Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-17
ONE OF THE ARGoNAUTs.

Gus HuntingtOn-COltOn correspondence
has revived the memory of Gen. Cotton.
which, but for the litigation of his widow
with his partners in railroading. would
have been lost in his six-year-old grave
David ID. Cotton was remarkable man,
and his career was characteristic of him.
He came here from Maine in 1851 beard
less boy, and among those strong turbu-
lent spirits, our early ArgOnauts. was ia
nous before his majority. He died at 46,
and had then for over a quarter of CEN
fury been one of our leading and most
notable citizens. Some of the authenti-
Gated incidents Of his career are of as
thrilling a character as anything in histo-
ry or romance. In the celebrated Hunt
ingt0n correspondence there is an alIusion
10 one OF these, which is we'll 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 Mountains. Feb. S. 1915. Charles
Croker writes to Cotton, then in the East:
The telegraph informs me that the House
subcommittee VIII report favorably to Scott's
bill and ignore our amendment. Wen stand
up to the work as you did in the early DAYS
when you defended the Jail at Siskiyou Your
honor was in danger then-your pocket now
The last sentence is characteristic of
the writer, as the incident alluded to was
of the person addressed. SiskiyOu is the
northwest county of California ard bv
no means its most important. Gold was
found there in 1881, and thousands rushed
to get IT. Cotton was among the number
Leading citizens here who knew him then
say that at - he plainly bore the marks
Of character which distinguished him
through lIte-the massive under-iaw. the
strong, firm lines of the mouth denotinp
MS iron resolution, the piercing eve flash
ing with courage the stout neck. set upOn
frame OF great strength, made him then.
as all through life, man to be singled out
and remarked in multitude. Cotton was
laW-and-Order man. and his cool and
steady courage, his daring and determi-
nation, were the qualities which marked
him for peace officer.
A Klamath Chief, Chinook. deceived two
miners, Iaines and Converse from Hi
nOis, into his raecaerie. and there treachpr-
ously murdered them. The klamaths
were War-li6e tribe, having nothing i'm
common VITA the DEGRADED Pan Utes Of
California and Nevada-the lowest grade
OF Indians in existence. Their murdprOUs
Chief took refuge in the mountain fast
nesses, secrcted and projected by his peo-
pie and aided by renegade whites, Col
ton, still not Of age, determined to can
ture and bring him to Justice He set ont
IN pursuit accompanied only by two resO-
lutte miners. For six weeks he followed
the willy murderer through wilderness
ana mountain recess, from one lair to an
other, every mile Of the way beset with
peril, DAY and night, never relinquIshing
the pursuit till the savage fugitive was
run down and taken on the Shasta river.
HIS capt0rs tied him TO a horse and con-
Quoted him through forests swarming
with alert and savage Indians eager to de-
liver their Chief, and with even more saw
age 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
achievement, and Cotton was no sooner
OF legal age than the electors of the coun-
", Dy almost unanimous vote, promoted
MN from the position Of Under Sheriff to
lAaE oI sheriff. The early Sheriffs of Cali
tornia We're remarkable men-men of
proved courage, GOODNESS and determine
tIon-they had to be to fill the office or be
chosen for it-and Cotton was represen-
tatIye Sheriff. He 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..
Chauncey White, of Chicago.
Shortly after COltOn's return with his !
bride occurred the incident of the defence
OF the jail alluded to by Croker in the |
passage quoted above. A valuable water
right was claimed by a company and Gov
"+"d hv the individual miners of the camn
While 1t was in nug,,tlon a miner, disrcc-
garding the injunction Of the court. cut
the cOmpany's ditch and helped himself to
the water. He was arrested and Jailed 1
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 de-
manded the release of the prisoner. Col
ton was at the moment attending a church
fair which his wife, with the few other
the only religious society of the settle
ment. Some one rushed to him with news
of the uprising, and, while the miners
were still clamoring at the rail door for
the release of the prisoner and threaten
ing to take him out if he was not set free,
Cotton came running hatless toward 1
them, his long red hair-he always wore
it long, even when Treasurer of the Cen
Pacific misunderstanding back |
Lftt 60 49,, r. cOuntenance. Cleaving
trolll NJ g 35.e-,' H.. .,,o - sheer impe-
tus, he rushed up the steps, and, planting !
his back against the door, confronted the !
angry throng of desperate and armed mi !
ners. He commanded them in the name
Of law, order and authority to dispense
peacefully. The response was a clamOr-
Gus demand for the release Of the prison.
er. ''Never," said the young officer, calm
"; ''yOu can only take him over my dead
DOuN. ana ne confronted Iuelu unuluCu-
ngly. The mob, mOmentarlIy cOntOunded
and cowcd by his heroic mien, recOiled,
but soon returned, sweaHng that they
would have the prisoner. solve up the
prisoner shouted hundreds of them,
pressing forward threateningly. 'rll die
first" responded the young Sheriff. "Ihen
die, you ~ fool" cried the foremost ri
otter, levelling his pistol. The Sheriff was
too quick for him. His own weapon was
out and discharged in a twinkling, and
the leader of the mob was carried off dis
abled. Instantly hundreds of weapons
were drawn, and v0lley was fired at the
Sheriff from every angle of attack. He
stood undismayed fronting the mob and
returning their fire, throwing down one
revolver as soon as emptied and drawing
another. Strange to say, not shot of all
those fired struck him, but several OF his
assailants were wounded.
1t was an unheard of thing. A mob of
1000 desperate, armed, and maddened
men beaten eff and discounted by one
officer, and be vet youth. Passion was
boiling in the hearts Of the rioters, and
they soon returned raging to the attack;
but in the meantime 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 places with him at
the jail door, and when the mob returned
LlG DaltlE was lCbullCl ou ulUlt ChGl
terms. and the defense was maintained
till the rioters were beaten off. Cotton
received two wounds, several of the mob
were killed and more wounded, the law
was INDICATED, and took it's course with
the prisoner The affair created a great
stir all through the mines, and the young
Sheriff was the hero of the day. Gov.
Bigler, in recognition of his services for
law and order, appointed him Brigadier-
General of Militia of Northern California.
Another display of Colton's dashing
courage was afterward made even more
romantic than the defense of the jail. A
friendly Indian revealed to him a plot to
massacre a solitary family Of whites
named johnson. To get assistance to
thwart this plot it was necessary to pass
through defile known to be ambusca-
ded. Without hesitation he dashed into
it. rode safely through the fire of the In
dams, reached the nearest settlement,
rallied twenty-five men, and saved the
family. When he declined further service
as Sheriff, mis- friends insisted on sending
him to the Senate. The contest was close,
and, though he had a majority of the votes
and the certificate Of election was issued
to him, as there was some question about
his election he refused to accept, took his