, 1860-06-14
Tho ETaAhoe UTAGsaere--Fatal Engage.
ment of Pyramid Lake.

F1Rats1A. G. t. My ID, 1850.
Tho Mcdonald Company. Virginiz volunteers,
50 men. left Virginia on Wednesday, May 9th.
At o'clock. Camped on Carson river, 1sntl=a
out, just beyond the first telegraph station.
Bueknefs Pony Express station Alter Sunrise;
were told there was no danger; reached vii
1iams' at 10 o'clock, where the murder WAS COM
mitted; found two bloody axes; found tricks
Of Indian ponies. The two Williams' and
another man were buried that morning by
Ormsby's party. Found dog who bad an sf.
dians had taken all the good gus from tho
place, and left those that Wera Worthleas. They
also took all goods that were Of any uso to
them everything was scattered round Stopped
all Of THURSDAY, and camped thero. Found
ornsby's party, 40 men. late in the evening.
Judge CrAdleosugh came with II men from
Carson.
Ee1t morning, Friday, Lay 1lth, left early,
followed the trace OF Indians over Sandy plains,
finding articles scattered all over, evidently a.
decay saw tracks Of largo number Of cattle
and horses which they drove oil. Reached the
twenty miles. Net with heaTy wind and snow
storm, and were short Of provisions. Here
We were joined By party from. Sit:er City, and
other stragglers, which elled ourparty In 107.
Made an attempt to get some provisions By
sending our. party up some on the river; got
agreed to be down in the morning with prori-
ssous, and we therefore concluded to camp, and
moved down tue river to where the grass WAS
supposed to be, end camped there. Tcat ere
n,pg all parties reported themselves to Major
ormsby, with the exception Of Mel Donald's Tir
g'uia volunteers. which were then reduced to
| 26 uen. the others having reduced
| II was II O'Clock On Saturday morning before
| We had the provisions across the river; and the
| three men who we're afraid Of the Indians. and
| who were on foot. were left behind. Started
out; Msi. Osmshy having about 50 men aud Me-
! depth on the night before We waited till it
had melted, 30 as to be able to follow Indian and
| cattle tracks. Followed an Indian trail north.
| on narrow bench Of the mountains. Sent ont
| Z scouting party Of five under William Marley,
| Of San Francisco, in advance. They kept at \
| four miles Of Pyramid Luke, when the scouts
returned aud reported two Iadans in sight.
Previous to this discovered pony tracks, where
the ludians bad been accommodating. Malor
/ 0rmsby ordered the scout party to capture the
two Indians, it possible. They started out after
they came upon body Of Indians, who at once
| charged on cur scouts. who returned rapidly
| to tie main party. We we're then aome $40
feet above the river, with that and the lake both
in sight.
] We kept advancing until ne reached point
/ from "nele i'ylauIu IaAe 4uu Whey were IN
full riew. 0a low sandy rid@e 10 our right
| We discovered party Of Indians, numbering
! about $50, all mounted, drawn up in solid
| body, with four or i've chiefs charging forward
aud backward in front Of the Indians They
showed great skill in the. handling OF tneir
hors=s. 50 sion. as they perceived us they
| raised their Tar-whoop. From their position
| they were able to count Us. man by man, as We
! marched down the deep trail. We marched
| down into a narrow valley some 500 to 500 ards
in width, tbs Iodiaus being all the time in sight.
| We travelled about three quart-Es Of mile in
| this valley until We came within 500 yards Of
the Indians. tine ofthe chiefs who was nearest
symbol OF war, which he held in an upright
position. Charging backwards and forwaf:a,
{ a. be would turn his horse, it glittered in the
sunlight, and WIS probably taken for white
flag by those further of. Here We halted, when
one Of our party sung out that they had u white
flag. Capt. Mcdonald ordered one Of his men
with telescope rife to examine this object, and
became satisfied 1t was battle-axe. The In.
dams continued to yell like demons. Cantain
McDoua:d ordered the man with the globe.
sighted rifle. named 4. r. Elliott, from Clea.
Lake, N4pa County, to fire At the chief holding
black charger. He fred, and the chiefinstan.ly
wheeled and ran oyer to tue main body.
T1a Indians then advanced in body to the
brow of the hill they we're then distant i've OF
six hundred yards. Thsg jumped off their hor:
ses, who stood perfectly st,ll, apparently vel
trained for an engagement, aud Instantly afte,
they fired. At the same moment, some tive
hundred Indians On foot made their appear.
ante. II few hundred yards between them. Ma
ior Ormsby suggested to Capt. Mcdonald II
| charge on the Isdians, but Capt. McDonale
| thought it Eere advisable to make for q cluster
Of feo1tonwood trees, where they would be pro
tec'ed on ons side By the river and an oper
plain on the other.
Major Ormsby then gays the command Il
charg ge; all joined in and charged up to th'
point where we first snT them stationed, ami
drove them from their position. some firing be
irg done all along By sins[!e; individuals
sand. in different. direction., they being i
small squaGs IN all directions, running and re
turning, our horses got very much fatigued
The Indians on foot, who also had scattered il
squads, AID who could run faster than our her
ses, now commenced firing on us from ali i
, | rcctions. We took up u position nearer 10 th
! lake, where the 1ndians were first seen, aud re
turned tier fire for 4 short time. It was nov
near five O'Clock, and the engagement Lad last
ed three quarters Of IN hour; no one had bee
, | wounded or killed yet, but some Of the horse
were bit. Just before our firing last, fve Of ou
oaes who first caue into Virginia, and reporte
| our men all killed.
i After tev words between the two' comI,and
ers. it vas sgreed to retreat some 500 ya1 Is, t
some timber on the bank Of the 1ig. :. Whe
We came within 500 yards Of the timber, y
, found deep guch, which Was well adaoted t
! shelter our horses. Orders we're given to di.
! mount and Gre from that eu!ch. We commence
. firing on the advancing Indians, and held tbet
] il check some ten minutes. They att bad rife
and muskets, which reached surely further tha
our shot.gurs+ At this moment new party c
Indians, on foot. numbering about 500 or 4ot
supposed to be Pitt river Indians, were seen !
advance from the riser below US, evidently
attack us in the rear. Then q great panic selze
, our men, and majority Of them broke for th
: river; the others saw that they had to follow
as the Indians were thus closing in very zap,c
Is. No more control oEer she men e1,stet
Major Usmsby displayed great courage. but ba
: = lost some Of bis presencs Of u ind. Captain
Mcdonald and Henry Meredith made IN =
,, tempt to rally the men. and succeeded to max
a partial halt. 4 portion Of them disnounte
aud commenced to fire again, but after te
shots The men commenced to run once NOR,
perfectly panic strickea.s The Indians. closed
,, very fast, and the balls came flying "a thick I
| laiE. There were only a few Of cur men wouus
l ed ns Jet, and none Killed. -
Wemade rapidly up the river, amongst son
trees, for abou: 200 yards. The Indians ha
now surrounded Us entirely, the main body
trees. We then succeeded in raIlying our IN
at spot about 100 yards from tho Truck.
: river, and got them to dismount. As soon
: the5 we're dismounted some tried to mount agai
! but were threatened to be shot By C-pt. II
= Donald if they would attempt to run. Here II
around Us within 10 yards, they and We fir,r
= all the time. This part Of the enga cement las
9 9 ed ten OF fifteen minutes. We killed some
the Indians; and here it was where some Of 0,
men were wounded, amongst whom was Hen,
Meredith. HIS mule, and that Of young. Ba!
= win, broke loose during the bring, and tht
= we're left on foot. All our men then commeuc.
!. retreating rapidly up the river, Cspt. McDo
. . Ald's party covering the retreat, and keepi1
| up an occasional firing. j nun named b. La,
. renee, from Sonoma County, offered during II
- - retreat to allow Henry Meredith to mount h
l. mule behind HIM, but he declined nobly, vi
- = the remark, no. sir, it would endanger yo
, ltie." Fiye minutes utter this; Meredith v
=, oveEtaken By the indians, he being the hin
= most-young Baldwin and few others beit
- some sixty yards ahead Of him. Some 50 /
;. dians fired OF him one charge, and he fell. I
- raised bims.lf Oh his elbow, took aim, aud fir,
= both barrels OF his gun, and killed two Indian
" He next felt for his revolver, but it was 10:
The Indians then closed in upon him and c
him to pieces. Young Baldwin was on foot Il
some dlstaace, when Lawrence took him up
n | hind him on his mule, aud CARED him son
4 nine miles from the battlefield.
- In the meanwhile, the advance Of the retrea
= ing party, under Major. Ormsby, cane into
), party OF Indians, through whom they b7ok
i fighting their way. In this engagement II
l. Major was badly wounded By xerer4t shots, b
- sill kept on hts mule ior three or four mile
:, when the Indians overlook him and killed hi
n and Dr.. Jader. 80 soon as this Last line of
!. diaas WAS b1oka4 4through. the raut commence
r and every enc fed on Lis own hook, the N,
. throwing away their arms
On our flight we came to several deep canon
T. the Indians firing On Us, while our men We
). perfectly helpless, and qnite u number Of o,
il people thus rot Killed. We attempted 10 raj
:. the men at several Of these points, to prote
!. the wounded aud those on foot or broken dow
i but they would not stop, and fed in wild excit
i ment- The Indians followed Us about 6fte'