THE
ARGONAUTS OF CALIFORNIA.
Page 148.
CHAPTER XI.
THE INDIAN WARS--A
CHANGE IN THE SOCIAL CONDITIONS--THE DESPERADO--THE SAILORS--THE MINES WORKED
OUT.
IT was during this season that an event of the greatest importance to the State and to the mining interest occurred. I refer to the subjugation of the Digger tribe of Indians, a warlike and savage race, who seemed determined to exterminate, if possible, the American race of gold hunters; that is to say, in the opinion of the business portion of the community who had something to sell. These Indians were in many cases very badly treated and abused, and many had been killed for mere sport by the border-ruffian element from the East. The consequence, a very natural one, was that in a spirit of revenge they resented such outrages by taking the lives of a few of those who abused them. But this was deemed a sufficient cause for a war of extermination, and a demand was made upon the Government for assistance. No regulars were necessary, for the "Irregulars," who were ever ready to volunteer when an Indian is to be butchered, were numerous.
A small army was soon formed, commanded by Col. William Rogers, and when all was ready, or nearly so, they marched for the front, if it could be found. A fine spot for the purpose was discovered near at hand, but a little out of range of the arrows. They went into camp and waited for something to turn up. If any attempt was made by the Indians to charge upon their works, reinforcements were sent for at once, and a change of base ordered immediately. Such was the nature of this ferocious, warlike regiment of Irregulars, however, that a change of conditions was absolutely necessary.
The Indians were hidden behind the rocks upon the opposite side of Brush Cañon, a few miles above the town, and, unconscious of danger, were with their families engaged in various amusements. The older members were seated around in groups discussing
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the current events of the day, and indulging in reminiscences of the happy springtide of youth when engaging in the pleasures of the chase after grasshoppers, when the Colonel of the Irregulars, from a high commanding position, the top of a stump, took a view of the situation with his field glass, leaped to the soil below and ordered a charge at once.
The poor Indians, taken by surprise, fought with valor, disputing the ground inch by inch; but, being overpowered by numbers, and it being also nearly lunch time, they very precipitately vamoosed the ranch, and the United States Government of America remained master of the field.
The ambulance train was ordered up, and the dead and wounded were carefully handled when found. But one Irregular, however, lost his life during the conflict, this unfortunate being Mr. W. McKinney, of Cold Springs.
The opinion among the troops, however, was general, to the effect that the Indian department suffered terribly, and that large numbers of them had passed over to the happy hunting ground, and were, probably, already engaged in chasing grasshoppers in the spirit land; but after the smoke of battle had been drifted through and the ground sluiced away, but one old squaw, with her papoose, were found in a ditch asleep.
The Grand Army of the Sierras captured all that was to be found in the deserted Indian camp, the spoils consisting of an old pack saddle, a jack knife with two blades, and one woolen shirt. These were taken into town, and, under orders from the Government, sold at auction to the highest bidder, the proceeds going into the Treasury and thrown in among the surplus.
This terrible and devastating uprising was thus squelched, and the Indians said they would do so no more, and they never did. The great conflict which was participated in and decided by the valor of undisciplined Irregulars, not only saved the entire country from utter destruction, but, in addition, demonstrated the fact to the interest of all concerned in mining, that the black sand which had heretofore been thrown aside as valueless was in reality worth $1 per pound, avoirdupois, in the following manner:
Powder for the grand army being scarce, an enterprising and shrewd storekeeper in the town, who furnished certain supplies, substituted kegs of the aforementioned sand in its place, and it was
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said that in consequence of the great similarity of appearance, neither the grand army, the Indians, nor Uncle Sam, ever knew the difference.
For further particulars and details please refer to the history of the great conflict, as I do not wish to trespass too much upon such incidents as are matters of historical record.
I desire, however, to mention a few facts in relation to this race of Indians, for, in my opinion and judging from appearances, the are very probably the ancestors of the great Mongolian race, and that the latter descended from them. Of course, this was some time ago, and it may be possible that it is just the other way, although it matters not which party made the descent first, or which did the degenerating part of the business. That the Indians have retained the old original dialect, however, is an evidence of a very close relationship, which the most skeptical must acknowledge.
Previous to the great battle which decided the destiny of the race and the safety of the country, and when the grand old eagle, with prophetic eye soared from aloft and, sailing majestically across the rocky canon, flapped its wings with joy from the top of the great American banner suspended from a pile of sage brush, the Colonel in command had dispatched an officer, in full regimentals, to demand the immediate surrender of all goods and chattels which were contraband of war. This meant, of course, all squaws and papooses which were in arms. The reply told the tale of their descent at once.
"You Melican man heap allee samee fool. You no foolee me muchee. You sabe squaw? You no takee, you wantee. You come catche."
The officer explained that his object was only to cover them with the old flag to protect them from the cold weather, as there was every indication of rain.
Quite a change in social conditions was now taking place. Balls and dances were more frequent, and the mining regions began to assume the appearance of civilized communities. To our Eastern friends it was of course a conundrum how women could live with safety here in the mines of California, in the midst of such a crowd of cow boys and frontier desperados. It did seem rather strange, but the reason why women could not only reside here in perfect safety, but could travel about the country free from insult and molestation as well, I will give an illustration of:
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Soon after the arrival of the fall
emigration of ’50, a very pretty young married woman, wife of a Mr. Herrick,
the hotel-keeper, could frequently be seen riding a pony around among the
hills. On one occasion she was met upon the road a few miles from town by one
of this class of men who offered her an insult. She was not long in reaching
town and reporting the fact, and almost as quickly as I have stated it he had a
rope around his neck, while the other end was thrown over the limb of a tree,
but upon promising faithfully that he would never do such a thing again, or
never insult another woman in California, he was allowed to depart. An insult
to a woman was by these rough miners considered a worse crime than robbery or
murder, and punished accordingly, and for this reason a women could travel
alone and unattended anywhere among the mining regions in the early days.
The presence of woman not only illustrated
the influence of changed social conditions, but also the effect upon civilization
in general; for previous to her coming, as I have before mentioned, there was
among all, or at least the greater portion, a total disregard for appearances,
and a visit to the miner’s cabin would show that his
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mode of life and household
arrangements were sadly in need of repair. Under woman’s influence, the old
cabin was put into proper shape; a washboard and tub stand by the door; the
dishes are regularly washed and arranged carefully upon the shelf, and the yard
in front of the house has been cleared of old hats, boots and other rubbish –
showing by the changed appearance of the old castle and its surroundings the
effect of this magical influence, tending toward higher conditions of
civilization.
You see yonder a large cabin; it has
recently undergone a complete transformation. You observe that a new addition
has been put on for the convenience of cooking arrangements; in front of the
house, which was formerly littered with tin cans and piles of rubbish, all is
now smooth and clean. A pretty fence now surrounds the house, and if you
approach closer you will observe a sweet-pea vine and a morning-glory running
up around the window, fastened with pieces of cotton twine, and in the corners
of the yard, and along by the fence, you will also notice growing bushes of
certain varieties of roses.
The door opens and thence come the pilgrim
chap. But he does not look like the same boy at all. Can it be he? That “biled
shirt” and those store clothes and shining boots have changed him somewhat in
appearance. But why this change? What is the matter with him, you ask. Walk
with me towards the house. Do you hear that strange sound? ‘Tis not the wail of
a hyena or of a catamount from yonder mountain, but the wail of an infant in
the direction of the house. That is what’s the matter. That rocking motion you
hear is not made by a miner’s cradle, but the other kind, and in it is a very
valuable nugget, a ten-pounder that the pilgrim has just struck, and 24 carats
fine. And now don’t you think that it is the presence of woman that tends to
elevate mankind, or you old forty-niners in particular, to higher conditions of
civilization?
“I reckon,” say each and all of us.
The desperadoes and border ruffians from
Texas and Missouri were now quite numerous. Many robberies were committed and
some shooting participated in occasionally. There were also many of this class
inclined to jump claims, when it was possible to do so without danger, and, as
one of them expressed it who had jumped a claim belonging to a young man who
had just gone to his cabin for
Page 153 Illustration.
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lunch, “All Hades couldn’t
drive me off either.” He was dressed in a kind of masquerade costume, and a
gambler by profession from some interior town in Missouri. He wore a white fur
plug hat; blue swallow-tail coat with brass buttons, and around his waist a
broad belt containing weapons enough for a whole regiment. But wait; a large,
powerfully built man was walking very leisurely toward the cabin, followed by
the young man, it’s owner. The big fellow, C. Marple, who was from
Philadelphia, in a very mild and persuasive tone of voice requested the U. S.
arsenal to kindly leave the claim; but placing his hand upon the most
convenient weapon the claim jumper refused. Mr. Marple, in a very polite
manner, stepped towards him, and taking him by the collar kindly assisted him
to leave, which he did without any further trouble; proving the well known fact
that the greater the scroundrel, the greater the coward,
Page 155 Illustration.
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and requiring a great number
of weapons, therefore, to convince others of his bravery.
A desperado by the name of Burns, the same
who afterwards assisted in the capture of the noted bandit, Joaquin, came across
the plains this season, and could be seen visiting and lounging around the
various bar-rooms, carrying a miniature U. S. arsenal around his waist. Having
one day a dispute with this same Mr. Marple in relation to some trifling
matter, he grasped the handle of his favorite weapon, but the unfrightened
Yank, shoving his clenched fist in close proximity to the desperado’s left eye,
playfully remarked:
“Yes, draw your weapon, and I’ll bet
drinks for the crowd that I knock you down before you can cock it.”
Burns eyed the huge fist, concluded that
he would like its appearance better at a distance, put up his weapon, and
treated the crowd. One of these brave frontier ruffians made his stopping place
and home at a way station, or bar-room, located upon the emigrant road a few
miles from Hangtown, and was very frequently in the habit of accosting miners
and strangers who had occasion to stop at the place, in a very rough and
barbarous manner. He would draw a weapon, and ask if they had said their
prayers and were ready to die, getting, of course, his whiskey free as a
compromise, upon condition of putting up his weapons. Upon one occasion,
however, he struck a costumer, a regular old-fashioned, Jacksonian Democrat
from Kentucky, who did not believe in compromising.
As the latter stood at the bar enjoying
his beverage, the border ruffian approached him with an immense bowie knife
raised above his head, and inquired if the stranger had said his prayers that
morning, at the same time making a motion as if to strike. The old Kentuckian
remarked that he had not, as he had done all his praying in his younger days,
and enough, he reckoned, to last him the rest of his life, at the same time
drawing his pistol from his belt, and sending a ball crashing through the brain
of the desperado. No inquest, as the coroner did not think it was necessary.
This class of desperados was now becoming
quite numerous in the mining regions, and caused much trouble and annoyance.
But they must not be confounded with, nor be included in, what in more modern
times are denominated as cow-boys; for the latter are a later invention, and as
a rule of a higher order, although there may be many desperate characters among
them. Yet the great majority.
Page 157 Illustration.
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of cowboys are respectable as
compared with the border ruffians of forty years ago. The term desperado, as I
am informed, is derived from the Sanscript, or some other tongue: desper
signifying to “git” and ado being an abbreviation of the word adieu; in border
dialect meaning “Farewell, I’m off.” The individual who made the application,
even if it was many years ago, knew who he had reference to; for if ever there
was a man who felt inclined to “git” and to tender an affectionate farewell, it
is one of these old-style border ruffians or desperados, when, chancing to be
alone, he meets some one with whom he is not on good speaking terms, the sight
of whose clenched fist strikes terror into his soul.
They resemble the hyena very much, for
when in numbers they are brave, ferocious and warlike, and will at such times
attack any
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thing that has legs, from an
old milk-stool to a yearling calf, or anything that walks, from a congressman
to the walking-beam of a steamboat; but when alone and he scents danger from
afar, although encased in armor and with an arsenal suspended to his waist, yet
at such a time he resembles very much the appearance of a little dog running up
the road with a big tin kettle tied to his tail, while from a rear view all
that can be seen is the hardware.
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As the spring of ’51 approached, the
opinion became general that the mines of California were very nearly worked
out, or rather that portion of them which was thought to be worth working, and
consequently many left the mining region in the dry diggings and went up to the
various rivers, north or south, others again returning to their Eastern homes.
Owing to the great specific gravity of gold, and being ignorant, also, of the
reasons why gold was almost invariably associated with running streams, for at
this time quartz was unknown and hill gravel mining was not a possible
conception, it was supposed that gold would always be found only in the lowest
places. The time soon arrived, however, when all old miners, in
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this mining region at least,
were to learn something new in relation to mining, and discover that the
richest deposits were not in the lowest places by any means, but in the hills
above, in the beds of other, older rivers, and also among the quartz, which is
called the mother of gold, since it is only in this rock that gold is found in
its original state. To illustrate: Some miners were at work with their cradles
in what is called Emigrant Ravine, and about two miles above town. It was a
hot, sultry day, and a stranger, with his pick and pan for prospecting,
inquired of them if there was a place where he could start in to work. One of
the miners, for a joke, pointed towards an oak tree near the ravine upon a
little rise of ground, and remarked:
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“Yes, there by that tree is the finest
place to work that I know of.”
The prospector took a view of the ground,
and, believing the old miner to be in earnest, commenced to work. It was deep;
the ground was dry and hard, but, by perseverance and hardwork, in about two
days he found the bed rock eight or ten feet below the surface, and from the
bottom of this hole he cradled out more gold in a week than the company of
astonished miners who had fooled him had obtained in their whole season’s work.
In this manner it was soon fully demonstrated that gold was universally
scattered all over, in spots, in no one place in particular, but wherever you
could find it.
A short time subsequent to this a colored
man, in walking along the trail at the foot of a steep hill, picked up a small
piece of gold. Its edges were sharp, and from all appearances it had never been
in running water; but the question was, where did this come from, and there lay
the mystery. Not from the ravine, and certainly not from the steep hill; but at
any rate the colored man, from curiosity, dug a hole upon the steep hill. He
found no gravel, but saw that the soil upon the bed rock was a deep crimson
color, and that, scattered around among this blood red earth was to be found
coarse gold. This had never been in contact with water, but had been deposited
by heat or chemical action, and was the first discovery in this section of the
rich, red hill gold deposits.
It was in the spring of ’50 that four
sailors, who had deserted from their ship in San Francisco, took a cruise up
among the mines, as they remarked:
“Jest to see how the land lay.”
They cruised about for several days,
hardly knowing what to do or even how to do it, and during one of their daily
excursions they found themselves near the head of a small ravine, and a very
steep one, which emptied down into the canon. It was a pleasant spot, and one
of them remarked:
“Well now, me lads, let’s drop anchor
here; pipe all hands, pass the grog, and make the blarsted dirt fly.”
So one of them volunteered to commence
operations by measuring off a spot about the size of the forehatch, and then
commenced work with his pick and shovel to break out the cargo, until he struck
bottom, as he remarked. A number of miners at work in
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the ravine below watched the
operations of the Jack Tars, and were very much amused to see them sinking a
hole away up at the top of a hill. The soil was not deep, and the tars, by
taking a turn about at the helm, were soon down to the bed rock, upon which
they found dirt and gravel of a very pretty red color. Filling a pan they took
it to the ravine below, where one of the old miners kindly offered to wash it
for them, although he remarked that it was hardly necessary, for gold never
could have got away up there at the top of the hill. But upon washing it, they
found to their astonishment that there was gold “away up there on the hill,”
and a considerable lot of it too, as the amount in the pan indictated, for it
contained about $20. The jolly Tars procured cradles and the necessary tools,
and started in to work, at which they continued some three months, during which
time they extracted about $20,000, as was stated by Adams & Co’s agent soon
after they left. The ravine was afterwards known as the “Sailor Boy’s Ravine,”
being about one and a half miles from Hangtown and near the trail to the
American River.
It was late in the winter or fall of ’49,
that the discovery by W. Salmon and his comrades that gold existed in the hills
in the vicinity
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of Georgetown was made, and
that many of them contained beds of gravel which were rich in gold, this fact
being well demonstrated by the discovery in Forest Hill, a few months later.
Upon the discovery of hill diggings,
mining assumed another form, for instead of the mines being worked out, which
was the general opinion, we were only beginning to learn where to find the precious
metal. The first hill diggings in Eldorado County were discovered near Upper
Hangtown, early in the spring of ’51, by the Aiken brothers, who worked a small
ravine located on the side of Indian Hill. When working near the upper end of
the ravine their pay dirt left them, and, instead of a slate bed rock, they now
found that it had changed to what appeared to be of the nature of sandstone.
This,
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however, proved to be, upon
examination, cement, under which, upon working through it, they found a deposit
of rich gravel resting upon a slate foundation, and pitching into the hill.
Other hills in the vicinity were soon found to be similar in character, cement
capped, containing ancient river beds rich in gold.
The discovery of these ancient river beds,
among a portion of the miners created quite a discussion as to their origin and
the period, in geological eras, when this ancient river system was destroyed,
and by what forces. Many of the discussions between these veteran, self-taught,
geological expounders were interesting as well as instructive, each one, of
course, having a theory of his own which must be the only reasonable
interpretation. One of the most prominent of these students of nature was an
old gentleman from the State of Wisconsin, Uncle Ben Coats, and to listen to
one of his geological lectures, under the shade of an aged oak, surrounded by a
crowd of miners who were all anxious to be informed as to the facts of the
case, was decidedly instructive and interesting--a scene, too, reminding one of
Socrates or Aristotle lecturing to his pupils in the shady groves of Athens.
We, the miners, soon became proficient in the use of the words tertiary,
Pliocene, carboniferous, spirituous, and gaseous eras or epochs, retaining even
to the present time a very vivid recollection of them, but more especially of
the two latter epochs.
Transcribed by:
Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Proofread by Betty Vickroy.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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