Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-03-23
The Gndsau fEa..nrre in Pitt River VALLEY, Cat.
Il e.true ton % the ~essissss

/ ley by the Hat Creek savages. The settlement
was totally destroyed. 1t says:
Messrs. Whitman mud Fowler left Shasta on
the 9th Jan. aud arrived in Pitt Valley on sun
| day. when the awful horrible fact presented IT.
sell to them that not only the whole property Of
| the valley had been destroyed by The Indians.
but. sill more horrible and awful. That every
soul in the valley had ALMOST beyond the posi-
biity Of n doubt been murdered by the Indians.
II. a Lookhari. A. Boer. X. Rogers Father cf
the young men who have been running Express
es in the northern portion Of this state Tor SIEVE
raj years) young man named Daniel Bryant
and German who attended TO the Ferry boat
bring five in numbrr-arc known To be among
the mi -sing. and probably were nll that were in
the valley at the time. The largest number of
the inhabitants had left with the intention OF re-
turning in the Spring. Samuel Lockhari, Mr..
Holds and others had gone down to Red Bluff, at
the last accounts. nnd others came TO this place
aud vicinity about Christmas.
Mr. Whitman says That when Mr.. Fowler and
he got to the nearest ferry in Pit River Valley.
their way from this place,thoy discovered that
houses were burned and the ferry bnai gone; that
thinking that it ghi have been burned by acct
dent, they built raft. crossed the river aud went
/ on towards the furihesi ferry. Tint short time
utter they crossed the river they discovered eight
Indians coming toward. them. Two If the In
dlans tGrned back and destroyed the raft as they
afterwards discovered. while six followed after
them at n distance of five Fix hundred yards
until they arrived ut the ferry. Here they raw
that the houses. Which bad been situated beyond
The river, had all been burnt, that large number
of cattle and horses had b.en slaughtered by the
Indians. The rad and terrible fact that the in
habitants had all been buichcred by tho Indians
burst fully upon them. Being well armed, they
Kept the Indians ut bay, and called young lndi-
an boy on the opposite bank of the river. aud
asked him where PEACHES IAN Oregon Indian VIII"
had been living at Lockhart'r) was He could
give them no satisfaction rs to the fate of the
whites
Seeing Indians running in different directions
AS they supposedio procure reinforcements to
attack thcm-'hey turned back, and keeping the
Indians at II distance Ivy presenting their guns
al them. they arrived at the nearest ferry. where
they had left the raft but finding it gone,
they turned down tho river to try and wade il at
n wide shoally place. by this time the number
of Indians had increased to fifteen. Being weak
already. from hunger ami hard walking snow
shoes, they did not think they could wade the
deep, swift stream without drowning, tley
kept on down the river to the forks, ut the Great
Falls. Here they found an old Indian, nfd ak
ed him to bring them across the river in an old
canor. He consented. with an alaerity that made
them suspect that he would turn them overheard
with the canoe, rs it is reported they did Frea-
ner aud his party. They got into the canoe, and
rs the old Indian got in, Whitman took the pad
die from him. at the same time presenting his
revolver at his breast, told him 10 Fit still, and
while in this position, Fowler padded the canoe
across the stream.
The fifteen Indians. still dodging 4fter them,
crossed over also. They stopp d II, the plnce
where Rogers, and Boles' house had been burned
ON the bank Of the river, aud keeping til" ludi-
ans ut bay, built fire. it was late in the
nng About dusk they discovered all the Iudi-
ans going in the direction Of nm Indian rancherie