The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-02
GRIM-VISAGED WAR.
HerOism of the First Infantry
Regiment, n. G. C.
Trouble in Amador-The Call to Arms-To the
Front-Drytown Captured Surrender of
Sutter Creek Victory.

An Old veteran was recently reciting the
many deeds of heroism he had seen on the
field of battle during the great War OF the
Rebellion. He was new arrival and greatly
interested his numerous hearers who were
gathered around him in one OF the National
Guard armories in this city.
After he had told a number of blood
curdIng incidents of Bulls Run and other
Io:abe events, ard was preparing TO relate
yet another, an irreverent member of the
company interrupted him by the remark
that the stories were not a circumstance to
what he could tell of the great and only war
in which the California militia had been
pitted against a p-waIful en- my, md after
a months privations and hard work re-
turned unscathed to their former peaceable
avocations, loaded with honors and gold
dust.
In the interested group of guardsmen
were some who had but just reached their
majority, others who had yet to ce .ebrate
that suspicious event and a few old-stagers
who had a shady recollection of having
heard, away in the dim past, traditions of
great war in which the State forces had
been engaged. To the majority of the party
the very mention of the great event was
news, so it was but natural that they should
hearken TO their comrade. and, forget ing
their country's wars, give ear tosthe story
which made their predecessors in arms IA
nous the country over and shed renown on
the valiant State militia.
4 RIVAL sToRY-TELLER.
AS soon as Quartermaster Koch had
stimulated the reminiscent faculties of the
story-teller with three fingers of the peculiar
lymph he dispenses on occasions, and Sar-
Seant Hay" hid commanded silence with
the military steTnness which the importance
of his rank demands, the veter; n guards
man cleared His throat and entered upon
the history of the AmadOr war.
In the spring of 1871, he said, the mi ners
of Suffer Greek, some 1900 strong, began to
have trouble with the mine-owners, and as
spring grew into summer, the relations be-
tween capital and labor instead of improv-
mg became more and more strained At
list the miners, made desperate by their
supposed grievances, quit work and threat
ened the destruction of all the mining prop
crty in the district. At this juncture the
companies appealed to the Governor for
protection Of their property by the military
forces OF the state, representing that the
whole county of Amadur was in the hands
Of a riOtouS mob, and that lawleSSness and
terrorism prevailed.
In reply Governor Hsight informed the
applicants that there were no funds at the
disposal of the authorities for any such pur-
Sheriff fur such protection as he could
afford. To this proposition the parties in
terest ID quickly made answer that the
= Sheriff was IN league with the miners, in
thorough sympathy with them, and could
not be relied upon to protect their interests
They received the charge that state OF
auar by prevailed over the county and as an
incentive to the Governor TO send an armed
force 10 their relief, offered TO pay all the
expenses of the expedition.
Under this pressure, which was added to
by the newspaper accounts of the uprising
the Governor ordered out the First Infantry
Regiment, y. q. c. In obedience to the
order the members Of the several companies
reported at the old armory on New Mont
gomery street, near Howard, in the fore
noon Of June 22d. Precisely at u O'Clock
Tegmental line was formed and the men
were addressed by their commander. Colo
mel now General W. H. l.. Barnes, who
briefly laid the facts before them and called
upon them to be brave and fearless in the
discharge of their duty. With the eloQuence
for which he was as noted then as now. he
reminded them that ii was the first oppor-
tunity ever afforded the California militia
for distinguishing itself, that the eye of the
State, the country, the world in fact, would
now be upon them and it behoOYed them to
uphold the dignity of the flag at all costs.
Personally he believed in their vaor, and
If in the path of duty they engaged the
enemy he telt they would give good ac-
count CT themselves. Then, in softer ca
dences, lie dwrlt upon the possibility that
all who went might not return, and urged
the pleasant reflection that if they fell their
memories would be engraved upon the i'm
pershable tablets of history as true SOL
dieTS who fought for their country and fell
in defense of her honor.
Before these somber thoughts had time to
sink too deeply into the minds of his hear
ers the oratOrical Colonel called them back
to things terrestrial by the announcement
that he would guarantee the soldiers SIS
day per man from the time of their de-
parture until their return. He also an
nounced that the eXpedltionary force should
consist of a battalion made up of Company
{ (National9 in its entirety, fifteen men
each from the Ellsworth Rifles and Sumner
Light Guard, and nine men each from the
HewSton Rifles Franklin Light Infantry
and City Guard. The battalion was or
deTed to report at o'clock and the regiment
WAS then dismissed.
SCENES AT THE ARMoRY.
As the press for days had been teeming
with flaming accounts Of the uprising and
had published the fact that the troops had
been called out, the neighborhOod OF the
armory was almost impossible for the
crowds that thronged around it, watching
the military preparations, large sprinkling
Of the thr0ng consisting of tie friends and
news of whom destiny should pick ont for
the dangerous service. A rush of these in
teLested ones followed the dismissal of the
troops. and their arguments, persuasions
and tears were for a while mingled
with the renewed hustle of prepara-
ton, the Wanting remarks of many
OF the chosen braves and the weak
rejoinderS of the timid ones. For awhile the
." sOos OF mothers, sisters and sweethearts
overcame every other sound, and il became
necessary to placate this UNEXPECTED de-
stroyer of discipline and nerve by granting
perm sSlOn to the guardSmen to go to war by
proXy. The high war pay made this settle
ment Of the difficulty an easy matter, and it
was not long before the last of the weeping
relatives carried off their blue-coated dar-
llngs in triumph.
But the removal of this disturbing ele-
ment did not alIay the excitement outside
the armory, which, as the time approached
for the muster of the picked battalion, grew
To fever heat. Indeed, all kinds of rumors
we're set afi0at, and when it was reported
that the strikers had attacked the mines,
fired the town Of Suffer Creek, and were
ready to defy the military arm of the State,
there was a yeritable quaking of knees
among the substitutes, who few hours be-
lore enlisted for the expedition in the belief
that the services expected Of them, notwith-
Standing the reported gravity OF tue case,
would be merely nominal. They now reeog-
niZed the error of their calculations and
could not help betraying nervousness, but
it was too late to withdraw, and buckling
on their accoBtrementS with as big show
OF bravery as they could command they
patiently awaited marching orders.
COUNCIL OF WAR.
At o'clock all the officials of the town
were gathered at the armory, giving coun-
sci ana advice. In consultation with them
was the Adjutant- General, Thomas N. Caz-
neau. Following their council ammunition
was served out, the men took up their Henry
rifles, the drum beat, the details, numbering
100 men, of whom II were drummers fell in
and the orders for the formation of the bat