The morning call., 1891-08-09
FIGHTING FOR HER CHILDREN.
shot and wounded She Retreats SIX Hun
dred Yards, and by Her Cool Judgment,
Extraordinary Bravery and Presence Of
Mind Reaches a Place Of Safety for
Her Little Ones and Herself - Her e.
feGuVe Work with Shotgun and Pistol.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL


that Of Mrs. Eliza p. Bowman of MendO-
cino County, to whom the people of the
whole of Northern California give honor
and admiration for her most unusual
bravery and endurance, shown in fight
for the lives of herself and children against
band Of cruel and coWardly Indians, who
had escaped from the HOopa Reservation.
She was widow with six children at the
time, who lad taken up 16O acres Of bottom
land, well covered with redwood and other
valuable timber, three miles from Fort
Grant, in Humboldt County, on the main
Eel River, and about thirty miles from the
town Of Hydesville.
This she used as a stock ranch going eX-
tensvely into dairyinE. running the cows On
the home place and also on a cattle range
which she owned some three miles away.
Nine days before the attack upon Mrs.
Bowman and her children, the Indians had
murdered a man named Delaceau and plum
dered his place near Hydesyiile, aud the
United States soldiers were then On their
trail. but nine days behind time, tracking
them with Indians from the reservation.
THE MARAUDING BAND
Were Klamath Indians Of the tribe known
as the HOopas. There were about eight or
ten Indians in the band and several squaws.
On the 18th Of March, 1869. at about
O'Clock in TIE morning, the believing and
other strange actions of a Spanish COW
alarmed Mrs. BoW man, who had heard
rumor Of Indian Uutrages. and naturally felt
uneasy in such lonely region with her
little family dependent upon her for protec-
ton.
Her eldest son, Dick, was away at the cat
tie range, having taken with him the only
rife that they had.
The next boy, Andy, was only about
10 years cd But in that days encounter
!, IL. I
dence OF the bravery aud endurance that
distinguished him in later years in the long
hunt after the notorious Mendocino out
laws and like adventures.
As soon as Mrs. Bowman noted the
strange actions Of the Spanish COW she
awakened the children, telling them to
dress as quickly as possible, and taking her
station al the door, with a double barreled
shotgun loaded with buckShot, watched the
place on the hillside toward which the at
tention Of the COW was directed.
Mrs. Bowman thought that she could
make out the shape Of an Indian. sitting in
a croucaed position behind manzanita
bush, but she was not sure. as the light was
still dim in the early morning hour and even
had she been sure she had no defense avail
able al that distance.
She sat at the door with the gun across
her lap, watching while the eldest girl
MIXED the cows and turned them out of
the corral TO pasture. They all browsed
SHE GAVE ONE HURRIED LOOK
A the spot on the hillside, turned and ran
back, believing TO her calf, showing the
greatest fear and anxiety.
Mrs. Bowman, convinced by these actions
that the object On the hill was an Indian,
turned in her chair to tell the little girl to
run to Dave Wald's house, which was about
800 yards away, to give the alarm and OBJ
tain his help, when the Indian rose into full
view, took aim and fired at Mrs. Bowman.
The bullet from MIME rife struck Mrs.
Bowman to the lett Of the navel, ranged
round the body, and in its course fractured
the top of the hip-GOne.
Calling to the children to run for their
lives and to take what was called the upper
trail to Wards cabin they started out of
one door and Mrs Bowman out of the other.
She intended to go over the piOwed field TO
try to keep between the children and the
Indians and by so doing direct the attack to
herself and give her little ones time to reach
the cabin in safety.
The youngest child, a little girl, wild with
fear, ran back to the mother So with the
child to help along, her gun to carry and the
pain OF a wound that she supposed must be
mortal, to have to run the gantlet of those
eco yards, with band of yelling Indians in
sight, was an undertaking to make even the
braVeSt heart sink.
The other children had scattered like
quail, and, almost as fleet of foot, were well
on their way to the cabin.
AuuN, Will dll llilueuSe Olu huSSldn
pistol, ran behind the others, giving them
what protection he could.
Mrs. Bowman, walking almost backward,
with her gun cooked, waited to be sure that
an Indian was
WITHIN RANGE
Before firing. Walking thus, with her face
turned to the Indians, she finally stumbled
and as she fell one OF these wild" Indians
exclaimed in good English: % you,
now Eve got you"
As she rose he dropped upon one
Enee, taking deliberate aim at her. She
drew her gun on him, firing instantly.
The charge struck him full in the face
He fell backward with yell, arose and
ran, and the whole baud scattered into the
brush like pack of cowardly ours.
Her shotgun had been loaded with nine
bucks hot in each barrel, but her little how
had loaded it. and being afraid of its kick
ing, he was in the habit of using light
charge OF powder, otherwise Mrs. Bowman's
first shot would have killed the Indian out
right
Taking advantage of the temporary lull in
the hOstilities, Mrs. Bowman hurried on at
the best speed possible. impeded as she was
by her little child and weak from the loss OF
Blood.
A few moments after the Indians had
scattered. one, who seemed to be in author
ity, harangued and rallied the band. But
the brief delay had given Mrs. Bowman the
advantage Of little more distance from her
pursueTs.
The Indian who had rallied the others fol-
lowed after Mrs Bowman, dancing from side
to side of large Newfoundland dog that
they had stolen from Deleceau's place.
mis-. bowman, in relating the experience
OF that day to the writer. said that she
could never forget the horrid expressions,
gestures, and peculiar chant of
THIS RED DEMON,
As he danced from side to side of the dog
In the open field, never still for one in
slant in order TO prevent her from getting
aim at him.
He was so near that she could have shot
him. but her cool judgment was here shown
by keeping this last shot, for as soon as it
was gone, she would have been defense
less.
While she still had one shot left they
feared her, aud she resolved, if possible, to
Keep it until the children had reached
ward place, then TO sell her own life as
dearly as she could and give Ward a chance
TO rescue the child that was with her.
About this time one of the Indians rested
his gun on the fence to get better aiIn and
shot at the eldest girl The bullet whistled
close TO her ear, but did not touch her.
These shots were the most dangerous and at
the closest quarters. But from the time of
the flight from their home until they reached
Wards there were at least twenty shots
fired at her and her children.
When they were all very near Wards
house, the big Indian, who had kept up
his dance, lodging down, first on Que side
Of the dog and then on the other, while
chanting his blood-curd!ing song, fearing
that Mrs. Bowman would finally escape took
aim and fired at her. The bullet whfzzed SO
close TO her that she involuntarily lodged
from it, a fact at which she has since often
laughed. well knowing how unavailing such
an act would have been
HAD HE COME NEARER HIS MARK.
One Of the little girls had by that time
reached the cabin and given the alarm, and
Ward, running out, shot twice at the In
dams, wounding one, which caused another
retreat.
He and Mrs. Bowman then gathered the
children and took refuge with MS family in
the house. ~
me Indians tao turned back to plumber
ana Duin -ars. Bowman's home, and the
s9ua"> came up with the band, as they did
VI or each attack upon settlers, to carry off
10 In LIa hla