The Business of Extermination

California Amnesia Edition

California upon its establishment, killed or displaced more American “Negro” Indians than the entire states united combined. Somehow this fact has been hidden from public school indoctrination. California is touted as the bastion of values, democratic principles, and justice, however this could not be further from the truth. California is, and was treacherous. Immigrants from all across the realm came to California in search of riches, and they had no problem killing for them.

The Catholic Church in California participated, fomented, supported and enabled the tragedy, and to this day is viewed as a friend. It would seem appropriate to revisit this topic, specifically lest the sane minds forget. The voiceless victims of this evil deserve to have their stories told. It should never be forgotten. It is ugly, and it is shameful, yet it is what built the riches and lives of California's elites today. The following excerpts are from the book, “Ancestry Lost,” by Jean-Baptiste Guillory (2018):

“The corporate interests, and Governor of early California already had a plan, and it was quite simple:

“...a war of extermination will continue to be waged between the races until the Indian race becomes extinct must be expected.”

“In my former message to the Legislature I recommended the necessity and propriety of excluding free persons of color from the State.”

“...still it may be safely assumed, that no race of men, under the precise circumstances of this class [aboriginals] in our State, could ever hope to advance a single step in knowledge or virtue. Placed by our institutions and our usages (stronger than law) in a degraded and subordinate political and social position, which but reminds them at every step of their inferiority, and of the utter hopelessness of all attempts to improve their condition as a class, they are left without motive to waste their labor for that improvement which, when attained, brings them no reward . However talented, wise, and virtuous, they are not permitted to enter the race for fame; and if they should acquire wealth, not being permitted to testify against a white man, even in a criminal case, they are left in many cases with- out actual protection, to be plundered with perfect impunity. They have no ideas and no recollections of a separate national existence – no alliance with great names or families – no page of history upon which are recorded the glorious deeds of the past – no present privileges – and no hope for the future. To expect any race of men thus situated to make any sensible improvement as a class, is the wildest dream of the imagination, and utterly incompatible with all our sober experience. That there are excellent and intelligent person of color is doubtless true; but our legislation must regard them as a class, and not as individuals. While our laws professedly admit all of this class to reside in the State, they are so framed as effectually to exclude the better portion; for surely there can exist no intelligent and independent man of color, who would not promptly scorn the pitiful boon we offer him of a residence in the State, under conditions so humiliating.”

“We have certainly the right to prevent any class of population from settling in our State, that we deem injurious to our society.”

Peter Burnett, Democratic Governor of California 1849-51

Delivered 21 December 1849 [italics mines]

It is interesting to note that California Law is based upon English Common law and The Louisiana Civil Codes. It's frightening...

“Their complexion is much darker to that of the tribes further north, often being nearly black, so that with their matted, bushy hair which is frequently cut short, they present a very uncouth appearance.” [DIGGERS = NIGGERS]

The Digger Stereotype in California- Allen Lonnburg

JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY Vol. 3, No. 2. (1981). [italics mines]

The concerted structured plan of depopulation started by Peter Burnett, continued by Margaret Sanger and others, of California aboriginals and the aboriginal nation as a whole, was being engineered from gate one and as far along as the early to mid 1900's via structured Eugenics programs, The Negro Project and then taken over by the Tuskegee Experiment in the 1940's through 1969.

In fact, California's eugenics program was so successful that it was adopted for use by the Nazi Party in World War II. More on this topic later...

“The Indians have committed so many depredations in the North, of late, that the people are enraged against them, and are ready to knife them, shoot them, or INOCULATE THEM WITH SMALLPOX- ALL OF WHICH HAS BEEN DONE... since which time, they have had two men employed, at 8.00 per month to hunt down the Diggers [Niggers] , like other beasts of prey.”

The Destruction of the California Indians 1974

by Robert Heizer pp.251-252 , italics mines

The above quotation is chilling and what makes it so is the "matter of fact" tone, coupled with the ability to just print something like that in the public paper and the society except it without uproar. Its like talking about exterminating pests.

"We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro [ABORIGINALS] population..."

Margaret Sanger Letter to Dr. Clarence J. Gamble, December

10, 1939, p. 2 (creator of “THE NEGRO PROJECT)italics mines.

THE BUSINESS OF EXTERMINATION

In this chapter, it is intended to document some, but by far not all, of the horrors that the aboriginal people of California went through. I have cited the source for the documents, as most of them are easily verified....The whites formed groups called “subscribers” who would pool money to pay for the murder of the aboriginals in order to steal their land and resources. It was 5.00 dollars a scalp and 37.50 a body in Marysville, California and thousands were killed. Whites would come from out of the state, such as the “Oregonians”, and Ben Wright, who would shoot on sight anything not white, men women or children. He was a Eastern European psychopath, I believe.

A History of Northern California; A Memorial and Biographical History Chicago, IL

Lewis Publishing Co., 1891.

Pages 54-55:

"Indian Troubles" - Describes Indian-white relationships, especially the Shasta tribe and Rogue River Indians. The first bloody incident in Shasta County between the whites and the Indians occurred when two men, Turner and Gay, shot a Shasta Indian near the Klamath River on September 14, 1837. In 1846, Fremont's party of men was attacked while camping in Modoc County, near Klamath. Retaliation by the party ensued and many Indians were killed. In 1849, a "party of nineteen deserters from the United States forces stationed in Oregon" accidentally followed an Indian trail and came upon a camp of Shastas. The Indians killed three men.”

Page 113: Butte County - "Manoah Pence, on New Year's eve 1851, hospitably entertained six or seven Indians at his house, but with suspicions. The next morning he found the Indians slipping away with all his cattle. Pursuing them, he succeeded in wounding the chief, but not so as to disable him. Some time afterward the chief was caught and hung without process of law, in order to save Pence's life, which had been threatened by that villainous savage."

Pages 113-114: Butte County - "In 1853 the Tiger Indians stole cattle from Clark's Ranch. The chief 'Express Bill,' was caught by a company of seven men, under Pence acting as captain, and hung. The company went on until they found a camp of about thirty warriors, and heroically attacked them. The Indians had nothing but bows and arrows, and could do but little damage." Reinforcements arrived and the band was captured. 25 Indians were killed in the fight.

Page 114: Butte County - "In 1863 an organization of white men was effected, under N. H. Wells of Yankee Hill, who proceeded to remove the Indians from Butte County to a reservation; but in 1865 some of them returned and committed further depredations. The principle raids by the Indians were headed by a brave named Bigfoot."

Page 131: Del Norte County - The first white settlers of this area were persuaded to move further up the river by the local Indians. When they relocated, 3 whites were attacked by the Indians and two were killed. The remainder of the settlers found the Indian village and "put a majority of them to death."

Page 145: Lake County - A brief account of the Stone and Kelsey Massacre and the events leading up to it (fall of 1849). In the spring of 1850, General Lyons arrived and surrounded the Indians who had taken up residence on an island in the lake. A general massacre of the defenseless Indians ensued and few escaped.

Page 153: Lassen County - Three tribes were the major cause of disturbances: the Washoe, the Pah-Ute, and the Pit River. The first major conflict was in 1857 and was known as the "Potatoe War." The disturbance occurred between the Pit Rivers and a group of settlers under the leadership of Captain William Weatherbow. Other conflicts continued through the next three years until the tribe was "chastised by General Crook." "January 13, 1860, Dexter E. Demming was killed by the Smoky Creek band of the Pah-Utes" and the citizens of that area petitioned for aid from the government, "but in vain." The Washoe Regiment, a volunteer organization of 544 men, were joined by 207 U.S. troops under Captain J. M. Stewart and engaged in warfare June 2, 1860.

Page 159: Mendocino County - "Round Valley was first settled in 1856 as an Indian farm and stationed by Government employees from the Nome Lackee Indian Reservation. It was not,however, finally set off as a reservation in 1864, after many settlers' claims had been made within its confines."

Page 161: Napa County - The tribe of Napa Indians were reduced in number after 1838 by smallpox. Their food consisted of wild roots, earth-worms, small animals, grasshoppers, and bread made from crushed kernals of the buckeye. When George Yount arrived in 1831 he estimated the population of the Napa Valley to be between 3,000-5,000 of these Indians. Settlers claiming cattle losses surrounded a sweat-house on the Bale Ranch near Oakville and randomly shot the men as they emerged. In 1850 a party of men from Sonoma County killed 11 innocent Indians as theyemerged from a sweat-house. The men were never brought to trial.

[One common thread throughout all of my research is settlers using the excuse of cattle theft, horse theft, fearing for their lives or some made up tale, to justify wiping out entire villages of aboriginals in California.]

Page 174: Nevada County - May 7, 1860, Nevada County citizens were informed of a massacre of seven men. A group of approximately 100 men were formed, gathered ammunition, and followed the trail until the 12th. They were ambushed at this point, near Pyramid Lake, by a group of Piutes and many of the volunteers were killed. News of the event reached Nevada City and another group of 75 men set out and fought for six weeks.

Page 291: Trinity County - The Wintoons were on friendly terms with Major Reading; however, after he left the Trinity area all white men were declared Indians of the local Indians. In 1852 the Indians were massacred at the "bridge" and the remaining few agreed to peace. In March of 1852 a man by the name of Anderson was killed and his cattle taken. Revenge was sought and a few days later the Indian encampment was demolished.”

[Another aspect that is somehow overlooked historically is the total decimation of aboriginal people all over the Americas by disease, whether deliberately inoculated or by just plain contact between the groups.]italics mines.

Illustrations of Colusa County, California, With Historical Sketch San Francisco, CA Elliott and Moore 1880.

Notes: from the chapter "Indians of Colusa County"

Page 32: Sioc warned his people of the destruction the white men would bring them. He didn't trust them, and often would tell the tribe that these messengers were not really from the "Great White Chief." Smallpox diminished the number of the tribe drastically, and after Sioc's death "the Indians knew no restraints and indulged in all sorts of vices, died off rapidly."

Page 33: Indians destroyed by plague - Col. J. J. Warner reported on the conditions of the Indians in the Sacramento Valley in 1832-1833. He reported the drastic reduction in the Indian population due to plague within the year of 1832 on his trip up through the Sacramento Valley and in 1833 upon his return. (Plague was apparently smallpox.) By 1880 there were probably 1/2 as many Indians in the county as there had been in 1849. The remnant of the Colus tribe was living on Col. George Hager's ranch, many of them taking to agriculture. It was expected, however, that by 1890 there would no longer by enough survivors to warrant a rancheria.

Aginsky, Burt W. and Ethel G.

Deep Valley, New York, Stein and Day 1967.

Pages 16-17: In 1934, the Pomo Indians were the oldest residents in Ukiah. There were three rancherias in Deep Valley. The Indians worked with the whites in the fields. Only one restaurant in town served the Indians; it was owned by Chinese. The Indians could sit in the balcony only of the theater, could not attend church in town and could not hold a job in town, had to go to segregated schools. Many of the community participated in this discrimination.

Pages 17-18: The Pomo Indians in Ukiah lived in very run down and dilapidated houses. The whites in this community had mixed remarks about the Indians such as "they are dumb, stupid, dirty, ignorant, lazy, and no-good." "The lowest and dirtiest Indians in America. Diggers." On the other hand, others said they were a fine people and hard working even in the hot sun. "Give these people a chance and they will be alright." The Indians said the whites stole their land, and would not even let the Indians pick the rotting acorns off the ground so they could eat.

Pages 18-20: A 112 year old Pomo Indian in Ukiah, in 1935, summed up the universal consensus among the Indians insomuch as the Indians could not understand why they had helped out the whites when they got here but now the whites had stolen the land and the Indians were now nothing in the his eyes but a nuisances.

Page 20: Spainards slaughtered, raped, and enslaved these Indians whereas the Russians respected and intermarried with them (Pomo Indians).

Pages 81-82: It is mentioned that the Russians had always been friendly to the Pomos. They had built the lake people (Crysal Lake?) large wooden homes and made fast canoes for them.

Pages 206-208: Most of the new westerners to the Pomo area were male and most took the Pomo women as sexual partners. Few had them as wives. As a result, many of these "sexual partners" were cast off and discarded with whatever children they had on their own. The white women found out that their husbands were living with Pomo women while they, the wives, were on the East coast raising a family. When the wives arrived on the west coast to live with their husbands, the wives found out about the relationships of the Pomo women and their husbands and subsequently did not employ the Pomo women in their homes. The important positions of power held by some Pomos was totally abolished by the Spaniards and the whites when transported to the reservations.

Allen, James Michael

Wi-Ne-Ma New York Vantage Press, 1956.

Pages 70-71: Judge Steele, who later became Indian agent of the area, went to Washington to request that the Modoc lands be set aide as a reservation, but the Department of the Interior felt the land was too rich and fertile to set aside as a reservation and suggested that the Modocs be sent to the Klamath Reservation to live with the Klamaths (their enemies). Later, Judge Steele tried to help them file their land under the "Pre-emption Law" but applicants had to be citizens of the United States and the courts ruled Indians were not citizens. Therefore, their claims were turned down.

Pages 73-79: The Ben Wright Massacre - The Modocs were credited with an attack on an emigrant train, killing almost all of the occupants. A Yreka citizen, Ben Wright, organized a plan for punishing the murderers. He and his followers went to a place on the west side of Tule Lake called Black Point and set up a tent with a white flag and called the Modoc warriors in to parley – where they were almost all poisoned and murdered. From that time on the Modocs could not muster a fighting force and were too weak and stunned to attempt any retaliation. The administration of Washington praised Wright highly and in recognition of his meritorious service appointed him Indian Agent in another part of the country.”

Indians of California, Past and Present

San Francisco, CA

American Friends Service Committee, 1960.

Page 6: Under the early statues of California the county justice of the peace was made guardian of the Indians. An Indian who was unfortunate enough to be fined for an infraction of the law could have his labor sold to the highest bider to pay the fine. Any Indian might be hauled before a justice of the peace, might be judged as an able-bodied vagrant, and might have his labor sold for four months to the highest bidder. An Indian was also prohibited from bringing an action against a white man in any court and the testimony of an Indian was not admissible in any court. These laws lasted until the present codes were enacted in the 70s. When you remember that the national government had abandoned the California Indians, you will see that there was no court or power of state to which an Indian might appeal.

Page 6: When the Indians tried to work, there weren't jobs open to them. In order to live they had to steal or accept charity. Groups were organized to prevent cattle raids. Some citizens object to slaughters, but most people agreed with the state legislature that it was justified. Under the American system, Indians lost rights guaranteed by the treaty. The California constitutional convention took away their vote by inserting the world "white" into the appropriate sentence of the state constitution. Indenture of Indian children and adults was legalized and they could be "leased"to a non-Indian for years. The newspaper Alta California on October 2, 1854 ran an article which read in part "abducting Indian children has become quite a common practice. Nearly all of the children belonging to some of the Indian tribes in the northern part of the state have been stolen. They are taken to the southern part of the state and there sold."

Pages 8-9: "The Long Years" - In 1894 "there are thousands of California Indians to be found in this state, most of them civilized to a certain degree, and perhaps none of them living under any well-defined tribal government. They live generally by themselves, in small villages or communities, and yet in constant contact with the white man, most of them, at times being employed as laborers, in the harvest fields, and in fishing, or as servants in families, or otherwise."

California Supreme Court Decision quoted in C. S. Goodrich "Legal Status of the California Indians," California Law Review, March 1926, page 164. In 1894 "Indian families who live on ranches of settlers pay nothing for the use of the land but must furnish their own living quarters, which are usually of the most primitive kind. Some of them do not want steady work, just enough to live on. This is due to a considerable extent to the traffic among them by bootleggers and vendors of narcotics. When these can be kept away, they are much better workers."

"Common Wealth Class," Of. Cit., 1926, page 122.

Anderson, George E. and W. H. Ellison. and Robert F. Heizer

Treaty Making and Treaty Rejection by the Federal Government in California, 1850-1852. Socarro, New Mexico Ballena Press, 1978.

Page 27: The 18 treaties were submitted to the Senate by President Fellmore on June 1, 1852. They were ref. to committee on Indian Affairs and ordered printed in confidence for the use of the Sen., and on July 8, 1852, were rej. by the Sen. in exer. session.

Page 35: The Sen. imposed an injunction of secrecy on the treaties which was not removed until January 18, 1905. Copies given to Indians not governed by this sec. req. Copies of some were printed in California Newspapers of the time.

Anderson, Robert A.

Fighting the Mill Creeks

Chico, CA Chico Record Press, 1909.

Pages 5-7: Jack Spaulding, H. Good, R. Anderson, and 12 others in winter of 1857 go Indian hunting for four days. Indians attack first but no losses.

Pages 7-8: Indians stole mules from Deer Creek resident's barn. Good, Jones, Carter, Anderson made contact with Mill Creek Indians near a bed of Dry Creek. Recaptured plunder. No Indians or whites killed.

Page 10: In spring 1859, $3000 raised for campaign against Indians by local settlers. Eight men engaged to hunt Indians for two months. General Kerby sent Captain Burns to take command of the party. On June 15th, Burns unfit. Breckenridge elected a captain.

Page 15: Whites shot at by Indians at Mill Creek Canyon. No one hurt.

Page 19: At sawmill northeast of Red Bluff Indians killed bull puncher.

Page 21: Between Forest Ranch and Chico Creek Canyon chased down an Indian scout and killed him. Took his scalp.

Page 22: Killed Spaniard in company of Indians at forks of Butte Creek. Battles between Indian camp and hunting party. Killed forty Indians. No whites killed. Whites plundered camp.

Page 25: Going into Chico Creek Canyon six or seven Mill Creeks ambush whites. No casualties among whites. Anderson killed Indian.

Page 26: Teamsters on Keafer Ridge road attacked. One shot

Page 29: Captured Butte Creek Indian. The old Captain. He got 15 Butte Creeks to say would help whites fight Mill Creeks. Escaped from Anderson and shot twice.

Page 36: 15 "volunteer" Indians escape from Andersons.

Page 37: Andersons place on Deer Creek burned, plundered.

Page 39: Killed Indians at Deer Creek Canyon camp.

Page 40: Captured Indian "Billy" killed by Breckendridge.

Page 41: Old Chief "The Doctor" shots at whites and is killed.

Page 44: Kirby captured no Mill Creeks in his campaign - rounded up peaceful Indians and sent to the reservation.

Page 58: Whites fought Indians at cliffs above Sulfer Creek. One Indian killed. Anderson took SCALP.

Page 86: First injustice was by whites against Mill Creek.

tacked Indian camp killing several Indians. One white killed.

The next author makes a strong case for the self sustaining nature of the aboriginals in California. One only has to remember the tons of salmon that used to be in the local rivers. Food was so abundant in California before the whites came that the people would only have to harvest fish and acorns once a year to sustain them. The rest of the time would be spend on other things. Food was never a problem. In fact now they have to put fish in the rivers, at Nimbus Dam to sustain the population of California Salmon. They called the niggers 'lazy' when in fact they never had to work to sustain themselves, the land for tens of thousands of years was always enough.

Bailey, Henry Clay

Indians of Sacramento Valley

Quarterly

San Bernadino County Museum Association, vol 7, no 1.

Bloomington, CA 1959.

Pages 2-4: Circular houses and how they were made and smelled. Every day schedules and habits of Indians on the rancheria. Children were always swimming for play time. Learned to swim before they walked. Always got along. Indians never had an enemy until white man. In 1853 the Richardson brothers raised the first vegetable garden in the valley. 60 miles from Colusa they made camp and went into the slave traffic.

All but one would go hunting. One day one was left with two Indians. When the party came back his head was cut off and the Indians were gone. They sold the slaves for $50.

Pages 4-6: Very stoic, suffer less from the same cause than most tribes of the earth. Whiskey, very abundant, absolutely beyond conception, and repulsive beyond description. Dress (males), Sacramento Digger hasn't advanced to fig leaf stage; (females) skirt of two parts, wild hemp, reaching to almost the knees. A know at the waist. Men were seldom under 5'8". Endurance incredible. Female, height 5'5". Hair somewhat like the Elizabeth style. Hair dressed with something like tar, turban shaped flat on top. Put tar on eyes to mouth, chin different color. Fat squaws were the rule.

Pages 6-8: Fields of wild oats and seed bearing plants. Acorns - tons were gathered. Hulled acorns with teeth. Made cakes from acorns - looked like Pd. Cake. Clover - chief food. Birds and Eggs - endless supply. Fresh water mussels. Feb-May - Feasted on wild geese. March-April – salmon. Could buy 25 lbs. for a quart of flour. Fall - when river got dry caught fish with hands. Got enough fish it could cover acres of land when dried.

Pages 8-9: Water baskets - grass roots, models of symmetry and workmanship. Feather work -perfect work, beauty and patience. Bead work - most elaborate work was done on fiesta toggery.

None of the tribes attempted agriculture. Men - made bows and arrows, fine craftsmanship. Never killed anything with them but small birds. Ornaments - traded abalone shells, polished and cut. Volcanic glass - arrows. Wealth - counted by beads, local trader sold them a dollar per lb. Twine and rope up to 50's were standard wealth.

Pages 10-11: Indian Theology has same two elements of rewards and punishments as Christianity. Sacramento Indian has no religious rites unless fiestas were in someway a religious affair. Death -buried with belongings. Body was doubled into a ball and wrapped in rope.

Pages 17-18: Early in 1850 a regular slave trade in the mountains boarding the upper Sacramento Valley from Clear Lake to Strong Creek. Slave drivers dashed to camp and shot men and women. Caught all boys and girls from eight to fourteen years old. Sold all over Sacramento County. Some were taken as far as San Francisco. Quite active from 1854 to 1858, especially from 1855 to 1856. In 1857 anti-slave sentiment started against the trade. A general crusade was underway. Few arrests were made. Indians were given liberty and some were taken back to camps from which they had been stolen.”

[In California, John Sutter is a hero. His name is affixed to many a institution, including his old slave fort and a brand new hospital, however don get it twisted. Captain John Sutter was a vicious killer, child trafficker, profiteer and slaver in general. His entire legacy is built upon the destruction of the California aboriginals for profit and power, however this has been cleverly concealed from the masses. He is touted as some hero, when in fact he was a top shelf wheeler and dealer whose voracious appetite for child slaves, property, money and power, drove his empire of destruction.] italics mines.

Take for example, Pierce B. Reading who a city is named after.He believed that the 3-400 aboriginal men women and children, who were on the land that the corporate construct granted him, was a “very good advantage,” because he could work them like “Negros in the south,” and “convert them into loyal subjects” all on a 45 square mile ranch. Ok, so 300-400 loyal subjects working like Negros in the south on a plantation basically. The next question begs to be asked, “Just how exactly are you going to convert 300-400 people to be slaves on their own land?” Through violence and terror. They would either accept enslavement or get wiped out. There are other “hero's” interwoven into the fairy tale as well, in fact too many to list.

Kit Carson, Freemont, Sutter, Reading, Burnett, it doesn’t really matter at this point, because that is where people get stuck at.

The past is just that. Some People, the majority of so called Black and White people, are having trouble moving on because the fairy tale keeps them on a quantum level anchored into the past, almost like a yoke. People's heads are down and looking at that past, feeling sorry for themselves, or guilty or even gloating, but still mired in a fairy tale that actually serves no purpose except to Shepard generations into a position to be economically farmed. There is an entire industry that makes money of of this fairy tale, from so called, inter alia, “Black Pan-African's,” to religious groups, academics, media, and the like.

They don’t care if its bullshit, “that shit is paying!” Its sad because if one were to consider the economic losses being taken by this fairy tale approach.

The fairy tale approach actually costs money. Case in point:

How many more scientists, engineers, etc., would we as a nation produce if everyone, irrespective of skin color, was in “the game?” Our production level of qualified people excludes by default an entire segment of the population, and their exclusion means less future revenue. An entire segment of the population wont be buying homes, paying taxes, or generating any significant revenue. Would it not be better math to offer everyone the same true education, afford the same benefits, put more people to work in meaningful jobs and generate real revenue, and then tax the shit out of us? It seems that would make more money than allowing a small few to win while having the rest with their hand stuck out looking for aid of some sort. Unless it wasn’t about the money it was about keeping a dependent underclass, I don’t know?

History of California, Vol. 4. The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, vol. 23. Santa Barbara, CA Wallace Hebbard, 1970.

Chapter 5, page 137: Sutters Fort - Visits and books. 1839, Sutter's policy on Indians -constant vigilance, prompt punishment of offenses.

Chapter 22, pages 544: Rule of Pico and Castro - Political Annals. 1845, Sutter's men conducted a few successful Indian raids on hostile rancherias. Also some degree of success in making treaties with several chieftains. The captain still sold Indian children and the labor of older captives to his creditors around the bay. Footnote: Sutter. Sund correspondence, M. S., 2721; Dept. St. Pap., MS vi 177; Dept. Rec., MS., xiv.10. Related item: page 138, "...he always took care to capture (Indian children) for this purpose only children from distant or hostile tribes.

Bonsal, Stephen -Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a Pioneer in the Path of an Empire. New York G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1912.

Pages 174-186: Beale arrived in California as General Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California and Nevada in 1853. Census of Indians 70 thousand and "melting away every day before the pressure of the white population and owing to the harassing desperation of circumstances over which we have no control." Beale expected this lack of a system would lead to war. The majority of the state's population loudly favored extermination but Beale resisted them. Beale's plans outlined in a Senate speach and a letter from Beale was included in the speach. The letter described the condition of the Indians. Beale recommended a policy of humanity and fair dealings with the Indians. The 1853 amendment to bill regulating Indian affairs adopted Beal's plan for five small military reservations to exceed 25 thousand acres. Money was appropriated to protect Indians from whites. Massacre of Trinity River, 130 scalps of Indians brought home. Beal's report recommendations: (1) subsistence of half-a-million dollars, (2) military reservations, (3) officers shall reside on reserves assigned to them, and (4) abolish Indian agencies with six sub-agents to be appointed $1500 each to reside and teach the Indians farming and other duties.

Brace, Charles Loring

The New West: or, California in 1867-1868 New York

G.P. Putnam & Son, 1869.

Hodge- podge of misinformation and prejudice regarding the "digger"(sic) Indians who Brace describes as "the lowest tribe of the human race"(sic). Also included is Brace's misinformed opinions and prejudices regarding their customs, physical appearance, religious beliefs, and history.

Page 296: Friday morning on August 15, 1862 - At Tehama, there was a circus in town. "At least two-thirds were Digger Indians, who enjoyed the riding much, but were decidedly undemonstrative as to the rest."

pg 300-301: Shasta August 31, 1862, near Hubbard Ranch. "quite a number of Indinas, 'Diggers', about- they often stopped near camp and stared wonderingly at us." Describes the appearance in detail of both men and women. "These Indians are peaceable and nearly harmless when in no larger numbers than they are here, notwithstanding the unnumbered wrongs they have endured from the mining population of whites."

"...There are now Indian troubles at various places in the upper part of the state- white men are murdered, etc., troops are out- and as yet I have not heard a single intelligent white man express any opinion but that they whites were vastly more to blame than the Indians."

Page 338: At Chico and vicinity on October 11, 1862. A young Indian from the Bidwell ranch was their guide up the canyon. After they got up to where the canyon became abrupt the Indian pretended not to know the trail, but they urged him in. "At last he stopped and told us that he did not wish to go any farther, that he was afraid of Indians, that four persons had been murdered in that immediate vicinity within a few months, that his own brother had been shot in the arm, that Indians might be lurking anywhere, and that he was afraid to go any farther." A teamster had been shot and horses killed, two girls were killed when they were blackberry picking, and their brother was found two weeks later sixty miles away where they had tortured him. Band of volunteers had "followed them for a hundred miles, and, after finding the... boy, had killed indiscriminately all the wild Indians they could find, male or female."

Pages 474-475: Camped at Yreka, often visited by Indians. There was a large encampment near us. Some of them were the best looking I had yet seen in the state, far superior to the miserable Diggers of the central part of the state... These Indians are the remains of several tribes, the Klamath, Shasta, Siskiyou, and another tribe - now all united into one which numbers about two HUNDRED WARRIORS.

Page 493: Crescent City, "Quite a number of Indians live in the city, and not a few white men have squaws for their wives - a sad feature of the civilization of many of these back places. one sees as many half-breed children as he does pure bloods of either race. What is to become of these half-breeds, and what their situation is to be in the future society of various parts of this country, is a serious problem. It is a good American doctrine that a man not entirely white has few rights or privileges that a pure white is bound to respect, and as abuse and wrong has thus far failed to civilize and raise the Indians, it is, indeed, a serious problem. "The Indian wars now going on; and those which have been for the last three years in the counties of Klamath, Humboldt, and Mendocino, have most of their origin in this. It has for years been a regular business to steal Indian children and bring them down to the civilized parts of the state, even to San Francisco, and sell them - not as slaves, - but as servants to be kept as long as possible." Mendonino county many children stolen and parents killed. "This was the cause."

Ben Wright of the Oregonians

Page 494: "Of course, the innocent people suffer. And yet these hostile Indians are but very few -not two hundred are left. They are the desperadoes and outlaws from several, with whom the friendly tribes have no dealings. Nothing short of their absolute extermination can bring peace, and it is a costly matter. They are well acquainted with all the intricacies of the mountains, they are brave to desperation, and they live only to wreak their vengeance on the race that has wronged them."

Britt, Albert- Great Indian Chiefs - A Study of Indian Leaders in the 200 Year Struggle to Stop White Advance Freeport, NY Books for Libraries Press, 1969.

Page 3: Captain Jack was hanged as a murderer.

Page 229: In 1856, Wright organized a party at Rogue River for hunting Indians. 45 men and a few women of the Modoc tribe were invited to a council meeting with whites by natural bridge. The whites attacked the Modocs, only 5 Indian men escaped. One of the Modocs killed was Captain Jack's father. In 1868, Modocs sent to Klamath Reservation in Oregon. There they were confronted with their enemy, the Klamaths. They had constant problems between each other, mostly about land. A Modoc became sick and a Klamath shamon treated him. The patient died. Believing that the shamon did it on purpose the Modocs killed him. An arrest was made and the others were sent back to Fort Klamath.

Brown, Vinson and Douglas Andrews

The Pomo Indians of California and Their Neighbors

editor Albert B. Elsasser

Healdsburg, CA Naturegraph Publishers, 1969.

Page 9: Russians at Fort Ross, 1812-1847, traded with local Pomo and Miwok Indians. Intermarried with them. Supplied some Pomo with arms. Later, some Russians stole Indian children and shipped them to Russia. Relations deteriorated. In 1823, Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma founded by Fr. Jose Altimira. Fathers begin to gather converts. Flogging begins. Friction developes. In 1834, General Mariamo Vallejo secularizes mission at Sonoma. Enlists Chief Solano to help fight Pomo. Chief Saccara of Healdsburg area Pomo fights bravely with his people, but crushed by superior arms of Salvador Vallejo and hundreds die. From 1834-1847, the Vallejos carve out empire in Sonoma and Napa Counties, and they enslave Indians and Salvador treats them cruelly. In 1848, gold rush brings miners and settlers. A few Indians join gold rush, but others are formed to help miners as virtual slaves. Grannde R. Swift enslaved Indians in Sonoma Valley, using chains and whippings.

Page 10: In 1849, Stone and Kelsey, ranchers near Clear Lake, treat Pomo so badly that two Pomo cowboys, Shuk and Zasis, execute them. In revenge, the army attacks innocent group of Pomo on island in Clear Lake, killing a large number of men, women, and children. Also, other Pomo are attacked near Ukiah. Pomo spirit is crushed by these massacres. In 1870, Ghost Dance revival reaches Pomo Medicine men of Wintun. Come to say big wind will destroy all white people. Story came from Paiute. Indians of Clear Lake had built underground shelters to escape wind, and dance Ghost Dance. Ghost Dance discredited when wind does not come, and disheartened Pomo return to their home. Southwestern Pomo have hard journey to home by sea. Many die on the way. They had come to Clear Lake with high hopes. From 1870-1924, Pomo submerged with little hope. Work for white people at menial jobs. Second-class citizens, often not allowed in restaurants or theaters. Old Pomo religion, called Maru, combination of old Kuksu religion with adventist type Ghost Dance religion of 1870. Continued with many Pomo under leadership of dream doctors, mainly women. Other Pomo's join various Christian denominations. Kashia, or southwestern Pomo, least touched by white culture, best maintain old Pomo culture and religion. In 1904 a group of Yokaya Pomo near Ukiah win court test and control own land despite white attempt to take it. In 1907, Ethan Anderson, Pomo of Lake County, wins court test to allow a non-reservation Indian to vote. In 1918, Society of Northern California Indians, include many Pomo, organized to seek long-delayed jutice. In 1920, Pomo and other northern California Indians start court action to be paid for lands lost to whites.

Brown, William S.

California Northeast, the Bloody Ground, Annals of Modoc

Oakland, CA Bio Books, 1951.

Page 35: In 1866, the "Woody ground," included Camps Warner, Fort Yainax, C.F. Smith, and Klamath in Oregon, soldiers Meadows in west, Nevada and Fort Bidwell, Jones and Crook in Northeast California can under command of George Crook. Indian bands hard to track down. Would fight only when they had advantages of position and numbers.

Page 36: Crook ran the Modoc perpetrations of the Fall river outrage down on shores of Clear Lake, near the California-Oregon border, thirty-seven Indian warriors fell.

Page 94: Paddy Dick, a Paiute chief roused some 500 warriors to don war paint and indulge in war dances. Old Shavetail, a minor Pit River Indian chief , traveled from camp to camp preaching that now was the time to fight or else reconcile themselves for all time to the continuing restrictions of reservation life.

Browne, John Ross

Crusoe's Island: A Ramble in the Footsteps of Alexander Selkirk With Sketches of Adventure in California and Washoe New York Harper and Brothers, 1864.

Pages 284 -308 - The Indians of California: This is a description of how white man has exterminated the Indians in California. The major topic discussed is the reservation system, its costs, problems of feeding and clothing Indians, no protection from white settlers, massacres that occurred on reservation.

The Indians of California

San Francisco, CA Colt Press, 1944.

This book is a first-hand account of the "serious frauds committed by agents in the use of government supplies; and in denouncing the outrageous treatment of the Indians on the reservations." Although dealing with California Indians in general, Browne goes into specific detail regarding the massacres in Northern California by white settlers. Also discussed in his book are treaties, Indian agents, government policies, and various depredations by whites against the Indians.

Intro: John Ross Browne, born in Ireland in 1821, and came to America in 1833. In 1855 he was appointed customs official and Inspector of Indian Affairs on the Pacific Coast. He was both officient and fearless in exposing serious frauds committed by agents and in denouncing the outrageous treatment of the Indians on reservations.

Page 2: Approximate date, 1855 - Indians working, working in vine, growing districts were paid in native brandy every Saturday night, put in jail the next morning and bailed out Monday morning. They then had the week to work off their "bail."

Page 7: Approximately 1855 - Treatment of Indians; Diggers could not understand why they should be murdered, rapped and hunted down, without any other pretense of provocation than the color of their skin and the habits of life to which they had always been accustomed.

Page 8: Approximately 1855, Indians didn't realize the reason they were suffering was "for the great cause of civilization; which, in the natural course of things, must exterminate Indians."

Page 9: "Troops were sent out to aid the settlers in slaughtering the Indians."

Pages 10-11: Approximately 1855 - Treaties; never ratified. Cattle; purchased for Indians, fed to miners.

Page 15-16: Reservations 1853 - "...in 1853 laws were passed for the establishment of a reservation system in California, and large appropriations were made to carry it into effect."

Pages 18-20: Approximately 1853 - Indians learning the white man's ways. Digger tribes were exceedingly ignorant of our political institutions and required more instruction, perhaps, in this branch of knowledge than any other.

Page 41-45, 51-note: 1846 - Independent Treasury Act of 1846 - Misappropriation of funds, which were supposed to be helping the Indians on reservations. Shows how this act was used for the good of the white man in charge of the reservation.

Page 56: Indians told the reservation was their home and they would be protected.

Page 58: Indians massacred on the reservation, without distinction of age or sex. Indians of Nome Cult (Round Valley) were killed, every Indian that was too weak to escape was killed. Reason that "it was alleged that they had driven off and eaten private cattle."

Page 61: Approximately 1855, "At the Matole Station, near Cape Mendocino, a number of Indians were murdered on the public farm within a few hundred yards of the headquarters. The settlers in the valley alleged that the government would not take care of them; and as the settlers were not paid for doing it, they must kill them to get rid of them.

Pages 63-64: Humboldt massacre of Indians; sixty Indians were murdered.

Bruff, Joseph Goldsborough

Gold Rush: The Journals, Drawings, and Other Papers of J. Goldsborough Bruff editors Georgia Willis and Ruth Gaines Read, Vol. vols 1 and 2 New York Columbia University Press, 1944.

Page 162: Two Digger Indians entered the camp. "Diggers - who used poisoned arrows." Diddn't feed the two Indians and they went off. No trouble.

Page 204: Pit River Indians are known to be hostile, the same disposition and acts characterized the Diggers of Humbolt. - Yet no Indian has attempted any hostitlity with my (his) company."

Pages 550-553: A long narrative describing the "Diggers" and their contact with the emigrants. Here, a passage by the daughter of Chief Winnemucca may be found that describes her tribe helping the Donner party in 1846. A following account of this same period is given by Edwin Bryant, a member of the party.

Page 604: August 28, 1849 to November 2, 1849 - Critical notes - People living in the foothills were in danger of being slain by a band of Indians, known as the Mill Creeks, as their main camp was at Black Rock on Mill Creek (most likely the Mill Creeks were employed by Lassen's "shingle men as herders for their stock.") (Moak, last of the Mill Creeks, p. 11)

Page 604: note 155 - From 1857 to 1965 - the Mill Creek were relentlessly hunted; A party of the Indians (Mill Creek) were camped at the Carter place on Deer Creek, being employed as workmen by the Carter brothers. Some among them killed a cow brute belonging to the white men. The Carters got a small party together and attacked them without giving them a chance to explain or make good the animal. Several Indians and one white man were killed.

Page 614: Mill Creek Indians worked for the Shingle men. The Indians were charged with stealing cattle, but the white men were guilty of the thefts.

Pages 623-624: 1843 - Cherokee Indians moved to California, where they discovered and successfully worked some of the richest diggings in Butte and Nevada Counties.

Page 782: Mention is made of the Indian villages or "Ranch- erias," aproximately 1-2 miles down the valley from Lassen's Rancho.

Page 791: An account of the Feather River Indians assisting two lost emigrants. "They compassionated the circumstances of these poor white men, gave them root-bread, small fish, and a wild duck, from their precarious supply of food. Were afraid of the guns, desiring the whites to do as they had done - throw down their arms. A tall aged man, they thought was a chief, came up, and made signs and embraced them. He pointed up, and to them - Indians and whites; and seemed to say, that they were all common children of "One God."

Page 797: Mention is made of the use of Indian labor on Lassen's Ranch. In this specific incident, the Indians dug a grave.

Page 810: Indians accompany many of the prospectors and tend to the cattle and horses. Many also have Indian wives, often referred to as "Digger squaws." At one point during the expedition to Gold Lake, a squaw had to dismount her horse to give birth. 1/2 an hour later she was ready to continue the journey. The child did not survive the ride.

Pages 812-815: Bruff's camp is approached by 6 mountain Indians, 3 of which had been given sugar and coffee the day before. They made a speech, mainly directed at the Indians accompanying Lassen's expedition. Although no one understood the language, the text of the speech was that Lassen's Indians had robbed a mountain Indian of his dried salmon and bows and arrows. The salmon was handed over and the Indians departed. Later that day, the camp was once again approached by 21 mountain Indians dressed in war paint. After another speech, it was learned that Lassen's Indians had not returned all of the salmon, nor the bows and arrows. Once returned , the Indians shook hands with Bruff, pointing to all the white men and said "bueno" [good] while pointing to the Indians and said "malo" [bad.] Had the articles not been returned, Lassen's Indians would have been slain.

Page 820: A prospector arrived in camp and said he had met some "fine-looking" Indians a few miles up the hill, who had invited him to come into camp. He went and found a "cleanly, lively, intelligent and hansom set of Indians." They offered him more dried salmon than he could transport, for which he gave them two colored silk handkerchiefs.

Page 838: Captain Lyon thought the grass valley of the Feather River a good place for an Indian Agency and Military post. Plenty of water, timber, fuel, etc. An encampment of prospectors was attacked by 50 Indians in possession of rifles. The fire arms were correctly charged and fired which lead them to believe that there were white men amongst them.

Page 850: The traveling party looking for Gold Lake, ran into another Indian. Although they all wished to avenge the death of one of their comrades, they let him go- "...could not kill the poor contemptable naked wretch, in cold blood."

Carpenter, Aurelius

History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California With Biographical Sketches...

Los Angeles, CA Historic Record Co., 1914.

Page 128: Stone and Andy Kelson remained in Lake Co. Their conduct became even more outrageous. Sport to shoot at Indians to make them jump and lash helpless Indians to amuse then white friends. With the vaqueros, she poured water into their loaded guns. Next morning some of the Indians made a charge upon the house. Kelsey was killed outright. Stone tried to hide in clump of willows but was killed by Indians with a rock-blow to the head. Soldiers under Lyon came over Howell Mountain, via Pope and Coyote Valley. A number of volunteers joined the soldiers. Part of the soldiers, with the cannon, proceeded in boats up the lake. The others road up the west side of lake rendevous was at Robinson's Point, south of the island (not Bloody Island). During the night, part of the detachment went by land around head of lake with the cannon, approaching nearest point on north side. In morning the latter fired a few rifle shots to attract attention. Bullets failed to carry to the island. Indians feared, but meanwhile men in boats came up on opposite side and at signal, the cannon opened fire. Cannister shot plowed thru the surprised Indians, killing and wounding many. Panic-stricken Indians rushed to south side of island, where upon line of infantry in attempt to swim to mainland.

Page 129: Little doubt that a hundred Indians were killed or drowned in the engagement. Soldiers proceeded over the mountains to Potter and Ukiah valley, engaging in were found in various sections of the county in comparatively recent years.

Reproduction of Thompson and West's History of Sutter County, California Berkeley, CA Howell-North Books, 1974.

Page 12: Col. J. J. Warner, in 1832, with the Ewing Party, while on a trapping expedition on the banks of the Sacramento River saw hundreds and hundreds of happy, healthy Indians - very productive - but, on their return to that area, the Ewing Party found the valley depopulated, large numbers of skulls and dead bones - with cries of the dying mingled with the wails of the bereaved -a violent type of "remittent fever" had overcome them. General Bidwell said it was small-pox, probably contracted from the trappers of the Hudson Bay Co. This disease swept down the valley of the Sacramento and up that of the San Joaquin - it's fatality among the Indians was probably in great measure owing to the treatment of the sick, which was to "give them a hot air bath in their sweat houses and then immerse them in water - the immersion was soon followed by death. Mr. Claude Chana reports that a woman in his employ states that the Hudson Bay Co. desired to get the Indians out of the valley as they interfered with their trapping and in order to accomplish their end, sent them clothing inoculated with small-pox disease. Trappers verified her statement.

Page15: ... (from the author) The race is a thing of the past; the villages which dotted the banks of the rivers are razed to the ground, and nearly all traces of their existence are obliterated. Most of the aborigines have gone to the happy hunting grounds, those remaining being scattered among the hills and settlements, possessing no tribal relations or village organizations.

Page 82: The following message was sent after a skirmish to the Indian chiefs Weima, Buckler, Roollel, and others by Thomas J. Green, Major General, First Division, California Milita. "Your people have been murdering ours, robbing their wagons and burning their homes. We have made war upon you, killed your men and taken prisoners your women and children. We send you this plain talk by one of your grandmothers. When you cease to rob and murder our people we will cease to make war upon you, and then you can come in and get your women and children, who will be taken care of in the meantime. If you wish peace come down to Johnson's old ranch... and report to Captain Hoyt - who will protect you until your great Father shall speak. Thomas J. Green reported that a few persons have monopolized much of the labor of the Indians by giving them a calico shirt per week and the most indifferent food. He felt this was not only wrong but was disgraceful. He asks to have justice extended to them.

Chappell, H. W. and B. F. Frank The History and Business Directory of Shasta County. Redding, CA

Redding Independent Job Printing House, 1881.

Pages 129-131: Describes authors blatent bias - Indians "more like hogs than human beings."

Hase, Don M. People of the Valley - The Concow Maidu Sebastopol, CA Chase, Don M., 1973.

Pages 15-17: White settlers who settled at Round Valley area.

Pages 24-25: Reservation plan for Concow and Wintun originally was to be located on east side of Sacramento River near Reading, but the treaty was never ratified (1851). Years later when reservations were becoming established "on coast near modern Ft. Bragg and near Henleyville on west side of valley' also a farm was established at Round Valley in 1856, two years later made a reservation." From 1858-1859 army scoured the mountains in valley and coast ranges, killing more than 100 Indians. Concow went to Nome Lackee (Henleyville) and some went to Nome Cult(Round Valley). Sampson Grant, an elder chief, recalls being removed to Round Valley when he was a young boy. He remembers the Indians that couldn't make the march were killed.

Page 26: Problems at Nome Cult with white settlers of 1858-1859. Winter of 1858-1859 Indians, including women and children, slaughtered by whites "who had settled under official authority, and most of the derived their support either from actual or indirect connection with the reservation." The story behind it says the Indians had stolen cattle and the white men came on to the reservation and started shooting senselessly about killing and maiming all sexes. After the shooting the white men found out the Indians hadn't stolen the cattle after all.

Page 27: Settlers that were first to settle in Northern California. First white men Frank and Pierce Asbill discovered Round Valley in April 1854. Met Samuel Kelsey on the way. Both partys entered the area and attacked a village of Yuki Indians, killing 40 of them. Same month, George White, George Hudspeth, Dr. Atkinson, James White, Caluin White entered the valley. In 1856 Thomas Henley, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California established a farm for raising cattle. Two years later the reservation was established. The place was called Nome Cul, in Wintun it mean West Tribe. In 1857 there were an estimated 19 men in the valley, including the people on the farm.

Coan, Ernie The Del Norte Indian Colfax, CA 1953.

Indians fight to preserve independence. White man steadily betrays and deprives him of land and pushes him back. Recently various organizations have endeavorded to save for posterity the folk lore.

Chapter 4, pages 17-22: War customs described. Spring of 1851, the second settlement in Del Norte's wilderness by whites. Half of the party were killed by Indians at Wingate's Bar. Eight prospectors attacked an Indian camp, only one Indian escaped. Happy Camp founded. Killings of whites by drunk Indians. Hangings of Indians by whites. In 1854 the first human was hanged by court order of frontier - an Indian named Bill for instigating attacks among rogue Indians. Three more Indians were hung in Crescent City that year for killing a young farmer. A Tolowa Indian was murdered near Burnt Ranch in 1859 by a Smith River Indian. The killer was hung by Tolowa, only known instance of an Indian using hanging. J. M. Peters, a founder of Crescent City, tells ofthe Burnt Ranch Indian massacre. Three miners were murdered by Indians and eight Indians were killed in retaliation by whites. Later, 20 more Indians were killed in relatiation, but no women or children. Entire village was destroyed and raid was conducive in bringing treaty of peace with Smith River and Lagoon tribes.

Chapter 10, pages 48-50: Northern California Indians kill men but never women or children. General description of Indians and experiences with Indians of Ida Pleiffer when visited several Indian villages of North 100 years ago. Described how Indians have no resort against white misuse.

Pages 53-54: Del Norte Indians no exception to rule that Indians have fought for and lost their independence. In 1853 Del Norte Indians were kicked from home on cliff at Battery Point in Crescent City to marshland below. The culture of the Del Norte tribes is passing with the older members of their people.

Coblentz, Stanton A. -Villains and Vigilantes

New York Thomas Yoseloff, Inc.

Page 25: "Observe, then, one prolific source of crime - of violence that can breed further violence." Example given of the abuse given to the Indians. "... on March 16, 1850, a letter appeared in the 'Alta California' mentioning 'an armed body of Americans, who publicly organized themselves in the village of Sonoma, for the avowed purpose of exterminating the Indians in this valley and burning the ranches and lodges where this innocent and laboring people live.' It was said that, on this occasion, ten dead natives were found in a single place."

Colman, Lois -Tailings of Butte Creek Canyons

Sacramento, CA Cal-Central Press, 1972.

Page 15: Butte Democrat, Diamondville on August 24, 1859 - Unnecessary cowardly attack on Indians. Indians fearing "clean out" attacks are camping close to friendly settlers. This morning 15 Indians were attacked by 25 armed men. Three Indians were wounded. Indians innocent of any crime. Indians were camped a half mile from Centerville. Signed by 58 white men.

Page 16: Weekly Butte Record - Indians have begun indiscriminate slaughter. Richard Morrison, Mrs. Blum, three Lewis children, two murdered by Indians in last week. (Last killings of Indians in Butte Creek Canyon area.)

Page 102: 1854 Elections - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that all Californians (except Indians and women) automatically become U.S. Citizens.

Conrotto, Eugene L. -Miwok Means People Fresno, CA

Valley Publishing, 1973

Chapter 4, "White Man": 1772-1872, 100 years from first whites to last Indians. Miwok contact minimal prior to 1848. 1841 Bartheson Party first group to cross Sonora Pass. 1844 first covered wagon brought over Sierra Nevada by Townsend Murphy. 1848 gold discovered. In 1770, there were 133,000 California Indians. In 1910, there were 15,850. Penutians dropped from 57,000 to 3,500. Miwok from 9,000 to 700. Both moral and immoral gold seekers greed on Native lack of rights.

Cook, Fred S. Legends of Lassen County Susanville, CA

California Traveler Inc., 1970.

Page 17: In 1862, Pit Rivers and dissident Paiutes did a lot of raiding. The same year, Indians brought gold nuggets into Star City. Miners asked them to take them where they got the nuggets, but were left by the Indians after a day's journey. The miners massacred two Paiutes on the way back. The story continues with other incidents of slaughtering of Indians. In 1865 along Granite Creek, there was an attack and the cavalry surprised a Paiute Camp and massacred at least 55 men, women, and children. Later in the year another camp was attacked and 40 Indians were killed.

Cook, Sherburne Friend "The California Indians and Anglo-American Culture" Ethnic Conflict in California History

Editor Charles Wollenberg, pages 23-42. Los Angeles

Tinnon-Brown Inc., 1970.

Page 34: A man in town had hired an Indian to do a job. One day the Indian met a man named Bob Hildreth, who claimed him as his property. The Indian told him that he was working for another man, Hildreth tied him to his horse and dragged him to death. Hildreth's claim was based upon the fact that he had bought the estate of the last Indian fighter, Capt. Jarboe, from his widow. She stated that she had set Jarboe's Indian free after his death. But Hildreth maintained that they were part of the estate, and hence inalienable under the apprentice law.

Pages 34-36: The use of intoxicating beverages caused the whites to worry. When the Indians drank they were prone to violence. Liquor laws are still a source of irritation alike to local authorities and to Indians. Another problem was miners using Indian women for sex, sometimes with force and even homicide. There were others that lived with the women, it's been reported that there were hundreds if not thousands living under those conditions, although there were settlers that didn't believe in those types of morals and tried to convert the Indians. Some important ranches took pride in maintaining good living standards for their colonies of Indian labor. Complete extermination of Indians was also brought up by the whites. Fortunately, on a legalized basis and as official policy, it was rejected. The whites were forced to torn to the only political entity which could or would introduce and maintain a substantial measure of assistance, the Government of the United States. The primary purpose of the government was to secure the territory politically. The second function was to subjugate the native peoples and hold them harmless to the immigrants from the United States. In 1848 there was a provision recognizing the claim of the California Indians to recompense for lost lands. This concession was reinforced by acts of Congress in 1850 and 1851, by appropriating $50,000 to pay for negotiations with Indians.

Pages 37-39: Although the Indians had no concept of treaties the whites felt that the act of a treaty was needed. commissioners; Barbour, McKee, and Wozencraft, traversed the state in 1851, and secured 18 treaties signed by representatives of larger tribes. 1852 President Fillmore recommended 18 treaties for ratification by the U.S. Senate, the California Legislature objected violently, claiming that the laws in question were worth $100,000,000. This objection plus pressure exerted by the senators, resulted in rejection of the treaties. Furthermore, in the name of "security" they were classified as secret and remained unavailable for public inspection until 1905. Reservations systems were a little more than concentration camps. On the other hand, they were based as relatively enlightened and represented the best humanitarian sentiment could expect in an era when shooting, hanging, burning, and scalping were common place events. The argument ran with the Indians that, in the interest of public warfare, they had been forcibly deprived of homes, foods, and means of sustenance. The agents and other staff were in charge of maintaining the Indians with proper standards of public health, law enforcement, and instructing American rural life. The system ran in to many problems - mainly language - a lot of the tribes put together could not speak the same language. Many ran away to their homeland only to be found again and taken back. They also had a hard time developing any organization because of harassment from the white community.

Pages 40-41: The agents on the reservations weren't living up to their end of responsibilities. They were accused of neglecting their duties, gross immorality, and at times murder of those who were placed under their jurisdiction.

Cook, Sherburne Friend-The Epidemic of 1830-1833

Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology ,vol 43, no 3 Berkeley, CA University of California Press, 1955.

Page. 195 - He mentions an Indian tribe at the mouth of the Feather River in California. "... All of whom are said to have died, within a few years, of the tertian fever..."

Page 305, paragraph 2: Dr. W. F. Tolmie (1833?) - "All through the year 1833 intermittent fever was very prevalent... all through the Shosone country and thence throughout the region of the hypothetical River Bienaventura [ie the Sacramento River], round Klamath and Pyramid Lakes and along the Willamette and Columbia Rivers the disease raged."

Page 305, paragraph 4: D. Lee and J. H. Frost (1844, page 108) - "The epidemic ague, which has already been mentioned... which has swept away great numbers of the natives, and proved an annual scourge to the white man commenced... 1830..."

Page 305, paragraph 12: "Trapper" (N. D.) - on the Sacramento River, "... it was a fever of the remittent class... we were informed by the Indians that they have no traditions of any similar scourge in past time." He subsequently refers, in same connection, to the "malaria of the marches."

Page 305, paragraph 14: John Work (1945, p. 19) - December 2, 1832, on the Feather River, regarding Indians seen: "There appears to be some sickness resembling an ague prevailing among them."

Page 306, paragraph 2: Philip L. Edwards (1837, p. 27) - "The intermittent fever sometimes fearfully prevails." Referring to 1833 he says "This disease seems to have prevailed with like fatality from the bay of San Francisco to the Columbia River in these fatal times. Previous to 1829 it was unknown in the Columbia. Its greatest mortality seems to have been from about 50 to about 100 miles interior."

Page 306, paragraph 7: Nathanial J. Wyeth (1839, p. 17) - "Since 1829 an intermittent fever has carried off vast numbers of these Indians... and as it prevails below the California mountains in the salmon season, far less opportunities are offered of trading fish of them than formerly."

Page 306, paragraph 9 - John K. Townsend (1910, p. 342) - Here is the account of the treatment of a Kowalitsk Indian child, May 13, 1836. In one of the lodges was "a very pretty little girl sick with intermittent fever." After treatment to no avail by the local medicine man, Townsend offered to heal her. "I immediately administered to the child an active catharitic, followed by sulphate of quinine [Hydroxycloroquine], which checked the disease, and in two days the patient was perfectly restored." He then administered quinine to two other children similarly afflicted, but this exhausted his supply of the drug. However, he made a decoction of the bark of the Dogwood, which he claimed cured the children. About the latter remedy he say: "... I believed if they had used it, they would not have had to mourn the loss of hundreds or even thousands of their people who have been swept away by the demon of ague and fever."

Page 311, paragraph 3: The party under Work left Fort Vancouver August 17, 1832, after malaria had been established on the Columbia for two years. Under date of August 21, there is the first mention of illness at the Dalles: "There are a great many Indians here at present, some few of them have the ague.

Our sick men are recovering very slowly." By September 2, at least fourteen and probably more persons had been taken ill. On September 9, Work mentions "Intermitten fever" and

says there were patients who had repeated relapses after apparent recovery. From September 3 to December 11, the illness evidently decreased and there were no new cases. On November 29 the party reached Red Bluff. On December 2 he notes regarding the Indians along the Feather River that "there appears to be some sickness resembling an ague prevailing among them."

Page 317, paragraph 1: Charles Wilkes latter saw Indians at the mouth of the Feather River. He says (1844, p. 195) "at the point of the fork the ground was strewed with the skulls and bones of an Indian tribe all of whom are said to have died, within a few years, of the tertain fever, and to have nearly become extinct in consequence..." Wilkes was traveling north from San Francisco Bay, and it is significant that three days after passing the junction of the two rivers they met their first living Indians. The lower Feather and adjacent Sacramento Rivers must have been sweepingly devastated.

Page 317, paragraph 2: Will D. Brackenridge (1945 p. 329) was in the same area in 1841. He says on October 18 of that year he forded the Feather a quarter mile above its junction with Sacramento. "On the bank where we landed was the site of an old Indian town where upwards of 1,5000 Indians perished by fever in one summer - the bones lay strewed about on the hills in all directions, there not being enough of the tribe spared - as we were told - to bury the dead." Moving up the river they encountered a surprising situation which Work describes in his entry for August 6: "Some sickness prevailing among the Indians on the Feather River. The villages which were so populous and swarming with inhabitants when we passed that way in January or February last now seem almost deserted and have a desolate appearance. The few wretched Indians who remain... are lying apparently scarcely able to move. It is not starvation as they have considerable quantities of their winter stock of acorns still remaining." By August 14 they had gone N.W. to vicinity of Chico. "The natives along here seem even more wretched than those on Feather River, the villages seem almost wholly depopulated - the unhappy wretches are found in ones or twos in little thickets of bushes..." Above Chico, Work mentions illness among the Indians save the notation, previously mentioned, that the natives on Battle Creek appeared to be in better condition than those below.

Page 317, paragraph 3: Edwards (1837 p. 27) writing from the vicinity of Red Bluff, says: "The intermittent fever sometimes fearfully prevails. Mr. Young informs me that with a trapping party he passed one summer here without having one man sick, but on visiting the Columbia three years ago [1834] with Mr. R. (?), every one of the company, himself excepted, had this fever. We have in our party had two or three cases. On every hand we see revolting signs of its fearful ravages. About four years ago [1833] it prevailed with such mortality that the few survivors of a village sometimes fled from their homes leaving the village literally strewn with dead and dying... He saw hundreds lying dead in one village, forsaken by the few survivors and birds preying upon the uncovered carcasses." Hall J. Kelly says in his memoir, published 1839 (p. 53) year following the epidemic "most of the native Indians have perished... Many tribes are utterly extinct; in places where I was told that in 1832, there was a population of a thousand or 1500 souls, I found sometimes but 100, sometimes not more than fifty and sometimes none... But along the Sacramento and elsewhere there is abundant evidence that in former times, a teeming and crowded population was spread over that now desolate region."

Page 319, paragraph 5: ... Work found seven villages in a short day's journey along Feather River -perhaps ten miles or fifteen. Each village contained "some hundreds." He found a similar state of affairs below Oroville... Brackenridge talks of a village at the junction of the Feather and Sacramento in which 1500 died.

Page 320, paragraph 4: Work's account of his journey of January 2-4, 1833, is even approximately correct, he saw fully 10+ probably more villages of about 40 houses each from Ord to the mouth of the Feather alone. At 4 persons per house this represents a minimum population of 3,600 persons. If we allow the same general distribution along the Sacramento as along the Feather River, then the area of the usually Patwin and Nisenan must have held fully 15,000 persons before 1833. From general population figures, therefore, we can find a reduction of 75% between 1833 and 1846.

Coolidge, Dr. Richard H.

Statistical Report on the Sickness and Mortality of the United States, Compiled From the Records of the Surgeon Generals' Office: Embracing a Period of Five Years From January 1855 to January 1860. Washington George W. Bowman, Punter, 1860. Notes: 36th Congress, 1st Session. Sen. Exec. Doc. No. 52. Serial No. 1035.

Indians fast becoming extinct. year 650 about 350 on the reservation now no more than 150. The 200 missing swept away mostly by disease. Would seem that civilizations incompatible with habits, customs, and the nature of an Indian not capable of following the intellectual pursuits of white men. Cannot be taught the most common uses of the instruments of husbandry. Day not far distant when Indian will only be known in history.

The Humboldt Bay Region, 1850-1875 Los Angeles, CA

California State Historical Association,1929.

Page 137: There was very little opposition towards the whites by the Indians of Humboldt County in the years 1849 to 1851. The Indians in Humboldt County were usually peaceful as in helping the Josah Gregg Expedition. Indians and whites always traded different items which seemed to keep the two races peaceful. Any resistance would have been disastrous, of course, due to the superior weaponry of the whites. However, when they started realizing the extent of the invasion of whites, they started to resist, which amounted to much bloodshed on the part of the Indians. The whites burned three villages and killed 50 to 60 Indians in retaliation of Indian hostility in 1850.

Page 138: The packers and miners would shoot an Indian whenever the opportunity presented itself, thus influencing the Indians to seek revenge and to kill the white man who did it. However, it was the case that usually the white who killed the Indian got away and the white that was killed, to compensate for the Indians murder, was usually innocent of such thoughts or deeds. And then the whites would pick any Indian rancheria to kill to make up for the white that was killed.

Page 141: After Fort Humboldt was established there was a strong feeling of eradication of the Indians and through this feeling came highly exaggerated reports of hostility towards the whites by the Indians. In fact, several senators of northern California gave Governor Bigler a statement saying that 130 whites were slain and $240,000 of property ruined by these Indians within just a "few months."

Page 142: In February of 1853, Redick McKee cited the murder of 15 to 20 Indians near the mouth of the Elk River and in March 30 to 40 were murdered by the whites, unjustifiably so, on the Klamath River. He submitted this statement to Governor Bigler but to no avail, for "his sympathies lay on the side of the whites, regardless of their character."

Page 143: January 6, 1855, a meeting at Orleans Bar decided that all weapons were to be confiscated from the Indians and to deal harshly with any whites that might sell weapons to the Indians. Many Indians gave up their weapons, but those led by the Red Caps would not, and resulted in the struggle and death of two whites. "This was the signal for war." A volunteer army was formed at Trinidad and attacked the Indians on the lower Klamath. Captain Judah was sent out by Colonel Buchanan and negotiated with the Indians on the Klamath-Trinity junction. They surrendered to him and helped in subduing the more hostile Indians.

Pages 143-144: It was decided by a Roseborough, an Indian agent at Fort Jones, to get together several volunteer armies and subdue the Red Caps. The Red Caps finally surrendered June of 1855. Captain Judah negotiates with and persuades the Red Cap Indians to surrender. Then he was again recalled, his place being taken by Captain Jones.

Pages 144-146: Following the trouble of the Red Caps there was sporadic fighting and feuds around Redwood Creek and Angels Ranch. Man on Bear River was attacked. Although very few whites were attacked, many Indians were murdered in relatiation. In July of 1860 Indians left the Klamath Reservation because there wasn't enough food. Whites said there was plenty. This agent the reservation tried to get them back but felt the whites were hindering his actions. On June 19, 1860, Indian affairs changed. The state was divided into two parts, the agents to be replaced by supervisors. G. T. Terrill was made the supervisor of Klamath. In January of 1861 problems grew worse. The last settler had to leave Ketinshon Valley. Troops called in but had a lack of knowledge in fighting Indians. On

Page 163 is a map of the Humboldt Bay region and all the reservations, wars, towns, etc... from Smith River to Fort Bragg over to Red Bluff.

Pages 164-169: On April 17, 1861, a plan was approved for volunteer services, with 30 men enlisted as guides. Whites felt the Indians were planing an extermination war at Hoopa Valley. Captain Underwood commanded the Indians to give up their arms. Many didn't at beginning, but due to weather and lack of food they had to. On May 14, in a fight at Boulder Creek, 14 Indians were killed. 2,000 pounds of beef and stolen property were captured. In June, Humboldt, Larrabee Creek, and Van Duzen River areas were covered with soldiers. In the end of June, 117 Indians were killed, and only three soldiers were hurt. In August, there was a meeting at Ureka. Resolutions were made for the governor. Hydesville had a meeting, with $1,400 made for defense against the Indians. The governor approved another volunteer company, 6th division of the California State Militia. At Fort Seward, Captina Lovell and 60 men set up the fort on the upper Eel River. In May of 1861, George Hanson, an agent, told of big problems with whites and taking children into slavery. Follow soldiers and take children when parents were murdered. Indians retaliate by killing cattle. (Author not sure if Hanson saw this or learned second hand.) Dr. Elijah White was appointed to go to California and see what the problems were. He asked that no fighting take place until he arrived. No one followed his request. People wanted something done immediately. In January of 1862, Hanson had to remove Indians to the reservation.

Crook, General George W.

General George Crook - His Autobiography

Martin F. Schmitt Norman, OK University of Oklahoma Press, 1960.

Pages 15-16: Crook mentions that the Shasta Indians were generally peaceful, yet were driven to wartime activities by the whites. Indians were shot in "cold blood" and squaws were raped, yet white men were never punished for such atrocities. The Indians confided in the army as friends, yet when retaliating against the whites, would be forced to fight the army as well. Crook states that the sympathies of the army were with the Indians even in times of battle.

Dana, Julian

The Sacramento - River of Gold Saint Clair Shore, Michigan Scholarly Press, 1971.

Pages 6-15: Surveyors spot Ishi in 1908 - shot at the next day - whites raid camp - 3 years later Ishi appears in Oroville - Waterman - Ishi goes to San Francisco.

Dillon, Richard H.

Siskiyou Trails - the Hudson Bay Fur Company Route to California San Francisco, CA McGraw-Hill, 1975.

Pages 224-225: The entire Sacramento Valley was virtually depopulated of Indians by malaria. Where villages had once housed thousands of Indian tribes, now were converted into graveyards.

Page 233: The explorers coming upon a group of Indians attempted to instigate a battle with them. One of them men, Kelley, went up to the chief and asked him to leave before blood was shed. The chief had his warriors retreat while he stood his ground. After the chief turned to go, a couple of men in the group set out after him and returned a short while later with the bow and arrow of the chief they had killed.

Pages 234-235: Two recollections of needless murders of Indians bearing gifts. The paranoia of the trappers had become quite extensive, and all Indians were killed to prevent their return to their tribes. The fear was that the Indians would return with warriors.

Dennis, Henry C.

The American Indian, 1492-1976; A Chronology and Fact Book. Dobbs Ferry, NY Oceana Publications, Inc., 1977.

Page 50: In 1915 "Congress passed the first appropriation act authorizing the Indian Bureau to buy land for landless Indians in the State of California."

Dyer, Ruth C.

The Indians' Land Title in California: A Case in Federal Equity, 1851 – 1942 San Francisco, CA R and E Research Assoc., 1975.

Pages 3-5: During Teddy Roosevelt's campaign for President the Indians were allowed to present their "plight." The Northern California Indian Association petitioned Congress – resulted in an item in the Indian Appropriation Act of 1906 - to investigate conditions among California's Indian population. Finally in January 1905 the "injunction of secrecy" was taken from the 18 California treaties made with the Indians.

Page 6 - 20: Gives background of the assignment of 3 men to come to California to make treaties with the Indians for the sessation of their lands. The Comm. divided the state into 3 areas. An example of one meeting, taken from a journal. The terms of the treaties briefly given. Foundering Commission Beale appointed Supt. of Indian Affairs in California. $924,259,65 appropriated to pay debts to California but none for the Indians who signed Treaties in good faith and who received nothing for their land.

Page 27-31: The California Legislature and special interests

tried their best to prevent the ratification of the 18 treaties - succeeded the government took posession of the ceeded Indian lands and opened it for white settlers. A land claims comm. was established to hand land grant claims, "they were legally barred from any right, title and interest in land in California. 1914 half of California Indians were squatters mostly on forest land northern California and Ass. Petitioned congress to provide homes for the Indians. The assoc. was granted $150,000 to buy land but ownership was to remain in the hands of the government. 4,300 Indians were housed. Medical neglection of Indians. California State Supreme Court decision 1917 non-reservation Indians was California citizen although he was a ward of the U.S. government but still argued whose responsibility it was to give relief to them.

Ellison, William Henry

The Federal Indian Policy in California, 1846-1860. San Francisco, CAR & E Research, 1974. Chapter 3: Number of Indians in California is debated - A. L. Kroeber states 150,000 while C. Hart Merriam states 260,000 upon the white man's arrival. It is agreed, however, that there was a great reduction in the Indian population between the secularization of the missions and 1860. The major causes for this was the small-pox epidemics in 1833, 1837, 1838, and 1844; the coming of the Gold Rush; deminished sources of food supply due to loss of land to settlers; and massacres. [ I would estimate over 500,000, theses numbers are always lower for public consumption.] italics mines.

Fairfield, Asa M.

Fairfield's Pioneer History of Lassen County, CA.

San Francisco, CA

H. S. Crocker Co.,1916

Pages 109-111: Captain Weatherlow's - While in pursuit of some stolen horses the men spotted the Indian camp fires at night all went back except Weatherlow who later encountered two Indians, one with a bow and arrow, the other with a gun. They questioned him, he said he was hunting antelope and left them but they followed, suspecting them he looked back to see one about to shoot him with an arrow. He shot him with his pistol and the other one, who was too close to use his gun, jumped him and they wrestled for over a half hour, the Indian all the time trying for his knife finally a companion returned and shot the Indian.

Pages 391-93: Indians raids into Paradise valley - "Humboldt Register" of March 17, 1866 – a source for information here. Major Smith from Smoke Creek and 36 men of Company I were joined at Fort Bidwell by 41 men from Company D and F and 19 citizens of Surprise Valley. February 15 -encounter with Indians in Guano Valley, Nevada. ( A little out of range of people of Lassen Co., but recorded because it was said to be the last fight ever made by some of our old Indian acquaintances,) Seven hour flight, believed to be 200-250 Indians. 80 warriors and 35 squaws killed, squaws dressed and fight as bucks. Whites recovered 60 horses. They captured and turned loose nine squaws and ten children and destroyed three tons of dried beef. One white was killed and Major Smith and six privates were wounded. Smoke Creek Sam was killed here. During the fight, with both legs broken, he still pulled himself up with his gun and encouraged his men. He was wounded 14 times and died after the fight and his was scapled by Matney ("Tulsdad"). Heard his band probably did more devilment in a small way than any other band of this section.

Page 462: The exterminators were formed as a result of the Pearson Massacre. It was a regular "lodge" of men who swore to kill all Indians. Excerpt from "The Butte Record" September 5, 1868 -contains letters from Gen. Crook on interview he had in Pit River Camp - some of the older principal men confessed that 9 Pits killed the Pearson party. Capt. Munson was able to bring 3 of them for trial but they were hung - they had been set free for lack of evidence.

Foner, Jack D.

The United States Soldier Between Two Wars: Army Life and Reforms, 1865-1898. New York: Humanities Press, 1970.

Page 6-7: Of the "three da's" of the service - discharge, death and desertion, the last was the greatest drain on military manpower. By no means a new phenomenon. During gold fever of 50's companies in west sometime found themselves with only a handful of men in their companies. From Army whose enlisted strength was 54,138 in 1867; 14,068 deserted that year. By 1871 desertions reached 8,800, almost 1/3 of enlisted strength that year. Declined to 1,678 in 1878; 3,072 in 1884, then fell off. 2,835 deserted in 1889. Figures for 1880's show that loss of men resulting from desertion arranged about 40% of gain from recruiting.

Page 7: Causes of Desertion: Not only removed deserters from ranks, but also tended to demoralize those who remained, for burden of extra work fell on them. Many deserting occurred before the men had rendered any appre. service. Hence expense of transportation, clothing, equipping, feeding, and training was largely wasted.

Causes: Underlying restlessness of American people. Enlistment as way of getting free troops westward, where took off for mines, railroads, other fields of operation. Tony's haphazard recruiting system. Recruiting .. usual location in back allys of larger cities where a high proportion of misfits congregated.

Page 8: Grievances of enlisted men re. army life: poor housing, improper clothing, bad diet, labor of non military character, monotony of routine duties, frontier isolation. Gen. O.O. Howard said in 1888 that system of selling portion of soldiers rations to save money to purchase item not provided by the government was a major cause of desertion. General Schofield in 1890 said that poor housing, limited clothing and allowance, inferior meat, absence of vegetables at some posts were great causes of discontent and probably of desertion. In 1889 AG J.C. Kelton said desertion almost wholly one of administration. Description of a kind in which interests of soldiers are little considered, or too abrupt and rigid for Army of U.S. and desertion go together.

Page 10: Two distinct movements for reform of Army, first in early 1800's and again in late 80's and early 90's. Led to improvements in diet, clothing, and housing, some advance in legal system and in method of promotion from ranks. Modest reforms of early 1880 did not have much effect on desertion rate. Desertion rate did decline form 1883 to 1888, but his was also a period of economic recession. Hence hard to estimate whether reforms or depression had greater effect on desertion rate. Desertions fell off 1889-1892 when economic condition were relatively good. AG, J.C. Kelton preferred to attribute that decline a sign of increasing contentment with army life. In July 1870, Congress reduced pay of enlisted men from $16 to $13 a month, effective June 30,1871. Probably led to high rate of desertion in fiscal 1871.”

The aforementioned travesty described herein is just a portion of the terrible incidents recorded. To be Continued.

Lord have Mercy