USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 38
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It would be interesting to know what Captain Judah's opinions were, that were "inappropriate to an official communication."
After campaigning all the fall without having been able to inflict any damage of consequence upon the Modocs, Generals Cosby and Colton led their victorious host back to Yreka, nothing having been accomplished to secure immunity from depredations in the future. The net results of the war were three volunteers and one squaw killed, several wounded, a large bill of expenses, and stacks of glory for the epauletted commanders.
The only good accomplished was when a few men
were detailed to go to Pit river and protect the settlers while cutting hay. They brought back with them some children and the information that they had made a few " good Indians." When the army returned, among other trophies of the trip, they brought in a young Modoe squaw, whom they named Tule, and who is the wife of Jimmy Irwin, a well- known colored citizen of Yreka.
Some time after the return of the army, Judge A. M. Rosborough spoke to La Lake, the friendly chicf of the Klamath Lake tribe, and asked him to invite Schonchin, chief of the Modoes, to come to Yreka and talk with him. In the following January, La Lake walked into the Judge's office and said that Schonchin was in the hills just east of town with seventy-five warriors, but was afraid to come down. Assurances of friendship and safety were sent the old chief, when he came in with a dozen of his head men and was taken into the court-room, where an informal " talk " was had, resulting in an agreement by Schonchin torestrain his people from committing any depredations in the future. This agreement has never been violated by the old chief, and during the trouble with Captain Jack, in 1873, old Schonchin remained quietly on the reservation at Yainox with a majority of his tribe, where he still lives and enjoys the love of his people and the confidence and respect of the whites.
In his message to the Legislature in the spring of 1857, Governor Johnson refers to General Cosby's campaign, and says, " He took the field in person, and with the volunteers under his command, after several severe engagements, succeeded at length in compelling the hostile tribes in that quarter to sue for peace." Mr. Cosby was a member of the Senate from Siskiyou county that session, and introduced a bill authorizing the state treasurer to issue bonds to the amount of $200,000, to be paid out of funds to be appropriated by Congress to defray the expenses of this campaign. When interrogated by some inquisitive member about the number of Indians killed in the war, he modestly placed the number at one hundred and eighty-five. When the bill came up for final action, a motion was made to reduce the amount to $100,000, when Mr. Cosby sprang to his feet and delivered a most effective speech, of which the following is an interesting passage :--
I estimate it at $200,000. A less sum than that would be unjust for any one to propose. If the men who were engaged in that war-and I was engaged there myself-are entitled to anything, they are entitled to full pay. There were three hun- dred men in three companies engaged in it. These three com- panies fought at the same time four powerful tribes of Indians upon our north-western frontier-tribes that had been fought by the regulars and militia in Oregon, without being conqueredl, and at a cost of $3,000,000. We made a peace with them; and as an evidence that we made a treaty with those Indians that they would respect, I may say that one condition of it was, that they should no longer trade with the Hudson's Bay Company. I believe, and it is the opinion of others who have mingled with those Indians, that the cause of that war, and of all the wars in Oregon, from the first Coyote (Cayuse) war, and the massacre of Dr. Whitman, were brought about by the influence of the voyageurs and trappers in the interest of the Hudson's Bay Com- any. It is for their interest to keep American traders from these tribes, that they may have a monopoly of the business by which they reap so rich a harvest. I made it a condition of that treaty that they should cease trading with the Hudson's Bay Company. I made it a condition that they should come to the nearest town in Califo nia, which was Yreka, to do their trading. Have these Indians given any evidence that they will stand by this treaty ?
Sir, I have been in this hall, and when the distance between
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
their home and Yreka is one hundred and eighty-five miles, and every inch of that covered with snow deeper than a man's head- aye, deeper than their chief's head, who stands like Saul, a head and shoulders above his men-they came on snow-shoes, and in a state of starvation, into Yreka, because they considered it was a part of their treaty stipulation, and they must fulfill it. Twelve chi fs, at the risk of life, came a distance of one hundred and eighty-five miles, to fulfill the first stipulation of that treaty. That has been the effect of that war. Such was not my intention to force them to come at that inclement season at the *
*
* risk of their lives, but they so understood. *
There are some men who have come from those fields maimed for life-some lie upon the fields now, and will never be removed. Some of them had wives and children, and if their services are worth anything let their children have it.
The effect of this was electrical. The bill passed at once; and so it ought, for, although the Legis- lature acted under an entire misapprehension and misstatement of faets, still the volunteers had enlisted in good faith at the call of the proper authorities, and were entitled to pay for their serv- ices. How much pay the projectors of the cam- paign and their friends who furnished supplies were entitled to, is entirely another matter. Later the general government made an appropriation, and those who held the proper vouchers, received their money. The poor volunteers who had enlisted at two dollars per day, were cut down to regular army pay.
After the campaign of 1856, Siskiyou county suffered no more from Indian hostilities until the Modoc war of 1873. Indian wars were carried on in Hoopa valley and on Pit river, participated in by volunteers from this county, but as the seat of difficulty was remote, they will not be related in this volume.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE GREAT MODOC WAR.
AFTER the treaty made in 1856, there was no trouble of consequence with the Modoc tribe until the great war of 1873. The majority of them lived on Lost river and Tule lake, but there was one band on Hot creek and another on Butte creek. This last was under Old Patcheye, so named for a patch worn over one of his eyes, and was a band composed partly of Modocs and partly of renegades from other tribes.
About noon, one day in June, 1861, Old Patcheye, Scarface Charley, and Patcheye's son, who after- wards achieved notoriety under the name of Shack- nasty Jim, entered the little cabin of stock-men on Butte creek, and standing their guns up in the cor- ner, seated themselves in silence. There were but three men there, W. J. Evans, Wiggins, and one other, and these asked to what fortunate circum- stance they were indebted for the honor of this visit from their red brothers. They soon learned. They were proudly informed that the lovely valley and the succulent bunch grass upon which the cattle were grazing were both the property of the Indians; that the heart of the Indians yearned for communion and companionship with their white brothers, and that in consequence of that yearning they would be permitted to remain and fatten their cattle in peace, provided they first donated to the native landlords a certain sum of money and a generous number of cat- tle and horses; that if this modest demand was not complied with before so many suns, the red men
would be compelled to forego the pleasure of the white brothers' society, and would make themselves merry and rich with the cattle and horses of the white men, and might even be constrained by inex- orable fate to shoot, wound and kill their white brothers, unless they vanished with their cattle from the patrimonial possessions of the noble red man.
As the full strength and import of this communi- cation penetrated Mr. Evan's mind, he slowly arose from his seat, walked towards the door, and took his stand between the threatening visitors and their weapons, thus effectually pulling their sting. He then remarked,
" Well, boys, if we have got to have trouble, we might as well kill these three now, and we will have so many less to fight with."
" That's so," exclaimed his companions.
These remarks, understood by the Indians, did not seem to have a cheering effect upon them. They saw the trap they had so blindly entered. They had expected to overawe and frighten the men, and found their declaration of war had produced an entirely unlooked-for effect. They pondered. They consulted. They finally suggested that if their white brothers would not be too precipitate in their action, perhaps some amicable arrangement could be made. At these words the two men began to think that perhaps it would be better not to kill them, as that would surely result in trouble. Evans insisted upon shooting them then and there. The Indians begged for their lives. After about an hour's talk, a squaw man named McGowan, entered. He had been living in a cabin near Ball's present place for a short time with another man named Bailey. When the situation was explained to him he opposed the use of violence; said the killing of these would probably result in a long, expensive and bloody Indian war. These arguments convinced the others, and Evans was overruled. He told the Indians that he would spare their lives if they would promise never to molest the men or the cattle, and if any cattle strayed, to send in a runner and tell him of it. This they promised faithfully to perform, and they were permitted to depart after being kept prisoners a day and night, being assured that if any harm was done by them the first Indian that was seen would be instantly shot.
This promise and similar ones made later were scrupulously observed, and they never gave the stock-inen any trouble nor molested the cattle. Instead, they were of great assistance to them when- ever cattle became lost and strayed from the band.
To have everything all secure, John A. Fairchilds made a treaty with them in 1862. He sent an invi- tation to the whole Modoc tribe, by Lee Bird, a Cherokee Indian vaquero, who was working for him, to come to Butte creek and have a big talk. Fairchilds was not personally acquainted with any of them at that time save Patcheye's band. This ignorance came near getting him into trouble.
In response to the invitation sent by Lee Bird, the Modoes appeared in great numbers on Butte creek, and went into camp some distance from the cabin of the men. One young buck about twenty years of age developed considerable familiarity for one of so short an acquaintance. He went into the cabin and seated himself upon the bed. This was several
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
WILLIAM. M. TOWNSEND.
He was born December 5, 1827, in Clinton county, Ohio, and is a son of John and Nancy (Mellwain) Townsend. When quite young his parents started for the West, living awhile in Indiana, Illinois, and finally settling in Missouri. When he was twenty- six years of age he left home and crossed the plains to California, reaching the Shasta river in just four months from the time of leaving the Missouri river. In California he engaged at whatever he could find to do, until in 1855 he purchased the Slough farm, where he lived for several years, afterwards moving to the place he now resides on, a view of which can be seen in this volume. On the fifth of September, 1858, he was united in marriage to Miss Angeline Carpenter, daughter of James and Nancy Carpenter, of Shasta valley. She was born in Osage county, Missouri, February 13, 1844. A family of nine children have been born, viz .: John, born August 14, 1859, died February 15, 1860; Eliza Jane and twin sister, born May 3, 1861, the latter dying on the same day; Nancy Emerline, born January 3, 1863, died January 2, 1864; Frances Ann, born November 29, 1864; William, born January 25, 1867, died October 25, 1868; intant son, born March 5, 1870, died same day; infant son, born July 14, 1875, died July 14, 1875; Alice Maud, born May 23, 1878. Of this family, Eliza Jane, Frances Ann, and Alice Maud, only are living. Mr. Townsend is engaged in stock-growing in Shasta valley, in which trade he has been quite successful. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge at Yreka. In politics he is a Democrat; in religion a Protestant.
JOHN MILLER.
William and Eliza (Smith) Miller, the former born in Maryland and the latter in Pennsylvania, settled in Green county, Ohio, near Jamestown, where were born to them eight children: Johnson, Catherine Ann, Henry, George, Silas, John, Sarah Jane and Louisa. John, the subject of this sketch, was born March 15, 1834, and now lives with his sister Louisa in Little Shasta, in this county. Henry resides at Browns- ville, Iowa, and Silas at Mechanicsville, Iowa. When six years of age, John removed with his parents to Cedar county, Iowa, and there remained attending school for short terms in winter, and working on a farm and in a grist-mill, when he was seized with the gold fever. He saw wagons going by the farm daily on their way to California, and could not withstand the temptation to join them. With an uncle and his brother George, he crossed the plains with an ox-team by the northern route, the Blue mountains and The Dalles. Being without money when he reached Oregon, he turned his hand to any- thing he could find to do during the first winter, and in the spring combined with some others and bought a horse on which to pack their blankets, and started on foot for the Jacksonville mines. He worked there for some time, and then came to this county and worked with his brother George on Humbug in 1854. That winter he returned to the mines at Jacksonville, and remained until June, 1855, when he and his brother located on the ranch in Little
Shasta, which is still his home. The two brothers were in partnership in stock-raising and farming until the death of George in 1867, since which time John has managed the business alone. He now has 1,400 acres of land under a good state of cultivation, adapted to grazing and grain, well watered and fenced. He has a good, comfortable residence, a view of which is given on another page. The house is presided over by his sister Louisa, Mrs. Hart, whose husband died in the service of his country during the rebellion. She came to California and took charge of her brother's house, accompanied by her two sons, William George, born May 16, 1859, and Charles Edwin, born March 4, 1862. Mr. Miller is exten- sively engaged in cattle and horse raising, and is one of the eminently successful men of Siskiyou county.
WILLIAM MILLER.
The subject of this sketch, son of George and Mary Christiana Miller, was born in Nassau, Germany, now a portion of Prussia, November 22, 1839. When he was seven years of age, the family emigrated to America and settled on a farm in La Salle county, Illinois. While en route to the new home, the mother died in Montreal. At the home in Illinois, the oldest daughter took the mother's place, and there William lived until nearly twenty years of age. He was then possessed with a desire to go to California, and sailed from New York in the spring of 1858, by the steamer John L. Stevens, landing in San Francisco May 22d. The passage was quick and pleasant, but one day being spent on the Isthmus. He came at once to Siskiyou county, and worked for a short time for John B. Rohrer, in Little Shasta valley, soon afterwards engaging in mining at Hawkinsville, both hydraulic and drift. In company with his brother Philip, Morris R. Betts, and two Frenchmen, he dug a ditch there, selling the surplus water to other miners. In 1861 he went to Shasta county, and engaged in silver mining at what is now Pittsburg. He remained there about a year, paying as high as fifty dollars a foot for interests in quartz ledges, and sinking all the money he had previously been able to save. He then returned to Little Shasta and purchased a farm, which, by his energy and business capacity, he was enabled soon to pay for, and upon which he still resides. He ยท has yearly added to his property, and now owns one of the finest places in the valley, consisting of a good residence, farm buildings, and nine hundred acres of excellent land. The farm is well adapted for graz- ing and grain growing, and as high as forty bushels of wheat to the acre have been raised. When he commenced farming he paid two dollars and one- half per bushel for wheat, oats and barley for seed, and he has paid eight dollars per hundred for pota- toes. He can raise two and one-half to three tons of hay per acre, and has cut hay three times in one year. All is consumed on the place by cattle, of which he has a large number. His residence stands on section twenty-eight, and with his farm premises forms one of the illustrations in this volume. Mr. Miller is one of the successful men of the county, and owes the posi- tion he occupies to his own energy, hard work, and careful management. Mr. Miller was married June
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
4, 1876, by Hon. A. M. Rosborough, to Miss Maria Martens, of Yreka, daughter of Nicolaus and Maria Martens, of Hanover, Germany. After coming to the United States, Mrs. Miller stopped a few years in New York, finally accompanying the family with whom she lived to the Pacific coast. Her parents died in Germany. She had two brothers and three sisters: Anna died in Germany, and Lena in Phila- delphia; Carl lives on a farm at Galena, Illinois, and Henry died in New York; Catarina is married to Henry Ducker, a groceryman, at 72 Sheriff street, New York. Mr. Miller is a Protestant in religion and a liberal in politics, giving his allegiance to prin- ciples and not party. He has seen Little Shasta valley advance from a thinly settled wild to the beautiful and cultivated valley as it is to-day. In 1879 Mr. Miller's aged father went to his long home from the old place in La Salle, Illinois, where he set- tled so long ago.
JOSIAH R. AND ELIPHALET B. EDSON.
Charles Edson was born in Woodstock, Windsor county, Vermont, August 4, 1799. He was of Eng- lish ancestry. In his boyhood days he removed with his parents to Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, where, in later years, he made the acquaintance of and wedded Susan Stevens, daughter of Thomas and Lucy Stevens. They reared a family of nine children, five sons and four daughters, viz .: Harriet C. (now Mrs. H. C. Eddy, residing at the home at Gazelle, Shasta valley), Sarah B., deceased, Josiah R., Charles Thomas, deceased, Epaphras Wadsworth, now at Sterling, Illinois; Lucy A., now Mrs. Jerome Fay; Eliphalet B., Clinton A., now of Alameda; and Susan E., now Mrs. L. M. Foulke, of Nevada. J. R. was born near Muncy, in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, the three youngest in Lee county, Illinois, near Dixon, and the balance of the family in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. Their father died at Dixon, Illinois, in the month of March, 1854; their mother at Gazelle, the present family home, on the eleventh day of October, 1880. Josiah R. and his sister, Mrs. Eddy, crossed the plains in 1852, direct to Yreka. In 1853 they purchased the ranch on which they now reside, known then as the Brady ranch, and one of the first located in Siskiyou county. In 1863, the balance of the family followed them to California, where they have since continued to live, except three years' absence in the East. The farm contains about 3,500 acres, is located on a beautiful plain in Shasta valley, on the California and Oregon stage road. The post-office is called Gazelle, Mrs. Eddy being postmistress, and is kept in their residence. Ever since the location of the place it has been kept as a public house, and well deserves the name of popu- lar place. The house is surrounded with a fine lawn, flower gardens, and beautiful shade trees. A pleasing sight to the weary stage traveler, is this oasis on the plain. In religion, they are Protestants, in politics, staunch Republicans. Their grand- father Stevens was seven years in the revolutionary war. Two of the brothers were in the late war of the rebellion; Epaphras was with the Sturges rifles and on Mcclellan's body guard, and Eliphalet
was in Sherman's army. From the residence the famous Mount Shasta is in full view, also the peak of Mount Pitt or Mclaughlin, nearly 100 miles away in Oregon.
GILBERT LANPHIER
Was the son of Nathan and Hannah (Griffin) Lan- - phier, of Waldo county, Maine, where Gilbert was born, August 16, 1812. His father died at Nash- ville, Tennessee, in 1817, after which Gilbert removed, with his grandfather, to Summit county, Ohio. Here he lived on a farm until sixteen years of age, when he went to learn the carpenter's trade with an uncle. He continued to work at his trade until 1850, when, early in the spring, he started across the plains to California with horses and mules, arriving at Sacramento July 20, 1850. His first move was to the Mokelumne river to mine; in a few months he went to Mariposa county, and from there, in company with Charles Moore, went to Downieville, arriving in the spring of 1851; late in 1852 he went to Shasta county, and in January, 1853, removed to Siskiyou county, and engaged in mining for about six years. In 1859 returned to his trade at Yreka, which he followed, with slight interruptions, until 1871, when he removed to Strawberry valley. During the years 1863-64 he was city marshal of Yreka. The years 1855 to 1859 he spent at Scott Bar. He was made a Mason in 1854, and is a member of St. John's Lodge at Yreka. He took chapter degrees in Akron, Ohio, in 1855; was made a Royal and Select Master at San Francisco in 1858, and a Knight Templar in 1859. He is a member of California Commandery No. 1, stationed at San Francisco, and was for three years Master of Owen Lodge at Scott Bar, and High Priest of Cyrus Chapter at Yreka for the same length of time; also held all the other offices of the chapter. He has been Junior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of California, and was Royal Arch Captain of the Grand Chapter of California. He is at present deputy postmaster and agent of Wells, Fargo & Co.'s office at Berryvale. In religion he is a Protestant, believing in universal salvation. In politics he is a staunch Republican.
JOSEPH S. FELLOWS (DECEASED)
Was a native of Boston, Massachusetts, where his boyhood days and early manhood were spent. In 1850 he came to San Francisco. After remaining there about two years he removed to Portland, Ore- gon, and later to Yreka. He was a carpenter by trade, and soon established himself in that and a general hardware business. In 1861 he was mar- ried to Mrs. S. J. Belden, of Ohio. In 1866 they removed to Strawberry valley, and at once began improving the place that is now the home of Mrs. Fellows, and known as "Mount Shasta Hotel," located at the base of Mount Shasta, and one of the most beautiful locations on the road. Mrs. Fellows is postmistress and keeps a stock of merchandise for the accommodation of the neighborhood.
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'S 'HAIWS '7'3 10 '4417
STOCK FARM PREMISES OF WM. M. TOWNSEND, 960 ACRES, MT. SHASTA DIS'T., SISKIYOU CO., CAL.
145
HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
degrees beyond the liberty of action allowed by the stock-men, and when Fairchilds entered the cabin and beheld the young brave perched upon the bed, he flew into a passion and told him to leave or he would get kicked out. This cordial invitation to leave was accepted by the savage who stalked out in silence. A short time thereafter Lee Bird entered and said:
" You've made trouble, now."
" How- so ?" asked Fairchilds.
" What did you want to go and kick the chief out of the cabin for ?"
" I didn't kick out any chief."
" Yes you did too That young fellow you just put out is Captain Jack, one of the head chiefs."
" What, that boy a chief ?"
" Yes, that's Captain Jack, and he is getting ready to leave and says he will make no treaty."
" Look here, you go and tell him it was all a mis- take, and ask him to come up and have a talk with mie."
He did so, but it required considerable soft talk- ing to mollify the insulted chief and heal his wounded honor, but it was accomplished at last, and the nego- tiations were proceeded with.
A treaty was entered into, between Fairchilds on one side, and Old Schonchin, Captain Jack, John Schonchin, and Patcheye, whereby title to the Butte creek country was conveyed to Fairchilds, with the privilege of ranging his stock still farther to the east unmolested, the Indians to aid him with stray cattle. For this grant and immunity from depredations, Fairchilds gave them money, cattle, and horses, to the value of three hundred dollars, refusing, however, to give them guns and ammuni- tion. They asked for these, but he said that he could not give them without the consent of the great Chief at Washington, and they had to be satisfied without.
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