USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 33
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It was my good fortune on several occasions to be out on seouting expeditions with Wright, and it often made my hair rise and my heart leap into my mouth to follow him where it seemed that death depended on the rustling of a blade of grass or the drawing of a full breath. To creep after him for hours among the tents ef savages who would have raised heaven and earth to clip the hair from our heads, to watch his serpent-like movements as he glided along, occasionally stopping to raise one finger as a sign to "Keep still, I hear something," was about as trying to the nerves as one can well imag- ine. How he could find and avoid every ravine, stick, or stone, and show me how to do so, while we were among the Indians; could sink down and glide away as noiselessly as a shadow ; be out of sight where it seemed that there was nothing to hide us ? are questions I cannot answer. I simply know
we did so. On one occasion we went to inspect a village in order to learn the number of the enemy. It was very dark, and we erept around among the tents, peering into them and counting their occu- pants. In the center was a tent much larger than the others, and from this came sounds of shouting and singing. Wright wanted to know what they were doing, and we crept up close to the tent and looked in. It was full of Indians of all ages, some talking, others shouting and singing, their language being unintelligible to us. In the middle of the tent was a bright fire that cast a glare upon all within, while we lay just without in the darkness. Across the tent near the fire was stretched a string, and on this hung a scalp, which looked like that of a white man. This they drew to one side of the tent and then to the other, while they continued singing. Then one of the warriors would rise up and make a speech, and when finished the rest would applaud him, and the singing and drawing of the scalp be resumed, followed by another speech. We watched them as long as we desired, when Wright whispered, " We had better get out of this," and we lost no time in doing so.
MASSACRE AT BLACKBURN'S FERRY.
In the spring of 1851, to accommodate the travel between Trinida I and the Salinon river mines, a ferry across the Klamath some five miles below the mouth of the Trinity was established on the regular road to Bestville. The proprietors were Gwin R. Tompkins and Charles MeDermit. This ferry was placed in charge of a man named Blackburn, and was usually known as Blackburn's ferry. The proprietors went to southern Oregon with a party on a prospecting trip, leaving the ferry in charge of Blackburn and his wife, to assist whom were three men, James Slom, -- Janalshan and -- Bender. The manager and his wife occupied a small shake shanty not far from the river bank, and the three assistants slept in a tent but a few yards beyond. Between these were the open-air kitchen and dining- room.
One day Mrs. Blackburn, a noble woman of the brave pioneer class that have been led by love to follow the footseps of their idol into the very heart of the wilderness, noticed that the stock of bullets had become exhausted. She immediately moulded a large quantity, and by this prudent act and her afterward heroic conduct saved the lives of herself and husband that self-same night. No trouble had been experienced from the Indians for some time by the occupants of the ferry-house, and they retired to rest that night with little thought of the bloody deed the savages purposed to commit. As the shadows of night blended into a universal gloom, the Indians gathered in the forest about the abode of their intended victims, and waited until their eyes were closed in peaceful slumber and the place was wrapped in a mantle of silence. When the night had sufficiently advanced to assure them that their victims were asleep and that they would not be interrupted in their hellish deed by the appearance of belated travelers, they crept stealthily to the tent where the three inen lay sleeping, and commenced the work of death. Two of the men were instantly killed, while the third sprang to his feet and rushed
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from the tent with a cry for help. He had taken but a few steps when the cry was hushed upon his lips, and he fell to the ground dead beneath the knives of his pursuers. The agonizing cry of the wounded man awoke from their slumbers the occu- pants of the house, who knew too well its dreadful import. Hastily barricading themselves, they pre- pared for defense. Their arms consisted of two rifles and a revolver, and with these Blackburn kept the savages at bay throughout that long and terrible night, his noble wife reloading the weapons as fast as he discharged them.
With the coming of the morning there appeared on the opposite bank of the river A. E. Raynes, William Young, and William Little, who had stayed that night at a cabin a few miles distant, and had come at the request of its occupants to see if Black- burn had any extra arms, as they feared an attack by the Indians. Blackburn made his appearance from the house and greeted them with a -ad voice, saying, "I'm glad to see you, boys; they are all killed but myself and wife." When he had ferried them across the stream they went to examine the scene of conflict. They saw a body lying about one hun- dred yards from the house and hastened to the spot. When the body of the dead man was turned so that they could see his face, Blackburn sprang back with the cry, " Great God ! it is my father," and so it was, killed by heartless savages in sight of the cabin of his son, whom he had not seen for ten years. The old gentleman had accompanied a pack -train from Trinidad, and when they encamped that night some ten miles from the ferry, he had pushed on alone, and had fallen before the knives of the Indians that lay concealed in the forest, awaiting the time for the attack upon the cabin.
The three men volunteered to push through to Trinidad for assistance, to administer to the Indians a chastisement they would not soon forget, while Blackburn and his dauntless wife remained on guard at the cabin. They lost the trail in the darkness and lay all night in the redwood forest, until day- light enabled them to again find the trail and push on for help. Arriving at Trinidad the next day they were joined by only ten men, and the little party of thirteen started back to the ferry to attack at least three hundred savages. A number of miles above Trinidad lies a body of water on the low land between the mountains and the sea, known as the lagoon. When the party arrived at this point they came upon a number of Redwood Creek Indians in canoes, whom they decided to attack. They therefore fired upon the canoes, when the savages jumped into the water and swam ashore. A brisk battle was maintained for some time, the men using their animals for protection. The superiority of guns over bows was soon demonstrated, and the Indians withdrew with the loss of two or three braves.
Going further up the trail the party camped that night near the rancheria of the Bald Hill Indians, which they intended to attack; but the occupants became aware of their presence and intentions, and departed to more peaceful scenes. The next day they went to Durkee's ferry, near the month of the Trinity, near which was a large rancheria of the Klamath River Indians, the same who had made the
attack upon Blackburn's place. When night settled down upon the mountains, they quietly advanced upon the foe. What was their anger when they found their approach had been expected and the Indians had moved across the river. Durkee was living with a squaw from this rancheria, and had given her friends timely warning of the intended attack. When the little band of avengers reached the village all had crossed but a few, and upon these few they fell, and before they could escape killed two or three of them. Unable to accomplish any- thing, the party disbanded and went their several ways.
News of the attack upon the ferry, and massacre of some of its atten lants, reached MeDermit and Tompkins in Oregon, and with a party of friends they hastened to the place to see what could be done, and to punish the murderers. Two or three weeks had passed before the party arrived in the vicinity of the ferry, and here MeDermit and Tompkins, with Abisha Swain and another man, went ahead of the party to see what could be discovered. When they neared the river they saw two Indians in a canoe, taking away plunder from the cabin. They fired upon these, killing one and wounding the other, who jumped into the water and swam to the opposite bank. The Indians had not yet learned the exact range of a rifle, and this one stopped about three hundred yards away, thinking himself at a safe dis- tance, but discovered his mistake when too late to rectify it. He was wounded in the arm, making a bright red spot at which Swain took careful aim, resting his knee on the ground. When he fired the Indian fell behind a big rock against which he had been leaning, and the men declared he had dodged behind it for safety, as they saw the bullet hit the ground ten feet in front of him and raise a puff of dust. One of the men swam out to the canoe and pitched the dead Indian into the river, being much chagrined to find it the body of a squaw. The men were then taken across the stream in the cance, and made a cautious advance upon the rock behind which the savage lay. Their caution was unnecessary, for he was dead, with a bullet-hole through his body from side to side.
An examination of the premises showed that the place had been deserted, the ferry-rope cut, and gen- eral ruin and desolation marked the spot. The Indians had retreated to the recesses of the mount- ains, beyond the reach of an avenging arm, and they abandoned the effort to punish them. Instead they went up the stream and established the town of Happy Camp.
FIGHT AT LOWDEN'S FERRY.
The founders of Happy Camp, late in July, 1851, were Charles MeDermit, Abisha Swain, Gwin R. Tompkins, Charles D. Moore, Thomas J. Roach, L. H. Murch, J. H. Stinchfield, - Cochrane, Jeremiah Martin, William Bagley, Daniel MeDougall, Jack McDougall, William McMahon, and James Carr. They built a cabin which they used as a store-house, and Cochrane remained there to look after the prop- erty and mules, while the others scattered along the river mining. Sundays all met at the cabin. About twelve miles up the river wasa rancheria of Indians, and they were greatly annoyed by the occupants
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who came down to the cabin. It was feared they would do some damage if permitted too much freedom, and they were ordered to keep away entirely. These Indians had murdered two pros- peetors, William Mosier and - McKee (by some given as Reaves), but a short time before, and the miners were afraid to trust them. The injunction to keep away from the cabin was not heeded, and one of the Indians was shot. A short time afterwards, Captain Hardy started up the stream for Scott river, and the savages chased him back again. By this time there were many miners in that vicinity besides the founders of Happy Camp, and a party of fifteen or twenty was made up to fight these Indians. They went up at night, and just at daylight made an attack on the rancheria, killing every buck there. Two squaws were accidentally shot. One of the attacking party was killedl while carelessly crawling into a wickiup. This is known as the fight at Lowden's ferry.
MURDER OF CALVIN WOODMAN.
In the month of May, 1852, while a well-known miner, Calvin Woodman, was riding along Indian creek, in Scott valley, he met two Indians, one of whom, when they had passed, shot him dead. They then made their escape. It was supposed that the murderers belonged to the Scott Valley tribe, and hostilities were commenced with them. Johnson's ranch, now Meamber's, was barricaded and men scouted about the valley, firing upon the Indians whenever they could find them. The surprise and indignation of the Indians at this treatment was great. They were guiltless of the murder as well as of any design upon the whites, and were at a loss to account for these sudden hostilities. They became excited, and returned the fire of their perse- cutors, whenever possible, and in one of these little skirmishes S. G. Whipple, then deputy sheriff and now Colonel in command at Fort Klamath, was seriously wounded.
A company of which Ben. Jacobs and Isaac Ham- ilton were members came over from Scott Bar to aid their friends. Nothing was accomplished, except that some of this company followed a trail some dis- tance into the mountains between Scott and Shasta valleys, with the idea that it was Scarface's band from Shasta valley, that had killed Woodman. The Scott Bar company soon after went back to the river.
While this was going on, Judge Steele, who was returning from below, arrived at the ranch. Upon learning the cause of the difficulty, he assured them that there must be some mistake, and that he would go and see about it. Upon visiting the camp he was informed by the chiefs that the murderers did not belong to their band, but were probably Shastas, that is, Captain Jim's band. Old Tolo, Tyee John and Tyee Jim offered to accompany him to Yreka to interview Captain Jim, placing themselves as hostages in his hands. With these hostages and a small volunteer company he proceeded to Yreka. That town was greatly excited, and it was with difficulty that the rough element was restrained from laying violent hands upon the hostages. It was with great difficulty that the Shastas could be induced to have a talk, as they feared harm was
intended them, but finally Tolo convinced them of their error, and a conference was had near the mouth of Yreka creek, which resulted in convincing all that the murderers were not of Jim's band. They said that the shooting was done by Rogue River Indians, and offered two young Shastas as hostages, to accom- pany a party to that region, with which they were well acquainted, in search of the guilty men; if any treachery was discovered or it was ascertained that they were deceiving in the matter, the two hostages were to be hanged.
The matter now began to assume a different aspect. The Court of Sessions, consisting of Judge William A. Robertson and Justices James Straw- bridge and William A Patterson, then organized but a few days, had authorized Mr. Steele to raise a com- pany and go after the murderers, not expecting so much of a journey would be necessary. This journey across the mountains into a hostile country did not meet with much favor, and but nine men were found willing to undertake it; they were E. Steele, captain; John Galvin, Pete Snellback, James Bruce (afterwards a colonel in the Oregon militia), Frank W. Merritt, John McLeod, Dr. L S. Thompson, Harry -, and James White. These, with the two hostages andl a Klikitat Indian named Bill, formed a small band of twelve, that set out for Rogue river, well armed and mounted, the hostages riding between Steele and one of the men.
Proceeding cautiously over the Si-kiyon mount- ains they come suddenly upon an Indian, just south of where Rufus Cole now lives, who had his bow in his hand, with an arrow fitted to the string ready for instant use. He was a messenger from the Rogue River tribe, on his way to enlist the Indians on this side of the mountains to aid their relatives in the war then being waged on Rogne river, a diffi- culty of which both the whites and Indians on this side were ignorant. So suddenly had they come upon him in the trail, that there was no chance for him to escape, and he halted, defiantly facing his enemies. John Galvin was directed to disarm him, but when he advanced, with a revolver in his band, the Indian with lightning rapidity wrenched the weapon from his grasp, and hastily firing a shot at Steele, turned and fled. The bullet clipped the mane of Steele's horse, but did no other damage. The owner of that animal raised his rifle, drew a hasty bead upon the flying savage and pulled the trigger, the hammer stopping at half cock. It seemed a providential interference, for just as the hammer stopped, the head of one of the party, who was advancing rapidly and making frantie efforts to dis- charge all the barreis of an Allen " pepper-box," came in range of the gun, and had the weapon not missed fire, the bullet would have found lo Igment in his bra'n. The Klikitat dismounted anl pur- sued him through the brush, until he got near enough to shoot, when he fired and killed him.
Resuming the journey, the party soon came upon the son of Tipsu Tyee, whom they then captured and disarmed. This young worthy was just return- ing from a visit to the Indians farther west, to whom he had gone to induce them to lend their aid in the war. Arriving at Major Barron's, they found a large number of men, among whom were some two dozen from Jacksonville, who had gone thus far
- - -- ----
DUNCAN CAMERON,
The subject of this sketch, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1821, and is related to Lochiel, the great chief of the clan, as what Cameron is not ? He believes that Scotchmen in general, and the Camerons in particular, are the cream of the earth. The subject of this sketch commenced his military career by "seeking the bubble reputation" in the patriot war raging in Canada in 1838. In the fol- lowing year he was engaged in hunting the Semi- nole Indians in the swamps and hummocks of Flor- ida. This pastime he found far from agreeable, when the Indians undertook to hunt him. On the twelfth of February, 1842, in an engagement in Wahoo swamp, he received three bullets. Pro- motion followed his gallant conduct in this engage- ment. In June, 1843, he was discharged with an invalid pension. The following winter found him proceeding around Cape Horn in pursuit of the mighty leviathan of the deep. After following this exciting sport in the different oceans, beach-combing in the coral islands of the Pacific, hobnobbing with Russians in Siberia and in the ticket-of-leave colo- nies of Australia, hearing of the gold discoveries in California, while lying at the Island of St. Helena, interviewing the Welch in their native hills, and the English in their crowded seaports, experiencing many of the vicissitudes of a seafaring life, such as burning and shipwreck, he returned home in 1849, an older if not a wiser man. In the fall of that year he joined a secret expedition in the city of New York and other cities, under General Lopez, to wrest Cuba from the rule of Spain, and transfer that gem of the Antilles to the United States; but through the agency of traitors the expedition was broken up. Cameron once more rounded the Horn to the Sandwich Islands, shipping from there as sec- ond officer of the brig Meta, for San Francisco. From there he proceeded to the mines, where he fol- lowed every mining excitement that sprang up in
his vicinity, all proving will-o'-the-wisps in their character to him. In sheer disgust he joined Walker's expedition to Lower California. After eight months' service there, finding it only a ruse to hasten negotiations for the Gadsden purchase, he abandoned it and returned to California on foot. When thirty miles south of Santa Barbara, weary and foot-sore, he lay down under an oak tree to pass the night. In the morning he was unable to rise, and as the road was at too great a distance for his feeble call for help to be heard by passing travel- ers, he lay there two nights and three days. He was found almost dead by the Hollister brothers, and was tenderly lifted up and placed in a wagon, where he was cared for by the ladies of the party. When they arrived at Santa Barbara they gave him thirty dollars for clothing and a passage on a vessel to San Francisco, where he had funds to his credit. In the fall of 1854 he came to Siskiyou, and mined on Long gulch. Soon after, Squire Evans came to Yreka from Sawyer's Bar, to raise a com- pany to punish the Klamath Indians for a massa- cre of thirty-two people on Red Cap Bar. Came- ron was the only recruit. With a rifle, revolver and knife, he went alone to Orleans Bar, and reported as the total reinforcement from Siskiyou. He remained on the Klamath two years, and then went to San Francisco. In the fall of 1859 Mr. Cameron returned to this county and purchased the claim he is now working on McAdams creek. In 1860 his cabin and papers were destroyed by fire, and later he was nearly killed by the fall of a bucket in his mine. He now turned his thoughts to matri- mony and the comforts of a home, and was married in 1866. He is a prominent member of the Odd Fel- lows at Fort Jones. The Scotch integrity of char- acter is prominent in Mr. Cameron, and he is dis- tinguished among his fellows for uprightness and scorn of shams, and believes that an honest man is not only the noblest work of God, but the rarest.
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
on their way to Yreka to solicit aid, and were afraid either to cross the mountains or to return. Still advancing they met Indian Agent A. A. Skinner, who requested them to camp for the night on Big Bend, as he had arranged a conference for the mor- row. On the bend were also one hundred and fifty men from Jacksonville, commanded by Captain Lamerick.
It is unnecessary to enter into the details of the hostilities on Rogue river, but a battle was fought and a peace made with the hostiles, after which Steele's company returned to Yreka. The two In- dians he had been in search of, had gone to Rogue river, but when he arrived, fled towards Klamath lake. When Steele had started on his expedition, Ben. Wright with Scarface and a party of Indians also went up the Klamath on the same errand. The excitement at Yreka still continued, and when Scar- face was seen near that place, a number of the reck- less ones immediately gave chase to him. The Indian fled in the direction of Edson's, not far from which place he was overtaken by his ruthless pur- surers and hanged to a tree. This was done in a little gulch that has since been known as Scarface gulch. This Indian is claimed to have been a bad and desperate character, his name being bestowed upon him because of scars on his face from wounds received in fights. It is, however, difficult to justify his hanging at this time and in such a summary manner, although it is claimed he was endeavoring to incite the Shastas to participate in the hostilities and commence a war of extermination against the whites.
Ben. Wright and his party captured the two fugi- tives and reached Yreka with them about the time Steele returned, and they all adjourned to Scott valley to administer justice according to the miners' code. The forum was at Lone Star ranch, then a central point in the valley, and the trial and subse- quent proceedings were participated in and witnessed by crowds of men from Yreka, Humbug, Scott river, and all surrounding points. A judge and jury were selected and the trial was conducted with consider- able formality. The testimony of the accused fastened the guilt upon one and exonerated the other. The guilty one was the son of a chief who had been killed years before in a fight with white men; at what time and with what party, history is silent. The young brave cut his hair and lived for revenge. When the two were alone with Woodman he felt that the time had come, and despite the expostula- tion of his companion he raised the miserable gun he carried and shot his victim dead. The innocent man was released, while the other was sentenced to death, a sentence that was promptly executed in presence of the crowd. The doomed man, whose close cut hair attested the truth of his story, was taken to a butcher's scaffold, mounted upon a dry goods box, and his neck encircled by a rope. The box was then kicked from beneath him and he swung dan- gling in the air, swaying to and fro and whirling round until he was dead.
Thus ended the troubles, so far as Siskiyou county was concerned. In this case as in most others, the men who stepped boldly to the front in the time of danger, and acted promptly for the good of all, were allowed to bear the expense as well as to encounter
the danger and trouble. The Court of Sessions, in view of the expenses that were being piled up in the Modoc war that fall, and fearing the new county of Siskiyou would become bankrupted in the year of its birth, rescinded the order authorizing Steele to raise the company, and thus threw the expense of the expedition upon him. Some of the men who had engaged in the fight, appreciating the situation, declined all offers of pay, but notwithstanding this, Steele found himself just $2,007 out of pocket by the campaign, a loss that no one felt called upon to aid him in bearing, and which he was unable to have paid by the State, when, a few years later, the expenses incurred by the various counties in their Indian troubles were assumed by the State.
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