Page:The Indian History of the Modoc War.djvu/270



Chief John (so we called him) ; the Yreka Indians under Tolo; the Shastas under Scar-Face; the Siskiyou Mountain under Joe and Sam. These names were all given them by the whites. Tip Lie and the Rogue River Indians under Sam.

The Klamath Indians, then known as the La Lakes, inhab- iting that district of country around Big Klamath Lake, and north of Klamath River, and west of Link River, talked a language peculiar to themselves, and also understood the jar- gon. The Modocs, inhabiting the country south of Little Klamath Lake, and around Tule Lake, east of Goose Nest Mountain and west of Goose Lake, also conversed in a lan- guage peculiar to themselves, and knew but little of the jargon ; those of the Upper Scott River and the forks of the Salmon River, yet another language; also those of Trinity River and Upper Sacramento. This last tribe were more of the Digger in form and appearance; were very thieving in their disposi- tion; and would commit murder for plunder when they could come upon one by stealth. Many of our people suffered in life and property from them, although by watchfulness I passed very frequently through their country unharmed.

They inhabited, in addition to Trinity and Sacramento Canyon, a portion of McLeod or Louid River and Lower Pitt River, and were as miserable a set of Indians as I ever saw. In June, 1851, the man that went out with Mr. McCummings and myself organized on Scott's Bar a company to go to the Modoc country for horses and took from these Indians, as near as I now recollect, sixty head, and, as it was reported but of that I have no personal knowledge some children, which they gave to their friends, for servants. In the spring of 1852, while I was in the lower country, a difficulty arose between the In- dians of the Lower Scott's Valley, on account of the murder of a white man from Scott's Bar by Indians on Indian Creek, a tributary of Scott's River. A company was organized, and a fight ensued, in which Captain Whipple, now of the regular army, received a serious wound in the side. I happened to return home at that juncture, and, in passing down Scott's Valley alone, I found the Indians in great commotion; and upon inquiry of them as to the cause, hearing their version, told