["Voltigeur," Letter from the Lander Expedition, Alta California, July 15, 1860]

LETTER FROM THE LANDER EXPEDITION.

__________

IN CAMP, MUD SPRINGS, U.T. )

July 7, 1860. )

            Dear Alta : Three weeks since I wrote you from Humbug Valley, the other side of the mountains, detailing the progress of the expedition up to that point. Up to the present time I am uncertain as to whether you have ever received that letter, but with an abiding faith in expressmen, that facts do not warrant, I will trust that it arrived safely, and venture another half dollar on the present epistle.

The Excursion in the Indian Country.

            Four days after our arrival in Honey Lake Valley, we received authentic information that the Indians were within a few days travel of our camp, in large force, and directly on our line of march. Governor Roop, on behalf of the citizens of the valley, requested Colonel Lander's assistance to protect their families and property, and the Colonel, deeming that it did not conflict with his instructions, promptly responded by holding himself in readiness to march immediately, with a party of thirty-five men, armed with Sharpe's rifles and revolvers, and mounted on well broken Spanish horses. The Honey Lake Rangers, numbering thirty men, under Captain Weatherlow, accompanied us, acting under Colonel Lander's orders. On the evening of the 19th June, we started out from camp, and rode the entire night, from 7 P.M. until sunrise the next morning, making our first halt at Antelope Valley, thirty-five miles from Susanville.

            In the afternoon we again broke camp, and for two days pursued a north-easterly course, until we struck Madelaine Plains, so called after the wife of the celebrated trapper, and ex chief of the Snake Indians, Jim Beckworth, the record of whose adventurous life, not long since, created no slight sensation in the literary world.

An Attack.

            The following morning, about ten o'clock, as we were passing through a caρon, and about emerging into a valley beyond, the Pah-Utes attacked us. They were entrenched on a point of rock, some two hundred feet above us, and inaccessible from the caρon even to infantry, and their first volley was directed at the advance party, consisting of Colonel Captain Weatherlow [sic], and four or five scouts. Singularly, but one of the party was hit, Aleck Painter by name, a scout, and relied upon by our leader as one of the best men in the outfit. The ball passed through his body, but not a word of complaint passed his lips. Riding slowly out of the train, he dismounted, and requested his brother to go and leave him there until the fight was over.

Flight of the Savages.

            As soon as the Colonel perceived the locality of the Indians, he wheeled his horse, just as a second volley was poured, and galloping down the line upon us, gave directions to the men to charge the opposite hill, where some of the enemy had been seen — and the hill sloping, gave us an opportunity to use our mounted men ; then taking command of the Rangers, he charged around the mountain with the intention of cutting the Indians off ; but the sagacious aborigines, after firing the second time, evidently considered discretion the better part of valor, and as one of our men, more profanely than elegantly, expressed it, "When they saw our boys coming under the hill, they got up and dusted like hell." And so it proved ; for when we reached the summit, not an Indian was in sight ; but with the aid of glasses we discovered them, about a mile off, dancing in and out the trees, like shadows, fleeing as if for dear life. Nothing remained but to go into camp on the plain, and there await the fate of the wounded man. A surgical examination proved that he was fatally injured, the ball tearing away one of his lungs, which protruded from the wound. That evening we moved still further down the valley, on a large, open meadow, well supplied with good grass and water, and momentarily expecting an attack, every man slept on his arms. That night Painter died ; and although we had expected it from the first, when it was announced in camp, there was not a man in the command who did not more firmly grasp his rifle, and vow a deeper vengeance on his cowardly murderers. The next morning our herders captured a Pah-Ute pony, ready saddled and bridled, which had evidently wandered off from his rider, and came down into the valley to graze.

More Skirmishing.

            Soon afterwards the Indians showed themselves in force on the side of a hill, and another party, lying in ambush on a sharp terrace of rock, fired on our stock. The herders spiritedly returned the fire, until some of our men sallied out and drove them to the hills. Two of our scouts, in the meantime, came in and reported a rocky hill, about a mile distant on the plain, where our party of sixty men, entrenched in rifle pits, might defy the whole Pah-Utah nation. Then the Colonel resolved to move camp, and, under a sharp fire from the hills, we packed up, called in our skirmishers, and soon gained the summit of the ridge, but not as quickly as our adversaries, who evidently saw through our intention, and sent out a party of about twenty braves, who cached themselves on the extreme point of the hill. Unfortunately for them, one of our packers caught a glimpse of a blanket — not a banner — fluttering in the breeze, and gave the alarm to the Colonel, who selected fifteen men, and moved cautiously down to cut them off from the main body on the mountains opposite.

            The main body of the enemy saw our manoeuvre, and raised a yell, which set their comrades racing like antelopes over the plain. A quarter-horse could not have caught them, still less weary, broken down men, loaded with rifles, revolvers, and ammunition. That night, however, we intercepted a Pah Utah runner, from some distant camp, and after a game, running fight, of about fifteen minutes duration, he was brought down by a ball from a carbine, and dragged into camp by the herder who shot him.

            Talk of the tenacity of life exhibited by a grizzly bear — the Indians here beat him hollow. This fellow, with three balls through him — two in his back and one through his mouth — was dragged a mile by a lariat around his leg ; and at last, thinking his chances getting a little desperate, he raised himself to a sitting posture, as he was being jerked along at a 2:40 gait, gave a war-whoop of defiance, fell back, and expired. The body was recognised as that of "Big Jim," a notorious desperado belonging to Smoke Creek Sam's band, and marked by the Rangers as having been the author of some of the most cowardly murders that had been committed in the valley. That night the Indians raised a cache of ammunition, probably, and struck off into the mountains, being disheartened by the loss of one of their head chiefs.

            Having consumed the time and provisions that had been allotted to the war party, and to a certain extent accomplished our object, we set out on our return, and struck the emigrant road at Buffalo Springs, and reached camp, sixty miles distant, in two days. We found the train and stock in prime condition, under the careful management of Assistant Engineer Poore, who, prevented by illness from accompanying our party, had been left by the Colonel as officer in charge.

Independence Day in Camp.

            The following day was the glorious Fourth — "that day so dear," etc., — and gloriously we celebrated it. The day previous, small foraging parties had been scouring the country for miles around, and on their return, the quacking of ducks and fluttering of chickens gave indications of a most patriotic dinner on the morrow. By great good luck we succeeded in securing a small assortment of wines and liquors, and among the rest was a box of rich, red Sonoma wine, as pure as when it was first pressed from the blushing grapes of Buena Vista. Company I, 3d Artillery, under command of Lieut. Hamilton, arrived during the day, and that gentleman honored us with a visit immediately upon his arrival, which happened most opportunely just at our dinner hour. The dinner passed off with great eclat, and after a metaphorical cloth had been removed, and the uncorking of the bottles had uncorked the spirits of the company, many volunteer toasts were offered. "The President of the United States" — responded to by Mr. Campbell. "The Democratic Party" — responded to by Col. Lander. "The Army" — wittily and appropriately responded to by Lieut. Hamilton. And last though not least. "The Alta California newspaper," which was replied to by Mr. Knight, better known as "Ned," who in a brief speech set the entire table in a roar of laughter, and covered himself with dinner-table laurels.

On the Move again.

            On the 5th we moved camp to Mud Springs where our work begins in good earnest. My next letter will be dated from Granite Creek, where we shall lay by for several days, engaged in building tanks and clearing out the road.

Indians.

            By the latest dates from your State it appears that Maj. Dodge, Indian Agent, had reported the Indians all quiet, and retired to Oregon and the Humboldt River, and lest this might lead to the exposure of small prospecting parties, let me state that our expressman, Fred. Mosier, who has just arrived from Carson City, in company with four of Lance Nightingill's men, was attacked by eight mounted Indians in Long Valley, and being armed with nothing but revolvers they had a narrow escape for their scalps. One of Nightingill's men shot an Indian from his horse, but the body was hastily caught up by one of the braves and carried off. Mosier reports that the Indians had six head of cattle with them, and as two men left Long Valley the other day with just that number, fears are entertained for their safety. I will write the result from Granite Creek. Should our suspicions prove correct, Lieut. Hamilton will take the field immediately in pursuit of the murderers.

            For the present, adieu.

VOLTIGEUR.