Jarboe's War [Round Valley] (7 pages)

PAGE20 THECALIFORNIANS N_O V «/ DsE: Cs.-129°8 forks of the Eel River, 25 Indians were killed and 20 taken prisoner. Three freshlykilled horses were reported found in the camp. On the 28th, Jarboe reported capturing 30 Indians without firing a shot. Early in October Jarboe received word that Indians had killed a former member of his rangers. John Bland indeed had been captured and bumed to death. Though some settlers maintained that Bland was killed after he whipped some Indians who had broken into his cabin, Army reports told a different story. He had kidnapped a young Indian girl, forced her to live with him and when she escaped, tracked her to the reservation farm at Nome Cult. After dark he broke in and again carried her off. The girl again escaped from Bland. While he was searching for her, a band of Wailakis found him in the mountains. Jarboe, hearing of Bland’s death, asked for assistance from the military detachment in Round Valley. Lieutenant Dillon wrote back that he must “respectfully decline to cooperate.” Undeterred, Jarboe again took to the field and on October 12, with his rangers and guided by a squaw, found Bland’s remains. That same night Jarboe and his men attacked an Indian camp 25 miles north of Round Valley. After a typical ambush in which 11 Indian men were Jackson Farley and his group of 40 ranchers went on a three-week rampage, killing more than 100 Indians. Farley kept a collection of nearly 50 Indian scalps all his life. killed, the rangers took six men and 27 women prisoners. According to Jarboe, these Indians confessed to killing Bland and also to stealing a number of horses. On the way to the reservation, Jarboe stopped to camp in Eden Valley. At midnight his prisoners escaped; only 14 were recaptured and delivered to the reservation. Jarboe attacked another Indian village on the 23rd and, after killing nine, took 30 prisoners. On the 25th he surrounded a vil-lage of some 70 Indians whom he persuaded to surrender, taking all to the Mendocino reservation. His October 28 report notes that Jarboe discharged one of his men for “imprudent conduct with a squaw.” During November, Jarboe kept up his relentless pressure on the Indians. W.T. Scott was induced to join the rangers but after five days had had enough, later recalling Jarboe’s orders to kill all male Indians. The first Indians they came upon were unarmed and gathering acorns. After seeing two other Indians ambushed in the same way, Scott quit in disgust. : Jarboe split his command on the 18th, taking 10 men to Long Valley while Benjamin Birch took eight men to Round Valley. Attacking a rancheria on the south fork of the Eel River, Jarboe’s group killed three men and took six prisoners. Birch and his men attacked a village at dawn, killing ni: of its inhabitants. As in previous repor Jarboe noted that a “lot of beef was four in their huts which established their guilt It was a bitter cold Northern Californ winter; the rangers had by now built a fe crude cabins for their headquarters. Tt permanent camp was located a few mil: south of Round Valley on a promonto: still known as Jarboe Ridge. Despite hea\ rain and snow, rangers dogged the trail « the hapless natives. On November 24, fis horses were reported killed and Indiar were seen butchering them. Jarboe ser Birch anda detachment of men toscout th area and late that night they surprised large rancheria. Discovered in their ay proach, the rangers quickly charged th camp, killing several and capturing nin women and children. Through an interpreter, one captured wc man told Birch that the guilty Indians wer camped half a mile away in another can yon. Taking the prisoners with them, Birc’ and his men pounced on the other India: camp and after a bloody fight reported ki! ling 18 braves. Stolen horseflesh was re portedly found in the camp. During th fight all of the prisoners escaped. Govemor Weller, disturbed, again wrot Jarboe, warning him not to “wage a war o extermination against a whole tribe.. tr to punish only the guilty.” Thus in his sixt official report (December 3), Jarboe tool great pains to allay the governor's fears “All attempts made to get them to come ir and have a friendly talk with a view to en tice them to cease their depredations anc become friends . . . have so far proved ut. terly fruitless. . . Indians roaming in that region . . . are without doubt the most degraded, filthy, miserable, thieving set ot anything living that comes under the head and rank of human being . . . so inferior in intellect, so divorced of feeling that they stand by cooly and unmoved and see their companions shot down by scores without evincing the least symptoms of sorrow and boldly avow their determination to continue their hostilities and kill our citizens and attack them so long as they live. . . . Nothing short of extermination will suffice to rid the country of them, to make them cease their thieving and murderous course.” The rangers kept up the pressure on the red man. Not content with Jarboe’s merciless forays, other ranchers were leading attacks on the Indians. For 22 days, Jackson Farley’s group of 40 ranchers killed every Indian they came across — 150-120 — although Farley claimed to have taken 22 prisoners. Early in December Jarboe sent Birch and eight men out along the Eel River to hunt Indians who had been reported killing

PAGE20 THECALIFORNIANS N_O V «/ DsE: Cs.-129°8 forks of the Eel River, 25 Indians were killed and 20 taken prisoner. Three freshlykilled horses were reported found in the camp. On the 28th, Jarboe reported capturing 30 Indians without firing a shot. Early in October Jarboe received word that Indians had killed a former member of his rangers. John Bland indeed had been captured and bumed to death. Though some settlers maintained that Bland was killed after he whipped some Indians who had broken into his cabin, Army reports told a different story. He had kidnapped a young Indian girl, forced her to live with him and when she escaped, tracked her to the reservation farm at Nome Cult. After dark he broke in and again carried her off. The girl again escaped from Bland. While he was searching for her, a band of Wailakis found him in the mountains. Jarboe, hearing of Bland’s death, asked for assistance from the military detachment in Round Valley. Lieutenant Dillon wrote back that he must “respectfully decline to cooperate.” Undeterred, Jarboe again took to the field and on October 12, with his rangers and guided by a squaw, found Bland’s remains. That same night Jarboe and his men attacked an Indian camp 25 miles north of Round Valley. After a typical ambush in which 11 Indian men were Jackson Farley and his group of 40 ranchers went on a three-week rampage, killing more than 100 Indians. Farley kept a collection of nearly 50 Indian scalps all his life. killed, the rangers took six men and 27 women prisoners. According to Jarboe, these Indians confessed to killing Bland and also to stealing a number of horses. On the way to the reservation, Jarboe stopped to camp in Eden Valley. At midnight his prisoners escaped; only 14 were recaptured and delivered to the reservation. Jarboe attacked another Indian village on the 23rd and, after killing nine, took 30 prisoners. On the 25th he surrounded a vil-lage of some 70 Indians whom he persuaded to surrender, taking all to the Mendocino reservation. His October 28 report notes that Jarboe discharged one of his men for “imprudent conduct with a squaw.” During November, Jarboe kept up his relentless pressure on the Indians. W.T. Scott was induced to join the rangers but after five days had had enough, later recalling Jarboe’s orders to kill all male Indians. The first Indians they came upon were unarmed and gathering acorns. After seeing two other Indians ambushed in the same way, Scott quit in disgust. : Jarboe split his command on the 18th, taking 10 men to Long Valley while Benjamin Birch took eight men to Round Valley. Attacking a rancheria on the south fork of the Eel River, Jarboe’s group killed three men and took six prisoners. Birch and his

men attacked a village at dawn, killing ni: of its inhabitants. As in previous repor Jarboe noted that a “lot of beef was four in their huts which established their guilt It was a bitter cold Northern Californ winter; the rangers had by now built a fe crude cabins for their headquarters. Tt permanent camp was located a few mil: south of Round Valley on a promonto: still known as Jarboe Ridge. Despite hea\ rain and snow, rangers dogged the trail « the hapless natives. On November 24, fis horses were reported killed and Indiar were seen butchering them. Jarboe ser Birch anda detachment of men toscout th area and late that night they surprised large rancheria. Discovered in their ay proach, the rangers quickly charged th camp, killing several and capturing nin women and children. Through an interpreter, one captured wc man told Birch that the guilty Indians wer camped half a mile away in another can yon. Taking the prisoners with them, Birc’ and his men pounced on the other India: camp and after a bloody fight reported ki! ling 18 braves. Stolen horseflesh was re portedly found in the camp. During th fight all of the prisoners escaped. Govemor Weller, disturbed, again wrot Jarboe, warning him not to “wage a war o extermination against a whole tribe... tr to punish only the guilty.” Thus in his sixt official report (December 3), Jarboe tool great pains to allay the governor's fears “All attempts made to get them to come ir and have a friendly talk with a view to en tice them to cease their depredations anc become friends . . . have so far proved ut. terly fruitless. .. . Indians roaming in that region . . . are without doubt the most degraded, filthy, miserable, thieving set ot anything living that comes under the head and rank of human being . . . so inferior in intellect, so divorced of feeling that they stand by cooly and unmoved and see their companions shot down by scores without evincing the least symptoms of sorrow and boldly avow their determination to continue their hostilities and kill our citizens and attack them so long as they live. . . . Nothing short of extermination will suffice to rid the country of them, to make them cease their thieving and murderous course.” The rangers kept up the pressure on the red man. Not content with Jarboe’s merciless forays, other ranchers were leading attacks on the Indians. For 22 days, Jackson Farley’s group of 40 ranchers killed every Indian they came across — 150-120 — although Farley claimed to have taken 22 prisoners. Early in December Jarboe sent Birch and eight men out along the Eel River to hunt Indians who had been reported killing