Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-16
ONE OF THE ANGONAUTS.
The WondrOus Nerve of Gen. David
d. Cotton.
From The Chicago Tribune.

BE (Slt3ns
From ;;o Chicago Tribune.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 29-The publication re-
Gently OF the notorious Huntingdon Cotton cor
respondence has revived the memory of Gen
Cotton. which. but for the litigation of his
widow with his partners in raroading. would
have been lost in his six-year-od grave David
ID. Cotton was remarkable man. and his career
was Characteristic of him.$ He came here from
Maine in 1851 a beariless boy. and among those
strong, turbulent spirits, our early Argonauts.
vas famous before his majority He died a. 46
ana mad then for over a quarter Of a century
been one OF our leading aud most notable citi-
Zen3. Some OF the authenticated incidents of
his career are of rs thrilling character as any
thln2 In history OF romance. In the celebrated
Huntington correspondence there il an aliusOn
to one OF these, which is well understood here.
although as far as / know the story has never
been publicly told in detail. but is probably
obscure to readers east Of the Rocky noun
tains. Feb. Sth 1879 Charles Croker writes
to Cotton. then in the east:
The telegraph informs me that the House sub
committee VIII report favOrably to SCOTS bill and
| ignore our amendment. Well stand up To the
WORK as YOU did in the early days when You de-
Tended the Jail at Siskiyou. Your honor was in
DANGER then-your pocket now.
The last sentence is charact eristic Of the
writer, as tie incident alluded to was of the
county OF California. and by no means its nost
! Important. Gold was found there in 1851. and
thousands rushed to get it. Cotton was among
TIE number. Leading citizens here who knew
him then say that at 10 he plainly bore the
marks of character which distinguished him
! through llfc-thc massive undcT-jaw. the strong
| firm Hines OF the month. dcnoting his iron reso-
| luton. the piercing eye. flashing with courage
the stout neck, set upon frame OF great
strength. made him then as all through life Il
n n.rI nd III .a1i N
tud' Cotton was law-aild-or1cr man, and
ms cool and steady courage. his daring and
determination. We're the qualities which marked
HIM for peace CiIc"r.
A Klamath chief, Chinook deceived two
miners. iainrs and Converse" from, Illinois. into
his ra;,ciriie. and there treacheronsly murdered
them. The itamaths We're WarliEe tribe
! haVin" nothing in common with the degraded
Pah ttcs OF California. uid Eeyada-thc lowest
! grad" III Indians in existence. Their murderous
chief took refuge in the mountain Businesses
secreted aud protected b. his people aud aided
by renegade whites. Cotton. still not of age
determined to capture and bring him to Justice.
He set out in pursuit accompanied only by two
resOlute miners. For ak weeks he followed the
willy murderer through wilderness and noun
tam recess. from one lair to another. every mile
o. the way beSet with peril, day and night.
never reiinqushing the pursuit till the savage
fugitive was run down and taken on the
Shasta river. His captors tied him to horse
and conducted him through forests swarm
ing with alert and savage Indians eager to
deliver their chief, and with even more
savage and desperate white men, the
friends of Chinook. until finally the
murderer was delivered to the authorities of the
settlement and dealt with according to law.
This was recognized as no ordinary achieve
lnent. and Cotton was no sooner of legal age
then the electors OF the county. by almost unani
nous vote promoted him from the position of
under sheriff to that of sheriff. The early
shcrlI,s OF California were remarkable men-lnen
OF proved courage. GOODNESS. and determination
they had to be to I'LL the Office or be chosen
Tor It-and Cotton was representative sheriff.
lie was man of Influence. and power and
wealth poured in upon him. He made flying
visit to the east to marry the girl OF his college
day love, Miss Ellen NJ. White daughter of Dr.
Channcey White. of Chicago.
Shortly after COltGn's return with his bride
occurred the incident of the defense of the Jail
alluded to by Croker in the passage quoted
above. \ valuable wafer right was claimed by
company and coveted By the individual miners
OF tie camp. While it was in litigation miner.
disTa~aidinH the Injunction of the court cut the
c'mpany's dltcI, and help himself to the water
He was arrested and jailed for contempt OF
court. Popular sympathy was with him. The
miners determined upon his release. Fifteen
hundred of them assembled fully armed at the
jail. and demanded the Release Ol tii2 prisoner
Cotton was ut the moment attending a church
fa!" which his wife, with the few other women in
the camp was conducting to assist the only re-
lIgious society of the settlement. Some one
rushed to him with news OF the uprising, and
While the miners were still clalnOrinT at the Jail
door for the release of the prisoner and threat
enlng to take him out II he was not set
free. Cotton came running hatless toward
them, his long red hair-he always wore it
long. even when treasurer Of the Central
Pacific railroad streaming back from his
beardless countenance. Ceaying his way
through the mob by sheer impetus, he
rushed UP the steps and, planting his back
against the door, confronted the angry ttrong
of desperate and armed miners. lie commanded
them. in the name of law, order and authority,
to disperse peacefully. The response was clam
Orous demand for the release of the prisoner
Meyer. said the young officer. calmly: you
can only take him over my dead body and he
confronted them unfiinchingly. The mob mo-
mentariiy COMPOUNDED and cOwed by his heroic
mein. recoiled. but soon returned swearing that
they would haze the prisoner. Give us the
prisonern' shouted hundreds Of them pressing
forward threaicnIn=ly; "l'lldie iirstH responded
the young sheriff. "Then die. you - fool"
cried the foremost riOter. leycng his pistol
The sheriff was took quick for him. His own
weapon was out and discharged in twlnkllng.
and the leader Of the mob was carried off dis
ablcd. Instantly hundreds of weapons were
drawn, and a vOey was fired ut the sheriff from
every angle OF attack. lie stood undsnlaved
fronting the mob and returning their fire, throw
ing down one revolver as soon as emptied and
drawing another. Strange to say not shot OF
SailantS we've wounded.
1t was an unileard of thing mob of SEQ
desperate, armed, and ma,ldened men beaten
OIL and discounted by one officer, and he vet
youth. Passion was boiling in the hearts of the
rioters, and they soon returned raging to the
attack hut In the mean time the conduct of
the sheriff had inspired others with some of
his spirit and raised him up supporters The
Judge Of the county. the clerk. and a few others
took their place with him at the Jail door ana
when the mob returned the battle was resumed
on more even terms. and the defense was main
tanned till the rioters We're beaten OF. Cotton
received two wounds, several of the mob were
Killed and more wounded, the law was vindi-
Gated, and took its course with the prisoner.
The affair created q great stir all through the
mines, and the young sheriff was the hero of
the day. Gov. Diglcr, in recognition of his ser
vices for law and order, appointed him brig
adler general of militia of northern California
Another display OF ColtOns dashing courage
was af erWard made even more romantic than
the defense Of the Jail. A friendly Indian re-
veaied to him plct to massacre solitary family
of whites named Johnson. To get assistance, to
thWart this plot it was necessary to pass through
a defile known to be anbuscaded Without
hesitation he dashed into it, rode safely through
the nre oil the Indians, reached the nearest set
flement, rallied twenty-five men, and saved the
family. When he declined further service as
sheriff his friends insisted on sending him to the
Senate. The contest was close and though he
had majority Of the votes and the certificate of
election was issued to him. as there was some
question about his election he refused to accent
took his family went east entcra6 tha Low