The Trinity journal., 1856-04-05
War with the Indians.

w ar Will CllC 4lltl1dllSs
1t has long been anticipated that the In
dams in the lower part of our county and
about the mouth of Trinity and Klamath
rivers, would not remain peaceable. The
result has proved those anticipations correct.
An express arrived in town on Monday
morning last, with the intelligence that the
Indians in Hoopa Valley had given the set
tiers notice to leave or they would all be
killed. Sheriff Neblett, who happened to
be down the river at the time, raised par
ty and started for the valley The citizens
on the lower part of the river all left; even
traders closed their stores. 1t was the i'll
tenton of the party to have surprised the
Indians, and cut them off without ceremony;
before the arrival of the party, however, the
Indians were informed (by white man!) of
the movements of the whites and broke for
the mountains. Twenty of them afterwards
came in and delivered up their arms; the
others remained in the mountains, and will
doubtless give the settlers great deal of
trouble 1t is said that the Hoopa Valley
! Indians have about one hundred guns and
large supply of ammunition. Many of them
are we'll skilled in the use of firearms, and
are by no means to be looked upon in the
same light with the common Digger Indian.
1t is said their villages about Hoopa valley
are curiosity almost surprising belief that
they are of Indian origin. They are laid
out in regular streets, with houses on both
sides, and many of them nicely paved in
front Their houses are built out of large
plank, about l inches thick, from two to
four feet wide, and six to twelve in length,
worked by Indian ingenuity out of the large
Redwood trees which abound in that sec
ton. These plank are set up square, gen.
5 orally about six feet high, and covered with
: peaked roofs with jutting caves, giving the
idea that the Indians were copying after the
whites. This, however is not SO; this style
of houses existed when the first settlers came
into this section of country, thus clearly
proving that this tribe of Indians are far su-
perior to any of the Digger tribes in this
c section, and when hostile, assume an aspect
II Of considerable Importance, requiring imme
e diate and summary action to punish them
II before they are able to do much damage.
We think company should be raiset
forthwith to go down and exterminate th'
: tribe. Unfortunately for us the arms of thu
3 Trinity Guards were destroyed by the las
, fire. Measures should be Immediately takei
{ to have those arms replaced. We doub
Il not that by representation of the facts t.
i the Quartermaster General, we could hay.
L others sent forthwith. There are a grea
: number Of that company who would cheer
I fully go out upon an expedition if they hat
J arms. We presume, too, an order could b'
u obtained from the State authorizing the rails
e ing of company to quell the Indians. w
s trust some immediate measures will be tGkei
/ to do so, and that we may be spared the re
J. cording of horrid deaths by brutal savages
: now so frequent few hundred miles to the
= north of us.
! P. S. Since the above was in type, W.
a learn that matters are not half SO bad a
S represented; everything remaining quiet, al
If though the Indians are still in the noun
is tans. We think, however the arms of thu
e Trinity Guards should be replaced-the.
d would be so handy to have in the county