Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-04-29
WHO KNOWS .
Historic Information Wanted re.
gardfng Indian Troubles In East
ern Nevada I'm 1890.

Historic Information Wanted Re.
garding Indian Troubles i'm East.
n Nevada I'm 1850.
We find in the Carson Appeal some
recollections Of the early skirmishes with
the Indians in this immediate neighbor-
hood. That was in the days of tho old
overland stage road. W. A. Montgomery
OF Eureka probably recollects many OF
the incidents related below, as he was su-
perintendent Of the road at the time Of
their occurrence. Further information is
wanted for the forthcoming history Of Ne
vada. The following is from the Appeal
In the Census Report of 1860 is noted
the capture and burning OF Dry Greek
mail station IN the overland stage road
about thirty miles east Of Austin, in Lam
der County. 1t is further noted that the
occurrence was in May, 1860; that there
were two men killed who were employed in
carrying the mail between Salt Lake and
California that they were attacked before
getting up in the morning, one Of them
being instantly killed and the other re-
ceiviDg a wound from the effects Of which
no oio II q low nOuISy duu budb tuc udLutb
OF the men murdered were John Apple
gate, aged % years. and Ralph M. Lozier.
aged "a years.
J To this Henry Butterfeld Of Nye Coun-
ty adds the additional information That
Silas McCanlis and W. l.. Ball were also
at the station at the time and made their
escape; that the Indians who committed
tho act were a renegade band Of Humboldt
~Shoshones, known as white Knives"
and that there was but one attack made
upon that station in 1860.
This is all clear enough, but the follow
ing account, from Charles Stebbins OF Aus
tin. throws the whole subject into a condi-
ton Of chaos, from which we ask who ever
can unravel the mystery, to be so kind as
to do 50, and show us the way out OF this
historic labyrinth.
MR.. sTEBBINs' ACCOUNT
Charles Stebbins was sole trader in 1850
at Ruby Valley Station, by authority Of the
Indian Department, and consequently in
position to know the matters concerning
which he speaks. He says that in the Fall
OF 1860 the Indians attacked the Pony
Express at Dry Creek Station, which was
thirty miles east Of Austin. The station
was a stockade with a roof Of thatch. 1t
W"o hCaiil M duu tuc AlDns - hOu
gomery, Silas McCanlis and w. L. Ball,
had just got their supper and were in the
cabin. The Indians first drove off the
stock, and then attacked the cabin by
shooting lighted arrows on the roof. When
the men found the cabin was going to burn
they took a pistol in each hand and
opened the door to make rush through,
when the Indians fred a volley Of arrows,
one OF which struck Montgomery in the
abdomen w%ounding him badly, and they
fell back and shut the door. Montgom-
cry knew he would have to die, and begged
his comrades to shoot him, which they re-
fused to do; but taking n Of his pistols
they we're just opening the door, when
the wounded man ended his wi miseries
by shooting himself in the head. The
survivors then rushed out, firing rapidly
on each side as they went, broke through
the Indians lines and started for Roberts
Greek, t~hirty-two miles away, which they
reached in the night, having kept up q
running fight with the Indians nearly all
the way. There was o stone cabin at Rob-
erts Creek, and they expected to find six
men there, instead OF which they found
the station deserted by whites and sur
rounded by Indians. They managed to
enter the place without being discovered,
where they found o half loaf Of bread.
Not considering ii safe to remain here
they left before daylight for Diamond
Springs, twenty-five miles further east,
which they reached on the afternoon OF
the next day. Here they found the three
men dead who had occupied the place. and
their bodies horribly mutilated. From
this they vent on over Diamond Mountain
to stebbins' place in Ruby Valley, getting
there the next morning.
Mr.. Stebbins, did not these events that
you relate occur one year later? ! have
certain evidence that it was in November
or December, 1861, that the Chief Sho-kut
died Of your place. An official report in
regard to the trouble growing out Of the
trouble Of your refusing to allow his squaw
to be killed to accompany the chief to the
happy hunting grounds, was made by Col.
Warren WATSON to Governor j. W. Nye,
which fixes the time as above. Now, tax
ing this date and the following ones as
fixed facts, it may help you to q solution OF
the problem.
The killing Of Lozier and Apologize
must have occurred prior to June, 1860, as
the report IL dated in that month, and
could not record an incident occurring
later,
The attack upon the stage in which Judge
Gordon N. Mott was riding ct the time
" Happy Harry" was killed, occurred
March 20, 1868.
Any information throwing light on the
foregoing matter will be- thankfully re-
ceived by T. Frank Gilbert at Carson,
Nevada, who Is writing o history OK the
State to be illustrated and published by
Thompann a. West.