The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-04-07

Of affairs as they now exist within my district
likewise within the southern district, which Tell
under my supervision, by request of the agent
who formerly had charge Of said district. An
emergency, however, occurred subsequently,
which rendered it imperative on me TO visit ana
act in said district.
Since my last report to the Department,
dated June %, 1852, there has been no mate
rial change or event in the aforementioned
districts OF much moment, with the exception
of an occurrence of rather an alarming nature
one which was well calculated to induce the
Indians to break their fealty. 1t was in con-
sequence of having number Of their people
killed by party Of whites This occurred
within the reservation on the Fresno river, IN
the early part of July and as they the lndlans)
appeared to be ignorant Of a cause sufficient to
, incite and bring down on them such summary
punishment it was well calculated to produce
serious results, which in oil probability would
have occurred, had not Gen. Hitchcock taken
active measures to prevent it,
Immediately on learning that there was a
probability of such design against the In
dams, fastened up with hope OF being able
to prevent it but, unfortunately, the fatal act
was contaminated before my arrival So hasty
were they, indeed. that the Indians themselves
/ GDaDpTlLCl
"NIost all the Indian men were absent at
the time, at work some distance from home.
After informing myself Of tho particulars, |
deemed it due to the Executive Of the State to
inform him Of the fact, as the probability was
it might terminate in war The following is
n copy
FRESNO RIVER, JHiy Is, 1852.
'HoSoRED SIR / deem it proper to inform you of
a serious occurrence which has lately transpired on
Kings river, where party of men arc charged with
having made an attack somo Indians living within
reservation set apart for thor occupancy and having
| killed several of them.
The facts of the transaction, stated TO me- are OF
such aggravated nature that deem II my duty to
take cognzance of it, the only means OF preserving
the peaceful relationships established and now subsst
ing between the Indians and the whites and cherish
the hope that the Executive Of the State will deem it
of sufficient importance to join with me in maintain
ing the supremacy of tho law the only
of preventing the Of similar outrnges and
preventing a
Please address me AT San Francisco, where expect
to be on the 10th instant
Very respectfully your obedient servant
%. NJ. WozENcRAPr.
~. 5. Indian Agent.
Hon. J. Bigly,
Governor of the State of Cali forala.'
81 regret to say that have not received an
answer to the above communication, and am
thus left in doubt whether or no the Governor
deems the subject of sufficient Importance to
| claim his attention.
81 returned to San Francisco with view of
having warrants issued for the accused parties
and thus bring them to trial before the Federal
| Court but am sorry to say that have been
disappointed.
THE United States District Attorney, after
giving the subject that attention which its i'm
pOrtance demanded informs mo that he was
not aware of the existence of any law that |
would apply in the case, the Federal Court
having no jurisdiction in cases where life was
taken.
The gentleman who commanded the party
in this unfortunate affair was soon after elected
county judge consequently, did not think it
worth while to prosecute him in his own
county"
The aforementioned massacre has many
cruel aggravations. 1t was upon reSerUa-
ton secured to the Indians upon the faith of
the United States 1t was plotted for weeks,
and so well known to the whites that news of
it went three hundred miles to Agent Wozen- |
craft, at San Francisco, and he had time to |
get nearly to the place before it was perpetra- |
ted, and kept no secret from the Indians that
they had no suspicion until the attack was
upon them 1t was massacre of defenceless |
women and children. The men were absent, |
and at work-the head man, PdsqudL, a Chris
tan Indian and good man, to me well known
for years, being actually at work on the house
IN which passed part Of last winter, at an
other reservation, and when he went home
from work, found all bis family DESTROYED. 1t |
is n reality Of the history of Logan's family
and for all this there was no redress in the
country. The Governor of the State did not
answer the letter officially addressed to him
the United States District Attorney could find
no law to apply to the case and the leader of
the massacre was elected county Judge
There are from $4,000 to 100000 Indians in
that country, and probably not week passes
in which some are not killed, or worked and
starved to death. Accounts of the killings
usually appear in the newspapers; and as such
accounts are mostly derived from the actors,
they appear as war exploits and expeditions
for which the United States is called upon to
pay. The total demand for Indian wars in
California, it is believed, is near million of
dollars.
will only mention two other instances of
these massacres-one the famous case of the
Trinity river. This river, falling into the Pa
cliic from the high, rugged country some dis
lance north Of San Francisco, is noted as the
best in the country for salmon fish, which con-
stitutcs almost the whole subsistence of the In
dams upon it. The whites took the whole
river, and crowded the Indians into the sterile
mountains and when they came back for fish,
they were usually shot; and if they took cattle,
or were suspected of taking cattle, they We're
pursued and punished, and their villages some
times attacked. In the spring of the last year
some Indians were charged with taking cattle.
IL. L. -
in the night, attacked at day break, killed the
whole, (chicfly consisting of women and chill
dren the men being abscnt) except one woman
and child taken "prisoners,' carried home a
bag full of seal ps-reported in the newspapers
at $50, but believed to be about l3O-and all
without loss to themselves, which proves the
character of the operation.
The second instance will mention is this
In conversation on the subject of Indian
affairs with General Hitchcock, Just previous
to leaving California, mentioned the fact that
had seen in the papers a long and ilourshing
account OF q victory gained by u party of whites
over tribe of Indians, somewhere in the
northern district; and it was from that officer
learned tho following story of this affair A
tparty OF Indian fighters had been on Il long
hunt after Indians, and unsuccessful in finding
any Beng determined, however not to come
in without scalps, they sent for some Indians
who were living near, to make treaty with
them. These Indians slept in the white camp
that night, eating peacefully with, as they
supposed, their friends In the morning the
commander of the white party ordered his men
to discharge their rifles and load afresh 30
that each might be sure of his gun He then
disclosed his plan, which was, that at the crack
OF his pistol they were to commence the mas.
sacre of their guests. The plan succeeded ad-
mirably. All the Indians were killed, and the
vietorS returned with the scalps of thirty In
dams to the nearest mining town, where they
received an enthusiastic welcome from the citi-
zens. This was told General Hitchcock by one
OF the actor in this glorious affair At the
same time, a United States force of regular SOL