178 Series I Volume L-I Serial 105 - Pacific Part I
Page 178 | OPERATIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII. |
result of his expedition to capture guerrillas and punish Indians engaged in the late massacres on the Humbold River, for the information of the general commanding the department. I am satisfied from verbal information received fromoffices of the expedition that the Indians who have been punished were a aprt of those who had committed the late murders, and that the punishment was well merited.
I hope and believe that the lesson taught them will have a salutary effect in checking future massacres on that route.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
P. EDWARD CONNOR,
Colonel Third Infantry California Volunteers, Commanding District.
HDQRS. SECOND CAVALRY CALIFORNIA VOLUNTEERS.
Camp Douglas, Utah, October 31, 1862
COLONEL: Agreeably to your orders, dated Fort Ruby, Nev. Ter., September 29, to proceed thence on the next day (the 30th) with Company H, Second Cavalry California Volunteers, on the northern Overland Route, via the "City of Rock," in quest of guerrillas or hostile Indians supposed to have congregated there, I have the honor to report that, having left Fort Ruby on the day specified, I overtook on the second day's march, Captain S. P. Smith, of the Second Cavalry, who preceded me with his company the day before, and who was encamped in Pine Valley. Here I remained awaiting the return of the Indians who accompanied Captain Smith, and who had been sent out by him to bring in hostile Indians. Having been informed that fires were seen near our camp, I dispatched Captain Smith with a portion of his company, at night, to learn of them. He turned next morning and reported, "No trace of Indians. " On the morning of the 4th we took up the line of march, on the route designated, and arrived at Gravelly Ford on the 5th without having discovered any Indians. Here on the 7th I sent Captain Smith and Lieutenant Darwin Chase with a party of men down the river, and Lieutenant George D. Conrad up t the Humboldt, with instructions to scour the country for hostile INdians or guerrillas, and to report to me, at a place desingated, on the north side of the Humboldt, where I encamped on the 9th with the blance of the command. This evening (the 9th) some of the command enticed into the camp three Indians; two of them were armed with rifles and the other with bow and arrows. I immediately ordered their arms taken from the, and placed them under a guard, intending to retain them until the arrival of my interpreter, who was with the detachment under Lieutenant Conrad. A short time after their arrest the Indians made an attempt to obtain their arms, and, having succeeded, they resisted the guard and broke and ran a short distance; they were fired upon by the guard and crippled. Fearing that they would escape, and not wishing to hazard the lives of my men in recapturing them alive, I ordered the guard to fire any they were killed on the spot. Here on the 10th Captain Smith joined the command, and reported that he had received no information nor had he seen any signs of guerrillas or hostile Indians.
On the 11th I proceeded on the march, having sent out the officers of the command with instructions that if Indians were found to bring them into camp. Captain Smith, having been sent in advance, had not proceeded more than ten or twelve miles when he came upon a party of about fourteen or fifteen Indians, who were armed with rifles and bows and arrows. He surrounded them and took from them their arms. Imme-
Page 178 | OPERATIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII. |