New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-06-15
nen 0rIsars 1ailp Grsstsnt.
Later from California.
rnE INDIAN WARM wAsHoE.

by hit Gan AHLUiHD anu 5nu UISH0 ONSIldIs1
Mail Line We have adyices from San Francisco TO
the 2lst ut. There ia little news Of interest be-
yond the troubles. with the Indians Of Western
Utah. which entirely monopolized public attention.
The Bulletin publishes letter Of the 18th Of May
from the town Of Virginia, U. T., from which we
| extract the following:
The accounts Of this sad affair are very conflict
ing. From the different persons who were present
have gathered all the information could obtain,
/ ana give the statement of Capt. A. Mcdonald Joe
BALDWIN and others, as it was written down this
read over to party OF half dozen, who had been
engaged in the battle, and they all agree that ia
as correct as they think could be given. At the
same ume, II = az well to mention. that all Of the
paTnes alluded to belong to the Virginia Company
and they probably only tell the story as observed
by themselves. The statement isas follows
sTATgMENT or CAPTArx ARCHIBALD MCDONALD.
JOE BALDWIN AND 0THEss.--The Mcdonald Com.
pany, virginia volunteers, s. men left Virginia On
| Wednesday, May 9th, at o'clock. Carnped ON
Carson river, Is miles out, Just beyond the first
/ telegraph station. Left on Thursday morning at
| o'clock; reached Buckner's Pony Express station
| after sunrise; were told there was no danger !;
reached Williams at 10 O'clock-where the murder
1 was committed found two bloody axes: found
/ tracks of Indian ponies. The two Williams and
| another man were buried that morning by orms-
| bys party. Found dog who had had an arrow in
| him. which he had pulled out. The Indians had
4 taken all the good guns from the place, and left
| those that were worthless They also took all
! goods that were of any use to them; everything
was scattered round. Stopped ali Of Thursday,
| and camped there. Found OrRlsbys party, 40 men,
late in the evening. Judge Cradlebaugh came with
4 Ia men from Carson.
| Next morning, Friday, 18th May, left early; fol-
lowed the trace Of Indians over sandy plains, find.
ing articles scattered all over, evidently decoy;
| also saw tracks of large number of cattle and
horses which they drove off. Reached the lower
| crossing about halfpast IL distance 70 miles.
Met with heavy wind and snow storm, and we're
| short of provisions. Here we were Joined by
party from Silver City, and other stragglers which
swelled our party to lO7- Made an attempt to get
some provisions by sending party up some dis
lance on the river; got there in heavy snow
storm. The settlers agreed to be down in the
morning with provisions, and we therefore con-
| cluded to camp, and moved down the river to
| where the grass was supposed to be, and cainped
| there That evening all parties reported them
selves to Major 0rmsby, with the exception Of
| McDonald's Virginia volunteers, which were then
reduced to twenty-six men, the Others having re-
| turned.
4 It was II o'clock on Saturday morning before
we had the provisions across the river, and three
men who were afraid Of the Indians, and who
were on foot, were left behind. Started out-Mai.
Ormsby having about eighty men and Mcdonald
twenty.six. Snow had fallen three inches in
depth on the night before. We waited till it had
melted, so to be able 70 follow Indian and cattle
tracks. Followed an Indian TRAN north on a mar
row bench Of the mountains Sent out scouting
party of five under William Marley, Of Sat Fran
cisco, in advance. They kept at g, distance ahead
of from one to five miles, Got Mithin four miles Of
Pyramid lake, when the scouts returned and re-
ported two Indians in sight. Previous to this dis
covered pony tracks, where the Indians had been
accommodating. Mai. Orlnsby ordered the scout
party to capture the two Indians if possible. They
4 started out otter them and followed them down
/ two miles, when they came upon a body of Indi-
ans, who at once charged on our scouts, who re-
turned rapidly to the main party. We were then
some 500 feet above the river, with that and the
lake both In sight.
We kept advancing until we reached APPOINT from
where Pyramid, lake and valley were in full view.
On low sandy ridge to our right we discovered a
party of Indians, numbering about $50, all mounted,
drawn up into solid body, with four or five chiefs
charging forward and backward in front of the
Indians. They showed great skill in the handling
of their horses. So soon as they perceived us they
raised their war-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 800 to 500 yards in width, the
about three quarters OF a mile in this valley until
we came within 500 yards Of the Indians. One Of
the chiefs, who was nearest to us had in his hand
large, wieldy battleaxe asymbol of war, which he
he held in an upright position. Charging back
, wards and forwards, as he would turn his horse il
I glittered in the sunlight, and was probably taker
for white flag by those further off. Here We
halted, when one OF our party sung out that they
they had white flag. Capt. Mcdonald ordered
} one of his men with telescope-rifie to examine
this object. and became satisfied it was battle
Il X,
Capt Mcdonald ordered the man with the globe
sighted rifle named A. r. Elliott, from Clear Lake
Napa county, to fire at the chief holding the battle
ak, who was mounted on an elegant black charger
He fired, and the chief instantly wheeled and rar
over to the main body.
The Indians then advanced in body to the brow
of the hill; they were distant 500 or 600 yards
They Jumped off their horses, who stood perfectly
| still, apparently well trained for an engagement
and instantly after they fired At the same mo
ment some two hundred Indians on foot made theil
appearance a few hundred yards between them
, Major Ormsby suggested to Capt. Mcdonald te
! charge on the Indians. but Capt Mcdonald though
/ it were advisable to make for cluster of cotton
wood trees where they would be protected On ONT
side by the river and an open plain on the other.
Major 0rmsby then gave the command to charge
all Joined in and charged up to the point where W.
first saw them stationed, and drove them from
their position, some firing being done all along by
single individuals. After charging them about
mile in the deep sand, in different directions, they
being in small squads in all directions running ant
returning, our horses got very much fatigned The
. Indians on foot, who also had scattered in squads
a and who could run faster than our horses now
! commenced firing on us from all directions. w
took up position nearer to the lake, where thu
i Indians were first seen, and returned their fire fo
d a short time. 1t was now near o'clock and thu
engagement had lasted three-quarters of an hour
\ no one had been wounded or killed yet, but som,
of the horses were hit. Just before firing las
five of our party fled from the field, and those wer
n the ones who first came into Virginia and reporte
u
. After few words between the two commander
l. | it was agreed to retreat some 500 yards, to som
e timber on the bank of the river. When we cam
IS within 500 yards of the timber, we found a dee
e gulch which was well adapted to shelter our horses
J. Orders were given to dismonnt and fight from tina
l. gulch. We commenced firing on the advancing
Il Indians, and held them in check some ten minutes
r They all had rifles and mnskets which reached
= surely further than shot guns At this momen
+ new party Of Indians, on foot, numbering abou
800 or 400 supposed to be Pitt river Indians, wer
seen to advance from the river below us, evidently
n to attack us in the rear. Thena great panic seize
!, our men and majority Of them broke for TIT
; river; the others that they had to follow,
', the Indians were thus closing in very rapidly. N
u more control over the men existed. Major 0rmsb.
v displayed great courage but had lost some Of hi
e. presence OF mine. Gapts Mcdonald and Henr,
Of Meredith made an attempt to rally the men, AM
,e succeeded in making partial halt. A portion o
ID them dsmounted and commenced to fire again
Ii but after few shots, the men commenced to rul
Ct once more, perfectly panic The Indian
r.ss closed in very fast and the balls came flying a
Il thick as hail. There were only few of our mel
J. wounded as yet, and none were killed.
y. We made rapidly up the river, amongst som
trees, for about 200 yards. The Indians had Ioy
surrounded us entirely, the main body of them ad
vancng from below us, under cover of trees. w
then succeeded in raliying our men at a spot abor
: 100 yards from the Truckee river. and got them
Is dismount. So soon rs they were dismounted som
i...a h,,t, fIpan mad 60.