Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-03-29
DEFENSE OF CAPT. WELLS.

DEFENSE OF CAPT. WELLS.
The Enterprise of this morning devotes
Its leading column to the defense of Cap
tain Wells from the accusations brought
against him by the Union. 1t says, that
by the Union's account, "sixteen or sew
enteen women were killed, two of them
wives of the elder Winnemucca, and Cap
tain Wells and his company reveled in
carnival of innocent blood. The camp
consisted of women and children, who
were butchered, fayed alive, strangled and
roasted, according to the fendish whims
of their ferocious destroyers, and canni-
bal feast concluded the savage entertain
ment." Now, we did not read any such
account in the Union, and should not
have believed it if we had. We read Cap
tain Wells "oficial dispatch" in that
journal, and are satisfied that the " cool
and collected" heroes of that sanguin-
airy conflict" even though suffering under
the pangs of hunger naturally consequent
upon their superhuman exertions, would
have scorned to satiate it upon roast Pi-
ute, when well stored commissary de-
partment lay only few miles in their
rear. The "official dispatch" moreover,
contains perfect and complete refutation
of the charge of cannibalism." That
document says: ....... liz. ..
"The Indians fought like veterans. l
killed twenty-nine in all; but one escaped.
l destroyed several guns, quantity OF pow
der, fresh beef, etc."
The mangled remains of these Indians,
who had fought like veterans, and died
covered with gore and sweat, might have
served for square meal in an extreme
case, but were too tough and unsavory to
form tempting repast while there was
fresh beef" to be obtained. This beef
was destroyed" says the dispatch. How
destroyeds The destruction of fresh beef
has constituted the chief, and almost the
only occupation of the Nevada Volun-
teers ever since they were mustered into
service. BEEF and mustard" is their
watchword and their diet. The feast of
the Twenty-Five was no cannibal BAN
quet. Seated upon the ground, they
broiled the "fresh beef" by the blaze of
the captured "guns;" they seasoned it
with gunpowder " (condiment beloved
of heroes), and they ate like warriors,
taking their grub with their slaughtered
foes around them. That's what's the
matter. That's the way they destroyed
q quantity of fresh beef and SO FORTH"
The comments of the Enterprise upon
Indian fighting are good. 1t says:
Indian fighting is thankless business, at
best, The foe is unworthy the steel of a
brave man, and the soldier who meets his
death at the hands of such an adversary,
perishes "unhonored and unsung." He
who falls in battle with the savages, is en-
tombed in the forest or desert, with feeling
of commisseration akin to that with which we
recall the manhood of one kicked to death by
a mule. 1t is regarded as plain case of
death by accident" and the victim is SIM
ply pitied-nothing more. In the possibility
of this fameless "taking of, our frontier
soldiers expose their lives to dangers quite as
imminent as beset the lauded paths OF Sher-
mans veterans. Victory adds nothing to
their glory, by whatever valor achieved, and
death and defeat find no record in brass,
however courageously met. They perish in
defense of the people, not of the Government,
and are no sharers in the military glory of the
Republic"
That's so! We deplore the ingrahtude
of the people in the case of those who
fight, bleed and die in Indian fights, but
the panegyric to the lamented dead on this
class of battle-6elds don't apply to this case.
Corporal Dolan was slightly wounded, and
several men "were beaten on the arms
by the Indians guns" (bruised arms to be
hung up for monuments-Shakspeare), but
no soldier was killed or is likely to die
from the effects of that battle, unless per-
chance the Indians had come the guygu-
giles over them and put strychnine or
croton oil on that fresh beef. Should
such catastrophe be reported, the defunct
shall not be unsung." If the editor of
the Enterprise Doesn't write a "pome on
the illustrious dead, Wen do it ourselves;
and as for monument. if there is not
&" brass" enough in this State for the pur-
pose, we'll melt down some of the "bra-
zen columns" of official dispatches which
record the history of the Twenty-Five and
the heroes of Walker Lake, and Jose
plus shall be the Scribe who shall per-
petuate the memory of the loved and lost.
Honest Injin, however. Captain Wells,
as well as the Devil, is entitled to his due,
and in justice to that officer we publish
the following dispatch, which establishes
the fact that the massacre part of the
story is unfounded: a-.ra
FoRr CHURCHILL, March 26, 1865.
To Coz. BLasdel and Captain Wells:
Mr.. ellison. Sub agent on the Truckee,
arrived last night. From his report,
thirty-two 1922 Indians were killed by
Capt. Wells. All were men but two. A
large number were from Smoke Creek. 1t
was the right stroke in the right place,
from what / can learn.
CHAs. McDERx1T. Major Com'dg.
NEW SCHOOL TRUsTEEs.-The County
Superintendent of Common Schools to-
day appointed as the Trustees of Gold
Hill District, Messrs. N. A. Il. Ball, S.