[E. D. Knight, Letter from Lander's Expedition #2, Alta California, September 1, 1860]

 

LETTER FROM LANDER'S EXPEDITION.

__________

IN CAMP, NEAL'S RANCH, HONEY LAKE )

VALLEY, August 26, 1860. )

The Wagon Road Done.

            Dear Alta : Since writing my last letter, much has transpired which will, doubtless, interest your readers. The labors of the wagon road party have been completed, according to the direction and to the entire satisfaction of Colonel Lander. An interview has been obtained with the war chief of the Pah-Utes, young Winnemucca, and a conditional armistice agreed upon for the protection of the settlers, and especially of the overland emigration, the details of which are as follows:

            On the evening of the 5th of August, word came to our camp, at Humboldt, that four Pah-Utes had come to a trading post, about two miles up the river, and knowing that Colonel Lander was desirous of obtaining an interview with them, and have a talk with Winnemucca, Mr. George Butler, accompanied by two others, started out, and succeeded in capturing and bringing them into camp. Their arms were taken from them, but they were treated kindly, and finding that no violence was intended them, they were reconciled to remain in camp until Colonel Lander, who was at Rabbit Hole Springs, had been notified of their presence, and came to have a talk with them. They stated that old Winnemucca was up in the mountains, among the Oregon Indians ; that young Winnemucca, the war chief, was in the snow mountains, near the Truckee River, and their people were scattered, in small bands, through the mountains. They promised, however, to bring one of the little captains, who was in the neighborhood, Chief Naauah, into our camp, to have a talk with Colonel Lander. After a delay of two days, the chief, Naauah, came into camp, and had an interview with the Colonel. What passed between them I am unable to inform you, as the Colonel, for reasons of his own, preferred that the talk should be private. The result was, however, that two Indians started out on horses furnished them by the Colonel, with the agreement that they would visit their great Chief, Winnemucca, inform him of the Colonel's desire to talk with him, and, if possible, induce the chief to return with them. They agreed to return in "six sleeps," and meet the train at a certain place on our route homeward. Many of our party predicted that neither the Indians nor the horses would ever be heard of again, but the Colonel, from his knowledge of the Indian character, had confidence that they were sincere in their promise, and the result proved that he was correct, for on the afternoon of the 21st, at the very place and time agreed upon, the Indians came into camp with the borrowed horses, accompanied by Winnemucca and some six or eight of the leading men of the tribe. After cordial greetings on both sides, and partaking heartily of dinner, preparations were made for the talk.

Winnemucca, the War Chief.

            I was particularly impressed with the appearance of Winnemucca ; he is about thirty years old ; six feet in height ; straight at an arrow, with a depth and breadth of chest which denote great physical strength, and a quiet dignity and self possession of manner which stamped him as a superior man ; his forehead was not high, but broad and expansive, and beneath his prominent brows shone two keen black eyes that met your own with steady and unflinching gaze, not rolling stealthily about as if in suspicion or fear, but observing every passing object with cool, calm look — his cheek bones were high and prominent, his face rather long and slim, with a strong broad chin, a Roman nose, and a mouth denoting a strong will and decision of character. Col. L. and the Chief were seated side by side, at the far end of the tent, with our party upon the right, the Indians on the left, and the interpreters in the centre. After lighting their pipes and smoking awhile in silence, the Colonel addressed the Chief through the interpreter, and desired him to talk plain and straightforward, and tell all he wished the Great Father at Washington to hear.

Winnemucca's Speech.

            Winnemucca began in a slow, deep, guttural tone, addressing the interpreter, who sat with folded arms and head bowed with deep attention. By degrees the speaker grew more earnest, his voice rose and fell in almost measured cadence, his eyes flashed, nostril dilated, and his whole form seemed to expand with the pent-up fires of hidden emotion. The men of his tribe sat in breathless silence, broken only by occasional grunts of approval from one or two of the principal ones. Our own party were also impressed with the earnest, commanding tone and manner of the orator, and each observed him in respectful silence. As for myself, I instinctively felt as if in the presence of a great mind — albeit untutored by the schools — a commanding and controlling intellect, and the scene, to me at least, was fraught with an interest which will long fix it in my memory. His speech as interpreted was in substance as follows: He was glad to meet the big captain, and take him by the hand and have a good talk, he desired peace — not for himself, for Winnemucea could die for his people — but the squaws and pappooses were tired of hiding away in the rocks ; they were poor and hungry, and he was sorry for them. The white people were coming into his country, taking the finest valleys, driving the red men from their fishing grounds, and giving them nothing in return. The white man dug the money from the ground and covered it with one hand while he held out his other hand empty to the Indian. The white man had plenty. The Indians were poor, and when they asked for flour and meat, the white man drove them away. His people were whipped, and kicked, and ill-treated by bad white men, and they came to him with the story of their wrongs. He was their leader, their war chief, and they looked to him to redress them. He was compelled to fight the white men while they were yet few in number. Presently they would be so strong that he could not fight them, he had been good friends to the whites for many years. The other tribes — Shoshones, Pannucks [Bannocks], and Pitt River Indians, had stolen horses and cattle, and killed white men, vet presents had been made to these bad Indians. The Pah-Utes had been good, yet received nothing. By and by the white men came to Washoe, and they were bad men. They took the horses and squaws of the Indians, and one of the Chief's sons was killed. The Indians were very mad, and they made fight, but now they were willing for peace.

Lander's Reply.

            Col. Lander told him that the Big Father at Washington was very mad when he heard that the Pah-Utes were killing his people, and he would send his soldiers to fight them for ten snows, or until they were all gone, if they killed any more white men, but if they were good, and would steal no more cattle from the settlers nor the emigrants, and kill no more whites, the Big Father would, perhaps, pay them for their lands in Honey Lake Valley and Carson. They might fish at Pyramid Lake and hunt in the mountains, and the white man would not disturb them.

Winnemucca Again.

            Winnemucca listened with grave attention to the words of the Colonel, and said it was good ; but there had been much talk by the whites and no good had come of it. He would try the whites again. He would send his runners out into the mountains, and tell all his people not to kill the whites. His people were scattered far and wide. and it might take two or three moons to tell them all, but he would send them word, and they would be all good for one year — maybe two years — and wait and see what the Big Father would do, whether the white man lied or not.

            He said he had visited the cities of California — San Francisco, Sacramento, Benicia, Stockton, Marysville, etc. and saw that the white man lived well. He had plenty, and his squaw and pappooses sat down in his wigwam, and were not afraid. He also desired to have a big house, and teach his people to till the ground, and raise wheat, and corn, and squashes. The white man had promised to teach them, but they lied. He most positively denied that his people had any participation in the killing of Peter Lassen last fall, or in the murder of Mr. Demming, at Willow Creek, during the winter. He said that Lassen was his friend, and a good man. The murder was done by bad Indians, under a chief named Mia-a-cow, near Goose Creek, who was a great rascal.

            Col. Lander told them that Maj. Dodge would come and talk with them also, and tell them what the Big Father would do.

Departure of the Indians.

            The Indians remained in our camp during the night, and in the morning, after we had given them a few presents, they mounted their horses and departed. Winnemucca was the last to depart — he sat on his horse, and graciously extended his hand to each of us as we passed him, saying "Good bye. good bye," with a voice as sweet and musical as I ever listened to. Thus ended our interview with Winnemucca, the renowned [sic] chief of the Pah Utes. Every look and act and gesture of the man marked him as the leading spirit of his tribe, and a mighty chieftain. That day our train left Deep Hole Springs, and arrived at Buffalo Springs at 10 P.M., halted until 2 in the morning, and then started for Rush Valley, passing Smoke Creek Caρon. We camped in the valley, and proceeded to Mud Springs, and thence to Honey Lake, where we arrived on Friday evening last. Col. Lander received information on his arrival that two Pah-Utes who had come into the valley on the strength of his talk with their chief, had been arrested by the soldiers stationed here under Lieutenant Hamilton, of Company I, Third Artillery, and were detained in custody. The Colonel, fearing that the arrest of the Indians might prove disastrous and defeat the consummation of a treaty, rode up to Lieut. Hamilton's quarters. The Lieutenant was absent at the time, but the officer in command ascertaining the circumstances of the case, at once liberated the Indians, who came down to our camp, where they remained all night and were kindly treated. Rumors came into our camp, however, that some of the citizens of the valley, having sworn vengeance against the Indians, determined to shoot them on sight, hence the Colonel was compelled to keep an armed guard for their protection, and at early dawn dispatched them to rejoin their tribe. He then wrote a letter to Major Dodge, apprising him of all that had occurred, and dispatching a special messenger with it to Carson City, giving his directions to notify the settlers upon the route that amicable arrangements had been entered into with the Indians.

Return of the Expedition.

            This communication will be forwarded, together with my letters of July 31st and August 8th, to Oroville, through Mr. Wm. H. West, the expressman of our expedition. We shall remain in the valley for a few days, in order to repair the wagons and shoe the animals. We shall then proceed to Marysville and Sacramento, and sell the stock. I long to return to the pleasure and excitement of city life. The country was delightful to me at first. The mountains were sublime, and the solemn quiet of the desert fell like a soothing charm upon my restless soul ; but the novelty has worn off, the spell is broken, and I look forward to another plunge into the whirlpool of city life and excitement with an earnestness which I little thought my blasι old heart was capable of.

            Good bye — we'll have a jolly time when I come.

                                    Yours, truly,

KNIGHT.