MORE FISH THAN I HAD EVER SEEN AT ONE TIME.--WE SURPRISE SOME
INDIANS, WHO ALSO SURPRISE US.--THE CAMP AT KLAMATH LAKE.--I GET
ANOTHER WOUND AND A LOT OF HORSES.
When we pulled out for Klamath Lake we traveled from five to ten
miles a day and kept scouts out in all directions. While riding
along one day with my four assistants, a few miles in advance of
the command, we came to a beautiful body of water which is now
known as Clear Lake, which is the head of Lost river. Here we
dismounted, and on looking into a brush shanty that stood on the
lake shore, I saw more fish than I had ever seen before at one
time. The little shanty was filled to its utmost capacity with
fish, hanging there to dry for winter use. Further on we found
numerous other similar shanties, all containing like quantities of
drying fish. These were the Indians' dry-houses. They had caught
the fish and hung them there to dry in the hot summer's sun. Such
was their food in winter when the land game was scarce.
After our fill of admiring the beautiful lake and resting our
horses, we mounted and started back to the command. We had gone
only a short distance, when, all of a sudden, on reaching the top
of a little hill, we were met by twelve Indians, who had not seen
us, nor us them, until within a hundred yards of each other.
There was only one thing to do and that was to fight, for they
were directly between us and the command, and the braver we were I
thought the better; so I gave orders to charge, but the Indians
did not stand fire. We got three of them that first round and in
another hundred yards we got three more, but their horses being
fresh and ours somewhat jaded, they outran us and got away.
These were the first Klamath Indians I had got close enough to, to
see how their moccasins were made, and for a person engaged in the
business that I was then in, it was quite essential to be able to
tell the tribe an Indian belonged to by his track. And here I will
state that not any two tribes cut and make their moccasins alike
and at that time I could tell an Indian by his track, if he
belonged to any tribe that I was familiar with.
Here we laid over three days to let our horses rest up a little.
While here we had all the fish that we wanted to eat, for the lake
was literally full of the finest in the land.
In a southwesterly direction we could see, by looking through our
field glasses, a large valley, which Col. Elliott thought to be
the country which he was ordered to go to.
The second day after leaving Clear Lake we struck another lake. We
did not name it, but it has since been known as Tule Lake, and is
the outlet of Lost river, but has no visible outlet itself. Here
we laid over two days, after which we pulled out up the valley.
Two days more and we were at Klamath Lake, and here Col. Elliott
established his headquarters and started in to fortify himself
against the Indians, which were very numerous in this country at
that time.
John Riley, Fred Miller, John Boyd, George Jones and myself took
four days' rations and started out to investigate the surrounding
country north of headquarters.
The next afternoon about three o'clock we saw a band of Indians
some distance away as they were passing over a somewhat uneven
country. We were not just able to tell the number in the band, but
thought there must be about twenty, and they were driving some
loose horses.
We stopped to consider the matter as to what was best to be done.
George Jones said: "Boys, we have been out all summer and have not
got a single horse to pay for our trouble, and I think I could
fight like the devil if there was a good band of horses at stake."
The balance of the crowd seemed to think likewise, so we concluded
to follow up the Indians and give them a round. We started at
once, but before overtaking them they had pitched camp on the
shore of Lake Klamath.
After it was quite dark, George Jones and I crawled around near
the camp and counted twenty Indians.
Our intention had been to stampede the horses in stead of making
an attack on the Indians, as we thought the number too great to
tackle, but an investigation developed the fact that they had
turned their horses into a little peninsula that ran out into the
lake, and had pitched their tents so as to hold their horses in
there. Riley said there was only one of two things to do, and that
was to make the attack or crawfish. We were all well armed, the
other four having each a six-shooter and a sabre, and I had my big
knife, which was almost as good as a sabre, and two six-shooters.
We laid and watched their movements until all turned in for the
night.
They were badly scattered, making it worse for us than if they had
been in a bunch. We waited until about eleven o'clock, when we
thought they were all asleep, and having laid our plans of attack,
we all crawled up abreast to within a rod or so of where some of
them were lying, and each drew his pistol and sabre.
Taking our pistols in our left hands and sabres in the right, we
made a rush for them, intending to cut the first ones down with
our sabres, and if we got into close quarters we could use both at
the same time.
In such cases it is quite essential that a scout should be able to
use his pistol in his left hand, which had been part of their
drill duties before starting out scouting.
As soon as the attack was made some of the Indians arose on their
feet, and we tried to cut them down as fast as they arose, but it
was so dark that it was difficult to distinguish our own men from
the Indians.
The Indians fought us with their tomahawks, and it was not long
until we were all mixed up together, and a person had to look
close before striking, for fear of making a mistake. After
fighting some time I had two hand-to-hand encounters, but was
victorious in both of them. Just as I had finished the second one
I got a tremendous blow from behind that caught me on the
shoulder, and it knocked me as blind as a bat. When I tried to
rise I would stagger and fall like a drunken man. After making the
third attempt to get on my feet, and seeing it was no use and
being afraid my own men might mistake me for an Indian, I laid
down as still as I could until the fight was ended.
About this time my shoulder commenced to pain me fearfully, and it
was a hard matter for me to lie still. I could then see a very
little, but to me everything was still. Just then I heard George
Jones' voice. He was asking where Will was. I did not hear any
reply, and a moment later he hallooed at the top of his voice. It
sounded to me as though he was a long ways off, but at the same
time he was within four rods of me. I made out that time to answer
so he could hear me, and in a moment they were all by my side.
Some one raised me up, while another ran to the lake and got his
hat full of water. They removed my clothing sufficiently to exam
me my wound, and found that my shoulder blade was broken in two
places. When I was able to talk, the boys asked what they had
better do, saying they had the last Indian killed. I said if you
are sure you have them all killed, build a fire and put out guards
until morning, and we will return to headquarters with the stock.
George Jones, feeling much concerned about me on account of my
wound, proposed to ride to headquarters that night for the
surgeon, but I told him it was not necessary, that I would be able
to ride to headquarters the next day.
I took a sup of brandy, which we were never without on a trip like
this, and drank a cup of coffee, after which I felt much better,
but could not move my left hand or shoulder without much pain.
The next morning as soon as it was light enough to see to scalp an
Indian, the boys took twenty-one scalps, and we had fifty-two
horses, some of which were extraordinary good ones of that class.
That was ten horses each and two over. After having counted them,
George Jones said: "I think Will ought to have the two extra
horses, for he is the only one that got wounded in the fight."
The boys were jubilant over their victory and the band of horses,
but were very sorry to have one of their comrades so badly used
up. After they had breakfast over, the saddle horses were brought
in, my horse was saddled for me and they assisted me in getting on
him, or rather put me on, for I was almost as helpless as a child.
My shoulder they had tied up as best they could with two
handkerchiefs, and one of the boys leading my horse, we started
for headquarters. We were about twenty miles from the command, but
I never rode fifty miles that seemed as far as that twenty miles
did. When we arrived at camp my shoulder was badly swollen, and it
took the surgeon a long time to get it set just to his notion, or,
at least it seemed so to me, and when he did finally get it set he
gave me something to put me to sleep.
However, I was not able to ride any more that summer. All that I
was able to do was to sit in camp, hear the reports of scouts as
they came in and give orders.
It had been six weeks since I was hurt, and it was getting late in
the fall and the weather looking somewhat blustery, I told the
Colonel I thought I would go back to San Francisco and winter
there.
Up to this time the surgeon had not allowed me to ride on
horseback, but I had come to the conclusion that I could now stand
it to ride without any serious difficulty, and I was anxious to
get back before winter set in.
When I told the Colonel my intentions, he said: "How in the name
of God will you get to San Francisco? If you were well and able to
ride I could not spare an escort sufficient to guard you through."
"It don't matter about the escort," I said, "when I get ready I
will go if I have to go alone."
"Young man," said he, "you must be insane to even think of such a
thing."
"Colonel," I said, "you may call it what you please, but I mean
just what I say; and I suppose that as you have been out all
summer, having no chance to either send or receive any mail, that
you would like to send out after that."
Said he, "I have no one to send, that could make the trip without
asking a larger escort than I could spare."
I told the Colonel that I could select two men from his command,
either of whom I could take and make the trip safely, or the two
would make it alone with perfect safety.
The Colonel replied, "If I could only think so I certainly would
ask them to go;" and he asked who the parties were to whom I had
reference. I told him they were Messrs. Jones and Riley, who had
been my assistant scouts the past summer.
The Colonel asked when they would be in camp. I told him they had
just returned a few minutes previous. He said: "Tell them I will
see them at your quarters at seven o'clock this evening." I
assured him that they would be there, but up to this time I had
not mentioned or even hinted at such a thing to them, but being
desirous of seeing them before the Colonel had a talk with them, I
set about to find them. I found them in their quarters and told
them of the proposed meeting and the object, and asked them what
they thought of it.
George Jones said: "As far as I am concerned, I think I can make
the trip alone, for I can see an Indian just as far as he can see
me, and just as quick, and I am perfectly willing to take the
chances."
"And how with you, Riley?" I asked. He replied: "I will go if I
can get permission."
At seven o'clock, sharp, all hands met at my tent. The Colonel
opened the conversation by saying: "Gentlemen, our chief scout,
Mr. Drannan, has concluded to leave us and go to San Francisco to
spend the winter, and under the circumstances I don't want to see
him go alone. Do you men feel like accompanying him and bringing
our mail back on your return?"
George Jones said: "I can only speak for myself. I will accompany
him alone and bring the mail back if no one else feels like
going." At this Riley said he was willing to accompany George on
the trip if necessary.
Col. Elliott straightened up and said: "Boys, I don't believe you
realize the danger you will necessarily have to encounter in
making this trip. Think the matter over thoroughly until to-morrow
evening, by which time you will be able to give me a decided
answer;" and then the Colonel departed, requesting us all to meet
him in his quarters the following evening at seven o'clock, sharp.
After he had gone George Jones asked me how long I thought it
would take us to go to Sacramento. About fifteen days was my
estimate, and I was of the opinion that we would best go an
entirely different route to what we came. Before leaving my tent
they had made up their minds to tackle the trip anyway, let it go
as it might, and the time set to start was ten days from that.
The following evening we all went to the Colonel's tent at the
hour agreed upon. He asked the boys as soon as they entered if
they had made up their minds to tackle the trip, and they both
told him they had. He then asked me when I would be ready to
start, and I told him in ten days.
George Jones then asked the Colonel what length of time he would
give him and Riley to make the trip in. "I will give you a month
and a half," was the reply.
Five of us had fifty-two horses that we had captured from the
Indians. I called the other four together and told them if they
would let me pick six horses from the band they might have the
remainder. This being agreeable, the day following the horses were
driven into the corral and I selected my six. Jones and Riley put
in a good portion of the day in saddling and riding them to see
whether they were broke or not, and we found them all to be fairly
well broken to ride.
The next day I told the Colonel that I was ready to resign my
position as chief of scouts, for you will have to appoint another
man, and you had just as well do it first as last.
"No," said the Colonel, "when you are ready to start, I will give
you a voucher for your pay up to that time, and when you get to
San Francisco you can get your money."
We commenced making preparations to start, but did not let it be
generally known until the day before starting, and then everybody
wanted to write a letter to send out, and by the time we were
ready to start we had a pack-horse loaded with mail.
The Colonel sent a long letter to his wife, and told me a lot of
stuff to tell the other officers, of which I did not remember one-
fourth.
Finally we were rigged up and ready to start, but we had a hard
time to get away, for Dick Jones wanted me to tell Jim Johnson so
and so. Another had some word to send to a friend, whose name I
had never heard before, and never thought of after I was out of
sight.
After shaking hands all around, and Col. Elliott telling me a lot
of stuff to tell his wife and numerous other ladies which he knew I
would not repeat the half of, for he knew that there was not
another man in San Francisco that hated to try to talk to ladies
as much as I did. If we had not jarred loose and rode off I
suppose we would have been there all day, and we would have had
enough word to carry in our heads, that had it been written, would
have made a book that Webster's Unabridged Dictionary would be
small compared with it, and again shaking hands we waved our hats
at the many soldiers standing around and rode away.