian, for he saw him when he presented his gun to fire.
The ball was aimed at Werk's
head, but he
raised the gun on a level with his head and received the ball in his left arm, close to the elbow joint.
It
smashed the bone to splinters and severed an artery. Capt. Messec bound up the arm so as to
stop the
flow of blood, but not before Werk had become weak and exhausted from its loss.
The same Indian who
shot Werk crossed their trail half an hour later and fired at a Volunteer named Wilburn, missing him.
Sj
expert was he in hiding that it was impossible to get a shot at him, and Messec’s party was so small and his wounded men required so much attention that he could not make a deliberate attempt to capture him.
At 5
o’clock on Saturday morning the Volunteers reached Dow’s Prairie, exhausted and hungry.
None of the
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
269
party had had any sleep for fifty hours preceding, and their food had been scant and poor.
The wounded
men had suffered intensely on the way, and
it was
deemed necessary to take them to Union for medical treatment.
After a brief rest at Dow’s Prairie
the
party moved on to Union, arriving there late in the afternoon, and on the evening of the same day the in¬ juries of the wounded men were dressed and cared for. It may well be imagined that the news of Messec’s defeat spread with the rapidity which always attends evil tidings ; and it is not surprising that the prospect for a speedy termination of the Indian war did not then
appear as flattering as it had a month before.
The mode of warfare adopted by the Indians was not easily copied by the whites, and it was such as to render the idea of their complete subjugation an extremely hazardous proposition.
That they were well armed
and equipped was no longer a matter of doubt; and skilled as they had become in the use of firearms, there was no limit at which they might stop in their depre¬ dations.
It was no part of their method to keep their
guns in the rancherias, where they would be likely to lose them if surprised.
Their guns
were either in
their hands or hid in forest glens accessible only to Indians.
This was established by the fact that in all
the rancherias captured by surprise not a single gun fit for use had been found.
A warrior’s life was of no
importance in comparison with the value of his gun : he was at all times prepared for surprise, but never for the capture of his rifle.
Sometimes in the midst of a
figfit, when their courage deserted them under the fire
270
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the whites, they would secretly and covertly convey their guns to hiding places in the woods, and when the rancheria surrendered it would be in a defenseless con¬ dition.
Their rancherias were not large.
Except in
extraordinary cases, such as the general movement of the hostiles to the headwaters of Mad River and Yager Creek, which had enabled Capt. Messec to capture a large number of lodges, the tribes were susceptible of many divisions in time of war. to give battle in large numbers.
It was not their policy Rather would they
waylay the whites in parties of ten or fifteen, selecting deep canons and gloomy forests as the scenes of their exploits; and
when their
pursuers, thoughtless
of
present danger, passed on the trail, they would shoot from their ambush, and leaving it, hurry on to a more remote spot, there to
repeat the performance.
The
defeat and retreat of Capt. Messec’s small party must have had a wonderfully exhilarating effect on the scat¬ tered bands of hostiles who were wandering and hid¬ ing in the forests and the passes of the mountains. The effect produced on the whites was depressing for a time, until calmer judgment got the mastery
and
showed how futile would be the resistance of the sav¬ ages in the end.
The end might he delayed for several
•weeks or months, but come it would, as inevitably as the weeks should pass. While engaged in the pursuit of the Indians in the lower Mad River country Capt. Messec received in¬ telligence of the wounding of another of his Company Calvin Greer.
A detachment under command of A.
McNeil was fired on from ambush while in pursuit of
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
271
Indians near Albee’s Ranch, on Redwood, and Greer was shot and severely wounded. It has been stated that General Kibbe went to San Francisco for the purpose of interviewing the myster¬ ious personage invested with the office and perquisites of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California. His mission was successful.
He obtained the coveted in¬
terview, and also permission to remove the Indians cap¬ tured in the Win-toon war to the Government Reser¬ vation in Mendocino county.
When the fight near
Dow’s Prairie occurred there were one hundred squaws and papooses on board the bark Fanny Major, en route to the Mendocino coast.
The problem of what should
be done with Indian prisoners had been solved by the gracious condescension of the Department of Indian Affairs. Like every volunteer expedition that had ever took the field in Northern California, the forces directed by General Kibbe soon sustained serious pecuniary dam¬ age by their absence from home.
Some of them had
left profitable mining claims, which, long before the end of the war, were “ jumped ” by prospectors.
Some
had left their little clearings, in the heart of the forest, where they had hoped to have a hearthstone of their own.
Some had abandoned houses and herds on the
mountain ranges.
Some had left employment which
returned them a handsome remuneration for their labor. And some there were who had been the support of families now deprived of their assistance.
Knowing
these facts, General Kibbe was anxious that a treaty should be made with- the Indians, so that the Volunteers
272
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
might disband and return to their homes.
Fully con¬
vinced that the hostiles on Redwood, having suffered much, would willingly surrender if they could have proper assurance of proper treatment, and knowing of no other means of communication with them except through the tribes in friends of the
Hoopa Valley, who were the
Indians on Redwood, he despatched
Lieut. Winslett to Hoopa to ask aid of the chief men of the tribes.
Lieut. Winslett had no difficulty in en¬
listing the services of the Hoopa Indians.
He repre¬
sented to them that the hostiles on Redwood would be well treated if they surrendered and brought in their guns, and he impressed on their minds that much bloodshed would be averted by this course.
Three
head men of the Hoopas volunteered to go to the hos¬ tile tribes and induce them to surrender, and they actually started on their journey; but through some mysterious agency they received intelligence the first day out which
caused
them to retrace
their steps.
They could not again be induced to make a start. Lieut. Winslett returned to Gen. Kibbe and reported the failure of his enterprise.
What had caused the
three Hoopa Indians to retrace their steps so suddenly, and resist all inducements to make another start, re¬ mained a mystery to
the Volunteers.
There were
rumors that a certain class of white men who profited by the continuance of the Indian war, selling and trad¬ ing with the hostiles, had advised the Hoopas to have nothing to do with Gen. Kibbe’s scheme, for he meant them harm. Gen
Whatever the
reason may have been,
Kibbe was not the kind of man to be easily
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
thwarted in his designs.
273
He went to Hoopa himself,
and, by dint of much reasoning and some threats, suc¬ ceeded in procuring the services of three chief men to assist him in bringing the Redwood hostiles to ami¬ cable terms.
Of the three, one was a very aged and
influential medicine man, called Op-le-gow Mowema, an earthly representative, so to speak, of the Great Spirit to whom all tribes did reverence.
Elated with his
success, Gen. Kibbe returned to Union, where he ex¬ pressed the opinion that he would soon be able to ter¬ minate the war, provided that no more obstacles were thrown in his way by meddlesome white men. The weather during the last week of January and the first two weeks in February, 1859, was remark¬ ably severe.
For days together terrible gales blew
from the South-east, and torrents of rain fell.
The
streams were swollen to a height never before known to the whites.
Of Ryan’s Slough, emptying into the
bay between Eureka and Union, it is related that there were in it six hundred thousand feet of sawlogs, which went adrift, all the booms being insuffi¬ cient to hold them against the boisterous current that swept down from the mountains.
Salmon Creek,
emptying into the South Bay, was four feet higher than it had ever been known to be before. and Mad River were
not as high
as
Eel River the smaller
streams, yet were sufficiently swollen to make their crossing dangerous. tity of snow fell.
On the mountains a large quan¬
It was five feet deep at Elk Prairie
and two feet deep at Liscom’s Hill.
The storm, on
the mountains and in the valleys, was the worst of the 18
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
274
season, and had
not been
excelled in severity for
several years preceding. The storm Volunteers.
was a fortunate
occurrence for the
The hostiles, unable to hunt on the
mountains and afraid
to go down on the streams,
were actually starved
into
weeks.
submission within four
On the 29th of January Capt. Messec joined
Lieut. Winslett at Elk Prairie, where the whole com¬ mand went into camp for a week, when it was moved to Mad River, at which place preparations were made for another tour of the
adjacent country.
were but few engagements after the Dow’s fight.
There Prairie
There was a skirmish on January 28th, be¬
tween Lieut. Winslett’s detachment and a band of Indians on Redwood, in which several of the hostiles were killed, and Frank McCafferty, a Volunteer, was wounded.
From that date till the first of
matters remained quiet and uneventful.
March
Gen. Kibbe
was at Redwood, where he waited the result of a “ pow-wow ” between the three Hoopas and the hos¬ tiles.
About the 20th of February the Hoopas re¬
turned to Gen. Kibbe and reported that the hostiles were willing to make or receive propositions for a general surrender and a termination of all difficulties, but they desired to hold a “ big council ” with the white men, and they named the Big Lagoon, a body of water near the ocean, North of Trinidad, as the place for holding it.
Gen. Kibbe, accompanied by
Capt. Messec and 25 of his men, went to the Big Lagoon, accordingly, for the purpose of holding the council.
The council was not a complete success.
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
275
Many of the hostiles agreed to surrender, and many of them did, but the majority were apparently indif¬ ferent, preferring rather that the Volunteers should go to them than that they should go to the Volunteers. They were not able to fight, and could with difficulty subsist on their limited supply of miserable food. The severity of the weather prevented them from hunting or fishing. culable
amount
It would have averted an incal¬
of labor and
privation
from the
Volunteers had the Indians surrendered of their own accord.
Remaining in their rancherias, nothing could
be done except to hunt them out of their retreats and drive them to the bay like sheep. Starved and famished, the
Win-toons could no
longer fight; the Volunteers were energetic; and the end of the war came speedily.
Wherever the camps
or rancherias were found the Indians offered no re¬ sistance and made no attempt to escape.
Gen. Kibbe
made a contract with Captain Woodly, of the bark Fanny Major, to take a second consignment of pris¬ oners
to
Mendocino,
Redwood by Capt.
including
Messec
and
75
detachment under Lieut. Winslett. March
captured
on
25 captured by a On the 15th of
160 prisoners were taken from
Union and
placed on board the Fanny Major, and on the 17th the vessel sailed for Mendocino.
It was Gen. Kibbe’s
opinion that nearly all of the hostile Indians on Red¬ wood had been captured, and he accordingly made preparations to disband the Volunteers.
The Execu¬
tive of the State was communicated with, who replied that he was highly pleased with the manner in which
276
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the campaign had been conducted, and that he should urge upon the Legislature the propriety and necessity of paying from the State Treasury the expenses which had been incurred. If appeared from the statements of prisoners that the murders that led to the war had been committed by five Win-toons—five brothers—who lived on Upper Redwood. They were the murderers of Granger and Cook in March, 1857, whom they killed for the rifles, revolvers and ammunition in their possession. They were instrumental in the killing of Stevens and Miller, and subsequently they shot Mr. Boynton. They were the leading spirits in the inception of the war, and throughout the campaign they fought fiercely and bravely, exposing themselves to dangers which others of their tribe shrank from. .They were shot and killed by the Volunteers until only one remained. He, gloomy and defiant, was escorted to the Fanny Major with the other prisoners en route to Mendocino. A few of the Redwood Indians who had been of service to General itibbe in the expedition were not sent away, being told that they might thereafter live among the peace¬ able tribes of Lower Mad River. Among the number retained and permitted to remain in the country was one who had been long known to the settlers as “ Old Sandy,” the chief man of the Sweathouse tribe. He was regarded by the settlers on Redwood, and by those who traveled the trail constantly, as a good and faithful ally of the whites. He had always been friendly toward the whites, and it was the opinion of those best acquainted with him that he had always counseled
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS*
2 77
peace when any tribe exhibited a disposition to make trouble.
When Gen. Kibbe was shipping his human
cargo on board the Fanny Major “ Old Sandy” begged to be left at home, saying that he would render any service in
return that might be demanded of him.
General Kibbe was then endeavoring to devise some means of obtaining possession of many guns which had been secreted by the Indians.
True to their in¬
stincts, the prisoners had refused to divulge the places where they had hidden them..
“Old Sandy” willingly
promised to assist in finding the guns, and with that understanding he was allowed to remain in the coun¬ try.
Another who was allowed to remain was one of
the prisoners taken on Mad River in February.
After
his own capture he gave valuable aid to Gen. Kibbe, locating and describing the rancherias and suggesting plans for their capture. On the 20th of March the expedition was declared to be closed and the war ended.
During the week
that ensued Gen. Kibbe issued an order for the Volun¬ teer Company to disband at Big Bar, where they were mustered into service.
Several members of the Com¬
pany, however, whose homes were in Humboldt county, or who did not wish to return to Klamath or Trinity counties, were discharged at Union. The war being at an end, nothing remained to be done by the Volunteers except to seek remuneration from the Legislature for the losses they had sustained. Fortunately, the Volunteers had a friend in Governor Weller.
That gentleman represented in their behalf
that it had been a more difficult undertaking to subdue
278
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the Win-toons than was anticipated by anybody when the war commenced.
The expedition against them
took the field on the 25th of October, 1858, the officers at that time being confident that five or six weeks’ time, or two months at most, would be sufficient in which to suppress all hostile demonstrations.
Under the im¬
pression conveyed by this confident opinion of the officers, many men had joined the expedition who could ill afford to be away from their homes a great length of time, and who had sustained serious financial loss by the extended campaign.
The Winter had been
severe and the campaign hard and exhaustive.
That
it had been pushed to the utmost extent of physical endurance spoke volumes of praise for the officers and men engaged in the expedition, and especially did.the fact reflect honor upon Capt. Messec and Gen. Kibbe, whose bravery and devotion had done so much to quell the savages.
As the result of the expedition three
hundred Indians had been taken prisoners and sent to the Mendocino Reservation and nearly one hundred warriors had been killed.
By every code of honor and
of good faith, by every principle of public safety, the State of California was bound to indemnify the Volun¬ teers for the losses sustained
by them.
Governor
Weller, acting with sound discretion in the premises, and with reference to a communication made to him by Gen.
Kibbe, sent the following
Legislature:
message to the
THE WAR WITH THE WIN-TOONS.
279
Executive Department, Sacramento,
April 8, 1859.
To the Senate of California:
1 transmit, herewith, a report received on yesterday from the Adjutant-General, in regard to the late In¬ dian war in the
Northwestern part of the State.
These troops were in the field some five and a half months, and during a season of the year when they were compelled to endure great hardships.
They
have rendered very valuable services to the State, and I trust it may be the pleasure of the Legislature to make provision
at once for the payment of their
just demands. The compensation fixed by law is wholly inadequate for the services these patriotic men have rendered, and I therefore recommend an additional allowance.
A
just and liberal spirit on the part of the State will al¬ ways secure volunteers when
Indian
disturbances
occur. The Adjutant-General
having, with commendable
patriotism, taken the field in person, contributed much towards the success of the expedition, as well as the economical manner in which it seems to have been conducted. In compliance with a resolution adopted by the Military Committee of your honorable body, I trans¬ mitted to them, some weeks since, all the information then in this Department, touching this Indian war. To that communication I respectfully refer. John
B.
Weller.
280
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
The Legislature acted promptly after considering the representations
made,
and
a bill passed
both
Houses appropriating $52,000 out of the State Treas¬ ury to defray the expenses of the war with the Wintoons.
The entire cost of the war, aside from the pay
allowed to the men, footed up $30,400.
With 90 men
in service for over five months, and with heavy charges on account of the wounded and transportation of sup¬ plies, this large amount was considered a very eco¬ nomical expenditure, and was so in fact when compared to the cost of other similar wars.
The amount appro¬
priated was sufficient, after payment of actual ex¬ penses, to cover a compensation to the men of $50 per month. In the month of May Gen. Kibbe paid off the Vol¬ unteers in full; Capt. Messec took leave of his Com¬ pany ; and the settlers on the Trinity trail, as well as the people generally in the country ravaged by the Indians, were profoundly grateful that the war had ended so well.
A YEAR IN THE LOWLANDS.
281
CHAPTER. XV. A
Year in the Lowlands.
A Foolish Act and its Sequel.—“Captain Jim” and “San Fran¬ cisco John.”—A Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the Tribes of the Mattole. A whole year without Indian troubles in the low¬ lands around Humboldt Bay would have been a strange occurrence in the early history of the country.
Had
the tribes in the lowlands, familiarly known as “ the Valley tribes,” kept perfectly quiet and
inoffensive
during the period of the Win-toon war, there would have been some foundation for a profession of friend¬ ship toward the whites on their part.
No one who
knew the real character of the Digger race—their un¬ forgiving nature, their habit of ascribing to all white men the responsibility of
a wicked deed by an irre¬
sponsible individual, their jealous distrust of a people that had long usurped their hunting-grounds, their in¬ clination to treachery and deceit—no one having a knowledge of their nature was prepared to expect that they would remain indifferent and inoffensive specta¬ tors of the struggles of the mountain tribes. morning of the 29th of
On the
May, 1858, a party of
eight
282
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
or ten men went to a rancheria on Eel River, a few miles above its mouth, for the purpose, they said, of taking away guns that were in the possession of the Indians.
Without sufficient provocation to justify the
act, and with a lack of good judgment which was uni¬ versally condemned by the citizens generally, the men fired into the rancheria, killing one warrior and one squaw and wounding a squaw and a papoose.
The
righteous indignation of the citizens was aroused by the act, which might be the spark that would ignite the flame of a cruel war in the Southern part of the county.
On the 3d of June warrants were issued for
the arrest of the men who attacked the rancheria, Sheriff A. D. Sevier and a posse of deputies going out to make the arrests. that could be found.
Three of the party were all
C. A. Sherman, Wm. McDon¬
ald and a man named Baker were taken into custody by the Sheriff and conveyed
to Eureka.
Here they
had a legal examination before Justice Hansell, who held them to bail in the sum of
$3,000 each, on a
charge of murder. McDonald and Sherman procured bondsmen.
Baker was committed to jail, and Sher¬
man was soon after surrendered by his bondsmen.
It
was not long before a sequel to the Eel River affair occurred, if not induced by it, at any rate the result of
similar wanton acts, of violence by unprincipled
white men.
On the afternoon of the same day upon
which Sheriff
Sevier went to Eel River for the pur¬
pose of arresting the men who made the attack on the rancheria two white men were shot by Indians four miles from Eureka.
Ira Jordan
and John Mackey,
A YEAR IN THE LOWLANDS.
283
at work in the woods, were shot from an ambush and both wounded with buckshot.
The Indians were seen
but none of them were recognized.
The wounded
men were taken to Eureka, accompanied by a large number of loggers and other laborers in the redwoods. A meeting was held to consider such proceedings as might become necessary for the citizens to take in the matter of punishing the Indians who did the shooting. Two who sported the popular appellations of “ Captain Jim ” and “ San Francisco John ” were suspected of haying been engaged in the affair.
With no positive
knowledge that they were the guilty parties, but with an excited determination to avenge the wrong that had been done, the citizens sought the two in all the places usually frequented by them.
They were not found,
and to insure their ultimate appearance four other In¬ dians were taken to the jail in Eureka and held as hostages. fect.
The latter proceeding ’had the desired ef¬
Four days later “ Captain Jim ” and “ San Fran¬
cisco John” went to Fort Humboldt and surrendered themselves to Major Raines, the officer in command. Major Raines in turn surrendered them to the Sheriff of the county, who placed them in jail, where they re¬ mained two days.
They were then released, no evi¬
dence having been procured against them. Scarcely
had the excitement died out in Eureka
when Col. Whipple brought the news of a murder near the mouth of the Klamath.
A man named Van-
dall, traveling from Union to Crescent City, being un¬ acquainted with the
country employed two
guides at the Reservation.
Indian
The two Indians planned
284
INDIAN
WARS OF THE
NORTHWEST.
the murder of Vandall before starting on the journey. Intentionally taking the wrong trail, they led Vandall to the crossing of a stream.
Informing him that the
stream was too deep at the place where they were to be crossed with safety, they invited him to a point higher up, where there was a better crossing. ing the stream three or four stopped a few minutes, one of
hundred
Follow¬
yards, they
the guides improving
the opportunity to get hold of Vandall’s gun.
Then
occurred a sanguinary fight in the depths of the forest, with no human eye to see or hand to interfere.
The
guide who had seized the gun shot Vandall with it, and the latter drew his knife and plunged it deep into the Indian’s heart.
The other guide had in the mean¬
time possessed himself of Vandall’s pistol, with which he shot and killed him, not, however, until he had re¬ ceived a severe wound from
Vandall’s
knife.
The
wounded guide went back to the Reservation and re¬ ported that his party had been attacked by hostiles and he was the sole survivor. His story was discredited and the authorities of the Reservation took him into custody.
Accused of having been implicated in the
murder of Vandall, the guide made a full confession, detailing minutely the whole affair.
He was taken
back to the place where the murder was committed. In sight of the bloody spot where Vandall fell he was hanged to a tree.
The cause of
the murder was at¬
tributed to a desire on the part of
the guides to get
possession of Vandall’s money, a purse which had be¬ longed to him being found in the lodge of the mother of one of the guides.
It was very rarely the case that
an Indian murdered a white man for his money.
Mo-
A YEAR IN THE
LOWLANDS.
285
tives as base influenced him, but they were motives of revenge and wilful hate.
A murder for money was
a circumstance to be treasured in the traditions of a tribe as one of the singular effects of white civilization.
South of Eel River the Mattole empties into the ocean.
A strip of fertile agricultural land on each
side of the stream, several miles in extent, is known as the Mattole Valley.
In June, 1858, a
man named
Thornton was murdered in this Valley by Indians, who mutilated his body in a horrible manner. were unjointed, his
His limbs
head cut off; every species of
barbarity known to and practiced by the savages was perpetrated on Thornton’s corpse.
The settlers in
the Mattole Valley were incensed beyond forbearance. For a time there was an indiscriminate slaughter of such Indians as could be found by the settlers, twenty being killed in two weeks. For the three months succeeding the
murder of
Thornton there was no sense of security in the Mattole region.
The settlers kept their guns within reach at
all hours, fearful of the stealthy approach treacherous foe.
When
of their
the Win-toon war was ab¬
sorbing the interest of the people in the Northern and central districts of the county the situation in Mattole was of a more encouraging character.
The bloody
revenge of the settlers for the murder of Thornton had had a salutary effect on the tribes in the vicinity. They announced their willingness to make a treaty of peace and friendship with the whites.
For the purpose
286
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of agreeing upon some definite provisions of the treaty a mass-meeting of citizens was held on the 4th day of September. of the meeting.
L. W. Gillett acted as Chairman A Committee on Resolutions was
appointed by the meeting, composed of M. J. Conklin, J.
H.
Freuit,
Chairman.
H. T. Brown, Joel
Benton
and the
The real work of the meeting was left to
the discretion and action of the Committee on Reso¬ lutions, and from their report we may gain the gist of the proceedings taken.
The Committee, rejecting the
superfluity of a preamble, reported the following reso¬ lutions as the result of their deliberations, which were adopted by a unanimous vote : Resolved, That we, the citizens of Mattole Valley, do form and enter into a treaty of peace and friend¬ ship with the Indians on the following terms, viz: 1st.
That the
Indians
use
all due diligence
to
secure the persons of the three Indian murderers now running at large who were concerned in the murder of Mr. Thornton. 2d. all
That they shall furnish the citizens any and
information
that they may have, or be able to
obtain, in aiding to arrest the said murderers, and use all their influence to bring them to justice. 3d.
That we will protect them from all danger and
the other
Indians, by their giving information and
assisting to arrest the said murderers. 4th.
That the Indians must not set fire to the grass ;
that they must not drive away, molest or kill our cattle, horses, mules or hogs ; that they must not enter our en¬ closures;
that they must not steal from us; that they
must not reside on our claims without our consent.
287
A YEAR IN THE LOWLANDS.
Resolved,
That the Indians be permitted to return
and live in the Valley, collect their wild food, fish, etc. Resolved,
That this treaty of peace is only made
with the Mattoles, and does not extend to any other tribes of Indians, and that they must not harbor any Indians from Cuscouse Creek, Bear River, Eel River, or any other
Indians
who do
not belong to
the
Mattoles. Resolved,
That we discountenance
and
will
not
permit any white men to go into Indian rancherias, to interfere with the squaws or children, or in any way molest them. Resolved,
That we will not allow men who are
renegades from other portions of the State or county to reside in this Valley or live among the Indians. Resolved,
That we consider all such
persons a
disgrace to any settlement and a source of trouble and difficulty with the Indians.
We therefore cannot and
will not permit them to live among the Indians or us. Resolved,
That these resolutions be published in
the Humboldt Times, as a notice to the public and a warning to those white men who are renegades and fugitives from justice, and that we will not permit them in future to make our Valley a hiding-place for any such outlaws. [Signed]. ,
M. J
Conklin,
J. H.
Freuit,
H. T.
Brown,
Joel Benton,
L. W.
Gillett,
Committee on Resolutions.
288
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Had the provisions of such a treaty as was con¬ tained in the Mattole resolutions obtained recognition in every part of the county there would have been no trouble with the Indians which could not have been dealt with by the civil authorities.
But the provisions
of the treaty were set at defiance, first by the renegade white men against whom its strongest language was directed, and next by the Indians themselves.
Adopt¬
ed with all due solemnity, and in good faith, it was no fault of good citizens that the treaty was not carried out to the letter.
A class of outlaws, neither men
nor brutes, the scum of civilization, frequented the outskirts of the settlements, entailing upon the whites by their vicious practices the worst consequences of Indian warfare.
A year in the lowlands had not brought a better understanding between the whites and the Indians. January, 1859, did not witness a more pacific spirit than had January, 1858.
In the near vicinity of the
bay the valley tribes were scarcely awed into submis¬ sion by the martial preparations incident to the ex¬ pedition against the mountain hostiles.
South of
Eel River the Mattole treaty gave a brief respite to the settlers, a welcome calm of peace before a stform.
YAGER CREEK.
289
CHAPER XVI. Yager Creek.
Hostilities and depredations.—Death of J. C. Ellison.—The Hydesville Volunteers.
Yager Creek and vicinity, a section rich in grazing lands, which had attracted numbers of enterprising settlers, principally stock-raisers, was in a most defense¬ less condition in the Spring of 1859.
The disband¬
ing of the Volunteers had left that whole section again exposed to the marauding raids of roving bands of mischievous and hostile Indians.
The troops of
the regular Army stationed at Fort Humboldt were insufficient to prevent th6 wanton killing of cattle and destruction of homes, nor were the settlers them¬ selves
numerous
against the
enough
hostiles.
to
intimidate
or guard
Nearly one hundred soldiers
were lying idle in the garrison at Bucksport, Major Raines appearing as indifferent to the needs of the settlers as any of the idle men under his command. He was urged to send out a detachment and establish a military post somewhere near the headwaters of Yager Creek, so that it might answer the double pur¬ pose of guarding stock and affording protection to the travelers between the 19
Trinity and
the
Eel
River
$ 2 gO
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
settlements.
With characteristic delay, the troops
continued to idle away their time at Fort Humboldt. Major Raines was not unlike his predecessors at Fort Humboldt in his inability to distinguish the value of time and human lives. considered
valuable,
Time could not have been
for
it was
wantonly
wasted.
Human lives could not have been considered of much importance, unless, indeed, they were the lives of the soldiers of the garrison, who were seldom allowed to risk their own others.
in the preservation of the lives of
Something
was
always
insurmountable obstacle to ness of the troops^
in
the way as an
the activity and useful¬
While Gen. Kibbe was at Union
in March he had corresponded with Major Raines in relation to the condition and prospective disposi¬ tion of the troops, and among this correspondence was the following: Union,
March ir, 1859.
Sir:—I am informed by his Excellency, the Gov¬ ernor of California, that he has been notified that the Federal force now on this Bay is ready for immediate service, and is sufficient for the protection of the peo¬ ple, and to chastise the Indians, if it should become necessary. Please advise me if such
is the fact, and if your
troops are ready to take the field immediately. I have the honor to be, Your obedient servant, Wm. C.
Kibbe,
Adjutant-General of the State of California. To Major Raines, commanding Post, Bucksport, Hum¬ boldt Bay, California.
YAGER CREEK.
Fort Humboldt, California,
29I
March 16, 1859.
Sir: Your letter of nth instant came to hand Mon¬ day per express, and in answer I have to inform you that a needful supply of clothing for the troops, the shipment of which we have been notified, is hourly ex¬ pected.
When it arrives, they will be put in readiness
for the field without delay.
We supposed the steamer
would have brought it, but were disappointed. Very Respectfully, Your obedient servant, G.
J. Raines,
Major, Fourth Infantry, Commanding. To
W.
C.
Kibbe, Adjutant-General of California,
Union, California.
Two months elapsed, yet the clothing which had been hourly expected either did not arrive or was still insufficient to supply the wants of the soldiers.
The
real cause for delay was not on account of insufficient or delayed clothing.
The real cause lay in the fact
that Major Raines had an exalted opinion of his posi¬ tion entirely disproportionate to the station itself.
If
a scouting party was needed and demanded in the hills, he considered it his duty to dignify every halting place with the name of “ Post,” and he could not se¬ riously think of sending out a detachment of one hun¬ dred men without making preparations commensurate with an army of ten thousand.
It was the old story
292
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of army discipline and army dignity, which had been so disastrous to the efficiency of the regular Army in all campaigns against the Indians.
The settlers on
Yager Creek must look elsewhere for protection. In May a detachment of soldiers from Fort Hum¬ boldt under Capt. Lovell took the field in the Yager Creek country, too late to be of any valuable service. During the months they had been on garrison duty the Indians had never ceased their devilish mischief, and for six weeks preceding the first of May there had been a most exasperating slaughter of cattle on all the Yager Creek ranges.
On the ioth of May the
depredation on property was joined with of human life.
the taking
While hunting cattle on Yager Creek
James C. Ellison saw a number of Indians packing off the meat of the cattle they had killed.
He returned
to his camp, where he had left several other settlers, and informed them of what he had seen. tions were made to attack the thieving night.
When
they had perfected
Prepara¬
Indians that
their plans they
started, five in number, and had gone about two miles when two Indians belonging to a party secreted in the brush either by accident or design showed themselves to the whites. two.
The whites fired and killed one of the
The other, being wounded, jumped behind a
log where his companions lay concealed.
The whites
ran up to where they supposed the wounded Indian had fallen, and going around
the log, were within
twenty feet of thirty or forty Indians before they saw them.
Ellison was struck by an arrow in the groin.
When the arrow struck him he drew the shaft and
YAGER CREEK.
continued fighting until
293
the Indians were routed.
Two or three days later Ellison died, and was buried at Hydesville. The death of Ellison and the slaughter of stock preceding it discouraged the settlers in Creek section.
the Yager
All cattle that could be collected were
speedily driven to Mattole, and a splendid grazing country was once more deserted by the settler. Two days after Ellison’s death the Hydesville Vol¬ unteer Company was organized
Abram
Lyle was
elected Captain,H. J. Davis First Lieutenant, Eli Davis Second Lieutenant, and J. H. Morrison Commissary and Quartermaster. There were twenty-five men in the Company, which was provisioned and equipped for a scout of six weeks.
The provisions were stored at a
settler’s house on South Yager, where the company was divided into two squads, one going over to Mad River, the other to North Yager.
The detachment
operating on North Yager succeeded in trailing some Indians to their quarters in the redwoods.
Before
reaching the rancheria they came abruptly on three who were gathering clover, killing two of them and wounding the other.
The firing was heard by those
who were in the rancheria, who fled, carrying away with them everything that was of value in the shape of firearms. Men who had been hunting cattle brought in the information that several bands of Indians had been seen on the Van Duzen, and it was supposed that as the cattle were all moved from North Yager, and there was nothing left for them to prey on there, they would carry their depredations further south, into the
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
294
Van Duzen and Mattole districts. were energetic in their
The Volunteers
movements, and before the
first of June they had driven many roving bands of savages from the headwaters of Yager Creek and Mad River.
The detachment of United States troops un¬
der Capt. Lovell were encamped at Indian Gulch. When the six weeks for which the Volunteers had been
equipped had elapsed the Commissary, J. H.
Morrison, went to Eel River and procured more sup¬ plies, the Company having decided to remain in the field several months longer. As the Summer progressed there was a little activ¬ ity in military circles at Fort Humboldt. A portion of Capt. Underwood’s
Company was
ordered removed
from Hoopa and placed on the Trinity trail, and the detachment went into camp at Pardee’s house on Red¬ wood, in command of Lieut. Collins, within one day’s march of Capt. Lovell’s camp on Yager Creek. Thus matters went on until the approach of Win¬ ter.
Then, when the acorns, roots and other food be¬
gan to fail in the woods and on the hills, the roving tribes of depredating mountain savages renewed their raids on the cattle herds of the whites.
In December
cattle were lost in every drove between the Van Du¬ zen and Mad Rivers.
In the vicinity of Kneeland’s
Prairie and the Buttes twenty-five head of cattle were killed in two weeks. was driven killed, and
In one instance a band of cattle
into the redwoods, where the
fires
several
were
over which the meat was dried
were found still burning by a party of settlers.
The
firm of Dix Brothers started from Hydesville for Wea-
YAGER CREEK.
295
verville with a drove of cattle, and on the first night in the Bald Hills one of their drove was killed.
The
Hydesville Volunteers, as soon as the fact was known, started in pursuit, and trailed the Indians around Ya¬ ger Creek to where the trail struck across to the head of Elk River, where they were compelled to give up the chase. It was the opinion of a majority of the settlers on the Van Duzen and Yager that it would eventually be
necessary, in order to suppress the hostilities and
restore
protection to property, to organize Volunteer
Companies under the laws of the State, and with the expectation of receiving pay for services rendered. So far the citizens of Hydesville and vicinity had been taxed nearly a thousand dollars for the support of the Volunteers.
They felt their inability to endure the
burden
much
pressed
that unless relief was soon
longer.
The
opinion was freely ex¬ provided, from
some source, the entire country overrun by the hos¬ tile natives would In
this condition
Raines for
help;
be deserted by the white settlers. the settlers appealed and
he,
with
promised to look into the matter.
to
Major
military precision,
296
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XVII. '
From Bad to Worse.
Win-toons leaving the Reservations.—Reports of barbarous deeds.— A requisition for arms.—Sickening experience of hope deferred. —A mysterious League.—Secret meetings in lonely farmhouses. —The birthplace of the League.—Its members and originator.— The massacre at Indian Island.
Indian affairs rapidly assumed a most serious aspect. Every week and every day revealed the inefficiency of Army protection, the treachery and wanton cruelty of the Indians, the extreme suffering of white settlers, the urgent need of a Volunteer expedition like that which brought the Win-toon war to a successful close.
The
expedition under General Kibbe had done its work most effectually.
The Win-toons, placed on Reserva¬
tions, gradually deserted them in straggling parties and went back to their old homes, yet few of them had, up to this time (i860) joined the hostile tribes whose raids were made in their country.
They had
felt the power of a military force which knew how to fight them, and their belligerent spirit had not yet risen from a crushing defeat.
A similar expedition, directed
by efficient officers, would have suppressed hostilities
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
297
and punished the depredating tribes into submission. But another expedition like Gen. Kibbe’s was not practicable, for several reasons, the principal one being the fact that the payment of Volunteers for expenses and losses incurred was yet delayed and hindered at Sacramento.
If relief was to be obtained, it must come
from Volunteer Companies of citizens, conducted by citizens, organized with no definite expectation of pay and for the sole purpose of protecting their own homes. In the midst of the New Year festivities of i860 news was received of the murder of two strangers, in the Mattole Valley, under atrocious circumstances. Five men from Sacramento, whose names were un¬ known, had arrived at Bear Harbor in December on a hunting expedition, damping
there several weeks.
Their provisions gave out and two of the party were sent to Mattole for a fresh supply.
Two weeks passed
and they did not return to the camp.
Inquiries were
made in the settlement, which resulted in the convic¬ tion that the hunters had been murdered by some of the Mattole Indians.
A small party of Mattole settlers
attacked several rancherias and captured prisoners who divulged the particulars of the murder and the identity of the murderers.
A rifle, a powder flask, and blan¬
kets that had belonged to the murdered men were re¬ covered from one of the rancherias.
The prisoners
confessed that the two whites had been encamped for the night, when they were killed and their bodies cut to pieces and thrown into the surf. A growing excitement in the community was inten¬ sified by the relation of various versions and some
298
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
exaggerations of the Mattole murders.
A feeling of
insecurity spread through all classes—and the Indians themselves no longer confined their cattle-stealing and their murderous attacks to the Yager Creek country. Reports and rumors were rife of many barbarous deeds in nearly all sections of Humboldt county.
Not quite
a year had elapsed since Capt. Messec had closed his campaign against the Win-toons.
Many of the prison¬
ers sent to the Mendocino Reservation were back in their old homes, more subdued
than formerly and
smarting under chastisement and defeat; liable, never¬ theless, to take the war-path again at any moment. The situation, critical and absorbing, demanded the intervention of a Kibbe or a Messec to prevent the horrible consequences of another war between the two races. On Yager Creek the hostiles were daily more daring in their outrages, killing stock in the corrals and some¬ times in the presence of the owners.
The Hydesville
Volunteers, unable to continue in the field at their own expense, were disbanded and dispersed to their homes, leaving no check to the advance of the Indians. On North Yager a number of settlers banded together for mutual
protection, but were powerless
their neighbors. even worse.
to assist
On the Bald Hills the situation was
In the iatter part of January the Indians
collected a hundred head of cattle, belonging to dif¬ ferent persons, and drove them by the houses of white men in open sight.
The neighborhood was quickly
aroused and a party gave chase, regaining all but 20 or 30 head of the stock.
The settlers then drove their
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
stock together, for better security.
299
In doing so they
were compelled to desert their houses and other prop¬ erty. Preparations were made in the beginning of Febru¬ ary for the
organization of a Volunteer Company,
under the laws of the State, by E. L. Davis, appointed by the County Judge for that purpose, which was to take the field at once, trusting to the justice of the people to demand a recognition of their acts by the State Legislature.
There was a meeting of the citi¬
zens of Eel River Valley, at Hydesville, on Saturday, February 4th, i860, at which E. L. Davis presided, Henry Stern, of Union, acting as secretary.
The
Volunteer Company was duly organized according to law, officers being elected, viz: Seaman Wright, Cap¬ tain; E. D. Holland, First Lieutenant; Henry Robin¬ son and Thos. C. McNamara, Second Lieutenants; Eli Davis, P. Stansberry, G. Gray. J. O. Corder, Ser¬ geants; T. Wyatt, S. Ferguson, N. Underwood, S. Luce, Corporals.
There were 55 privates on the roll
at the first meeting.
Capt. Wright went to Eureka
on the following Monday and forwarded a notice of the organization, together with a requisition for arms, to Senator Ryan, that the proper attention of the Executive might be directed to the emergency in which the people were placed, an emergency which demanded that the Volunteers be called into the regular service of the State and provision made for their support. Pending action of the Executive, it was absolutely necessary for the Volunteers to go into active service of their own accord, equipped at their own expense,
300
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
and supplied with provisions by the merchant traders of the county.
Before the 15th of February the Com¬
pany had been provisioned and were in the field, scout¬ ing on the Van Duzen, with headquarters at Campton’s Ranch. February passed.
No reply to the requisition for
arms was received from Sacramento, nor was there any intimation that the Company would be called into service by the Governor.
Settlers on the Van Duzen,
despairing of aid from the State, and knowing that the Volunteers would soon be compelled to disorganize if aid was not received, made their preparations to aban¬ don that section should their worst fears be realized. A petition
setting forth the true condition
of the
country, and praying for adequate relief, was forwarded to the Governor himself, in the hope that he would properly consider the matter and take such official action as might be legitimate and just. To the other troubles of the settlers was added the sickening experience of hope deferred concerning the old Indian war claims and their payment by the State. For some mysterious reason the claims were not paid, though bonds had been issued three years before on the faith of the State.
The bonds had the provision
that claimants should
be paid* only “ out of
any
moneys which might be appropriated by Congress to this State to defray the expenses incurred in the sup¬ pression of Indian hostilities ”; consequently the value of the bonds amounted to nothing in the absence of any present or
prospective
National Treasury.
appropriation from the
If claims accruing in times long
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
301
past, some of them dating back to 1852, were not paid, what hope could the settlers have that claims of i860 would be paid ? Three successive sessions of Congress had been expected to make appropriations to pay the old claims, and three times was disappoint¬ ment the lot of the settler. Citizens had rendered valuable services and furnished supplies in perfect good faith, and every consideration of honor and of public policy should have prompted Congress to make necessary appropriations to cover the losses sustained. As a general thing the State bonds were held by those to whom they were issued. They were worthless for exchange, or as collateral security of any kind. The Pacific Coast representatives in Congress were fami¬ liar with the history of the claims and knew that there was no fraud or speculation connected with them, but no efforts of theirs appeared to be sufficient to secure an aj?propriation for the redemption of the bonds. Nor was there any immediate prospect of the State assuming the responsibility of paying the bonds with the funds of the Commonwealth. There was consid¬ erable discussion on the subject in the Legislature, and a bill was introduced directing the Treasurer to call in and pay the bonds; but certain sentimental members from San Francisco and Los Angeles, who considered that the Indians had been much abused, did all they could to defeat this measure of redress for the settlers. Hemmed round by innumerable difficulties, exas¬ perated and maddened beyond control, the stockraisers and farmers were prepared to sanction the
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
302
most desperate enterprises which contained the slight¬ est promise of relief.
Saturday evening, February 25th, in the year of our Lord i860, must ever be memorable in the records of Humboldt Bay.
On that date occurred one of those
strange and horrible deeds that sometimes appear in the history of all countries, marking with their black foulness the fairest epochs of civilized eras—a deed so conscienceless in its conception, so cruel and heartless in its execution, that even now, when the obscuring shadows of a quarter of a century intervene, the mind views it
with a revolting sense of horror.
sudden and swift, terrible and
It was
unexpected.
Few,
perhaps
none
but the participants, knew what was
coming.
The
perpetrators of the deed had. made
their preparations silently and in secret. had been
formed,
a league
whose
A league
members
were
bound to secrecy, who took a solemn oath that what¬ ever secret things
were confided
to their
breasts
should never be divulged while life should last.
The
names of the members were not to be revealed under penalty of death ;
nor was any deed of theirs, done
secretly and covertly, ever to living soul.
be
revealed
to any
How well that vow was kept by every
member of the league the years attest! times has lovely Spring melted
into
Twenty-five Summer, and
Summer deepened into Autumn, and Autumn died at the birth of Winter:
and through
all the changes
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
303
of the seasons and the years has that vow locked se. curely in the breast of each individual possessor the secrets of the league.
No word spoken in haste, no
confession on the bed of death, no transparent misery of a guilty conscience, ever disclosed what that vow had hidden.
The precise date on which the league
was formed, the names of its members, the names of its officers, their number and residence, are particulars which are buried in the breasts of the living or in the earth with the dead. places—in
The league met in out-of-the-way
lonely farm-houses or in
dwelling by the sea.
some isolated
There were, indeed, mysterious
whisperings in the community, flying bits of rumor, insignificant in themselves, but portentous of event¬ ful things; as though the wind, searching through the chinks of a settler’s cabin where the league had met, bore away fragments of their talk on its wings and scattered them among the boughs of the trees, that, in their turn, whispered the secrets to some gossiping woodsman, and thus sent them circling through the world.
These fragments, few in number, and with no
authentic origin, place the birth-place of the league in Eel
River Valley, where its originator,
resided.
Its membership, somewhere
and seventy-five
in
now dead,
between
fifty
number, included some of the
prominent men of the county.
All were men of
intelligence and nearly all men of family.
At least a
month prior to the 25th of February meetings were held at several places and at different times; and there were messengers hurrying from one house to another in various sections of the country.
The league was
304
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
perfecting some plan of work in the chosen field of its activity, whatever that might be. In Humboldt Bay there is an island opposite the city of Eureka, now covered with saw-mills and green fields; in i860 a long, irregular stretch of low-lying, sandy marsh-land, barely elevated above the possible reach of flooding tides.
Once, in some era of a distant
past, merely a continuation of the sand-dunes making inland from the sea ; then, in the volcanic convulsions of a more recent period, separated from the mainland by a shallow arm of the bay.
On this island lived a
tribe of Indians, comparatively inoffensive, generally pursuing their vocation of fishing in peaceable contig¬ uity to the white settlements. Superstitious, like others of their race, this tribe of Valley Indians worshipped annually the Great Spirit with barbaric offerings and supplications.
Once each year the friends of this
tribe would gather from far and near, and engage with them in the ceremonies of the annual assemblage, sometimes as many as five hundred men, women and children
congregating at
the
rancheria on
Indian
Island. The last week of February, i860, was devoted by the Indians to the ceremonies of their heathen rites. They had congregated, nearly two hundred of them, at the Indian Island rancheria, many visitors attend¬ ing from the tribes of Eel River and of Mad River. Let the reader imagine the scene on the night of February 25th, in the year of the Christian era one thousand eight hundred and sixty.
A collection of
low huts and mounds, where, for a full week, has re-
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
3°5
sounded the strange clamor of savage rites and tradi¬ tional observances of superstitious ceremonies.
Fires
redden against the back-ground of black darkness, casting curious and fearful shadows on the sides and roofs of rude habitations; figures,
themselves
like
shadows, seen for a moment in the glare of some bright flame, pass between the fires, and loud and monotonous sounds issue from the huts.
Here, a
curious dance, whose origin is lost in the mists of antiquity, is conducted.
On the floor are a score or
more of dancers, both sexes, fantastically bedecked with feathers and bedizened with paint.
They join hands,
and forming, commence a queer hopping dance, at the same time uttering hoarse, gutteral sounds, inter¬ spersed with hideous yells.
Presently a male Indian,
gay in feathers and bright paint, darts into the ring, jumping from side to side, keeping time to the mo¬ notonous sounds, and then darts out again.
Then the
same performance is repeated, and again repeated, and so continued through the night.
In another hut,
close by, is progressing a mysterious rite known
as
the “ ten nights’ dance,” which, as its name implies, never ceases until ten consecutive nights have passed. An excavation has been made for the hut, a large one, similar to a cellar, and around the sides of this ex¬ cavation are boards and planks, placed on end, dirt and sod being thrown up against them on the out¬ side.
Rough boards and poles form the low roof, in
the center of which is a hole through which the smoke escapes.
In one end of the hut a small aperture does
service as a door.
Inside, at one side of the room, a
3°6
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
long pole stretches from one end to the other.
In
the middle of the room, on the dirt floor, a fire burns and glows, the smoke curling lazily to the roof.
With
joined hands, forming a line outside the long pole, with faces to the wall, fifty Indians of both sexes stand, motionless as statues, their bodies bare head to the waist.
from
the
Suddenly a male at one end of the
line utters a low, humming sound, and instantly the entire line takes up the note, at the same instant slowly swaying with one accord to left and right.
The hum¬
ming sound increases in volume, grows faster and faster, until it reaches a melancholy howl, then the sound slowly descends and dies into
a whispering
sigh.
Again the leader gives his low, humming note, and again the volume of sound swells out on the night air. And thus, alternately high and low, the barbarous chant is continued, accompanied
by
the
swaying,
swinging motion of the line of human forms.
The
scene is awe-inspiring—the monotonous chant, that swells out defiantly now, and now sinks into an ex¬ piring wail of despair; the long, swaying line keeping time to the rude rhythm of the music; the fire, fed by some savage hand, now flashing up brightly, disclos¬ ing as if by a calcium light the
bare backs of the
Indians, the pole before which they stand, and the earthstained walls—now dying slowly out, transforming the swaying
bodies
into
ghostly forms,
peopling the
shadowy corners with dusky shapes mysterious, halfhidden and half-revealed. The night deepens, and the scene changes.
Boats
glide up to the shore near the rancheria, and from
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
them leap the forms of stalwart men.
3O7 '
An Indian,
passing, sees the sudden apparition and makes an ex¬ clamation of surprise. gleams, the Indian falls.
A hand is raised, a knife Like invisible agencies of
fate circling round a human life doomed to an awful destiny, ever drawing closer, closer, the fateful forms that leaped from the boats glide through the gloom, swiftly, silently, stealthily approaching the crowded hovels of the rancheria. that?
Hark!
What sound was
Was it a shriek, half stifled, that rang out
from the fire there? groans, and cries,
What pandemonium is this of and despairing women’s voices,
which echoes from hut to hut, where but a moment ago there was only the rhythmical cadence of savage song ? 11 cannot be! Yes, the forms creeping so stealth¬ ily upon the rancheria were white men, citizens of a civilized State in a civilized country, in their hands knives, and axes, and clubs, and in their hearts no mercy.
The Indians, stupified and sleepy, can make
no resistance.
More than half of the two hundred
are women and little children.
The axes and knives
gleam and flash, are uplifted, and descend. on all alike.
They fall
The savage warrior in the prime of life,
the old man tottering to the grave, the women with papooses in their arms, the infants themselves, share a common fate in one indiscriminate slaughter. than half a score escape.
Less
Four or five swim across
the narrow arm of the bay, and one or two others escape in canoes. When the sun rose on the morning of the 26th of February, i860, its bright rays shone on a horrible
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
3°8
scene at Indian Island.
Blood stood in pools, and
stained with red the walls of the huts, and dulled the green tints of the grass.
Here was a warrior, his
head split in twain : there a squaw, her skull crushed to a jelly; yonder a little child, with a knife wound through its heart.
Some had fled half-way across the
marsh and were struck down from behind.
Some had
almost gained the water and liberty when the knife or the ax did its deadly work. When the sun set on the evening of February, i860, it was known
the 26th of
in Eureka that there
had been other massacres simultaneously with the one at Indian Island.
Two other rancherias, one on the
South Beach near the entrance to the bay, and one near the mouth of Eel River, were visited on the same night, in the same stealthy manner, by men armed with the same weapons, axes and knives, and with the same
result.
In
the
three massacres
nearly three
hundred Indians were killed, at least one hundred and fifty being women and children. How many participat¬ ed in the massacres, or who they were, has never been divulged.
The league had done its work effectively,
but injudiciously.
The deed had stirred to its very
depths the thirst for revenge in the bosom of the In¬ dian, and had excited the indignation of a large class of white citizens.
It was the worst thing that could
have happened at the time.
It destroyed every hope
of peaceable solution of the many dangerous difficul¬ ties then existing between the whites and the Indians. The white settlers had received great provocation. Their property had been plundered and destroyed
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
309
citizens had been murdered, their patience had been tested to the fullest extent.
But nothing they had suf¬
fered, no depredations the savages had committed, could justify the cruel slaughter of innocent women and children that occurred at Indian Island.
3io
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XVIII. Three Months of Trouble.
Dissatisfaction with the Governor.—Meeting of the Citizens of Eel River.—The Grand Jury’s Report.—County Convention on In¬ dian Affairs.—Petty Fights and Petty Quarrels. that caused by
the
massacre at Indian Island could not soon die out.
An excitement so intense as
It
absorbed public discussion to the exclusion of every other subject.
It filled the public mind completely
during the three succeeding months after the massacre occurred.
The action of the Governor in refusing to
call into the service of
the State the Company of
Volunteers under Captain Wright was the occasion of much dissatisfaction and disappointment in Eel River Valley and on the Bald Hills, where the killing of cat¬ tle was still a common occurrence.
The citizens of
Hydesville and vicinity furnished the Company with provisions enough to last through the month of March, intending, at the end of that time, if no aid or encour¬ agement was received from the State, to assist the set¬ tlers in removing their families and property from all the stock-raising regions of the Bald Hills, thus leav¬ ing that fertile country uninhabited by the whites.
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
31 I
Among the Indians the commotion was greater than among the whites.
The tribes living in the vicinity of
Eureka and Union were afraid to live at their rancherias and were quartered at Fort Humboldt by Major Raines. B. Van Nest, Sheriff of Humboldt county, interested himself
in
Downey to wirh
energetic
proper authority
Wright.
efforts
make proper the
to
induce
Governor
provision for and
clothe
Volunteers under Capt.
He procured twenty-six affidavits of persons
who had lost cattle by the depredations of the Indians during a single year, and sent them, together with a petition for assistance, to the Governor.
Some of the
affidavits were not calculated to inspire the Governor with a sense of the effectiveness of the military, one affidavit stating that the affiant had heard a commis¬ sioned officer at Fort Humboldt assert that he (the of¬ ficer) would be glad if head of
the Indians would kill every
stock in the Bald Hills and then kill their
owners. The petition which accompanied the affidavits was calculated to impress the Governor with a lively sense of need on the part of the settlers and of duty unperformed on his part. A meeting of the citizens of Eel River was held at Hydesville on the 12th of March, W. T. Olmstead act¬ ing as Chairman and John W. Cooper as Secretary. Resolutions were adopted, first, that the citizens of Eel River deeply deplored “ the late unfortunate and indiscriminate destruction of Indian life,” and at the same time considered it “ their bounden duty to ex¬ press their indignation at the conduct of the Govern-
312
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ment, which was the whole cause of that sad affair”; second, that as white men supported the Government, their lives and property should be the first to receive protection from the Government—but as beings of a superior race, from principles of humanity they were sensible that the Indian should have protection also ; third, that as Major Raines had offered to meet the citizens of Eel River and assist them in any measure that might tend to promote peace and quietness be¬ tween the Indians and whites, and that for the obtain¬ ing of this object they were firmly convinced necessary to remove the
Indians from
it was
among
the
whites, Major Raines was therefore earnestly requested to cause the Indians to be collected together at some convenient point, and there kept in charge of
the
troops under his command, till the proper authority should cause their permanent removal. tions were published in the local
These resolu¬
newspapers and a
copy of the original was sent to Major Raines. The Grand Jury met in April at Eureka, and in closing their official report to the Court of Sessions they said:
“We cannot close our report without
commenting on the massacre of Indian women and children lately committed in this county. endeavored, by summoning before
We have
us a number of
citizens of this county whom we supposed would give us some information, to bring to trial
the persons
engaged in this revolting crime; and after a strict examination of all the witnesses nothing was elicited to enlighten us as to the perpetrators.
We would
express our condemnation of the outrage, and regret
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
that our investigation
313
of this matter has met with
a result so deplorable.” The result of discussion and the report of the Grand Jury was seen in a published announcement that public meetings would be held in each voting precinct of Humboldt county for the purpose of devising ways and means by which
to secure
assistance
to
the
sufferers from Indian depredations, the meetings to be held on
the 17th
day of
May,
and each meeting
to choose one or more delegates to a County Conven¬ tion on Indian Affairs to meet at Eureka on the 19th of the same month.
Places of preliminary meeting
were designated as Murdock’s Hall, Union; the Court House, Eureka; Col. Hagans’ residence, Bucksport; Van Aernam’s residence, Table Bluff; Palmer’s store, Eel River ; Spencer’s store, Hydesville ; Wm. White’s residence,
Yager
Salt River;
Creek;
Uri
Williams’ residence,
J. Morrison’s residence, Bear River;
V.
Kellogg’s residence, Lower Mattole; and G. Hadley’s residence, Upper Mattole.
In pursuance of the an¬
nouncement the meetings for the election of delegates to the proposed County Convention were held at the places designated on the 17th of May, the following being
chosen
to
represent
the
several
precincts:
Union, Messrs. Whaley and Whipple; Eureka, Messrs. Benson, Ryan, Sevier, Cooper and Monroe; Bucks¬ port, Messrs. Hagans and Edgar;
Table Bluff, Wm.
Clyde; Eel River, Jacob DeHaven ; Yager Creek, Mr. Bell; Hydesville, Capt. Wright; Mattole, B. Van Nest; Pacific, C. McAlister;
Bear River, Seth Kinman.
At two o’clock in the afternoon of the 19th of May
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
314
the County Convention on Indian Affairs assembled at Eureka.
S. G. Whipple was appointed Chairman,
and S. Cooper and B. Van Nest Secretaries, of the Convention.
A long discussion was had, lasting till
late in the evening, and resulting in the adoption of a preamble and resolutions reported by a committee to prepare them.
The preamble contained all the facts
in reference to the existing difficulties that were in any manner disclosed by the discussion of the subject in the Convention.
It briefly and pointedly recited
that by reason of the hostilities of the Indians in Humboldt county the amount of known injury done to citizens in the precincts of Yager Creek, Hydesville
and
Elk
River within
the
preceding
twelve
months was over $30,000, and the Convention believed that this estimate would be increased to $75,000 by correct statistics from all the precincts of the county. The preamble recited also that the Indians had com¬ mitted depredations from one end of the county to the other;
that by reason of such depredations many of
the settlers had been compelled to leave the homes which they had purchased from the Government and remove their cattle to more thickly settled portions of the county;
and that the Indians were then in posses¬
sion of the
Bald Hills country, the most desirable
portion of the
county
for grazing purposes;
that
many of the citizens had lost nearly all the property they possessed;
that a small
Volunteer Company under
the command of Capt. Wright was in the field three months, but being unable to support itself longer was compelled to disband;
that its place was supplied by
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
315
a company of Federal troops, and since the troops took the field the Indians appeared to be emboldened, inas¬ much as their depredations were greater than before; that from the resolutions adopted in the several pre¬ cincts it appeared that the Federal
troops
in
the
county were a curse and not a benefit; and, finally, that the citizens naturally expected some protection from the troops, but finding the sympathies of the commander to be with the Indian and not with the white man, the people felt unwilling to trust longer in him for protection, and should ask that an inde¬ pendent Company of Volunteers be immediately called into service.
To the Preamble were appended these
Resolutions: “ Resolved. That Col. Hagans is hereby appointed a delegate by the people of this county to represent to the Governor of the State of California the continued hostilities of the Indians and the imminent necessity which exists for the presence of a Volunteer force. “ Resolved, That in the opinion of this Convention the Federal troops in this county, under their present management, are of no benefit, so far as affording the slightest protection to the lives and property of our citizens. “ Resolved, That past experience has proved that Volunteer Companies, composed of citizens who have an interest in the county, are effective in quelling In¬ dian disturbances ; and therefore be it “ Resolved, That Governor Downey is most respect¬ fully requested to muster into the service of the State the Volunteer Company now organized for the pro¬ tection of the citizens of this county; and be it
3i<3
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
“ Resolved That the Indians of this county should be immediately removed to some remote Federal Res¬ ervation, as being the only guaranty of future peace.” After the adoption of the Preamble and Resolutions, and the appointment of a central committee of nine for the purpose of accumulating further statistics, the Convention adjourned. Col. Hagans, with the authority of the people and bearing their resolutions and statistics, went to Sac¬ ramento and Downey.
obtained an interview
with
Governor
The Governor stated, as the substance of
his views, that he was favorable to the proposition of calling into
the service of the State the Volunteers
under Capt. Wright, but it should be done on condition that they agreed to accept a certain compensation for all services and
furnish
their own
supplies.
He
thought that it would be impossible to procure supplies from merchants on credit except at ruinous rates.
At
the conclusion of the interview the Governor promised to write to Mr. Hagans, giving him definite instruc¬ tions, or visit in person the county said to be in need of aid.
The Governor did not keep either promise,
and, as might have been anticipated, the County Con¬ vention and Mr. Hagans’ interview produced nothing of importance in favor of the settlers.
March, April and May, the three months in which meetings were held and resolutions adopted and del-
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
317
egations appointed on the subject of Indian depreda¬ tions, were not alone noted for those events.
There
was a remarkable succession of petty fights with the Indians and of petty quarrels between the Military and the citizens. The fights with the Indians began with the year, nor did their cattle-stealing exploits grow less frequent or annoying.
Near Angel’s Ranch the residence of B.
Crogan was plundered and robbed during his absence, and John Stewart, living in
the same locality, had
blankets and other articles stolen from
him.
John
Warren, of Willow Creek, was chased by four Indians, escaping with difficulty.
A. L. Pardee, living on the
Trinity trail, near Mad River, was shot at three times by savages in the bush.
A ranch only three miles
from Hydesville was raided and cattle killed and driven off.
On the 10th of April two men were attacked
while cutting wood near Shelter Cove.
The Indians
sprang from the bushes and seized one of the white men, Moses Stafford, round the waist, while several arrows were shot at him by others, severely wounding him.
Stafford’s companion ran to his assistance and
struck the Indian holding him on the head, thus free¬ ing him.
Stafford shot one Indian dead and wounded
another, and the two men escaped with their lives. An Indian obtained by theft a rifle belonging to a miner on Clear Creek in the Klamath River country, and shot at him, supposing that he killed him, as he fell when the gun was discharged.
The Indian took
the gun to his home and told his tribe that he obtained it by killing the owner, a white man.
His tribe, upon
318
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
this confession, made him prisoner, delivering him to the whites, and recommended hanging.
The recom¬
mendation was complied with, and while the Indian was suspended the supposed murdered man walked home.
The
bullet from
the gun
had struck him
on the head, knocking him senseless, but not seriously injuring him.
Capt. D.
H. Snyder and a party of
whites made an attack on an Indian rancheria a short distance above Big Bend, Mad River. were killed and the rancheria broken up.
Ten warriors And during
all this time there was no intermission of hostile dem¬ onstrations in the Bald Hills country, on the head¬ waters of the Van Duzen, or on Yager Creek. The quarrel between the Military and citizens, to which allusion has been made, was one of long standding, almost coeval with the settlement of the country, always conspicuous in times of greatest danger and difficulty.
It was caused partly by the inefficiency of
the Military, and partly by a bitter jealousy existing among the officers of the regular Army against Volun¬ teer Companies and expeditions.
The inefficiency of
the regular troops was so well known and so universally recognized that it occasioned no comment in i860. Their jealousy of the
Volunteers, so often exposed,
was again illustrated in a bitter and envious opposition to
Gen. Kibbe, Adjutant-General of California, who
endeavored to induce the Legislature to act favorably on the claims for indemnity for losses sustained and expenses incurred by private persons during the Wintoon war and the war on Pitt River.
In both of these
wars Gen. Kibbe directed operations as commander of
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
the Volunteers.
319
The claims for the Win-toon war
were promptly allowed by the Legislature, although they were confined strictly to the actual expenses and pay of the men enlisted, without accounting for any individual losses or making provision for them.
Two
expeditions had been ordered out by the Governor since the Win-toon war—one for the supression of hostilities in Tehama county and one for the Pitt River campaign.
Gen. Kibbe, by virtue of his position as
Adjutant-General, was placed at the head of these ex¬ peditions.
He conducted them with ability and energy,
making a successful campaign and suppressing hos¬ tilities in each instance.
Traders and others had fur¬
nished the expeditions all the supplies they needed. When the claims for these supplies were filed with the Board of Examiners the jealous influence of the regular Army asserted itself.
Claim after claim was cut down
by the Examiners, notwithstanding the fact that Gen. Kibbe had made all contracts in person; and when the work of the Examiners was finished, and the claims were delivered to the Legislature for final action upon them, the jealous influence of the regular Army per¬ meated the lobby from end to end.
A committee was
appointed by the House to inquire into the validity of the claims, and this committee, after holding several meetings, asked for further time, insinuating that Gen. Kibbe had been guilty of fraudulent practices and that the Governor exceeded his authority when he author¬ ized the expeditions; and the committee cited the re¬ ports of regular Army officers to confirm the opinion that the expeditions were unjust and unnecessary, and
320
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
should not be paid for.
The whole proceeding was a
farce of Legislative action and a direct blow given by the Military to the citizen Volunteer, inspired by an ignoble feeling of inferiority and consequent vindictive jealousy.
The quarrel was taken up by every com¬
mander of every little Army post on the Pacific Coast. Major Raines, commanding at Fort Humboldt, had a natural
sympathy for
the Indians, which was aug¬
mented tenfold by his jealousy of the Volunteers.
In¬
stead of exercising martial law, he was in favor of trying in the courts all Indians suspected of murdering white men, whether the murders were committed by one or one hundred—a system that could not be other than a failure when applied to a savage race who knew nothing of law and would not have respected it if they had.
There was only one effective method of
suppressing Indian hostilities, and that was by punish¬ ing the hostiles in campaigns of armed forces. the
Volunteers accomplished.
refused to do. ments
That
That
Major Raines
His heart was too tender, his senti¬
too soft,
his sympathies
too
profound,
for
any but the loftiest motives of philanthropy to find expression in his military orders.
His officers in the
field were tied hand and foot by the severity of his orders.
No Indian could be killed unless he was de¬
tected in the act of killing a white man, and it was a crime for a soldier to shoot at an Indian who was driv¬ ing away cattle from the ranges of the settlers.
Fort
Humboldt was converted into a kind of hospital for sick Indians and refuge for well ones.
Major Raines
was unpopular with all classes of citizens, and his un-
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
321
popularity was greatly increased by his persistent re¬ fusal to gather the Indians of the bay together and send them to a Government Reservation.
After the
Indian Island massacre the tribes on the coast between Mad River and Eel River did not inhabit their rancherias.
A majority of those living in the vicinity of the
lower or Southern end of the bay were congregated at Fort Humboldt, by order of Major provided for at Government expense.
Raines, and were The lower Mad
River tribes were lounging around the village of Union, annoying and threatening the citizens.
Col. Buel,
agent at the Klamath Reservation, was communicated with and solicited to remove the Indians from the bay to that Reservation.
He replied that he would do so.
Under his instruction additional houses were built on the Reservation, and every needful preparation was made for the population. boldt.
reception of a large addition to the
In April Cap't. Buel went to Fort Hum¬
He told Major Raines that he had been re¬
quested by the citizens to take the Bay Indians on the Reservation, and that, wishing to comply with the re¬ quest, he had come to ask him (Major Raines) to allow the Indians quartered at the Fort to be taken to the Klamath.
The Major answered that the Indians did
not want to go and he would not compel them to go. Col. Buel went to Eureka, remained there a few days, and then sent the following note to Fort Humboldt: Eureka,
April iith, i860.
Sir:—I learn that you have in your possession and under your protection a number of Indians. I am here 21
322
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
for the purpose of removing those Indians to the Klamath Reservation, at which place I am prepared to subsist and protect them. I desire that you will deliver those Indians to me outside of
Fort Humboldt
Mili¬
tary Reservation, with an escort to protect them from here to the Klamath Indian Reservation. An immediate answer is respectfully requested. Very respectfully, Your Ob’t Serv’t, D. E. Indian Agent
in charge
Buel,
of1 the Klamath
Indian Reservation. To Maj. G. y. Raines, commanding Fort Humboldt. Col. Buel’s note was
handed to Major Raines by
Sheriff Van Nest, who was curtly informed that no an¬ swer need be expected. At the other end of the bay, the citizens of Union collected the Indians in that vicinity, 125 in number, and they were taken to the Reservation. A week later Major Raines relented, agreed
to acquiesce in
the
unanimous wish of the Eureka people, and set about collecting and removing the bay Indians in the vicin¬ ity of that town and the mouth of Eel River.
Guard¬
ed by a military escort, 315 Indians were taken from Fort Humboldt to the
Klamath Reservation.
Why
Major Raines had so suddenly vacated his former po¬ sition was not made public, but his action in that par¬ ticular was hailed with satisfaction
by the citizens,
many of whom thought that the breach which long existed between
the soldiers
had
and the settlers
THREE MONTHS OF TROUBLE.
might now be filled
323
up with more friendly relations.
The latter idea was not entertained for a long period. The events of the succeeding two months plainly re¬ vealed the old jealous and proud spirit, as strong and as pernicious as ever.
The Governor, with mistaken
ideas and deficient knowledge of the matter, declined to order Capt. Wright’s Volunteers into the service of the State for the protection of the settlers, but, in def¬ erence to the numerous petitions sent to him, request¬ ed Gen. Clarke of the regular Army to dispatch a fresh Company of soldiers to Fort Humboldt. The Company was sent, and immediately upon their arrival were or¬ dered to the Yager Creek country by Major They proved worse than useless.
Major
Raines.
Raines’ in¬
structions, if adhered to, would prevent the killing of an
Indian or the protection of the settler.
structions were
The in¬
adhered to, the consequence being
that after the arrival of the new Company the Indians killed more stock than before, and were bolder and more impertinent.
Major Raines looked on compos¬
edly, and enforced his rules strictly. renewed dissatisfaction
The result was
among the people
creased pomp and pride at Fort
and in¬
Humboldt.
The
breach between the soldier and the citizen was grow¬ ing wider and wider.
The character of Major Raines’
Indian policy may be surmised from certain orders sent to Lieut. R. G. McLearry, commanding the Com¬ pany of the 6th
Infantry sent up
by Gen. Clarke.
These are extracts : “ The Indians impressed with the idea that forbearance will save the lives of some of them, must have its effect.”
*
*
*
“ The hostility
324
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the
Indians is questionable.”
*
*
*
“ Some¬
thing may be done with a pacific understanding.
If
you take any prisoners, send them in, under guard, to this post, and if you cannot get at the Indians other¬ wise, try and make it known to them that you wiil feed them, then send to me, and I will come out and have a talk with them/’ Such orders would have fig¬ ured properly in a peace congress, but were not cal¬ culated to suppress a hostile Indian demonstration. Such orders made Major Raines the laughing-stock of the settlers, and his name a by-word among those who had served with the Volunteers. They knew that it was the hight of folly for a military commander to send a detachment of soldiers into a hostile Indian country wjth
the expectation
that from their mere
presence a treaty of peace would ensue and hostilities end.
That policy, to all acquainted with
the
Indian
character, appeared to be supremely ridiculous. In the midst of a fierce quarrel between the officers at Fort Humboldt and the citizens of Eureka and Union, in which harsh language and much abuse was indulged in by both sides, an important order was received at the fort from the headquarters of the De¬ partment of the Pacific. Clarke.
The order was from Gen.
It transferred Major Raines from Fort Hum¬
boldt to a post in Washington Territory.
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
325
CHAPTER XIX.
A Complicated Situation.
Population of Humboldt and Klamath in i860.—Indians returning from the Klamath Reservation.—Difficulties in Hoopa Valley.— The situation in the South.—James Casebeer.
Comparative peace was established between the mili¬ tary and the civilians by the appointment of Captain Lovell to the temporary command of Fort Humboldt. It was a relief to be rid of the endless disputes between the citizens and
Major Raines, and although Capt.
Lovell had not distinguished himself in the field it was hoped that he would exercise sensible discretion in giving orders as commander of the garrison.
Conten¬
tion having subsided to some extent, there was time and opportunity for people to look about them and see what industrial progress had been made in ten years. The census had been taken and several interesting conjectures about the population had been set at rest. According to the census of i860 the population of Humboldt county was 2,614, exclusive of Indians and soldiers.
Eureka township headed the list with 615,
Union had 557, Eel River 416, Pacific 351, Bucksport 216, Mattole 282 and Table Bluff 177.
This popula-
326
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
tion was of a permanent character and engaged in divers pursuits common to a new country. Klamath county, once so populous, was given 1,727 population by the census report, a great decrease from the first half of the decade. The placer, mines were being gradually worked out, and the formation of the new county of Del Norte had taken away from Klamath an extensive territory and much of her population. Yet the population of the Northwestern country was not of the floating character that it had been. There was a permanency of settlement, which, disclosed in the cen¬ sus, removed the country from the catalogue of frontier districts and placed it in the list of established com¬ munities. Much to the chagrin and indignation of the settlers the Indians removed from the vicinity of the bay to the Klamath Reservation did not remain there. In July, before they had had time to get accustomed to their Klamath quarters, a few of them straggled back to their old homes. In August there was a steady stream of the returning tribes, stealing away from the Reservation in bands of five or ten and invariably lo¬ cating near the scenes of their former life. The Agent at the Reservation claimed that they left at night and that his small force of guards was inadequate to pre¬ vent them from doing so. In September it was esti¬ mated that a hundred and fifty had returned to lower Eel River and as many more to the vicinity of Union and the ocean beach near the entrance to the bay. At this time the citizeqs presented a petition to Captain Lovell, in command of Fort Humboldt, asking him to
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
327
apprehend the returning Indians and take them back to the Reservation.
In October Colonel Buel, Agent
at the Reservation, went down to the bay, and an¬ nounced his intention of gathering up the runaway Indians and
taking them
back.
He stated
to the
citizens of Eureka that the Government did not au¬ thorize him to expend any money in taking the Indians back, and that any expense incurred would have to be paid by private subscription.
The oft-repeated rumor
that there was an insufficiency of food at the Reser¬ vation he pronounced'entirely false.
There was an
abundance of food, and the only difficulty was in mak¬ ing the Indians understand that the Government would not allow them to live anywhere but on the Reserva¬ tion.
Assisted by Sheriff Van Nest and others Col.
Buel commenced the work of collecting the Indians. Col. Buel abandoned the work in a week, declaring that he had encountered
opposition where
he had
expected assistance, and that to carry out his first in¬ tentions would involve a greater expense than he was prepared for.
This declaration may have contained
the main reason for the abandonment of the under¬ taking, yet it is a probability that the arrival at Eureka of Major John Drieblebis, Indian Agent for Northern California, had something to do with it.
Major Drie¬
blebis had a pleasant jaunt through the country.
Re¬
pairing to the Klamath Reservation, his official eyes detected several necessary changes in the management of the place.
A week was not allowed to pass without
at least one important change.
Col. Buel’s appoint¬
ment as Agent at the Reservation was revoked and G.
328
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
W. Terrill was appointed in his place.
An effectual
stop was made of all proceedings for the removal of the Indians to the Reservation.
Those who had not
left the Reservation now did so, with the consent, it was said, of Mr. Terrill, and it was not long before every tribe
removed
to the
Reservation
from
the
vicinity of the bay were occupying their old rancherias, or others in the same neighborhood.
The united in¬
fluence of all the whites, except a very small minority, was brought to bear on the new Agent at the Reser¬ vation to induce him to take the remaining Indians back.
It was represented to him that when the Indians
were taken from about the bay and coast to the Klam¬ ath Reservation it was a matter of universal congratula¬ tion, and nearly all had expressed a desire to cooperate in the task of removing them and enforcing their resi¬ dence on the Reservation.
The Indians were told
that they must not return to their old homes, and the Agent was assured that he would
receive necessary
assistance if they left the Reservation.
The principal
reason which they had urged to justify the removal of the Indians was, that they were in constant communi¬ cation with the mountain tribes, supplying them with ammunition and intelligence, and that there could be no permanent peaQe while the semi-domestic valley tribes were allowed to roam at will through the settle¬ ments and visit and trade with their mountain allies. Another potent argument in favor of the removal of the valley tribes was, that there was danger of a recur¬ rence of the horrible massacres which had disgraced the month of February.
The valley tribes had been
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
removed, and
now they were returning.
329
The first
stragglers to arrive from the Reservation told a pitiful tale of hunger and destitution, which was repeated by those who came later, saying that they were starved by the Agent and had to leave the Reservation in search of food.
Many were imposed on by them, and
they were allowed to remain
undisturbed while Mr.
Terrill was communicated with.
Mr. Terrill, in the
capacity of Agent at the Reservation, replied in a let¬ ter dated November 24, i860, to the representations made to him.
His letter was interesting, particularly
that portion of it which described the escape from the Reservation of
Mad
River and
Eel River Indians.
“ These Indians,” he wrote, “ about two hundred and twenty-five in number, have remained here, apparently contented, ever since Col. Buel removed them, until a week ago, when three Indians came up from Eel River and told them that there were many white men who wished them to return, and said they should not be molested or taken back to the Reservation.
They im¬
mediately prepared to escape from the Reservation, which object they accomplished one night, with the exception of about thirty, who were seen in time and prevented from leaving.”
Mr. Terrill also pronounced
untrue the Indians’ stories about starvation, stating, in addition, that a good crop had been raised of wheat, potatoes, peas and beans, enough to have fed the In¬ dians well had they remained on the Reservation; but, as he had only three men under his command he could not be expected to follow and return those who had left.
There was nothing more to be said by the Agent
330
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
or the citizens.
The situation, it was generally under¬
stood, was not much better than it was when the valley tribes were first removed from their homes.
A notice
was published inviting the citizens of Humboldt county to meet in their respective Townships on or before Wednesday, the 2d of January, 1861, and appoint dele¬ gates to a Convention to assemble at Eureka on Satur¬ day, January 5th, “to ascertain and express the sense of the people of the county as to the policy proper to be pursued relative to the Indians lately returned from the Reservation,” and to concert such measures as might be deemed advisable to secure uniformity of action, and also to “ consider and give public expres¬ sion to public sentiment touching Indian difficulties and depredations in the country generally.” Simultaneously, in the Summer of i860, and while the Valley Indians were returning from their confine¬ ment on the Klamath Reservation, there was received in the Bay settlements the intelligence of two murders, one committed by white men and the other by Indians. A drunken
citizen and a soldier in Hoopa Valley
murdered a young Indian, the son of a leader among his tribe, because he had attempted to protect a squaw. The two men were arrested and taken before a Justice of the Peace, who refused to accept the evidence of Indians who saw the deed committed, and for want of competent evidence ordered the prisoners discharged. An excitement intense and general was manifested by the tribes in the Valley, many of whom left their rancherias, presumably with the intention of taking the war-path and wreaking vengeance on some inno-
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
cent white man, as was their custom.
331
The murder by
Indians was committed with all the cruelty practiced by their race, and was remarkable for the mysterious circumstances that surrounded it and the tragic sequel that followed it.
A settler known by the name of
James Casebeer, who lived at the mouth of Eel River, on a place called “ the Island,” had been missing for three or four weeks, and his neighbors supposed that he was absent on business.
He lived alone, and con¬
sequently no suspicion of foul play was immediately aroused, nor was any search instituted for him.
Three
or four weeks after he was observed to leave home for the last time a dog that he had left behind acted in a strange and unusual manner; and when the neighbor who saw him went to the premises he found the dead body of Casebeer, half-hidden
in
ravine, watched and guarded
by the faithful dog.
the bushes of a
There was a deep cut on the back of the skull, made with an ax or hatchet.
The house, close by, had been
robbed of every valuable
thing
it
furniture, bedding, etc., 'having been
contained, carried
the
away.
The Justice of the Peace for the Township, Wm. Jameson, presided at an investigation of the myster¬ ious affair, which resulted in the arrest of an Indian named “Jack,” who was living with a settler named Tewkesbury. The fact thatCasebeer had been murdered by Indians was first intimated to Tewkesbury by a squaw, after which “Jack” himself told of it.
Some
of the Eel River settlers took “Jack” to the Island, and he conducted them to the spot where the murder was committed, and there he told them how it was
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
332
done.
He told them that on the day when Casebeer
disappeared he (“Jack”) was in
company with an
Indian named “Big Jack” and his two squaws; that they were passing by the house of Casebeer, on the Island, when they saw him close by chopping down trees;
that “Big Jack” looked through the window
and saw a gun in the house, and immediately proposed that the two Indians murder Casebeer; “Jack” re¬ fused, and “Big Jack” said he would kill the white man ;
that “ Big Jack ” crawled through the window,
got the gun in the house, slipped noiselessly up on Casebeer, and shooting him through the breast, cut brush'with his ax and covered the body from sight. Basing the necessity for their action on his confession, the settlers put “Jack” in the hands of the Sheriff Van
Nest,
Indians
and
it was
in
a
consultation
delivered to the whites. ber
with
Eel River
agreed that “Big Jack” should be Thursday evening, Septem¬
27th, i860, a constable arrived at Eureka from
Eel River, having with him the notorious “ Big Jack.” “Jack” and “Big Jack” were then placed under the care of Deputy Sheriff R. Wiley, Sheriff Van Nest being absent.
At that time there was no jail in the
county, the authorities confining prisoners wherever they could get available accommodations.
For the
two prisoners on this occasion Deputy Sheriff Wiley selected an old tumble-down wooden had once been a warehouse or store.
building that
In this building,
as unfit for the purpose as any place imaginable, the guilty Indians were confined :
and that same night a
mob gathered around the place, the rotten doors were
A COMPLICATED SITUATION.
333
battered in, and “Jack” and “ Big Jack” were swung from a convenient tree, one Lynch acting as judge and jury. The situation was seriously alarming in Southern Humboldt during the closing months of i860.
In
October a dwelling-house
of
Southmayd
&
on
the
Osgood, south of
stock ranch Bear
River, was
burned during the absence of the owners.
There was
a renewal of depredations everywhere in the Southern portion
of the county.
Cattle
were
run off and
butchered, houses were robbed, the lives of settlers were constantly threatened.
On the Upper Mattole
lived a settler named A. A. Hadley, who, in December, was occupied, together with several
other men, in
getting out oak timber from the forests bordering Eel River near the mouth of the South Fork.
The men,
on the 6th of December, were taking timber from the place where they had cut it to the river.
A gun
loaded with buckshot was left under a tree near the scene of their labor.
An Indian secured the gun
unobserved, and secreting himself among the trees at a distance of a few paces, took deliberate aim at Mr. Hadley and fired. inflicted by the shot.
Five severe flesh wounds were Similar occurrences of common
report created anything but a pleasant feeling in the community. Capt. Lovell
displayed a commendable desire to
distribute the troops stationed at Fort Humboldt to the best advantage throughout the Southern districts, though it must be confessed that the people had little confidence in them.
The garrison was reinforced in
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
334
November by a detachment of 45 men of the Sixth Infantry.
Capt. Lovell ordered a detachment of 30
men, under Lieut. Flynn, to scout for 30 days in the vicinity of the mail route between Long Valley.
Hydesville and
The detachment was supplied with 30
days’ rations and 40 rounds of ammunition to each man.
Capt. Lovell’s special orders to Lieut. Flynn
directed him to proceed via Yager Creek to the South Fork of Eel River, giving such protection to settlers and their stock as circumstances might require, and also to ascertain whether any danger was apprehended at stations on the mail route between Healdsburg and Eureka.
GATHERING CLOUDS OF IMPENDING WAR.
335
CHAPTER XX. Gathering Clouds of Impending War.
Second County Convention on Indian Affairs.—The Attack on the Sproul Brothers.—A Fight at Iaqua.—Kentinshou Valley. Sad experiences and gloomy anticipations marked the opening three months of the year 1861. Indian
war of
That an
unusual severity was impending the
events of the preceding three months of i860 plainly indicated.
Mountain and valley tribes alike were rest¬
less, bold, blood-thirsty and arrogant. had deserted the hills. rusting in the fields. of the 5th of
Cattle-raisers
Farmers had left their plows
At two o’clock in the afternoon
January, 1861, for the second time a
Convention to consider Indian affairs assembled in Eureka.
Among the names of pioneers who figured
in that Convention are recognized those who, before and since, acted important parts in the development of Northern California.
From Union there were W.
C. Martin, R. B. Cave, W. S. Robinson, H. F. Janes and T. J. Titlow. From Eureka there were J. S. Mur¬ ray, W. Van Dyke, A. Monroe, Thomas Deap, C. S. Ricks and B. Van Nest.
Bucksport was represented
by W. Hagans, Mr. Knisely and F.
McDaniels; Eel
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
336
River by M. Liles; the Island by T. Eastlake. Thomas Dean was Chairman and B. Van Nest was Secretary. From Pacific Township was received and read to the Convention a communication signed by many citizens, stating that they were of the firm belief that the bay Indians should be kept on the Klamath Reservation, and recommending their immediate removal.
A simi¬
lar communication was also received from Hydesville. On motion of
Mr. Van Dyke a committee of dele¬
gates, one fropi each precinct, was appointed for the purpose of framing resolutions expressing the senti¬ ments
of
the
Convention.
The
Chair appointed
Messrs. Janes, Van Dyke, Liles, Knisely and Eastlake. After a recess the Committee on Resolutions reported progress.
They reported, as the sense of
the Con¬
vention and the finding of the Committee, that from nearly ten years’ experience the people of Humboldt county had become thoroughly satisfied that their own safety, as well as the welfare of the Indians, demanded that the latter should be ments and placed on
removed
from the settle¬
a Reservation ; that in view of
this conviction the citizens had generally cooperated with the Agent at the Klamath Reservation, and a year before had removed to that Reservation the vari¬ ous tribes on the bay and on lower Eel River and Mad River; that the removal of the Indians was high¬ ly judicious; and that the tribes which had escaped from the Reservation and returned to their old homes ought to be and must be immediately taken back to the Reservation.
A copy of the report and accompa¬
nying resolutions was transmitted to the Agent at the
GATHERING CLOUDS OF IMPENDING WAR.
337
Klamath Reservation, with a request to remove the Indians from the white settlements, and the Conven¬ tion adjourned.
It had accomplished nothing more
than a public declaration of the desire of the people. In no way had it solved the problems that perplexed the community. The problems with which the settlers had to deal were no ordinary ones, nor did those problems decrease in proportion to the increasing years.
Troubles rapid¬
ly thickened around them. The first attempt during the year to take human life which resulted seriously was in the middle of Jan¬ uary, the scene being laid on the South Fork of Ee’l River.
Two brothers lived there, Atwood and Gilbert
Sproul, clearing a farm on the bank of the river. the opposite shore lived a man named Armstrong.
On A
band of mountain Indians attacked the ranch, unex¬ pectedly and suddenly.
The brothers defended, their
home bravely and drove the Indians off, but not be¬ fore they had both been seriously wounded.
At Arm¬
strong’s, across the river from the Sproul ranch, Geo. A. Woods was stopping, and observing the attack on the Sproul brothers he launched a small raft on the swollen river and attempted to go to their assistance. The raft was unmanageable, and he abandoned it, near the middle of the stream, getting on a rock that jutted up from the turbulent current.
Remaining there for
a few minutes only, he endeavored to swim to the shore, and was drowned. The Sproul brothers, as soon as they could, moved across to Armstrong’s, where a strong stockade was built as a protection against fu¬ ture attacks. 22
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
338
At about the same time a fight occurred at Iaqua, which resulted disastrously to the Indians. of
ten hostiles stampeded a
days later a party of seven
drove of
A party
cattle.
Two
settlers in the neighbor¬
hood took their trail and followed it twenty-four hours. At four o’clock in the afternoon the Indians were dis¬ covered in a ravine, together with a large rancheria of their tribe.
The whites fired one round and made
a charge down the hill.
Thirteen of the hostiles were
left dead on the spot, while several escaped severely wounded.
None of
the whites were injured.
The
rancheria was sacked and burned, a large quantity of stolen provisions and other articles being recovered. East of the redwood forests on Eel
River and its
tributaries is a beautiful little valley called Ketinshou. A solitary settler lived there in the Spring of 1861. In the beginning of the previous Winter the settlers besides himself had, to avoid the loss of stock by cold and snow, moved down on Eel River.
In February
the Indians robbed the house of the remaining settler, John Fulwider, and drove
him from the place.
went to the nearest settlement. It was deserted. few families had
been
He The
compelled to leave everything
and seek a safer locality.
In the same neighborhood
was the ranch of a stock-raiser named Larabee, and here a murder had been committed and the dwelling burned. Ann Quinn, the cook at the ranch, was killed and burned in the building. David King was plowing in a field near the house, and when he heard the firing started towards it. The Indians fired at him and com¬ pelled him to retreat.
Ful wider was given up as dead.
GATHERING CLOUDS OF IMPENDING WAR.
339
His hat was found on the bank of Mad River with a bullet-hole in the lower portion of the crown, and on it clots of blood. Various other outrages occurred as time passed. Property was constantly destroyed, and there was no safety for settlers outside of the populous districts. Application was repeatedly made to Governor Downey for protection
by regular or State troops, and the
officers at Fort Humboldt bestirred themselves and issued numerous warlike orders ; but the soldiers knew nothing about Indian fighting, and the strictness of their military discipline would not permit learn. to
time, insignificant in
action.
them to
Small detachments were sent out from time number and
inefficient in
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
340
CHAPTER XXI.
The Clouds Break.
More trouble in Hoopa Valley.—The campaign of the Regulars.— Thirty volunteer guides.
In April, 1861, there was a period of turbulent com¬ motion in Hoopa Valley.
It began with the discovery
of a plot among the Indians to exterminate the white population of the Valley.
Families prepared to leave,
homes were guarded, houses were fortified with heavy stockades.
The
Hoopa tribes
peaceably-inclined of any in
had been
the most
the Northwest, and
it
was several weeks before the floating rumors of their hostile intentions were received by the settlers with any belief in their truth.
When the fact was known
beyond dispute that the tribes there had concocted a scheme to massacre the white residents and commence a general warfare, the excitement was in proportion to the gravity of the intelligence.
Capt. Underwood,
U. S. A., who was in command of Fort Gaston, acted with energy and zeal. He stationed a chain of guards for half a mile up and down the river in front of the Fort, and having done this, he sent messengers to the In¬ dians with a demand for the delivery of their guns to
THE CLOUDS BREAK.
him.
341
The wisdom of the demand for the guns was
questionable.
Capt.
Underwood’s
whole
available
force did not number over 60 men, and there were not more than 40 citizens who could assist in opposing the tribes if a war ensued.
Of the Indians there were
at least one thousand warriors within twenty miles of the Fort.
A demand for their guns would rather in¬
flame than quiet their discontent.
Nevertheless, Capt.
Underwood made the demand, announcing his readi¬ ness to enforce it.
With much reluctance a few of the
Indians in the vicinity of the Fort brought in their guns and surrendered them, the majority yet holding back and hiding themselves and their effects in the se¬ cret canons of the mountains.
And again, as in times
past, the elements were favorable to the cause of the whites.
At the time the demand for the guns was
made the Klamath River was rushing a swollen and dangerous stream through the mountain gorges. Even the expert Indian canoers hesitated to venture out on its swiftly running current amid tumbling refuse and debris.
The weather was opposed to war.
Indians rested on their arms.
The
Their canoes were hid
away and their squaws and papooses were sent to the mountains. war-path.
Still the weather kept them from
the
The storm was the salvation of the whites.
Unable to take the war-path, the Indians did much talking, and, like similar exercise among less savage races, much talking created dissension and strife in their own ranks.
They were divided in their councils,
some wishing to comply with the demands of Capt. Underwood, others stating that they would never yield
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
342
their arms, but would fight if the demand was persisted in.
Capt. Underwood made no overtures for peace
on any other condition than the surrender of their arms.
He knew that all the Hoopa tribes, living on
the proceeds of their fisheries, if driven from the river by war would be deprived of their accustomed mode of living, and he had good reason to suppose that this consideration would occur to their minds and ex¬ ert a greater influence for peace than permission to retain their arms.
It could not be definitely ascertain¬
ed how many guns were in Hoopa tribes.
the possession
of the
By those who were best informed the
number was estimated at about seventy-five, enough to preclude ideas of peace as long as they were in the hands of the savages.
Every Indian had a powerful
ambition to own a gun, and scarcely second in power to that ambition was the irresistible desire to shoot somebody when once the gun had been obtained. Capt. Underwood having, judiciously or injudiciously, made his demand, with wise discretion adhered to it when
made,
and in two weeks
thirty guns were
brought in from the surrounding country by more or less friendly Indians.
In the last week in April a de¬
tachment of 30 men was sent out from the
Fort to
intercept one of the largest tribes in the Valley, who had left their rancheria near the river and gone to the mountains with their arms, provisions and all other movable property.
The detachment was divided into
two or three small parties and faithfully scoured the country for many miles in all directions.
On the 14th
of May one party of 5 soldiers and 5 Volunteer guides,
THE CLOUDS BREAK.
accompanied
by John
343
Brehmer and A. W. Turner,
who had recently lost much property by Indian '’dep¬ redations, surprised and successfully attacked a large rancheria on Boulder Creek, seven miles from Blue Slide, in the Mad River country.
After a spirited as¬
sault the result was computed as 14 Indians killed and 20 wounded.
Several hundred pounds of fresh beef
was found in the rancheria, also many articles of cloth¬ ing and household goods, which were recognized as property that had been stolen from the settlers.
From
this time till the ending of the campaign, two months later, the Fort Gaston detachment was constantly on the march.
Preparations were made for an active cam¬
paign by the regular troops.
Capt. Lovell, command¬
ing at Fort Humboldt, was instructed by the General in command of the Pacific
Coast Division of the
Army to place every available detachment in the field, and a requisition was
received from
the
Governor
authorizing the enlistment, for a term of three months, of thirty Volunteer guides, whose duty should be to assist the various expeditions of soldiers.
The guides
were mustered into the service of the United States at Fort Humboldt on the 17th of April. ment shows
the names of Sergeants
The enroll¬ Chas. A. D.
Huestis and S. E. Phillips, Corporals Henry P. Larabee and Green Wilkinson, and privates W. M. Ha¬ gans, E. E. Turk, Leroy B. Weaver, Mannon Taylor, E. D. Holland, Geo. W. Huestis, Wm. A. Peasley, Stephen Robbins, B. F. Janes, Thos. P. Wyatt, John Dean, Henry Rogers, J. D. Skilling, C. H. Hendee, J.
W.
Shoemaker,
John Everett, M. W. Markham,
344
INDIAN
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
John Tewksbury, John C. Neece, Lewis Taylor, Pryor N. £)avis, Wm. Barnett, Cornelius Wasgatt, Edwin B. Hagans, Wm. Bradford and Thos. Griffith. All were hardy pioneers, experienced in mountain .travel and Indian fighting. valuable
aid to
the
would have been
They proved to be of in¬
regular forces,
worthless
which,
indeed,
without them.
They
were familiar with the country infested by the hostile tribes, were accustomed to a frontier life, and were acquainted with the hardships and dangers incident to the service upon which they had entered. The campaign was
now assuming an aspect of
business-like method and intelligent operation.
Capt.
Lovell had the general management of the campaign, directing from Fort Humboldt the movements of his detachments.
All of the effective force at Fort Hum¬
boldt, Fort Gaston and Camp Bragg were ordered to the field.
Lieut. J. B. Collins and a detachment
of
45 men had left Fort Humboldt on the 26th of March for Yager Creek and the neighboring district to the South Fork of Eel River.
Lieut. Collins
two engagements up to the 20th of April.
reported On Sun¬
day morning, the 14th, a detachment of 23 men from Collins’
command attacked
a rancheria near
Mad
River, twenty miles from the Van Duzen, in a brief fight killing 20 warriors and wounding several others ; and again, on the following morning, the detachment had a warm fight, attacking a rancheria where the estimated number of warriors was 150.
The Indians
here stood their ground well through the first assault, and then retreated, leaving five dead and three badly
THE CLOUDS BREAK.
wounded.
345
A soldier named Casey was wounded in
the engagement, an
arrow entering his body two
inches below the right shoulder blade. pulled the arrow out.
Lieut. Collins
The stone head was so deeply
imbedded that it broke short off and remained in Casey’s
body
until
a surgeon arrived
from
Fort
Humboldt. Other troops made rapid movements and had some engagements.
Lieut.
Dillon,
from
Camp
Bragg,
operated on the South Fork of Eel River; Captain Underwood’s detachment from Fort Gaston were in the vicinity of the headwaters of Redwood Creek and Mad River; Lieut. Collins was camped near the head of Larabee Creek.
The Indians were on the move
all the time, seeking to avoid attacks or to plan or execute ambushed surprises.
Lieut. Collins’ detach¬
ment marched at night, intercepting several bands of hostiles and killing a number of warriors.
On the
night of May 30th a march was made, and at 6 a rancheria was attacked and 25 Indians killed.
a. m.
In
this engagement John Stuart was wounded in the hand with an arrow. eria was wounded.
Three days later another ranch¬
attacked and
23 warriors were killed or
Lieut. Collins kept his detachment moving
all through the month of June, marching, and pack¬ ing their provisions and blankets on their backs. During the month three men of the detachment were wounded, none mortally. Capt. Underwood’s command was active and suc¬ cessful, but had one soldier killed in a skirmish after the fight at Boulder Creek.
In the vicinity of Hy-
346
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ampom the trails to the Trinity were watched by the Indians and packers were frequently attacked.
On
one occasion the packers of Sanford & Co. were mak¬ ing a camp when ambushed Indians startled them by a scattering flight of arrows, one of the packers named Thompson being wounded in the hand.
The packers
made fortifications of the freight and saddles, and stood the fire until two of their number returned from Capt. Underwood’s camp with assistance. By the
first of July the citizens were willing to
admit that the campaign had so far been conducted with ability by Capt. Lovell and his subordinate offi¬ cers, and had, in less than three months, inspired a hopeful confidence in their good judgment and sol¬ dierly qualities.
Compelled to fight, the Indians had
no time to slaughter cattle; tracked to their hidingplaces by the Volunteer guides, they could not escape defeat and severe punishment, if the campaign was prolonged;
but if the
Volunteer guides were
not
again mustered into service at the expiration of their first three months, the Regulars would again be at a disadvantage and the settlers in peril.
A RAIN OF DEATH.
347
CHAPTER XXII. A Rain of Death. Disbanding of the Volunteer guides.—Hostile tribes on the war-path. —Killing of Geo. D. Cooper, O. W. Wise,—Coates, Jerry Wil¬ son, Chas. E. Parker, Henry
Lemke, Christian Lemke, John
Stuart, C. A. D. Huestis, E. M. Sproul and Thomas Griffin.— Mass meetings at Hydesville and Eureka.—The battle of Thief Camp.
The thirty Volunteer guides were disbanded.
With
its accustomed alacrity the Military Department of the Pacific seized the first opportunity to make a serious mistake.
Neither the General commanding the De¬
partment nor the Governor of the State interested him¬ self in the slightest degree to prevent the disbanding of the guides, and when, on the 16th
of J uly, their
three months’ service had expired, Cap. Lovell dis¬ missed them at Fort Humboldt.
In the performance
of this duty Capt. Lovell addressed them in warm terms of praise.
He said :
“ Volunteers, the term of service which you volun¬ tarily offered to your country has expired, and you are now at liberty to retire, each one to his respective home.
I must take this occasion to express to you the
great satisfaction I feel at the manner and fidelity with
34§
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
which you have discharged your duties.
Soon after
your arrival at the theatre of your military operations, letters reached me from officers in command, testifying to your good
conduct as soldiers and men.
This
reputation you have, throughout, most fully sustained. In proof of the high opinion I have of your worth, I can only express the hope that, should another occasion arise when Volunteers are required, they .will follow your example and give the officer who mustered them into service the same satisfaction and pleasure I feel at this moment.
I am sorry that the funds necessary to
remunerate you for your services have not arrived.
It
is almost impossible to say when they may certainly be expected.
I hope very soon.
The conviction that
they are most richly deserved must prove a source of pleasant feeling to all concerned.” The disbanding of the Volunteer guides was follow¬ ed by most serious results.
In the vicinity of Knee-
land Prairie, Big Bend of Mad
River, on
the
Red¬
wood, and through to the Trinity, hostile demonstra¬ tions were of daily occurrence.
The Regular soldiers
could not fight without the aid and encouragement of the Volunteers, and the Indians knew it the Volunteers only. therefore,
When
the
They feared
Volunteer guides,
were dismissed from service, the
hostile
tribes were apprised of it by their friendly neighbors of the valleys, and fearing no other enemy, they com¬ menced a reign of terror which left death and devas¬ tation as its visible results.
During the six months
from July ist, 1861, the community was perpetually in mourning for good and industrious citizens, who were
A RAIN OF DEATH.
349
killed, some at their houses, some on the lonely trails and in the woods,but all by Indians.
It was a carnival
of death, terrible to contemplate even at this distant day.
It was inaugurated by the murder of George
Cooper, at Cooper’s Mills, in the month of July, and in quick succession the frightful list was lengthened with other pioneer names. Sunday, the nth day of August, was the date of the second murder of the series.
O. W.
Wise, a
farmer of Mattole, was walking toward his house from his milking-shed, on the evening of that day, and was fired at by Indians.
One rifle ball and half-a-dozen
arrows struck him, giving mortal wounds.
He died
on the following day. Two weeks later an attack was made on a house near the Van Duzen where three white men were liv¬ ing.
Late in the evening of Sunday, August 25th, one
of the men, named Coates, walked a short distance from the house and was fired at from the brush.
He
was struck by several rifle balls and instantly killed. The two men in the house heard the firing, caught up their guns, and rushed out to protect Coates, who was unarmed.
A brief fight ensued, one
Indian
being
killed, and one of the white men, named Bartlett, re¬ ceiving a flesh wound.
There were 25 in the attack¬
ing party. Early in September a Mad River settler, Jerry Wil¬ son, disappeared from
the
neighborhood, and when,
after two or three weeks, citizens from Union sought to find
him, believing that he had been
killed or
wounded, they discovered sufficient evidence to estab-
35°
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
lish their conclusion that the Indians had murdered him.
Circumstantial evidence also induced the belief
that he had been wounded first and then dragged to a spot secure from observation and tortured to death. October was not of blood.
to
pass without its christening
Chas. E. Parker, an estimable citizen, with
four companions, was scouting in the forest
between
Bear River Ridge and Eel River, in search of a noto¬ rious band of Indian thieves who had been plundering the settlements.
A rancheria was discovered on the
morning of October 20th, and without hesitation the five whites attacked it, killing two Indians, the remain¬ der fleeing to the thicket that surrounded the ranche¬ ria.
While the whites were consulting in an open
space they were fired on from
the
thicket, Mr. Par¬
ker receiving a wound from which he died in eight hours. November, too, passed through a fiery ordeal of murder and rapine.
At Brehmer’s
Ranch, on
Mad
River, twenty miles from Union, were living Mr. Brehmer, John Stuart, Christian and Henry Lemke, broth¬ ers, and another man, who were engaged in herding cattle in the vicinity.
On the morning of the 7th of
November they left the house in search of cattle, each going in a different direction.
Towards evening, as
Henry Lemke was returning home, and while four or five miles from the house, he received a bullet in the back, which
felled
him from his horse in a senseless
condition. When he returned to consciousness a min¬ ute later a number of hideous savages were stripping him of his clothes.
Realizing that his only chance for
A RAIN OF DEATH.
351
life was to feign death, he succeeded by a powerful ef¬ fort of the will in controlling his impulse to struggle with his assailants. He lay as limp and lifeless in their hands as though life had really left his body. They stripped him naked and started off; but one, as if to assure himself of the death of the victim, turned back and pointed a pistol at Lemke’s head. The ball grazed his neck, and burying itself in the ground threw dirt and gravel in his face. Still he lay motionless, ex¬ erting the full strength of his mind in a prodigious effort to refrain from every appearance of life. The ruse was successful. The Indians left him, and disap¬ peared in the forest. Lemke rose to his feet and started on foot, naked, for Brehmer’s house. He had gone but a little way when he saw his brother’s horse, riderless, running toward him from an opposite direc¬ tion. The horse knew him, and he caught and mount¬ ed the animal.- When he reached the house it was va¬ cant. None of the party who had gone out in the morning had returned. He turned away, and sick and faint, bleeding and dying, rode his brother’s horse in the direction of the nearest neighbor’s place, several miles distant. He met Brehmer and another man, who up to this time knew nothing of what had occurred. They returned to the house with Lemke, and through the night alternately guarded and watched over him. The wound he had received was mortal, and he died before morning. The next day the dead bodies of Christian Lemke and John Stuart were found on a trail near the house. December filled out the complement of horrors. A
352
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
house on the North fork of the Mattole River was then occupied by
John
Briceland, Thomas Griffiths,
E. M. Sproul, two Indian boys and a squaw.
Brice¬
land was the proprietor of the house, and was trying the experiment of civilizing the Indian boys, whom he called “ Billy ” and “ Frank.” The boys had lived with him over two years, and he trusted them with implicit confidence.
“ Billy ” was fourteen years old, “ Frank ”
seven. Briceland had given “ Billy ” a rifle, and allowed him to go out hunting with it.
In November “ Billy”-
went out hunting and was gone four days.
When
he returned he said that he had been lost, and Brice¬ land condoled with him for having had such a hard time.
On the night of December 2d the three white
men slept on the floor, rolled in their blankets.
Sev¬
eral hours after retiring Briceland was awakened by two shots, fired close to him.
He jumped up in the
dark, and began to feel about with his hands. were covered with blood.
They
He struck a match, and it
had no sooner blazed than Sproul roused from slumber and sat up.
his
As he did so a shot was fired
through a crack in the door, and
he was
instantly
killed. Briceland ran out of the house, and to his near¬ est neighbor’s, John Cathey, half a mile away, and re¬ mained till morning, when a number of settlers col¬ lected and returned with him to his house:
Sproul’s
lifeless body lay on the floor. Griffiths was just dying. The two Indian boys were gone, with “ Billy’s ” rifle, a pistol, and some of Briceland’s ammunition.
Three
days afterwards, at daybreak, as Cathey was going to his haystack, he saw “ Billy ” and “ Frank ” emerging
A RAIN OF DEATH.
353
from beneath it, where they had been concealed. ordered them to slop.
He
“ Billy ” attempted to run and
Cathey shot and killed him.
“ Frank ” then confessed
that when “ Billy ” had pretended to be lost he was with a tribe of Indians on Bear River, who persuaded him to return and kill Briceland.
They had tried to
kill Briceland on the night when the other men were killed,
but had missed him when the shooting was
done.
So many murders in half a year left a profound sensation in their train.
The community was startled
out of any idea of peace that may have been enter¬ tained at the beginning of the year.
The Indians had
entered upon a fanatical attempt to exterminate the whites or drive them from the settlements.
Naturally
the first thing that occurred to the people was to hold mass-meetings for the purpose of taking measures to secure protection
to life and
property.
The first
meeting was held at Eureka on the 24th day of July, which was attended by a large number of prominent citizens.
A. J. Huestis was President, J. M. Eddy and
Jonathan Clark, Vice-Presidents, and L. M. Burson, Secretary.
The President appointed S. G. Whipple,
James Hanna, John Vance, John Dolbeer, B. Van Nest, C. W. Long, Wm.
I. Reed, J. W. Dwyer, S.
Cooper, W. H. Pratt and R. W. Brett a committee to draft resolutions expressing the sense of the meeting. The committee reported, that whereas 22
the hostile
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
354
tribes were continuing their depredations and showing an extraordinary malignity in their warfare, destroying property with savage wantonness, shooting settlers in the mountains and murdering citizens on the borders of the densest settlements; and whereas the Federal force was wholly insufficient citizens;
to protect the lives of
therefore, the committee recommended that
resolutions be adopted that the Governor of the State be requested to ascertain whether the General com¬ manding the Military Division of the Pacific was able and willing to send
sufficient force
to
Humboldt
county to secure peace and safety to the citizens. was
also
resolved
that
the
citizens
It
request the
Governor to authorize the enrollment of State troops. A resolution of thanks was passed for the valuable services rendered by the United States soldiers and volunteer guides, but at the same time it was asserted that the force had been wholly insufficient and the period of service too short, and that since the Volun¬ teer guides were discharged the depredations and murders of the savages had become more frequent anjl alarming.
When the resolutions had been passed and
some unimportant details arranged, on motion of J. M. Eddy the
meeting appointed
S. G. Whipple a
delegate from Humboldt county to present the griev¬ ances of the people to the Governor of the State. A meeting was held at Hydesville at a later date with
the object of providing ways and
means of
emoving the Indians co the Klamath Reservation.
A RAIN OF DEATH.
355
Mr. Whipple was successful in his mission to the Governor.
Representing the true condition of affairs
in the North, and using all the influence he could command, he persuaded the Governor to authorize the formation and service of a Volunteer Company. On the 9th day of September, 1861, James T. Ryan, Brigadier-General of the Sixth Division, California State
Militia, mustered into service the Humboldt
Home Guards.
The officers chosen by the Company
were : G. W. Werk, Captain ; Green Wilkinson, First Lieutenant;
James Brown and John P. Warren, Sec¬
ond Lieutenants.
The duties of Quartermaster and
Commissary were performed by Major W. C. Martin. S. Lewis Shaw was Assistant-Adjutant on the staff of Brigadier-General Ryan, and T. D. Felt was Surgeon. The Company was enlisted for three months’ service, ending on the 9th of December.
During the first two
months the Company consisted of 55 men, rank and file; during the last month it was increased to 75 by the enlistment of 20 recruits.
The order for increase
of force by twenty men was based on the assumption that the entire command would operate outside the limits of Humboldt county; but the order was too late and the increase too small for any good to come of it. Governor Downey could never be brought to under¬ stand the nature of the country, the character of the Indians or their number, and the pressing need of the settlers for protection.
Like the Governors before
him, he had an idea that a little body of less than one hundred men would be entirely sufficient to suppress any Indian outbreak in the Northern country, and his
356
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
inclinations were in favor of the regular Army service. Only the
most urgent demands, possibly aided by
political motives, could have induced him in the first instance to authorize the enlistment of the Humboldt Home Guards, and a second concession in the shape of an order for 20 recruits was to him a serious com¬ promise
with
his
private
opinions.
The
service
rendered by the Home Guards during their short campaign was effective and valuable, but the force employed was absurdly inadequate to the exigencies of the occasion.
Capt. Werk divided the Company into
three detachments, for the purpose of operating in different sections where the hostile tribes had proved most
aggressive.
One
detachment,
under
Lieut.
Brown, went to the country south of Eel River;
a
detachment under Lieut. Wilkinson was stationed on the Van Duzen, with orders to range between the headwaters of Eel River and Mad River;
a detach¬
ment under Lieut. Warren was stationed north of Mad River; each detachment having an effective force of about 17 men.
The district which this one Company
was expected to protect and guard covered an area of at least one hundred miles North and South, extending inland to the Trinity county line. of a mountainous
The country was
nature, abounding in chaparral
thickets, impenetrable forests and impassable canons— a paradise for the savage, a purgatory for defenseless white settlers.
The country was inhabited by hostile
Indians to the number of 2,500, who were well sup¬ plied with firearms and expert in their use.
Without
specifying in detail all the various engagements be-
A RAIN OF DEATH.
357
tween the Guards and the Indians, it will be sufficient to state
that they
numbered
fifteen
in
the three
months’ campaign, with an aggregate loss on the side of the Indians of 75 killed and as many wounded. The Guards had 1 killed and 8 wounded.
Chas. A.
D. Huestis was killed; Wm. Peasely, James Brock, Samuel Mills, F. M. Donahue, Lieut. John P. Warren, Marshall
Russell,
Maurice
L.
Bosqui and
George
Watson were wounded. Throughout September and to the middle of Octo¬ ber there was a season of dry, warm weather, in which great fires raged on the mountains and in the forests, placing the Guards at serious disadvantage in follow¬ ing out the plans of the campaign.
It was impossible
to do much before the rains came, for the contest with the Indians was unequal enough without the added labor and danger of fighting fire.
The strange and
unusual delay of the rainy season threatened to render fruitless and abortive the campaign of the Guards. was late in the month of
It
November when they first
had an opportunity to distinguish themselves.
On
the 17th day of the month occurred the battle of Thief Camp.
On the day previous Lieut. Warren with a de¬
tachment of sixteen men left Thief Camp on the trail of a party of hostiles
who had killed
cattle in the
neighborhood and were packing the spoils to their rancherias.
That night, following close on the tracks
of the Indians, the Guards saw the light of fires in a large rancheria near Pardee’s Ranch.
The detach¬
ment halted for the night, and at half-past seven o’clock on the morning of the 17th an attack was made on
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
358
the rancheria.
There were nearly one hundred war¬
riors in the rancheria, who, contrary to the rules gov¬ erning their race in war, made a firm stand, and re¬ turned without flinching the teers.
fire
of
the
Volun¬
The fight continued in a desultory manner for
an hour, the
Indians firing
through port-holes in
their log houses, the Volunteers from behind trees and stumps.
The rancheria was in a singular commo¬
tion for a few minutes, when it was ascertained that one hundred warriors from a neighboring rancheria had slipped in unobserved and reinforced the besieged party. of
A squaw had gone to them in the beginning
the fight and brought them
to assist her tribe.
The position of the Guards was precarious and un¬ comfortable. falling.
Snow covered the ground and was still
The log houses of the rancheria were strong
structures, from which it would be difficult and hazard¬ ous to dislodge the enemy.
Chas. Huestis, who had
acted as guide to the attacking party, advised the men to keep behind the trees and fire-as they thought best. Disregarding this precaution in his own person, step¬ ping out from behind the trees, and becoming a target for the Indians in the rancheria, he fell, shot through the heart.
For nearly two hours longer the Guards
maintained the unequal fight, when, their ammunition being exhausted and six of their number being wound¬ ed, they were obliged to retreat and abandon the dead body of Huestis.
The six wounded were Lieut. War¬
ren, Mills, Donahue, Peasley, Bosqui and Watson. was estimated that twenty Indians were killed.
It The
Guards retreated to Thief Camp, twenty-three miles
A RAIN OF DEATH.
359
from Union, and on the same evening, the 17th, Capt. Werk sent I. W. Hempfield and three others to Capt. Wilkinson’s Camp in Larabee
Valley for reinforce¬
ments. ' The four men rode all night, and the next day started back with Lieut. Wilkinson and eleven men. They were joined at Thief Camp by fifteen citizens from Union.
The united force thus formed marched
to attack the rancheria for the second time, arriving there on the 20th.
The rancheria was deserted.
The
body of Huestis was dug up from the snow two rods from the spot where he fell.
Nine men were detailed
to convey the body to Union and the remainder of the force pushed on in pursuit of the Indians.
The In¬
dians were tracked to Redwood Creek and for some distance down that stream, when word was brought of the location of two rancherias near by.
The Volun¬
teer force was divided into two equal divisions, and under the command of Lieuts. Wilkinson and Warren proceeded on each side of the creek with the inten¬ tion of making a simultaneous attack on the two ranch¬ erias.
They were discovered by the Indians in one of
the rancherias,
who escaped.
The Warren detach¬
ment attacked the other rancheria and killed fourteen warriors.
One of the attacking party—Russell—was
slightly wounded in
the knee by a bullet.
On the
same day two of the Guards—I. D. Herrick and James Brock—went further down the stream, where they saw two Indians.
At a signal agreed upon they fired, kill¬
ing one of the Indians. The other fled and was chased by Brock, who fired two pistol shots at him, both of which struck but did not stop him.
Brock caught
him by the hair, and called on his comrade to shoot.
36O
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Herrick fired, the ball striking Brock in the hand, severely injuring three fingers. badly wounded.
The Indian escaped,
Coupled with the wounds received
in battle, and with the death of Huestis, this ludicrous termination of the expedition completed its disastrous story. Affairs on the Klamath were in a condition of un¬ settled and vexatious difficulty between the whites and the natives, and the settlers on the lower Trinity and on the borders of Trinity, Shasta and Klamath coun¬ ties were in hourly peril of death at the hands of hos¬ tile savages.
The mail carrier between
Humboldt
Bay and Weaverville was furnished with a military es¬ cort for protection. Families in remote districts moved to the populous settlements.
A miner named Wheel¬
wright was foully murdered at Big Bar.
The Gov¬
ernor was petitioned by citizens of Trinity and Kla¬ math to call out a Volunteer force to chastise the In¬ dians and afford protection where it was needed.
A
month rolled by and his Excellency made no response. Indignant and insulted, the Trinity county people sent this telegraphic dispatch:
Weaverville,
Gov.
Downey,
Sept. 6th, 1861.
Sacramento City:—The Indians in
our county are committing depredations daily—burn¬ ing dwellings and murdering citizens.
The women
and children have been removed to the settlements, and everybody lives in dread of attack.
A Company
of 25 men is absolutely necessary for the protection of life and property, and should be ordered out imme¬ diately.
Will your Excellency afford us this protec-
361
A RAIN OF DEATH.
tion?
The Humboldt Company will not be sufficient,
as the Indians will be driven from that county to this. We want protection for our own people.
Please answer
immediately. Signed,
I. G. Messec, Sheriff, E. J. Curtis, County Judge, C. E. Williams, District Attorney, M. G. Griffin, County Clerk, R. T. Miller, J. F. Chellis, A. C. Lawrence.
The Governor received the message, and, instead of replying directly, forwarded it to General Sumner, in command of the Department of the Pacific, who, three days later, sent a reply.
It was:
Headquarters Dep’t of the Pacific, San Francisco, Sept. 9, 1861. Governor :—I have received your letter of the 6th inst., in relation to the Indians in Trinity county. doubt very much these Indian reports.
I
If 25 men
would be a sufficient protection, it would seem that those people should take care of themselves, just at this time, when we have so much on our hands.
It
is impossible to send regular troops there now, as I am obliged to reinforce the troops in the Southern part of the State. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, E. V. Sumner, Brig.-Gen. U. S. Army.
362
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Thus the petition of the Trinity county pe'ople was laid on the shelf, and thus the matter stood when, on the 9th of December, the Humboldt Home Guards were discharged from service, leaving the whole tier of Northwest counties unprotected except by a feeble and inexperienced force of the regular Army, too few in number to inspire confidence and too inefficient to inspire respect.
Several Companies of Infantry and
one of Cavalry were stationed in various parts of the district, and a new post was established, called Fort Seward, in the Yager Creek country; Co. A, 3d Regi¬ ment of California Volunteers, relieved Capt. Lovell at Fort Humboldt and formed the garrison at Fort Seward.
But the wisdom of maintaining these posts
was never demonstrated by the deeds of the soldiers. On the contrary, the concluding paragraph in Capt. Werk’s official report of the campaign of the Hum¬ boldt Home Guards gives a graphic outline of the situation.
He wrote:
“In conclusion, I would state
that I am well satisfied there has not been a day since Capt. Collins left the field last Spring on which there has not been men or stock killed within the limits of this county; and since the little force under my com¬ mand has been withdrawn, the Indians seem to be re¬ doubling their efforts against the whites.”
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
363
CHAPTER XXIII.
Military Operations in 1862.
Correspondence
between
Governor
Downey,
Brigadier-General
Wright and Indian Superintendent Hanson.—The California Volunteers.—“A safe place for the troops.”
A change of base occurred in military circles in January, 1862.
Governor Downey, whose views were
before so narrowly restricted by an imperfect knowl¬ edge of the country and a supreme indifference to the petitions of the citizens, suddenly, through some occult influence known only to himself, experienced a complete change
of heart and revolution of ideas.
We find, by referring to the records of his official acts of that date, that he even went so far as to acknowl¬ edge personally the receipt of letters in relation to Indian hostilities in the counties of Humboldt and Mendocino.
A flood of conviction, not unlike the
elemental flood which swept the streets and filled the cellars of Sacramento in that Winter of ’61-62, must have visited his mind and obliterated the ideas that had once inhabited it.
We find, much to our surprise,
that he wrote a touching appeal to Gen. Wright in behalf of the settlers,
and
urged the
propriety of
364
increasing
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
the
military
power
authority in certain districts.
and
extending its
He deprecated the
practice of calling into service home Companies of Volunteers, indicating to Gen. Wright that his prefer¬ ence lay with the regular troops.
Gen. Wright was
not slow in responding to the communication of the Governor.
He replied that the same ideas had occur¬
red to him—showing conclusively that great minds do sometimes meet—that he was fully satisfied of the necessity of an increase of force in the Humboldt District, and that he had intended, even before he re¬ ceived the Governor’s letter, to send an officer of rank, with two or three Companies, to Fort Humboldt.
He
designed, he said, to create a Military District, giving the officer whom he should send there full power over all the garrisons in that portion of the State. The correspondence
between
Governor
Downey
and Gen. Wright was followed by other correspond¬ ence on the same subject between Gen. Wright and George M. Hanson, Superintending Agent of Indian Affairs for the Northern District of California. Wright informed
Agent
Hanson
that the
Gen. Indian
disturbances in the Northwestern portion of the State rendered
it “ absolutely necessary to
take prompt
measures to collect all the Indians in that quarter and place them on Reservations set apart for their homes.” Having created the “ District of
Humboldt,” and
placed it under command of Col. Lippitt, of the 2d Infantry, California
Volunteers, he would “ instruct
Col. Lippitt to act promptly and vigorously in remov¬ ing the Indians to the Reservations,” and he “ trusted
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
I
862.
365
that the Indian Department would be prepared to re¬ ceive and subsist
them when collected
together.”
Agent Hanson replied, expressing his pleasure at the General’s determination, but referring to the fact of “the entire loss of everything on the Klamath Reser¬ vation by the recent flood in that country, leaving over two thousand Indians utterly destitute.”
This
would show, he thought, the impossibility of providing anything in that quarter for additional Indians. Nome Cult Reservation was
The
the best provided for,
and he would recommend that future removals be made to this place. Projects of doubtful utility sometimes look well on paper, and the people most directly interested, while they placed little confidence in the regular Army service, waited patiently for the outcome of so much military
correspondence
and bluster.
The forces
under Col. Lippitt, who was to take command of the new District, had not been long in service.
When
Gen. Sumner had prepared for an expedition through Arizona to Texas, a year before, he had mustered into his own service nearly all of the soldiers of the regular Army stationed on the Pacific Coast, replacing them by Companies of Volunteers, picked up in various parts of California and Oregon.
The troops under
Col. Lippitt belonged to the 2d Infantry, California Volunteers.
There was a possibility that they had
not yet attained to the state of listless apathy usual with the ordinary soldier on the Pacific Coast.
Not
many of them had had experience in Indian fighting, but they might learn, provided they were not inter¬ dicted by ridiculous orders from headquarters.
366
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Col. Lippitt and Staff, with Companies J and K, 2d Infantry, arrived at Fort January.
Humboldt on the 8th of
The Staff officers were:
Adjutant, Lieut.
John Hanna; Quartermaster, W. F. Sweasey; Surgeon, S. S. Todd.
Co. J was officered by C. D. Douglas,
Captain; Henry Flynn, 1st Lieut., and P. B. Johnson, 2d Lieut. nan,
Co. K was officered by Charles Heffer-
Captain;
C.
G. Hubbard,
1st
Lieut.;
J. J.
Robbins, 2d Lieutenant. The quarters at Fort Humboldt not being sufficiently capacious to accomodate all the
troops, a separate
post was established at Bucksport and named Fort Lippitt, Capt. Douglas commanding. as a temporary post only, to be
It was intended
occupied until the
troops should be ordered to the field. new posts were
established,
on the Van Duzen, 28 miles
one at
Three other Neal’s Ranch-,
East of Hydesville, one
at Brehmer’s Ranch, on Mad River, and one on Red¬ wood Creek, a mile below Minor’s Ranch.
The first
of these posts was named Fort Baker, the second Fort Lyon, the third Fort
Anderson.
Fort
Baker was
garrisoned by Co. A, 3d Infantry, Captain-Ketchum, Fort Lyon by Co. K, 2d Infantry, Captain Heffernan, and Fort Anderson
by Co.
Flynn commanding.
F, 2d
Infantry, Lieut.
Fort Seward was abandoned, by
order of Col. Lippitt.
Capt. Akers, with a small de¬
tachment of Cavalry,
was stationed near Cooper’s
Mills.
Lieut. Davis was left at Fort Humboldt with a
guard of 20 men. Having made the necessary preliminary
arrange¬
ments for the establishment of new posts, Col. Lip-
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
367
pitt made a tour of inspection through his District, visiting the Ter-wer.
new posts and Fort Gaston
and
Fort
Then, not greatly to the surprise of those
who had been acquainted with former military tactics, Col. Lippitt sat himself down at Fort Humboldt and inaugurated the “peaceful ” policy with which the peo¬ ple of Northern California had long been familiar—a policy of non-interference with tribes who were not caught in the very act of murdering white settlers. Col. Lippitt instructed his subordinate officers that the purpose for which the force was in the field was “ not to make war upon the Indians, nor to punish them for any murders or depredations hitherto committed, but to bring them in and place them permanently on a Reservation.”
The officers of every expedition were to
have strict orders from the commanders of each post to “effect the capture of such Indians, without blood¬ shed',' and every man in the field was prohibited by Col. Lippitt’s orders “ from killing or wounding an In¬ dian, unless in self-defense, in action, or by the orders of a superior officer.” Hampered by strict orders, and restrained by severe penalties, from fighting the Indians after their own fashion, the troops were powerless to accomplish any¬ thing while those restraints and those orders remained in force.
The officers could be nothing more than
military figure-heads, the soldiers picnic parties, the forts tenting-grounds for military parades.
The Cap¬
tains and Lieutenants, with perhaps one or two excep¬ tions, were willing to engage in an active campaign against the hostile Indians; but they could not move
368
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
contrary to Col. Lippitt’s orders.
The men
in
the
ranks were not destitute of ambition—a little training in Indian
warfare
might have made
by competent Volunteer guides them serviceable soldiers
in an
Indian country ; but they could not move contrary to the orders of their commanding officers.
The
new
forts might all have been classed with abandoned Fort Seward, which was situated in the heart of a hostile country, nearly equidistant from the white settlements in Southern Humboldt and Northern Mendocino.
A
soldier, when asked if Fort Seward was a judicious site for a military post, replied:
“Yes.
It is a safe
place for the troops, for when the streams are up no Indian can get within a thousand yards of the garri¬ son.”
THROUGH FIRE.
369
CHAPTER XXIV.
Through Fire.
Attack on Angel’s Ranch and shooting of George Zehndner.—Farm houses in flames.—Death of A. S. Bates.
March, April and May were memorable months in 1862, particularly the month of March. hand
was heard complaint of
On every
Indian depredations.
Weak and isolated settlements were abandoned
in
consequence of the increased boldness of the savages, who killed with impunity the stock left behind. the isolated and lonely settlements
From
the Indians ex¬
tended their depredations to more populous commu¬ nities, contracting their sphere of operations with each succeeding outrage. The bullet and the torch did their deadliest and most destructive work in the month of March.
On
Saturday, the 22d day of the month, an attack was made on Angel’s Ranch, where George Zehndner lived, 11 miles from Union.
It was late in the afternoon.
George Zehndner and his brother Jacob were plowing in adjacent fields, 500 yards from the house.
Unsus-
picious^of danger, they were quietly at work, when a shot was’fired from a spot close by where the Indians 24
370
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
had been hiding, George Zehndner being struck in the side, the ball passing around and lodging in the back.
Dropping to his knees, Zehndner contrived to
reach the fence, clambered over, and gained the cover of the woods, wounded and crippled as he was, closely pursued and frequently fired at by the savages.
Hav¬
ing an intimate knowledge of the neighborhood, he succeeded in eluding his pursuers and reached the house of R. Hanlon, less than a mile from his own. Jacob Zehndner escaped by flight when he heard the shot fired at his brother, and Mrs. Brehmer also es¬ caped by fleeing through the brush.
The Hanlons,
the Zehndners and Mrs. Brehmer went to Union on Sunday morning and were cared for by the citizens of that place.
During the day a party of citizens went
to
Ranch.
Angel’s
There
everything was in ruins,
charred and blackened rafters and beams tottering in unsightly desolation where yesterday had been sub¬ stantial and comfortable farm-houses.
The savages
had applied the torch to everything that would burn. On Monday, the 24th, a party of citizens went to the house of a farmer named Goodman, in the same neighborhood, and removed his family to the residence of A. S. Bates. On the same day the house was burned, and on
the
next,
day the
house vacated
by
Mr.
Hanlon was burned.
The excitement attending one
depredation
have
did not
time
to subside before
another occurred, the people of Union being in a con¬ tinual state of alarm not easily described. Wednesday, March 26th, was the date of a deed, daring and delib¬ erate, which startled the coolest and most self-possess-
THROUGH FIRE.
371
ed of the inhabitants into a new sense of impending danger.
Seven miles from Union, in a neighborhood
which had enjoyed the reputation of being secure and safe, a farmer named A. S. Bates was killed within three hundred yards of his house.
It was ten o’clock
in the morning, and he had gone out to look for cattle, when the people in the house heard the report of two guns.
A dog which had followed Bates returned with
a bleeding wound.
There were in the house Mrs.
Bates and her three children, Mr. Goodman and wife and five children, and B. Croghan.
A shower of bul¬
lets pelted against the side of the house.
The in¬
mates rushed out and fled towards the river.
Mrs.
Simmons and three children from a neighboring house joined them, carrying three guns.
She had fired the
guns as a signal to her husband, who had started for Union a few minutes
before the Indians appeared.
The fugitives reached the river in safety, where they were met by Mr. Simmons and Mr. Aiden, who took them down the river in canoes to Daby’s ferry.
Re¬
maining there all night, they went to Union on Thurs¬ day.
A party of citizens went from Union
to the
Bates farm, where they recovered the body of Bates, who had been killed by a bullet in the neck and an arrow through burned.
the body.
The buildings had been
The death of Mr. Bates was keenly felt in
the community.
He had resided on his farm since
1854, and had surrounded himself with the comforts of a beautiful home. of
His tragic death, so near the town
Union, enveloped the community in
gloom of doubt and distrust and fear.
the
heavy
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
372
A meeting of the citizens of Union was held on the 2d of April to consider the dangerous condition of affairs.
It was like previous meetings of the kind,
adopting resolutions expressing the sentiments of the people, and doing nothing more.
T. J. Titlow acted
as the presiding officer and C. A. Murdock as Secre¬ tary.
The resolutions adopted stated
that
every
dwelling east of the Hoopa trail for a distance of fifty miles, had been burnt by the Indians, and cattle and other property had
been wantonly destroyed.
For
more than a year, it was asserted, residents of Union had been prevented from going to the country except at great risk of their lives.
Improvements in building
had been stopped and population steadily diminished. The resolutions embodied a request to the authorities to
remove the
Hoopa tribe of Indians from their
rancherias, representing that they were in league with the hostile tribes; and also a request that all
the
tribes taken from their homes be removed to a distant Reservation, farther away than the vicinity of Crescent City and Mendocino, from whence they returned at their leisure.
Copies of the resolutions were sent to
Governor Stanford, to Brig. Gen. Wright, and to Col. Lippitt. Public meetings were doubtless effective in allaying public excitement, but they could not stop the depre¬ dations of the Indians.
April and May brought their
quota of events to the detriment of the whites.
A man
named Patrick Regan, an industrious stock-raiser, liv¬ ing five miles from Angel’s Ranch, was shot from the woods near his cabin and killed.
Cooper’s Mills were
THROUGH FIRE.
373
set on fire and robbed and plundered.
Oak Camp,
where W. H. Pratt’s pack-train was encamped, was attacked and the three men with the train driven off, some of the goods being carried away by the Indians and the remainder burnt.
Other alarming indications
were not lacking of a determined purpose to wage persistent and indiscriminating war on
the whites.
The suffering of the stock-raisers of Bear River and Mattole was terrible.
Cattle were driven off, houses
were robbed, travelers were murdered. protection and no reason to expect any.
There was no
374
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXV.
Daby’s Ferry.
A Night of Terror.—Ad ventures of a heroic Woman.—Mrs. Danskin’s fate.—Babes in the Wood.—Peter Nizet and George Danskin.
Five miles North of Union, where the main road crossed Mad River, a settler, S. Daby, had established a ferry and located Government land.
The house was
a stopping-place for travelers, well patronized, and the ferry property produced a handsome income. surrounding neighborhood was
The
not thickly settled.
The ferry-house was situated in a wild spot not far from the gloomy forests.
Daby himself saw the ad¬
vantages which were certain to accrue from an early settlement there, for he knew that the land, when once cleared and under cultivation, would be remarkably productive. low.
The Government price was exceedingly
He could afford to wait for increase of values
and profits. Supper was on the table at the Daby House at 6 o'clock on the evening of June 6th, 1862.
Around the
board gathered Mr. Daby and his wife, their three children, Mrs. Danskin, mother of Mrs. Daby, and a boy, George Danskin, Mrs. Daby’s nephew.
In a tent
DABYS FERRY.
375
near the house were two soldiers from Camp Gaston, and on the place were also a Frenchman named Peter Nizet and a half-breed Indian boy.
Nizet, who took his
meals with the family, had not come in. went to the door and called Nizet. a bullet whistled by him.
Mr. Daby
As he
did so
Other shots were heard.
Hastily closing the door, Daby said the Indians were firing at the house, and told the women and children to get under the bed in Mrs. Daby’s room.
The back
part of the house being built into a bank, and the bed¬ room
being next to it, the retreat was a safe one
so long as the house was not invaded.
Mrs. Daby,
Mrs. Danskin and the four children were in the bed¬ room a quarter of an hour, when Mr. Daby told them that their only prospect of escape was to run for the river.
A trail led from the house to the river bank
where the canoes were tied. carried the ferry-boat away.
The winter flood had The inmates of the house
and the two soldiers in the tent ran together towards the river.
Mr. Daby had one child, Peter Nizet had
one, and Mrs. Daby had the 13-months-old baby in her arms.
Before reaching the river one of the sol¬
diers was shot.
Twenty guns were flashing in the
gathering dusk of the evening, and bullets were flying through the air in every direction. dians on both sides of the river.
There were In¬
Exposed to a mur¬
derous cross-fire, with the prospect of escape dwindling into hopeless nothingness, the men and women and children leaped into a canoe and pushed out into the stream.
From the opposite bank sounded the report
of fire-arms.
A
fusilade
of
shot splashed in
the
376
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
water as the boat drifted with the current. Mrs. Danskin was struck by a bullet and slightly wounded. Not far down the river was a thicket of bushes. Mr. Daby suggested that a landing be made there and the party separate in the brush, for none could be saved if they continued in the canoe. The suggestion was followed, and the canoe landed. Mrs. Danskin went a few steps and fell, pierced by two bullets. Mrs. Daby, with the baby in her arms, had gone a short distance when a bullet struck her in the right arm, and she fell fainting to the ground. Although she was in a senseless condition for several minutes, she was dimly conscious of what was occurring around her. She heard her husband say to Nizet: “We will hide the children in the bushes.” Then she heard no more, and when consciousness fully returned she saw nobody but Indians. She picked up her baby and started toward the clump of bushes. The Indians surrounded her and robbed her of the money and jewelry she had about her person, taking her wedding ring from her finger. Having robbed her they told her to “find papooses” and go to Union. She asked them : “ Where is the little boy, George Danskin ? ” They answered: “ Indians take the waugee boy; you go to Areata (Union), and send men with plenty money, and you get the waugee boy.” Perceiving that the Indians did not intend to kill her or the children, she rose and went in search of the little girls. As she rose to her feet she distinctly recognized the features of two white men among the savages, imper¬ fectly disguised as Indians, who turned quickly and
daby’s ferry. walked away.
377
When she reached the nearest thicket
she heard a voice say “ Mamma ! ” and there she found the two girls, Lizzie, aged five, and Carrie, aged three years, now the wife of C. L. M. Howard of Eureka. Carrying the baby and leading the girls, she walked two miles until she reached the forest, where, sick and weary, she hid the two girls at the foot of a tree where the dense undergrowth formed an impenetrable screen.
Taking off two of her skirts, she put one
under and one above the children, telling them to be still and quiet till she returned for them.
Again, with
her baby in her arms, she started through the woods and the fields, reaching the Prigmore farm, three miles down the river.
The house was deserted.
She then
went back to the road, and reached the Janes’ farm, where there was only a sick man named Chapman and another man who watched over him. to his attendant:
“ I
am
Chapman said
not afraid to stay here
alone; you go and help Mrs. Daby to town.”
The
man carried the baby and they started for Union. It was two o’clock in the morning.
When they got to
the main road they met a great crowd coming up from Union, among them a physician and father and brothers.
Mrs.
Daby’s
Mrs. Daby went on to Union,
and the crowd of citizens went to the river.
Mr.
Daby, when the family separated at the river, had escaped unhurt, and carried the news of the attack to Union.
The two soldiers also got in that night, both
seriously though
not fatally wounded.
The relief
party from Union carried the dead body of Mrs. Danskin to town at daylight.
They had been unable
»
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
37
to find the two little girls, and were about to give up the search in despair, when a fortunate idea was car¬ ried into execution by Mrs. Daby’s youngest brother, John
Danskin.
A valuable dog belonging to
family was still on the place. the dog to him and said: dren!”
With what seemed
the
John Danskin called
“Jingo, go find the chil¬ to the excited men as
more than brute intelligence, the dog led them eagerly into the forest—and at the very spot where Mrs. Daby had left the children, stopped and growled, as if direct¬ ing further search.
Parting the intervening boughs
and brambles, the men saw the children lying there, locked in each other’s arms, fast asleep. Only Nizet, George Danskin, and the half-breed Indian boy remained to be accounted for.
The half-
breed was wounded in the thigh, and after a desperate fight, in which he killed two of his assailants, he escaped, crawling to Union in his disabled condition, reaching the town on Saturday night.
It was the general sup¬
position that Nizet had been killed and George Dans¬ kin carried into captivity by the Indians.
Rewards
were offered and searching parlies organized, but with no avail.
The days passed and neither Nizet or the
boy was heard of.
The Danskin family as a last re¬
sort employed friendly Hoopa Indians to make inquiries about the fate of Nizet and the boy, promising them a liberal reward for reliable information.
At the end of
nine days the Hoopa Indians returned and reported that they had ascertained the fate of the missing.
The
attacking Indians, they said, tried to capture the boy, but Nizet picked him up in his arms and ran to a large
daby’s ferry.
log which spanned the stream.
379 Half-way across the
stream Nizet was shot, falling to the water below with the boy in his arms.
They fell in a deep pool, where
a powerful eddy whirled them round and round and dragged them down to death.
When
their bodies
were recovered the arms of Peter Nizet still clasped the form of the boy, loyal even in death. It was a miraculous thing that any escaped from the river unhurt.
Besides being wounded in the arm, Mrs.
Daby had two bullet holes in the ruffles of her dress. There were three holes in the baby’s dress.
Mr. Daby
had a bullet hole through his hat. The Daby family never returned to their farm.
The
Indians burned the buildings and drove off the stock, and the land passed into the possession of others.
380
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXVI. Military Operations in 1862.
Marching and counter-marching.—A benevolent Indian Agent.— Lieut. Flynn’s detachment.—The force at Fort Humboldt.— Independent Companies. A resume of military operations in 1862, if carried through the year, would strike the intelligent reader as being a record of farcical movements and abortive campaigns.
Col. Lippitt’s command, either actuated
by explosive orders from headquarters or some nervously-energetic motive of its own, was constantly on the
move toward
imaginary
enemies,
with
purely
imaginary successful results. . There was marching and counter-marching; there were official orders from Fort Humboldt rivalling in weighty magnificence the proc¬ lamations of a Commander-in-Chief; there were forced marches with no visible or invisible object; there were changes and exchanges of garrisons and officers with no imaginable or reasonable purpose. One influence which made the movements of the troops more vacillating at this time than they would otherwise have been, and which made
the
various
military posts merely useless and expensive luxuries,
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
381
was the non-interference policy of the Indian-Depart¬ ment as represented by the Superintendent for Cali¬ fornia.
That official, Geo. M. Hanson, in a letter to
S. G. Whipple under date of April 21st, 1862, wrote that he was “ truly pained to see an account of so much trouble,” and that he had “ entertained a hope that the troops under command of Col. Lippitt would have succeeded, in a peaceful
manner, in collecting
and removing the Indians to Del Norte county.”
He
had made temporary provision for them in Del Norte county, and he still had hopes that Col. Lippitt would succeed in their removal “ without the absolute neces¬ sity of resorting to bloodshed.’’ zeal
in behalf of the
tendent exhorted
Waxing warm in his
Indians, this model Superin¬
the whites
toward those unfortunate
use
“forbearance
creatures.”
to
The idea of
keeping four or five hundred soldiers in an Indian country, where white settlers were daily being robbed or murdered, with orders not to resort to bloodshed in the punishment of the hostiles, could only have origin¬ ated with a benevolent Superintendent or a military commander.
It could not have been reasonably ex-
pected that the troops would do good service, or any service at all, influenced by the sentiments expressed by Superintendent Geo. M. Hanso n. Two new Companies arrived at Eureka in April and proceeded to Fort Gaston. the
2d Infantry, was in
Col. James N. Olney, of command.
Capt. Douglas,
Capt. Ketchum, Lieut. Staples, Capt. Heffernan and Lieut. Flynn were in the field with detachments from other posts.
Their engagements were few
and un-
382
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
important.
On the 26th of April Capt. Ketchum, with
a detachment of 25 men from Fort Baker, attacked a small rancheria on Larabee Creek and killed three or four warriors.
Lieut. Staples’ detachment had a skir¬
mish in the same neighborhood, in which 15 Indians were killed. Lieut. Flynn, commanding a detachment of 25 men from Fort Anderson, was scouting in the Mad River section, and on the night of the 6th of May the detach¬ ment camped near Croghan’s Ranch.
A camp fire was
burning cheerfully, around which the men reclined. Lieut. Flynn and John Saff, the latter being the guide to the detachment, were conversing near the fire, when they were startled by the report of half a dozen rifles within fifty yards of the camp.
One bullet struck Saff
in the thigh, inflicting a dangerous wound. Everywhere the troops were useless and inefficient. Cooper’s Mills were robbed and plundered while sol¬ diers were sleeping in a house forty yards away.
Robert
Neece was shot and dangerously wounded near Central Prairie, eighteen miles south of Eureka.
And though
Col. Lippitt did issue an order that the depredations and murders by the Indians amounted to “ a declara¬ tion of war” by them, and instructed the troops to act accordingly, the settlers had no more confidence in him than they formerly reposed
in
Major
Raines.
The force at Fort Humboldt was composed of 132 men, officers and privates, and of these there were 37 on the sick list, and 32 under arrest, for various offens¬ es against military discipline.
It was not surprising
that the people felt wronged and indignant.
Their
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
383
indignation was increased ten-fold by a visit made by Superintendent Hanson to the Klamath Reservation. Hanson took with him to the Reservation a large as¬ sortment of fancy articles’, colored glass beads, and ribbons, and went through the ludicrous ceremony of delivering fatherly advice and presents to the Indians, telling them that if they would be good to the whites the “ Great Father at Washington ” would be good to them—an agreement that was neither understood nor appreciated by the savages, who were in reality im¬ pressed only with a sense of the weakness of Hanson’s authority and the worthlessness of his promises. The question of organizing independent Companies of home Volunteers was generally discussed and de¬ cided in the affirmative.
When the news of the attack
on Daby's Ferry reached Eureka a mass meeting of the citizens was held at the Court House, to take into consideration measures for protection.
The meeting
authorized S. G. Whipple to open a muster-roll for the purpose of getting a sufficient number of names to form a Company of Riflemen, and a resolution was passed recommending the people in the different sec¬ tions of the country to organize independent Volunteer Companies, wherever practicable, under the laws of the State, and apply for and obtain public arms as a means of obtaining home protection.
Walter Van Dyke was
appointed to make proper application on behalf of the people for State arms, and also to interview General Wright on the subject of military affairs in Humboldt District.
The young men of Union also organized a
Company, under the Militia law of the State, for the protection of that neighborhood.
384
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
The appointment of Walter Van Dyke to interview Gen. Wright resulted in some interesting correspon¬ dence between the two gentlemen.
After visiting Gen.
Kibbe and obtaining a requisition for 30 rifles, Mr. Van Dyke addressed a note to Gen. Wright. Russ
House, San Francisco,
Brig.-Gen. Wright—Dear
It was:
June 12, 1862.
Sir:—The citizens of
Humboldt county, at a public meeting held at the Court House on the 9th and 10th inst., delegated me to lay before you the present alarming condition of Indian affairs in that section of the State, and to secure, if possible, further assistance, to enable the officer in command of that District, by more vigorous action, to kill or capture the armed bands of murderous savages now laying waste the country.
This is the only way,
I beg to suggest, by which to bring the present hostili¬ ties to a speedy close, and to prevent the war now being waged by these Indians from being protracted indefinitely, and thereby causing further sacrifice of the lives and property of our people at the hands of the savages. Trusting that it will be in your power to extend re¬ lief to the people in that section without any great delay, I am, Respectfully, your ob’t servant, Walter Van
Dyke.
Gen. Wright replied, on the same day, that he was “watching over the Indian difficulties” in the District of Humboldt “with much anxiety.”
Col. Lippitt, he
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
385
informed Mr. Van Dyke, had ten Companies of In¬ fantry and one of Cavalry in his District, and it had been supposed that his force “would be sufficient to maintain peace ”
The remainder of Gen. Wright’s
reply was composed of a panegyric on the “ability and energy” of the command under Col. Lippitt, and a promise that three full Companies should be added to the troops in the Humboldt District. 25
386
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXVII.
The Death Roll.
A Scene at
Muhlberg’s.—Tragedy on
Olmstead’s
the Trinity Trail.—W. T.
Adventures.—Massacre
at Whitney’s
Ranch.--
J. P. Albee.
From the time of the attack on Daby’s Ferry till the close of the year there was a ceaseless round of depre¬ dations and an appalling record of death. The smoking embers of Daby’s house had scarcely cooled before the torch was applied to the dwelling of G. F. Muhlberg, an industrious German farmer, two miles below on the river.
It was about 8 o’clock on the morning
of the 7th of June, the day after the attack at the Ferry, that Mrs. Muhlberg, looking out from a window in her house, saw a number of Indians on the hill-side not far away.
The Indians tried to hide behind the
fence on the
upper side of the house, where they
would be in a position to shoot Muhlberg as he went out.
His wife had already left the house when Muhl¬
berg, who was on the porch, divined their intention, and instead of passing through the room and out at the door jumped down from
the porch and joined
his wife below the house, and between it and the river.
THE DEATH ROLL.
387
Two hundred yards1 below there was a boat.
Muhl-
berg and his wife ran for the river and the Indians commenced firing at them.
Bullets splashed in the
water and knocked splinters from the boat as they pushed it out into the current.
A landing was safely
effected out of reach of the Indian rifles, and soon afterwards Mrs. Muhlberg reached Union.
Muhlberg
remained behind and watched the savages plunder and burn the house.
Lieut. Myers and several soldiers
arrived from the Janes farm but were afraid to attack the Indians. Other depredations, similar in character, followed thick and fast during the remainder of the year.
A
man was shot at near Eagle Prairie; a house was robbed in the Matto'le Valley; the residence of Neil Hill, two miles from Elk Camp, in Klamath county, was attacked on the night of the 30th of July, the only occupant being a man named Miller, who was seriously wounded Camp
and escaped through
while
the
the woods to
Indians burned
Elk
the house; J. F.
Denny, the mail carrier from Union, was warned that the woods were full of hostile tribes and that his life was in danger; a party of twelve persons, on way from Gold Bluff to Trinidad, were
their
twice fired
at from the brush, and an attempt was made to hem them in—their escape being effected by a circuitous route to the mouth of Redwood Creek, from whence one of the party went by sea to Trinidad in a canoe— the people of Trinidad at the same time assembling in a brick building, very much alarmed, and sending to Eureka for a tug to remove them from their hordes;
388
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Mr. Brehmer’s house on upper Mad River, from which he had
removed,
was burned
to the ground; E.
Horner was attacked near Rainbow
Ridge, several
bullets passing through his clothing and his horse be¬ ing shot; Wm. Bradford and K. N. Geer narrowly escaped death in the Bear River country, the former being driven from his home.
Tragic scenes were enacted on the Trinity trail. Four
men—William
Steven
Adams
T.
Olmstead,
Hiram
Lyons,
and James Grounds—who were en
route to Trinity county with a drove of beef cattle, on the ioth of July camped for the night at the Upper Mad
River ford, thirty-five
miles from
Hydesville.
Just before sunset supper was prepared and the men sat down to enjoy it.
As they did so two shots were
fired from the grass close by. fell dead.
Lyons sprang up and
Olmstead was struck by the second ball.
Adams and Grounds fled, reaching the settlements safely, the former on the same night and the latter the next day.
Olmstead ran a quarter of a mile in
the brush, the Indians pursuing and never losing sight of him.
When he would turn upon them they would
crouch in the grass and weeds, and when he turned to run they would be upon him again. stood in his way.
He got behind it.
A large rock Watching his
opportunity, he stepped quickly out and fired at his pursuers, killing one.
The fire was returned and he
THE DEATH ROLL.
389
received a second wound, in the right thigh.
The
Indians, not more than ten yards away, dropped down in the grass and disappeared.
Sorely wounded, Olm-
stead started up a ravine, through which a little creek rushed foaming to the river.
Before him was a steep
ascent, from which the water fell in a swift torrent. He slipped, and fell back into a pool, waist deep, at the foot of the bank.
A tree had fallen across the
ravine, below the pool, making a jam of driftwood there.
Olmstead swam under the log and sheltered
himself among the driftwood, securely hidden from sight.
When he had been so hidden a few minutes
there came
five
Indians,
who fired guns into the
drift and threw stones into the pool, and being satis¬ fied that their victim was gone, went away themselves. Olmstead remained in the drift till daylight, when he crawled out and broke two small limbs from a fallen tree, which he used as crutches.
Thus equipped/ he
labored up the ravine towards the trail.
The sun
rose, the air grew warm, and he was obliged to 'lie down, exhausted and weak.
At one o’clock in the
afternoon he attracted the notipe of a relief party from North Yager Creek and Fort Baker, who had received information from Adams of the attack at th€ ford. A litter was brought on which Olmstead was carried to Yager Creek. Two months after the attack on the Olmstead camp three men were killed in the daytime, while traveling the same trail, and nearly in the same spot.
Joseph
Bashow, Lewis Cash and another named Mann, were going to Trinity county with adrove of hogs. A pack
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
390
train was a short distance in advance of them.
The
two men with the pack train forded the river, uncon¬ scious of danger.
Bashow, Cash and Mann were shot
and killed by Indians concealed among the rocks, one falling in the bank.
river, the other two on the opposite
Cattle-drivers who arrived at the ford on the
same day saw the bodies and went to Fort Baker for assistance.
Whitney’s Ranch, on Redwood Creek, four miles below Fort Anderson, was the scene of a massacre on the morning of Monday, July 28th.
There were at
the house George Whitney, the owner, Wm. Mitchell, James Freeman, three soldiers belonging to Captain Douglas’ command, and a domesticated Indian boy. Between 9 and 10 o’clock the dogs barked furiously. Freeman
stepped out to reconnoitre.
A few paces
from the house he was shot at, the bullet grazing his head
He went back to the house and the inmates
waited a half an hour for further demonstrations, but saw or heard nothing more to indicate the proximity of Indians.
At this time two soldiers of the Cavalry
arrived, riding express from Fort Gaston to Fort Hum¬ boldt.
They had
seen
no
Indians,
they said, but
would advise the men at Whitney’s to stay in the house until the arrival of Capt. Douglas, who had been scout¬ ing in the neighborhood for several days, and who would return that way to Fort Anderson in a few hours.
After a brief conversation the express riders
THE DEATH ROLL.
391
went on ; and after consulting together the men at Whitney’s concluded to send word to Captain Doug¬ las of what had occurred and hasten his arrival. Free¬ man volunteered to go.
When he had gone Whitney
and Mitchell armed themselves and went to a field near the house to work, leaving the boy and the sol¬ diers in the house.
One of the soldiers stepped out
into the yard a few minutes later, and was instantly shot and killed by the Indians, receiving seven bullets in his breast.
At the same time the two men at work
in the field were shot, Mitchell being instantly killed and Whitney receiving a wound from which he died the next day. The Indian boy went out and recovered the dead soldier’s gun, and he and the two surviving soldiers defended themselves, killing two of their as¬ sailants
and
wounding several
others.
reached Capt. Douglas the sound of heard by
Before he
the firing was
Freeman, who explained the situation so
graphically that Douglas’ command started on the run for the scene, arriving there only to find that the In¬ dians were gone and their services would be too late.
After the attack on Whitney’s Ranch Capt. Doug¬ las removed the guard which had been stationed at J. P. Albee’s place, in the same neighborhood, Col. Lippitt informing him that guards could not be furnished “ to every isolated farm-house in the country.’’
Mr.
Albee, whose place was in a dangerous neighborhood,
392
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
being left without any means of defense, was compel¬ led to move his family to Union, and practically aban¬ doned his property.
He left valuable stock on the
place, and on the first of November he went back to ascertain what had become of it.
Five or six days af¬
terwards two men from Minor’s Ranch were on Albee’s land in search of stray mules. When they got near Al¬ bee’s house they saw a squaw, who appeared to be on the lookout, immediately giving an alarm when she saw the white men.
Five Indian warriors broke from
the garden, running towards the trail above the two men, as though intending to prevent their escape in that direction.
The latter spurred their horses and
gained the trail, by this means getting out of range of the Indians, and when they had reached a considerable eminence above the house, looked back and saw that it was in flames.
Not knowing that Albee had gone
to his place, the two men rode away, and it was not until three days had
passed that the news reached
Union of the burning of the house.
A volunteer re¬
lief party went to the place in search of Mr. Albee. All the improvements, the result of years of hard la¬ bor, were in ruins, and in a field, close to a plow with which he had been at work, lay Albee’s body, pierced with one arrow and two bullets. Albee had resided on this place since 1854.
He had ever been a friend to
the Indians, being so confident that his friendship for them was respected that he
hesitated to remove hi£
family to Union after frightful massacres had occur¬ red in localities less exposed than his own.
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
393
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Military Operations in 1862.
Union Volunteers and Eel
River Minute
Men.—The
Battle of
Light’s Prairie.—A Fight on Little River.—The Smith’s
River
Reservation.
Tired of waiting for the slow protection of United States soldiers, always expected but never afforded; tired of listening to dreadful details of Indian butcher¬ ies occurring at their own doors, the citizens of Union organized a Volunteer Militia Company, and elected as its officers Captain, G. W.,Ousley ; First Lieutenant, J. A. Whaley; Second
Lieutenants, A. Schumacher
and
Sergeants, S. Schobell, J. M.
C.
A.
Murdock ;
Short, C. C. Sands and
R. Burns; Corporals, J. E.
Wyman, J. C. Bull, Jr., John Harpst and H. C. Mills. There was also organized, in Eel River Valley, a Company called the Eel River Minute Men, with A. D. Sevier as Captain, and A. P. Campton, L. B. Wea¬ ver and John Kemp as Lieutenants. Of the regular Army forces there is little to relate. Their marching and counter-marching was continuous throughout the year, and several hundred prisoners of both
sexes were captured;
but the prisoners were
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
394 mostly of
friendly tribes, who willingly surrendered
for the sake of temporary shelter and food, and the depredations of the hostile tribes were neither dimin¬ ished in number nor severity. The organization of a Volunteer Company at Union was immediately followed by important results.
Soon
after the organization had been effected two white men
who lived with the
woods near the town.
Indians were seen in
the
Their camp was found, the two
men retreating further into the forest when they saw the citizens coming.
Their baggage, which they left
behind, contained articles which had been stolen from houses recently robbed, thus corroborating suspicion of their association with the Indians.
They were pur¬
sued by several parties of citizens belonging to the Volunteer Company, and one party of seven under Capt. Ousley, while in the vicinity of Dow’s Prairie, discovered a fresh trail, which was followed by them until dark.
The trail led to a camp in a small clear¬
ing called Light’s Prairie, five miles from Union. Capt. Ousley and his men got within fifty yards of the camp and could see the Indians around their fires.
They
had butchered a steer and were preparing their even¬ ing repast.
There appeared to be twenty-five or thirty
warriors, all well armed.
Capt. Ousley led his party
back to Union while the Indians were feasting, with¬ out attracting their notice or suspicion, and.before 12 o’clock that night, August 20th, a force of thirty Vol¬ unteers and seventeen soldiers of the regular Army was ready to march on the camp.
It was 4 o’clock of
the 21 st when the camp was reached.
The command-
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
1862.
395
ing officer, Capt. Ousley, formed the men in three di¬ visions and stationed them at different points. It was agreed that he should fire a signal shot for a general attack on the camp. The Indians had three fires burn¬ ing, and were sleeping on their arms, but they had no sentinels out.
Twenty minutes before the attack sev¬
eral shots were heard in the direction of Dow’s Prairie, evidently signals to the sleeping savages, who roused themselves and stirred up their fires.
At this moment
Capt. Ousley fired his gun and a round of bullets was poured into the camp. The attack was made too soon. Day was but just appearing over the Eastern hills, and it was not light enough to see objects in the camp dis¬ tinctly.
The whites were at a disadvantage in other
respects.
Fern and underbrush grew high and luxu¬
riant about the camp, forming avenues of
escape,
through which the savage warriors darted and were lost to sight.
Six were killed and the others fled.
One of the Volunteers, James Brock, was killed.
In
their flight the Indians had no time to carry away their dead or wounded. One of the latter James Brock stumbled over as the whites rushed upon the camp after the first fire.
He caught the wounded Indian by
the hair, who, throwing his arm around Brock, shot him through the heart with a pistol.
None of the
whites were wounded, Brock’s death being the only casualty. one which
Six rifles were taken in the fight, including had
belonged
to the
murdered men at
Whitney’s Ranch. On the next day after the fight at Light’s Prairie a squaw who had lived with a white family and was a
396
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
prisoner among her people contrived to escape from the rancheria where she was held and went back to the settlement.
She told the whites that hostile In¬
dians were camped on
Little River, ten miles above
its mouth, and she signified her willingness to guide the Volunteers to the place. true, a force of
Believing her story to be
thirty-five Volunteers and eighteen
Regulars, the former under Capt. Ousley,
the latter
under Lieut. Campbell, left Union on the 22d of Au¬ gust for Little River.
The squaw was faithful, and on
Sunday morning, the 24th, the camp was surrounded and an attack was planned. But investigation revealed the fact that the camp was deserted. The Indians had taken everything with them except some bloody gar¬ ments which had belonged to their wounded at Light’s Prairie.
A consultation was had by the whites and it
was unanimously agreed that the late occupants of the camp
had' not moved far,
as they had
too many
wounded to allow of swift or long-continued travel > they were in a new camp, not far away, either up or down the stream.
A difference of opinion here arose
between Capt. Ousley and Lieut. Campbell concerning the direction the Indians had taken—Campbell assert¬ ing that they had gone down the river,
Ousley as
strenuously maintaining the opinion that they gone up the stream. ion of
the party,
had
The dispute resulted in a divis¬
Lieut. Campbell going down
river, Capt. Ousley in the opposite direction.
the The
Volunteers had not proceeded far up the stream when they saw the foot-prints of one of the two white men who had fled from their camp near Union a week be-
MILITARY OPERATIONS
fore.
IN
1862.
397
A split across the sole of one boot was the clue
to the man’s identity, the imprint being plain and easily recognizable in the sand of the river bank.
At
3 o’clock in the afternoon the barking of a dog gave warning of the proximity of the Indians. Scouts came in with the information that the camp contained over fifty warriors, armed
with
guns
and pistols.
Capt.
Ousley divided his command into four squads, who took positions within easy rifle range of the camp. Their approach was noiseless and undisturbed.
The
Indians were camped on a sand-bar in the bed of the river.
Above and below the camp, agile warriors
were bathing and performing gymnastics in the sand. In camp, some were playing cards, some repairing and cleaning guns.
A number of squaws were preparing
food over a large fire.
The time was most auspicious
for a successful surprise and rout of the camp by the whites.
Capt. Ousley fired the signal shot, selecting
for his target a powerful Indian who was cleaning a gun.
At the first volley from the guns of the Volun¬
teers the Indians fled precipitately, leaving in the camp twenty-two dead, besides six rifles, ammunition, blan¬ kets and a miscellaneous assortment of articles from every house that had been plundered and burned dur¬ ing the preceding eight months.
While the plunder
was being examined, some of the Indians, secreted be¬ hind a rocky point which
jutted out into the river,
fired several shots, one ball striking a Volunteer named McDaniels and severely wounding him in the thigh. A hasty inventory of the dead disclosed among them the body of
the white man whose boot-tracks had
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
shown the way to the camp.
He was unknown to all
'—a waif of reckless humanity.
Capt.Ousley destroyed
the camp and on the second day returned to Union, having accomplished the object of his expedition. While Capt. Ousley was routing the Indians in the vicinity of Union the commanding officer at
Fort
Humboldt was.preparing to send all who had surren¬ dered to the Smith’s River Reservation. ervation was situated in
Del
Norte
This Res¬
county.
Its
creation was one of the official acts of Superintendent Hanson.
An exorbitant price was paid for several
farms, large and expensive buildings were erected, the whole representing an outlay of money entirely incon¬ sistent with economy or common-sense.
The Res¬
ervation itself was within an easy day’s travel of the Klamath River, and to keep the
Indians there would
require as many soldiers as Indians.
Lieut. Mulhol-
land was in command of a recruiting post on the peninsula opposite Bucksport, where prisoners were kept to
await transportation
Reservation.
Here
to
the Smith’s River
were over 800 savages of all
sizes and ages and of both sexes
They were kept
here until the steamer Panama was chartered by the Government to take them all to Del Norte county. The people of Del Norte did not want them, but it was in vain that they represented, in lengthy petitions, that their presence would endanger life and property, or that they would return to Humboldt county in a few months or weeks. had established the
The Indian Superintendent
Smith’s River Reservation.
To
make it profitable to anybody it must be populated.
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN
Eight hundred
Indians
1862.
399
embarked on the steamer
Panama, and were taken to
Del
Norte.
As was
anticipated by everyperson having a knowledge of the county — with
the possible exception
of the
army
officers—the Indians did not remain on the Smith’s River Reservation two months.
October, November,
December, each witnessed a decrease in the number on the Reservation and an increase in the population of the
Klamath and
Mad River country.
month fully 300 warriors left the went back exploits.
to the
scenes of
In one
Reservation and
their former
bloody
400
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXIX.
The Mountaineer Battalion.
A Deserted Country.—Organization of the Mountaineer Battalion.— Companies A and B.—Preparations for War.—Stone Lagoon.
At the beginning of 1863 the hostile tribes had complete possession of all the Mad River and Red¬ wood country back as far as Hoopa.
Every channel
of traffic between Humboldt, Trinity and counties was effectually blockaded.
Klamath
The only farm¬
house saved from the torch the year before—on Mi¬ nor’s ranch—was now burned, and all other improve¬ ments on the place were destroyed.
On the North
side of Mad River, from the head of Redwood to its mouth, not a single dwelling had been saved from the general ruin.
Minor’s Ranch had been known as
the “ half-way house” between Fort Gaston and Union. Col. Lippitt was frequently urged to keep a detach¬ ment of soldiers there ;
but his military plans did not
include Minor’s Ranch ; and this, the only house left in the Redwood country, was added to
the list of
ruined homes, through the negligence and systematic fault of Col. Lippitt. The situation in Klamath county was well described
401
THE MOUNTAINEER BATTALION.
by its Grand Jury in their report of January, 1863; remarks about the services of the United States sol¬ diers there would
have applied with
equal
felicity
to any other part of the Humboldt district.
The
Klamath Grand Jury, with most refreshing frankness, said : “ The Jury find that that portion of Klamath county bordering on Humboldt county is entirely deserted, many of the houses and other improvements of our citizens in that region having been burned and laid waste, as well as many valuable lives being sacrificed to the brutal savages that infest that section.
Every
appeal of the citizens of Humboldt and Klamath coun¬ ties to the Governor of the State and the
Federal
authorities in California, for an active, efficient protec¬ tion against the murderous depredations of these hos¬ tile Indians, has proved of no avail.
The fact that
several companies of Volunteer United States soldiers are stationed in the two counties seems to render, in the estimation of the State and Federal authorities, any further protection or attention unnecessary, when the true facts are that these United States Volunteers are utterly worthless as a protection against Indians. The Jury does not desire to reflect upon the courage or discipline of these soldiers, but simply to state that the experience of the people of Humboldt and Klam¬ ath counties during the past twelve months has proved beyond question or cavil that through the inefficiency of officers or bad management they have entirely failed to punish for Indian atrocities and massacres, and utterly failed to protect our citizens against the
402
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
attacks and depredations of these murderous savages. We
recommend
that the proper authorities
make
another effort with the Governor of this State to call out a sufficient body of resident citizens of these two counties to chastise and expel forever, if possible, the hostile Indians from that portion of these counties at present made utterly untenable by their presence and depredations.” Weight and influence were given to the report of the Klamath Grand Jury by a reference to Indian af¬ fairs in the message of Governor Stanford to the State Legislature.
The Governor acknowledged the exist¬
ence of serious
trouble in
need of adequate relief. could not say.
the Northwest and
the
What that relief was to be he
He was willing to leave the question
to the law-makers and the military authorities. The report and the message were published in Jan¬ uary.
In February Senator Van Dyke and Assem¬
blymen Whipple and Wright—the legislative delega¬ tion from the counties of Humboldt, Del Norte and Klamath—visited General Wright and requested him to call upon Governor Stanford for the enlistment of Volunteers for special service against the Indians in the Northwest.
The legislative gentlemen represent¬
ed to Gen. Wright that their constituents were anxious to engage in such
Volunteer service, because
their
families and their homes were in danger, because they were familiar with the habits and haunts of the In¬ dians, and because they were confident of their own efficiency and distrusted the efficiency of soldiers en¬ listed abroad who were not interested in the establish¬ ment of permanent peace.
THE MOUNTAINEER BATTALION.
403
Gen. Wright was unable to resist the influence of the arguments made to him and politely gave his as¬ sent to the request preferred.
Governor Stanford as
promptly assented to the suggestions of Gen. Wright, on the
7th of February issuing his proclamation de¬
claring that Gen. Wright had asked for the enlistment of six companies of Volunteer troops,“for special ser¬ vices against the
hostile Indians in the Humboldt
District,” and inviting the citizens of the counties of Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Trinity, Siskiyou and Klamath “ to organize the number of Companies necessary to fill the requisition.”
The six Companies
were to comprise a Volunteer force to be known as the Mountaineer Battalion, to be mustered into service against the Indians only, and to be mustered out of service when peace should be permanently established. Commissions were issued to Geo. W.
Ousley, of
Union, and Chas. W. Long, of Eureka, authorizing them to organize and enroll two Companies in Hum¬ boldt county.
Inducements of various kinds were
held out to facilitate a rapid organization of the Bat¬ talion. and
Bounties were offered, contributions accepted,
taxes levied.
Mr.
Long opened his enrolling
books in Eureka and Ousley opened his in
Union.
A law was passed by the Legislature authorizing the Supervisors of Humboldt county .to levy a special tax and appropriate the money so raised to an increase of the pay of her Volunteers.
Several weeks elapsed be¬
fore the Companies were fully enrolled, some delay having been experienced in the transmission of nec¬ essary papers and instructions.
In April, the prelim-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
404
inary arrangements
having been completed,
Capt.
Fleming, U. S. A., mustered into the service of the United States, for the suppression of Indian hostilities, Companies A and B, Mountaineer Battalion.
Compa¬
nies C, D, E, and F were organized in other counties in the District, and completed the complement of the Bat¬ talion. The commanding officer of the Battalion was S. G. Whipple, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
A.
W. Hanna was Adjutant of the Battalion, W. H. Pratt Chief Quartermaster, and Jonathan
Clark Surgeon.
The officers of Co. A were: Captain, C. W. Long; ist Lieut., K. N. Geer; 2d Lieut., S. C. Beckwith ; Sergeants, W. P. Hanna, A. D. Sevier, L. B. Weaver and Wm. Bradford; Corporals, D.
L. Marshall, Jno.
Cathey, Henry Sneider, J. I. Owens, Wm. D. Mitchell, J. P. Chapman, Jesse Walker and N. Stansberry.
Co.
C was commanded by Captain Geo. W. Ousley, and the other officers were: ist Lieut., I. W. Hempfield ; 2d Lieut, Edward Hale;
Sergeants, Jasper N. Janes,
Wm. Hurst, John S. Hughes, Sam. Overlander and Jacob Underwood; Corporals, Jas. D. Barnes, Geo. Creighton, Milton C. Cunningham, H. Tilton, Jas. H. Underwood, Jas. B. Truman, J. B. Herrick and An¬ drew
A.
Pardee.
Capt.
Abraham
Miller,
Captain
Wm. C. Martin and Captain John P. Simpson were in command of the three Companies raised in Trinity, Siskiyou, Klamath
and
Del
Norte counties.
The
Mendocino Company did not participate in the opera¬ tions in the extreme Northwest. Familiar with the geography of the region, and with the habits and customs of the natives, inured to the
THE MOUNTAINEER BATTALION.
405
privations and hardships of life in a new country, the men of the Mountaineer Battalion were well adapted to the service before them and well prepared for the accomplishment of the work for which it had been called into existence.
Many of them were substantial
and influential citizens, whose only motive in entering the military service was to aid in terminating the In¬ dian depredations from which they had suffered severe¬ ly for many years.
The officers, from highest to lowest,
were zealous in the discharge of their duties.
Fortu¬
nately they were ignorant of the details of military affairs.
The importance of military discipline is not
paramount in the eyes of frontiersmen who have been used to fight Indians after their own fashion.
The
dark horizon of Indian affairs in the Northwest grew light with a bow of promise.
The
Indians prepared for war.
Lassac, a noted
leader among the hostile tribes, who had been sent to the Trinity Reservation and escaped from thence with two hundred of his people, stirred up discontent and revengeful feeling all along the Klamath, and others of his class kept alive the disaffection on Mad River and the Redwood.
Spies were sent out from the retreats
of the mountain tribes, who visited the valley tribes and learned of the organization and
movements of the
Volunteer soldiers; foraging parties made swift de¬ scents upon the ranches of the lower foot-hills, carrying
406
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
back whole carcasses of beef to be dried and stored for food; their pack-trains moved systematically from the scenes of cattle-slaughter to their secret rancherias on the Redwood or the Klamath; at one point on the Redwood, in the mountains above the Bald Hills, a log fort was constructed and strongly fortified; every¬ where in the hostile country, by a preconcerted agree¬ ment among the different tribes, extensive and elaborate preparations were made to give the whites a warm re¬ ception. Only one of the Redwood tribes contended for peace. The promptness with which this tribe and its objec¬ tions were swept away indicated with what fierce de¬ termination the hostile tribes awaited the fate, of war. On the East side of Stone Lagoon, a body of salt water four miles South of Redwood Creek, lived a tribe that had long been friendly to the whites.
They were un¬
commonly intelligent, uncommonly industrious, and their rancheria was the best of its class for many miles around.
Their white neighbors regarded them without
fear and expressed admiration for their peaceful and industrious habits.
One day in March a runner from
the Hoopas arrived, with intelligence that a war with the whites would soon occur, and demanding the sup¬ port of this tribe against the Mountaineer Battalion. The Hoopas had generally refrained from active war¬ fare, but now the strongest tribes were ready to take the war-path.
The Stone Lagoon tribe refused to listen
to any proposals for war with the whites. friends, and would remain so. to their tribe.
They were
The runners returned
In the night, on the nth of April, a
THE MOUNTAINEER BATTALION.
407
large party of the Hoopas and Redwoods attacked the Stone Lagoon Rancheria, massacred the tribe, and burned their houses.
The rancheria contained about
forty Indians of the friendly tribe, thirty of whom were killed and the others wounded, less than half a dozen surviving the gun or the knife.
Engaged in some
devotional exercise, or exhausted from participation in some savage rite, the Stone Lagoon tribe had put aside their arms and were defenseless when attacked.
One
squaw was carried off by the attacking party.
She
afterwards escaped, and said that the Hoopas were guilty of the massacre.
Sixty warriors of the Hoopa
tribe were camped on
Pine Creek, between Hoopa
Valley and Redwood—well provided with arms, am¬ munition and food.
They were bold and aggressive,
determined that every tribe of their race in the Red¬ wood and Klamath country should rise against the whites or incur a repetition of the massacre at Stone Lagoon.
408
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
CHAPTER XXX. Beginning of the Two Years’ War.
The Tribes that were Engaged in it.—Skirmish at Big Bend.—Oak Camp.—The Trinity.—Movements of the Mountaineers.—Ousley’s Camp at Faun Prairie.—Lieut. Hempfield’s Expedition. Dating from the massacre at Stone Lagoon, there was a war—the last of its kind in the Northwest terri¬ tory ; which lasted nearly two years, and was finally brought to a successful close by the Mountaineer Bat¬ talion—which was the culminating act in a long series of tragic scenes. It is impossible to state with reliable accuracy what tribes were engaged in it.
It is proba¬
ble that the Win-toons, and nearly all of the smaller and less
powerful
divisions, were on the war-path
against the whites.
The Hoopas, considered in the
complicated tribal relations, were known to be among the hostiles, and the same was known of all the moun¬ tain rancherias.
The valley tribes alone, whose fisher¬
ies were in the midst of white settlements, remained peaceable through the ordeal of the times.
The num¬
ber of hostile Indians can only be conjectured. There was no system or unity of action binding one rancheria to another. Their predatory warfare knew no con-
BEGINNING OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
nected force under one general direction.
409
If this had
been the case it would have required three times six companies of Volunteers to crush their hostile spirit. No estimate that is not simply a generalization from knowledge and experience can now be made of the number and tribal relations of the Indians engaged in the in
last
determined
Northwestern
struggle
California.
between
the
The list of
races peace¬
ful tribes should exclude all the mountain rancherias. The number of hostiles was sufficient for a formidable resistance to any advance of the Volunteers. Capt Flynn, U. S. A., must have the credit of lead¬ ing in the first actual engagement of the war, which occurred a few days before the Stone Lagoon massacre, in April, at a place called Big Bend, on the North fork of Eel River. soldiers under
A detachment of thirty-five U. S.
Capt.
Flynn and
Lieut.
Winschell
made an attack on a large rancheria, killing warriors and taking forty prisoners. ment a soldier named
thirty
In the engage¬
Timothy Lynch, who enlisted
in Oregon, was shot through the heart with an arrow. The guide to the soldiers was Steven Fleming, who led
Capt. Flynn to the rancheria
successful attack.
and planned the
One rifle was captured, and a large
number of bows, arrows and knives. Another attack—this time by Indians—was made on the last day of April, the scene being Oak Camp, and the object of attack the capture of a pack train. Oak Camp, three miles from Minor’s crossing of Red¬ wood Creek, was a favorite spot for surprising a train, thick brush and large rocks forming convenient re-
4io
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
treats for an ambushed foe. The train on this occasion was en route to Fort Gastjn, and was guarded by six soldiers.
The guard had camped on Redwood
the
night before, in company with other trains, but went on ahead in the morning.
As the train passed Oak
Camp there was a rapid firing from the brush and the guard in front was instantly killed.
Mules were shot
under the other guards, who fled to save their lives, one of them being wounded in the arm.
The mules
that were not killed were captured by the Indians, and also all the camp equipage of the guards, including a number of guns. Encouraged by their success, the Indians made a second attack at the same place a month later, captur¬ ing a pack-train of thirty animals laden with merchan¬ dise for Hoopa Valley and New River. five men with the train.
There were
One, Charles Raymond, was
shot and killed, and a man named Barham was twice wounded.
On the Trinity, for many miles above its confluence with the Klamath, there were indications of a general uprising of discontented tribes.
At Cedar Flat a trad¬
ing post was attacked and destroyed, the keeper and another man escaping to Burnt Ranch. Burnt Ranch
The family at
was removed to a safer locality, and
none too soon ; one day thereafter the Indians arrived and
set fire
to
everything
that
would
burn.
At
Barnard’s Ranch, in the same neighborhood, all the
BEGINNING OF THE TWO YEARS* WAR.
41 I
buildings were burned, the family having left the place. From Cedar Flat three thousand pounds of flour was carried off, besides other provisions.
That the out¬
break on the Trinity was primarily due to the neg¬ ligence and weak philanthropy of Col. Olney, com¬ manding at Fort Gaston, was believed by many who pro¬ fessed to be cognizant of the facts.
It was asserted
by them that Col. Olney had entertained a scheme for a treaty of peace, by which the past transgressions of the hostile tribes in his jurisdiction would have been forgiven and their permanent settlement in the Hoopa Valley assured; but the organization of the
Moun¬
taineer Battalion had put a stop to the treaty negotia¬ tions, and Col. Olney was fain to content himself with a masterly inactivity.
The
neighboring tribes, im¬
pressed only with a sense of what they considered the weakness of the whites, were bolder than ever before, and much less inclined to sue for peace at any price. Encouraged and elated by the success of their late raids, the Hoopa tribes were more than ever inclined to listen to the Redwoods and join them in whatever marauding expeditions they might undertake.
Movements of the Mountaineers were necessarily slow in the first months of the existence of the Bat¬ talion.
The Companies experienced delay in being
mustered in, and there were various other influences at work to prevent rapidity of action.
Three months
412
INDIAN
WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
of the year had passed when Capt. Ousley went into camp at Daby’s Ferry on Mad River, and it was some weeks later when Capt. Long’s Company was stationed at Fort Baker.
The other Companies were not yet
full. Capt. Ousley did not remain long at Daby’s Ferry. In June he moved his command to Faun Prairie, where he was in a position to guard the Trinity trail. Capt. Ousley was in Union when the intelligence of Charles Raymond’s death reached that place.
With
21 of his own men and 9 citizens who volunteered to go, he started on the Ayeitchpee trail, hoping to head the Indians off before they got to Hoopa, where, it was supposed, the majority of them came from.
He did
not meet with the success he anticipated, the Indians evading him. field left
At about the same time Lieut. Hemp-
Faun Prairie with 40 men and found the
trail made by the Indians in their flight.
At the head
of Willow Creek they made a stand, and
Hempfield
recovered a number of animals belonging to the trains captured by them at Oak Camp. were injured in tachment found
None of the whites
the engagement.
Hempfield’s de¬
and buried Charles Raymond near
the spot where he fell.
The scenes that met their eyes
while traveling through the country were not reassur¬ ing.
The slaughter of stock had been wantonly ex¬
travagant.
They rode for hours over the deserted
stock ranges, and were never out
of sight of dead
animals—cattle, mules and horses.
An incident illus¬
trating the treachery of the savages attended the re¬ taking of the captured mules by Hempfield.
Near the
BEGINNING OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
head of Willow Creek, following their
413
trail
along
a bald ridge, he saw a bundle of clothing hanging in an oak tree, securely fastened by ropes.
The thought
occurred to Hempfield that this might be a decoy of the Indians, devised to lead him into an ambush, and so it proved
to be
upon subsequent
investigation.
Hempfield made a detour with his detachment and fell in with the stolen mules that he recovered.
The In¬
dians were seen in the brush, and a number of shots were exchanged with them, but Hempfield did not deem it prudent to attack them with his small force. Reporting the results of his expedition to Capt. Ousley at Faun Prairie, the latter prepared to march on the Indians with a force of ioo men, and was to have started to their camp a few days after Hempfield’s return, when an order was received from headquarters transferring him and his command to Fort Gaston. Henceforth, military affairs in the Humboldt Dis¬ trict had only to do with the Mountaineer Battalion. Col. Lippitt’s regiment was relieved from duty here and assigned
to other posts.
Lieut. Col. Whipple
assumed command at Fort Humboldt, where he es¬ tablished the headquarters of the Battalion.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
4H
CHAPTER XXXI.
The Two Years’ War.
A Raid near Trinidad.—Battle of Redwood Creek.—Scouting parties from the forts.—Death of Samuel Minor, Joseph Sumption and John McNutt.—The Trinity.—Sandy Bar.—Capt. Miller’s De¬ feat.—The Willow Creek Fight.—Position of the Mountaineers.
A sensational scene interrupted the monotony of life at Trinidad in June.
The people, every minute
expecting an army of savage warriors to sweep down upon the place like so many human vultures, in hot haste prepared for the worst.
Some left for Union
and Eureka; some barricaded their houses and pre¬ pared to fight; all anticipated that an attack would be made upon them.
Their fear was caused by a raid
of the enemy near the town. warriors, coming unexpectedly
A band of Redwood into the settlement,
drove the laborers away from the Trinidad saw-mill, robbed a house and burned it, went to the mouth of Little River and robbed and burned another house, and when they had secured enough booty to satisfy them, returned to the mountains from whence they came. The Mountaineers were not
inactive.
They had
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
41 5
enough to do, when pack-trains had to be escorted across the mountains,
houses had
to be guarded,
swiftly moying bands of savages had to be trailed over deserted hills
and through dangerous canons.
The
escorting of pack-trains was the most dangerous part of their work, and it was in the performance of this duty that a detachment of Co. C
participated in a
hard-fought battle on Redwood Creek, near Minor’s Ranch—a fight that is recorded in local history as one of the most desperate encounters that occurred during the war.
Manheim’s pack-train of 35 mules, escorted
by Lieut. Middleton and 18 men of Co. C, went from Union to Fort Gaston, on Monday, July 6th, with a load of flour; and on Tuesday morning, the 7th, they started on their return.
In
the evening the train
camped on Redwood Creek, twenty miles from Fort Gaston and close to Minor’s
Ranch. . Here Lieut.
Middleton and two others left the train and pushed on to
Union, the escort remaining
with the train
under command of Sergeant G. W. Day.
The men
were up early on the morning of the 8th.
Their
frugal meal was soon eaten and
preparations were
made for the homeward journey.
The mules were
driven up, and the packs were being placed on them, when the enemy opened fire from two sides of the camp, from the underbrush across the creek, and from a high bluff in the rear.
The entire force of the
whites at this time consisted of Sergeant Day and 17 men of Co. C, two men of Co. B, and two packers— 22 in all.
The Indians numbered at least 100, and
they had the advantage in position, as well as profit-
416
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ing by the confusion in the camp resulting from the surprise. guns.
The
Indians, too, were
well armed with
Not an arrow was sent into the camp, but a
rain of bullets fell
thick and fast.
The fight had
lasted three'hours, half of the white force being dis¬ abled, when five of the
Mountaineers climbed the
bluff in the rear, dislodged the enemy and drove them across the creek.
At noon the
Indians reluctantly
withdrew, carrying their dead and wounded from the field.
How many Indians were killed could not be
ascertained.
The
Mountaineers
suffered severely.
In their exposed position it would have been impos¬ sible to gain shelter, and contesting the fight bravely and stubbornly, as they did, added to the danger of their position.
Two men were despatched to Fort
Gaston for reinforcements, and Sergeant Day took account of his, losses. in
Ten men, half of the number
camp, were wounded
in
the fight.
The official
list of the wounded prepared by Sergeant Day con¬ tained the names of Chas. L. Kell, Co. C, wounded in thigh and arm, dangerously; John Blum, Co. C, right lung and leg, dangerously; Wm. Taylor, Co. C, thigh, shoulder and hand, dangerously; Gilford Bridges, Co. C,
ankle, severely;
slightly;
George
Andrew
Foote,
Co.
Robinson, Co. C, thigh
B,
thigh,
and leg,
slightly; Wm. Stevenson, Co. C, leg, slightly; Wm. Griffin, Co. C, cheek and arm, slightly; J. McMahan, Co. C, hand, slightly.
Sergeant Day was also slightly
wounded in the thigh.
At 4 o’clock of Thursday
morning Sergeant Hurst and .7 men of Co. B arrived and reinforced the tired and exhausted detachment,
THE TWO YEARS
WAR.
417
and on Friday 10 men from Co. C arrived from Union. The wounded men could not be moved before their wounds were dressed. moned to the camp.
Three surgeons were sum¬
When the surgeons considered
their removal safe, the wounded were conveyed to Fort Humboldt.
The fact that the fight was with
men of Co. C, which was raised in Trinity county ex¬ clusively, and the further fact that great bravery had been exhibited by them, naturally elevated that Com¬ pany at once to a high place in the estimation of the people.
The battle could not be claimed as a victory,
it is true, yet it had shown, in the beginning of a long conflict, the brave and determined character of the Mountaineer Battalion. Reports from the scouting parties first sent out from the Forts were not of an encouraging nature. scouts were energetic and
The
persistent, yet the only
practical result of their work was a knowledge that the Indians were trying to concentrate their forces. exact locality of their base of operations was
The not
determined, though it was understood to be some¬ where in the Redwood Creek region
Some tribes
were in the mountains at the head of Pilot Creek, where they were almost inaccessible, and where they might elude the vigilance of pursuers until hunger compelled them to seek the more open country of the foot-hills.
Co. B sent out many small detachments
for scouting purposes, who
thoroughly explored the
country in the vicinity of Fort Baker. and’ Beckwith
Lieuts. Geer
and Sergeant Bradford traveled over
a large extent of country in the neighborhood of 27
418
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Yager Creek and Larabee Valley, satisfying them¬ selves that the enemy had moved to another locality. The locality of the hostile tribes was not long con¬ cealed.
It was brought to the attention of the citizens
of Union, especially, in a manner which could inspire nothing biit feelings of dreqd and dismay.
The 3d of
August was a day marked by excitement in Union fully equal to that which had reigned in Trinidad a few weeks before.
The women
and children
were
gathered in a fire-proof store for protection, the Areata Guards turned out with their arms, citizens who did not belong to the Guards were armed with anything of which a weapon could be made, and every possible preparation was made to resist the general attack which all anticipated was soon to be made.
It transpired,
however, that a general attack had not been planned by the Indians;
the sole cause of the excitement was
the murder of a citizen in the suburbs of the village. The murder was atrocious and horrible, being com¬ mitted by a few Redwood Indians, the victim being Samuel Minor, a logger of Union.
Samuel and Isaac
Minor, brothers, and Wesley Sumption were at work in the woods a few hundred yards from the village on the morning of August 3d.
Isaac worked a little while-
and then returned to town:
Samuel remained at his
work in the woods, and Sumption, who was driving the team, left the logging camp with his third load at 11 o’clock.
Sumption had driven away when he heard
a shout back in the woods.
Thinking that Minor had
cut his foot, or that a tree had fallen on him, Sump¬ tion ran back to his assistance.
A horrible scene was
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
419
revealed when he had ‘passed the intervening trees. He saw Minor lying face downward on the ground; saw an
Indian fix an arrow to his bow and drive
it deep into Minor’s prostrate form; Indian take Minor’s ax and strike blow on
the
head.
and saw another him
Sumption raised up his fallen comrade. had shot him
first in
Sumption witnessed
a
powerful
Then the murderers left, and His assailants
the back, the deeds
being
exhibition of their ferocity.
merely
which
the superfluous
Minor was not dead, and
in the house of his brother he lingered till half-past seven o’clock that evening.
Capt. Miller, of Co. C,
arrived that evening with a detachment of Mountain¬ eers,
and started in pursuit of the murderers, but
it was impossible to follow their trail.
Guards pa¬
trolled the streets of Union through the night follow¬ ing the
murder,
and
Col. Whipple
ordered
Capt.
Miller to send out scouting parties daily between Mad River and Freshwater Slough.
That the deed was
committed by a few—probably not more than four or five—did not lessen the probability that there was a large tribe in the immediate neighborhood of Union.
August and
September brought desolation
death to the Trinity.
and
That section of the vast mining
region of the North was almost depopulated through the effects of the war.
Every house in one of the
most thickly-settled districts on the river, for a dis-
420
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
tance of twenty miles along the stream, was sacked and burned by the Indians.
To make matters worse,
a number of the tribes near Hoopa were at war among themselves, and were ' thus
rendered more
savagely ferocious than Nature had made them. A wounded Indian arrived at Hoopa Valley from the upper country in the beginning of September, and represented to the citizens there that while he was staying at the house of a white man Redwood Indians attacked the place and killed the man and a woman, besides wounding him in the leg.
A few days later
the report'was confirmed by a Chinaman who had passed near the blackened ruins of the house.
Capt.
Ousley, in command at Fort Gaston, detailed Corporal Underwood to the scene, with orders to bury the dead and pursue the Indians.
Corporal Underwood ascer¬
tained that the burned dwelling had been inhabited by a man named Merrick and a woman who was known by the
name of
Madame Weaver, both of
•whom had been killed by the Indians.
The charred
remains of the man were lying in the ruins of the house where he had fallen.
By his side were the fire¬
proof parts of a rifle, a shot-gun and a Colt’s revolver —evidence that the house had been bravely defended. Following closely on the news of the attack at Mer¬ rick’s house—so closely that the general excitement had no time to subside—came intelligence to military headquarters of other equally terrible deeds.
News of
any kind was apt to travel slowly along the Trinity or the Klamath ; and even the startling intelligence of extraordinary Indian atrocities, when it reached the
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
421
populous settlements near the sea, was not apt to be of much service as a guide to military operations. But. any extraordinary occurrence on the mail trail— the chief highway of trade and traffic to the mines— was usually reported to the trading posts within a day or two thereafter. From Fort Gaston to Weaverville the mail was car¬ ried by Wallace Van Aernam, who, in times of dan¬ ger, was escorted by a military guard.
Van Aertiam,
escorted by Owen Washington and Wm. S. Terry, of Company C, left Hoopa Valley for Weaverville on the night of the 14th of September.
At Sandy Bar,
five miles below Taylor’s Flat, they were fired on from the brush.
Terry was shot through the body and fell
from his mule.
Washington, who was yet unhurt,
dismounted, and attempted to raise Terrry from the ground.
A second volley was fired from the brush.
Washington was struck by two bullets, one in the thigh and one in the side. Perceiving that it would be certain death to remain, and that Terry had received a mortal wound, he remounted his own mule and es¬ caped, going to Little Prairie, from whence he was carried to Cox’s Bar.
Van Aernam rode on after the
first volley was fired, and Washington supposed that he had escaped, until, on the way to Little Prairie, he saw his mule on the trail riderless.
Two days from
that time a posse of citizens went from Cox’s Bar to Sandy Bar, intending to find Terry’s body and Van Aernam.
Close to the trail, at the root of a pro¬
jecting stump, one of the party picked up a slip of pa¬ per. hand:
On it was written, in a hurried but nervous
422
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Shot by Indians—back at the River—this morning W S Van Aernam Terry's body was where Washington had left it, and was mutilated almost beyond recognition.
The flesh
had been cut from the face ; a large knife, run direct¬ ly through the neck, pinioned the head to the ground. The disappearance of Van Aernam was explained by his note, but his fate was yet a mystery.
He might
have escaped to the settlements on foot, or he might be lying somewhere in the woods, perishing of hunger, if he lived at all ; and if dead, his body should be somewhere near Sandy Bar.
The neighborhood was
scoured for miles and miles, but no trace of Van Aer¬ nam was discovered.
The mail bags were found, un¬
opened, and saddle-bags that had been rifled of their contents.
When the news reached Col. Whipple that
Van Aernam had not been found, he ordered a de¬ tachment of fifteen men, accompanied by J. F. Denny, mail contractor, to go and search for him.
Little hope
was entertained that he would be found alive.
Those
who knew him regarded the note he left on the trail as only an evidence of his unflinching nerve strong in death.
Three weeks after the fatal attack at Sandy
Bar Mr. Denny found Van Aernam’s dead body not far from where the note was picked up.
His watch,
pistol and money had been taken from him. His body had not been mutilated.
That he was not found soon¬
er must be attributed to the negligence or excitement of those who had previously searched for him.
Owen
Washington, who escaped to the settlements at Little
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
423
Prairie, died there of his wounds, at the house of a farmer.
People in the vicinity of
Humboldt Bay did not
confine their attention to the exciting news from the Trinity.
They had incidents of the war at home to
demand their greatest interest. The death of two citi¬ zens occurred soon after Minor was killed.
One, Jo¬
seph Sumption, who saw Minor killed, was shot near the same spot on the 23d of August, and in the same manner—the Indians firing from an ambush behind logs and trees.
The other victim, John McNutt, was
shot on the 2d of September while riding in the Mattole Valley. Four full and efficient Companies, each containing eighty men of the Mountaineer Battalion, were now ready for action in the field, and the enrollment of two more Companies was progressing satisfactorily.
Wm.
C. Martin, of Union, received a commission as Cap-, tain of
Co. C, and went up to Del Norte county for
the purpose of recruiting his force. Col. Whipple dis¬ posed the four Companies in service to the best possi¬ ble advantage.
Fort Baker was abandoned, and Com¬
pany A, Captain Long, was ordered to go into quarters at Iaqua, between Kneeland’s Prairie and the head of Yager Creek.
Captain Ousley was relieved from Fort
Gaston and ordered to the field, that post being as¬ signed to
Major Taylor’s command from Siskiyou.
Co. C, Capt. Miller, guarded the Trinity border, and
424
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Co. E, Capt. Simpson, was posted
along the mail
route on the Northern boundary of Mendocino.
Never had there been a week of greater excitement in Hoopa Valley than the first week in September. An Indian charged with several murders was arrested by Lieut. Hempfield on Willow Creek, and search was made for two other Hoopa Indians suspected of hav¬ ing been
implicated in
Madame Weaver.
the killing of Merrick and
It was ascertained that they were
in the rancheria of
the Ma-til-tins, the largest and
most powerful of the peaceable tribes in the Valley, situated one mile from Fort Gaston.
Lieut. Hemp-
field and three men were sent to arrest the Indians and take them to the Fort. to give up the culprits.
The Ma-til-tins refused
Major Taylor and several citi¬
zens went to the rancheria and demanded the murder¬ ers.
The Ma-til-tins again refused to surrender them.
Major Taylor then told the leading Indians that if the murderers were not given up in three days he would attack the rancheria and destroy it.
Returning to the
Fort, preparations were made to guard against the possible resistance of other tribes that professed to be peaceable, and detachments were posted in available po¬ sitions to watch the movements of the Ma-til-tins.
A
warning was sent out to all the friendly tribes to re¬ main in their own rancherias for twenty days.
Wo¬
men and children of white families living in the Val-
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
425
ley were given accommodations in the garrison.
The
three days’ notice expired and the murderers were still in the Ma-til-tin Rancheria.
On the night of the
third day Capt. Ousley left the Fort with twenty men, passing to the Eastward, over the summit of
Trinity
Mountain, so as to flank the rancheria on the East side.
On the morning of the expiration of the no¬
tice Lieut. Hempfield with twenty-five men made a circuit to the Westward and approached the rancheria from that quarter.
In the meantime Sergeant Hurst
with another detachment had taken a position -below the rancheria, while Major Taylor, with one cannon and
a detachment of
artillerymen, passed up the
West bank of the Trinity.
The rancheria was com¬
pletely invested from all sides.
Major Taylor waited
quietly for several hours, when the
Indians, seeing
that he was disposing his forces in fighting trim, as quietly surrendered.
One hundred and fifteen prison¬
ers were taken and escorted to a position under the guns of the Fort, where they were allowed to remain. The easy victory, achieved without fighting, gained by Major Taylor was offset by the disastrous defeat of
Capt. Miller and a detachment of sixteen men of
Co. C, in November.
Miller was returning to Fort
Gaston from Weaverville.
Passing through a field
five miles above the mouth of the South Fork of Trin¬ ity, a skirmish was had and two Indians were killed. The others retreated, and were seen no more until the detachment was crossing the South Fork, when the Indians in their turn made an
attack from the hill¬
side commanding the crossing. Two men were wound-
426
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ed while in the stream. Miller urged his men across, and in extricating them from their exposed position several mules were lost, three, loaded with the camp equipage, provisions and the U. S. mail, falling into the hands of the Indians. The attack was so sudden, and his position so exposed to the fire of the enemy, that Capt. Miller appears to have been well satisfied to escape with his detachment at the expense of the mules and stores and with two men wounded. Capt. Ousley commanded a detachment from Fort Gaston which was immediately dispatched in pursuit of the Indians who had defeated Miller. After a long scout with 15 men, in which he recovered the U. S. mail lost by Miller, Capt. Ousley camped at the mouth of Willow Creek, November 16th, intending to return to the fort within two or three days. The provisions being nearly exhausted, two of the men—privates Buckman and Johnson—went up the creek in search of game on the morning of the 17th. Capt. Ousley and 4 men, scouting near the camp, followed a fresh trail that led up a rocky ridge. They were still near the camp when they heard firing on the creek below them. Ousley hastened in the direction of the firing and saw Buckman and Johnson defending themselves against an attack of the enemy. Ordering the whole force of 13 men to join him, he started to the assistance of the two men, from the camp, but had not reached them when another party of Indians appeared and the fight became general. Capt. Ousley was wounded*in the leg, Johnson was struck in the breast, and another man was wounded in the thigh, the last two being so
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
427
severely hurt that they could no longer participate in the fight and were carried to the camp.
The loss of
these, and of two others who were detailed to their protection, reduced the force to 12, who gallantly main¬ tained their position.
Qnce Capt. Ousley attempted
to gain the shelter of a group of trees, but on nearing it a warm reception was given by Indians concealed there.
Capt. Ousley was compelled
to
resume his
former position, which he held until the close of the fight.
His little detachment, opposed by 40 Indians
armed wjth guns, fought bravely for eight hours. Their position was exposed, the foe dodging from tree to tree and hiding in the brush; yet they stood their ground through all the fight, some escaping miracu¬ lously from menacing death.
Corporal Underwood
had the charger shot from his powder flask; private Adams had the stock of his gun shattered; a ball struck one of private Nichols shoes, tearing off part of the sole and grazing the skin; another man received a ball through the leg of one boot.
After fighting
eight hours the Indians withdrew, carrying away of their number 7 dead and 10 wounded. total loss was 3 wounded.
Capt. Ousley’s
The Indians were from the
South Fork of Trinity and from Redwood tribes. While the Mountaineers were getting in position for Winter quarters there went down to General Wright several petitions from Trinity county asking that addi¬ tional troops be sent to the Humboldt District. petitioners were represented
The
by Governor Stanford,
Col. Whipple, A. Wiley,.and Senator Jones of Trinity, who had a personal interview with Gen. Wright, stat-
428
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
ing very explicitly the necessity for sending more troops to the District.
The General agreed to send two Com¬
panies of the 2d Regiment, California Volunteers; and in December the two Companies arrived at Fort Hum¬ boldt, and were assigned to garrison and scouting duty in the vicinity of Humboldt Bay. Latest intelligence from Fort Gaston induced the belief that some of the Hoopa Valley tribes were pre¬ paring for a desperate struggle.
The citizens of Hoopa
Valley and the troops at the fort were given notice to leave, the Indians declaring that they would wage re¬ lentless war upon
them.
The
hostile
tribes really
represented only a small part of the native population of the Hoopa country.
There were many strong tribes
and rancherias that could not be induced to go to war with the whites.
Yet the hostile tribes were suffi¬
ciently numerous to create a lively apprehension of their power and designs.
Major Taylor exerted his
full authority and capacity to afford protection to the settlers, and before the end of the year they were all under the guarding guns of the fort.
THE TWO YEARS
WAR.
429
CHAPTER XXXII. The Two Years’ War.
Shelling a Log Fort at Bald Mountain and escape of the Indians.— Concentration of Troops.—Disastrous raid in the Salmon River Country.—“Big Jim’s” Band.—“ Ceonaltin John.”—Sheriff Brown’s Independent Company.—A resolution in the Legisla¬ ture.—Reinforcements. .
A remarkable engagement occurred in the month
of December at Bald Mountain, five miles from An¬ gel’s Ranch and one mile south of the old trail lead¬ ing from Union to the Trinity River,—an engagement which was remarkable for its character in an Indian country, for the fact that it developed into a genuine siege, for the nature of the assault and the defense, for the adroit manner in which the besieged escaped the besiegers, and for the criticism and comment it origi¬ nated.
The Indians had constructed a log fort, en¬
closing a spring of water, so arranged as to command the approaches from every direction.
There were four
log houses, pierced with loop-holes, and situated in the center of a small prairie, surrounded by hills covered with heavy timber, on the flank of Bald Mountain. On the South was a deep ditch or gulch, impassible
43°
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
to those who did not know the ground.
Col. Whipple,
who was at Fort Gaston, ordered Lieut. Middleton to take thirty-five men and attack the Indian fort.
Lieut.
Middleton arrived on the ground on Christmas morn¬ ing, and without delay the attack was commenced. The Indians had a clean sweep of the little prairie from their port-holes, for which reason it. was not con¬ sidered advisable to attempt to storm the fortress with the small force under Lieut. Middleton.
The fight¬
ing was confined to shooting from the shelter of the woods, a brisk fire being maintained from the fort. For two hours this preliminary engagement lasted, one of Middleton’s men belonging to Co. C being wounded.
Middleton then withdrew his command out
of range and sent for reinforcements.
At half-past
8 o’clock on the evening of the 25th Capt. Ousley and fifteen men of Co. B left Fort Gaston for Bald Moun¬ tain, arriving at the scene of the fight before sunrise on the 26th.
Lieut. Middleton was not there, nor was
his command anywhere within sight.
Capt. Ousley,
ignorant of Middleton’s whereabouts, and unwilling to attack the fort with fifteen men, fell back and remain¬ ed inactive until 11 o’clock, when he was joined by Lieut. Beckwith and 24 men of Co. A, and by Lieut. Hale and
15 men of Co. B.
The latter also brought
a howitzer and shells from Fort Gaston.
The inferior
officers informed Capt. Ousley that they had seen In¬ dians on the road, which induced him to begin the at¬ tack that day, instead of waiting another day for Mid¬ dleton’s detachment to return—because he was confi¬ dent that as soon as the Indians learned of the arrival
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
431
of the howitzer they would quit their position. »
first shot was fired at half past twelve o’clock.
The Lieut.
Beckwith was on the right with 24 men, Lieut. Hale in the center with 20 men, and 10 men operated the howitzer on the left, making a total of 54 as the num¬ ber of the attacking force.
At 4 o’clock the amuni-
tion for the howitzer was exhausted, and as he had no axes, without which the fort could not be successfully stormed, Capt. Ousley prudently withdrew and camped for the
night.
The
Indians
were still
sion of the fort and had shown yield.
in posses¬
no disposition to
The second day’s fight had accomplished no
more than the first.
The fort had been considerably
damaged by shells from the howitzer, but its strength had not been materially diminished.
The vigorous
fire from the port-holes had not slackened, nor had the whites succeeded in killing many of the Indians. man of Co. B was wounded.
One
At five o’clock 10 men
from Lieut. Middleton’s command arrived from a place where he had camped on Bald Mountain.
As dark¬
ness gathered Capt. Ousley posted a strong picket all around the fort, with instructions to give warning of any suspicious movement by the Indians or any at-‘ tempt to leave their strong-hold.
The sun rose on the
third day of the siege, the first Sunday after Christmas. There was silence at the fort.
Not a sound issued
from its port-holes, not a flash or a whistling bullet, no movement of any kind gave sign or token of the presence of a savage foe within. easily
explained.
The
Indians
The silence was
were
gone.
Right
through the ranks of the surrounding pickets they
432
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
had passed, amid the darkness and the shadows of the night
Three hundred sturdy warriors, who might
have been captured or killed, were once more on the war-path, leaving their fort to be destroyed, but leaving in it nothing of value to the whites. No one could fix the blame for the failure at Bald Mountain upon any particular officer or man ; but the severe criticism on the affair, and the harsh censure of all who might have been derelict in duty or incapa¬ ble in management, were quite sufficient to demon¬ strate the depth of indignation which pervaded the community.
The censure and criticism provoked a
letter from Capt. Ousley to J. E. Wyman, of Eureka, in which he stated that if anybody was to blame he alone was the man ; that there was no way to prevent the escape of the Indians, because the fort was sur¬ rounded by tall grass through which it was easy for them to crawl out unperceived; and that having tried to do his duty faithfully he had no apologies to make for the unfortunate occurrence. ended,
Here the discussion
and with it the criticism
and the censure.
Capt. Ousley was respected as a brave and conscien¬ tious and diligent officer; and as he had voluntarily as¬ sumed the full blame for the Bald Mountain failure, the people were readily inclined to the opinion that the af¬ fair was one of the unforeseen accidents of war which cannot be prevented and for which no one should be uncharitably condemned.
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
It was Col.
433
Whipple’s policy to concentrate his
troops at Hoopa, in January, 1864, as many as could be spared, from the military posts, transient or perman¬ ent, in the District.
The available force at Fort Gas¬
ton was increased to 350 men, the garrison being re¬ inforced by a part of Co. D under Lieut. Herrick, a part of Co. A, and all of Captain Pico’s Cavalry Com¬ pany of Native Californians. It was well that the concentration of troops was made so soon, for hostilities were commenced by the Indians in a locality which had been comparatively tranquil and secure in the preceding stages of the war. The field of operations was suddenly extended to the South Fork of Salmon River. the settlements there by
A raid was made on
Hoopa
Indians, who de¬
stroyed property and killed and wounded many people. Six white men were known to have been killed, and a large number of Chinese miners.
Two stores were
robbed and destroyed, from which much ammunition was carried away.
The Indians who made the raid
were divided into three bands—one headed by “ Big Jim,” one by “ Ceonaltin John,” and one by “ Hand¬ some Billy.”
These notables of their tribe knew the
country thoroughly, were thoroughly acquainted with the white settlements and the Indian retreats, and so great was their influence that they were reputed to control all but one of the Redwood tribes, notwith¬ standing their own
relationship with
the
Hoopas.
The three bands contained 150 warriors, well armed, possessed of large stores of ammunition.
Their raid
on the South Salmon was unexpected and unprepared 28
434
for.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Success to them was easy, because the settlers
and miners were quietly pursuing their accustomed avocations at the time, unconscious of danger.
When
a realizing sense of their peril was felt by the miners, and preparations were
made
for defense, six white
men had already met their death : John Teague, Robt. Roberts, Jesse Staleup, Geo. and another known
Brown, W. B. Teaters,
as Italian
Frank.
The miners
gathered at Salmon Bridge and fought through the greater part of Saturday and Sunday, January 16th and 17th, and prevented the passage of the bridge. In this fight John Teague was killed.
When intel¬
ligence of the raid was received at Fort Gaston two detachments were ordered out under Capt. Ousley, Co. B, and Lieut. Middleton, Co. C, with instructions to intercept the Indians on their return to Hoopa Valley; but they failed to accomplish
the object for which
they were sent, the three leaders of the enemy being so much better acquainted with the country that they easily avoided the troops and reached the Valley by a secret trail.
In the Valley, late at night, two detach¬
ments, under Lieuts. Middleton and Hempfield, crossed the Trinity River with “ Big Jim ” in his camp.
the
intention of surprising
Spies who were watching
their movements betrayed them, and when they had surrounded the camp they were chagrined to find in it nobody but a few women and children.
“ Big Jim ”
and his band had escaped on the first intimation of their approach. There was great activity at Fort Gaston. parties were sent out daily and nightly.
Scouting
Capt. Ousley,
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
with twenty men of
435
Co. B, established a post on
Redwood Creek. An Independent Volunteer Company, containing 50 miners from Salmon River and Orleans Bar,
together with
twenty friendly Indians of the
Klamath and Salmon tribes, arrived at the Fort under command of the Sheriff of Klamath county, T. M. Brown.
Capt. Baird’s Company, raised in
Siskiyou
county, was daily expected to report for duty. On the 29th of January one of Capt. Pico’s men was shot and mortally wounded by Indians concealed in the Ceonaltin Rancheria, from which all the ablebodied males were supposed to be absent.
Nearly all
the Ceonaltins were out under their leader, “Ceonaltin John,” and Lieut. Herrick, with a detachment of Co. C, was sent in pursuit of them.
As usual, the Indians
escaped under cover of the brush-clad ravines.
The
tribe having escaped, a few days later the rancheria of the Ceonaltins was destroyed by fire. a nest of vipers.
It had been
“Ceonaltin John,” from whom it
derived its name, was the leading spirit in the uprising of the Hoopa and Redwood tribes, and he was the most daring and intelligent, the bravest and shrewdest of all leaders of his race in Northern California.
It was
believed in many quarters that he had been the leader of the band that carried destruction to the homes of Bates, Daby and Muhlberg, and he was also reported to have been engaged in a majority of the desperate fights on Redwood Creek since the settlement of the country by the whites. During the time that the raid on the Salmon was attracting public notice the Representative in
the
43^
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
State Legislature from Humboldt county, A. Wiley, introduced a resolution expressing the conviction that reinforcements
of troops
were urgently needed
subdue the Indian war in the Northwest.
to
In his pre¬
amble he stated that the war then progressing in the Northern counties
was far more extensive
in
its
results than people in other parts of the State under¬ stood or suspected;
that 1,500 armed warriors were
in the field against the whites;
that in a few years
past there had been three score of citizens murdered and many homes reduced to dust and ashes;
that the
hostile tribes were constantly adding to their supply of arms and ammunition by murder and robbery, and were inciting peaceable tribes to rebellion. debate was had on the resolution.
A long
Some of the mem¬
bers from towns on the plains and from the extreme South were disposed to doubt the truth of reports concerning the gravity of the war; and others, of the class of sentimental philanthropists, were disposed to view the trouble as an incident of oppression by the whites.
So indisputable and clear was the proof pre¬
sented that even the scruples of the two classes named were overcome.
The resolution requesting the Gov¬
ernor to send more troops to the Humboldt Military District was passed with only one dissenting vote.
THE TWO YEARS
WAR.
437
CHAPTER XXXIII.
The Two Years’ War.
More Troops.—Change of Commanders.—Attack on J. M. Dyer’s house.—The Mattole country.—Movements of the Mountaineers. —White Thorn Valley.—Snyder’s Ranch.—Humboldt Ridge.— Booth’s Run.
Having passed both Houses, the resolution asking for more troops for the Humboldt District went to the Governor, and the latter, conferring with Gen. Wright, brought the question to an issue.
Whatever General
Wright’s opinion may have been about a so-called “implied censure” of the military authorities contained in the resolution, his action did not manifest any feel¬ ing of wounded pride or spiteful antipathy.
Promptly
agreeing that it would be best to send more troops to the scene of the Indian hostilities, he wrote an official letter to Mr. Wiley, stating that he would send Col. Black with 250 men to take the field and make a vigor¬ ous campaign.
He would make a change of com¬
manders, giving Col. Black command of the Humboldt District.
He had no fault to find with Col. Whipple,
who had been active, zealous and energetic: inasmuch as he was sending a large force of the 6th Infantry he
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
438
deemed it proper to give the command of the District to Col. Black. Col. Black and staff, and Companies C, E and G, 6th Regiment, California Volunteers, arrived at Fort Humboldt from San Francisco on Wednesday, Febru¬ ary 17th, and on the very same day there was a call for their services. An attack was made on the house of J. M. Dyer, near Union, by forty or fifty Indians, only Mrs. Dyer and a hired man being on the place. in Union.
Mr. Dyer was
The hired man was plowing in a field be¬
tween the house and the bay at the time when the Indians appeared, which was about 11 o’clock in the morning.
He was shot at several times and wounded
in the arm.
Seeing that the Indians were between
him and the house, he turned and ran towards the bay. Four of the Indians pursued him, firing as they ran. His heavy shoes were clogged with mud from the plowed ground and his pursuers gained on him.
He
knew that they would overtake him if he did not throw off his impeding shoes.
This he could not do without
cutting the strings which tied them to his feet.
Stop¬
ping short, and turning toward his pursuers, he drew a sheath-knife from its scabbard.
The Indians thought
the knife was a pistol, stopped, and dodged out of the way.
Their intended victim took advantage of their
mistake, quickly cut the strings and kicked the shoes from his feet, resumed his flight, and escaped.
Mrs.
Dyer, hearing the shots and divining their origin, fled from the house, taking the precaution to hide a gun in a feather bed so that it might not be carried away
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
and used against the whites.
439
The Indians completely
pillaged the house, turned over the beds and found the hidden gun, took every article of clothing, opened grain sacks and scattered the contents on the ground, and ended their work by setting fire to the building. By this time Union was aroused and citizens were hastening to the scene, a messenger being sent to Fort Humboldt for assistance.
The Indians were gone
when the citizens arrived, and they were able by hard work to extinguish the flames and save the building. Three hours after Col. Black’s troops arrived at Fort Humboldt the messenger from Union stated his mis¬ sion.
A detachment of 65 men of Co. C, C. V., under
Capt. Bulkeley, started across the bay within fifteen minutes thereafter.
While Northern Humboldt and the counties of Trin¬ ity and Klamath were the scenes of the notable events of the war, and while public attention was generally directed to them, events of a serious character were transpiring in the Southern part of the county, on the Mattole.
The protection afforded to settlers in the
Mattole country, either by Volunteers or Regulars, had always
been
spasmodic and
inefficient, and
it was
scarcely more efficient now than it had been in former years.
Destruction of life and property was scarcely
less frequent. Two settlers, P. Mackey and Thos. Lambert, were attacked on the morning of the 2 3d of February.
They
440
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
were returning from the fields to their house, were a-foot and armed only with their revolvers.
They had
got within half a mile of the house and were fired on from behind, Lambert being struck in the back and head, falling and instantly expiring.
Mackey escaped
to the house. Following a precedent which had been established by the people of the Southern country years before, the settlers of the Mattole assembled together in mass meeting, when the two months which had elapsed after the killing of Lambert demonstrated anew the critical condition of the settlement and military protection.
the inadequacy of
The meeting was a reproduction
of others that had preceded it, with the addition of fresher and newer details of destruction.
A few years
before, it was said, the settlements of Upper and Lower Mattole were thriving and populous: a large propor¬ tion of the inhabitants were of a permanent class who had acquired homes and built houses.
The desolating
Indian war had been destructive of all growth and prosperity.
The settlers, many of whom were stock-
raisers, had been compelled to drive their stock away and abandon their ranges, and many had fallen victims to savage ferocity.
A preamble and resolutions, de¬
tailing at great length the difficulties and dangers by which they were surrounded, were adopted by the set¬ tlers, and one of their number, M. J. Conkling, was dele¬ gated to interview Col. Black and ask for military pro¬ tection of some kind. Mr. Conkling, in pursuance of the duty imposed on him, had an interview with Col. Black, and that officer
441
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
was prompt to assure the citizens of
Mattole, through
him, that he would grant their request at the earliest practicable moment.
Upon
the surface, the result of the Spring cam¬
paign of 1864 was not satisfactory ; but to those who looked beneath the surface it was apparent that the Indians were losing ground.
The best way to termin¬
ate an Indian war was to keep the Indians moving, and this
the
Mountaineers, assisted
Volunteers, were doing.
by
the
California
The succession of fights and
scouts and skirmishes kept the hostile tribes moving from one
rancheria to another, from
one camp to
another, and gave them no time to recuperate their forces or provisions. The record of
the
Mountaineers was creditable.
Lieut. Frazer, Co. E, was stationed at Upper Mattole with twelve men.
In February he was on a scout in
White Thorn Valley, twenty-five miles from the Up¬ per Mattole, and here he killed, in a series of attacks on rancherias, fourteen hostile Indians, besides taking twenty-one prisoners.
The expedition to the White
Thorn, small as it was, did much to relieve the settlers of the Mattole from the depredations of the band of roving savages who killed McNutt and Lambert. In other localities where the war raged fiercest there was hard fighting and loss of life—fighting that was not remarkable for numerical strength of contending
442
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
forces, but whose result was as important to Northern California as the issue of conflicts of mighty hosts at the South was to the Union.
The two years’ war was
unquestionably a war for supremacy between the two races then inhabiting the country. On the Salmon River there was severe fighting with Trinity Indians by detachments of Mountaineers un¬ der Lieuts.
Randall and Middleton, several soldiers
and many Indians being killed. Snyder’s Ranch, situated on a ridge between Mad River and Redwood Creek, was the scene of a fight on the 2d of March.
Scouts from a detachment un¬
der Lieut. Geer, Co. A, located a camp of the hostiles on the evening of the ist, and returning to their own camp reported to their commanding officer.
Before
daylight on the 2d the detachment was disposed at a convenient distance from the camp of the enemy, who had chosen ground with discretion, the broken ridges, deep gulches and thick chaparral forming natural ad¬ vantages which were sure to be appreciated by savage warriors.
At daylight the attack was made.
The In¬
dians stood their ground for several minutes,
then
broke and fled, leaving three of their dead and five prisoners with the whites.
One of the Mountaineers
received a severe wound in the leg, the shot fracturing and breaking the bones.
A considerable amount of
clothing and blankets was captured, and After the fight Lieut.
one gun.
Geer returned to his camp.
Guards were posted on the night of the 2d and orders were given that no one should leave the camp.
On
the morning of the 3d private Wilson left the camp,
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
443
alone, saying that he intended to kill a deer.
He had
not been gone five minutes when the guards heard two shots in the direction he had taken.
Lieut. Geer
could not believe that the two shots had been fired by Wilson so near the camp. sent out to reconnoitre.
A number of
men were
Three hundred yards from
the sentry they found their comrade on the ground, dead, having been shot twice by ambushed Indians. The reconnoitreing party were fired at when they ap¬ proached the body, but none were struck. Lieut. Geer was untiring and zealous in pursuit of
the Indians,
yet the wild and broken character of the country, its impenetrable forests, and chaparral-covered hills, and dangerous canons, all were against him and favorable to an enemy whose acquaintance with the country was the growth of an intimacy dating from birth. Two months passed before Lieut. Geer could strike a blow to avenge his loss at Snyder’s Ranch.
On the
ist of May he, in company with Lieut. Taylor of Co. E, C. V., with a detachment of seventeen men, fol¬ lowed a trail on Humboldt Ridge, near the headwaters of Elk River. Two mules had been taken from camp to pack the blankets and supplies. was seen
Lieut.
When the fresh trail
Geer detailed privates Perry and
Mills, of Co. E, to drive the mules back on the trail they had come and intercept the Government train under Hugh Hamilton, which was then on its way to I aqua, giving them instructions to return
to
camp
when they had delivered the animals to Hamilton. Geer and Taylor followed the fresh trail and on the night of the same day they saw the fires of the Indian
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
444
camp.
Next morning the camp was captured, and in
the fight six of the enemy were killed and five prison¬ ers taken.
The
two men who had started for the
Government train with the mules did not fare so well. As they approached the locality known as Booth’s Run, a deep canon forming the
outlet of
Winter
streams, they saw the train on the opposite side.
As
they attempted to cross the canon Mills was shot and killed and Perry was wounded.
The latter escaped,
reaching Lieut. Geer’s camp after having wandered over the country, demented and bewildered, for two days and nights. In May occurred the death of Corporal J. D. Barnes, of Co. B, C. M.,
who was attacked
at
Kneeland’s
Prairie by seven Indians and a white man. alone.
him to drop his gun. wound.
He was
The first shot fractured his right arm, causing Another shot gave him a mortal
Clinging to his saddle, he rode four miles to
Company headquarters, where he died in three hours. The loss of life among the whites had indeed been terrible since the beginning of the year, yet valuable results had been accomplished. Many Indian warriors had been killed and many more captured and sent to Fort Humboldt.
Tribes and families, aggregating 175
in number of individuals, surrendered themselves vol¬ untarily to Capt. Hull at Fort Bragg, and an equal number were captured by detachments in the field. The large surrender to Capt. Hull was probably in¬ duced by a very successful raid which he had made on the Indians in the vicinity of his camp in April—a raid
in
which
25 warriors were killed, 15 prisoners
taken, and a number of rancherias destroyed.
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
445
CHAPTER XXXIV. The Two Years’ War. Military Affairs.—Another Change of Commanders.—Operations in the
field.—Lieuts.
Frazer
and
Geer.—Richard
Johnson’s
Daughter.—Alfred Varian.
In July military circles experienced another change. Col. Black, who had been assigned to the command of the
Humboldt District, was ordered
Stanton to
report at West
Lieut.-Col. Whipple, of the
by
Secretary
Point, New York, and Mountaineers, was rein¬
stated in the command of the District. Col. Black had been in command of the District a few months only.
His character as an officer in an
Indian country had not been fully developed.
His
actions had been energetic and full of promise, to say the least, and a generous testimonial presented to him by the enlisted men of his regiment, on the eve of his departure for New York,
may
be considered as a
spontaneous recognition of his merits as an officer and gentleman,
Lieut.-Col. Whipple
resumed the com¬
mand of the District with ripened experience and un¬ abated ardor. Some changes
were
made
in the disposition of
446 troops.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Co. I, 2d Infantry, was ordered to the Peninsula
opposite Bucksport, to guard prisoners prior to their removal to Reservations.
Co G, 6th Infantry, Capt.
Cook, was transferred to Fort Humboldt from Iaqua. Co. C, 6th Infantry, Capt. Buckley, was ordered from Boynton’s Prairie to Iaqua.
Lieut. Geer, of Co. A,
C. M., was ordered to relieve Lieut. Frazer, of Co. E, C. M., commanding the detachment of the Battalion stationed on the Mattole. Movements in the field during the Summer months were principally confined to the operations of Lieuts. Frazer- and Geer.
To them had been assigned the
duty of ridding the Mattole country of the marauding tribes that had made it desolate.
Their work was
accomplished with energy and success.
On the morn¬
ing of the 8th of July Lieut. Frazer destroyed a rancheria in
the
mountains, and
on
the
notorious warrior of a daring tribe. equally successful,
nth
killed a
Lieut. Geer was
scouting with ceaseless watchful¬
ness, killing many desperate warriors and capturing many prisoners.
The favorable progress of the war and the gradual submission and capture of the hostile tribes was not unattended by incidents of sad import.
Small bands
of daring savages, their hands red with the blood of innocent victims, still colored with the horror of their deeds the current chronicles of the time. Two events occurred—one in
July and one in
THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
447
August—which exhibited the depth of depravity to which the Indian race can descend.
The first occur¬
rence was in Eel River Valley, where a white girl, aged nine years, the daughter of
Richard Johnson,
and a domesticated Indian girl living with the same family, were attacked and cruelly wounded while pick¬ ing blackberries in the woods.
The Indian girl saw
ten or twelve warriors in the wood and began to shout for help, when she was told by them that if she made any more noise they would kill her.
She ran toward
the house, half a mile distant, and was shot several times with arrows.
Richard Johnson’s daughter was
overtaken, beaten on the head with stones, and left senseless.
The Indian girl escaped to the house of
Capt. Wasgatt and parties were soon out in search of her companion. ing morning,
The child was found on the follow¬
having been
wounded and exposed hours.
to
in
the
woods, seriously
the cold, for nearly ten
Though the wounds inflicted were not fatal,
the affair was justly considered an act of brutality meriting
the
severest punishment
that
could
be
devised by avenging settlers. The second occurrence was on the Klamath River —a murder which was never surpassed in the annals of border life for cold-blooded depravity.
The
cruelty and devilish
victim, like those of the preceding
outrage on Eel River Valley, was a child. Alfred
Varian, seven
The boy,
years of age, lived with his
guardian, L. Houghton, eight miles from Orleans Bar. One day he was missed from the house by a man who had been left on the place by Mr. Houghton, who was
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
448
away from duration
home.
failed
to
A search of twenty-four
hours’
reveal
T. M.
his
whereabouts.
Brown, Sheriff of Klamath county, Judge Carey and others, joined in the search with all the assistance they could
give.
Still
no clue to the
missing child.
Suspicion rested on a young Indian who had started from Houghton’s house with a letter to Orleans Bar. He had not delivered the letter nor had he returned to
Houghton’s.
With
commendable alacrity the
friendly Indians in the neighborhood volunteered to arrest the suspected one and bring him to Hough¬ ton’s place.
They did so, and
the young
Indian,
taken back to the scene of his crime, confessed that he had murdered the child.
He led his captors to a
gulch, two hundred yards from the house, where he had buried his little victim.
Under a great pile of
stones the body lay, crushed and mangled. derer exhibited
the
most stoical
The mur¬
indifference,
and
even smiled on the little face upturned to the light, as if the boy were only sleeping, “ after the fashion of the dead,” and he had come to wake him to life again. Such
heartless cruelty
was enough
to invoke the
swiftest punishment known to the unwritten law of the
mines;
but the
rough
miners
who gathered
around the murdered and the murderer had enough respect for the law of the land to keep them from interfering with the Sheriffs prerogative.
The mur¬
derer was placed in the Klamath county jail, to await the formalities of the law, and was afterwards executed on the scaffold for his crime.
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
449
CHAPTER XXXV. End of The Two Years’ War.—Permanent Peace Established. All quiet on the Trinity and the Klamath.—Movements of Troops.— Prisoners on the Peninsula.—The Mountaineers mustered out. Promotions and appointments.—The Government’s Indian poli¬ cy and the Reservation System.—Early Reserves in the Hum¬ boldt District.—Col. McKee and his Eel River Scheme.—Rob¬ inson’s
“Bonanza.”—Mendocino and Mattole.—The Hoopa
Reservation.—The Mouth of the Klamath.—Permanent Peace.
The Winter of 1864-65 witnessed the final extinc¬ tion of Indian troubles in the Northwest.
The vigor¬
ous policy pursued by Col. Whipple, and the unflag¬ ging efforts of the officers and men of his command, brought the two years’ war to a successful close, and terminated forever the Indian depredations which had threatened the existence and prosperity of the white settlers.
The result had not been accomplished with¬
out serious
loss of life, but it was
certainly better
that lives should be lost in battle than in massacres and murders.
The troops of the Mountaineer- Battal¬
ion behaved nobly during their long service, and when they were mustered out the kind wishes of the com¬ munity went with them. The movements of the Mountaineers in 29
1865 were
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
450
directed to their prospective “ mustering out” of ser¬ vice and to a quick completion of any needful work which yet remained to be done.
In January Lieut.
Middleton, Co. C, arrived at the Peninsula with a large number of prisoners, comprising the last of the hostiles in Trinity county.
By their capture, it was said,
Trinity county was cleared of all Indians who lived in rancherias and tribal relations, the few who remained being wandering and peaceful domesticated families, too few in number to be feared or avoided.
The
Klamath country was quiet and prosperous once more. The miners, unharassed by war, prepared for a profit¬ able Summer’s work.
The trails were opened and the
arteries of commerce pulsated with renewed life. Gradually the last remnants of hostile tribes in Hum¬ boldt county were brought in and confined on Peninsula. band
the
the
By the time orders were received to dis¬ Mountaineer
Battalion
the
blessings
of
peace were experienced throughout the entire North¬ west.
That it would be a permanent peace there was
little reason to doubt.
The hostile tribes had been
killed or captured, had been flooded by storms and driven by man, had been starved and beaten into abso¬ lute and final subjection.
There was but one question
to be decided, how to dispose of the large number of prisoners, and that was a question for the Government to decide.
The Mountaineers had done their duty.
They were ready to be honorably discharged. Prior to the discharge of the Mountaineers several promotions
were announced,
and in the
other regiments of the Volunteers.
both in the battalion In
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
451
the Battalion, Capt. C. W. Long was promoted to the rank of Major, and First Lieptenant K. N. Geer was promoted to a Captaincy. Major Wright, of the 6th C, V., was transferred to the 2d Reg¬ iment, and made a Lieutenant-Colonel. Capt. O’Brien, of the 2d, was promoted to be Major of the 6th Regiment, and Capt. Morton was promoted to a similar position in the 7th Regiment. After the discharge, in recognition of the value of his services, Lieut-Col. Whipple was awarded a commission as Brevet-Colonel, U. S. A. An order for the discharge of the Mountaineer Battalion was received at Fort Humboldt in June, and on the 14th day of that month the men were mustered out of service. Accompanying the order of discharge was a special order from the Headquarters of the Department of California commending the Volunteers, a copy of which is here given : Headquarters Department of California, San Francisco, Cal., July 7, 1865. Special Orders No. 145. The occasion of the mustering out of the United States service of the Battalion of Mountaineers, Cali¬ fornia Volunteer Infantry, is taken to commend them and their most worthy commander, Lieut.-Col S. G. Whipple, for the valuable services they and he have rendered the country in connection with the suppression of the Indian hostilities in the district of Humboldt. Far away from the great battles of the
45 2
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
East, with nothing of the excitement which the in¬ tense interest concentrated on
these
great events
creates, this Battalion has undergone much privation and toil, and has discharged the arduous duty imposed on them readily, earnestly and successfully, and merits the thanks of the Department. By command of Major-General McDowell. R.
C.
Drum,
Assistant Adjutant-General. The services of the Battalion are
appreciated
by
all who remember that twenty years have passed and the peace they established has not been broken, nor is there any apprehension that it ever will be.
The
Battalion was composed of men who had been for years residents and citizens of the counties of Del Norte,
Klamath, Trinity,
Siskiyou, Mendocino and
Humboldt—men who were identified with the inter¬ ests of the country—and the work they undertook was accomplished with the knowledge that the safety of their own homes depended upon the result.
Not only
were the enlisted men of the Battalipn regarded with public favor, but the officers, as well, escaped the censure which seems a part of military glory were held in high repute.
and
The standing of the com¬
manding officer, Col. S. G. Whipple, particularly with his inferior officers and the men of his command, can be derived from the correspondence that follows:
END OF THE TWO YEARS
Fort Gaston, Cal.,
WAR.
453
March 25th, 1865.
Sir: I have the honor to send you a slight testimo¬ nial of respect and esteem, in the shape of a writing desk, the operative and speculative efforts of your friends Thompson and Watson; the operative portion being the handiwork of the former, aided somewhat by the latter in speculation only. It is not for its intrinsic value alone that it is sent, but that it may ever be a memento of the many ob¬ stacles overcome by a portion, at least, of those who, under a brave and skillful leader, have been instrumen¬ tal in bringing to a successful issue a campaign fraught with vexation
and danger;
as a remembrance
of
pleasant hours spent while serving your country, in an organization that will soon be numbered among the things that were. Neither the fir tree, nor the cypress, nor the cedar of Lebanon are added to enhance its value; but the yew of the forest, the laurel of the mountain, and the manzanita of
the banks of the
turbid
Trinity are
intermingled to form a curious and compact whole, the union of which, I trust, may be firm and enduring. Hoping that it may be received with feelings of sat¬ isfaction, it is with pleasure I subscribe myself, Most respectfully, Your obedient friend and servant, John
A.
Watson.
Lieut.-Col. S. G. Whipple,
1st Battalion Mountaineers, California Volunteers, Commanding Humboldt Military District, Fort Humboldt, California.
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
454
Fort Humboldt, Cal.,
April 8th, 1865.
My dear Watson: Upon my return fj-om San Franciso a few days ago, I was deeply gratified by the peru¬ sal of your polite and kind letter, which was accom¬ panied by a writing desk, a present from you and Thomas Thompson of Company “ B.” Not for the intrinsic value of the desk (though that is not inconsiderable) is it chiefly prized by me, but the spirit which prompted its construction and presen¬ tation, the cordial and hearty manner in which it is of¬ fered, the associations connected with the time and place of its manufacture, together with the fact that it is the gift of well-tried comrades and staunch friends when friends were needed—all conspire to render be¬ yond money computation the worth of this artistic piece of workmanship.
This present will always be
treasured by me as among the most precious of my valuables. Please accept for yourself, and kindly convey to Mr. Thompsons my grateful thanks for the souvenir. Sincerely your friend, S. G. 1st
Lieutenant John
A.
Whipple.
Watson,
Fort Gaston. The duty of the Battalion, while sustained and in¬ duced by the strongest of all earthly ties, was in itself of a purely military character—to hunt, fight, and sub¬ due the hostile Indians.
Having accomplished these
things, their labors were ended.
Whatever remained
to be done to effect a complete and final adjustment
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
455
of Indian affairs in the Northwest must thenceforth devolve upon another and different arm of the Govern¬ ment.
Whatever complications might thereafter grow
out of the disposition of Indian prisoners or the loca¬ tion and condition of Indian Reservations could in no manner be attributed
to any lesser power than the
National Government and its officers.
Always ineffective, and always putrid with fraud, the Government’s Indian policy had been, for many years, a legitimate subject of ridicule by pioneers.
It may
indeed be said that from its very inception the policy of the Government on Indian affairs was extremely weak, and in relation to the system of colonizing the Indians in the midst of white settlements was extremely ridiculous.
The colonizing, or Reservation
was inaugurated by
Mr.
Fillmore’s
system,
Administration
and continued in force by his successors.
When Fill¬
more assumed the responsibilities of Government the Indian problem was yet to be experimented with.
It
had not passed beyond the first stage of experimental measures.
But as Administration succeeded Admin¬
istration, and the Reservation system exposed more and more of its inherent defects and corruption, it was not strange that the people became critical and sensi¬ tive.
It was not strange that the inhabitants of border
States denounced
the
system as an inducement to
fraudulent practices and an utterly abortive provision
456
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
against Indian disturbances.
It was strange that the
system should have been continued by successive Adminstrations, and it is stranger that it is continued to the present day.
Some ineffectual attempts have been
made to remodel and remedy the procedure of the United States in the management of Indian affairs. Abraham Lincoln, with that comprehensive sympathy with all the real grievances of the people which ever characterized him, understood the defects of the Reser¬ vation system, and urged upon Congress the duty of revising and remedial legislation. ists
and certain
Certain sentimental¬
interested Government contractors
used all their influence to defeat wise legislation on the subject; and the consequence was that the meas¬ ures finally passed rather tended to make the matter worse than it was before.
No reform worthy of the
name has ever been made in the Reservation system since Fillmore unwisely inaugurated it.
To-day it is
as weak in practice,as fraudulent in management, as in¬ efficient in results, as it was when Congress disregarded Lincoln’s wise advice. Of all the counties in the State of California the five which composed the military district of Humboldt suffered most from the Government’s Indian policy. When the State was admitted into the Union it was estimated that an aggregate of 65,000 Indians resided within the jurisdiction of the first Superintendent of Indian affairs for California, Col. Redick McKee.
In
1857 there were six Reservations in the State, which were presumed—in Government official circles—to be supporting and civilizing 12,000 of the total of 65,000
END OF THE TWO YEARS’
Indians. the same.
WAR.
457
The number of Reservations was not always The estimate for 1857 was made by Col.
Henley, then Superintendent, and it may have been colored by the gifted imagination of a zealous officer. Allowing for extraordinary zeal and lively imagination —a combination of faculties which was extremely liable to promote a slip of the tongue—we may safely con¬ clude that the total number of Indians colonized and “civilized” in California never exceeded 10,000 at one time.
As the number of Reservations was decreased
or increased to suit the whim or convenience of differ¬ ent Superintendents, the number of Indians gathered under their paternal care was diminished or multiplied.
One of the first Reservations in the State was locat¬ ed in Humboldt
county by Col. McKee—the same
McKee who carried a ton of beads and trinkets to the Klamath River Indians, drew imaginary lines for a Reservation there, and never returned to complete the treaty so auspiciously made
with the assistance of
Robert Walker—and was situated at the mouth of Eel River. In the Summer of 1851, when Col. McKee visited the Northern tribes for the first time, he told them of the generosity of the Government, and ex¬ torted from them, by the magic influence of presents they could appreciate and speeches they could not un¬ derstand, a promise to be “ good Indians,” and inhabit peacefully the homes the Great Father at Washington
»
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
45
might provide for them. Col. McKee was accompanied by a detachment of United States soldiers under CaptPaul, from Benicia barracks, who established his camp at the head of the Bay.
The Eel River Reservation
had a nominal existence of several years, though, like all of Col. McKee’s visible schemes, it never attained to
more
Some
than
a shadow among practical projects.
preliminary correspondence
relating
scheme is of more than ordinary interest. be
read
between
to
the
It need not
the lines to convey an idea of the
enormous and flagrant abuses which were perpetrated in the name of the Government. Prior to the establish¬ ment of the Eel River Reservation Col. McKee wrote : Camp Union,
Head of Humboldt Bay, Sept. 18, 1851.
To Messrs. E. H. Howard, Kennerly, Dobbins and N. Duperu, Humboldt Bay: Gentlemen:—Finding it impossible, in the absence of interpreters, to communicate with the Indians on Eel River and this bay, and that in consequence no formal treaty can be made with them at this time, I have, nevertheless, in view of their destitute con¬ dition, concluded to set apart for their use a small dis¬ trict of country between the mouth of Eel River and Cape
Mendocino, and make some little temporary
provision for their support and improvement. of the Reservation Kelsey:
A plot
I left for you with Mr. Samuel
and I have left with Mr. Charles A. Robin¬
son, of Eel River, as the property of the United States, in trust, for the use of the Indians who may settle on the Reservation, besides some beef and hard bread,
459
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
three pair of fine, large, American oxen, and $140 in money to pay for three ox-yokes, three log chains, and a large prairie plow now building in this town. have also ordered from San A.
Francisco,
to care
Messrs. of
E.
Long &
H.
I
McNiel,
Howard, for C.
Robinson, as above, a half-dozen chopping axes
and half a dozen corn hoes. Mr. Robinson engages to fence in and break up and plant in potatoes, during this Fall and Winter, five or six acres of land in the Reservation, and, with the assistance of the Indians, make as large a crop as possible;
all of which is to be for the use
Indians who may be on the
of the
Reserve, or who may
agree to remove to it. I have entire confidence in Mr. Robinson doing all he has engaged to do, but as the whole community is interested in
the object,
I beg you to advise with
him and render him any assistance in your power. Should
any accident happen
to him,
rendering it
impossible for Mr. R. to fulfil his engagements prior to the arrival of a regularly appointed Agent of the Government to superintend
Indian
affairs in
this
neighborhood, I hereby authorize you to take posses¬ sion of the above Government property and preserve it until called for. In the meantime it is understood that Mr. Robinson is to have the cattle, etc., for his own use and benefit after the above work shall be done for the Indians. I am, with respect, Your friend and ob’t serv’t, Redick McKee,
U. S. Indian Agent for California.
460
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
According to the standard of values at that time Robinson was virtually paid about $2,000 for breaking up and planting six acres of ground.
Robinson had
a “bonanza,” and he was shrewd enough to know it. The gentlemen honored with the advisory powers im¬ plied in McKee’s letter found their position a sinecure, there is reason to believe, but without even a chance to share in a division of the financial proceeds of the scheme. glory.
Robinson got the money and they got the Robinson, with that freedom of action so truly
characteristic of your free-born American citizen, con¬ ducted the Eel River Reservation for himself, by him¬ self, and appropriated to himself all of the property of the Government held by him, without bonds, “ in trust for the Indians.”
Pioneers who were personally ac¬
quainted with Col. McKee gave him the credit of being a philanthropic and conscientious man, and that he was moved by what he considered a principle of “ higher law” to interpret in the broadest sense the letter of his authority, and to exceed his written authority when he thought the spirit of his mission demanded such extraordinary action.
He
relied too much
on the
honesty of others, and was too negligent of business methods, to be a safe executive officer in a responsible position, and his philanthropic sentimental views were totally at variance with any common-sense treatment of the Indians.
At the time of his death he had a
claim against the Indian Department of the Govern¬ ment, on account of money expended by himself and others in the prosecution of a misguided “ civilizing ” process, amounting to over $60,000.
The claim was
461
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
preferred by himself, as Indian Agent, and under the head of “ private relief bills ” was on the Congressional calendar for twenty years.
The claim was never al¬
lowed, and is as utterly forgotten now as the Eel River Reservation, or Col. McKee himself.
When Robinson
had appropriated the oxen, and the money, and the agricultural implements, the Reservation lost its vital power and lapsed into a merely nominal existence; and even this, after a brief period, was extinguished by time and improvement.
Another of the early Reservations was the Mendo¬ cino, fifty miles South of Cape Mendocino.
For gross
mismanagement and fraudulent practices the Mendo¬ cino Reservation should rank at the head of all Gov¬ ernment failures.
In connection with this Reserva¬
tion a fraud was attempted in 1857-58, which, if it had succeeded, would have robbed many worthy citizens of their homes.
In the Summer of
1857 a report
was circulated that the limits of the Reservation had been, or were about to be, extended to Bear River, Humboldt county.
Col. Henley was Superintendent
of Indian Affairs for California at that time.
In an¬
swer to an inquiry on the actual or proposed limits of the Reservation the sub-Agent, H. S. Ford, replied, under date of July 25, 1857, that he had been informed by the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and also by Dr. Gwin, Senator for California, that Congress had appropriated the land from the mouth of Bear River
462
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
to the mouth of the Noyo River three miles from the coast,” for an Indian Reservation.
Against this in¬
formation the people of Bear River and Mattole re¬ belled as unreliable and unsatisfactory.
They had re¬
ceived no official notice of the limits of the Reserva¬ tion being extended so as to dispossess them of their homes, and they were not disposed to submit to such a scheme without interposing a most emphatic objec¬ tion and remonstrance.
They knew that Congress
alone would have power to extend and locate the lines of the Reservation and they had received no notice of such action.
Thoroughly convinced that there was
a fraudulent design somewhere, a scheme to rob them of their homes, the citizens of Mattole and Bear River, and also a large number in other portions of Hum¬ boldt county, signed a remonstrance and sent it to J. W. Denver, Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Wash¬ ington.
The remonstrance represented that a Reser¬
vation of the extent reported would greatly injure the county of Humboldt, because it would appropriate for the use of the Indians nearly one-half of the coast line; that it would nearly ruin 60 or 70 settlers in the Bear River and Mattole Valleys, whose homes were but just established ; and that such a Reservation would be unnecessarily large for the number of Indians in the vicinity.
The remonstrance in conclusion urged upon
the Commissioner the injustice of the whole proceed¬ ing, and asked him to use his influence to prevent an injurious extension of the limits of the Reservation, if such extension had not already been made.
Not sat¬
isfied with a simple remonstrance, the citizens of Hum-
463
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
boldt county held a mass meeting at Eureka to con¬ sider the subject.
A. J. Huestis was Chairman and
H. W. Havens and L. K. Wood were Secretaries. W. Havens, of
Union, James T.
H.
Ryan, of Eureka,
Jonathan Clark, of Bucksport, Jesse Dungan, of Table Bluff, Wjn. M. Taylor, of Eel River, S. Lewis Shaw, of Pacific, Cornelius Odell, of Bear River, and John Casard, of Mattole, were the Committee on Resolu¬ tions.
The resolutions were similar in tone and spirit
to the remonstrance, but the meeting went further, and authorized a representative, Thomas Swales, to present the subject more fully to the proper officials of the Government.
Months passed before any satis¬
factory information was received from Washington. Officials of the Mendocino Reservation, presuming to act with Government authority, studiously circulated the report that the
Reservation included Bear River
and Mattole Valley, and some private land was actually taken possession of in the name of the Government. Petitions and remonstrances
burdened
the mail
to
Washington ; the most profound silence was main¬ tained by the Superintendent for California; and sev¬ enty settlers of Bear River and Mattole were kept in a condition of constant fear. The State Legislature took up the subject and dis¬ cussed the fraud, but
having no power of definite ac¬
tion in the premises, ended the matter by enacting, on the
last day of the session of 1857, a sarcastic and
amusing measure, “An Act declaratory and amenda¬ tory of certain other Acts,” “ and for the purposes of affording relief to other than State prisoners.” Section
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
464 i
declared “that place commonly called Humboldt
county” to be “ an Indian Reservation of the second class.” Section 2 provided: “ The Indian Agents shall immediately take possession of said territory, and cor¬ ral a certain Indian called ‘ Lo, the poor Indian,’ and all the tribe under him, at or near the county seat, and there keep
them
in a comfortable condition under
suitable shelter, and feed them upon the provisions of this Act.”
Section 3 provided : “ The Indian Agents
shall keep in full operation the saw-mills therein situ¬ ated, for the purpose of manufacturing sawdust, upon which
alone the said ingens shall
be fed; provided
that nothing in this section shall be so construed as to apply to‘John Brown’s little ingen boy,’who is still young and unprotected.” As the Act was passed in the last hour as well as in the last day of the session, it was not engrossed as the law of the land. The Indian Department at
Washington was ap¬
prised, after many months had passed, of the action of local officials on the Mendocino Reservation, and of the fears of the settlers there; and either through a lack of diligence on the part of lobbyists, or because of a lack of courage on the part of local schemers, the project of dispossessing seventy settlers of their homes ended in abject failure. Other frauds in connection with Indian Reserva¬ tions in Mendocino county, of more recent date, have been attended with greater success.
For instance, a
special committee on Indian affairs was appointed by Congress in
1884, and a sub-committee was author-
END OF THE TWO YEARS
WAR.
465
ized to visit and inspect the Reservations in Califor¬ nia.
Senator Dawes, of the sub-committee, transmit¬
ted its official report to Congress in the present year (1885), and in that report it is stated that of the 102,000 acres of land embraced in the Round Valley Res¬ ervation, in Mendocino county, only 5,000 or 6,000 acres are occupied by the
Indians.
themselves are not self-supporting.
The Indians
The Agent buys
6,000 pounds of beef every year to feed them.
This
beef is purchased of men who enjoy the exclusive use of all but a very small portion of the Reservation. Cattle fattened on land belonging to the Indians are sold to the Agent on the Reservation to feed them White men, who pay nothing to the Government, who have
no legal authority, occupy nearly 95,000 acres
of the 102,000 acres constituting the
Reservation,
upon which they herd sheep and have erected fences. The names of the illegal white occupants of the Reser¬ vation, with the number of acres'controlled by each, are contained in the report. principal tracts are:
The illegal holders of the
Henley Brothers and Gibson,
28,000 acres; J. G. Short, 18,500 acres; Jacob Updegraff, 11,000; D. Z. Johnson, 12,000 acres; and G. E. White, 7,600 acres.
The economy with which the
few remaining acres are devoted to the use of the In¬ dians is illustrated in the fact that during twelve years prior to 1885 the Government'paid out, on account of expense incurred by this Reservation, the immense sum of $241,000.
The committee further report that
the Indians on the Reservation are confined to a very small proportion of
their lands;
that
the Agency
466
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
herds of cattle are reduced; that the buildings are out of repair; and that general demoralization prevails: all owing to the bad and fraudulent manner in which the Reservation is conducted.
Another striking example of the failure and injus¬ tice of the Reservation system is presented by a tract of
country twenty miles long and two
miles
wide
which extends up the Klamath River from its mouth. Col. S. G. Whipple, who located the Reservation in 1855, was actuated by what he considered the best policy under the circumstances that then existed ; in reality the worst policy that has ever been pursued in any country with native tribes.
The Reservation was
practically a failure from the time of its location, and for ten years past it has been practically abandoned by the Government; yet it is a fact that the lands em¬ braced in it are now withheld from actual settlement by white people.
A territory rich in minerals and
timber and fisheries, twenty miles long and two miles wide, is sacredly preserved to the use of less than 150 Indians. Indian
Citizens have represented the facts to the Department,
bills, special
Congressmen
have
introduced
and general, committees have made re¬
ports, yet the Reservation is effectually secured from ' white occupation by the idiotic provisions of a false and foolish system.
We need not depart from official
sources to derive information in regard to this Reser.
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
467
vation which will lead any fair mind to the conclusion that it is an imposition on the people and a fraud of the worst description. by Congressman
In 1880 a bill was introduced
Berry to declare
the
Reservation
abandoned by the Government and open to settlement by citizens, and the Committee on Indian Affairs made a very exhaustive report in returning the bill to the House with a recommendation that it pass.
They
stated plainly that “ the formation of this Reservation was exceedingly wrong and unjust to the public inter¬ ests, as it rendered all the lands lying outside, opposite and adjoining the same comparatively valueless, as the water front on both banks was within the Reserva¬ tion.”
From a mass of testimony brought before the
Committee it appeared that after the destruction of the Indian settlements and the public property at the mouth of the river, by the freshet of 1861-’62, it was generally understood and believed that the Govern¬ ment had abandoned all claim to the lands embraced within the Reservation. and
As a result of such belief
understanding, citizens
and improved certain many of
entered
portions
upon, occupied
of these lands, and
them expended large sums of money and
much labor in the erection of their homes.
To dispel
any doubts which might be entertained as to the rights of settlers on the Reservation, in the year 1874 the Hon. J. K. Luttrell applied to the Department of the Interior for information as to whether “ the Klamath River Reservation was still held as such by the Gov# ernment,” and the reply he received was :
468
INDIAN* WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs, Washington,
D. C., Feb. 27, 1874.
Sir:—In response to your verbal inquiry concerning the Klamath Indian Reservation in California, I will state that the Reservation in question, being described as a strip of country commencing at the coast of the Pacific
Ocean and
extending one
each side of the Klamath
mile in width on
River, and
up the same
twenty miles, was approved by the President on the 16th of November, 1855, as one of the two Reserva¬ tions for Indians in California authorized by a clause in the Indian Appropriation Act of (Stat. L., vol. 10, p. 699).
March 3, 1855.
In the year 1861 nearly all
of the arable land was destroyed by a freshet, render¬ ing the Reservation almost worthless, in view of which a new Reservation was established adjacent thereto by order of the Secretary of the Interior, dated May 1862.
3,
This Reservation was known as the Smith’s
River Reservation, and was discontinued by a clause in the Indian Appropriation
Act approved July 27,
1868 (Stat. L., vol. 15, p. 22).
The Klamath Reserva¬
tion has not been used for any public purpose since the freshet referred to, and the
Department has no
claim upon it. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Edward Shuter,
Commissioner. ^
Hon.
J. K.
Luttrell,
House of Representatives.
END OF THE TWO YEARS* WAR.
469
This official communication, proceeding from an authorized agent of the Government, was relied upon as an official declaration that the Government had re¬ linquished and abandoned all claim to the lands of the Reservation which had been conferred upon it by the act of March 3, 1855. had been for years belief.
It was confirmatory of what
the general
understanding and
Settlers on the abandoned Reservation rested in
security.
As natural to such an event, possessed with
the idea that the title to their homes and the result of their labor would remain undisturbed, a fresh impetus was given to the improvement of farms, the building of houses, the establishment of fisheries, the erection of mills, and many other processes of development in¬ cident to the settlement of a new country.
In the
progress of this development the wants of the settlers called for mail facilities, and a post-office was established at the mouth of the Klamath River.
The establish¬
ment of this office was another recognition on the part of the agents of the Government of the permanency of the white settlement and occupation. In
the year 1877 the Government re-asserted its
rights on the Reservation
It was in evidence before
the Committee on Indian Affairs that some time in the Spring of 1872 Lieut. James Halloran visited the Res¬ ervation and reported to the Government a condition of affairs which would lead to hostilities between the whites and Indians if the whites were not removed. This report of Lieut. Halloran was, through the Waf Department, laid before the Secretary of the Interior, and, in turn, he called upon the Secretary of War to
470
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
cause the settlers to be removed from the Klamath Reservation. Acting upon an order from the War Department, Gen.-Irwin McDowell, commanding the Departmentof the Pacific, on the 19th of October, 1877, ordered Capt. Parker to notify the settlers on the Reservation to leave immediately, and this order he executed by notifying fourteen persons to leave with their property, four of whom were admitted to be without the limits of the Reservation. These settlers earnestly protested against being forced to leave.
Subsequently the order was
modified, allowing them six months in which to aban¬ don their homes.
The settlers protested that they had
lived there many years in the belief that they were on the public lands, and that such belief was strengthened by the universal impression that such was the fact, and that the Government had relinquished its claim, as evidenced by the letter of the Commissioner of In¬ dian
Affairs addressed to the Hon. J. K. Luttrell,
Representative from California. Under Gen. McDowell's order, however, the settlers were removed or driven off; and at the time of their removal it was in evidence before the Committee on Indian Affairs that the whole number of Indians, male and female, occupying the Reservation did not exceed 125.
There was unimpeachable sworn testimony to
establish this fact. The concluding paragraphs of the report to Con¬ gress made by the Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom the bill for abandonment of the Klamath Reser¬ vation was referred, presents the situation in concise and explicit terms.
The report says :
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
471
“ Should this Committee admit the power of the President to establish permanent Reserves by executive order, there should be a protest entered against the manner in which that power was exercised in estab¬ lishing the Klamath
River Reservation.
A reserve
containing but forty square miles of territory, cover¬ ing forty miles of water front, extending but one mile back from the river banks, is, to say the least, prepos¬ terous.
This Reservation might as well extend ten or
twenty miles back from the water, on each side of the river, as one mile, inasmuch as no one can or will set¬ tle on lands outside of the Reserve for its entire length, as they would be cut off from the river, which is the only and natural highway.
The injustice which has
been arbitrarily inflicted upon the settlers is at once apparent.
To permit a few Indians to hold 40 sec¬
tions of land, and thereby control over 400 sections is an injustice, if not an outrage, that should not for a moment be tolerated. “ It is clear that the Government exercised no con¬ trol over the Klamath Reservation for a period of six¬ teen years ; that settlers went upon lands in good faith, believing that the Government had abandoned the Re¬ serve ; that in 1874 the Commissioner of Indian Affairs declared officially that ‘ The Klamath Reservation has not been used for any public purpose since the freshet referred to, and the Department has no claim upon it.’ These facts are to be considered in determining the relative rights of each race of settlers.
While
the
Committee would not do an injustice to the Indian, they are at the same time unwilling to permit an out-
472
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
rage to be inflicted upon the white settlers who entered upon these lands in good faith, and under the sanc¬ tion of the Government have made valuable improve¬ ments thereon.
These white settlers are, in the opin¬
ion of the Committee, as much entitled to the protec¬ tion of the Government as other good citizens who, by the power of the Government, are protected from an invasion of their rights and the destruction of their homes and property. “ There are other and conclusive arguments to be urged in favor of restoring these lands to the public domain.
By the singular construction of this Reserva¬
tion, as shown in this report, a large area of the public lands, embracing many thousands of 'acres of fertile lands, are practically withheld from settlement and improvement.
The Klamath River is 300 miles in
length, taking its source near the Oregon line.
The
stream is now navigable for 40 miles, and by a slight expense in the removal of rocks from the river bed would be navigable for
100 miles or more.
The
climate and the nature of the soil both combine to render tlje commercial values of this stream of great importance.
It is asserted by competent
authority
that this section has no equal in California as a fruit and wine growing country.
Along the entire length
of the Klamath River, and especially within the Re¬ serve in question, and back of it, are large bodies of the best timber in use, including redwood, yellow and white pine, and cedar.
The natural highway to these
immense values is the Klamath River, none of which can be appropriated to the uses and arts of civiliza¬ tion so long as the Reservation remains as such.
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
473
“If there be no use for this abandoned Reserve for the purposes originally intended, the Committee can see no valid reason why it should not be restored to the public domain.
Entertaining this view, after an
impartial and careful consideration of all the evidence submitted, the Committee are constrained to vote in favor of the measure, and they therefore return the bill to the House with
the recommendation that it
pass.” The bill did not pass.
And successive sessions of
Congress revived and discussed the subject, ^and got no further than the Committee on Indian Affairs; and at the present time (1885) there is no immediate prospect of the lands of the
Reservation being re¬
stored to the public domain.
With the experience of their
own
times
before
them, it was natural that the people of Northwestern California should feel deeply interested in the disposi¬ tion of the prisoners when their last Indian war was drawing to a close, triumphantly for them.
What
was to be done with the hundreds of prisoners con¬ fined on the Peninsula?
Were they to be colonized
and “ civilized ” on the Klamath or on the Mendocino Reservation, in the midst of the white settlements, near to their old haunts and their old homes; or were they to be sent away to some far-off abode where they would not be tempted to return and renew their war-
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
474
fare on the whites ? and Winter mind.
of
This inquiry, in the
Autumn
1864, was uppermost in the public
It was soon answered in a way that sent new
consternation and surprise to all minds and awakened old doubts and fears. The office of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California was rarely filled by any one man for any great length of tine.
A year or two, at most, seemed
tp satisfy the Government that a change was needed. Whether this fact was dufe to certain eccentricities of conduct, attributed to the various Superintendents, not in precise conformity with the moral code, or whether the Government desired to distribute its official favors so as to confer the greatest good upon the greatest number, cuts no figure in the case.
It is sufficientfor
our purpose, in the pursuit of knowledge respecting Indian affairs twenty years ago, to be informed that, in the course of evolution attending the office, Austin Wiley, of Humboldt county, was invested with a little brief authority under the name of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California. Mr. Wiley had been a resident of Humboldt county since its permanent settlement by the whites.
He
knew the needs and the desires of the people, who thought they could trust him to use his influence with the Indian Department against the colonization in their midst of the Indian tribes.
For several years man¬
ager of the leading newspaper in the county, he had been
consistent in
advocating the
removal of the
Indians to a residence far distant from their native homes.
His opposition to
the colonization
system
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
475
existing in Northern California was represented in the columns of his paper as unflinching and unequivocal. When it was learned that Mr. Wiley, as Superin¬ tendent of Indian Affairs, had determined to adopt a policy directly opposite to that which he had advo¬ cated so persistently as publisher, the surprise and consternation of the people may be imagined but not described.
All through Humboldt county, all up and
down the Klamath and Trinity, mass-meetings of the people were held, and resolutions adopted, strongly condemning the proposed colonization of the hostile tribes in Northern
California.
The dangers of the
system were recounted, the liability of the Indians to return to their rancherias and resume the war-path; and Superintendent Wiley was urged not to be a party to a scheme which he knew would be detri¬ mental and might be ruinous.
The Superintendent
was so directly implicated in the controversy that he could do no less than defend himself.
He replied, in
a published letter, that he was not to blame;
that he
was expected to carry out the designs of the Govern¬ ment; that if the Government designed to colonize the Indians, he could not be individually responsible, even though he appeared to act contrary to his own feelings and opinions; and that he had endeavored to have the Indians removed to some point South of San Fran¬ cisco, but had failed. To follow the controversy through
all its phases
would be neither pleasant nor instructive. It ended in disappointment to the people.
Superintendent Wiley
carried out the policy of the Government to the very
476
INDIAN WARS OF THE NORTHWEST.
letter. A new Reservation was located in the Hum¬ boldt District, in the heart of the Indian country. By virtue of the power vested in him by an Act of Congress, passed April 8, 1864, Superintendent Wiley located for an Indian Reservation the whole of Hoopa Valley, perfecting the location and taking possession in February, 1865. A Commission was appointed to appraise the improvements of the settlers in the Val¬ ley and their lands were possessed by the Government. Two thousand Indians were gathered within the limits of the Hoopa Reservation.
The unsatisfactory settlement of the Hoopa contro¬ versy may be entitled the last act in the closing scene of Indian troubles in the Northwest. The fears re¬ newed by the location of the Reservation were fortu¬ nately destined to be unfulfilled. In an earlier period of white occupation the country would undoubtedly have been plunged again into the horrors of Indian warfare. The contiguity of the captured hostiles to their former homes would have been a resistless temp¬ tation which they could not have withstood. But the white population had now increased until it outnum¬ bered the Indians two to one. The tribes that formerly were most noted for hostility and numerical strength had become weak and powerless. Their strength was exhausted and their spirit broken. Henceforth, wher¬ ever the remnants of hostile tribes might be gathered,
END OF THE TWO YEARS’ WAR.
477
the whites would be numerous enough and powerful enough to awe them into submission.
The end of the
Two Years’ War was the beginning of permanent peace between the two races in the Northwest, a peace that was to endure unbroken through all the years of the future. [the; end.]
APPENDIX.
The Northwest as It Is—Humboldt, D$l Norte, Trinity.
Having witnessed the earliest voyages of discovery by sea and land on the Northwest coast of California, and followed the adventurers through the perils and conquests of location and settlement; having seen the development of a country and the growth of towns ; having passed in review the Indian wars and difficul¬ ties—having, in fact, seen the country as it was, the story would not be complete did we not see it as it is. The
Northwest—particularly the
Humboldt, Trinity and
three counties of
Del Norte—has been sadly
ignored by the tourist and the capitalist.
The wealth
of the country has been produced in it, and its rich men have grown from poverty to affluence there;
the
beautiful and rich offerings of its natural scenes have seldom received inspection from any but its own in¬ habitants.
This has been the truth of the past, albeit
4 Bo*
APPENDIX.
the enterprise of the present is extending the possibil¬ ities and fame of a long-neglected region.
It will be
not only interesting, but advisable and proper, to ap¬ pend to the preceding volume a brief account of the natural features and resources, the social and indus¬ trial status, of the three counties which comprise the territory to which it relates.* Separated
by one little county from the Oregon
line are the. forests bays of Humboldt.
and mountains, the rivers and Isolated and inacessible by cheap
and easy means of transportation, Humboldt county, rich
as
it is
grazing lands,
in
timber, minerals, agricultural
and
for a quarter of a century dreamed
away its existence in the sluggishness of backwoods growth, and only within the two years have those rapid improvements occurred which always precede or ac¬ company the material development of a new country. Even now there are many people in San Francisco who could not locate Humboldt Bay without looking on the map, and it is a common thing for travelers to express unbounded surprise when visiting this section for the first time.
They are astonished to find a large
and deep bay, a city of 7,000 inhabitants, and a country marvelously rich in natural resources. As before remarked, the Northwest has been singu¬ larly neglected—has never received that attention from immigrants and capitalists which its advantages merit. *It is proper to state that this Appendix has been compiled from special articles‘written by the author and published in the San Francisco Call and the San Francisco Chronicle, and from the writings of T. E. Jones on Trinity county.
APPENDIX.
481
For many years there has been current in San Fran¬ cisco and other cities of the State an expression which, for baffling vagueness and general unreliability, can¬ not be surpassed, and which might, under varying cir¬ cumstances, mean much or little. been
discreetly condensed
North.”
This expression has
into two words:
“ Up
Until within the past two years, a person
contemplating a trip to Humboldt county from San Francisco would answer the inquiries of his friends by saying,
“Oh, I’m only going up North,” leaving
the comforting reflection that he might be going to Point Reyes or Alaska.
So little
was known about
the resources of the county, so little thought given to the
possibilities of future development, that Hum¬
boldt in general, and Eureka in particular, were tacitly acknowledged to have an existence in the Northern part of
the State, but an
existence which created a
second thought in none but speculative minds. in
With¬
the past two years (i884-’85) there has been an
awakening of interest in regard
to the lumber re¬
sources of Northern California, and this interest has chiefly centered in Humboldt county. been a steady flow of
immigration
The result has and capital to
Humboldt Bay, and a wonderful spirit of improve¬ ment and progression in the county seat, Eureka. The quickest and safest means of reaching Eureka from San Francisco is, at present, by steamer, the distance being 221 nautical miles.
The run from bar to bar
is usually made in 22 hours, and although not pleasant to those who are susceptible to seasickness, the trip is attended by all the comforts, as well as some of the 81
482
APPENDIX.-
discomforts, incident to an ocean voyage.
The steam¬
ers are commodious and elegantly and conveniently ap¬ pointed, and the officers are courteous and obliging. The steamer Humboldt, owned in Eureka and com¬ manded by George Paton, makes her regular weekly trips and is one of the staunchest vessels in the coast service.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company have
also put a steamer on this route, and competition for passengers and freight is lively and persistent.
Hum¬
boldt county may also be reached by stage and rail¬ road from Sonoma county. boldt firm of
The enterprising Hum¬
Robarts Bros, have recently inaugur¬
ated a steamship line between San Francisco and Eel River, the steamer Mary D. Hume having made sev¬ eral successful voyages there during the present year (1885). and
There is a good depth of water on the bar,
the river is entered
danger.
without difficulty or great
The success of the venture by Robarts Bros,
will have a decided tendency to encourage the raising of fruit and other perishable products in Eel River Valley, and in the matter of freight it will effect a sav¬ ing to the
farmers of
many thousands of
dollars
annually. Eureka, the county seat, and the metropolis Qf the Northwest, is situated on the Southern side of Hum¬ boldt
Bay, seven
miles from the entrance.
years ago the place
Thirty
was a wilderness, the primeval
forests coming down to the garden plots of the first settlers.
Now it is a city of 7,000 inhabitants and is
growing faster than any other town in California, with the possible exception of
Los Angeles.
The
town
APPENDIX.
483
is well laid out, with broad streets and ample wharves and water front.
It is lighted , by gas, and there is an
excellent system of water works.
The churches are
many and large, and the schools are taught by compe¬ tent teachers.
The business blocks would be credita¬
ble to any community, and many of the residences are models of comfort.
The most noticeable thing about
the place at present is its wonderful growth.
It is
spreading in all directions—a mile from the city front back into the woods; another mile Westward on the tide lands which stretch inland from the ocean; and still another mile Eastward to the marshes that fringe the bay.
The total population of the county is now
estimated as being in the neighborhood of 25,000. The first impressions of the stranger in Eureka, especially if he come from a strictly agricultural coun¬ try, are not likely to be correct.
In the first place,
the streets to him have a deserted appearance.
He
does not hear the noisy rattle of wagons and trucks, and he wonders if the trading community is having a holiday.
Again, there is at first an indefinable sense
of isolation, of being fenced out from the world and hemmed in within a narrow compass by the dark line of unbroken forest, and he is apt to speculate upon the probable effect of the surroundings upon the minds and hearts of the people, and to wonder if they are narrow and customs.
pinched in
their every-day habits and
He has been familiar with boundless land¬
scapes, offering no obstacle to the sweep of the eye. Here the mountains and forests seem to have made room reluctantly for the waters of the bay, and stand
484
APPENDIX.
like impregnable
walls
inclosing a' forbidden
These are his first impressions. pressions
are effaced
mind the facts.
as
land.
By and by these im¬
observation
brings to his
He learns that the trading community
prefers the great highway of the bay to thoroughfares of cobble-stones, and the busy stores and shops attest the commercial importance of the place.
The sense
of isolation is indeed slow to pass away, but gradually it leaves him as he becomes accustomed to the topo¬ graphical features of the country.
The forests, above
all, change in their aspect to him.
He explores the
dark recesses of the wood arid finds in the stately magnificence of the trees' a new revelation of strength and independence. exercise
Can it be that such surroundings
a binding, narrowing, debasing
He finds that this idea is a mistaken one.
influence! Acquaint¬
ance with the people developes the fact that nowhere in the world can more liberality be found, more gen¬ erosity, more public spirit and laudable desire for the public good.
The people of Eureka, with few excep¬
tions, are ever ready to lend a helping hand and an encouraging word, and the stranger who learns to know them eventually comes to the conclusion that Nature has been their teacher, that something of the grandeur of the mighty redwoods
has entered into
their souls and expanded their perceptions and their sympathies. Eureka is, in every particulars flourishing city, and its importance is all the more wonderful when it is con¬ sidered that but a little over thirty years have passed since
the discovery of
Humboldt
Bay.
The prin-
APPENDIX.
485
cipal industry is the manufacture of lumber. The har¬ bor has a Custom House, foreign shipping is constant¬ ly arriving, and
Humboldt
Bay is destined soon
to
take an important place among the commercial har¬ bors of the world.
There are three newspapers and
several excellent hotels. The Humboldt County Bank is a flourishing institution, established in 1873, with a paid up capital of $200,000
The commercial interests
of the city are guarded by a Chamber of Commerce composed of prominent business men.
Secret, busi¬
ness, benevolent and social societies are well repre¬ sented. The new Odd Fellows’ Hall is a fine structure, indicating the very prosperous condition of that or¬ der.
The public buildings are not to be boasted of,
the Court
House, in
particular, being a rickety old
edifice, as weather-beaten
and scarred
by the rough
usages of time as any member of the Humboldt So¬ ciety of Pioneers.
It is gratifying to know, however,
that the Board of
Supervisors are erecting a new
Court House, of brick and iron, which will cost over $100,000 and be an ornament to the city and county. There are no Chinese in the city of Eureka. Not long ago, in the heart of the city, four hundred Mongolians lived in filthy quarters and criminal practices, quarrel¬ ing and fighting among themselves, endangering the lives of citizens, defying the officers of the law.
A
prominent citizen, passing the Chinese quarter, was shot and killed by highbinders. blaze of
excitement.
thronged with
The town was in a
The largest public
determined
men,
hall was
and only by the
strongest persuasions of a cooler minority was a terri-
APPENDIX.
486
ble conflagration
and loss of life prevented.
Cooler
counsels prevailed. The Chinese were given 24 hours to leave the place.
They left, with all their personal
effects, and joined their brethren in San Francisco. To-day there
is
not a single
Chinaman
residing in
Eureka, and the people have said in the most emphatic terms that none shall hereafter reside there. The progress of and
Humboldt county in commercial
industrial pursuits
has
been rapid and great.
Within the past ten years the value of taxable property has more than doubled.
The assessment roll of 1883
placed the value of lands and town lots in the county at $2,763,858, and the value of all ments at $709,835.
building improve¬
In 1884 there was an increase of
probably $1,000,000, on account of timber land entered and purchased from the Government since ber, 1883, and an increase of $200,000 in
Decem¬
buildings.
The export of lumber products gives employment to a large fleet of sailing vessels. A very important feature of the lumber trade, which is just now coming into prominence here, is the foreign demand for redwood. Rough and clear lumber, doors, sash, laths and shingles are staple articles of export to Australia, South Amer¬ ica, Mexico and the Sandwich Islands, and there is a possibility that a large trade will come from Europe when the Panama canal is completed.
But, although
the commercial growth of Humboldt must always de¬ pend upon the prosperity of her mills, the manufac¬ ture of lumber is not the only industry of the county. In the city of Eureka there are three furniture facto¬ ries, a factory for making doors, moldings and ready-
APPENDIX.
487
made houses for shipment to Australia, a factory for the making of the Finch gun (a rifle invented citizen
by a
of the town), a white labor cigar factory, a
granite yard where native stone is worked up, a large tannery, a brickyard, a saw factory, a foundry and ma¬ chine
shop, boiler works where heavy repairing is
done, a basket factory, extensive s.hip-yards, a large pork-packing house, a salmon cannery, besides a num¬ ber of other industries of lesser importance.
In the
country towns, also, are a variety of thriving indus¬ tries, notably a long-established and large tannery in Areata.
It is estimated that the value of all exports
from Humboldt
Bay in 1884, including agricultural
and lumber products, was at least $4,000,000.
Out¬
side of the county seat there are two newspapers, both published in Eel prise and the
River Valley, the
Rohnerville Herald,
Ferndale Enter¬ which
represent
well the industries and resources of Southern
Hum¬
boldt. It has been asserted that it will be but a few years before the builders of the nineteenth century will be forced to find some poses.
new material for building pur¬
While it is interesting to theorize on the length
of time the forests will last at the rate they are being consumed at the present timfc, and while the above statement may be true of certain localities, it can hardly apply to Humboldt.
From the Southern line of Hum¬
boldt county, extending to the Klamath River on the North, is a vast forest of the finest timber in the world. The variety is mostly redwood, spruce and fir, though some cedar is found at a distance from the coast.
The
488
APPENDIX.
redwoods are of immense size, many of them being from ten to fifteen feet in diameter.
It is almost im¬
possible to estimate the amount of this vast body of timber or the wealth which it will yet create.
Already
has the manufacture of lumber become the chief in¬ dustry of the city and county; but the lumber business here is yet in its infancy.
The lumber now sawed is
a trifling amount to that which will be cut in a few years to come.
The most reliable figures obtainable
in relation to the lumber trade are contained in a re¬ port of the Eureka Chamber of Commerce.
It is there
stated that within the limits of the county are 450,000 acres of redwood, which will cut on an average 100,000 feet to the acre.
The redwood supply in this county
is greater than the whole timber reserve of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin put together, and there are also large bodies of pine
and spruce.
Within the
county there are now seventeen sawmills which manu¬ facture for the export trade.
Nearly all of these saw¬
mills have shingle and lath mills attached, and there are five or six mills which manufacture shingles exclu¬ sively.
The value of the lumber exported in 1884 was
$3,250,000, representing
something over 70,000,000
feet. Agriculture in Humboldt is of necessity secondary to the lumber industry.
In the entire county there
are less than 35,000 acres of cultivated land, the re¬ mainder of the area being covered by timber or de¬ voted to stock raising and sheep husbandry.
Nearly
all the farming land is comprised in the country ad¬ jacent to Areata, on the bay, seven
miles north
of
APPENDIX.
Eureka, and
in
Eel
489
River Valley surrounding the
flourishing towns of Springville, Ferndale, Rohnerville and Hydesville, in the Southern part of the county. The soil is rich and inexhaustible, producing thirtyfive to1 ninety
bushels of oats to the acre, thirty to
eighty-five bushels of barley, thirty to sixty bushels of wheat, five to seven tons of potatoes.
Horticulture is
receiving much attention now, and it has been dem¬ onstrated that in certain sections of the county, far enough inland to be free from the fogs, a most ex¬ cellent quality of fruit can be raised with ease and profit.
The climate is never very cold, and there is
always abundance of rain to insure the growth of what¬ ever is planted.
The moist climate always prevents a
failure of crops, whether of .grain or fruit, and in all the deplorable seasons when Southern California is scorching beneath the sun of a dry year, Humboldt farmers are rewarded with bountiful crops. Aside from the various short lines of lumber-trans¬ portation
roads
there are three railroad enterprises
which deserve mention—the Areata and Mad River, the
Eureka and
Trinidady and
Eureka railroads.
the Eel
River and
The first named road is owned by
Korbel Brothers of San Francisco, is twelve miles in length, and extends from the Areata wharf to the North Fork of Mad River.
The road is fitted up for passenger
and freight traffic, and is doing a thriving business. The second road mentioned—the Eureka and Trinidad —is not yet in existence.
Articles of incorporation
have been filed, by a local company, having a capital stock of $750,000, and it is proposed to construct a
APPENDIX.
490
standard-gauge road from Eureka to the town of Trini¬ dad, via Areata, a distance of twenty-eight miles North. It is expected that the road will be completed in 1886. The
most
important
railroad
enterprise
ever in¬
augurated in the county is the Eel River and Eureka Railroad, which
is to extend, when completed, from
Eureka to a point on the Van Duzen, a tributary of Eel River forty miles South.
The company building
this road consists of local capitalists, and was incor¬ porated in 1882 with a capital stock of $1,200,000. Twenty miles of this road have been completed, and passenger and freight trains run from the bay to Hydesville, in Eel River Valley.
The road runs through a
splendid agricultural country and also taps some ex¬ tensive belts of fine timber.
It is
a broad-gauge,
solidly constructed, and is equipped with first-class cars and locomotives. It would be impossible to measure with exactness the future of Humboldt county—its growth, its develop¬ ment, its rank among the prosperous communities of a great State.
It has all the elements of enduring and
permanent prosperity; it has boundless natural advan¬ tages which are destined to be the source of inex¬ haustible wealth;
and its
isolated condition will be
changed by railroad connection with San Francisco within the next five years.
If future progress shall
not be retarded by adverse circumstances; if the de¬ mand for redwood lumber continues; if Government improvements to navigation already begun are prose¬ cuted with vigor, the improvement in Humboldt county will continue, its resources develop, its commerce grow,
APPENDIX.
its trade expand.
49 1
Very little and insignificant things,
these “ ifs,” to be sure; yet little things sometimes change the destinies of nations.
Wonderful develop¬
ments have taken place in the thirty years past, and still more wonderful will be the progress of the thirty years to come.
Nearest to Humboldt Bay, and closely allied to it in business interests, is the smallest of the trio of Northwest counties. California is fortunate in names.
the matter of beautiful •
Her villages, cities, streams, mountains and
counties have derived from the native Californians or the Indian tribes names as picturesque and attractive as the localities which bear them.
It is a noticeable
fact that the inhabitants of Northern California, as a rule, do not pronounce the Spanish and Indian names correctly.
.Especially is this the case in regard to Del
Norte—the inhabitants giving it the pronunciation of “ Del Nort,” as if omitting the final letter of the last word.
This sounds hard, guttural and harsh, and one
who hears it involuntarily sighs for the smooth, flow¬ ing speech of the Southern Californians, that sweet musical1 cadence of the Spanish tongue which is so charming among the Angelenos.
Del Norte, signify¬
ing “the North,’’ is situated in the extreme Northwest corner of California, and is bounded on the East by Siskiyou county, on the West by the Pacific Ocean, on the North by Curry and Josephine counties, Oregon,
APPENDIX.
492
and on the South by Humboldt and Siskiyou coun¬ ties. The Legislature of 1856-57 passed a bill providing for the division of Klamath county and for the creation of the new county of
Del
Norte.
It located the
county seat at Crescent City, and ordered an election held in May, 1857, for the election of the first county officers. The
tract of country in which
Crescent
City is
situated is somewhat remarkable by its location im¬ mediately at the foot of the Coast Range of moun¬ tains, which elsewhere, from
San
Francisco to
the
Columbia River, with few exceptions, rise abruptly from the ocean, without leaving more of low bench land than here and there a sandy beach or the bottom grounds of a river that finds an outlet in the sea.
On
the right hand, running due North with the Humboldt meridian, is
the
redwood ridge, from 300 to
1,000
feet high, forming the first bank or tier of the Coast Range, which, after passing
Smith’s River, turns to
the left to close up again with the ocean.
Crescent
City is situated on the Southerly side of a low prom¬ ontory extending from the great Coast Range.
The
extremity of this promontory forms Point St. George, and consists of table land elevated some 50 or 60 feet above the level of the sea.
On the North side this
promontory consists of low sands, and in the interior is a shallow laguna of considerable size.
The South¬
erly side at the site of the town consists of low timber land.
The
harbor of Crescent City affords good
shelter in Summer, but it is open and unprotected
APPENDIX.
493
against the Southerly gales which prevail during the Winter months on
this Coast, and which at times
cause a heavy swell
to set in from the Southwest
dangerous to vessels in the harbor.
It is conceded
by all that this danger might be obviated by closing up with a breakwater the gap half a mile wide be¬ tween the headland of Crescent City (Battery Point) and the rocks South of it.
Vessels can find good an¬
chorage in five or six fathoms of water, and if needed improvements to the
harbor were made
be safe at all seasons of the year. bar, being an open roadstead.
it would
The harbor has no
It is situated 280 miles
North of San Francisco and about the same distance South
of the
Columbia
River.
Perhaps
the best
evidence of the dangerous character of the harbor during the Winter months and of the necessity for im¬ provements could be furnished by the Underwriters, who lose large sums every Winter on account of vessels which part their lines and go ashore on the beach at Crescent City.
The smooth character of the
beach prevents vessels going ashore there from be¬ coming total wrecks, but the heavy surf pounds them against the ground until they sustain severe damage, costing a large amount to repair. estimated
Although
it is
that it would require $3,000,000 to build
a complete breakwater here,
a much less sum, say
$1,030,000, would suffice to make such improvements as would render the harbor safe in all seasons. Crescent City, as seen from the ocean, does not present a very attractive appearance.
The buildings
are nearly all low, wooden structures, and seen from
APPENDIX.
494
the deck of an approaching steamer the town looks like a collection of huts.
The place improves on a
nearer view, and perhaps it is the grandeur of the sur¬ rounding scenery which gives it such a dwarfed, poor appearance at first sight. pactly built.
It is well laid out and com¬
There are twelve brick buildings and
one stone warehouse.
The population is about 1200.
There are two churches and twelve saloons.
Several
secret societies flourish here, the Odd Fellows, Ma¬ sons, Good Templars, and A. O. U. W.
The schools
of Crescent City are among the best in the State, and at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876 they received credit for the best exhibit of work done in the public schools of California.
The business of the town is
principally confined to lumbering operations.
Rail¬
roads from the Elk River and Lake Earl mills extend to the end of the wharf, where vessels load with lumber. West of the wharf, on an island about one hundred yards from shore, stands the Crescent City lighthouse. It is a low, grayish colored stone structure, elevated fifty feet above the sea and facing the bay; from its centre rises a tower in which at eventide a revolving light guides vessels entering the harbor and warns mariners at sea of the dangers of the rocky coast. The Government is constructing a new lighthouse of the first class, modelled after the famous Eddystone lighthouse, on
Seal
Rock, off
Point
St.
George.
There is one newspaper published in Crescent City, the Record, J. E. Eldredge
proprietor.
Crescent
City is reached by steamer from San Francisco and Eureka, and by stage from Smith’s River Valley and Jacksonville, Oregon.
APPKNDIX.
495
Nestled at the foot of the mountains, the village of Del Norte, in Smith’s River Valley, forms a pretty picture.
The houses are white and new looking, and
contrast pleasantly with the surrounding forests and fields.
Four miles Northwest of Del Norte, at the
mouth of Smith’s River, is situated the Hume saw mill, having a capacity of 30,000 feet per day, and the Occident and Orient Commercial Company’s fishery and cannery.
Near the mouth of the river are a num¬
ber of sloughs, branching out from the right and left, and during the fishing season these waters' are literally alive with salmon.
The fishing season extends from
the first of September to the middle of November.
A
smooth, level beach affords excellent facilities for haul¬ ing seines, and as the fishing is not interfered with by rapid currents or obstructing drifts it is an easy matter to catch and handle the fish.
There has been a fish¬
ery at the mouth of Smith’s River for over twenty years, but the present extensive cannery was established only a few years ago, the fish having formerly been put up exclusively in barrels.
In 1877 Wm. Fender, the
owner of the fishery, leased it to the Occident and Orient Commercial Company for a term of ten years. Since
the
company
came
into possession of
the
property they have expended over $10,000 in making improvements.
The main building is 200 feet long
and 60 feet wide. , The annual product of the cannery is worth over $40,000. experienced in shipping.
Some difficulty is at present The entrance to the river
is dangerous for either sailing vessels or steamers, on account of sunken rocks in the channel.
An appro-
APPENDIX.
496
priation of ten or fifteen thousand dollars, applied to improvements at the mouth of the river, would be sufficient to make a safe and easy entrance. needed
improvements were
made,
If the
not only would
fish from the cannery be shipped, but lumber from mills
on
the river, minerals from
the
mountains
and produce from valley farms would also fbrm a por¬ tion of the exports. There are only three villages of importance in the county, the third being Happy Camp, situated ninety miles east of Crescent City.
It is built on both sides
of Indian Creek, near its junction with the Klamath River.
Surrounded by mountains, the only means of
reaching it being by thriving trade. mineral
mountain trails, it yet has a
The country around it is rich in
wealth
and a large capital is
mining property.
invested
in
The village contains three or four
stores, two hotels and two or three saloons. stores do a large
business, and it is said
The
that the
merchants of Happy Camp pay annual freight charges to the amount of twelve thousand dollars. From the southern line of Del Norte county, ex¬ tending to the dividing line, between California and Oregon, is a vast forest of redwood, spruce and fir. The timber lands in the county that may easily be made available are estimated as follows: Elk Valley, 24,300 acres; Smith’s River, 51,200; Mill Creek, 48,000;
Klamath
River,
238,700 acres.
This
115,200;
making a total of
estimate includes only those
sections of timber land that may be easily made avail¬ able.
Taking the very low estimate of 250,000 feet
APPENDIX.
497
of lumber to the acre, the above area would represent a total of 59,675,000,000 feet.
Calculating the num¬
ber of working days in saw mills at 300 per annum, and limiting their capacity to 25,000 feet per day, these forests would furnish material to one saw mill for 8,525
years; to five saw mills for 1,705
years;
to ten saw mills for 853 years; to twenty saw mills for 426 years.
There are at present seven saw mills
in the county, with a combined capacity of about 15,000,000 feet per annum. The mineral wealth of Del Norte county is known to be immense.
Gold mining has been steadily and
successfully pursued since 1851.
The placer diggings
on Smith’s River and on the Klamath, the black sand on the ocean beach, and more especially the extensive hydraulic mining carried on in the region of Happy Camp, all demonstrate everywhere in this section the presence of gold in paying quantities. Happy Camp is the only section of the county that has yet received any benefit from capital.
A large amount of money
has been invested in Happy Camp mines, and they are now
being
worked with profit.
There are several
mines in the vicinity now lying idle which only need capital to make them paying properties.
Poin^ Look¬
out, an old mining locality, was several years worked with varying success by many parties.
Indian Flat,
another old mining locality, is situated
on the other
side of the Klamath and almost directly opposite Point Lookout. Between it and Muck-a-Muck Flat, a distance of six miles, is gravel
a continuous
deposits, 82
range of gold-bearing
extending at some
points several
4q8
APPENDIX.
miles back from the river.
Various places on the dif¬
ferent forks of Indian Creek, long since abandoned by those who had to depend
upon
their own
arms
to
wrest the gold from the hard cement and adamantine rock, can be made to pay well by the use of improved machinery and under the supervision of practical min¬ ers. The mining districts comprising Big Flat, Haynes Flat and French Hill are rich in gravel deposits.
Be¬
sides these placer mines, there are several well-defined leads of gold-bearing quartz, and the black sands on the ocean beach are heavy with fine gold. Hill Quartz Mine, situated in the miles
Bald
The Bald
Hills, twelve
northeast of Crescent City, has been worked
more or less for twenty years, but the parties prospect¬ ing it, having limited means, did not give it a fair test. Some very rich specimens have been found of this ledge.
in spurs
The Del Norte Gold Mining Company
own the mine. The beach mines are worthy of an extended notice, for they are destined to be an important feature in the future industries of Del Norte.
The existence
of vast deposits of gold-bearing sands on the sea-coast of California, Oregon and Washington Territory has been a-matter of notoriety for over a quarter of a cen¬ tury.
The value of these deposits is fabulous.
The
largest deposits of gold-bearing black sands are in the vicinity of Humboldt Bay, Gold Bluff, the Klamath River and Crescent City.
Gold Bluff miners have been
working for twenty years, and it is the most exten¬ sively worked beach mine on the coast.
One claim on
the beach four miles South of Crescent City has also
APPENDIX.
been worked for several years.
499 The return per ton is
very meagre, and the tailings prove by careful assay to be nearly as rich in the precious metal as the sand before washing.
The black sand is very heavy, but
the gold obtained from it is so light that when dry it will float on the surface of water.
In addition to gold
the sand contains many other varieties of minerals The opinion has been held by some that this beach gold comes from the bottom of the ocean, but a ma¬ jority believe that it comes from the bluffs along the coast and that the action of the sea working night and day is the great natural separator.
And it has
been remarked that when the direction of the wind is such that the surf breaks square on the beach it rolls up quantities of coarse gravel, and no black sand is visible; but that, when it cuts the beach at an angle, the gravel is washed into heaps at certain spots, and in others black sand is deposited more or less rich in gold.
Attempts have been made to separate the gold
from the sand by various processes with machinery, and by chlorination and boiling, until finally nearly all parties working these mines have returned to the old process of sluicing.
Only a moiety of the gold is ob¬
tained by this process, yet the work pays a small profit. The value of these sands is greatly enhanced by the quantities of platinum
they contain, which
is now
wasted, owing to the imperfect manner by which the gold is obtained.
The various processes hitherto tried
have been unable to accomplish anything more than by the primitive process of sluicing, and the beach mines of Del Norte will continue to temptingly expose
500
APPENDIX.
their riches until some inventive Yankee discovers a method of extracting the gold from the sand. There are several ledges of silver-bearing quartz in the county.
In fact, nearly all the gold-bearing quartz
contains some silver, and the copper and chrome ores contain more or less.
Time will demonstrate that
there are silver mines here unequalled elsewhere on the coast. There are well-defined and extensive copper and chrome leads.
Copper ore was discovered-in i860, in
the Northwestern part of the county, on the Low Di¬ vide, a depression in the Coast Range which forms the dividing line between this part of the State and Ore¬ gon.
There are five good copper mines in the Low
Divide District, viz:
the “ Hanscom,” “Occidental,”
“Alta,” “Union” and “Monmouth,” all located on fine leads.
From i860 to 1863 there were shipped from the
“Alta” and “Union” mines about 2,000 tons of good copper ore, its market value per ton in San‘Francisco being over $60.
For several years past the mines
have remained idle, the owners lacking the necessary capital or enterprise to work
them.
The
chrome
mines are situated on Low Divide Hill, in the vicinity of the copper mines.
Attention was first directed to
the chrome ores in 1868; claims were located, opened and worked in 1869.
The Tyson Smelting Company,
of Baltimore, Md., from
1869 to 1873 made annual
shipments of 1,500 tons of this ore. ages forty per cent.
The ore aver¬
From 1873 to the present time
the shipments have been irregular and light, and but little work has been done in the Winter, the annual product averaging about 600 tons.
APPENDIX.
501
The Low Divide District is one vast body of min¬ eral wealth. Not only does it contain enormous quan¬ tities of copper and chrome, but immense deposits of iron ore of various grades and classes are found there. Iron ore is found in various parts of the county, but the bulk of it is situated in the Low Divide District. Besides the chrome, there are deposits of the red and brown hematite and the magnetic iron ores. These Ores have all been tested by scientific men, who have pronounced them as of very high grade, but no at¬ tempt has ever been made to extract or work them. Coal was discovered several years ago on Point St. George, and a company was formed to work the mines. But like many other companies who have attempted to work mines in the vicinity of Crescent City, the coal company was destitute of capital; and after sink¬ ing a shaft some seventy or eighty feet, and finding excellent prospects, they were compelled to suspend work at the urgent request of creditors. This is the only coal mine that has ever been worked here, though the same coal—a brown coal of valuable properties— has been discovered in various parts of this section of country. That portion of the county comprising Elk Valley and Smith’s River Valley consists of eighteen square miles of the richest and best agricultural land, the formej containing three square miles and the latter fifteen. The quality of the land varies somewhat in dif¬ ferent localities, but in general it is a heavy black soil, raising the finest of vegetables, oats, wheat and barley, and the best and most nutritious grasses. A compar-
502
APPENDIX.
atively small amount of the arable land of the county is cultivated, dairying being the great industry, which requires
nearly all
the
land for grazing purposes.
The yield of grain is about thirty bushels of
wheat
per acre, fifty bushels of oats, forty bushels of barley. New land yields from eight to twelve tons of potatoes per acre, and land which has been under cultivation for years from two to five tons per acre.
There is a
small amount of arable land in the vicinity of Happy Camp, and on Indian Creek.
Of the cultivated fruits,
the apple and plum do exceedingly well. The climate is similar to that of Humboldt county. In that portion of the county near the sea, comprising Crescent City and vicinity, Elk Valley and Smith’s River Valley and vicinity, it is in general very mild and healthy.
Severe frosts are seldom experienced,
the heat in Summer is not oppressive, and although little or no rain falls in the Summer months, the close proximity of the ocean insures moisture enough in the atmosphere to sustain the vigorous growth of plants. During five months of the year, from the first of Nov¬ ember to the first of April, much rain falls, and occa¬ sionally furious wind storms occur.
The temperature
is nearly the same throughout the year, there being but little difference between the Winter and Summer months. The warm gulf stream of the ocean, which has such a great influence on the climate of other parts of the county, has little effect on that of Happy Camp, and during the Winter season it is sometimes very cold there, snow frequently falling several feet in depth. The surrounding mountains are covered with snow
APPENDIX.
503
during a greater portion of the Winter, and the trail between Crescent City and Happy Camp is sometimes covered by drifts to the depth of feet.
fifteen or twenty
During the summer months it is warmer than
at Crescent City, the heat of Summer being more in¬ tense than the cold of Winter.
Trinity—also intimately associated in commercial relations with Humboldt Bay—is almost exclusively a mining county.
As the gold miners were the first
settlers of the county, so mining has continued to be the chief industry of the population. mining was confined
The earliest
to the beds and bars of the
numerous streams, but with the introduction of hy¬ draulics
operations were carried on
extended scale.
upon
a more
Two causes, in the meanwhile, com¬
bined to keep the county from advancing in popula¬ tion and consequent development to the same degree enjoyed by other counties whose natural were not greater. kinds of
mining
resources
One was the distance which all supplies
had to be
transported;
another, the fact that the greater portion of the county lay away from any direct line of travel.
Other points
much nearer a base of supplies, and more accessible, offered as invicing fields of labor, and it followed that during those years when the mines were in the flush of success counties of less area possessed three times the population.
The result is that at the pres-
APPENDIX.
5°4
ent time there are openings for successful mining here that, had the country been more favorably and con¬ veniently situated, would have been worked out years ago. to
One thing, however, should be borne in mind--
mine successfully with the methods now in use
requires organization.
With
each year that passes
the miner requires more water for working, as the deposits are followed back.
It is not now so easy a
matter for three or four men to combine together, and, by putting a ditch on some place they have found, secure themselves in the possession of a claim which will furnish labor for years.
There are many places in
the county to which the attention of capital can be directed for safe and profitable investment. The town of Weaverville is the county seat. a pretty and busy place.
mostly built of brick, while the citizens are surrounded orchards.
It is
The business houses are with
residences
tasteful
of the
grounds and
The town and vicinity contain 800 inhab¬
itants, exclusive of Chinese. Trinity county 'is one
hundred
miles
in length,
North and South, and from twenty-six to seventy miles in,width.
It contains over 3,000 square miles of terri¬
tory, and 2,300 inhabitants, excluding the
Chinese,
who probably number two-thirds as many more. There is an inconsiderable amount of farming land in the county, nearly all of which is situated in two valleys, the Trinity and Hay Fork. two valleys
the farming land
Aside from these
is generally in small
patches, used for the production of fruit and vegeta¬ bles.
Fruits grow to
perfection, and in
flavor are
APPENDIX.
505
much superior to the fruit grown in the Sacramento Valley.
The climate is cold in Winter and warm in
Summer, resembling some of the moderate regions of the Eastern States. It is in the production of gold that Trinity excels, the annual
yield
being nearly one
million dollars.
The Trinity gold bears a high standard of fineness—all the camps, with two or three exceptions, producing dust that assays over 900 fine. Weaverville is distant from Sacramento City 218 miles.
The route is by the California and Oregon Rail¬
road to Redding, 170 miles; thence by stage nearly due West through the town of .Shasta to the Tower House.
At this point the
stage
road divides, one
route leading through French Gulch in Shasta county to Trinity Centre, and thence to Fort Jones and Yreka; the other crossing the mountains by way of Lewiston to Weaverville, the
terminus.
The distance from
Redding to Weaverville, 48 miles, is made by stage. Passengers leaving Weaverville at nine San Francisco the next evening.
a. m.
reach
Commercial com¬
munication with Humboldt Bay is had by means of pack-trains, over mountain
trails.
In former years
fully three-fourths of the merchandise exported to Trinity went by way of Humboldt Bay and over the trails, and at the present time there is a large traffic from Humboldt to the mines on New River.