Today in History:

834 Series I Volume L-I Serial 105 - Pacific Part I

Page 834 OPERATIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII.


HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
Los Angeles, Cal., January 29, 1862.

Lieutenant Colonel E. E. EYRE,

First Cavalry California Volunteers, Commanding Camp Carleton,

San Bernardino, Cal.:

COLONEL: Yours of January 27 has just been received, and in reply I am directed by Lieutenant-Colonel West, commanding the district, to say to you that you will make no movement with your command, but remain where you are for the present, there being every reason to believe that the weather has finally become settled. You speak of a wagon train coming from Camp Wright by the way of San BernardiNumbers The lieutenant-colonel commanding desires me to sya to you that upon receipt of this letter you will at once send an express to Major Fergusson directing him not to move his train from Camp Wright, and you will at the same time inform Major Fergusson that he may expect Colonel West at Camp Wright in two days from this date.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BEN. C. CUTLER,

First Lieutenant, First Infty. California Vols., Actg. Asst. Adjt. General


HEADQUARTERS,
Fort Bragg, Cal., January 29, 1862.

Colonel FRANCIS J. LIPPITT,

Commanding District of Humboldt, Hdqrs. Fort Humboldt, Cal.:

SIR: I have the honor to respectfully report to the commanding colonel that since my conversation with you on the steamer Columbia I have learned further in regard to Indians at Shelter Cove. Some days since the Mr. Hamilton of whom I spoke to you sent a party of seven men from his neighborhood (Punta Cuenaz) to Shelter Cove, for the ostensible purpose of driving off his stock to a safer locality. Yet I am quite satisfied the real mission was to murder Indians, as recent evnts have shown. The party passed here yesterday on their return, and I learn from one of them, a Mr. Wells, who seems to be a tolerably reliable man, that after leaving here on their way up they met a party consisting of four persons, among them one Harry Smith and Jackson, who brought the news of the killing of Brisintine and a stock owner in Bear Harbor, who were going to look after the stock. They learned from them that they had attacked a party of Indians at the Usal River and murdered eleven of them. I say murdered, because they had not made any demonstration against them, nor did they make any defense. Smith's party claimed that these Indians had killed one or two horses a few days before. I do not believe a word of it. The two parties meeting, joined together and proceeded on to Shelter Cove. On arriving there they found Brisintine and companion well, no trouble with the Indians, and learned from them that, having a desire to get this Jackson out of the neighborhood, they one day went out together, separated a little distance from Jackson, hid in the bushes, commenced discharging their pistols and rifles, and Jackson, to their great satisfaction, ran and left the place. He then came down here and tolde killing of Brisintine and companion, which has proven to be a downright lie, yet almost everyone believed it here. I learn further from Wells that the Indians are doing scarcely any damage. He drove in Hamilton's stock, counted it and found scarcely any of it missing, and consequently left it there, considering it quite sae. He assures me that he


Page 834 OPERATIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII.