Oregon and Washington Volunteers/24
[Letter of E. Steele, esq., relative to the general disposition of the Indians of northern California and southern Oregon, from the year A. D. 1850 to 1854, and the necessity for the service of Captain Jesse Walker’s company of mounted volunteers, dated November 23, 1857.]
[edit]Hermitage, Scott’s Valley, November 23, 1857.
Dear Sir: In answer to your questions regarding my knowledge and recollection of the history and settlement of northern California and southern Oregon, and particularly the relations existing between the settlers and Indians occupying the country, I cheerfully give you a history of events as they have transpired under my personal observation, prefacing my history with that of miners with whom I have become acquainted on my arrival here, and who had preceded me some ten months, and who were the first white men that had made a settlement in this section of country. From them I learned that prospecting parties, of which they were members, set out in the spring of 1850 in search of gold on the Upper Klamath and its tributaries, and that the placers of Scott’s Bar, on Scott’s river, were discovered in the month of June of that year by one Mr. Dollarhide and his party; but that the Indians were very troublesome and the diggings heavy, and, as they supposed the mines limited, they soon left. The river was then called Beaver creek. Soon after another party, under one Scott, hearing of their success, came upon the river for further explorations, found the placers extensive, and circulated the report of their success to induce the influx of miners sufficient to afford protection against the Indians, whom, as did their predecessors, they found to be very troublesome, both in stealing stock in the daytime and attacking camp by night.
Up to February, 1851, after my arrival in California, I was a resident near Shasta, in Shasta county, in this State. Whilst there, in the fall of 1850, I made the acquaintance of General Joseph Lane, now delegate in Congress from Oregon. General Lane, being quite a favorite with our frontier men, was early informed of the prospects of Scott’s river and vicinity, and as early in the season of 1851 (and I think February) as the weather would permit, set out for the new diggings, and invited me to accompany him, which I did. We arrived on Scott’s river in the last of February of that year. Upon our arrival on the upper waters of Scott’s river, the Indians, who had heard of General Lane through the Oregon Indians, learning that the general was leader of the company, came into camp and expressed a wish that all hostilities between them and the whites should cease, and that General Lane should be “Ti-ee,” or chief, over both parties. Up to this time during our journey, which had been protracted to eighteen days, we had been under the necessity of standing guard, both over animals and camp, day and night. This proposition of the Indians was a great relief to us. Among the Indians who came in at that time were the chief of the Scott’s river Indians, (calling themselves Ot-te-tie-was,) whom we christened John, and his three brothers. Tolo, now called “Old Man,” chief of the band inhabiting the cañon and mountains on the lower part of Scott’s river, including the bar. He is now called “Charley,” and has not been in any way implicated in any of the difficulties since that time, though previous thereto he was the most formidable enemy that the whites had to encounter.
In March of that year diggings were struck on what is now called the Yreka flats, and on Greenhorn. In company with General Lane I then moved from Scott’s river to those diggings, where a little town was established, called Shasta Butte City. The news of the new discovery was soon spread by the traders, and the exceeding richness of the district caused a heavy and sudden influx of miners, who, excited by the prospect of suddenly realizing their fondest anticipations of wealth and competency, would turn out their horses and mules on the Shasta plains, and pay no further heed to them until they had either realized their anticipations or had met with disappointment from not “striking it,” and were again in want of them, either to start for their far distant homes, or insearch of other, and to them, more lucky diggings.
The Indians now called the Shastas were then quite numerous, including the band occupying the Yreka flats, under the chief Tolo, and those inhabiting the valley of the Shasta river and the contiguous mountains, under the chief “Bill,” and another called “Scarface,” (the latter so denominated from a deep scar on his cheek, caused by a cut received at the time he killed the chief of the band and usurped his authority.)
These Indians were all congregated on what is called Yreka flats when we moved over, and received us in a very friendly manner. They, with those of Scott’s river and Rogue river, all talk the same language, and were formerly under the control of one chief, but each of these bands being under the control of a subordinate chief. This head chief, who was the father of “John,” of Scott’s valley, had been killed accidentally a few years previous, and “John” being young, a strife for the supremacy had been carried on for some time by “Sam” and “Joe,” of Rogue river, and “Scarface,” of Shasta, and “John,” of Scott’s valley, old Tolo remaining neutral in the contest. The whites coming in among them, their difficulties ceased, and each chief took supreme control of his separate band. At this time they had not stock among them, and knew nothing of the use of horses and mules except for food, except what they had seen of their use when white people had passed through their country in transit from Oregon to California, or when the Modocs (a word signifying with them strange Indians) came in among them in war parties.
The Indians were naked and lived an indolent life; game, fish, and roots, upon which they subsisted, being then very abundant and easily obtained. As a consequence of the inattention of the miners to their horses and mules, they frequently strayed off a long distance, and when wanted could not be found by their owners; and but for the influence of General Lane much irritation and difficulty would have grown out of that source, which would have involved us in a fatal Indian war. General Lane commanded the respect of the whites and had won the confidence and affection of the Indians, and at a word from him old Tolo would send out his young men to look up any lost animals desired, upon brining the which in and delivery to him, he would award to the Indians a shirt, pair of pants, or drawers, or some little trinket, according to the value of the animal and the trouble in finding. This duty, which by common consent was awarded to him, was a heavy draw upon both his time and his means, but was performed with a cheerfulness which has endeared him to all the old settlers here. Many times the owner of the animal had nothing with which to reimburse the general, and his horse was his only means of exit, in which cases he never allowed the owner to go out on foot, but bid him take his animal and ride.
After the General left for his home in Oregon, the Indians, from having seen me frequently in his company and at his tent, came to me with their troubles, and I had to take his place with them, they styling me for some time “Ti-ee,” Jo Lane’s codawa, meaning General Lane’s brother. Everything passed off in this friendly way until the summer of 1852, and our citizens were safe in passing singly anywhere in the mountains. But in the June of that year, whilst I was absent to Sacramento City on business, Calvin Woodman was killed by an Indian on what is now termed Indian creek, a small stream emptying into Scott’s river through the valley from the north. About four days after this murder I arrived in the valley, and in passing down the valley I met some of the Indians moving their squaws and children into the mountains towards Salmon river, and from them I learned that Woodman had been killed; that the white men were in arms at Johnson’s ranch at the lower end of the valley; that there had been a fight the day before, and they were making preparations for a general war; and although I was travelling alone they did not offer to molest me. I then proceeded to Johnson’s ranch, where the information was confirmed, and also that Mr. S. G. Whipple, then acting sheriff of this county, was seriously wounded, and a few horses killed. That night a large number of citizens came out from Scott’s bar, under Major Rowe as captain, having heard of the skirmish at Johnson’s, and proceeded to Yreka, (late Shasta Butte City, but now Y-e-ka, intending the Indian name of Shasta Butte, Y-re-ka, and which had acquired considerable importance as a mining town,) in search of the hostile Indians. The next day most of them returned to Scott’s bar. I went that day to Scott’s bar and back, a distance of ten miles, over a high mountain, alone, and was not molested by the Indians. This was on Sunday. On Monday I held a talk with the Indians, at the request of Mr. Johnson, who had a wife and children there, and was under much anxiety about the state of affairs. Old Tolo was over in Scott’s valley on a gambling visit. I induced him and his son, chief John, and his three brothers, into the fort which had been erected around Johnson’s house. They informed me that the murder had been committed by an Indian from Rogue river, in company with one from Shasta valley; that they did not desire war, but if I would go with them they would deliver up the guilty parties if found in the camp of the Shastas, and if not, that they would follow them as long as I would go with them. I asked for a small company of five or six men from the citizens there, and obtained six, namely, John McLeod, James Bruce, (now Major Bruce, of the Oregon militia,) James White, Peter Snellback, John Galvin, and a young man called Harry. With them and old Tolo and his son, whom we christened Philip, and one of John’s brothers, whom we called Jim, we started for the cañon on Shasta river.
On arriving at Yreka we found the people under a great excitement on account of the Indians having moved up into the mountains; and learning that I had brought some into town, a public meeting was called in the evening for the purpose of taking them away from me and hanging them. I addressed the meeting, explained my proceedings so far, and my intentions for the future, when quiet was restored. Judge William A. Robertson, the first judge of the county, proverbial for his sympathy for the Indian, and his associates, Judges James Strawbridge and Patterson, on the morning of the next day officially authorized me to obtain and deliver up the murderers, and agreed to pay the costs out of the county treasury, supposing I would have to go only to Shasta cañon (a further distance of two miles) to obtain them. Here I was joined by J. D. Cook, esq., Dr. L. S. Thompson, Mr. F. W. Merritt, and Ben Wright, the last named being employed as an interpreter, he talking the Indian language well. The Indians having fled to the mountains we were two days in hunting them up and getting them together, when we learned that the two we were in pursuit of had fled to Rogue river to join Typsie Ti-ee, (in English, the chief with the beard,) inhabiting the Siskiyou mountains and upper Rogue river, and old Sam, the chief of the Rogue Rivers, whom they said were in arms, and intending to kill the whites, if a Doctor Ambrose would not give his little daughter to Sam's son for a wife. Here old Tolo and his son and Jim proposed to substitute two others in their stead—young, active warriors, who were better acquainted with the country, and who proffered to go and either obtain and deliver up the murderers or suffer their punishment. I then, in company with Esquire Cook, returned to Yreka and consulted with Judge Strawbridge, the other judges having left, one for Scott’s valley, and the other for Scott’s bar. Judge Strawbridge (who now resides in New Orleans, his former residence, and a lawyer by profession) advised pursuit, and it according with my own opinion, I set out—Esquire Cook not returning with me, business preventing.
Upon arriving at camp, I learned from the Indians that, from further information gathered among them, that the fugitives were undetermined, when they left, as to whether it would be best for them to flee to the upper Klamath or to Rogue river. The Indians proffered to raise a band of their own men to go out to the lake with Ben Wright, and I to go to Rogue river with my company, now numbering, myself included, nine white men, two Shasta Indians, and one Clickitat, called Bill, who had come into the country with General Lane. We adopted this course: travelled much in the night through unfrequented paths, as led by the young Indians, whom we christened “Tom” and “Jack.” In crossing the Siskiyou mountains we met a Rogue River Indian with his bow strung and arrow set, and three more in his teeth for immediate use, his quiver well filled, and surrounded him before he discovered us. Our guides talked with him a short time, and then informed me that the Indians we were after had gone to Sam’s band, and that this Indian was going over to induce their people and the Scott Rivers to join Typsie and Sam against the whites. I then ordered Mr. Galvin to take his bow and arrows away from him, and told the Indians to explain to him the state of affairs, which they did, and that he must go back with us to the Indian agent of Rogue River valley, Judge Skinner. On attempting to disarm him he resisted, and snatching Mr. Galvin’s pistol, (a six-shooting Colt’s revolver of large size,) commenced firing at us in quick succession; doing, however, no material damage, grazing my horse with one ball only. He then broke loose from Mr. Galvin, and fled up the mountain. I ordered pursuit; but finding he could climb the mountain faster than our horses, I ordered Indian “Bill” to dismount and pursue him on foot, and if he could not overtake him and detain him until the rest should come up, to shoot him. He pursued about half a mile, when, the Indian being likely to get away, Bill killed him.
After passing the summit of the mountain we fell in with Typsie Ti-ee’s son, who was out reconnoitering, and took him prisoner. Upon descending into Rogue River valley we were met by Doctor Con Hillman and another gentleman, who informed us that the Indians of Sam’s and Joe’s tribes were gathered in arms near Table Rock, on Big Bar, on Rogue river, in large numbers, and that the citizens, under Captain Lamerick, were under arms on the opposite side of the river, and wished us to hasten on to render them help. The cause of the trouble was as reported by the Indian messenger. Dr. Hillman and companion proceeded to Yreka for ammunition. We immediately, by a forced march, proceeded to the place designated, where we arrived about sundown, taking on our way another prisoner, who was well mounted and fully armed with revolver and gun.
About a mile from the bar we met the Indian agent, Judge A. A. Skinner, who informed us that matters looked desperate, and asked us to go down to the bar and camp, and to keep a good lookout till morning, when he would join us. We made known to him our business, and asked him, in case of an arrangement, to add to the terms a delivery of the fugitives, which he promised to do. On the following morning he came to the bar, when we had some further consultation. After a short time, by sending our young Indian, Tom, across the river, we induced Sam and some of his warriors to come over and hold a talk. Tom then saw and talked with the Indians we were in pursuit of. After Sam and Joe, and a few others, had been with us a short time, others commenced coming over, all armed, and many with guns and revolvers, until there were between one and two hundred mixed around among our men.
Sam seeing our prisoners, demanded that they should be set free as a preliminary step. Judge Skinner ordered me to restore them their guns and pistols, and let them go, which I declined doing unless Sam would bring over and deliver up, as an exchange, the Indians we were after, which he refused to do. Judge Skinner then made a peremptory order for me to deliver up and set them free, with notice that I was within his jurisdiction. I refused; told him that the Indians I was in pursuit of were there, and that I was determined to hold these until I obtained the others. Judge Skinner then went up to the Indians and told them to go; that he was chief of the whites, and that they might go. I told him in their language they must not go, and told them if they moved a foot I would shoot them. Judge Skinner threatened my arrest, and to send me to Oregon city for trial, unless I let them go; yet I refused, unless upon a compliance with my terms—to deliver up the refugees. I then placed the prisoners under charge of two of my men, with instructions, that if any attempt was made to rescue them, or raise a disturbance with a view of giving them an opportunity to escape, and they should break away, to shoot them, but if they remained quiet, not to injure them, or allow them to be injured, and told the Indians what rny orders were. I then told the other six of my men to place themselves at proper distances from each other, and by trees, so that each should be a guard to the other, and prevent the Indians from getting in their rear and surprising us. I then, with the Indians, Tom, Jack, and Bill, took my place in the council with Sam, Joe, and other Indians. Sam then informed Judge Skinner that before he would talk the white men must go and stack their arms at some fifty paces back, indicating the place. Judge Skinner immediately, and without any consultations, ordered the whites so to do. Captain Lamerick, being under his jurisdiction, felt under obligations, and did cause his men to comply with the order. I refused and remonstrated, that unless the Indians should do likewise with their guns, (they being as fully armed as we were,) we would all be massacred without being able to make a show of defence. Judge Skinner refused to require them to stack their guns. We then commenced the talk—my company and the Indians retaining their arms.
Sam refused to give up the refugees; but finally proposed to cross the river and talk with the Indians over there, and would soon return. After crossing the river he halloed back that he should not return, hut defied us. I then ordered my men to keep themselves ready for immediate action. Captain Lamerick ordered his men to resume their arms, and divide off—half to go below a half a mile to a ford, under his lieutenant, and the residue to go with him about the same distance above to another ford, and both to cross the river as soon as any difficulty should occur where we were. Judge Skinner asked time to go over and make one more effort at pacification; which we consented to. He went, and was absent about half an hour, when the Indians that were on our side of the river commenced crossing, one by one, and in a short time there were but about fifty of them left with us. I then placed a guard of two men, McLeod and Galvin, and ordered them to allow no one to pass until Judge Skinner should return, and sent the Indian boy Tom over after him, who soon returned, accompanied by the judge. Judge Skinner refused to allow Tom to point out the murderers.
Whilst I was urging Judge Skinner to use his influence to deliver up the Indians, and offering to deliver up my prisoners and leave for our homes, the Indian Jack observed two Indians going over the hills at a distance, escaping towards the upper Klamath Lake; and presently another, who proved to be Scarface. The others he identified as the ones we were in pursuit of. The Indians on our side commenced hiding themselves behind trees, and making evident demonstrations of a disposition to commence a fight. In this move I ordered my men to intercept them, as we had the advantage of the timber. Mr. Angel then interfered, and the Indians that were on our side of the river (all their chiefs having gone over to the other side) agreed to deliver up their arms to him and go into a log house, and remain prisoners until they should send for and bring back the Indians we were in pursuit of. This was agreed to, and Mr. Angel undertook to get them into the house; but as soon as they got past us they ran away from him, and commenced hiding behind large pine trees. If they had succeeded in getting shelter we should have been exposed to their fire without any chance for shelter. I then ordered my men to fire upon them, which they did, and the tiring immediately became general. We killed thirteeen [sic], and followed the others to the water’s edge, where, discovering that Lamerick’s men had not crossed, and the Indians on the other side, sheltered by the underwood, were pouring in a rapid fire upon us, I ordered a halt, and soon discovered Lamerick and his men marching up the valley towards the settlements to prevent the Indians from making an attack upon the families who were unprotected. In this engagement the Indian boy Jack killed three of the enemy. I immediately ran to the place where I had left the prisoners, and learned from the guard that the Indians made a rush to release them, when one was killed after running about fifty paces, and one of the guard was then shooting at the other in the river. I shot him with my revolver as he came out on the opposite bank.
The Indians on the opposite bank discovering that there were but few of us left, made a movement to surround us; and to do so, threw a body of warriors into a chapparal bush or thicket, through which we would have to pass. In this they were surprised by a Mr. J. Lackey, who was hastening down to render assistance, and met and killed the foremost, which so disconcerted them that they immediately retreated and left our road clear. That evening, news was brought up Rogue river that during our council a party of Indians had passed some distance down the river, and surprised and killed a company of miners. We then arranged that during the following night Captain Lamerick should cross the river and take possession of the western side of Table Rock, and then pass between it and the river; and that I should move up the river with my company about twenty-five or thirty miles, and in the morning to commence scouring the underwood along the river, and drive the Indians down to Lamerick’s company, which was done; and before night we had them all surrounded. They then called for quarter, and wanted to make peace. Judge Skinner was sent for, and a peace was concluded with Sam’s tribe, which was adhered to by them the residue of that season. Typsie Ti-ee remained out in the mountains and continued the warfare. He had killed several travellers whilst we were at Big Bar, the Siskiyon mountains being his field of action.
After a treaty was concluded, Sam told us that if the Shasta and Scott’s rivers tribes had broke out, as he had sent to them to do, so that the people of Rogue river could not get help from the whites there, he would not have had a good talk, but that he would have killed all of the men and kept the women and horses for themselves. We then asked him by whom he sent, and his answer proved it to be the one we had killed. Sam said he had held the talk on Big Bar only to give him an opportunity to arrange an outbreak with those Indians, so that they could kill off all the white population in this part of the country, and that the Indians in the Klamath Lake country had agreed to kill off all that might come in that way; that they did not intend to let any more whites come into their country.
After the close of the treaty we returned to Yreka and found Ben Wright there. He, with his Indians, had met the refugees on the Klamath, as they were escaping from us, and had brought them into town.
In the meantime the citizens of Yreka had obtained traces of Scarface and learned what he was up to, and intercepting him as he was passing towards Salmon river, took him prisoner and hung him. There being no legal tribunal to try a charge of murder, we took the two prisoners over to Scott’s valley, at the mouth of Indian creek, gathered the Scott’s valley and Shasta Indians together, and then had a citizens’ meeting. It appearing from the confessions of both that only one was guilty, the other trying to dissuade him from the act, the guilty one was hung and the other set at liberty. The Indians were satisfied and peace restored.
A few days afterwards news was brought in that the Klamath lake Indians had attacked a train of emigrants and murdered men, women and children. Captain McDermit raised a company and went out to protect others coming in, and after a fall campaign succeeded in passing the residue of the immigrants, but lost some of his men. My expenses on the trip were over twenty-two hundred dollars, which has never been reimbursed from any source.
In 1853 a new outbreak occurred, originating in the bad conduct of a Mexican who was living with the Indians. The Indians retaliated upon the citizens by murdering them before they heard of the aggression, and the citizens of the valley were drawn into a war upon short notice. This war has been recognized by Congress and the history generally understood. The Shasta Indians from that time continued, with the exception of a few that adhered to Tolo, to be troublesome, living in the mountains, stealing stock and murdering travellers whenever opportunity presented. The Scott’s river Indians, and Tolo with a few of his Indians, remained in Scott’s valley and were generally peaceable.
In 1854 the Scott’s valley Indians informed the whites that the Modocs intended to murder all of the immigration that season and steal their stock, and that they were desirous of a council, and unite all the Indians together in these aggressions. A meeting was appointed in Klamath, and they attended as advised to do by Judge A. M. Rosborough, then Indian agent, and after hearing their proposition broke up the council and came in and reported to the agent. Like information was conveyed by friendly Indians to the citizens of Rogue river, and there being many who expected friends in that way that season, the panic spread, and Governor Davis was petitioned for an order to raise volunteers to send out to their assistance, which was granted and a company of volunteers raised, furnished and sent out into the Modoc country to preserve peace.
At the time of raising the company I was informed that the duty devolving upon you of obtaining supplies without money was very arduous, and that the hesitancy with which the traders advanced the necessary outfit at the price offered, came near rendering the expedition a failure; that your untiring and unceasing efforts and the urgent necessity of the case finally induced the outfit. Shortly after it became necessary to send out further supplies, inasmuch as many of the immigrants were destitute and had to be subsisted, thereby making the consumption greater than contemplated, and many of the weak trains were yet behind on their way in, and to withdraw the troops would have been certain death to them. The people of Rogue river had stood as much tax as they could; application was then made to the traders of Yreka and Scott’s valley for assistance. We met you at Yreka, and after several days consultation we very reluctantly agreed to furnish you, which we did. The price offered was no inducement, as it would not pay first cost and the lowest usual rates of interest to the earliest possible day of recognition and payment. Government had been so backward in the settlement of these war claims, as also in the protection against the Indian aggressions, and the constant demands upon us for means which could not with safety to the community be refused, had taxed our energies to the utmost, and in fact many men in good business standing had been entirely ruined by these drains, even at the prices allowed, which prices, in a country where everything is abundant and easily obtained, seem enormous.
I am fully satisfied, from my knowledge at the time, from information afterwards from those that came through that year, that had it not been for this timely aid and protection many lives and much property would have been sacrificed to the savages during that fall; that the immigrants owe to your exertions and interest their lives and property.
During my acquaintance with the affairs of this country I have noticed that as soon as warm weather sets in many of the young warriors of the different tribes would disappear, and upon inquiry of the old men would receive information that they were sick or dead, but cold weather would invariably bring most of them back again; that soon after their disappearance in the spring horses and cattle would disappear from time to time, and the Indians that remained in sight would commence accumulating property quite fast, which they would represent as having been stolen from the Modocs. I have no doubt but that they have a regularly organized system of stealing from citizens and exchanging with the Modocs.
The government having appointed Judge A. M. Rosborough an agent for this part of the State, and he having made himself acquainted with the Indians, their character and habits, and having acquired a supremacy over those within reach of his influence from the year 1854 to the present time, I have paid but little attention to the Indians or their affairs. The duty required of me, by both whites and Indians, previous to his arrival, in maintaining peace and keeping advised of the movements and intentions of the Indians being both expensive and troublesome, I was happy to throw off the honor attaching to the position. During the time of Judge Rosborough’s administration those Indians within his jurisdiction were well restrained, and his duty promptly attended to. I have no doubt but that the judge would cheerfully convey to you much valuable information touching the matters of your inquiry.
I remain yours, very respectfully,
E. STEELE.
Gen. C. S. Drew.