Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-02

this sort can exist among the most civilized
nations it ought not to be counted SO very
inconsistent if boy. thrown among saw
ages. should in the course of his duty, or
even desire, or perhaps in the course OF
what might really be called diplomacy.
be found fighting at one time for and with
certain tribe of Indians and at another
time against another tribe of Indians. And
yet an ungrateful and forgetful world will
perhaps continue to insist that for four
years the writer of this sketch was savage
among savages, and only there for blood
and plunder. How cruelty wrong
Let it be said in a single paragraph that
the hand which pens these lines has been
raised in several campaigns for the white
men against the Indians; that the writer
was three times terribly wounded in these
wars.
Some of these battles were fought in
Oregon, some in Idaho, some in California.
Some are matters of record; but for the most
part they are perishing from the memory of
man-as the pioneers who bore part with
him are perishing from the earth. However,
it is one brief record which bears the great
seal of the State of California. It is given
here because it is brief; not at all because it
shows the writer to the best advantage
fact for which he cares not the snap of his
fngerl
HEADQUARTERS
ADJUTANT GENERALS OFFICE,
STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
SACRAMENTO CAL, December l5, 1883.
Joaquin Miller, New York:
DEAR SIR: In answer to your letter adj
dressed to General, now Governor, Stonenan,
l have to say that 1 find. on examination of the
records on file in this office. that you served as
volunteer in one of the early Modoc wars,
known as the "Pitt River expedition" from
March the 10Th, 1857. to May the I'd, 1857. for 4S
days 1t also appears that you furnished your
own horse and equipments. 1t further ap-
pears that you are the only one who took part
in said expedition that never received any
compensation for his services. The fault is
probably your own, in not applying for it. But
now, after the lapse of more than quarter of
a century there Is no money in the Treasury
for the payment of such claims. Your remedy
is by special act of the Legislature of the State
of California Respectfully yours Il ,aosav
Adjutant General for the State of California.
(Seal of California.)
As if I had asked for certificate of this
record for the money there was
in it. Still let some young fnancier who is
apt at arithmetic stop here and calculate
how much this one State, to say nothing of
Idaho, Oregon, Arizona and the Federal
States also might be owing me now in gold
L
any source whatever, accepted 1 cent for my
services. Take this one account of Califor-
mia, which she frankly says, under the great
seal, is due me, and see what it would
amount to at annual interest for more than
80 years. The pay allowed was S. per day
for horse and equipments; the same for a
man. But compute and compound, after
ascertaining the amount due at the rate of
$40 per day "for 4S days" You will find
that certain great State is owing to q eer-
tain humble person not only all the gold on
the great glittering dome of her Capitol,
but the Capitol itself. Aye, the very State
itself. Let her people then, her strong, new
people, who are pushing US older ones off the
globe, not be too eager to accuse and find
fault with the work have done until that
work is in some sort paid for. And now let
us look into the campaign "for 48 days"
We will have only the plain, true story of
an expedition against the early Modocs
through the cleaning SHOWS and under the
somber pines of majestic Mount Shasta.
And why this expedition? Because in
February, 1857, the Modoc and Pitt river
Indians rose up one night and massacred
every white person, with the single excep-
ton of myself in all the vast region now
comprised in Modoc county.