Siskiyou
County
Biographies
CHARLES ROBERT HERZOG
Among
the prominent and honored citizens of Yreka is numbered Charles R. Herzog, who
has passed the psalmist’s span of three score years and ten, but is still
active in business and keenly alive to everything relating to the prosperity
and welfare of his community. Born in
Siskiyou County, California, on the 18th of June, 1856, he is a son
of Charles and Mary Ann (Phiffner) Herzog. The father was born at Gotha, Germany, in
1837, and lived to be eighty-six years of age.
When a youth of nineteen he came to the United States
to avoid military service which the law compelled every male citizen to render
to his country. Going to Chicago,
Illinois, he worked for a Mr. Farnsworth, a butcher, but later went to St.
Joseph, Missouri, where he remained a short time. At that time trains were being made up for
the overland journey to California and he joined a company of one hundred
people who followed the Oregon Trail through Utah, and arrived in Yreka in
1852. They had to guard against trouble
with the Modoc Indians and were so closely connected with one of the great
tragedies of that period that an account, which appeared in an early history,
is repeated here in part:
Early
in the summer of 1852 word was received that a party of emigrants was coming on
the old Oregon Trail to Yreka, and a request was made that the party be met
with a supply of provisions to prevent great suffering. This was the first emigration into Yreka by
this route and, as the character of the Modocs was
well understood, it was though necessary to send armed protection as well as
supplies. . . . As quickly as possible
preparations were competed and the expedition started in the direction of Lost river. One band
of emigrants was encountered before reaching the Modoc country. The volunteers hastened on. At Tule Lake they met a party of eight or
nine men who had packed across the plains.
These continued on to Yreka; at Bloody Point they were suddenly attacked
by the Modocs and all were killed except one named
Coffin, who cut the pack from one of his animals, charged through the savages
and made his escape to Yreka with the news of the massacre, which occasioned
great horror and excitement. Another
volunteer company of twenty-seven men was quickly organized and bountifully
supplied with arms, horses and provisions by the benevolent citizens of Yreka.
While
this was being done, the work of death still went on in the Modoc country. Two more trains had combined and were guarded
by three of the first party of rescuers.
About the last of August the trains encamped on Clear Lake and in the
morning, when all was ready for the start, the three guides rode ahead to pick
out a camping place for noon. One of the
trains, having repairs to make on their wagons, remained behind, while the
other, consisting of thirty men, one woman and a boy, with six wagons, took up
the line of march.
In this group was Charles Herzog, father of Charles R. and A. L.
Herzog. Many of this party afterwards
became well known citizens of Yreka.
As
the train came over the divide between Clear and Tule lakes and saw the road
spread out before them, they could plainly see the Indians swarming in the
rocks about Bloody Point, which was a favorite place of ambuscade. All unconscious, the three guides were riding
leisurely into this ambuscade awaiting them.
All efforts to warn the victims were futile and they soon disappeared
around Bloody Point and were never seen alive again. Soon the reports of their rifle shots were
borne back to the anxious ears of their friends, who hastened on and reached
the fatal point of rocks. The Indians
had again concealed themselves in the rocks and tules
to await their victims. As the train
wound along the bank of Tule Lake past Bloody Point, the Indians set up a
demonical yell, and poured in a volley of arrows, wounding two men. These were put into the wagons, the company
divided into a front and rear guard and, with their rifles (of which there were
but a few in the train), they kept the savages at a respectful distance until
they emerged upon the open flat, where they made a corral of their wagons and
retired within it for protection. All
night they lay behind their defenses, surrounded by hundreds of watchful foes,
unable to go a few hundred yards to the lake for water. Eternal vigilance was the price of their
safety, for, by being constantly on the alert, they kept the Indians beyond
bowshot, as they feared to place themselves within the range of the deadly
rifles. Once the savages set fire to the
tall grass and wild rye that grew thick and high about the camp, intending to
rush in under cover of smoke and take the place by storm, but were frustrated
by the building of a counter fire that burned out and met the coming flames,
leaving an open space they dared not cross.
With yells of rage and disappointment the Indians retreated to the rocks
and tules.
Morning was welcomed with joy by the beleaguered emigrants, who could
then see the movements of the foe. About
noon they saw the savages again take their station near Bloody Point and by
this they knew that another train was approaching. With this train, however, was an old mountain
man who had seen Indians before and knew better than to walk into the trap he
could plainly see was set for him. Roads
were nothing to him and when the emigrants in the corral were listening to the
sound of the conflict, lo! Over the brow of the ridge appeared the old trapper
and his train, and entered the corral with the others, leaving the Indians to
howl their rage and disappointment.
As
the afternoon wore on the beleaguered emigrants descried a body of horsemen to
the westward, riding down upon them at breakneck speed. Fearing the arrival of a new enemy, they
prepared to receive them with a storm of bullets. As the riders approached nearer it was
discerned that they wore broad slouch hats, red or blue shirts, and carried
rifles to which they tied waving handkerchiefs, tokens of peace and
friendship. It was Ben Wright with his
band of brave men, rushing to their rescue.
They
grasped the situation at a glance and, not stopping to speak; on they rushed
past the corral of terrified men, down towards Bloody Point, between the
Indians on the bluff and their canoes on the water. Leaping from their saddles, and leaving their
animals free to run, they made a furious onslaught on the surprised and
terrified savages, who also had seen their approach and from their dress knew
them to be Californians who had come to fight.
The Indians stampeded for their canoes—then followed a slaughter, a carnage. The
Indians and fighters were all mixed up.
For a mile up and down the lake the battle went on, each man fighting
independently and being sometimes among a dozen fleeing savages, dealing death
on all sides. Even when the terrified
savages reached their canoes they were fired upon and a great many were killed
before they could get beyond range.
For
several days thereafter search was made for the remains of the Modocs’ victims.
About thirty-six bodies, mutilated and disfigured in a most horrible
manner, were found and buried, and evidence of the complete annihilation of an
emigrant train was discovered. During
this time other trains of emigrants had arrived, other scattered bands were
collected into large trains and sent through the hostile country under escort.
After
his arrival in Yreka, Charles Herzog engaged in the butchering business in
partnership with Dr. M. D. Julien, a Frenchman. A year later he and George D. Meyer bought Julien’s interest and conducted the business together for
about ten years. Mr. Herzog then sold to
Meyer and engaged in ranching, buying horses, cattle and sheep, which business
he followed until about ten years prior to his death, his interests lying in
Butte valley, with land holdings also in Klamath County, Oregon.
To
Charles and Mary Ann Herzog were born eight children, as follows: Charles Robert; Henry, who is living on the
old home place of about four hundred acres, about one mile from Yreka; Robert,
who died at the age of forty years, from the effects of a fall on the ice;
George, who was killed by falling from a horse, at the age of fourteen years;
Mary Ann, who died in infancy; Fred, who was killed as the result of a fall at
Ft. Jones; A. L., who is represented elsewhere in this work; and Alexander, who
was accidentally killed in a slaughter house at the age of five years. The father was a democrat in his political
views and he and his wife were devout members of the Catholic Church.
Charles
R. Herzog received a common school education, and was also taught by William Duenkel, a German teacher in Yreka, so that he speaks both
English and German. For seven years he
worked at the butchering business for his father, who had a slaughter house
near Yreka. He then took over the
management of the Franco-American Hotel, in Yreka, which he conducted for
fifteen years, when his brother, A. L., assumed charge. Charles R. Herzog then engaged in the real
estate business, and during the subsequent years had handled a large number of
farm, business and residence properties.
Though now practically retired from active business, he still handles
realty when the opportunity comes to him.
He is also manager of the estate of J. Mueller, of Yreka.
In
1879 Mr. Herzog was united in marriage to Miss Zula
Le May, who is a native of Siskiyou County, having been born on Humbug
Creek. She speaks the French language,
being a daughter of Frank and Addie (La Bree) Le May,
who, in 1854, made the overland journey from Canada to Minnesota, whence they
came to California by way of the isthmus of
Panama. Landing at San Francisco, they
came to Siskiyou County, where Mr. Le May engaged in mining on the Humbug
Creek. Later he sold out there and
bought a ranch south of Yreka. Mr. and
Mrs. Herzog had two children, Frank, who has worked for the Long-Bell Lumber
Company at Tennant, this state, for the past twelve years, and May, who died at
the age of sixteen years. Frank married
Miss Ada Banks, whose family has large land holdings
at Grants Pass, Oregon.
Politically
Mr. Herzog supports the democratic ticket and has been active in local public
affairs, though the only office he has held was that of constable, a number of
years ago. He is a member of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Yreka, belonging to the lodge and
encampment. He is a lover of outdoor
life and rides, hunts and fishes, and, despite his age, can still outwalk most of the young people. Blessed with a remarkable memory and
possessing the gift of telling things in a most interesting way, he is very
entertaining when he relates his own experience and that of others in the early
days in this part of the country. He is
a member of one of Siskiyou’s honored old families
and is greatly esteemed throughout the community.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 2 Pages Pages 168-172. Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Siskiyou County Biographies