Indian Rancherie on Dry Creek [Miwok] (12 pages)

66 Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropolegy . Vol. 28, No. 1 (2008) the Indians showing great bravery, and venturing to the very water’s edge to discharge their pieces. Their bullets rattled about the heads of the whites in every direction, and to protect themselves, they were compelled to adopt the shelter of trees, logs, &c. Night closing in, the party retreated, leaving the Indians masters of the field. When Mr. Benson left, the whites were collecting in still greater force to make a third attack. In the meantime men were stationed along the Creek, at proper intervals, to keep a watch upon the movements of the enemy. Mr. Benson had himself served one whole night on duty, and thinks that the Indians are securely trapped. None of the whites were killed in the different sallies, while it is believed that the Indians lost several of their number. When the Indians made their first sally upon the whites, crossing Dry Creek in the pursuit, they proceeded to the house of a farmer residing near, and plundered his house. Success seemed to delight and embolden them very much, and should they be suffered to remain in their present fortified position, it is believed that their robberies and murders will become common throughout the neighborhood. Mr. Benson has promised to keep us advised of the various proceedings adopted against the Indians, which shall be given to the reader as early as practicable after their receipt. The rascals have exhibited a courage which will secure their inevitable destruction; and although many may desire this result, the brave man will both pity and admire their fate, after the assumption of so bold a defiance in a populous country, where every man who isn’t a fellow Indian, is a foe [SU, 5 February 1853:2]. A brief follow-up article that appeared on February 9, 1853 under the heading “Dry Creek Indians” gave us “the rest of the story:” Mr. Benson, who furnished us originally with the information concerning the doings of the Indians on Dry Creek, informs us that they have succeeded in escaping from their fortified position on Dry Creek, and are supposed to have taken shelter in the tues. The war of extermination has thus been, for the present, suspended [SU, 9 February 1853:2]. The San Joaquin Republican, published in Stockton, also had an article about the incident that was published on February 5, 1853. Under the title, “Indian Difficulties,” it provided a somewhat different account from the one in the Sacramento Union, and was in the form of a letter to the editor: Sir: The tribe of Indians at the mouth of Dry creek, have been for some time stealing stock and robbing unprotected ranches; sometime last week one of them entered the house of Mr. Drew, on the Moquelumne river, near Benson’s ferry, and stole his rifle, pistol, blankets and provisions, and carried the plunder to the Rancheria, where the property was found concealed by Mr. Drew and party, who arrested the thief and proceeded to chastise him by whipping, being tied to a tree for that purpose, when his comrades endeavored to rescue him by making an attack and firing on the Americans, who immediately shot the prisoner and retreated. The Indians commenced firing first. This happened on Monday. The whites encamped for the night near the Rancheria, and remained quiet until reinforced by Benson and party, of the ferry, when the siege was renewed and the defensive became an offensive. A plan of attack was agreed upon, by dividing the party, twenty men on each side of the Moquelumne river. Those on the North side soon came up to the Indians and endeavored to reconcile matters and settle the affair, which they obstinately refused, bidding defiance, as they were not aware of the reserve on the other side of the river. The whites immediately opened fire, killing four or five Indians. In the melee Benson got separated from his party, and was supposed to be killed, but was concealed in the bushes and dared not move as either party was likely to fire on him if he made the least disturbance to attract attention; after dark he joined his friends. On Tuesday, the contest was renewed, the Indians still determined to resist force by force, and will remain in the chapparel (sic) until starved out. Three Indians were taken prisoners. The tribe numbers about seventy warriors, and are well armed and good marksmen, are brave and determined, and will cause considerable trouble, as their horses were taken and confiscated and their Rancheria burned to the ground. Their village is at the mouth of Dry creek, five miles from Johnson’s ranch. From Mr. Johnson I received the above. K. [S/R, 5 February 1853:2]. This account provides interesting additional details, such as the claim that the whole village was burned, not just a few houses as indicated in the Benson account. Also, it raises considerably the number of Indians said to have been engaged in the battle. The reference to the “Johnson ranch” is puzzling, because the only Johnson Ranch that I know of at this time was located up on Bear Creek, above Sacramento. It was the ranch of a William Johnson, and was prominently mentioned in the diaries of gold seekers arriving in California overland. Of course, because of the influx of immigrants in the early 1850s, another Johnson may have established a ranch in the neighborhood. At about this same time, there was a report of a battle between Indians and whites at a village on the lower Mariposa and Chowchilla rivers in late January,

66 Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropolegy . Vol. 28, No. 1 (2008) the Indians showing great bravery, and venturing to the very water’s edge to discharge their pieces. Their bullets rattled about the heads of the whites in every direction, and to protect themselves, they were compelled to adopt the shelter of trees, logs, &c. Night closing in, the party retreated, leaving the Indians masters of the field. When Mr. Benson left, the whites were collecting in still greater force to make a third attack. In the meantime men were stationed along the Creek, at proper intervals, to keep a watch upon the movements of the enemy. Mr. Benson had himself served one whole night on duty, and thinks that the Indians are securely trapped. None of the whites were killed in the different sallies, while it is believed that the Indians lost several of their number. When the Indians made their first sally upon the whites, crossing Dry Creek in the pursuit, they proceeded to the house of a farmer residing near, and plundered his house. Success seemed to delight and embolden them very much, and should they be suffered to remain in their present fortified position, it is believed that their robberies and murders will become common throughout the neighborhood. Mr. Benson has promised to keep us advised of the various proceedings adopted against the Indians, which shall be given to the reader as early as practicable after their receipt. The rascals have exhibited a courage which will secure their inevitable destruction; and although many may desire this result, the brave man will both pity and admire their fate, after the assumption of so bold a defiance in a populous country, where every man who isn’t a fellow Indian, is a foe [SU, 5 February 1853:2]. A brief follow-up article that appeared on February 9, 1853 under the heading “Dry Creek Indians” gave us “the rest of the story:” Mr. Benson, who furnished us originally with the information concerning the doings of the Indians on Dry Creek, informs us that they have succeeded in escaping from their fortified position on Dry Creek, and are supposed to have taken shelter in the tues. The war of extermination has thus been, for the present, suspended [SU, 9 February 1853:2]. The San Joaquin Republican, published in Stockton, also had an article about the incident that was published on February 5, 1853. Under the title, “Indian Difficulties,” it provided a somewhat different account from the one in the Sacramento Union, and was in the form of a letter to the editor: Sir: The tribe of Indians at the mouth of Dry creek, have been for some time stealing stock and robbing unprotected ranches; sometime last week one of them entered the house of Mr. Drew, on the Moquelumne river, near Benson’s ferry, and stole his rifle, pistol,

blankets and provisions, and carried the plunder to the Rancheria, where the property was found concealed by Mr. Drew and party, who arrested the thief and proceeded to chastise him by whipping, being tied to a tree for that purpose, when his comrades endeavored to rescue him by making an attack and firing on the Americans, who immediately shot the prisoner and retreated. The Indians commenced firing first. This happened on Monday. The whites encamped for the night near the Rancheria, and remained quiet until reinforced by Benson and party, of the ferry, when the siege was renewed and the defensive became an offensive. A plan of attack was agreed upon, by dividing the party, twenty men on each side of the Moquelumne river. Those on the North side soon came up to the Indians and endeavored to reconcile matters and settle the affair, which they obstinately refused, bidding defiance, as they were not aware of the reserve on the other side of the river. The whites immediately opened fire, killing four or five Indians. In the melee Benson got separated from his party, and was supposed to be killed, but was concealed in the bushes and dared not move as either party was likely to fire on him if he made the least disturbance to attract attention; after dark he joined his friends. On Tuesday, the contest was renewed, the Indians still determined to resist force by force, and will remain in the chapparel (sic) until starved out. Three Indians were taken prisoners. The tribe numbers about seventy warriors, and are well armed and good marksmen, are brave and determined, and will cause considerable trouble, as their horses were taken and confiscated and their Rancheria burned to the ground. Their village is at the mouth of Dry creek, five miles from Johnson’s ranch. From Mr. Johnson I received the above. K. [S/R, 5 February 1853:2]. This account provides interesting additional details, such as the claim that the whole village was burned, not just a few houses as indicated in the Benson account. Also, it raises considerably the number of Indians said to have been engaged in the battle. The reference to the “Johnson ranch” is puzzling, because the only Johnson Ranch that I know of at this time was located up on Bear Creek, above Sacramento. It was the ranch of a William Johnson, and was prominently mentioned in the diaries of gold seekers arriving in California overland. Of course, because of the influx of immigrants in the early 1850s, another Johnson may have established a ranch in the neighborhood. At about this same time, there was a report of a battle between Indians and whites at a village on the lower Mariposa and Chowchilla rivers in late January,