Numbers 6.

Report of Lieutenant Parish B. Johnson, Second California Infantry.

FORT ANDERSON, August 23, 1862.

ACTING ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Humboldt Military District:

SIR: I have the honor to herewith transmit the official report of Second Lieutenant P. B. Johnson, Second Infantry California Volunteers, of a skirmish with Indians on Light Prairie, August 21, 1862.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. D. DOUGLAS,

Captain, Second Infantry California Volunteers, Commanding Post.

FORT ANDERSON, CAL, August 23, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report that while on detached service with my pack train at Arcata, Ca., on the evening of the 20th instant, the citizens informed me that the camp of a band of Indians had been discovered about six miles from town on what is known as Light Prairie, and that a company of the citizens proposed to attack them at daylight. I immediately volunteered my services with Sergeant Tuttle and Privates Ensign, Shepherd, Stewart, and Weaver, and our guide, Sam Overlander, to operate in conjunction with the militia under the command of George W. Ousley. At 11. 30 o'clock we started from town. The expedition consisted of thirty citizens, twelve men of Company D, Third Infantry California Volunteers, under charge of Lieutenant Anderson, and myself and command. About daylight we separated into four parties and proceed to surround the indian camp. Myself and men were stationed about 250 yards from the camp. When it became light enough to see the sights on our guns the party of citizens, called the attacking party, numbering eighteen men, with double-barreled shotguns, commenced firing. The Indians, who were packing up their things, broke and ran down the prairie across the line of sight of my men. My men and self fired and ran after them. The Indians only fired once or twice in return. The engagement lasted about thirty minutes, and I am happy to state that my men killed or wounded every Indian that attempted to run past them. One of the citizens - James Brock, our former guide, an hostest, brave, and good man - was shot through the heart while engaged in a scuffle with an Indian, the powder from the revolver burning his flesh. Of Indians it is reported that six were killed. I saw two killed by my own men, and saw their bodies in the afternoon. Five guns were captured; also two bows and a lot of arrows. One of the guns was a Yager, captured by us last spring from the Indians, and retaken by the Indians when Whitney's place was burned. The Indian camp was a new and temporary one - a provision camp. They had killed a large steer the day before and were drying the beef. The Indians did not number to exceed, at the very largest small spring stream in the edge of the prairie, which is covered with a high and dense growth of fern.

During the afternoon of the same day I returned with a party of citizens to the prairie and found evidence to lead us to the belief that the Indians had returned during our absence and carried off all the wounded and dead save two. One of the citizens says he recognized the language of the Indians as that of Mad River. Mr. Ousley says that the heard the Hoope language while spying out their camp the evening before.