upon the Indians and forty out of forty-seven, and one other,
died of the poison afterward. There is one of the company
now in the country who gives this version, and I heard Wright
swearing about Dr. Ferrber, our druggist (now of Vallejo),
selling him an adulterated article of strychnine, which he said
the doctor wanted to kill the cayotes. That the plan was con-
cocted before they left Yreka defeats the claim now made for
them, that they only anticipated the treachery of the Indians.
John Schonchin was one of the Indians that escaped and in
late interview then he made this as an excuse for not coming
out to meet the Commissioners. The story of the Indians
corresponds so well with that I have frequently heard from
our own people, before it became so much of a disgrace by the
reaction, that I have no doubt of the correction in its general
details. At the time others, as well as myself, told Wright that
the transaction would at some time react fearfully upon some
innocent ones of our people, but so long a time had elapsed
that I had concluded that matter was nearly forgotten by all,
and nothing come of it until the night of my second visit in
the cave, when Schonchin would get very excited talking of it
as an excuse for not going out. The history of that night you
have probably seen as it was given by Article B, the Sacra-
mento Record and San Francisco Chronicle, for which paper
he was corresponding; he was made wild; he was with me the
whole time after. A final peace was made with the Modocs,
but the year is now out of my mind; about 1857 or '58 they
came to Yreka with horses, money and furs to trade and get
provisions and blankets. On their way out they were waylaid
at Shasta River, as was claimed by Shasta Indians, and several
killed, robbed and thrown into the river. Many of our citizens
thought white men were connected with this murder, and it
is probably so. The Shasta Indians retreated ; they claim that
but few of their people were engaged in the massacre, but it
was mostly done by the white people; and in their negotiations
for peace in the spring of 1864 mentioned hereafter.
But to return to the thread of my history. On taking possession of the Superintendency of September, 1863, I found the Klamath Lakes, the Modocs and the Shastas in war with
