Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-10-24
RATAGES OF 4 PESTlLENCE.
How THE INDIANS WERE DESTROYED IN CAL
NORMA IN 1888.

from Mr.. j. j. Warner in the Los Angeles
(Cal.) Star
have read of the horrors of the London
plague, and of the more than defamation by
pestlence of the Inhabitants of various parts
of the world, in different ages, and of the de-
struc,on of mankind by the angels of the
Lord, and by destroying angels: but have
never read or heard OF such a general de-
I'structon OF a people by an angel, good or
bad, or by plague or pestience, as that which
swept the Valley of the Sacramento and San
Joaquin in the Summer of 1888.
In the Autumn of 1882 party, of which
the writer was member, Travelled from the
mountain down along the banks of the San
Joaquin River and up those OF the Sacra-
mento to some distance above the confluence
of the latter with Feather River. The num-
Der of Indians living along and in the vicinity
of the banks of the rivers, was so much greater
than had ever seen living upon the same
AREA of country, that it presented constant
source of surprise. The conclusion was then
reached by me that there was no o'her place
on the continent, north of the troplc, the nat
ural productions of which could support so
large population as was then living in the
section of country to which have referred.
In the latter part of the Summer of 1888 we
entered the northern extremity of the Sacra-
mento Valley from the klamath Lake and
Pitt River countries. We found the northern
part of the valley strewn with the skeletons
and fragments of skeletons of Indians, under
the shading trees, around springs and the
convenient watering-places, upon the banks
of the river, and over the plain, where wolves
and coyotes, waddling from tree to tree or
over the plain. their hides distended with I'M
natural fairness, had dragged and denuded
them. From the head of the valley to the
American River but one living Indian was
seen, and he was the most perfect personifi-
cation of solitude that was ever presented to
my view his wasted muscles, his eyes deep
ly sunk in their sockets, as if there were no
brain within the Uranium, emitted dull, va.
cant gaze as if astonished to behold a living
human being, when he believed that all, all
were dead, and he alone left telling most en-
phatically of his utter loneliness, of how he
had seen the destroying angel engaged in his
work of death on every hand, and wherever
his eyes were turned. until he himself was
Frustrated, not killed, hut left to rise upon
his feet, and wander about among the bones
and fostering bodies of his folk The dwell
ings of the Indians in the numerous villages
located upon and along the banks of the Sac.
ramento River, and its tributaries, were void.
and no foot-tracks but those of fowls and
wild beasts were to be seen in the lonely vii
lagos.
As we Travelled southerly the skeletons
we're of a fresher appearance, and before
reaching the buttes, and from thence south
erly, the entire or partially devoured bodies
of the Indians, in all stages of decay, were so
invariably found in and about all the con.
venient and desirable camping places that il
became necessary, in order to escape the
stencil Of decomposing humanity, to seek our
nights encampments upon the open plain.
After crossing Feather River those viii
lagos along the Sacramento which in the
Winter previous were each Inhabited by hun
dreds Of Indians were desolate and the aboies
of ruin. The same appalling proofs of this
dire calamity were constantly presented to us
as we travelled up the San Joaquin. Neither
biblical nor profane history has portrayed
such mOurnful results Of the march of de-
stroying angel as were presented to our sen
SEES as we repassed through, along by, and
around those silent and vacated villages,
which some ten months before we had seen
swarming with Indian life and resounding
with voices from hundreds of human throats
Around the naked villages, graves and the
ashes OF funeral pyres, the skeletons and
| swollen bodies told tale of death such as TO
US no written record Uau ever revealed FROM
the head of the Sacramento Valley until we
reached the mouth of Kings River, not ex-
ceeding five live Indians were seen, and here
we found eDcamped a village of Indians,
among whom the destroying angel was sating
his greed of human victims by a CHASTITY car
mage. During one night, more than g
score of victims were added to the hosts upon
which he had been feeding. The wailing of
that stricken village during that light was in
cessant ard most terrible. The sword of the
destroyer was remittent fever with which
the victims were first stricken down, to be
finished by hot air bath, followed by
plunge into cold water one. 1t was evil
dent TO us from the signs which we saw, that
at first the Indians buried their dead but
when the dead became so numerous that the
living could not bury them, resort was had to
the burning of the dead bodies, and when the
living from diminished numbers were unable
to do this, they abandoned their villages, the
sick and the dying, and fled in dismay, only
to die by the side of the springs and pools of
water and beneath the shade of protecting
trees.