[From James G. Scrugham, Nevada: The Narrative of the Conquest of a Frontier Land (1935), vol. I, pp. 45-58]

VII

            Following Ogden's discovery and exploration of the Humboldt River its waters were extensively trapped and soon depleted of beaver. The stream was known among the trappers as Ogden's River; to its principal tributary from the north the name of Mary's River was given, which it still retains. The tradition that this name was in honor of Jedediah Smith's Indian wife is wholly without foundation; Smith was never on the Humboldt and he never had an Indian wife. It seems probable that most of the trappers on Ogden's River after 1829 were small bands known as "free trappers" who worked independently and sold their furs to the traders at the annual rendezvous. The fame of Ashley's success in the fur trade, as well as of other establishments, had been spread abroad and greatly exaggerated. New fur companies were formed, and small bands of free trappers led by experienced hunters roamed over the fur-bearing territory of the northwest. Withal the beaver were rapidly being exterminated by the ruthless slaughter inflicted by their human foes.

45

46        NEVADA

The summer rendezvous of trappers and traders in the north-west in 1833 was held in the valley of Green River, and to it went Bonneville and his party. From this point he sent Cerre to St. Louis with the furs he had collected, while he arranged his plans for the memorable expedition to California under Walker. Of these plans Washington Irving in his story of Bonneville's Adventures says : "To have this lake (Great Salt Lake) properly explored, and all its secrets revealed, was the grand scheme of the Captain for the present year; and while it was one in which his imagination evidently took a leading part, he believed it would be attended with great profit, from the numerous beaver streams

[picture]

CATHEDRAL GULCH, LINCOLN COUNTY

with which the lake must be fringed. This momentous under-taking he confided to his lieutenant, Mr. Walker, in whose experience and ability he had great confidence. He instructed him to keep along the shores of the lake, and trap in all the streams on his route; also to keep a journal, and minutely to record the events of his journey, and everything curious or interesting, making maps or charts of his route, and of the surrounding country. No pains nor expense were spared in fitting out the party of forty men, which he was to command. They had complete supplies for a year, and were to meet Captain Bonneville in the ensuing .summer, in the valley of Bear River, the largest tributary of the Salt Lake, which was to be his point of general rendezvous."

Either Walker departed widely from the orders of his chief, as the events will show, or, as seems more probable, Bonneville chose not to explain to Irving all that was in his mind at the time he planned the expedition to the west in 1833. It is certain that some members of the expedition joined it for the sole purpose of

NEVADA        47

The expedition under Walker set out from the valley of Green River on July 24, 1833, under instructions to rejoin Bonneville in the following summer, an entirely unnecessary length of time if it were only to explore the west shore of Great Salt Lake. "The division, under the command of a Mr. Walker," says Leonard, "was ordered to steer through an unknown country toward the Pacific, and if he did not find beaver he should return to the Great Salt Lake in the following summer. Mr. Walker was a man well calculated to undertake a business of this kind. He was well hardened to the hardships of the wilderness—understood the character of the Indians very well—was kind and affable to his men, but at the same time at liberty to command without giving offense,—and to explore unknown regions was his chief delight. I was anxious to go to the coast of the Pacific and for that purpose hired with Mr. Walker as clerk, for a certain sum per year. . . . When the day (for departure) arrived everything was in readiness,—each man provided with four horses, and an equal share of blankets, buffalo robes, provisions, and every article necessary for the comfort of men engaged in an expedition of this kind."

            The party crossed the divide to the valley of Bear River where it stopped for a few days to hunt buffalo and to dry the meat for future use. Here they fell in with a band of Indians who lived on the plains north of Great Salt Lake. "On telling these Indians the route we intended to take," says Leonard, "they told us we

48        NEVADA

must provide ourselves with meat enough to subsist upon for many days—which we found to be very good advice." On the 4th of August "we killed our last buffalo on the west side of the Salt Lake. We still continued along the margin of the lake, with the intention of leaving it when we got to the extreme west side of it. About the 12th we found the country very poor, and almost without game, except goats and some few rabbits. On the 13th we left the lake and took a westerly course into the most extensive and barren plains I ever seen. This day we came to a spring, where we found some Indians encamped who were on their way to the buffalo country, to lay in their winter's supply of meat. These Indians (from the Humboldt River) appear to be more wealthy, and exercise more ingenuity in providing for themselves than those we had met with a few days ago. They have paths beat from one spring or hole of water to another, and by observing these paths, they told us, we would be enabled to find water without much trouble. The chief of this tribe further told us that travelling so many days

[picture]

RUBY MOUNTAINS, NEAR ELKO

southwest (the course we were now about to take) we would come to a high mountain which was covered with snow at the top the whole year round, and each side of which we would find a large river to head, and descend into the sandy plains below, forming innumerable small lakes, and sinks into the earth and disappears. Some distance further down these plains, he said, we would come to another mountain much larger than the first, which he had never been across. In all this space, he said, there was no game; but that near the latter mountain we would come across a tribe of poor Indians, whom he supposed would not be friendly." The information given by this Indian chief was confirmed in all particulars by the experience of the expedition, whose journey will now be followed under Leonard's guidance.

Leaving the friendly Indians, but following their advice, Walker led his party along the Indian trails from one spring to another, changing his course in consequence more to the north-west. Following roughly the present route of the Central Pacific

NEVADA        49

railroad west from Great Salt Lake he came in a few days to the East Humboldt or Ruby Range of mountains in eastern Nevada, which Leonard describes as follows :

            At this place, all the branches of the stream is collected from the mountain into the main channel, which is quite a large stream; and to which we gave the name of Barren River, a name which we thought would be quite appropriate, as the country, natives and everything belonging to it, justly deserve the name. . As we proceeded down the river we found that the trails of the Indians began to look as if

50        NEVADA

After the five deputies related the result of their visit to their constituents, a part of them rose up and signed to us (which was the only mode of communication with them) that they were coming to our camp. At this 10 or 12 of our men mounted the breastwork and made signs to them that if they advanced a step further it was at the peril of their lives. They

NEVADA        51

wanted to know in what way we would do it. Our guns were exhibited as the weapons of death. This they seemed to discredit and only laughed at us. They then wanted to see what effect our guns would have on some ducks that were then swimming in the lake not far from the shore. We then fired at the ducks—thinking by this means to strike terror into the savages and drive them away. The ducks were killed, which astonished the Indians a good deal, though not so much as the noise of the guns—which caused them to fall flat to the ground. After this they put up a beaver skin on a bank for us to shoot at for their gratification—when they let us go for the night.

Early in the morning we resumed our journey along the lakes, without seeing any signs of Indians until after sunrise, when we discovered smoke issuing from the high grass in front, rear, and on either side of us. This created great alarm amongst our men, at first, as we thought they had surrounded us on purpose, but it appeared that we had only happened amongst them, and they were as much frightened as us. From this we turned our course from the border of the lake into the plain. We had not travelled far until the Indians began to move after us—first in small numbers, but presently in large companies. They did not approach near until we had travelled in this way for several hours, when they began to send small parties in advance, who would solicit us most earnestly to stop and smoke with them. After they had repeated this several times, we began to understand their motive—which was to detain us in order to let their whole force come up and surround us, or to get into close quarters with us, when their bows and arrows would be as fatal and more effective than our fire-arms. We now began to be a little stern with them, and gave them to understand that if they continued to trouble us they would do it at their own risk. In this manner we were teased until a party of 80 or 100 came forward, who appeared more saucy and bold than any others. This greatly excited Captain Walker, who was naturally of a very cool temperament, and he gave orders for the charge, saying there was nothing equal to a good start in such a case. This was sufficient. A number of our men had never been engaged in any fighting with the Indians, and were anxious to try their skill. When our commander gave his consent to chastise these Indians, and give them an idea of our strength, 32 of us dismounted and prepared ourselves to give a severe blow. We tied our extra horses to some shrubs and with the main body of our company, and then selected each a choice steed, mounted and surrounded this party of Indians. We closed in on them and fired, leaving thirty-nine dead on the field—which was nearly half—the remainder were overwhelmed with dismay—running into the high grass in every direction, howling in the most lamentable manner. . . . The severity with which we dealt with these Indians may be revolting to the heart of the philanthropist; but the circumstances of the case altogether atones for the cruelty. It must be borne in mind that we were far removed from the hope of any succor in case we were surrounded, and that the country we were in was swarming with

52        NEVADA

hostile savages, sufficiently numerous to devour us. Our object was to strike a decisive blow. This we did even to a greater extent than we had intended.

In Irving's account of the Walker expedition this deplorable encounter with the hostile Indians on the Humboldt is depicted as a cold-blooded and unprovoked massacre on the part of the whites. The story in Leonard's words bears every evidence of being true; it is the account of an eye-witness of and participant in the affair; and it makes no effort to shield the whites from their full portion of responsibility for the unfortunate situation. It at least serves to show that Captain Walker had admonished and ordered his men to avoid any trouble with the Indians, and that he earnestly desired to pass through the county without arousing the hostility of the natives. The Indians can hardly be condemned for taking the traps and furs of the whites whom they looked upon as interlopers and robbers; the individual members of the expedition may not be too severely blamed for protecting their lives and property from threatening savages. The situation itself, like all similar situations, was fraught with inevitable difficulties. Unless we are prepared to condemn the whites for invading the country inhabited by the Indians we must condone much of the sanguinary results that were bound to follow. The action of Captain Walker and his men towards the native inhabitants was no worse and no better than the action of the Pilgrims in New England, or the action of any superior race when it invades the lands occupied by savages. Of these savages Leonard gives an account that in the main corroborates the reports of Smith and Ogden, and the later explorers.

These Indians are totally naked—both male and female—with the exception of a shield of grass, which they wear around their loins. They are generally small and weak, and some of them very hairy. They subsist upon grass seed, frogs, fish, &c. Fish, however, are very scarce—their manner of catching which is somewhat novel and singular. They take the leg bone of a sandhill crane, which is generally about 18 inches long, this is fastened to the end of a pole—they then, by means of a raft made of rushes, which are very plenty—float along the surface of these lakes, and spear the fish. They exhibit great dexterity with this simple structure—sometimes killing a fish with it at great distance. They also have a kind of hook by which they are sometimes very successful, but it does not afford them as much sport as the spear. This hook is formed of a small bone ground down on a sandstone, and a double beard cut in it with a flint—they then have a line made of wild flax. This line is tied nearest the beard end of the hook; by pulling the line the sharp end with the beard catches, and turns the bone crosswise in its mouth. . .

Their habitations are formed of a round hole dug in the ground, over which sticks are placed, giving it the shape of a potato hole—this is covered with grass and earth—the door at one side and the fire at the other. They cook in a pot made of stiff mud, which they lay upon the fire and burn; but from the sandy nature of the mud, after cooking a few times, it falls to pieces, when they make a new one.

NEVADA        53

Giving the name of Battle Lakes to the shallow ponds near which they had fought the Indians, the whites pushed ahead and crossed to the west side of the Humboldt near its mouth. In crossing they used the Indian method of making rafts by tying bundles of rushes together. They were now in sight of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, toward which they directed their course, camping that night "on the margin of a large lake formed by a river which heads in the mountain." They are now camped on the Carson Sink at the outlet of the Carson River.

This lake, also, has no outlet for the water, except that which sinks into the ground. The water in this lake is similar to lye and tastes much like pearlash. . . . The next day we travelled up this river towards the mountain, where we encamped for the night. This mountain is very high, as the snow extends down the side nearly half way—the mountain runs north and south.

54        NEVADA

our horses, and we left them and travelled on foot. Nidever was separated from us, when two Indians made their appearance, but as soon as they saw us they took to flight and run directly toward Nidever, who at once supposed they had been committing some mischief with us, fired, and, as they were running one behind the other, killed them both at one shot. After this unpleasant circumstance we went back to our horses and from thence to camp. Mr. Nidever was very sorry when he discovered what he had done. In the evening the balance of our scouting parties returned, but none of them had killed any game. One of them had found an Indian path, which they thought led over the mountain—whereupon it was resolved that in the morning we would take this path, as it seemed to be our only prospect of preservation. Accordingly at an early hour the next morning we started on our journey along the foot of the mountain in search of the path discovered the previous day, and found it. On examination we found that horses travelled it, and must of course come from the west. This gave us great encouragement, as we were very fearful we would not be able to get our horses over at all. Here we encamped for the night. In the morning we started on our toilsome journey. Ascending the mountain we found to be very difficult from the rocks and its steepness. This day (October 15) we made but poor speed, and encamped on the side of the mountain.

October 16. Continued our course until in the afternoon, when we arrived at what we took to be the top, where we again encamped, but without anything to eat for our horses, as the ground was covered with a deep snow. . . . In taking a view the next morning of the extensive plains through which we had travelled, its appearance is awfully sublime. As far as the eye can reach, you can see nothing but an unbroken level, tiresome for the eye to behold. To the east the aspect is truly wonderful. The sight meets nothing but a poor sandy plain, extending from the base of the Rocky Mountains to the level below—interposed with several rivers winding their way, here and there forming innumerable lakes. . . . The rivers which head in this mountain, all lead to the east, as if to meet those from the Rocky Mountains, and likewise empty into the lakes.

The route followed by the Walker party across the Great Basin may be rather closely mapped from Leonard's description. They hunted buffalo for two weeks or more in the country north of Great Salt Lake, and then followed down the west shore until it turned east. The party then took a westerly course across the desert, following the Indian trails from "spring to spring." As the Indians had no horses their daily marches would be short; and the zig-zag course would greatly increase the distance travelled. Following these trails and camping at the springs, the expedition would make slow progress. The Indian trails also led around the mountains, as Leonard states that they did not encounter "a single hill of any consequence." From all the data it is strongly probable that the party left Great Salt Lake not far from the point where the Central Pacific Railroad crosses the lake, and that in the main it followed the natural routes which the railroad later selected.

NEVADA        55

Crossing the divide the party came to the north end of Ruby, or East Humboldt, Mountain, where it found the tributary streams of the Humboldt uniting into what Walker called Barren River, which he followed down to its sink. Crossing to the Carson River he went up the latter, probably to Eagle Valley, east of the present site of Carson City, where he camped until he could find a pass over the Sierras. This pass he found within a day's march of his camp, which would locate it somewhere in the northern part of Carson Valley. The exact location of this pass is of local rather than general interest; but it was certainly not so far south as Walker River, where maps and previous accounts have placed it.

The party followed the ridges between the rivers down to the San Joaquin Valley, thence to the Sacramento, and down this river to the bay of San Francisco, skirting its eastern shore. Travel-ling from this bay "in a southern direction" for a day and a half, "the broad Pacific burst forth to view on the 20th. The first night we encamped quite close to the beach near a spring of delightful water." The experiences of the Walker party in California are full of historical interest, but are without the scope of our story. It camped for several weeks near the mission of San Juan Bautista. Captain Walker went to the Mexican capital at Monterey, and found the officials far more friendly and cordial than did Captain Smith six years before. Permission was given to the Americans to remain in the country as long as they wished, and to hunt and forage at will. On January 13, 1834, they left San Juan and for the next three days travelled in a leisurely manner "in an eastern direction," and camped "on the banks of the beautiful stream called Sulphur River, where we concluded to remain until the spring when it would be more pleasant travelling eastward to the Rocky Mountains." At this camp preparations were made for the long journey to rejoin Bonneville's main party. Walker re-turned to Monterey to purchase supplies, while the hunters secured skins for clothing, "bear, elk, and deer being very plenty." Walker returned in a few days with "100 horses, 47 cow cattle, and 30 or 40 dogs, together with flour, corn, beans, &c."

On February 14 the party again broke camp to take up its east-bound journey, leaving six members in California. The company now consisted of 52 men, 315 horses, 47 beef cattle, and 30 dogs, according to Leonard, who says the route was up Sulphur River on its southern bank. "About the 27th we arrived at the

56        NEVADA

base of the California mountain." "On the 28th we continued our journey to the south along the base of the mountain in search of pasture for our cattle and a convenient pass over the mountain." Finally they fell in with a band of Indians who led them to a mountain pass, through which they crossed the Sierras, coming down into the Great Basin again, south of Owen's Lake. The pass still retains the name of Walker, given to it by Fremont ten years later.

For the next two weeks the party pursued a northerly course, going up Owen's Valley. "Travelling along the eastern base of the mountain (Sierra), we crossed many small rivers flowing to-ward the east, but emptying into lakes scattered through the plain, or desert, where the water sinks." The party must have skirted Owen's Lake, but Leonard makes no mention of it, just as he is silent about Lake Tahoe, if, as seems probable, he saw it. After going up Owen's River several days the party arrives at some remarkable hot springs, easily identified as the well-known Benton hot springs. The course thence doubtless followed in the main the route of the present railroad from Benton to Sodaville. "The principal part of our present difficulties arose from the scarcity of pasture for our horses and cattle. After travelling the best way we could for a few days toward the north we arrived at another beautiful sandy plain, or desert, stretching out to the east far beyond the reach of the eye, as level as the becalmed surface of a lake." "Our direct course after reaching the eastern base of the mountain would have been a north-east direction, but we were apprehensive of perishing for water in crossing this extensive desert."

After holding his course to the north until he had arrived at a point somewhere in the vicinity of the present site of Sodaville, Captain Walker thought he saw a landmark which he had noted in the west-bound journey the year before. He therefore changed his course to the northeast, thinking to thus shorten his journey by a direct march to the Humboldt, or Barren River. His decision well-nigh wrecked the expedition, for once out on the desert away from the mountains the party was, as Leonard says, "without water, wood, or grass." Several of the dogs perished from thirst, and the condition of all the animals soon became most deplorable. Finally it was decided to turn back to the mountains, and after a forced march of thirty hours, entirely without water, the "horses became unmanageable, and contrary to our utmost exertions would go in a more northern direction than we desired. After several ineffectual attempts to check them, we thought it perhaps would be well enough to follow wherever they would lead. We had not followed our horses far until we discovered, to our indescribable joy, that the instinct of our horses was far more extensive and more valuable than all the foresight of the men, as we, unawares, came suddenly upon a beautiful stream of fresh water." This stream could be no other than the present Walker River.

Resting here for two days, in order to give the famished stock opportunity to recuperate, the party hastened on, following the river, apparently, toward the Sierras, warned by their recent experience not to again attempt the crossing of the desert. "After several days of constant travelling," says Leonard, "we fortunately came to our long sought passage to the west. This was hailed with greater manifestations of joy by the company, than

NEVADA        57

any circumstance that had occurred for sometime, as it gave us to know where we were. . . . Here again we laid by for a day for the purpose of resting, and making preparations to follow our old trail towards the Great Salt Lake." This description serves to fix Walker's route beyond any reasonable doubt. As it required "several days of constant travelling" to reach their old trail, they must have gone up the river, probably as far as Antelope Valley, and then turned to the north through the pass into Carson Valley, and thence to their old trail, where they had left the valley to cross the mountains the fall before. "The next morning we left the California mountain, and took a northeast direction, keeping our former path, many traces of which were quite visible in places."

The Walker party had now traversed and explored the western boundary line of the Great Basin from Owen's Lake to Carson River; and to this extent had corroborated Captain Smith's conclusion that the Buenaventura River, connecting Great Salt Lake with the Pacific, was a myth. On this point Leonard says: "There is a large number of water courses descending from this mountain (Sierras) on either side—those on the east side stretching out into the plain, and those on the west flow generally in a straight course until they empty into the Pacific; but in no place is there a water course through the mountain."

Following the old trail to the northeast for "a few days without interruption, we at length arrived in the neighborhood of the lakes at the mouth of Barren River, and which we had named Battle Lakes. All along our route from the mountains this far, we had seen a great number of Indians, but now that we had reached the vicinity of the place where we had the skirmish with the savages when going to the coast, they appeared to us in double the numbers that they did at that time; and as we were then compelled to fight them, by their movements now, we saw that this would be the only course for us to pursue. We had used every endeavor that we could think of, to reconcile and make them friendly, but all to no purpose. We had given them one present after another —made them all the strongest manifestations of a desire for peace on our part." The peaceful overtures of the whites seemed only to have the effect of impressing the Indians that they were afraid, and at length Captain Walker gave orders for his men to attack the Indians surrounding the party. "We fell on the Indians," says Leonard, "in the wildest and most ferocious manner we could, which struck dismay throughout the whole crowd, killing 14, be-sides wounding a great many more as we rode right over them. Our men were soon called off, only three of whom were slightly wounded. This decisive stroke appeared to give the Indians every satisfaction required, as we were afterwards permitted to pass through the country without molestation. We then continued our course up Barren River, without meeting with anything to interrupt us, until about the 20th of June, when we found that if we continued in this direction our provisions would become scarce long before we would reach the Rocky Mountains; accordingly on the 21st our Captain decided on leaving this river and taking a northern direction for the purpose of striking the headwaters of the Columbia River, where we would find game plenty, and also beaver.

"After leaving Barren River we made a quick passage across the country and the first waters we came to was Lewis' River,

58        NEVADA

(Snake) near its head, where we found game such as deer, elk, bear, and beaver plenty." It is impossible to determine from Leonard's description, the exact route followed after leaving Barren River. It is probable that Walker continued up the river until he reached the point, at the north end of Ruby Mountains, where he had struck it on his outbound journey the year before, and there turned north, going up Bishop Creek and thence over into Thousand Springs Valley, and thence to Raft River, and down to the Snake. This view is strengthened by the fact that ten years later Walker guided the Chiles party from Fort Hall down the Snake, up the Raft, across Thousand Springs Valley to the Humboldt, and thence to Owen's Valley, and across Walker's Pass to California, thus retracing his present east-bound course and establishing a route from the Snake to the Humboldt later extensively followed by the emigrants.