WRITTEN FOR CHARLES J. LEE


August 24, 1886


by


FRANK PHELPS
Busseyville, Wisconsin


RECOLLECTIONS OF THE 1850's
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My name you wish? Charles J. Lee. And you want a story? So in my humble way I'll give you an abridged narration of a journey, a sojourn and of course, my observations.

First, let me state that I was born in England and in my early childhood did a lad's labor on a farm, and when I became a stronger boy, worked at the blacksmith's trade, and finally changed my apprenticeship and became a shoemaker in West End London.

To any enterprising young man, America threw out the most tempting promises. So, in the hopes of bettering my condition in life, I sailed for the United States, making southern Wisconsin my goal.

There we lived in log cabins, ate venison and other wild game, shook with the ague, and made the best of backwoods life and enjoyed the beauties of nature in all their wildness.

I turned my hand to almost anything that brought me good wages, dug wells and ditches and anon worked at my trade.

I had come to America to gain time in the acquisition of my fortune and as the discovery of gold in California had opened a new field for my ambitions, I determined to leave Wisconsin and by skill or will make my way to the gold bearing fields of the new El Dorado.

Taking leave of my family, I went to New York City and taking passage on the steamer, United States of Independent Line, with about 400 passengers sailed to the Isthmus of Panama. Having purchased through tickets to San Francisco, we were accompanied by the Company's Agent to and across the Isthmus where, according to previous instructions, he was to charter a vessel and send all the passengers of the Steamer, United States, toward the rest of their journey, fulfilling the obligation of the Company.

Nothing uncommon to my sea voyage during our' journey to the Isthmus, and landing at Charges, we continued our journey up the river of the same name in row-boats which belonged to the transportation company.

Nearing the..
.... headwaters of navigation, where we left the rowboats and boarded the skiffs, which were manned by Carthaginian Negroes, tall, straight, sinewy men, black as ebony, but lacking the African features and having straight, instead of curly hair. Some were entirely naked, while others wore a colored handkerchief about the loins.

Upon the shoulder of those dark rivermen, a callous as large as a man's fist had formed, against which they placed the pole they used to propel the boat. At the side hung the knife, rough-handled and of arm's length, which they used as a weapon and for cutting their food or firewood. Leaving the river, we journeyed on foot or rode on donkey-back, footing it being preferable to me, for the trail was worn so deep and the donkeys were so small that the feet of the rider would often drag the ground. Before reaching Panama, we struck a fine brick-paved road, which I was told was made by the Spaniards years and years ago. With several of our party, I stopped at a dwelling house for a drink of water. A lady, finely clad and of marked beauty, led the way to a flowing spring, and dipping the water from the fountain, with a gracefulness and dignity becoming high breeding, waited upon each thirsty man, and graciously did each one tender her his thanks, as he drank from the gold-trimmed vessel. And here let me say, that all men are not gentlemen, and upon one of our party making a low remark, our lady placed her hand on the stiletto at her belt and looked the contempt she so keenly felt.

Arrived in Panama, we remained for some time. Each weekday, you might see women washing clothes in the brooks and morning and evening bathing in the surf; an established custom of the country and unremarked by the passer-by.

As to religion, the people claim to be adherents to the Church of Rome, although that body (so I've been told) cherishes no motherly regard for them. About Easter each year, they make an effigy of Judas Iscariot and as they carry it about the streets of the city, and after imposing all manner of insults on the representative of that despicable name, they burn the image, just as the boys of London used to burn (in effigy) Guy Faukes, each fifth of November.

Our Agent failing to charter a vessel according to agreement, paid back our fare (at the point of the pistol) and left us to shift for ourselves.

Several old hulks lay in the bay, and one of them was fitted up in part and manned, and stood in waiting for us. So, impatient to get to our journey's end, we boarded the Clara cia Andrews. She was an old sailship and condemned as unseaworthy; there being a hole in the stern large enough to throw a good-sized dog through. Who can, by a voyage across the sea, in a floating palace of these days with its table-fare and accommodations fit for royalty, form any true idea of the, hard fare imposed on passengers of former years, especially when the "gold fever" was at its height?

Our sea-bread was black as soot, and alive with worms and not many a man on board that ship longer in his heart for the sweet bread and butter he so carelessly threw away in his joyous school-boy days. Nor was such fare to be endured long. A meeting was called on deck, and a committee appointed to wait on the captain and in the name of the passengers to demand better fare. The captain threatened to arrest and put us in irons, under charge of an "attempt to mutiny", if we persisted. Nothing daunted, the committee was sent back to remonstrate with the captain, and also to deny any intention (much less attempt) to mutiny, and making true statement of affairs as they then stood. What was the result? From that day to the end of the voyage, each man received one biscuit a day, made of fine flour stirred up with water distilled from the ocean wave. By the way, I carried one of those biscuits for two years and six months; and when I presented it to my wife, it was still untouched by time, and I verily believe I could have knocked the panels out of any common door with it.

When I boarded the vessel at Panama, I was in straitened circumstances. I had some leather, and determined thereof to make my trade an honorable help to my journey. The captain became interested in me -- furnished me with leather, and took measures to establish me in a shop of my own. Accordingly, the old canoe water tank was broken up and a shoe shop established mid-ship. The captain said that though he had followed the sea for more than thirty years, he had never seen the like before, a shoe shop in a ship. But the shop which took its place, could have looked no more strange to him, than that old pirogue, a canoe hewn from the trunk of a tree, appeared to us, as it stood there mid-ship braced up and used as a water-tank.

We had been twenty-nine days becalmed, and there were fourteen deaths. All was still, motionless; not a ripple broke the even surface of the sea, and nothing seemed to indicate that a change was near, until a sea-bird (a stormy petrel) lighted on the rigging of the vessel. Very shortly, a small cloud appeared above the horizon, and in less than twenty minutes, the sky was overcast, while the wind blew a perfect hurricane. The captain, taking advantage of this took us out of the belt of equatorial calms. The storm passed and we had pleasant sailing the rest of the voyage.

It fell to many of the passengers to feel the tyranny of the habit of tobacco-using; and the habit once con-firmed, necessitates the purchase of that article at any price. At that time, it was sold by retail thus; the purchaser gave the vendor a dime, which was laid upon a plug of tobacco, and a piece the size and shape of the money was given in exchange for it. And when the captain finally promised a whole plug of tobacco to the one who should sight land first, the eyes of many a passenger were turned earnestly and longingly ahead.

Arriving safely in San Francisco Harbor, we were anxious to get our feet once more on solid earth. According to law, for prevention of epidemic, and to prevent smuggling of goods into the city, all passengers were to be. detained on board the vessel to await inspection by the government officers. But when the row-boats came around the ship for the purpose of conveying passengers to shore, we made use of the private instruction we had from the mate, and took an unceremonious leave of the ship, the mate merely pre-tending to try to hinder our departure. Having been diligent in business, 'I not only had money to pay my own way, but also to help several others into the mines.

I did not tarry long in San Francisco but struck out for Long Bar on the Yuba River, where I slept first night in a hotel where the partitions were mostly made of unbleached factory. I went to-my bunk in hopes of a good night's rest; but alas, how soon was I undeceived. A few of the guests retired soon after myself; but before,lying down, they lightly bathed their bodies with some sort of liquid from a bottle inviting me to do the same. I refused, deeming. the invitation almost an insult; but they only laughed and warranted my future repentance for having refused their kind tender, and at a later sour, I doubted not their secret satisfaction when they knew my restlessness.

Imagine yourself trying to sleep on a bed of nettles some warm summer night, with a swarm of mosquitoes alighting upon you and mercilessly puncturing your skin from head to foot, and you have a faint idea of the rest I enjoyed that night at Long Bar.

It was not the nettle, nor was it the mosquito, that withered the flower of sweet temper that night; it was simply the pestiferous flea, with all the double vigor, art and nature, he could possibly command. You may grasp the nettle firmly, and pluck it out of your path without pain, and you may derive some satisfaction from killing a mosquito; but when you strike a flea, it isn't there and you receive all the blow calls for, with an extra bite or two from more hungry fleas. Isn't it queer that a thing apparently so insignificant should merit so much attention.

I had come to labor, and was anxious to get into the mines. 4y first work consisted in conveying gold paying dirt in a wheelbarrow (over a road made of hewn poles) from the mines to the river, where the gold was washed out, in a rocker made for the purpose. The change from a temperate, to a tropical climate, where the heat registered 100 degrees, was too much for'any London shoemaker. It turned me color-blind. Rocks, earth, everything looked green and I determined to seek a higher altitude, where I could breathe the cool mountain air. Accordingly, I went further into the mountains to another mining camp and set to work. And now I must tell you of an incident which happened while staying there.

As a teamster was driving on the road not far from camp, he heard a cry of "Murder: Murder!" and following the direction of the sound, he ran down the road, and turning a) corner, saw three Indians beating a white man who was lying an the ground, while a fourth Indian was running away. When the rest of the Indians saw the teamster, they also ran away. The beaten man then got up, saying: "They have killed me!" The teamster inquired of the wounded man, the cause of such murderous work, and he said that he did not know unless it was so as to kill him and get his money, which was not much, only about six dollars.

The teamster helped the wounded man to his wagon, and took him back to camp. The Indians had shot three arrows into his breast, nearly together. One, the man had broken off, leaving the arrowhead in his breast; the point of one reached entirely through him; while a third with head firmly imbedded in his flesh still remained. Death was in this instance the only relief that could be hoped for, and that relief was not long in coming. The indignation of the miners was aroused and they assembled for council.

After sending word to Captain John, one of the chief councilors of the Digger Indian tribes of that region, to appear at the mining camp, at nine o'clock the following morning, with all his tribe, and threatening upon their failure to appear, to drive them over the "Snowy Mountains", they sent word to all the mining camps within reasonable distance, to be in attendance at an early hour. That evening a judge was chosen, counselors for the prosecution, and for the defense were appointed, and a jury of twelve men was panelled so that Justice might be dealt out, with the least possible delay, even at the hand of Judge Lynch.

In the evening of the day the murder was committed, Captain John, with one of his warriors came into camp. Now the arrows of each tribe differ from each other; and upon comparison of the arrows in the warrior's quiver with those left in the murdered man, it was very apparent that the arrows in question belonged to other than Captain John's tribe. Captain John said that the arrows in question belonged to the Yubas, a neighboring tribe. Undoubtedly, the murder was premeditated, as the sequel seems to show. An investigation of the matter showed some of the cunning of the savage and proved how they had traded arrows with their neighbors, and used the weapons so obtained, to carry out their foul plot at the same time screening them-selves from apprehension, and throwing the suspicion upon the Yuba tribe.

Next morning the miners, between one hundred and two hundred in number, had assembled, armed with rifles,shot guns, pistols and bowie-knives, and awaited the arrival of the summoned tribe. As all eyes were turned toward the rancherie where the Indians were living, we saw Chief Winnemucca, dressed in a dark blue broadcloth suit, with rows of bright metalic buttons from shoulder to moccasin, and wearing a cap triumted with gold,lace. Though quite aged, he ran with the agility of a man of twenty years; followed by Captain John and his warriors all armed, followed in turn, by the squaws and their papooses, all coming up to the appointed meeting ground.

After choosing an interpreter, the Indians were re-quested to lay their arms aside. They, refused until the miners should do so too. All agreed, all arms were laid aside, apparently, for many a miner. retained his pistol concealed on his person. The meeting was called to order, and Winnemucca was called on the witness stand, and bound under obligations corresponding to our oaths, our form not being deemed binding with them. All this was satisfactorily made plain by the interpreter. When questioned as to the whereabouts of certain of his tribe the previous day, he was defended by the counselor for the defense, and answered not a word. The teamster was then called to witness and given permission tp go among the crowd and identify whomsoever he could as the assassins, and though they had altered their appearance considerably, they were quickly identified. For convenience, from first to last, we will number them. Number one, whose hair grew very nearly to his eye-brows before making his appearance with the rest, had it cut to alter his appearance; and the red band he wore around his head the day before, he now wore around a white hat. Captain John and Chief Winnemucca were again questioned as to the hair-cutting of Number one but would not answer.

The teamster, as chief witness, being positive of his identification, Number One was arrested by the sheriff and bound around the wrists with a rope. His accomplices were then arrested and bound. Numbers two and three; also Number four, as the one seen running from the scene of bloodshed. Number four was placed on the witness stand, and when questioned, said that he was a "friend to the white man," and that when he "saw the three others shoot each an arrow into the white man," he "ran and told his Chief;" meaning Winnemucca. Then Winnemucca became interested for himself and tribe and talked quite freely. He said that Number One was "a good Warrior, but a bad Indian;" "had helped kill two men before." Number Two had "helped kill one man," but Number Three "had_.never before murdered," was "a good Indian, but seemed to have been drinking." The jury returned a verdict of "guilty,".-for the three first arrested, and Number Four was acquitted. When released, he bounded away like a deer. The Judge gave the sentence,"Death by hanging, to go into execution one hour from the time it was given".

The criminals were placed in a wagon which was drawn to a large white oak tree. A rope was then presented to each, one end of it tied around the criminal's neck, the other made fast to a bough of the tree, and they all stood on'a board placed across the wagon box. The wagon wheels were blocked till the moment for the execution was called, when the wheels were unblocked, the wagon went down the hill, and three sons of Cain were left dangling in the air.

Number One was so wiry that he caught the rope with his chin and held it for some time, but. finally tired and strangled. The two others died more easily. When it was evident that life was extinct, Captain John received per-mission to cut the bodies down, and begged that his people might not be disturbed while they performed rites for the dead.

We stood on an eminence where we had a fair view of the proceedings, and we gazed with absorbing interest on the performance of rites, savage in their origin, and frightful in their execution. Logs, and dry boughs, were heaped together, and a great fire made; the bodies of the dead were placed upon the funeral pile, and what followed, was to my notion, a fair representation of Pandemonia Infernal, if ever such a place existed. Led by the Chief, Captain John and his warriors described a circle around the fire, and with a stooping, swinging gate, kept time to a sort of musical grunt; the women in the meanwhile screaming, howling, and tearing their hair. It was a horrible transaction, and accompanied by the strange sounds, impressed itself firmly on my memory. Such a sight I never saw before nor ever wish to see again.

When the fire had burned low, the widows of the deceased took a quantity of the ashes and mixing it with pine pitch, according to the tribal customs, besmeared their heads and faces with it, and remained widows until time and wear had cleared away the paste. The burning place was then covered with stones, and as each passed it by in after days, they added a stone to the pile. There are many such cairns in that district to invite the speculation of the curious traveler.

It was the Spring time of 1852. I left the scene of murder and of execution taking quarters at Cherokee Corrall. Through working in -the cold creek water, I was taken sick, and unable to work, for what seemed to me, a long time. I had been at the rate of eighteen dollars per week for-my board and lodging, and my purse strings began to loosen. The Spring freshets had washed away the bridges and provisions were one dollar per pound.

As soon as my health was better, I took a contract to build a house of split and hewn timber, there being no saw mill in the neighborhood at that time. One morning as I had started out to borrow a fro to split the shakes and shingles with, I found, in a trail leading into a main road, two steel-snap purses, very heavy -- one filled with gold coin, the other filled with specimens of gold ore, which had been united by staples, forming a fob watch chain very heavy. After making known my find to more than forty men, and finding no claimant, I sent some of the money to my wife, who was sick in Wisconsin at that time. I have always looked at that lucky find as a God send to one in deep distress; and yet it must have been the work of Satan. I have always thought, and still I think,that it was the property of some man murdered at Bloody Run, whose former adds ess was never known, and whose money and chain the murderers had cast away for fear of apprehension.

Some time after this, I purchased a claim a few miles distant; and being desirous of a look at my new acquisition, I took a small lunch at about eleven o'clock, and in company with my dog "Towser", started across the mountains. By the way, a dog's company is not the worst of company, that of some men being less desirable. I kept the right direction until dark following a line of trees blazed for the purpose of guidance. I had hard work that day, or hard walking, through the snow --always knee-deep and sometimes overhead, nearly down among the chaparral which lay buried several feet below the upper crust of snow. I was lost and benighted on the top of Saddleback_ Mountain; so called from its shape. My clothes were wet and freezing, and I was tired and hungry, without coat or blanket, food or fire, and becoming more and more chilled every minute. The frosty night air had formed a deep hard crust over the snow, making good walking, but for the darkness which made further advancement among the precipices very dangerous.

I knew I was elected to make my bed in the snow that night, but the crust was so hard how to do so was a question. I re-traced my steps to an old stub I had previously passed, to which still clung loose bark and splinters. I took a large
splinter from the stub and began. to dig a hole in the snow, though I worked hard, I would often find myself falling asleep, though well I knew to give way to my benumbed feelings would be to sleep the sleep of death. I thought of wife and children and the thoughts of home spurred me on to greater exertions. My excavation finished, I made a bed of bark and boughs, and lay down; and after placing my dog-Towser upon my feet and shins, I fell asleep. I awoke with a terrible pain in my stomach and found myself, for some time, unable to move, but finally succeeding, I got hold of Towser and pulled him upon my body. With his warmth, the. pain in my stomach ceased, and falling asleep again, I slept till the light fell into my bedroom. It was some time before I managed to rise; and when finally I did get up, I could not stand. I questioned myself as to my sanity. I knelt and importuned the aid of the Omnipotent. I arose and with much exertion, aroused life and warmth in my benumbed limbs. I took a bee line for the first sign of civilization, which proved to be the smoke rising from the morning fires at Craig's Flat, twelve miles distant.

I crossed Big and Little Canons, with creeks of the same names. I found some steep declivities which obliged me to make my way by clinging to shrubs and vines. Some of the mountains were two miles from base to apex, the surface being sometimes varied by a shelf or tableland. I started down the mountain, sliding now and then keeping a good pace. Seated in my gold pan, or my shovel, I had often slid down a mountain, but this time my foot caught, and sending my face and hands to the snow sent me headlong like a winged arrow, half a mile down the mountain, where I slid out upon a little tableland or terrace. A little rising of hard-crusted snow around the trees enabled me to steer clear of them. I arose to my feet trembling in every limb. My dog was coming though far up the mountain; my clothes were badly worn by the flight, and my hands were black with the friction, where they were not torn and bleeding, by the rough rasping crust of the snow.

And now if you will allow, I will give you a little episode. We were changing our camping place, my partners and I, and as no one disputed my strength in those days (my weight being about two hundred and ten pounds), they had packed upon my back and shoulders fifty weight of flour, buffalo robe, two blankets, camp kettle and valise. We had started for our new camp ground, myself ahead, and all of us going at a good pace, down the mountain. A tree had fallen across our pathway, and the snow had filled in between the bole and the mountain on the upper side, making good footing there but leaving quite an interval on the lower side. On we all came; I saw my position all too late. I could not stop; my load carried me over, and plunged me head foremost into a deep snow bank. It seemed my companions would let me die ere they came to the rescue; and when finally they did, they were nearly dying with laughter.

But to return to our story: I arrived at the hotel in Craig's Flat, very much fatigued. After eating a very small lunch, I was invited to partake of some hot punch; but not.being addicted to the use of ardent spirits, I was reluctant to do so, but the landlord persuaded me to take a little for my health after the hardships of my journey. And I thought of the scripture where it says: "Give strong drink to one that is ready to perish." Yes, that is true enough of the principles of those days, when people almost made "spirits" a necessity, but it is very different now, and most strongly do I sympathize with those whose ceaseless vigilance has made so great a change for the better in public opinion, and caused assemblies. Complimentary to the landlord, or to the cook, I would say: I never relished a meal any more in my life than I did the dinner at Craig's Flat that day. After a good rest, I resumed my journey. Calling at a miner's camp, he directed me to a place called "Solomon's Temple," Following the directions I came upon that gigantic structure which threw into insignificance all my wildest dreams of natural architectural construction. Nature's great Architect needs not man to build him dwelling places. Who gave it its name? A mountain in size, in form symmetrical. Isolated from the surrounding mountains, and composed of different material. All the exterior was composed of six-sided columns of. dark bassaltick rock, -- jointed columns in sections one above another to a 'great height, and leaning in at the top as if to form a roof, a part of which has fallen in, like some old ruin. How grand! How beautiful! How imposing! It seemed indeed a fit abode for the gods. I wondered -- I reflected. Did I do wrong if I adored the great Architect? I returned home, well paid for my journey, though through frost, I lost my toe nails.

As time went on, I engaged in the mercantile business in Forest City. All went well as far as my business was concerned, but I had too many inconveniences to put up with. A man without a wife is but half a man at best; at least that is my experience in life; so I determined to close out and return to Wisconsin for my family, hoping to return again and set up business anew in (line missing).

I had formed an acquaintance with the steward of a hotel in Forest City, he being quite often in my store, and having been recommended to me by his employer as perfectly trust-worthy, we laid our plans for an overland. journey across the "Plains",'or "Great American Desert," as those great prairies were then called.

My friend had two horses, and I had purchased the best mule I could for two hundred dollars (afterward sold for sixteen hundred dollars as a race mule) and we went to Nevada City where we were to be joined by a third party whom I had never seen and purchased our outfits for the journey. While there, the sheriff from Sierra County, California came, ,and tapping me on the shoulder arrested me, and together with my friend and partner, cast me into prison. The third party, by whom we were to be joined, had stolen the saddle out of a livery stable in Forest City, and my partner was his accomplice; and all unbeknown to me, they were not only thieves, but murderers also, as the sequel will show.

We were taken back to Forest City, and kept in the sheriff's care over Sunday. Monday morning, I demanded a hearing before the Justice of the Peace, and as none but the sheriff appeared against me, and explaining that he had arrested me on suspicion, having found me in bad company, I received my dismissal which I demanded, and received it in writing. My partner gave two lawyers a horse each to acquit him, which they did; and he had but just left the place when the true owner of the horses came and reclaimed his stolen property.

The saddle thief, who was an accomplice of my partner,went to jail for thirty days, and was no sooner out than he went and murdered a Frenchman whom he chanced to meet on the highway, whose body he cut open and filling the same with stones, sunk it ' in the. Truckee River. But vengeance suffered him not to live, for he soon came to his end, the end of a rope, and was hung to a tree by a mob. My fellow prisoner stole another horse, and in company with a Negro, set out to cross the Plains but his journey was a short one, as he was found, according to the reports of some of his friends returning from a visit to the East, by the wayside where he was left to "keep camp alone with a bullet in his brain."

Thus ended the career of those who, in all probability, had planned to rob and murder me, thus debarring my wife and family of husband and father, and leaving my bones to whiten on the open prairies. But providentially, I was arrested, and good was educed from evil; and it may not be out of place to say, that I was henceforth more careful as to the choice of my company.