The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-11-04

ernor of California. The many friends of Lieut.
McDermit will be pleased to learn that he is dis
charging his duties as Sheriff of Siskiyou coun
ty in that State, with remarkable ability and f.
deity.
YREKA, Sept. 7th, 1852.
To HIS EsceHency, John Bigier, Gocernor Of the
State Of California
DEAR SIR A few weeks since party of
about fifteen men under command of Charles
McDermit, the Sheriff of this county, started out
for the purpose of affording aid and succor to
the immigration, and to protect them against the
attacks of the Indians in the Northeastern sec
ton of this county. On their way to the foot of
the Sierra Nevada, about 10 miles from this
place they fell in with pack train consisting of
nine men, eight Of whom were armedand who
they thought would come through with safety,
as there was large wagon train in charge of
two of McDermits party day or two ahead of
them. They continued their journey for the
purpose of affording assistance to a number of
families who were said to be in the Not
long after leaving these men, they were attack
ed by the Indians, and eight out of the nine
were killed. The man who escaped succeeded
in joining the wagon train ahead of him, one
night before they arrived at this place. N1cDer-
NIT left two or three men with each train he
passed to guides, and to afford such
protection as lay within their power.
As soon as we were informed of the murder
of the eight men alluded to, the citizens fitted
out an expedition consisting of thirty men
including eight Shasta Indians, under the com
mand of Captain Ben. Wright.
Yesterday McDermit returned and brought us
intelligence Of sad and alarming character
Thos III. Coates, Esq, late of the assembly of
California, Mr.. Long and Mr.. Owensby, two OF
our citizens, who had been left by McDermit in
charge of train of wagons and an immigrant
belonging to the train named Felix Martin, were
all murdered while about a mile in advance of
the train. The first intimation the main body
of emigrants had of their death was a shower
of arrows from the Indians just as they arrived
at the scene of murder. They Immediately cor
rallied their stock, placed themselves in defen-
sive attitude, and succeededin beating off the In
dians for day and half, during which time
they were without water. At this juncture
Capt. Wright and his party made their appear
ance, and after accommodating, made vigorous
charge upon body of 26O Indians, and drove
them into a lake, killing about thirty. They
fought in water over waist deep. Whenever
they fired into canoe the Indians men, women |
and chidren-jumped into the lake, and they |
think number must have been drowned. In
this engagement Capt. Wright and his party in
Guiding his Indians, acted with distinguished /
courage and entitled to the highest praise.
He made a requisition upon us for provisions, |
ammunition and men, which was promptly re-
sponded to. A wagon load of provisions left
here yesterday-ffteen or twenty men will leave
here to-day,
Up to this time we have contributed 1887 in
money, besides furnishing provisions and mules,
and not including the outfit of McDermit and
his party.
Eleven men, whose names are unknown, have
been buried by McDermit and Wright and from
the quantity of apparel belonging to females and
children found in possession of the Indians, we
are seriously apprehensive that many other per-
sons have been killed.
The Indians living on the head waters of the
Sacramento River, and those living between
Goose Lake and the Dalles, on the Columbia Ri
yer, seem to be concentrating about Goose Lake,
in this county, on the emigrant trail, for the
purpose of murder and plunder.
Can you do nothing for the innocent victims
of Indian barbarity Is country ''d terra
incognitd.' entitled to no consideraton-no pro-
lection whatever from either State General
Government?
You will see that our citizens, in public meet
ing assembled have resolved not to pay the
State Taxes, nor to permit the County Treasurer
to paw over what he now has in his possession,
until they receive some protection. l depreci-
ate any kind of opposition to the laws of our
State, but l really cannot blame them for this
1t is not the first instance In
the history of Government, where the people /
have refused to be taxed because they did not
receive some corresponding benefit and they in
this case not only sag they will not pay the State
Taxes, but they possess the ability and courage
to enforce what they say. Cannot conflict be-
tween our people and our officers be avoided
in some way
1 wrote to your Excellency for arms an am
munition 1 am informed that you requested
Gen. Hitchcock to send them up. This is all
that have heard of either my letter or the
arms.
We are informed here that not less than three
hundred stand of superior Mississippi Rifles,
belonging to the State, now in the posses
sion of the volunteer companies of San Francis
co and Sacramento, doubtless doing the State