The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-04-29
WHOLE NO. Sll

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}, Of ma:sacres referred to, in letters embodi.t
in his communication:
The above mentioned massacre has manv
cruel aggravations. II was upon "reserra.
fton" 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 Wo.
zencrafl, at San Francisco, and he had time
10 get'hearly to the place before it was per-
petrated; and kept 50 secret from the Indians
That they had no suspicion until the attack
was upon them. 1t was massacre of women
, and children. The men were absent at work.
the head man, Pdsquai, a Christian Indian
and good man, to me well known for vesrs.
being actually at work on the house in which
passed part of last winter, at another res
erVauon, and when he went home from work
found all his family destroyed. II is a resli.
~ oi the history of Logan's family; and for
all this there was no redress in the countrv
The Governor of the State did not answer the
letter officially addressed to him. The Unit
cd States District Attorney could fndno law
to apply 10 the case; and the leader of the
massacre was elected county Jrdge.
There are from $4,000 to 10000 Indiars
in that country, and probably not week
passes in which some are not killed, or work.
ed and starved to death. Accounts of tho
kIiiings 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,I This river, falling into the Pa.
ciiic from the high rugged country some dis.
tanco north Of San Francisco, is noted as the
pest IN the country for salmon fish, which
constitutes almost the whole subsistence Of
the Indians upon it. Tie whites took the
whole river and crowded the Indians into the
sterile mountains, and when they came back
tor tish they were usually shot; and if they
took cattle, or were suspected Of taking cattle.
they were pursued and punished, and their
villages sometimes attacked. In the s,rinu
Of the last year some Indians were CHARGED
wit taking cattle. A party went against
village surrounded ii in the night, attacked
1t at daybreak, killed the whole lchieny c,r.
sisting OF women aud children, the men baing
absenO except one woman and child taken
'prisonsTs," carried home bag full Of sc,lns
in the newspapers at l5o, but he.
lieVea to be about l30--and all without loss
to themselves, which proves the character of
the operation.
The second instance will mentionis this.
In conversation on the subject of Indian
affairs with General Hitchcock. lust nrev;on,
to leaving California, mentioned the fac,
that had seen 1.-THE papers long and -four
isiing account of victory gained by partv
OF whites over tribe of Indians. sonewbera
IN the northern district, and it was from that
oulcer l learned the following story Of this
affair; A pnrty of Indian fighters had been
on long hunt after Indians. and unsuceess.
iuI IN finding any. Being determined, how.
ever 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, eatinp
peacefully with, as they supposed, their
friends. In the morning the commander of
the white party ordered his men to discbsrre
their rifles and load arcsh, SO that each
might be sure of his gun. lie then disclosed
his plan; which was, that at the crack of his
pistol they were to commence the massacre
of their guests. The plan succeeded admirs.
bly,. All the Indians were killed; and the
uIctOrs returned with the scalps of thirty In
dians to the nearest mining town, where they
received an enthusiastic welcome from the
citizens. This was told General Hitchcock
by one Of the actors in this glorious affair.
At the same time United States force of
regular soldiers was in the vicinity for the
purpose of chastisng the Indians, should
there prove any necessity for doing SO.