Collection: Directories and Documents > Tanis Thorne Native Californian & Nisenan Collection

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Title: Notes & Summary of Indian Wars Collection Type: Directories and Documents Collection Name: Tanis Thorne Native Californian & Nisenan Collection # of Pages: 5 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-08-31 18:11:57 OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 05:42:05 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 05:42:05

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

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honor these debts. California system of removal to military reserves a complete failure, not protecting, not making self-sufficient, and receives much criticism for graft and mismanagement. Sree . erent sup Economy was the fatal flaw from the outset. When Adam Johnson was appointed Indian superintendent of CA, he was given explicit instructions to do everything he could to keep expenses to a minimum. When Treaty made at Bear River, in which Indians asked for $1000/year for 10 years due to invasion by miners and losses of their resources, the treaty was rejected as too extravagant. In same year Brigadeer Gen. Winn at Camp Hall was appalled at expenses (gold rush prices) of $3500 month or more. Note that this was Nov. Rogers trying to manufacture touble in Feb. 1851 to get on payroll.Meanwhile, back in Washington D.C. Fremont, explorer and now political aspirant, 4 sake and father-in-law, Senator Benton of Missouri are making the demand that treaty commissioners be funded at $100,000 to go in and recognize Indians occupancy rights. Senator Gwin denies Ind. Have rights under Spanish and Mexican law, while Fremont cites Spanish law. The Congress decides to send in treaty commissioner, but only gives them $25,000—their expenses per diem, salaries, and presents and goods for Indtans?? McKee purchased $10,000.in presents before he left New York, and knew he would need a minimum of $150,000 In late 1850, Hhariposa War began. Adam Johnson went with $1800 in presents to head off conflict. The citizens of the Southern mines looked to the state to protect lives and property as Indians raided ferries and drove off stock in cattle and horses by the hundreds. The volunteers who gathered to fight, everyone realized needed compensation for the days, weeks, and possibly months they would be protecting and campaigning. The govemor authorized raising a force of 100 men to be paid at $10 per diem. This question of how to finance the war debt was a major political issue in the winter of 1850-51. Fiscally responsible state legislators saw a huge debt accumulating on the horizon, with no idea how to pay for it. The Alta California, one of CA’s major newspapers said the funding of Indian warts would fleece the Calif. Citizens and not protect the miners. The state felt confident that the feds would eventually come in and take responsibility by punishing offenders. The funding bell failed. Where were the federal troops? They'd been gutted by desertions to the mines for one thing, so there was a skeletal force. The Commander of the Pacific, General Smith, declining arming vlunteers, because he suspects that the whites are creating the hostilities against Indians and there is no military of judicial way to restrain the whites! Remember communication is slow to WDC. ‘The state government decides it must take on the financial burden then of the war, by selling bonds at at least 2% interest to capitalists. J. Neely Johnson heads the Mariposa Battalion and is advised to practice economy and political caution. More volunteers apply than there are positions. Johnson advises these volunteers : that Indians have legitimate grievances and that it is important to be merciful. One ditretin volunteer recalled years later that they were ordered to carry long sticks with which to tap ~— stubborn non-combatents. The state was clearly worried that any unwarranted violence or cruelty towards Indians might be viewed negatively by the feds, the Indian guardians. Meanwhile, funding still has not passed the state legislature because in part, no investors could be found to buy the bonds. Supplies were purchased on credit; Governor McDougal is confident feds will pay. Finally in Racal 10 2 iTS eee a onaue nese a force of.500 volunteers $4 per diem for privates and more for higher ranks. M. writes to feds, exaggerating the danger on the trontiers (few Ind. Had firearms), but saying he doesn’t want regular soldiers. The Secretary of War was skeptical (like Commander Smith), saying the war was provoked by whites. The pay rate was exhorbitant “as to inducement to perpetual 46