Weekly Trinity journal., 1861-09-28
Indian Matters.


Judge and others, Weavervile.
GENTLEMEN Your tclegraphic dispatch of
to day came duly to hand. | have forwarded a
COPY Of the same to Gen. Sumner, and have re-
uuesicd an early answer whether be can afford
the protection necessary. If he is unable to do
so shall then act in your behalf on the part of
the State. j am, gentlemen,
Your ob't servant,
JOIN G. DowNEY.
Very well. Immediately thereafter Gen. Sum
ner sgnled by letter bis inability to furnish any
assistance. Nearly a month has elapsed, and
nothing more is heard of the matter, with the
exception Of correspondence already published.
With all due respect to His EXcellency, we
must say that the present is no time for procras
tination. If protection for the settlers is to be
furnished by the State, let US have it Immediately.
Gov Downey may not be aware that just at this
season of the year is the time the Indians lay in
their winter supplies, and that with their unerng
rifles they are daily picking off stock, which is
prepared for winter use and placed beyond the
reach Of white men.
A rife company has been raised in Humboldt
county and divided into three detachments, one
of which is operating in the vicinity Of the
southwest border of Trinity. A large number
of hostile Indians have already been driven from
/ the Eel river tributaries into this county, and
are now committing depredations in the Hay
Fork valley.
Mr. Powell, q resident of that valley, informs
us that Uncle Sammy" Good one of the pion-
eers, has been obliged to desert bis home, and
leave behind him the proceeds Of his summers
labor, consisting Of hay and vegetables, in order
4 to take his live stock where it will be secure
from indians. By this necessary movement he
loses from $1,000 to 1000. His hay crop which
is gathered, will in all probability be burned by
the savoges, as it was on Williams ranch, in the
same section, last Fall.
Less than two weeks ago three Cbinamen,
working near the head of the Canon, in that
valley, were fred upon by the Indians and two
of their number killed The third escaped to
tell the story After killing the celestals the
red skins mashed in their heads with rocks, and
put them 10 soak in the creek hard by. The one
who escaped said the Indians were all armed with
guns, a fact which has for some time been known
TO the settlers.
Alex Pelletreau. who formerly lived at Cox's
Bar, and for the last year at Hyampom, on the
Eel river trail, is about to move his family to
more secure quarters. as the Indians have lately
exhibited their hostility openly, and declare that
every white man shall be driven from the valley
or killed. Another necessary transfer Of property
to the savageS
We could fll columns Of our paper with just
such reclals, but do not deem it necessary. The |
people of Trinity have asked for assstaGce-tor
protection--and never, to our knowledge, have
they asked when it was not positively needed and
Is P0mDlIpQ
with now, the sooner the people OF the valleys
desert their Indian heleaguered homes the better,
The savage atrocities Of last winter are not for
gotten. and there Is every indication Of repet /.
ton OF them the coming one. The killing OF old /
man FulWider. and in one instance the slaughter .
of several hundred head of cattle and hops, the
hnrniug Of Hank Young's house, and George
Williams hay stacks, all occurred less than a
year ago.
II the Indians are allowed to again store pro
visions enough for the winter in their mountain
haunts. they are safe until the opening Of spring |
There are men who are ready and willing to head /
a company Of twenty-five or thirty rHemen, if |
the Governor will authorize such a company to
move, drive them to the mountains and keep
them there until they are starved out or obliged
to sue for peace.
We are told by gentleman who has lived in
the Hay Fork valley for years that the Indians
from Cottonwood, Eel River, and those in our
O@n county, annually meet to trade and dance
in the mountains at the head waters Of Cotton
wood. He further says that last year to his
knowledge the Trinity Indians received in trade
over forty pounds OF ammunition from the Shasta
Indians. They generally meet during the latter
part of October and our informant believes that
with sufficient force they could be taken prs
oners or killed at their approaching trading sea
son. But it requires men who know the Indian
characters who have had experience in the
mountains, and who expect to fight
The people Of Hay Fork are in danger most
OF the grain raised in the valley this season is
stored at Bayliss' mill, whore guard Of six or
eight men is constantly kept There is no time
To be lost if a company IS To be ordered out,
Look OUr.-The burning of Mr. Carroll's resi-
deuce is mentioned in another place. 1t may be
well enough to again caution citizens to be more
careful. There are plenty of defective stove
pipes sticking through the roofs of wooden tene-
ments, and quantities of matches lying scattered
about, which liable at any time TO ignite from
the heat of the sun, or other cause. Our little
town would scarce recover from a fire as destruc-
tive as that of July 5h, 80, and yet there is
hourly danger of like visitation. Mr. Carroll
and wife were absent on Sunday, when their res
ideuce was discovered in flames, and they can
form no idea of where or how the fire originated.
There had been no fire in the stove for several
hours previous, and if not the work of an incrn
diary, it must have originated from the ignition
Of friction matches,
The ladders belonging to the fire company we
notice ale scattered about town. Citizens bor-
row, but forget to return them to headquarters
when they have no farther use for them. The
hooks and ladders should alWaVg he in their