USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 37
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It is therefore resolved that a committee of five men, one from each company now present be chosen to present these resolutions to Capt. Smith. U. S. A., Commandant of Fort Lane, and Mr. Palmer, the Indian Agent of Oregon Territory.
We would respectfully request Capt. Smith, U. S. A., and Mr. Palmer, the Indian Agent, that they would, if in their power, deliver up to us the fugitive Indians who have fled to the reser- vation. in three days from this date, and if at the end of this time they are not delivered to us, together with all the stock and property, then we would most respectfully beg of Capt. Smith, U. S. A., and the Indian Agent, free permission to go and appre- hend the fugitive Indians and take the property wherever it can be found.
Resolved-That if at the expiration of three days the Indians and property are not delivered to us, and the permission to seek for them is not granted, then we will, on our own responsi- bility, go and take them wherever they can be found at all and every hazard.
Resolved-That the following-named gentlemen compose the Committee: E. S. MOWRY, J. X. HALE, A. D. LAKE, E. S. MOWRY, Chairman. W'M. PARISH, A. HAWKINS,
Dr. D. REAM, Secretary. Committee.
The delegated gentlemen went to the fort and found that some of the stock stolen by the Indians was there, and that two Rogue River Indians who had taken part in the massacre were then in the guard house. The committee waited upon the cap- tain in command, afterwards Gen. A. J. Smith, presented their credentials, and demanded the surren- der of the stock and criminals. The captain said that the animals would be delivered up upon proof of ownership, but that the Indians would not be surrendered. The farmers in Rogue River valley were then getting in their crops, and he feared an outbreak, if he surrendered the Indians, that would result in the death of many settlers and the destruc- tion of much property. Lieutenant Mowry then told him that they came after the Indians and pro- posed to have them, and if they were not given up they would be taken by force. This was too much for Captain Smith to stand; such language and threats from a citizen to an officer in the regular army, were not to be endured. He stormed and stamped about, said he knew his business, and would submit to dietation from no one; that when the proper time came the prisoners would be delivered up to the proper authorities. The committee left, assuring Captain Smith that in three days, if the Indians were not surrendered, they would capture the fort. The camp was then moved two miles below Jacksonville, and nearer the fort, where the volunteers remained two days, maturing plans for the capture.
Being ignorant of garrison rules, and not know- ing that leave of absence was allowed to but few at a time, they evolved the scheme of enticing most of the soldiers out of the fort and getting them drunk, thus making the capture an easy task. The cannon at the fort were brought out and placed for defense, and preparations were perfected for repelling the threatened attack. Thus matters stood on the sec- ond night, when Captain Martin put an end to the brainless project. He had been thinking about the matter and came to the conclusion that it was a
RICHARD DORAN
Was born February 2, 1833, in the parish of Moran, county of Down, Ireland. His parents were Rich- ard and Mary (Byrne) Doran. They both died in 1870. Richard received a good common school education, and also attended the academy of Kilkeel, a sea-port town of his county, which he left at the age of sixteen, on account of poor health. For two years after he farmed with his father, when he obtained a clerkship in the Liverpool commission and shipping house of Harnden & Co. He con- tinued with them two years, when the firm failed, in 1852. Being given by them a letter of recom- mendation to Tapscott & Co., eighty-six South street, New York, he embarked for America by the packet ship Columbia, and secured a position with them as book-keeper, which he held for two years. He then caught the California fever, which was remark- ably contagious at that time, resigned his position, took passage by the Panama route for the land of golden promise, and arrived in San Francisco about the third of May, 1854. In one week he was en route for Poorman's creek, Nevada county. He placer-mined in that county for four years, when he was offered and accepted a position in San Fran- cisco under Postmaster Weller, in the distributing department. The Frazer river excitement caused him to leave Uncle Sam's service. Before proceed- ing thither he changed his intentions, and went to Josephine county, Oregon, arriving in the spring of 1858. He was engaged again in placer mining that summer, fall, and winter, and came out about $700 ahead. In the following spring, Mr. Doran came to Sawyer's Bar, on Salmon river, then in Klamath county. Immediately he engaged in merchandising at Hickey's flat. The freshet of
1861-62, swept away saw-mills, flumes, dams, and everything. Everybody became bankrupt, includ- ing Mr. Doran. The Florence excitement came most opportunely for those free to move, and all who could leave departed for Idaho. Mr. Doran, however, went to Sawyer's Bar, where he opened a meat-market and saloon, which he conducted for two years. He then sold out, and went into part- nership with Mr. Dwyer in the general merchandise business, continuing so for a couple of years, when he bought out his partner's interest, and ran a very successful business till 1872, accumulating about $20,000. Previously to this, in 1870, he had bought into the Morning Star quartz mine. Originally, he owned a fifth in the mine, but gradually bought out the partners after the burning of the mill, in December, 1876, which he rebuilt, at an expense of $8,000. From 1872 to 1880, Mr. Doran gave his whole time and attention to mining, when he gave up the venture which unfortunately had swallowed up all his means. In March, 1880, he came to Etna, and took the old stand of Parker, Campbell & Co., re-fitting the hall into a first-class saloon and billiard establishment. Later, in July, 1881, he purchased the building of the owners. Mr. Doran has one brother, Patrick Doran, in this county, who is engaged in the very promising quartz mine, the Last Chance, on the Salmon river, five miles west of the Black Bear quartz mine. Patrick came to California in 1856. There are yet one brother and four sisters in Ireland. Mr. Richard Doran is one of the most public spirited citizens of Etna. His upright character, temperate habits, and courteous and gentlemanly bearing, have won for him hosts of friends, who are confident of his future success and prosperity.
RESIDENCE OFAA.BEEM. · FORT JUNEŞ. ŞIŞKIYOU CO.CAL.
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IIISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
ridiculous undertaking, this effort to whip the United States government, and refused to let his company have anything more to do with it. This knocked the bottom out of the whole scheme, the companies broke up and returned home, the mounted company paying a visit to the cave near Cottonwood, but finding no Indians. This cloud-speek of war having been removed from his horizon. Captain Smith withdrew his cannon, and the hum-drum life at the fort was resumed for a while, soon to be followed by the outbreak of the Rogue River Indians and the consequent activity among the soldiers.
When the war in Rogue River valley was over and a treaty was made, the two Indians which the Humbug troops had demanded, were surrendered to the sheriff of Siskiyou county, upon a warrant for murder. They were brought to Yreka and kept in jail until the Grand Jury met, when no indictment was found for lack of evidence, and they were released. It was "out of the fat and into the fire" for the prisoners, for in the town was a man named Parrish, whose brother had met his death in the massacre, and a few others, who were determined the savages should die. They were informed of the time the sheriff intended to let them go, and stationed themselves near the jail. No sooner were their vietims without the jail gate, than these men locked arms with them, and took them a little south of town, where they were sum- marily shot and tumbled into an old mining shaft, at the bottom of which their bones lie to the pres- ent day.
Muster rolls of the companies engaged in this expedition were forwarded to the State authorities, and out of the appropriations made by Congress to defray the expenses of Indian wars in California, was set aside a certain sum to pay these volunteers. Some ten years ago a number of them who made application in due form received their pay, and money now lies in the State treasury at Sacra- mento, to pay those who through ignorance or death have never demanded it.
COSBY'S MODOC CAMPAIGN.
During the winter and spring of 1855-56, a bloody Indian war was raging in southern Oregon, that cost the lives of many soldiers and settlers, and was the source of great expense to the government. The hostilities were chiefly with the powerful Tototin tribe, on lower Rogue river, and it was at a massacre near the mouth of this stream that Captain Ben. Wright lost his life, in February, 1856. During all these difficulties, the Klamath, Lake, and Modoc tribes remained quietly at home, and committed no outrages of a serious character; and the people of Siskiyou pursued their business in comparative security, troubled only by the natural anxiety for possible outbreaks by Indians here, on account of so protracted a war but a few miles away.
In June, 1856, Charles Green and Thomas Stewart were killed by Indians on MeKinney creek, and a little excitement followed. Several people had been killed on Siskiyou mountain the fall before. They were Calvin M. Fields, Jolm Cunningham, and Samuel Warner. Charles Scott and Theodore Snow had been murdered on the trail between Yreka and Scott Bar about the same time. These murders
were probably all committed by Tipsu's band. Some stock had also been stolen in Shasta valley, and it pleased the military authorities at Yreka to institute a campaign against the Modocs, on the plea that they were participants, or might be if let alone. At that time, John D. Cosby was major general, D. D. Colton, brigadier, and there were enough colonels and majors in the town of Yreka to form a whole procession. General Cosby wrote to the governor a letter setting forth the defenseless condition of the people, who had only a battalion of generals, majors and colonels to protect them, and no privates. The governor asked General Wool_for troops, but was informed that the war in Oregon and Washington demanded all the troops, and he had neither soldiers nor inclination to inaugurate a new war where it was unnecessary.
The generals, colonels and majors wanted to win laurels on the tented field, and the quartermasters and their friends wanted to furnish supplies, so another communication was addressed to the gov- ernor, who then authorized General Cosby to raise a force and "afford the people such protection as their need required." It was at once supposed that their need required the raising of a force to go more than a hundred miles away and stir np a tribe of Indians that was remaining comparatively quiet. Three companies were raised, one from Humbug under Capt. William Martin, one from Hawkinsville under Capt. Robert Williams, and one from Green -. horn under Capt. Thomas Ballard. The whole force amounted to about two hundred men. Each man furnished his own horse and some of them their own guns. The others were supplied with the cheapest kind of muskets, apparently designed to maim the reckless man who dared to discharge one. Thus accoutred, and escorted with great pomp by the brigade of generals, colonels and majors, the little battalion of privates started for the scene of action.
When this grand array of ocenpation had pro- ceeded a short distance beyond Lost river, and was moving along the north bank of Tule lake, Indian signs were discovered on an island a short distance out among the tules. A number of men waded out to inspect it, and found that it had some time been the camping ground of a band of Indians. While this was going on a number of Modocs rode down from the mountains near the lake, and a volunteer detachment of twenty-four was sent in pursuit of them. They went charging through the sage-brush, the Indians making good their escape into the mountains. The men then rode on to overtake the battalion, which had moved on and camped en Clear lake.
When they arrived in camp, it was discovered that one of their number was missing, and the next morning a detachment under Lieutenants Warman and Austin went back to look for him. The missing man was John Alban, more familiarly known as Greasy John, a man who had been engaged in most of the Indian wars in this region and on Rogue river, his body was found in the sage-brush, but a short distance from where the pursuit was com- menced the day before, and by him lay his gun broken in two. He had been riding a young horse, and it was supposed that it balked with him, and
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
when the others had got some distance in advance, one of the many Indians probably lurking in the sage-brush rose up and shot the horse with an arrow, the owner being killed in the same way. He had evidently broken the gun to keep the Modocs from securing it. As it was one of the cheap muskets it might have been better to have let them have it. Some one of them would probably have tried to shoot it off and been killed.
As the detachment was moving back to camp, and while on the flat some distance from Bloody Point, they were attacked by Indians. Unused to Indian fighting, they thought the best plan of defense was to ascend a small mountain in the range of hills to the left, and started up the sage-covered slope. The mountain was full of Indians; from behind nearly every clump of sage-brush rose up a Modoc warrior, discharged his arrow at them, and disap- peared. Lieut. H. H. Warman was shot dead and several were wounded before they succeeded in extri- cating themselves from this ambuscade and made a safe retreat to camp.
The headquarters were then established at Clear lake and the active campaign was commenced. Scouting parties and detachments were continually sent out, who had occasional skirmishes with the savages, but no damage was either inflicted or received. With each little party went a field officer, and then most glowing and heroic accounts were sent to Yreka and thus throughout the State, of a great expedition under the personal command of General so and-so, or Colonel or Major somebody, which had defeated the Modocs in a bloody engagement and killed a great many of them. In fact, enough war- riors were reported killed to have anmhilated the tribes of northern California; the millennium of " good Indians" seemed to be at hand. One more soldier was killed in this sanguinary war. Corporal John Bond was accidentally shot by a trooper named Madden.
One squaw yielded up her life on the altar that gave honor and fame to the commanders of this army, and as she was the only Indian known to have been killed or even wounded during the entire campaign, it is fitting that the manner of her " taking off" be detailed. One of the numerons expeditions, this time headed by Gen. John D. Cosby in person, dis- covered Indian signs on an island in Tule lake, and a detachment was sent to investigate it, led by Cap- tain Martin. When danger was to be apprehended the captains and lieutenants were pushed to the front, but at all other times the command with all the consequent glory and honor was assumed by some field officer. Expecting a skirmish at the island, it was at once thought that Captain Martin was good enough to head the detail that waded through the water to reach it. There had been a few Indians on the island but they made their escape, save one squaw who was shot by private Riley, while in the act of aiming an arrow at Captain Martin.
"It was a glorious victory."
Whenever "news from the seat of war" reached Yreka, the Union issued an extra with glowing ac- counts of the achievements in the enemy's country ; these were copied by the papers throughout the State, and in this way the people of California absorbed
the idea that a necessary and successful war was being waged against the Modocs.
More interesting reading than one of the reports of these bloody battles cannot be found. It is clipped from the Yreka Union of August 7, 1856, and pretends to detail the facts of the first brush, in fact the only brush, with the Modocs, which have been correctly set forth above. In view of the truth in the matter it may be said to be quite rich :-
First intelligence from the war against the Modocs-A series of engagements-Death of Lieutenant Warman and Sergeant Alban -The killed and wounded-Narrow escape of General Cosby- Loss of the Indians-The Indians numerous and eager for the fight -Brave death of sargeant Alban-Incidents, etc., etc.
Adjutant General Templeton, in company with several of Gen- eral Cosby's command, arrived in town last evening from the scene of operations against the Modocs and Des Chutes Indians. On the 25th of July, General Cosby dispatched Captain Will- i.ims with forty-one men to the eastern coast of Klamath lake. On the evening of the 29th the main body encamped at the nat- ural bridge at Lost river.
At this place the Indians were prowling around the camp dur- ing the night, and shot several arrows inside of the guard, but without doing any dam ige.
The first engagement .- The next morning, whilst on the march from Lost river to Camp Martin, on Clear lake, the advance guard descried a body of Indians about two miles distant, in the direction of Tule lake. The guard started in immediate pursu t. On arriving at the lake, they found a rancheria on an island about six hundred yards from shore, and about fifty of sixty Indian warriors drawn up for battle. The guard here dis- mounted, and charged on foot through the water, which was about three feet deep. Before reaching the island, the Indians made their escape in canoes. Their village, together with a lot of provisions, was burnt and destroyed. One Indian in this skirmish was killed.
Second engagement .- On regaining the road, a hody of mounted warriors were seen descending from the mountain on the east, doubtle-s attracted by the buruing of the island. The main command overtook the guard at this place, and Captain Martin, with twenty-seven men, started in pursuit. The Indians were well monuted, and for a distance of about fourteen miles the chase was hotly contested. They finally succeeded in gaining some high blutfs, where they concealed themselves among the rocks, and the chase was abandoned-not, however, until Cap- tain Martin's command had killed one Indian and shot the horse from under another.
A Man Missing .- On reaching the encampment on the evening of the 30th, it was ascertained that Joha Alban, of Company B, was missing. He had separated from the main commind, and had been cut off by the Indians. Scouts were immediately dispatched to the mountains, and during the next three days and nights the most diligent search was made for the missing man. On the 2d instant his body was found horribly mutilated, his gun and revolver lying by his side, broken to pieces.
Third Engagement .- On the afternoon of the 2d instant a detachment of twenty-three men, under command of Lieutenant Warinan, were surrounded near Bloody Point-where the lamented Coats lost his life in August, 1852-by nearly two hundred Indians. The savages immediately opened a heavy fire upon Lieutenant Warmau's command, who were compelled to cut their way through them for the distance of several miles. The loss in this engagement was : Killed, Second Lieutenant H. Warman ; wounded, N. C. Miller and A. McAllister. The Indians lost eight killed, and several were supposed to be wounded.
Fourth. Engagement .- General Cosby, whilst on his way from Yreka to rejoin the command with an escort of ten men, discov- ered the Indians nam d in the preceeding engagement returning from the battle. General Cosby and party gave them immediate chase. They broke aud fled to the mountains, but, finding they were being rapidly gained upon, they took up a position in a small grove of cedar near the base of the mountain. Here they maintained their position until they were driven to the bluff of the mountain. In this engagement one of Cosby's command was badly wounded. Eight horses were captured from the Indians, and several of their number wounded. The Indians were well armed with rifles, and mounted on fine horses.
On the 3d instant General Cosby reached the camp on Clear lake, named Camp Martin; here he found Captain Williams and the detachment that was sent from Willow creek to Clear lake. These had traveled five days around the lake, and during the expedition found a large body of Indians on the north side ; but as they were near the water, and supplied with boats, they suc- ceeded in making their escape to an island. Two horses were captured at this point.
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Incidents of the Fight .- Dennis Fitzpatrick shot the Indian who killed Lieutenant Warman.
General Coshy took from the Indians Warman's hat, and also the gun of Mr. Miller, which was lost when his horse was shot from under him.
General Cosby was shot through his pantaloons and shirt, in front, near the thighs.
A private letter received from Major P. Murray states that among the eight horses that were captured, one was found belong- ing to Mr. Howland. The saddle of the person murdered at the bead of Shasta valley a short time since was also found.
In his report to Gen. John E. Wool, commander of the department of the pacific, Capt. H. M. Judah, of the Fourth Infantry, stationed at Fort Jones, thus comments on the article and the campaign against the Modoes in general.
As a truthful statement of occurrences, I cannot believe the article referred to is at all to be relied upon, its inconsistences being too prominent to require notice, particularly that which makes a large body of Indians, flushed with victory, and through which twenty-three volunteers were forced to cut their way for several miles, retreat before General Coshy and ten men. The statement that the volu iteers pursued and endeavored to attack the first body of Indians they enc untered is significant, and entirely sustains me in my opinion of the character of the entire expedition. I communicated to Colonel Coffee, pay department, while on his recent official visit to this post, my views upon the ohjects of, and necessity for, the military movement of General Cosby, and would respectfully refer to him, should the commanding general desire it, for information inappropriate to an official e. mmunication. That the expedition was unauthor- ized by the circumstances upon which the necessity for it was based, is the opinion of every candid and honest citizen with whom I have conversed upon the subject. It was possible, through the exercise of a proper discretion and judgment, to have ascertained the perpetrators of the murders upon the Siski- you mountain (two white men) as of that in the Shasta valley (one white man), the more readily so through the assistance of the chief of the Klamath Indians, Alsk (La Lake) who has always evinced a most friendly disposition towards the whites, and an anxious desire to maintain peaceful relations with them. When last in Yreka, he stated to Mr. Rosborough (late Indian agent) that among so many Indians as he attempted to control, there were necessarily some who were maliciously disposed, and, as I was informed, evinced a desire to assist in bringing them to justice should they ever be guilty of any outrages against the whites. From all the information I possess, it is apparent to me that the volunteer force under General Cosby had no inten- tion of discriminating between Indians; reither would it have been possible to have done so, in view of its character, had its commander been so disposed. The Indians in the vicinity of Klamath lakes are numerous, and if forced into a permanent hostile position towards the whites, would be unusually difficult to subject, through the vast extent of marshes or tule in which they are enabled to conceal themselves, and which are almost unapproachable. Destined as the volunteers are to meet with reverses, or at least with inconsiderable success, it is possible that they may relinquish any further prosecution of hos- tilities. Should th s not occur, their prompt recall, or at least a temporary cessation of their operations. with a view to a peace- fnl settlement of existing difficulties, which I believe to be prac- ticable, and can be made satisfactorv, is necessary to avert an Indian war of a serious character. I have resolved to take no action in reference to the disturbances referred to, without instructions from the general commanding, believing that in this incipient stage of hostilities the satisfactory and peaceful termi- nation is possible, could the volunteer force be rendered inert, at least until an attempt at negotiation has been fairly made.
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