USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 40
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McDermit, he built the old Ætna mills at a cost of $35,000. He moved to old Etna the same fall, opened a store and built the Etna Hotel. In 1857 he built at that place the Scott Valley distillery, in company with his brothers, and was engaged in milling and distilling until 1870. He went to the northern mines in Idaho, but returned after a year's absence. In 1870 he engaged in the cattle business in Shasta county, and in 1872 removed to Fall River valley, where he still resides. Mr. Davidson has always been a firm Democrat, and taken a promi- nent part in political affairs, and is now serving his second term as supervisor of Shasta county. He was once the Democratic candidate for sheriff of Siskiyou county, but was defeated by the soldier vote. Mr. Davidson had four children, two of whom, James M. and Narcissa, are still living. James was educated at the State University, and is now Deputy United States Mineral Surveyor, and resides at Yreka. At a reunion of the Davidson family at the residence of I. S. Mathews, at Fort Jones, on the seventy-second birthday of Mrs. Orpha Davidson, there were present forty-five members from Scott valley alone.
STOVES
RESIDENCE AND MARKET BUILDING OF DAVID HORN, FORT JONES, CAL.
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The officers were quickly collected in a tent and Fairchilds delivered the message briefly. " There is no use of your sending scouts out to hunt up Captain Jack, for I can tell you just where he is." The position of the cave in the lava beds was then described, and he remarked in closing, "you had better keep away from there or you will get hurt; he says that if you go there he will fight you, and he means business."
The officers laughed, and asked how many Indians there were.
" About forty-five including old men and boys."
" How many men do you suppose we have ? they asked with a smile.
"I don't know, perhaps a hundred and fifty."
" Well, we have over two hundred."
"It don't make any ditlerence, you can't drive them out with less than five hundred men, and if you go in there, its my opinion they'll walk your Ïog."
A few days after this conversation, Colonel Frank Wheaton, of the Second Infantry, arrived and as- sumed command. Headquarters were moved to Van Brimer's ranch, on the east side of Klamath lake and near the lava beds. The Klamath Indians were sent back to the reservation, as the soldiers had little confidence in them, and Captain Jack claimed that they were committing depredations and charging them to the Modocs.
Great preparations were now made to expel Cap- tain Jack from his stronghold among the rocks. By request of Colonel Wheaton a company of volunteers Was raised, chiefly of settlers, vagneros and a few from Yreka. The company numbered twenty-six men and elected John A. Fairchilds captain, and George Roberts, lieutenant. The Indians drove a good many cattle and horses into the lava beds, the former of which they killed, drying the meat for future use. They also busied themselves in strengthening their almost impregnable fortress. The anxiety to find them being over, a new fear that they would break out from their rocky retreat, and lay waste the country with fire and gun took its place. Alturas, Linkville, Ashland, Jacksonville and Yreka were all in daily expectation of the ap- pearance of these half hundred warriors to sack and burn the town. The advent of Lee's army in Washington was no more feared and expected than was the appearance of Captain Jack's spartan band in the streets of Yreka. The fear also that other Indians would become hostile added to the general uneasiness. Shot-guns, rifles and revolvers were inspected and placed on a war footing. He who had none borrowed of his neighbor who had two, and when Governor Booth sent up fifty old muskets, to be used in the protection of settlers, twenty were sent to the front, where the Indians were, and thirty were kept in the town, where the Indians were not and were not fools enough to come. It was probably all for the best, for these guns were suffering from a severe attack of antiquity.
And still the war went on. Troops continued to arrive until there were over two hundred and fifty regulars in the field. Several guns and three hun- dred shells were received from Fort Vancouver, and two guns were forwarded from Camp Bidwell. Cap- tain Barnard was stationed with a detachment on the
east side of the lava beds, the soldiers being thus on both sides of the hostiles. Quite a force had to be maintained at Fort Klamath, so great was thry fear that the Modocs, Snakes and Klamaths there would become turbulent. The Piutes and Pit River Indians were carefully watched, to guard against any outbreak by them. Colonel Wheaton did not want to risk a battle until there was almost a certainty of success, as a victory by the Modocs would serve but to increase the uneasiness of the other Indians, and might lead to a general outbreak.
The first hostilities in the lava beds occurred on the twenty first of December. A wagon of supplies from Camp Bidwell, escorted by six soldiers, was sent along the Tickner road to Barnard's camp. When near its destination it was attacked by the Indians, who had been closely watching the camp for the purpose of picking off stragglers. Captain Barnard came to the rescue with his company and saved the wagons, although one soldier was killed and scalped and three were wounded, one of whom died. An Indian named Steve was killed in this fight.
All the preparations having been carefully made, a grand assault was ordered for Friday, January 17, 1873, by which it was expected to end the war with one hard blow. The plan of attack was to have Captain Barnard advance on the east and form a junction with the right wing of the main body on the south of the stronghold. The right wing was com- posed of the Oregon volunteers, the center of regu- lars, under Captains Perry and Mason, and on the left was Fairchilds' company. When this junction was formed there would be a line of troops on the east, south and west, while the lake would form the fourth side. They were then to close in upon the Indians and take them like a fish in a net. Captain Barnard advanced on the east, Thursday, to within two miles of the cave, losing several killed and wounded, among the latter being Lieutenant Kyle. One Indian was wounded, Old Shacknasty's Man. Friday morning dawned with a thick bank of fog hanging over the ground, that would have induced Colonel Wheaton to postpone the assault, had he been able to communicate with Captain Bar- nard. Not being able to do this he ordered an advance. The dense fog not only prevented them from seeing the enemy, but also from properly co-operat- ing with and supporting each other. The advance was opposed at every point by a hidden and unseen foe. The troops charged over several almost inac- cessible places, meeting a shower of bullets, but find- ing no enemy. So rapidly did the Indians change their positions and so incessant a fire did they main- tain, although there were but about twenty good warriors there seemed to be many times that num- ber. For a long time the troops fought their unseen foe, losing many in killed and wounded, with- out being able to inflict any injury upon the enemy. Failing to join the two commands on the south, it was determined to pass around the bluff on the lake shore and join Barnard in that direction. This movement was effected after the most severe fighting of the day. The loss during the day was ten killed and thirty wounded. Captain Perry was wounded. Two of the killed were Oregon volunteers, while four of the wounded, some of whom died, belonged
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
to Fairchilds' company, and were George Roberts, Nate Beswick, Jerry Crooks and Judson Small. It was afterwards known that not any damage what- ever was inflicted upon the Indians, who as fruits of their victory secured the guns and ammunition of the slain. After this defeat, for such it really was, the troops withdrew to their original positions. Whatever had been their opinion of the fighting qualities of the Modoes, they were now convinced that they had caught a tartar. The strength of the position and the ability of the Indians to defend it were more fully apparent than ever before. The news spread consternation for fifty miles around. Each dusky warrior became an invincible host in the imagination of the people, and as their opinion of the Indian prowess ascended, in the same ratio did their estimation of the ability of the military to cope with them descend. Wild rumors of hundreds of disaffected Snakes, Piutes and Pit River Indians flocking to Jack's standard filled the air.
It was supposed that there were more Indians in this fight than had been known to be with Jack. It was afterwards ascertained that the enemy had placed great numbers of blocks of voleanie seoria on the edge of the rocks. These were dark colored and about the size of a human head, and at a short dis- tance closely resembled the head of an Indian peep- ing around a pile of rocks. It was even declared that there were two hundred warriors engaged in the last battle, and it was expected that the effect of the Modoc victory would be to augment Jack's force to a small army, even if it did not cause a gen- eral Indian war.
General Canby, who in the absence of General McDowell was in command of this department, sent Colonel Gillem to the field to supersede Colonel Wheaton, whose only fault was that he had failed where it was impossible to succeed. More troops were forwarded, and mortars for the purpose of shelling the Indian stronghold were brought with great difficulty to the scene of action. While all these preparations were being made the beleaguered Modocs were not idle.
On the morning of January 23d, they suddenly attacked an escort of twenty-two men moving two wagons to Barnard's camp. The attack was made four miles from the camp to which intelligence was instantly conveyed. The cavalry came down at a gallop and crowded the Indians so hard that they abandoned their ponies and fled into the mazes of the lava beds on foot. Forty-five cayuse ponies were captured. The soldiers suffered no loss, but reported one Indian killed and three wounded, which was found to be untrue. One advantage the Modoes had in all their conflicts with the whites was their knowledge of the English language. They could hear and understand all the orders given by the officers, and could thus be realy to oppose any movement. All their orders or information shouted from one to the other, and they kept continually shouting to each other, were given in the Modoc tongue, and were as Greek to the troops.
The evidences of a long campaign were now plen- tiful, and the troops settled down to stay. Many people visited the front, and correspondents were maintained there by the leading newspapers of the country. Every time an Indian coughed or an
officer waxed his moustache the fact was telegraphed throughout the land, and appeared in the papers under enormous head-lines. The people read the exploits of these dusky warriors with astonishment bordering on admiration. They thought that these must be of no common clay to hold the flower of the army so long at bay. The situation was misapprehended by all not familiar with the place and the people. The Indians occupied a natural fortress that probably has not a superior in the world, and what to the soldiers was an unknown labyrinth, to them was as familiar as the streets of a city. They did no more than any half hundred determined men could have done in the same situation. It seemed, however, as wonderful as the exploits of the knights of old, and people in their far-off Eastern homes, rose in the morning and seized the paper to see by what exploit the Modoes had added new laurels to their wreath since last they read.
To the front came also many who were seeking not the " bauble reputation," but the " current coin of the realm." Stores and eating-houses were established, and the proprietors reaped a rich har- vest. For them the war, long as it was, ended all too soon, and they were left to wail their disappoint- ment. Supplies for them and the troops required many teams to haul them, and the rates of freight from Redding, Yreka and Jacksonville were very high. Fire-wood sold for fifteen dollars, eggs one dollar a dozen, oysters one dollar a can, tobacco two dollars a pound, whisky twenty-five cents a drink; beef and flour were plentiful and cheap.
In February Donald MeKay, a half-breed and a practiced scout, and fifty Warm Spring Indians, from the Warm Spring reservation in Oregon, were sent for. They hal rendered good service in Indian wars farther north, and could be depended upon to do scout duty well and faithfully. Three boats were built on Lost river, to be used on the lake to prevent the Indians from obtaining water. It was thought that there was nothing in the lava beds but snow water, and in this way they could prevent the hostiles from procuring enough water for themselves and stock.
In February, the government appointed a peace commission to investigate the condition and com - plaints of the Indians, and confer with the hostiles abont a settlement of the present difficulties. The members of the commission were Jesse Applegate, A. B. Meacham, and Samuel Chase-all connected with the Indian department. The military were instructed to suspend hostilities while the negotia- tions were pending, but to so dispose the forces as to protect the settlers. General Canby was ordered to go to the front with the commissioners, and take full command of the military, Colonel Gillemn com- manding under him. On the twentieth of February, the commissioners having all arrived at head- quarters, Bob Whittle's Modoc wife, Matilda, and a squaw named Artinie were sent to Jack's camp to arrange for a conference. The following day they returned with a report that there were but forty- four warriors in the lava beds. Jack sent word by them that he was glad to receive a message from the peace commissioners. He complained bitterly of the part the volunteers had taken in the fight, as he only wanted to fight soldiers. He had given orders
S'
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HISTORY OF SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
that no settlers should be killed, and he did not think they had any right to help the soldiers fight him. He said he did not want to talk to women, but wanted the commissioners to pay him a visit, and they would not be harmed. She said they were naked and cold, and nearly out of provisions. That there was dissension in their midst, some wanting John Schonchin for chief, while others preferred Jack.
Whittle and wife then paid Jack a visit, who said that he had lost but three braves since the fight began, and suffered no loss in the big fight in the lava beds. He wanted Judge Steele, Judge Ros- borough and John A. Fairchilds added to the com- missioners, as they were his friends. An agreement was made to hold a conference on the twenty-fifth a mile and a half from the lava beds where there could be no ambuscade. General Canby telegraphed to Washington, and Judge A. M. Rosborough was added to the commission. It was impossible for Judge Steele to be there at the time appointed, and so on the twenty-fourth Fairchilds, Whittle, Matilda, Indian Dave, and Edward Fox, correspondent of the New York Herald, went to the cave to explain the situation. They remained all night, and counted sixty bucks capable of bearing arms. Jack said he did not like Meacham and Applegate, and wanted to treat with Canby, Fairchilds, Steele, and Rosbo- rough-all of whom he considered great Tyees.
When Steele and Rosborough arrived in camp, Steele, Fairchilds, Fox, H. W. Atwell, correspondent of the Sacramento Record-Union, and another reporter, went to the cave, where they found Jack sick. They talked that night and in the morning with Jack and Schonchin, who made bitter com- plaints of the way in which they had been treated at the agency. Steele laid before them the terms offered by Canby, which were, to surrender and be removed to a more southern and warmer locality and be provided with a reservation by the govern- ment. They then returned to headquarters accom- panied by Bogus Charley, Hooka Jim, Long Jim, Boston Charley, Duffy, Shacknasty Jim, Curley- Headed Jack, and William, who went down to talk with Colonel Gillem and the commissioners. The visiting Indians returned to the cave on Tuesday.
Steele and the reporters again went to the cave and returned the next day with the same Indians to make final arrangements for a meeting with Gen- eral Canby in person. The Princess Mary, Jack's sister, also came this time. They said that Jack and Schonchin both agreed to the terms offered by Steele and were sorry they would have to leave their country. The following message was sent by them from Canby to Jack :-
We are not mad, but sorry. Our hearts were sad because you opened your hearts to your enemies and closed them to your friends. I want Captain Jack and all who can to come here to-morrow. I will have tents, food, and clothing for them. It is not safe for Captain Jack to go to Yainox, for bad men will kill him. I will send to Yainox for his friends and have them come here. All his people at Yainox can come, and all who desire can go to the new country. I recognize Captain Jack as chief, and want him to come here so that I may treat with him and arrange particulars. If any of his people in the lava beds are sick and cannot come, I will send a wagon for them. I can- not send the soldiers away. They are his best friends and will not hurt him. I want them now, if they mean peace, to come out with clean hands to-morrow, and none shall be hurt. Cap- tain Jack and some of his men can go and see the Great Chief, and look at the country he will give them. I promise this for
myself, for the commissioners, for the soldiers, and for your friends Judge Rosborough and Squire Steele.
The messengers returned the next day, saying that Jack wanted three wagons to meet him at two o'clock Monday, the tenth, at the Point of Rocks, twelve miles from headquarters. Early Monday morning, Steele started with four wagons and their teamsters, for the place of rendezvous. When they ascended a ridge two miles from the Point of Rocks, no Indians could be seen at the appointed place. This was suspicious. If they were there in good faith, they should be in full view and not hidden. Steele halted the wagons and rode on alone, to see if the Indians were in ambush, but found no sign of them for two miles beyond the point. He returned to the wagons and endeavored to persuade the teamsters to go on to the lake, but all but one, David Horn, refused to proceed. About this time an object was descried moving beyond the point, and Steele again rode on to investigate. He found it to be a man named Lonis Land, from upper Oregon, who was journeying through the country, and was unaware of any trouble. He said that he had seen no Indians, and when informed of recent events, thanked his lucky stars that he had seen none. As it was useless to look further, the wagons returned to camp. Tents had been erected to accom- modate the Indians, and an abundance of hay, fire- wood, and food, provided for their comfort, and the return of Steele without them was a great dis- appointment.
A consultation was held, and Steele agreed to go in again and see what was the matter. He was accompanied only by Atwell, the other reporters remarking that "they didn't own any Indians in there," and would remain in camp. Bogus Charley, the most treacherous of the Modocs, betraying dur- ing the war both the whites and his own people, was at the camp, and accompanied them in. When they reached the chasm that leads by a long route up to the cave, Charley said " good-bye," and rode away from them. This was a bad sign, but they rode on to the usual place of tying the horses, which was a wide place in the chasm where some sage- brush grew. Here they met Frank Riddle, the interpreter for the commission, and his Modoc wife, who had preceeded them, and who warned them that the Indians were in a bad frame of mind. Steele was convinced of this, but it was too late to turn back, and so they went on. When they reached Bogus Charley's camp, they found a squaw, who grunted her ignorance of her lord's where- abouts. It was now dark, and they preferred to go to the cave and brave the Indians there, than to wander about in the darkness at the mercy of any who might chance to feel an inner prompting to shoot them. Riddle objected to going, but was persuaded to do so.
Their advent into the cave was received with a grunt and then a deep hush fell upon the circle of warriors gathered about the smoullering fire. Steele had a squaw throw a stick of wood on the fire so that he might have light by which to scrutinize the countenances of those about him, and then the two white men seated themselves in the circle of war- riors. As the flames leaped up towards the opening in the cave above, and shed a lurid glare upon the
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objects in the cavern, they revealed a circle of scowl- ing and malignant faces. It did not require one deeply versed in Indian physiognomy, to see that those were the faces of bitter enemies. Steele com- menced to talk. He told them of the preparations Canby had made to receive them, how grieved he was that they had not come, and asked them why they had broken their word. While he was talking his eye was observing everything in the cave. He counted sixty-nine warriors, twenty-five of them being strangers that he then supposed to be Snakes, but afterwards discovered were Klamaths from the reservation and Pit River Indians. It was very evident that these visitors were largely responsible for the condition of affairs. They were there encour- aging the hostiles with offers of assistance. Besides this the messengers who had been at headquarters had heard of the indictments found by the grand jury of Jackson county, Oregon, against nine of them for the murder of settlers, and had heard threats of hanging the whole band.
Schonchin replied to Steele in an angry and excited manner. He accused him of acting with duplicity, and refused to treat on any terms but an extinguishment of all past offenses and permission to remain where they were. His remarks were applauded by all but Jack, Scarface, and a few others. Jack made a speech in favor of peace, and Bogus Charley went up to him and crowned him with a squaw's cap, calling him a coward and a woman, an act which was also applauded. Steele again spoke and said that he was not a chief, and could agree to no terms for them, but would lay any proposition they might make before General Canby. The conversation was carried on by him in the Chinook jargon, it being translated by those who understood it for the benefit of the others. He understood the Modoc tongue, but the Indians did not know it, neither did Riddle who had departed from the cave. By this means he was able to under- stand all the remarks that were freely made by the warriors. Schonchin now began haranguing about the Ben. Wright massacre, accusing the whites of base treachery, until Steele told him to shut up, as he had heard enough. All the while a warm dis- cussion was going on as to whether the two men should be killed or not. Some were in favor of doing it then, while others said that it was best to wait until they could get the chiefs into their power, as Steele had told them he was no Tyee. The faintest sign of fear or intimation that the character of the conversation was understood, would have sealed their death warrant. Steele watched Atwell with great anxiety. He was fearful that he might get an inkling of the situation and betray the fact, but the knight of the quill sat on a stone as stoical as the most impassive Indian. Satisfied that his com- panion was in blissful ignorance of his nearness to the grave, he turned again to the scowling savages. Schonchin had been talking almost incessantly, and now, in a fit of passion, asked Steele if he was not afraid to sleep in the cave as he did the last time. He replied that he was afraid of nothing, that his heart was good and he was not afraid to die, that he was going to sleep if he did not live till morning.
The Indians finally agreed among themselves that if Steele would promise to bring the Tyees to the
cave they would let him go, in the hope of being able to get the chiefs in their power. When he was asked if he could and would bring the commis- sioners and Canby to the cave, he promised to do so, and the council broke up. Scarface had whispered to Steele to sleep on his mat, which lay near a big rock in the cave, and when the talk was finished after midnight, he turned and gently kicked the owner of the mat, and said,
" Hello! What Indian is this?"
" Me. Scarface."
" Well, Scarface, I want to sleep on your mat to-night."
Atwell dumped his blankets carelessly down upon the mat, and said,
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