The Indianapolis journal., 1883-06-30
CROOKS EARLY CAMPAIGNS.
His Brilliant Achievements in War of
Which Little Has Been Told,

CROOKS EARLY CAMPAIGNS.
His Brilliant Achievements in a War of
Which Little Has Been Told,
joaquin Miller in Philadelphia Press.
Oh, it were better dying there
On glory's front, with trumpets' blare,
And battles shout bleDt wild about
The sense of sacrifice the roar
OF war! The soul might then leap out
The snOw-white soul leap boldly out
The door of wounds, ana up the stair
OF heaven to Gods open door,
While vet the hands were bent in prayer.
General Crook first came conspiouously to
the 'front.' at least in the estimation of the
Pacific coast as early as the spring of 1857,
and in connection with the first great Pitt
river war-a war that few ever heard of on
this side of the Rocky mountains, l reckon;
but it was formidable war, and numbered
its dead, on one side at least, by thousands
atfu bad many hero in its day besides the
great general at the head of this paragraph.
The Indians had risen and massacred all
the settlers in the great rich valley of Pitt
river, lying under the majestic presence of
Mount Shasta to the southeast, and all
northern California for hundreds of miles
around turned out in arms at the dreadful
news.
General Crook was then stationed at Fort
Jones, in Scott's valley, land and location
not at at all unlike the other great valley,
but 200 miles away and quite on the other
of course, first in the field, and had butchered
about a thousand women and children as
well a few warriors before Crook with
his regulars came around the great peak of
snow through the pines and established
something like discipline and code of civil
lzed warfare. Fort Crook was built at the
head of Pitt River Valley, the rough and
bloody volunteers sent back to their re-
spective mining camps, and Lieutenant
Crook conducted the campaign vigorously
and alone with his handful of regular
soldiers, and before long had an honorable
and substantial treaty with the saw
ages. To those not familiar with the
geography OF that land it may be important
to know that he fought over the same
ground. and, in fact, fought the same In
dams with his very few soldiers that held
the now famous Lava Beds nearly twenty
years later against nearly the whole army of
the United States He had but one company
and that, if l remember correctly, was less
than half full Besides that, it is safe to say
that the Indians were at least fifty, if not
one hundred, fold stronger numerically than
when led by Captain Jack, chief of the Mo-
docs.
So you can we'll understand that this
young lieutenant did wonderful work, and
endeared himself to the Californians even
before he had beard. l, mere lad, had
taken part in the Pitt-river war in the first
lot OF volunteers that burst in upon the des-
olated valley after the massacre, and was
subsequently employed as a guide and inter
prefer for Crook. But as my sympathy lay
largely with the Indians, and as | was only a
stripping with but lite practical sense, l was
soon replaced by one of more judgment and
experience.
Ten years later, and after his brilliant
achievements of the civil war; this officer
again appeared in the West, and at my very
door. He was general now, and in COM
tek fso1. III L.
lieve, while l was officiating as Judge of
northern Oregon, and with my one law book
and two six-shooters, was administering JUS
tice
A little time before his arrival a new fort
had been established near Harney Lake, and
named Fort Crook. With his characteristic
modesty he changed the name of the fort
from that of his own name to Camp Harvey,
Although the old Fort Crook of northern
California had long since ceased to figure as
fort.
And just here 1 fall to wondering, as l
often have wondered before, why it is that
this great and good officer, after so many
years of perilous service, is to-day sent out
to skirmish after and hunt down few ma
rauding robbers away out yonder on the re-
motest border line of the republic. And in
this fearfully hot weather. too! 1t is enough
to kill even the youngest and toughest, to
say nothing of one worn out in long an inces-
SAINT service. One wonders why he is not at
the head OF the army giving orders, instead
of being away out Yonder in the burning
sands receiving them. All General George,
modesty is great merit; but not profitable
one in republics, with their traditional in
gratitude
l remember that the wife of General
Crook, whom / occasionally met in Oregon
while her husband was in command there
was as popular and universally loved as her
brave and unassumiug husband And that
is saying that she was very popular indeed.
l never saw her again till we met a few
months ago at DR.. Collyers church 1
found her the same delightful lady as of old,
when we worshiped the great snow peaks of
Oregon together. She is, to say nothing of
the nobility of her nature one of the most
magnificent ladies to look upon in all Amer
lea.