USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 34
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THE BEN. WRIGHT CAMPAIGN.
Following upon the heels of the Rogne River war came the great difficulty with the Modoc tribe, and the most serious Indian trouble of this region, until the great war with the same tribe in 1873 handed down the name of Captain Jack with those of Osce- ola, Tecumseh, Black Hawk and Sitting Bull, and made the lava beds of California live in history with the "dark and bloody ground " of Kentucky and the everglades of Florida. To properly understand this and other Modoc troubles, it is necessary to consider a number of people and events. The Modocs were the most hostile, restless, and troublesome of all the tribes in this region, and their character for cruelty and treachery must be constantly borne in mind. We are met at the outset by a controversy about the character and services of Ben. Wright, the central figure of this Modoc campaign. That he rendered good service in protecting immigrants in the fall of 1852, is granted by all; but the nature of his dealings with the Indians before and after that time, and alleged acts of treachery and cruelty during the campaign, are matters of great dispute, in regard to which great care has been taken to learn the truth, that the name of a brave man may be handed down to posterity crowned with all the honor justly its due, and unsullied by any stain that malice or ignorance might seek to fasten upon it. Ben. Wright will be treated justly, and his career can- didly set before the reader, who shall judge what meed of praise or censure to award him. His parents were Quakers, but the peaceful tenets of that sect seem to have taken but slight hold in the mind of their son. Young Wright was possessed of a spirit of restless adventure, as brave and reck- less a man as ever lived, and spent his life on the frontier, where he fought Indians until he became skilled in their manners and method of warfare. The spring of 1851 found him one of the pioneers of Siskiyou county, on Scott river, and the same summer on the Klamath, from whence he went on his first campaign against this same tribe that year. He lived the life of a "squaw man," and seemed to take pride in looking and acting as much like an Indian as possible. He had glossy black hair, which he wore long, falling in waving tresses on his shoul- lers, and this with his suit of buckskin, made his resemblance to an Indian very striking when his back was turned. He also took pride in acting like an Indian in his intercourse with them, scalping the fallen, and committing other barbarities, such as
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
cutting off the ears, noses and finger-joints of the wounded, before the breath of life had left their bodies. It is no pleasure to relate such facts as these, but they are given in the interest of truth. He fought Indians because he loved the excitement of it. It suited his nature. The same cruelties were prac- ticed by a few others of his company, who were there for the same reason, while the balance abhorred such proceedings, and only remained in the cam- paign from a sense of duty. One little incident will serve to illustrate his dealings with the savages, and the character of the man. While scouting with a small party along the bank of Tule lake, during his campaign in 1852, Wright observed a well-worn trail leading from the tules into the sage-brush. He demanded of a squaw who was with them whither the trail led. She told him nowhere, that it was made by the Indians who came out of the tules to gather sage-brush for fire-wood. That she was tell- ing the truth the men believed, for they could see where the trail branched off in all directions among the brush, but it pleased Wright to discredit the information. He spoke a word to Swill, a renegade Umatilla Indian, who instantly shot the squaw dead. She was left where she fell, and formed a meal for a California lion that night.
Having seen the character of Ben. Wright, it is now in order to inquire into the causes that led to, and events that followed, his memorable campaign. Early in the summer of 1852, John Onsby received a letter at Yreka, by way of Sacramento, from an unele, stating that he and many others were coming on the old Oregon trail to Yreka, and that great suffering would ensue if they were not met by a supply of provisions. This was the first emigration into Yreka by this route, and as the character of the Modoc Indians was well understood, it was thought necessary to send armed protection as well as provisions. James Thomas, now living at Fort Jones, then an auctioneer, took the letter in his hand and rode up Miner street, calling for volun- teers and subscriptions. A crowd quickly colleeted, and a meeting was held in front of the Yreka House. The situation was explained, and money and volun- teers flowed in thick and fast. A company was raised in a few minutes, a large quantity of supplies were contributed, and then the question was asked, who would take charge of the expedition ? At this juncture Charles McDermit, the recently-elected sheriff, stepped forward and offered his services, which were gladly accepted. As hastily as possible preparations were completed and the expedition started in the direction of Lost river.
The first train of emigrants they encountered before reaching the Modoc country, and they hast- ened on. After passing Tule lake they met a party of eight or nine men who had packed across the plains. McDermit and his company went on and the packers continued towards Yreka. When they reached Bloody Point they weresuddenly attacked by the Modocs. All were killed save one named Coffin, who cut the pack from one of his animals, charged through the savages and made his escape. Bloody Point is a place on the north bank of Tule lake, where a spur of the mountains runs down close to the lake shore. Around this the old emigrant road passed, just beyond being a large open flat covered
with tules, wild rye and grass. This was a favorite place of ambuscade.
When Coffin arrived in Yreka with the news of the massacre the excitement and horror were great. Ben. Wright was sent for, and a volunteer company of twenty-seven men was quickly organized and bountifully supplied with arms, horses and provis- ions by the benevolent citizens of Yreka.
While this was being done, the work of death still went on in the Modoc country. At Black Rock springs MeDermit had met two trains, and had detailed three of his men to guard and guide them. These three men were John Onsby, Thomas H. Coats and - Long. About the last of August, the trains encamped on Clear lake, and in the morning when all was ready for the start, the three guides road ahead to pick out a eamping place for moon. One of the trains having some repairs to make on their wagons, remained behind, while the other consisting of thirty men, one woman and a boy, with six wagons, took up the line of march. In this train were David M. Morrison, the captain; W. L. Donnellan, wife and boy; Joseph Thompson, Lenas Cook and a brother, Jonas Stow, William Stow, Freeman Hawthorn, Washington Anson, Shinn, Cribb, Mckay, Martin, Peter Rudolph, Charles Herzog, George Fiock, and others. Many of these afterwards became well-known citizens, while some of them still reside in the county.
As the train came over the divide between Clear and Tule lakes, and saw the road spread out before them, they could plainly see the Indians swarming in the rocks about Bloody Point, while, all uncon- scious of danger, the three men were riding leisurely into the ambuscade awaiting them. All efforts to warn the victims were futile, and they soon disap- peared around Bloody Point and were never seen again alive. Soon the reports of their rifle shots were born back to the anxious ears of their friends, who hastened on and reached the fatal point of roeks. The Indians had again concealed themselves in the rocks and tules to await their new victims.
As the train wound along the bank of Tule lake, past Bloody Point, the Indians on the bluff and in the tules set up a demoniacal yell and poured in a volley of arrows, wounding two men. These were put into the wagons, and the company was divided into a front and rear guard, and with their rifles, of which there were but few in the train, kept the savages at a respectful distance until they emerged upon the open flat, when they made a corral of their wagons and retired within it for protection. All night they lay behind their defenses surrounded by hundreds of watchful foes, unable even to go a few hundred yards to the lake for water. Eternal vigilance was the price of their safety, for by con- stantly being on the alert they kept the Indians beyond Low-shot, as they feared to place themselves within range of the deadly rifles. Once the savages set fire to the tall grass and wild rye that grew thick and high about the camp, intending to rush in under cover of the smoke and take the place by storm, but were frustrated by the building of a counter fire that burned out and met the coming flames, leaving an open space they dared not cross. With yells of rage and disappointment they retreated to the rocks and tules. The morning light was wel-
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comed with joy by the beleaguered emigrants, who could then see the movements of the foe. About noon they saw the savages again take their station among the rocks and tules at Bloody Point, and by this they knew that the other train was approach- ing. With this train, however, was an old mount- ain man who had seen Indians before, and knew better than to walk into the trap he could plainly see was set for him. Roads were nothing to him, and when the emigrants in the corral were listening for the sound of conflict, lo! over the brow of the ridge appeared the old trapper and his train, and entered the corral with the others, leaving the Indians to howl their rage and disappointment.
As the afternoon wore on the beleaguered emi- grants descried a body of horsemen to the west- ward, riding down upon them at a breakneck speed. Here was a new enemy, they thought, another band of savages, and they prepared to receive them with a storm of bullets. Surely these red and blue shirts and broad slouch hats are not the habiliments of savages; see, they have rifles in their hands and each man has tied his handkerchief to his gun and is waving it in the air as a token of peace and friendship. It is Ben. Wright and his band of brave men rushing to their rescue. Wright's company knew nothing of the death of Coats, Long and Onsby, but they grasped the situation at a glance, and now, stopping not to speak or draw breath, on they rushed, passed the corral of terrified men, down towards Bloody Point, between the Indians on the bluff and their canoes in the water. Leaping from their saddles and leaving their animals to run where they would, they made a furious onslaught upon the surprised and terrified savages. The Indians also had seen their approach, and from their dress knew them to be Californians who had come to fight. They might fool around a train of emigrants with considerable impunity, but a company of mounted Californians was entirely a different proposition, as Ben. Wright had taught them the year before, and when they saw them ride for the point to cut off retreat to the water, instead of going to the corral as they had expected, the savages stampeded for their canoes.
Then commenced a slaughter, a carnage. The Indians thought of nothing but flight and rushed by the score for their cannes, while rifle, pistol and knife made havoc among thein. The fugitives and fighters were all mixed up together; for a mile up and down the bank of the lake on the edge of the tules, did the battle go on, each man fighting inde- pendently and being sometimes among a dozen flee- ing braves, dealing death blows on all sides. Even when the terrified savages had reached their canoes, they were fired upon and a great many were killed before they could get beyond range.
The Indians only admitted a loss of twenty in this fight, which is about half of the actual number killed, besides many wounded.
The next day and for several days thereafter, search was made for remains of the Modocs' victims. Scattered about in the tules they found the mangled bodies of emigrants, whose death had not before been known. Two of these were women and one a child. They were mutilated and disfigured in a most horrible manner, causing even the strong-
hearted men to turn away from the ghastly spectacle with a shudder. In reading of the massacre that occurred on Lost river a few months later, this hor- rible sight must be kept in mind. Here were found also portions of wagons, and the Indians were dis- covered to have in their possession fire-arms, cloth- ing, camp utensils, money and a great variety of domestic articles, showing that some emigrant train had fallen a complete prey to the fiends. It was evident that a whole train of emigrants, how many no one could tell, had been murdered. Twenty-two bodies were found and buried by Wright's company and fourteen a few days later by a company of twenty-two men that went out from Jacksonville under Colonel John E. Ross. Of these last several were women and children, horribly mutilated and disfigured. Ross' company remained but a few days and then returned to Jacksonville.
After burying the bodies found in the tules, Wright's company escorted the large trains that had collected here as far as Lost river and went back on the trail to Clear lake, where a camp was established. At this point scattered bands of emi- grants were collected into large trains and sent on through the hostile country under escort. Thus all the fall did these men guard the emigration through the Modoc country, occasionally having a little encounter with the savages, until, near the last of October, the last train had passed through in safety. By this time the number of men had been reduced to eighteen, Captain MeDermit having gone back to Yreka with Judge Irwin's train, as well as most of his men, who had been detailed to the various trains till all had thus returned. These eighteen decided to remain and further punish the Indians for their depredations and to compel them to make a treaty that would insure safety to emigrants in the future. Besides this the savages had stock, property, and money taken from their slaughtered victims which it was thought they could be coin- pelled to disgorge. Actuated by these motives, they established a camp on the peninsula and opened an aggressive campaign against the savages, whose rancheria was upon an island some distance ont in the lake. All efforts to bring on an engage- ment with them were futile. for they remained in their secure retreat beyond the reach of the whites. In this way the men exhausted their scanty supply of patience and provisions.
While here the command was visited by Major Fitzgerald with a company of dragoons from Fort Jones, accompanied by Captain MeDermit. They soon returned, however, leaving a boat they had brought with them. Provisions and ammunition had become scanty, and Wright sent four men to Yreka for a new supply, having just enough food to subsist the remainder until their return. Wright's camp was on the peninsula, while the Indian ranche- ria was on an island some distance out in the lake. The water in the lake was very low, and there was a thick growth of tules between the camp and the island. Being unable to attack the savages in their secure retreat or to get them to come to dry land, Wright opened negotiations with them, to get them into his power under cover of a truee. To this end, he dispatched several men in the boat with old Mary, a squaw belonging to one of the men, with a message of
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peace. The next day they went again and returned with two young Indians in a canoe. These were feasted and sent back, returning the next day with forty more. The men, only fifteen in all, had but little ammunition, and would not risk a fight then, but carefully watched the savages, fearing an attack by them. This continued four or five days, and completely exhausted their scanty supply of provis- ions. Camp was then moved to the mouth of Lost river, to be nearer the expected supplies, no invita- tion being given the Indians to follow them. Here they were absolutely without food for six days, save scraps dug up from the sand, thrown away when camped here before. The cause of the delay was that the messengers arrived in Yreka in November and stopped to help elect Franklin Pierce President of the United States. This made it necessary for them to get gloriously drunk, and the fear of shocking their systems caused them to sober up gradually, a week being consumed in the operation; then the supplies which were contributed by the citizens to aid in the good work of extermination were gathered up slowly, and when they started for the field they had lost a week's time.
The hungry men in camp could have killed an animal for food, but this they did not want to do, fearing to deprive themselves of their horses. On the sixth day it was decided that one of the men, who was still strong enough to accomplish the feat, should ascend the hill that overlooked the trail and see if he could spy the expected train. If so, he was to fire his pistol; if not, they would kill one of the animals for food and then start for Yreka. As the man dragged his toilsome way up the hill, all eyes were riveted upon him, and when he reached the top and stopped to scan the distant horizon, they stood with speechless anxiety, their eyes following his every motion. Five, ten minutes he stood there, seeming as many hours to the watchers below, then slowly he raised his arm, and a puff of white smoke shot upward from his hand.
Then ensued a scene of most frantic joy. Men hurrahed and hugged each other. Weak and feeble as they were they started down the trail to meet the coming train. As soon as the supplies reached the camp, fool was prepared and eaten with avidity by the famished men. Their stomachs were too weak to retain it, and they gorged themselves again and again. They rapidly recovered their strength and spirits, and with a liberal supply of food and ammu- nition were again ready for the work they had on hand.
Invitation was again sent to the Modoes to visit this camp, and in response a large number of them came up and camped near by on the bank of the river. The two camps were on the west side of the river, and about one-fourth of a mile above the natural bridge, not far from where the fight between Captain Jack and the troops ushered in the mem- orable Modoc war of 1873.
Some half hundred braves with their squaws made their home in camp and lived upon the provisions of the whites. Wright endeavored to prevail upon the Indians by spacious promises, to deliver up the plunder they had taken from the emigrants, and they promised so to do and to live in peace in future. They brought in a few old guns and pistols, after
mnuch delay, and then said they would give no more, that they were in greater numbers than the whites and would as soon fight as not. Old Schonchin, the head chief, seeing that there was trouble brewing, left the camp, as did a number of others. It appears to have been Wright's intention from the time he first opened negotiations, to get them to return as many of the stolen articles as possible, and then to bring on a fight and kill all of them he could. From this point of view there is no excuse for the act which followed, not even the fact that the In- dians themselves meditated treachery and were only forestalled a few hours. The only palliation that can be found is the utter horror and indignation felt by all at the fiendish barbarities they hail seen com- mitted by these savages, and the known desire of the people of Yreka, whose agents they were, that the heartless fiends be exterminated from the face of the earth. On this ground alone can their justifi- cation rest.
To properly understand the scene to be described, a correct idea must first be had of the location of the camp. The river at that time, the middle of November, 1852, was very low, and had two banks, one low bench down by the water's edge and another rising like a terrace back from and above it. On the lower bench was the place where the whites cooked and ate, while they slept in the camp some twenty paces distant on the high bank. But a few yards down the stream, on the low ground, was the Indian camp. It was the custom of both parties to leave their arms in camp and mingle together where the cooking and eating were done. One night Old Mary informed Wright that the Modocs had planned a massacre of the whites for the following morning. When the men were gath- ered as usual on the lower ground, the savages were to slip in between them and the camp where their guns were, and kill every of one them. She advised him to take his departure immediately, but this was not his object, which was to kill Indians. The same squaw may have also warned her friends that she believed Wright intended treachery; and this may have been the reason for their intended act. However that may have been, it began to look to Wright as though he must hurry up or the Modocs would get the advantage of him. Instead of leav- ing the place, he matured a plan for slaying the whole band. Six men were sent across the river at the natural bridge and posted on the bank just opposite the Indian camp, where they lay all night on their arms. The rest of the men were disposed on the high land back of the camp, ready for duty. It was agreed that Wright should go into the Indian camp, and when all was ready, shoot one of the braves and fall to the ground. At this signal all were to pour in a deadly rain of bullets over his head.
Taking some beef in his hand, Wright advanced into the camp, threw down his load and sat down upon the ground. He noticed that the Indians were drying their bows around the fire and straightening their arrows, a slight rain having damaged the weap- ons. They scowled upon him as he sat, in no good humor at being temporarily foiled in their design by the interposition of the elements. Old Mary came in and sat down beside Wright. Pointing out
John MC Mitford
MRS. JOHN M. WOLFORD.
JOHN M. AND A. W. WOLFORD.
George W.Wolford was a native of Wheeling, West Virginia, and in an early day settled at Mount Blanchard, in Hancock county, Ohio, where he was married to Miss Lydia Lake. By this marriage there were three sons and seven daughters :- John M. was born March 23, 1830; A. W., born March 26, 1832; Silas, born April 11, 1834; May J., born March 19, 1837; Sarah A., born January 3, 1839; Martha A., born October 15, 1840; Maria L., born in 1843; Rachel Cloe and Eliza (twins), born July 26, 1848; Catherine Angeline, born May 28, 1852. John M. and A. W. were born in Hancock county, Ohio. Of this family four are deceased, May J., Rachel, Maria, and Sarah A. The three brothers reside at this time in Scott valley. Eliza is the wife of Elias Smith. Martha A. married O. A. McCon- nell, of Oregon. Catherine married Charles Edwards, of Washington Territory. Angeline to Nathan Evans, of Etna, California. In 1852 they moved from Ohio to Polk county, Iowa, and in the spring of 1853 started across the plains, in company with A. Ireland and Joseph Stevenson, coming by way of Humboldt river and Klamath lake to the Rogue River valley in Oregon. There was then consider- able trouble with the Indians, and at Alkali valley
they joined Major Lupton's company and came to Jacksonville, spent but a short time there and then moved on to the North Umpqua. Not being satis- fied there, they came to Cottonwood and engaged in mining until the fall of 1854. They then went to Scott valley, and after stopping for a short time on the place now owned by John Smith, they moved to their present home, where they have been en- gaged in farming and blacksmithing, which trade John M. learned in boyhood. John M. was married May 1, 1877, to Miss Margaret C. Jackson, daughter of John and Sarah Jackson, of Cass county, Missouri. There are three children :- Ida May, born February 2, 1878; Laura C., born June 8, 1879; Louisa I., born January 18, 1881. A. W. was married May 1, 1881, to Miss Helen M. Short, daughter of James and Elizabeth Short, of Cottonwood, Shasta county, California. They have 320 acres of land belonging to them in common. For many years they lived in a log house, but in 1860 completed the one in which they now reside, a view of which can be seen in this volume. There is a family cemetery on the farm in which are buried: their father, who died January 23, 1862; their mother, who died May 7, 1880; Mary J., who died November 6, 1866; Maria, died December 9, 1865; Rachel, died July 9, 1863.
RANCH OF J. M.& A.W. WOLFORD, 300 ACRES. 7 MILES S.E. OF ETNA, SISKIYOU CO CAL.
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a young buck whose sister had been given to him a few days before, she said "That is your brother-in- law." "I'll make a brother-in-law of him," exclaimed Wright, as he shot the young buck dead with his revolver, and fell prone to the ground to escape the volley of bullets that was poured into the camp. Startled by this sudden onslaught, the survivors of this rain of death attempted to escape across the river, but were driven back by the six men in ambush there. Seeing all avenues of escape closed to them, the Modocs turned at bay and fought des- perately for their lives. They rushed up the bank to grapple with the foes that were shooting them down. Then ensued a terrible hand-to-hand struggle, revol- vers on one side against arrows and knives on the other, ending in a complete victory for the whites. Of the forty-nine braves that stoo } about the camp- fire that morning but two escaped to relate an l revenge the treachery that sealed in death the lips of the flower of their tribe. These two were Curly Headed Doctor and John Schonchin, who took a terrible revenge twenty years later in the murder of the peace commissioners. Mr. Hallick and Mr. Bur- gess say that John Schonchin was not there, but the Indian himself during the negotiations in 1873 claimed to have been one of the two survivors of that bloody massacre, and on that based his inflexible determination to be revenged. (See Modoc war). A few squaws were killed in the fight, for flying bullets are no respecters of persons, and a squaw is but mortal.
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