Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/484

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472
SOME INDIAN EPISODES.

arms was probably twice as great as at the time of Ivan's visit. Every circumstance indicated that they were prepared for any emergency. The horses were all gathered in bands near the encampments, and an Indian evidently on guard, fired his gun and ran for camp shouting soldiers! soldiers! when Jackson's troops first appeared.

The great error of attempting the arrest of the Modoc leaders with so small a force became now apparent. Had Jack and a few others been taken, there would have been nothing to fear from the others, who would have been restrained by apprehension of punishment falling on their leaders. But no arrests being made, the advantage was all on the side of the savages. The already too light force of Jackson was rendered less efficient by having to care for the wounded whom he dared not leave in camp, lest the Modoc women who still remained should kill and mutilate them. Leaving only a light skirmish line in charge of Boutelle, he was forced to employ the remainder of his men in removing the dead and wounded to the north side of the river in canoes, and thence half a mile below to the cabin of one Dennis Crawley. Having done this he returned to the southwest side of the river and dismantled the Indian camp, destroying whatever property it contained, among other things three rifles and two saddles found in Jack's wickiup. In the meantime a party of settlers consisting of Oliver Applegate, James Brown, J. Burnett, Dennis Crawley, E. Monroe, Thurber, Caldwell, and others, who had collected at Crawley's to await the event of the attempted arrest, attacked a smaller camp on the north side, and had one man, Thurber, killed. They then retired to Crawley's place, and kept up firing at long range, preventing the Indians from crossing the river and attacking Jackson's command on the flank and rear. While the fight was going on, two settlers William Nus and Joseph Penning, coming up the road, unaware of danger, were