USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 39
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In 1865 a second treaty was made, extending the stock range still farther towards the east. Again, in 1866, a third treaty was entered into with the Modoes, by which John A. Fairchilds and P. A. Dorris were granted the Hot creek, Cottonwood creek, and Lost river country, Captain Jack reserv- ing a tract six miles square, at the mouth of Lost river, for a residence. The consideration was two hundred dollars. These treaties were all faithfully observed, and ever after the last one Captain Jack believed and said that he had sold the land to Fair- childs and Dorris.
In 1863, Patcheye was shot dead in Yreka, by a Sulasta Indian named Bullhead. His band then joined the Hot creek band of Modoes, which, ten years later, joined Captain Jack in the lava beds.
The government dealings with these Indians, to which can be largely ascribed the Modoc war, com- menced in 1864. After considerable trouble and a great deal of talk, a treaty was signed, October 14, 1864, by the Klamath and Modoe Indians, and by J. P. Huntington and William Logan, com- missioners appointed for that purpose by the gov- ernment. Those who signed for the Modoes were Schonchin, Stak-it-ut, Keint Poos (Captain Jack), and Chuck-e-i-ox. By this treaty, the Indian title to all the land claimed by both tribes was given to the government, and they agreed to live on the 19
Klamath reservation, which was then set off for them. Certain annual distributions of goods were to be made by the government through the Indian agent, and all past offenses by the Indians were canceled and forgiven. Captain Jack always main- tained that he never agreed to give up his home on Lost river and live at the reservation, and that if the treaty contained that provision, he had been deceived when he signed it. Old Schonchin, how- ever, said differently, and with his followers lived praceably on the reservation, when placed there.
The treaty was revised and ratified by Congress, July 2, 1866, and the amendments then made assented to by the Indians, December 10, 1869. It was proclaimed by the President February 17, 1870.
Annually the Indians were called together at the agency and a distribution of annuity goods inade, until 1867, when, in consideration of the rapidly increasing settlement of people along Lost river and vicinity, it was thought best to locate them perma- nently on the reservation. They were accordingly collected there, but trouble ensued between the Kla- maths and Modoes. The reservation was in the Klamath county, and they acted very insolently towards the Modoes, taunting them with being inter- lopers. Captain Jack and his immediate followers left, and once more took up their residence on Lost river while Schonchin and his band, being more than half the tribe, were removed from the vicinity of the inhospitable Klamaths, and located at Yainox, near the southern extremity of the reservation.
Thus matters stood until the fall of 1869, when A. B. Meacham, Superintendent, gathered them all upon the reservation again. There were then col- lected about eight hundred Klamaths or La Lakes, three hundred and fifty Snakes or Walpohpes, and three hundred Modocs.
Bitter complaints were made by Captain Jack, of the treatment of his band by the agents that winter. He says they were stinted in clothing and starved in food. As an instance: The government allowed a double blanket to each Indian, but when they were distributed by the agent, they were cut into single blankets and then each one divided in the middle, thus making one Indian's allowance do for four, or one-fourth for the Indian and three-fourths for the agent. Food was so scarce that some of the band were compelled to kill their horses to keep from starving. This was the complaint of Captain Jack and his band, when they shook the mud of the res- ervation from off their feet in the spring of 1870, vowing that they would die before they would return. The allegations of dishonest treatment were denied by the agents.
When they left Yainox the secerling Modoes went to Fairchilds' ranch and begged for food. That gen- tleman says that they were scantily clothed, appeared half starved, and looked generally wretched and miserable. He gave them some flour and meat, and they rehearsed the story of their wrongs at Yainox. Soon after they went to Yreka and told their tale of misery to Judge Steele, saying that they wanted to live at their old home on Lost river, and could not be taken back to Yainox alive. Steele promised to do what he could for them, and they went back to their old quarters near Tule lake.
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
For more than two years they lived on Lost river, supporting themselves by hunting and fishing, living peaceably and minding their own business. Old Schonchin, with his followers, remained contentedly at Yainox without starving, and to them the agents point as proof that the charges made by Captain Jack were false, and only trumped up by him as an excuse for leaving Yainox and living on Lost river.
Judge Steele, to whom the Indians had communi- cated a desire so to do, corresponded with the land department, to see if the Modoes could not each file upon a quarter-section of land where they were liv- ing, for a homestead. In 1872 he received a letter from the department, saying that such action would be allowed. This letter he sent to Hendrick Miller, on Lost river, with the request that he explain it to the Indians, and have them come to Yreka, and he would attend to the business for them. This was the state of affairs when Superintendent Odeneal and others persuaded the Indian department to order the removal of Captain Jack to the reserva- tion, thus precipitating the Modoc war with all its expense of life and treasure.
There seems to be considerable difference of opin- ion as to the conduct of Captain Jack's band while they lived on Lost river. The settlers who lived along that stream, which is in the State of Oregon, claimed that the Indians were very insolent and extortionate, coming in armed parties to their houses, frightening the women and children, and demanding beef and flour for the rent of the lands which they claimed to own. On the other hand, those on the California side of the line had no diffi- culty with them in this regard and got along peace- fully. That there was a difference in the treat- ment of the settlers is possible, and it arose from the imperfect idea the Indians had of the relation the Boston men bore to each other. Being divided up into tribes, more or less hostile to each other, they naturally supposed the whites to also be in the same manner distinct tribes. In this idea they were con- firmed by the fact that Oregon and California had different governments and the residents were spoken of as Oregonians and Californians, seeming to have interests somewhat at variance. With the Cali- fornia men they had made treaties, with them they had fought more or less and been whipped. The stock-men had demonstrated time and again that they were not afraid of them, and had in this way won their respect. Indians were not allowed in the cabin or to hang around the premises unless required for some purpose. They were occasionally employed in odd jobs and always paid. As the Lost river settlers were supposed to belong to a different tribe they did not reap the benefit of the fear the Indians entertained for the stock-men. Again, some of them were but late comers and did not know how to treat the Indians. They were afraid of them, the more so because their wives and children were with them, and in case of trouble would be at the merey of the savages. Being in this state of mind, if one Indian came along they would probably swear at him and order him to leave, but if half a dozen should appear with their guns, their conduct would be much different. They would ask them in, give them something to eat, and treat them with great hospitality, and then, when their visitors had
departed, would tell how they had been compelled to give food to the Indians. The red men were not slow to comprehend the situation and take advan- tage of it. The consequence was that, although they never went around levying toll upon the set- tlers, yet the latter were led by their fears to think they did so, and in such a state of mind it is no wonder that the appearance of a band of armed Indians should frighten the women and children and make the settlers uneasy. The Indians were lazy and would not work. When provisions ran low, when fish and game could not be procured in sufficient quantities, they would kill a beeve, the stock-men being the principal losers and making no complaint. Captain Jack and his band lived quietly at their camp on Lost river, and although harmless were no doubt unpleasant neighbors to have.
On the sixth of July, 1872, Col. Elmer Otis, Ivan D. Applegate, L. S. Dyar, Indian agent at Klamath reservation and T. B. Odeneal, superintendent of Indian affairs, petitioned the commissioner of Indian affairs at Washington to have the Indians removed to the reservation. In due time Superintendent Odeneal received authority to effect the removal, peaceably if he could, forcibly if he must. On the twenty-fifth of November he sent I. D. Applegate and James Brown to the camp on Tule lake, to request the head men to meet him at Linkville on the twenty-eighth. They declined the invitation. He at once repaired to Fort Klamath and placed the matter in the hands of the military. Captain Jackson immediately started for the Indian camp with Company B, First Cavalry, thirty-five men. He marched all night and reached the camp at day- light on the morning of the twenty-ninth. Jack's camp was on the west side of the river near Tule lake, at what is called the natural bridge. On the east side of the river was another small camp in which were Hooka Jim, Curley-Headed Doctor, Long Jim and nine other braves, these three being the head men. To this camp went Oliver Applegate, George Fiock and seven or eight settlers, while Ivan Applegate and James Brown accompanied the soldiers to the main camp. When the troops arrived at Jack's place the only Indian seen stirring was Bogus Charley, who was visiting there, his home being in this county. Captain Jackson's appearance was a great surprise to him, and the object of his coming was unknown.
" Where is Captain Jack ?" asked the officer.
" In his tent."
" I want to see him."
" What for ?"
" I have an order for his arrest."
" What you want him for ?"
" That makes no difference; show me his tent."
Scarface Charley, who had been down by the river with the intention of duck hunting, heard the voices and came up to see what the trouble was, having his gun in his hand.
" What the matter ?" he asked.
"Disarm that Indian," said Captain Jackson, turn- ing to Lieutenant Boutelle.
The Lieutenant stepped forward and said: "Give me your gun."
" What for I give you my gun ?"
The officers still persisted in carrying out their
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
military methods, and would not inform the Indian why they were there and why they wanted to dis- arm him. Charley still refused to surrender his weapon, and Boutelle drew his revolver, cocked it and aimed it at the Indian, repeating his demand for the gun. Charley also cocked his weapon and watched the officer's hand. When he saw Boutelle's finger press the trigger, he dropped to the ground, firing his gun as he fell, rolled rapidly down the hill to the river, shouting at the same time to Captain Jack to fly, as the soldiers had come to kill him. The soldiers also fired a volley at. Charley as he fell, and it was supposed for some time that they had killed him. The camp now was in great uproar and confusion. The warriors wakened from their sleep by the sound of firing, seized their guns and sought sheltered places from which to fight, while the women and children fled for safety or fell prone upon the ground to avoid the flying bullets. At the time the shooting commenced Captain Jack was just issuing from his lodge, unarmed, and with a blanket thrown loosely about his shoulders. No sooner did he hear the discharge of fire-arms and the warning words of Scarface than he drew the blanket over his head and squatted upon the ground. There he remained during the fight, being mistaken for a squaw by the soldiers. The fighting continued for some two hours, the Indians finally effecting their retreat with their families, having lost two warriors, a squaw and a half-breed girl nine years old. One of Jackson's men was killed and four were wounded, some of which afterwards died.
While the battle was raging here, a terrible trag- edy was being enacted on the other side of the river. The settlers who had gone to the camp of Hooka Jim and Curley-Headed Doctor, met first an Indian called Miller's Charley. He was told that they had come to take him and the others to the reservation, and that they would not be harmed. Upon this assurance he surrendered his gun, but had hardly done so when the sound of shooting and the yells of Indians were borne across the river from the other camp. The Indians rushed out, and in the confusion both parties commenced shooting, Miller's Charley being wounded, and One-Eyed Watchman killed. The warriors dashed for cover from which to fight, while the squaws sought safety in flight, or remained prostrate in their tents. One of the squaws rushed out with her baby in her arms, and what was evi- dently a stray bullet cut its slender cord of life. Not knowing her baby was dead, and still clasping it in her arms, she mounted a horse, exclaiming, " Don't shoot, me squaw, me squaw!" They did shoot, and she was wounded in the ankle, falling from her horse.
Maddened by this apparently wanton attack and slaughter, Hooka Jim, who had the most cruel and blood-thirsty disposition of them all, persuaded the others to go with him and take revenge on the settlers. One of the attacking party, John Thur- ber, known as "Jack of Clubs," was killed while walking about the camp after he supposed the fight was over. Hooka Jim's band hastened to the settle- ments along the river, bent upon murdering all they saw; and now commenced a scene of carnage and massacre. The settlers had been promised that they would be notified in case any action was taken that
might lead to trouble with the Indians, but the promise was not fulfilled. After the battle com- menced Brown was sent on this mission, but the time was too short, and he could not reach all, many falling victims to this almost criminal procrastina- tion.
The Indians first met William Neese and Joseph Penning, who were riding along the road uncon- scious of danger. They were both shot, Neese being killed and Penning severely wounded. Mr. Broth- erton and his two sons were next killed, while the mother with her two younger sons barricaded the house and successfully defended it, being rescued two days later. Hendrick Miller and his hired man were killed, also John Schroeder. Mrs. Boddy and her three sons were killed, while the wives of two of them escaped by walking nine miles, scantily clothed, and sleeping upon the cold ground. In all there were fourteen settlers killed before armed parties could protect them and compel the Indians to seek safety in flight.
They made their way to the lava beds at the south end of Tule lake, whither Captain Jack and his band had already retreated. In order to com- prehend fully the events which transpired during the next six months, it is necessary to have a good idea of the nature and formation of this rocky fast- ness. This is a mass of rocks some ten miles square, cut up with fissures, deep gulches, and high and abrupt cliffs, abounding in caves and almost untrav- ersable save by those well acquainted with the trails and passages. Troops in here were as much lost as though in a jungle, while the Indians, familiar with all the secret passes and caves, could flit about from place to place, and pick off the unwary intruder in perfect security. The description given by Jesse Applegate, one of the first peace commissioners, cannot be improved upon :-
The stronghold of the Modocs is an irregular volcanic surface of basalt, trachyte, etc., more or less broken into upheavals from below, and cracked and fissured in the process of cooling. It occupies, with but few intervals, nearly one hundred square miles. If you can, imagine a smooth, solid sheet of granite, ten miles square and five hundred feet thick, covering resistless mines of gunpowder, scattered at irregular intervals under it; that these mines are exploded simultaneously, rending the whole field into rectangular masses, from the size of a match box to that of a church, heaping these masses high in some places, and leaving deep chasms in others. Following the explosion, the whole thing is placed in one of Vulcan's crucibles, and heated up to a point when the whole begins to fuse and run together, and then suffered to cool. The roughness of the surface remains as the explosion left it, while all below is honeycombed by the cracks and crevices caused by the cooling of the melted rock. An Indian can, from the top of one of these stone pyramids, shoot a man without exposing even so much as an inch square of himself. He can, without undue haste, load and shoot a common muzzle-loading rifle ten times, before a man can scramble over the rocks and chasms between the slain and the slayer. If at this terrible expense of life, a force dislodges him from his cover, he has only to drop into and follow some subterraneous passage with which he is familiar, to gain another ambush, from which it will cost ten more lives to dislodge him, and so on ad infinitum.
From the high rocks in this great fortress of nature, the Indians could observe the movements of . the troops five miles away, without being themselves seen. In this way, during the whole campaign, they were enabled to inform themselves of every maneu- ver, or change of plan of operations by the soldiers, while they moved in perfect secrecy, appearing unex- pectedly in many places, moving rapidly from point to point, ready to take advantage of any careless-
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
ness or exposure by their enemies. Added to this was the fact that they were nearly all armed with breech-loading rifles, and had a large supply of metallic cartridges. All these, and the additional fact that they were firmly convinced that their lib- erty and even their lives were at stake, must be borne constantly in mind when considering the events of this unparalleled campaign.
All was confusion and anxiety along Lost river and at Linkville. The settlers hastened to places of safety in all directions, some going to Link ville, some to Alturas, and others to various places. No one felt secure within a radius of fifty miles. Fourteen people had been cruelly murdered, and the murderers were still at large, no one knew where. They were liable to appear at any point and wreak vengeance on the unprotected heads of lone settlers. If their whereabouts was only known, so that the troops could watch them, there would be a measure of security, but the dreadful uncertainty was the most anxious feature of all. Their retreat in the lava beds was discovered in the following manner :-
On the night before the attack on the Indian camps, Samuel Watson stayed at Fairchilds' ranch at the lower end of Klamath lake. The next morn- ing he pursued his journey towards Lost river, and when near that stream was met by Scarface Charley and Bogus Charley. They informed him of the fight, and advised him to return, saying that some of the other Indians who were not acquainted with him would be sure to kill him. This seemed to be gool advice, and he acted upon it. Arriving again at Fairchilds' that night he imparted his startling intelligence. This created great uneas- iness at the ranch, for the agents had promised to warn them in case of trouble, and now a battle had taken place without their knowledge. The Hot Creek Modocs lived near the ranch, and had they received the first intelligence of hostilities, could have committed many depredations. Besides this, thousands of cattle were roaming the valleys and hills, which the Indians could destroy or scatter so that it would be impossible to recover them.
Fairchilds descried an Indian in the distance, rid- ing like mad towards the camp, and he pointed to him, saying to some Indian boys, "There comes an Indian with the news, you run down to eamp before he gets there, and tell them that Captain Jack an I the soldiers have had a fight, and I want them to come up here and tell me what they know about it." Away ran the boys and reached the camp at the same time the messenger rode up with his startling intelligence, and soon several excited Indians hastened to the ranch. They knew nothing of the cause of the trouble, and wanted Fairchilds to explain. They looked upon him as a great Tyee, who knew all the plans of the whites, and he had a hard time convincing them that he was as ignorant as they of the cause of the recent unpleasantness on Lost river. An agreement was made that the Hot Creek band would remain peaceable, for the present at least, and in case a war followed and they joined the hostiles, they would not molest the settlers. This having been done, Fairchilds and Nate Beswick, accompanied by Shacknasty Jim and another Indian, started for Lost river on a tour of observation, hav- ing first sent word through the valley that there was
trouble with the Modocs, and that the Hot Creek band had agreed to remain peaceable.
When they arrived at Jack's camp abundant evi- dences of a battle were found on every hand, but not a human being could be seen. All the boats had been destroyed, and they were thus unable to cross the river. Going along the bank they heard voices on the opposite side, and called out, but received no answer. The two Indians being seen on the bank gave rise to the story that the Indians had returned the day after the fight, and yelled at the people from across the river, a belief that had largely served to create the anxiety and fear of another raid which all the settlers felt.
Upon their return to the ranch they learned that the Indians had been informed of Captain Jack's lurking place. A few days later, Fairchilds, Dorris, Beswick, and Murray, accompanied by the two Indians, paid Jaek a visit in his stronghold. They found him occupying a cave in the rocks, about two hundred yards from the lake. This was so walled in by rocks, chasms, and precipitous bluffs, and so accessible to water, that it was the best spot in the whole lava region to withstand a long siege, and make a good defense. They spent the night in the cave, and had a long talk with Jack and others about their difficulty with the troops. Jack said he was ignorant of the reason why the soldiers had attacked his camp; that he had done nothing, and could not understand why the soldiers should come and fight him; that he had murdered no settlers, but that the killing had been done by Hooka Jim and the band across the river, in revenge for the death of his baby; that he had had many oppor- tunities to kill Boston men if he had so desired, but that he only wanted to fight soldiers; he did not want to fight at all, but if the soldiers came to the lava beds after him, he would fight them; that he would not go to Yainox, but wanted to live at his home on Lost river in peace. In his treaty with Fairchilds, Jack had reserved the Lost River camp for a residence, considering that he had sold the balance of the country to the stock-men. He main- tained until the time of his death, that in the treaty of 1864 with the government, he had not agreed to abandon Lost river; and if the treaty said he must go to the reservation, he had been deceived when it was male. He requested Fairchilds and Doris to go to the soldiers, and tell them not to come where he was or he would fight them. When the two embassadors arrived at the camp of the troops, they found there three companies of regulars, two having come in haste from Camp Warner, also two com- panies of volunteers from Rogue River valley and Linkville, and a number of Klamath or La Lake Indians. The volunteers, some sixty in all, were commanded by Captains Kelley and Heiser, acting under the orders of General Ross, in command of the Oregon militia, who was present. The location of Jaek's camp was still unknown to the troops, and soon after their arrival at headquarters, they observed that details were being made for scout duty. Knowing that this would result in a con- flict and the death of many of the troops, the two messengers coneluded that the time had come for them to speak. Fairchilds addressed Captain Jack- son, and said he had a message from Captain Jack.
W Davidson
WILLIAM DAVIDSON.
William Davidson is a son of James and Orpha (Wells) Davidson, and was born near Wheeling, West Virginia, November 30, 1826. His parents moved to Ohio and later to Indiana, settling near La Fayette. In 1850 he crossed the plains to Shasta county, and in 1851 went to Yreka. That winter he mined on Humbug, being one of the first in that district. In the fall of 1852 he went to Deadwood with the first discovery of gold there, where he mined with good success. He was also engaged in mer- chandising at the same place. In company with his brother, Dr. D. M. Davidson, in the fall of 1852 he settled on a ranch near Fort Jones, still keeping his store at Deadwood. He commenced a butchering business, and during the hard times of that memor- able winter of 1852-53 had a contract to supply meat at Fort Jones for forty cents per pound. He was married in February, 1853, and moved to Scott valley and commenced farming. December 3, 1853, his first son, James M., was born, the first white child born in Scott valley. Mr. Davidson sold part of his first crop for fifteen dollars per bushel. In 1854, in company with D. M. Davidson and Charles
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