The Hillsborough recorder., 1851-03-26
sToRMrNG An INDIAN STRONGHOLD
IN CALIFORNIA.

The Sonora Herald of January 25 gives
the following Interesting account OF the
taking of an Indian ranrhcria among the
In'un,ains. about hrad-wsieIs Of the Ma.
riposa. The rxpedi,ion was undertaken
on account of the murder Of three men z,
Savagr's lamp. an The Fresno creek:
"A company Of seveniy-five mrn, well
equipped. staiird from Aqua Frio. under
the guidance Of Savage. After travelling
some distance the company was divided
into iwo bodies. one having charge of the
provisions and baggage. who were direct.
ed To cncamp. hlle The others pushed
On in seairh Of the Indians. The Il, er
division. ferry five in number. continued
on the Trail till dusk. when Savage told
them he heard Indians singing. and said
IL would not he safe io advance any fur.
ther. All sioml still. bui nrne could hear
the singing except Savage himself.
They then crepi along very rauiions.
Iy a lilile further. in their stacking ieei,
and laid down for the night. arranging
themselves in suitable manner Tor de-
fence. With the Rni glimmrr of liph,
next morning they saw an Indian on
peak acting as seniincl. lie was lookins
directly at them. and continued IN do 80
far some ii'ne. But, as they renamed
perfectly quiet. hr VAS unable IN delrrt
the nainre of the objects hefore him until
the light became stronger. and then he
suddenly gave whoop. Instantly the
Americans srrang TO their feet. and ru.h.
ed toward the ramhcria. The spot se-
ler,cd was impregnahly BY nature. Mr.
Wilson said that dozen white men could
defend il against two thousand of their
equals.
Il was a vast basin in the top Of a
with walls almost perpcndicu-
lar, down which large and loose rocks
could be rolled upon an army Of assaiIanls.
so as completely TO prevent them from
the steep and rugged sides. But
the Americans gained the nights befnrc
the alarm had been sufficiently given. and
then cn.ucd most ierocions engagement.
which lasted three hours and half. For.
,y.four Of the Indians were killed and the
fired. The screrching ,ha, f.l.
lowed was described as mos, heart-rend.
ing; and there can he but iiilc doubi iI,a,
many of the old women and children were
put 10 death. The loss ON the AmericanJ
side was one killed. one MORALLY woun,il
e,i. and i've or six Others more or less inI
jured.
This iancheria is described ~ the
largest ever vet discovered in California.
towering ahnui foar acres with the houses
nr hnis. Il was wholly unknown To Sav.
age himself. Several tribes were collected
together, and the number of braves or
warriors could no, be less than one thou.
sand. From four To five hundred were
present a, the engagement We have de.
scribed. ani lhey said that six hundred
had heen sent Of to attack Mariposa
The location of this rancheria was on the
Irisno. about forty miles from Savayr's
ramp. just al The commencement, of the
sn0ws in the mountains. some sixty or |
seventy miles from Sonora.
"Afier the battle was over. the chiefs
rom The hill tops told Savage that they
would have shown beier fight. only
,ix hundred Of the braves had been sent
o destroy Mariposa. and ,ha, no white
nan would he found alive there. Savage
rays the force OF the In,lians is mnrh great.
. than has heen supposed heretofore.
They can raise some fifteen thousand
braves. and according to all accounts the
name of braves il M, applied Incorrectly.
l'hey say that al the Indians from Ore. |
.on 10 the Colorado are leagued together. |
md have sworn eternal enmi.y 10 the |
Sbi,s face hsnes end fosssss.