Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 1 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 14

CHAPTER X

There was none of the heroic and much of the inhuman on the part of the whites, with some of the pathetic on the side of the red men in the Mariposa Indian War, which footed up a bill of $300,000 as the cost of the extermination of the valley mountain tribe of the Yosemites (estimated at some 200) with incidental discovery of the famous scenic valley on the Merced River.

During the year 1850, the Indians of Mariposa County, which then included all the territory south of the Tuolumne and Merced divide within the San Joaquin Valley proper, greatly harassed the miners and few settlers. Their depredations and assaults continued until U. S. commissioners came in 18.51 to exercise control over them. Treaties were made in the end with sixteen small local tribes and all were placed on reservations. Among the settlers was James D. Savage, of whom more anon, who in 1849-50 had located in the mountains near the south fork of the Merced, about fifteen miles below the Yosemite Valley. He employed Indians to dig gold for him and early in 1850 the Yosemites, a band of mountain tribe outlaws and fugitives, attacked his trading post and mining camp, claiming the territory and attempting to drive Savage off, though plunder was probably the real object.

The assault was repelled, but the location was no longer deemed a safe one and Savage removed to Mariposa Creek, twenty miles southwest of Aqua Fria, near the site of an old stone fort. He also established a branch post on the Fresno, above what was known later as Leach's old store, where the mining prospects were better with subsidence of the water. Here a prosperous traffic was built up, the miners and prospectors dealing with him rather than spend the time on the journey to and from Mariposa village, exacting though his prices were. In the midst of prosperity, one of his squaw wives disclosed a conspiracy-hatching among the mountain tribes to kill or drive off all the whites and plunder them, the Yosemites leading in the plot. He pretended to disregard the report but gave general warning against a surprise.

Savage gave out that he was going to San Francisco for a stock of goods and ordering strict caution, he started, accompanied by two squaws and an Indian chief, Jose Juarez, really one of the leading plotters, to impress him with the sights at Stockton and San Francisco of the futility of an uprising in view of the superior numbers and resources of the whites. Juarez, being liberally supplied with gold, was stupidly drunk while in San Francisco, and being reproved by Savage retorted in abuse, disclosing the secret of the war. Savage lost his self-control and knocked him down. After remaining to witness the celebration on October 20, 1850, of California's admission and arranging for the forwarding of goods as he might order. Savage started back for Mariposa. On arrival at Quartzburg, he learned that the Kaweahs were exacting tribute from immigrants passing through their territory, and that one Moore had been killed not far from his station. Savage "scented danger to himself."

Learning that Indians were numerous at Cassady's Bar on the San Joaquin and not far from his Fresno River station, he hurried to the latter point, found everything quiet apparently, and the Indians congregated only for barter, among them two chiefs of tribes from which he had taken wives. Pretending indifference. Savage sought to assure himself of the progress of the conspiracy, and calling an impromptu council, passed the pipe of peace and speechified on the damaging results of a war and the advantages of peaceful intercourse, being familiar with the dialects. He referred to Juarez to confirm his statements.

The cunning Juarez answered, but to the surprise of Savage advocated a united war for their self-preservation, the speech evincing "a keenness of observation inconsistent with his apparent drunken stupidity," while at the bay city. His speech met with approval, others joined him, and an appeal to cupidity in a common plot to plunder had its effect. Savage was outgeneraled and withdrew to prepare for the hostilities he felt certain would follow. The miners and settlers ridiculed and belittled his warnings.

Soon settlers at Indian Gulch and at Quartzburg learned that Savage's Fresno post had been looted on Christmas night 1850 and two men killed, and that his squaw wives, who had refused to abandon his interests when importuned, were carried off by their tribespeople. "Long Haired" Brown, the courier, had been warned by a friendly, carried by him across the Fresno and escaped barefooted and in his night clothes, dodged arrows in the pursuit and outdistanced his pursuers, being a man of strength and agility. On the heels of this report came another from the miners' camp at Mariposa Creek that Savage's establishment there had been plundered and burned and all save the trader killed.

Another murderous assault was reported January 15, 1851, by Frank W. Boden, whose arrival at Cassady's post with shattered right arm and on panting horse excited general sympathy. A party at once started for Four Creeks to aid his companions, whom he had left fighting the Kaweahs. Boden's arm was amputated by Dr. Lewis Leach of St. Louis, Mo., who had come in with him. Boden and companions had halted at Four Creeks to rest and graze their horses, and while there Kaweahs demanded tribute, banter followed and all at once there was firing. In the melee Boden was four times arrowed in the arm. He fired his last shot, resting rifle on broken arm, and then with bridle rein in teeth, and carrying broken arm in the other hand sped at top speed for Cassady's. The attack was made near the site of the present Visalia — Dr. Thos. Payne's place. The mangled bodies of Boden's mates were found, one of the four by unmistakable signs having been flayed alive.

Cassady & Lane kept in January, 1851, a trading post several miles below Rootville (Millerton), and were engaged above the fort site in mining at Cassady's Bar, employing about thirty men. The camp was protected by a stone fence, the post by ditches. Indian hostilities hereabout included the murder of two teamsters at Fine Gold Gulch and the driving off of stock, and by two other man killings below Millerton. Cassady's post was visited by Indians on the 20th of the month. Savage being there on a warning call. The employees had maintained vigilant night guard and dug ditches and embankments, but Cassady ridiculed these preparations. No guards were put on that night, Savage sleeping in a covered wagon within the enclosure. In the morning an arrow was found in the canvas of the main tent, arrows in several of the horses and mules, and fresh moccasin tracks along the river bank. Cassady, who was "a very Georgia Major," foolhardy and a swaggerer, would not heed warning, but persisted there was no real danger. Next day Savage and Leach rode to Mariposa to be at the organization of the battalion, and in a day or so Cassady paid the penalty for his foolhardiness. A detachment of thirty men under Kuykendall, with Leach a private, came to seek the remains and found them on the river bank below the post, with legs cut off, tongue cut out and pinned with arrow over the heart and the body otherwise mutilated. It was buried near where found.

Reports of these and other raids and murders were forwarded to Gov. John McDougal by Sheriff Burney and other officials, urging immediate measures by the state for the protection of the people. It being in the air that the Indians were rallying for concerted operations, a volunteer force made rapid and toilsome march among the wooded mountains in pursuit and came up with the retreating Indians high up on the Fresno. A skirmish followed, with one man killed, and other casualties. Unorganized and with no supplies, the pursuers were worsted, the pursued elated and the volunteers returned to the settlements for reorganization under John J. Kuykendall.

About 100 took up the war-path and pursued the Indians to near the north fork of the San Joaquin, encamped at an old rancheria on a round, rugged mountain, oak and brush covered. Protected by trees and rocks, they taunted the whites and called upon Savage to come out and be killed. He was kept in safe reserve as his knowledge of the country and of the Indians and their dialect could not well be spared. The leaders of the hostiles were Juarez and Jose Rey, the special pleaders at Savage's council. Eight tribes were represented, chief among them the Chowchillas, Kaweahs and Yosemites — some 500 against not to exceed 100 whites, the latter under Boling and Kuykendall, Doss and Chandler.

The plan was for a daylight attack, setting fire to the village before the surprise assault. The camp was routed, Rey was among the first shot down and the Indians took flight. All was done so quickly that there was nothing left for the reserve under Boling and Savage. The village fire spread so fast as to endanger the camp supplies. The Indians escaped in the smoke, twenty-three killed, no prisoners taken, number of wounded never learned. The whites had only minor hurts. Further pursuit was useless.

A general uprising being evident, the state authorities were aroused to action with the result of the Mariposa Battalion of 200 men being mustered in on January 24, 1851, the settler's organization forming the nucleus of the volunteer force with Savage riding on to Cassady's Bar to make up the complement. The volunteers provided horses and equipments, the state camp supplies and baggage trains, and maintenance was expected at the expense of the United States under the direction of the commissioners. Major Ben McCullough was offered the command in the hope of drawing the Texas Rangers in the county, but he declined, having a lucrative position as collector of the foreign miner's tax. The officers as commissioned on muster in were:

Major — James D. Savage.

Company A, seventy men — Captain, John J. Kuykendall; Lieutenants, John I. Scott, T. T. Rodgers and Elisha M. Smith.

Company B, seventy-two men — Captain, John Boling; Lieutenants, Reuben T. Chandler, T. J. Gilbert and T. J. Hancock.

Company C, fifty-five men — Captain, William Dill; Lieutenants. H. W. Farrell, F. W. Russell and Fletcher Crawford.

Adjutant — M. B. Lewis. Surgeon — Dr. A. Bronson, succeeded by Leach on resignation. Assistants — Drs. Pfeiffer and Black. Field and staff, seven: company officers and men, 197: total, 204.

Incidentally, it may be noted that there is not in the state office any official record of the battalion, nor of this "war."

The particular duty assigned to the battalion was to subdue the Indians on the east side of the San Joaquin and Tulare Valleys from the Tuolumne to Tejon Pass. Ready to start, an order came to halt hostilities and the battalion was visited by Wm. Neely Johnson, the governor's aid and himself governor later, and the United States commissioners — George W. Barbour for whom the temporary fort was named; Redick McKee afterward Indian agent, and the genial and scholarly" Dr. O. M. Wozencraft, who was a member of the constitutional convention, the party escorted by a detachment of United States dragoons.

The commission proceeded first to investigate the cause of the war and condition of affairs. Mission Indians were secured to notify as couriers all tribes to come in and surrender, presents were distributed, powwows held, and promises made of food, clothing and useful things, and while awaiting answer horses and mules were stolen from the vicinity of the camp and in the field. A reservation was selected on the Fresno near the foothills, a few miles above the present Madera, eighteen or twenty miles from camp, and headquarters established.

No active operations were undertaken, aside from scouting parties, so deliberate were the commissioners. But the mountain would not come to Mohammed, and so Mohammed went to the mountain. The mountain tribes would not come in, and so it was resolved to go after them. Major Savage and Boling's and Dill's companies to scour the region of the San Joaquin and Merced, and Kuykendall to operate on the Kings and Kaweah. A Nootchoo rancheria on the south fork of the Merced was the first to be surprised. Bishop's Camp or fort was established and the Indians transferred to the Fresno. Runners were sent to the mountains, a small band of Pohonochees from the Merced divide came in, and next Tenieya, chief of the Yosemites, in response to a special envoy. Surrender? Perish the thought! Forward, March! to the village to bring them in, even to follow them to their lurking places in "the deep canyon."