The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-07-21
Joaquin Millers Renaissance of th6
PIW RIVER Campaign of 1857.

Ahs s#ttr OF wounds, and up the stair
oIhe&xen to Gods open door,
Whs# yet the hands were bent In prayer.
Geueral Crook first came conspic-
iously 70 the front, at least in the es-
timafion of the Pacific coast, as early
as the spring Of 1857, and in connec-
don With the great Pitt River war
a warthat few ever heard of on this
side QEthe Rocky Mountains, l reck-
on; put 1t was formidable war, and
numbered its dead, on one side at
least BY the thousands, and had many
hero In its day besides the great
General at the head of this phara.
% indians had risen and mas.
sacred all the settlers in the great
rich Pitt River, lying under the ma
jectic presence of Mount Shasta to
the Southeast, and all Northern Cali
ifornia 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, a land
and location not at all unlike the
other great valley, but two hundred
miles away and quite on the other
side of Mount Shasta, The volun-
teers were, of course, first in the field.
apJ bod hutobnrod n ohnrt n +bo,,co,,d
women and children, as we'll as few
warriors, before Crook with his regu-
lars came aronnd the great peak of
snow and through the pines and es-
tablished something like discipline
and a code of civilized warfare. Fort
Crook was built at the head of Pitt
River Valley, the rough and bloody
volunteers sent back to their respec-
tive mining camps, and Lieutenant
Crook pushed the campaign vigorous
ly and alone with his handful of reg.
ular soldiers, and before long had an
honorable and substantial treaty with
the savages. 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 Indians with
his very few soldiers that held the
now famous Lava Beds nearly twen-
ty years later against nearly the
Eholsh t6g 55 TBS HSpited a Statss 4 He
remember correctly, was less than
half full, Besides that, it is safe to
say that the Indians were at least fif-
ty, if not one hundred. fold stronger
numerically than when led by Cap
tain Jack, chief of the Modocs.
So you can well understand that
this young lieutenant did wonderful
work and endeared himself to the
Californians even before he had a
beard. 1, mere lad, had taken part
in the Pitt River war in the first lot
of volunteers that burst in upon the
desolated valley after the masscre,
and was subsequently employed as
guide and interpreter for Crook. But
as my sympathy lay largely with the
Indians, and as | was only a strip
ling with but little practical sense, l
was soon replaced by one of more
judgment and experience.
Ten years later, and after his bril-
liant achievements of the Civil War,
this officer again appeared in the
West. and at my very door. He was
general now, and in command of
the Department of Columbia, l be-
lieve, while l was officiating as judge
of Northern Oregon. and, with my
own law book and two six,shooters,
was administering justice,
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 Harm
ey, although the old Fort Crook of
California had long since ceased to
figure as a fort.
And Just here L fall to wondering,
as often have wondered before, why
it is that this great and good officer,
after so many years of perilous SER
vice, is to-day sent out to skirmish
after and hunt down few maraud-
ing robbers away out yonder on the
remotest border line of the Republic.
And in this fearfulIy hot weather,
too! 1t is enough to kill even the
youngest and toughest, to say MOTH
ing of one worn out in long and in
cessant 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 re-
ceiving them. Ah, General George,
modesty is q great merit but not a