The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-03-04
LETTER FROM ". r. BARTLETT.

VIRGINIA CITY, Jan. Il, 1864.
FRIEND FRANK-.The mines here are very
rich and of great eXtent-the gulch being
about twelve miles in length, and good paw all
the way. A good many parties are out pros
pectlng, and it is said that dggings have been
discovered which equal this, if not s,lrpass it.
whisky Dan who you recollect, has taken out
this summer thirty-threc thousand dollars;
and great many others have take out large
amounts have got a good claim and am
gong TO make it pay next summer. We have
had very cold weather for few days and pen-
now. and | think the cold weather is over
The lodes at Bannock are very rich and
are held very high. They are sure things
Three or four mills are in operation, and all
doing WELL
We have just passed through reign of ter
tor. For long time the road agents have
been at work and great many rObberes have
been committed. 1t was not safe to travel
alone or carry money. The express was rob-
bed twice between here and Bannock and the
people here were in perpetual fear all the
while. great number have been killed. and
1t Is estimated that there are at least fifty bodies
between here and Salt Lake. A body was
found about twenty miles below here
and Identified as that of man who had
gone down after pair of mules. About
forty miners went down and arrested George
Ives and several more and the result was that
Ives stretched hemp" and, evidence appear
ing on the trial that the Others were in it, and
that regular gang was organized, a vigilance
committee was formed. who hung Frank Par
ish, Hays Lyon. Jack Gallagher, and four more
that you did not know. 1t was done in the
DAYTIME, and everything was conducted as
quietly could be. Ali appeared to be i'm
pressed with the sOlemnity of the thing. and
to know that it was necessary for the safety of
the people that they should die.
In the meantime the Bannock people were
not idle, having hung Henry Plummer, Buck
Simpson and that bird from the penitentiary,
Ned Kay. They were taken about P. NJ, and
were hung in twenty minutes. The brave.
bold. courageous Plummcr weakened and
begged. cried and prayed to be let loose, and
he would leave the country but no use-he
had to go up. He showed the white feather
most eftcctuallv. The next day they hung two
more: one Spaniard, who made resistance,
and barricaded himself in house, and when
they went to take him he shot out and killed
George COpley and wounded Smith Ball, but
not dangerously. The people then got that
hOwitzer that Capt. Fisk left, and riddled the
house but did not quite kill him. They then
hung him; and after making target OF him,
till there was near one hundred balls in him,
they then tore down the house. and piled it
up short distance away, put the Spaniard on
it. and burned the pile
The committee have done good work.
having hung thirteen and are after more.
They also gave Judge Smith twenty-fOur hours
to leave town in, and he had to get up and
skedaddle. The roughs are making themselves
mouth to sympa;hize with them. There wasa
large gang formed, with Plummeras Captain,
with rules and signs to carry on their work
Truly yours, w. +. BARTLETT.