[E. D. Knight, Col. Lander's Wagon Road Expedition, Alta California, July 17, 1860]

 

COL. LANDER'S WAGON ROAD EXPEDITION.

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IN CAMP, HONEY LAKE VALLEY. )

2d July, 1860. )

Bogus Correspondence.

            Dear Alta : You have, no doubt ere this, expected a letter from me, but the truth is, that my duties have been rather onerous for the past fortnight, and I have not been able to command the time. And besides, our commander, while he deems it just and proper that the public should be apprised of the movements of our expedition, yet he deprecates the continued loading of the press with communications. I have just learned of several letters sent off from our camp a few days ago, some of which were written by outsiders, who were not members of the late expedition against the Indians, of which I purpose giving you a history, but outsiders are ever eager to rush into print — God save the mark ! If they had ever been tied down to the daily drudging of an itemizer's life, they would be glad to escape from the toil of the type.

History and Object of the Late Excursion.

            Our trip into the interior country, to which the hostile Pah-utes had retired after they were driven from Pyramid Lake — was, first, to dislodge them from their position, reported as fortified, and held by three hundred warriors, at Wall Springs, on the Emigrant Road, and within ten miles of which, on this side, quite a job of work is to be done by the expedition. Secondly, Col. Lander, desired, if possible, to obtain an interview with their chief ; and, thirdly, to relieve some of the public apprehension in this valley, houses having been burned, stock driven off, and murders committed by the savages from the north.

            While making our preparations and expecting a reënforcement of citizens of the valley, word came into camp on Monday afternoon, the 18th of June, that the Indians had murdered a man named Horace Adams, an extensive cattle owner, and one of the principal citizens of the valley, who resided about twenty miles below our camp. In less than half an hour after hearing it, twenty of us were in our saddles, armed with Sharpe's rifles and headed by Col. L., in pursuit. We rode all night, and ascertained the route the Indians had taken, and their probable destination. We then returned to camp, after a ride of fifty miles, and the same evening started out with thirty-five men from our own train, and about thirty of the Honey Lake Rangers, under Capt. Weatherlow, across the mountains, in a northerly and westerly direction, making forced marches two nights in succession, halting for a few hours in the heat of the day. Our subsistence was dried beef and flour. We had no tents : no extra camp equipage — celerity and efficiency being the only rule of organization.

Traces of Indians.

            On the third day out moccasin tracks were discovered while we were crossing a sandy desert. We camped in a small meadow, with woody hills on two sides, and sage-brush deserts upon the others. During the afternoon, two of our party were sent out on a reconnoisance in one direction, while two of Captain Weatherlow's men were sent in another. Our men reported open country to the right — called Madelaine Plains in the report of Lieut. Beckwith's survey. Col. [Capt.] Weatherlow's scouts reported having seen two Indians mounted upon fine American horses, who were evidently aware of our approach, and were reconnoitering the camp. They also reported a cañon, extending into rough, rocky mountains, to the left. At early dawn Capt. Weatherlow started out, with one companion, for a further reconnoisance. His Lieutenant, Mr. Tutt, was left in command of the Rangers.

Misunderstanding of Orders.

            By sunrise we had packed and started, reaching the point through which our scouts had reported open approaches. Col. Lander took a man with him in advance to the left. He made a reconnoisance on the bill commanding the cañon, and discovered an Indian in ambush watching our movements. He then ordered the train up the hill to cut off the cañon and approach it from a commanding position. Lieut. Tutt, of the Rangers, opposed this style of approach, and said that Capt. Weatherlow had left orders for the command to go through the cañon. Our Superintendent replied that if a large body of Indians were met the whole party might be cut off in the cañon ; but, as it was a joint command, he would follow in the direction which Capt. Weatherlow was said to have given. He claimed the privilege of leading the train, and calling our Commissary, Mr. Snyder, up to the front of the column, went on with him. When we entered the rocky walls of the cañon, rising hundreds of feet above us. Col. L. said : "Remember, gentlemen ! I do not bear the responsibility."

Indian Ambuscade — A White Killed.

            Messrs. Wrenshall & West, with fifteen of our best men, were sent to the rear behind the pack-train. After proceeding nearly a mile, we overtook Captain Weatherlow and his companion, who had, as Col. L., supposed, turned back to meet us. and would have taken our trail over the rocky side-hill, in preference to the cañon, Lieut. Tutt having misunderstood his orders, but it could not be remedied then — so we marched on through the narrow denies of the cañon and were about emerging into the open plain beyond, when a party of Indians, secreted behind a wall of rocks, on our left, fired at the head of our column, where Col. L. and Captain Weatherlow were riding, mortally wounding Mr. Alexander Painter, one of the Rangers, (formerly a resident of Marysville). The ball entered the breast about four inches below the left nipple, and passed through the body, lodging beneath the skin near the spine. The ball was a half ounce, and inflicted a terrible wound. The poor fellow when he was shot behaved very gallantly ; he made no exclamation of pain to alarm his comrades, but merely rode off a short distance to the right, and dismounting, said to his brother, "I am shot — don't wait for me ; leave me my rifle and shot-pouch, and go on."

Fast Firing.

            The Indians, of whose number we could form no correct estimate, kept up a continued fire. The bullets fell thick and fast about us, but did no harm. Col. Lander directed the train to be spread out in open order. Commanded Mr. Snyder, with a few men, to ascend the hill on our right, and place the flag on an eminence above us — the pack train to be driven out of the line of the enemy's fire — designated the position to be taken by Chief Engineer Wagner and maintained at all hazards, and Col. Lander then wheeled off, with about ten men from each command, to dislodge the Indians on the west, from whom we had received the volley.

Coolness of Lander.

            During all this time, the Indians had changed the direction of their pieces, which after the first volley, at the head of the train, had been a general fusillade at the whole length of the column, and directed their fire almost exclusively at Colonel Lander, having with their natural sagacity, at once detected his leadership. He sat very quietly on his horse, however, giving his orders, and apparently unmindful of the leaden hail.

Knight Blind to Danger.

            For myself I take no especial credit. I cannot say that I realised the danger. I heard the shots of the enemy, and saw the smoke of their rifles. The bullets whistled past my ears, and I stood by my horse, examined the priming of my gun and prepared to obey orders, but it was without the slightest realization of danger, and, of course, my bravery was never called into question. The party who were ordered to the top of the hill, on the east, soon dislodged the Indians, but without being able to get a shot at them within range.

Savages Decamping.

            The Indians ran like seared dogs as the mounted party approached, retiring over rocky hillsides, where neither horse nor foot could follow them. After they fled, the train was once more put in motion, and advanced to the edge of a wide plain, from which they had evidently retired, with perhaps their women and children, on our approach ; here we camped ; close guard was kept during the night, but the enemy did not disturb us. About midnight the wounded man died. The next morning the Indians appeared on the far top of a rocky mountain, over which they had fled the day previous.

A Decoy.

            Having had experience of their dexterity in getting out of fire, a decoy was now prepared for them by Col. L., the camp being moved to a long rocky hill jutting out from the mountain. This hill formed a natural approach for the Indians, and they had also built upon it a line of defences of stone. It was thought they might occupy it, and endeavor to cut off stragglers from camp by long shot. About sunrise, an Indian horse was captured by our herders on the edge of the sage desert beyond our camp ; it had probably been left there by some scout of the enemy. About ten o'clock, a large number of Indians made their way down the mountain and hid among the rocks on this hillside. Time was allowed for then to ensconce themselves, then ten horses were saddled and led round the opposite side of the hill, and at the same time, fifteen foot-men, armed with Sharp's rifles, were led by Col. Lander along the base of the rocks. The plan was to engage the Indians with this small number of men, and thus enable the cavalry to cut them off from the mountain. A skirmish was kept up with a scattering fire, for some time, in which several of the Indians were seen to fall.

Intrepidity of Lander.

            Before the horses could make their way up the hill, they were perceived by the Pah-utes, who fled precipitately. Colonel Lander now mounted his horse and with a flag rode out toward the foot of the mountain, leaving his rifle in plain view leaning against a cedar tree. Seeing there was no chance for a fight, and no opportunity from their choice of ground to get in the rear of the Indians, he believed that at least one object of our journey might be achieved by a talk with the Chief. The Indians instead of coming forward to treat and talk, kept stealthily creeping behind the trees, with rifle in hand, towards the Colonel. They refused the parley, and again we were permitted to advance only to see the redskins fall back along the side of an inaccessible cañon. Just at dark an Indian appeared out of the pass leading to Honey Lake — by good fortune two of our best and freshest horses at this time stood saddled — seven or eight more were made ready as a support The Indian was supposed to be one of the murderers from Honey Lake Valley.

A Chase and Capture.

            At a given signal two of our most skillful riders started in full chase after the Indian, and in open view of the enemy upon the hill. The fugitive no sooner saw our men in pursuit than he threw his soldier cloak off and with the speed of an antelope made for the hills, but he was too late. The race was a hard one — his comrades on the hill saw his peril but dared not come to his relief. We counted thirty-one mounted Indians emerge from the cañon but they were afraid to advance beyond its mouth. Just at this time the fugitive turned and fired upon the foremost of his pursuers who saw his object and threw himself dexterously over on the opposite aide of his horse, (as the Spaniards do) the ball passing harmlessly over the horse. The rider then raised and fired, bringing the Indian to his knees, with a ball from his revolver. As he rode up, the savage clutched at the rope hanging from the horse's back : the rider again drew his pistol and fired, the ball entered the neck of the Indian, who held his grip, and with his dying gasp gave the war-whoop, which was answered by his comrades from the hill who dared not come to his relief. A rope was then tied around his leg, and he was dragged into camp. The dead savage was recognized by the Rangers as "Big Jim," a noted warrior of the Snake [Smoke] Creek band, one of the murderers of Mr. Adams, and the leader of the parties who had made their incursions into the valley.

Burial of a Slaughtered Soldier.

            The same evening we buried Mr. Painter, our dead comrade, beneath a cedar tree at the foot of the hill. It was a solemn occasion. I was struck by the remarks of Colonel Lander at the grave. "Here," he said, "we place in earth, consecrated by his intrepidity, in advance of the field he helped to win, this frontier settler. We deny him no rites, but we accord him few. He has crossed the broad continent to die here, in that war of progress which seems to have dedicated an inferior race to annihilation. He died with his face to the enemy, protecting the women and children of the settlement from the assault of the savage. Could he have lived a thousand years, he had found no nobler opportunity, no better record."

Continuation of the March.

            The Indians were seen to carry off several of their dead from the field during our day's skirmishing ; how many of them were killed we had no means of knowing. The Pah-ute who was killed at sunset, was buried by us in an open grave and covered with cedar boughs. We did not scalp or mutilate him. During the night the Indians left, and the next morning no sign of them was visible. We continued our march in the direction of Granite Creek, along the Emigrant road. On reaching it we found the fortified point at Wall Springs had been abandoned by the Indians whom we had met in a much stronger position in the mountains. During our trip, except in the dead hours of the night, our mapping work was kept up by Chief Engineer Wagner, and his assistant, Mr. Hoffman.

The Return.

            Nothing of interest occurred on our trip home. We reached camp on Saturday evening the 30th of June, and heard that Capt. Lance Nightingale, with Lieut. Curtis, (our former Chief of Police in San Francisco) with twenty-five men, had just arrived in the Valley ; they are en route for the Indian haunts, and will be out two months.

Later.

            JULY 5.—On the evening of the third inst., Lieut. Hamilton, of Company I., Third Artillery, from the Presidio, arrived in the Valley, with fifty men, who will remain in this vicinity, near Dragoon Bridge, during the summer. They will then be recalled perhaps, and the Valley be left unprotected. There is no portion of the country more needful of military protection than the people of this Valley.

Fourth of July.

            Yesterday being the anniversary of Independence Day, we fired salutes, and had a jolly bowl of egg-nogg, with a grand dinner, embracing all the luxuries which could be gathered together in this out-of-the-way place. Lieutenant Hamilton and Mr. Tregaskis were our guests. We had a jolly time, and in our toasts the dear "Old Alta" was not forgotten. This morning we are starting out to work on the emigrant rued. My next letter will give you no more interesting details than the picking of stones or the building of water tanks, unless we should chance to have a brush with the Indians.

            Ever yours, etc.,

KNIGHT.