Weekly Trinity journal., 1860-03-03
THE JOURNAL.
-. u.vrence,s Indian War speech.

rorv Of the lower country papers have pro-
,ood the northern Indian wars unnecessary
crnel A few days ago Mr.. Lawrence, OF
- oouptv. made a speech in behalf of the Pitt
T. Indian war bill, in which he presented facts
~ tbe opposing press cannot gainsay. One
rlable feature of this Indian war controver-
= that newspapers published in the localities
no these Indian wars have been carried on
who know the facts, never condemn them
tho wise ones who do the pen work of city
81 mails know of certainty that all these Indian
rocns are unnecessary and cruel. Mr. Law
nee said:
There has been so much ridicule of late made
-n,rh the columns of our journals, and so many
nIosone. buncombe, anti" Indian war" speech
soponnced in this Assembly during the pres
Z psoseion that, as an advocate for the payment
.h;s most inst claim, it becomes absolutely
"a .assorv. SIR that a clear and succinct state
Eon+ Sbonld be made to this House OF the causes
I;nh iod to the necessity of this Indian war, and
nnSeouently the claims which we are asked to
ov "a specfed in the bill. Ever since the settle
cnt Of the upper portion of Sacramento Valley,
~ Indians known as the Pitt River Indians
IN
H. 10 the settlers in that region. From time to
t;n,o tbev have committed innumerable depre-
sations aad murders. 1t is estimated that since
~ wear lS49 the number of white persons
10, women chdren-murdered 10y them, amount
~ one hundred and fifty, and the aggregate of
+ronertv destroyed by fire and loss of stock, to
{wn hundred thousand dollars. Small parties OF
<ettlers have frequently gone in pursuit OF these
Indians, chastsing some and driving Others INTO
II Io h,f howl mr.
hppn any large regular force, or concert OF action
1 canst them, they have been enabled to retain,
nmolested their mountain Businesses, from which,
neriodically they make forays into the adjacent
<oIleys. indscriminately burning and murder
inr all within their reach. Such, sir, was the
xtete of affairs existing in the upper Sacramento
Nolley ND to the commencement Of the expedition
known as the Pitt River Indian War. The I'M
mediate cause for calling out this expedition you
Xviii find set forth in the numerous petitions to
Gov. Weller from the citizens of Tehama county.
.Sou will find them in appendix to the Quarter
masters report To make the utter necessity of
This expedition against these Indians plain, will
state that have here list of persons murdered
land property destroyed, mostly in Tehama
county, from the LIST of January TO the 10th OF
Aupust last. Most of these murders are fresh in
the memory of many gentlemen upon this floor
Wells and McElroy, murdered on the road near
Fort Crook their bodies were stripped OF every
article of clothing. On the same day they made
a futile attempt to take Lost Creek Station. On
Pavne's Greek, within fifteen miles of Red Bluff,
Coffman, partner and son, were brutally murder
ed in their cabin. Two days after the murder of
Cotfman, the same band of hostile Indians
murdered three lumbermen in the vicinity Of
Antelope Creek and horribly mutilated their
bodies. A few weeks later, they killed Mr.. Kap
pie at the residence of DR.. Eusky, on Payne's
Creek the family escaped kapple being SICK,
fell all easy prey to those tends About the
same time, on Antelope creek, they caused
through the nstrumentality of an Indian boy,
the residence of Col. L. A. Stevenson to be
burned. This, sir, is one of the most fend-like
acts oil record The doors and windows all being
fastened in the quiet hours OF the night the house
was fired, and eight human beings persisted IN
the fames-Mrs. Stevenson and her three child
ren Mr. Krank and his wife, who were employ
ed on the farm by Mr.. Stevenson, and their two
children. Words, sir, fail to express the horror
of such an act Two nights later, on the same
Creek, about one and half miles distant from
the house of Mr. Stevenson, the residence of Mr.
Hooker was burned, the occupants barely escap
ing with their lives. The Indians drove off two
valuable horses, took them twelve miles below
and killed them. About the same time, about
thirty miles from this, they burned the houses OF
Messrs Gore and Sedorous. On the public high
way and within six or seven miles of Red Blutf
they murdered James Patrick and partner
whilst hauling load of hay, drove oil the team,
and burned the wagon and hay. These. sir, are
some of the murders and outrages that called out
tbs expedition. Comment is unnecessary.
would not have deemed this statement necessary,
but SO many surs have been thrown upon this
war 10y many of our State papers, that many
persons begin to think that the expedition was
entirely uncalled for, and ridicule TO the State