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Indian Rancherie on Dry Creek [Miwok] (12 pages)
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Page: of 12
REPORT . “Indian Rancherie on Dry Creek": An Early 1850s Indian Village on the Sacramento and San Joaquin County Line . Farris 65
. Mp i
RANCHERIE ON DRY CREEK.
7 =e
{Published at the . NION OFFICE,
Figure 1. Letter Sheet showing the Indian Rancheria on Dry Creek
(California Pictorial Letter Sheets n.d., Courtesy, Bancroft Library).
Information was dispatched throughout the
neighborhood of these facts, with a request for an
assembling of the whites.
In response to the summons, some sixteen
persons assembled together, armed, and proceeded
a second time to the Indian village. When the Indians
saw them coming they can from the cover of a thick
brush, where they appeared to have been concealed
or occupied, and took yefuge in their houses. There
were about twenty in all The party of whites informed
them that they did not come to fight, but to reclaim
the goods. The Indians drew out of their houses and
one of them advanced among the whites. Another of
their number was seen to raise a rifle, which he fired
on the instant, at one of the party, fifteen or twenty
paces off, but did not hit him. The whites returned the
fire unanimously, killing two or three of the Indians.
They then seized upon an Indian amongst them, who
proved the same that had drawn the pistol over the
head of Mr. Drew. Having tied him to a tree, while the
Indians kept up a fire upon them from their houses,
into which they had again retreated, the whites killed
him, and withdrew, but not until they had exhausted all
their ammunition.
During the retreat,a young man named Gardiner,
ignited a box of matches, and, running into the village,
set a couple of the Indian shanties on fire, which
were entirely consumed. Although several shots
were discharged at him, he succeeded in joining his
companions unhurt. The Indians, taking courage by
the flight of the whites, sallied out, crossed Dry Creek,
and kept firing steadily upon them, till they were
nearly half a mile off.
Not deeming themselves sufficiently strong to
renew the attack, messengers were dispatched all
over the country for more men. A force of 30 or 40
were collected, our informant included, who armed
themselves and went back on Saturday to complete
their work of driving the Indians off, or exterminating
them.
When the augmented force arrived in sight of
the Indian village the sun was about an hour high. But
five or six Indians were seen, who fled as the party
approached. Following in the pursuit, they found
that the main body of the tribe had taken refuge on
an island in Dry Creek, surrounded on all sides by a
broad sheet of water. Having stolen all the boats along
that stream or set them adrift the party were unable
to approach them. Their position was found to be
regularly fortified by the cutting down of brush wood,
and piling it up as a breastwork of defense. In reply to
inquiries addressed to them from the shore, they said
it was their chief who had committed the robbery, and
that it was also in accordance with his commands that
they had fired upon the whites. They refused to give
him up, and said, with true Spartan heroism, that if
the whites desired to secure him “they must come and
take him.”
In reply to this insolence the whites again
fired upon them. The fire was promptly returned,