INDIAN DIFFICULTIES.

The first disturbances with the aborigines nearly all occurred at or near Pence's ranch, and in the punishments inflicted upon the savages Mr. Pence always took an active part, serving as captain of several companies organized to protect the persons and property of the white settlers. From a very early period there were Indians at Chico, a number of them in the employ of General Bidwell; and Potter, on the Neal ranch, also had them working for him—but nothing serious is related of these.

On New Year's eve, in 1851, about a year after Mr. Pence had settled in Messila valley, a party of six or seven Indians came to stay all night at his ranch. Among them was a chief of the Concows, a villainous-looking fellow. To this proposition Mr. Pence objected, but being told by Mr. Bartee that if he extended his hospitality to the chief no harm could come to him, he consented and allowed them to remain. The gratitude of his visitors for the kind treatment they had received was so great that in the night they stole all of Mr. Pence's cattle. Early in the morning the theft was discovered before they had got very far, and Pence with a few friends pursued them. At the white men's approach the Indians fled. Mr. Pence succeeded in wounding the chief in the hip, but not so as to disable him. He escaped, and made many threats against Pence, promising to kill him when he got an opportunity. Both were on the watch for each other for some time. Finally, word was brought to Mr. Pence that the chief had been caught, and he went after him and brought him down from the mountains to the ranch, determined to place him where he would do no more harm. Some of the neighbors were in favor of leniency, but it being shown to the satisfaction of the crowd that this course would endanger Mr. Pence's life, a vote was taken on the question of hanging the Indian, and was carried in the affirmative. The verdict was immediately carried into execution, and the chief dangled gracefully from a tree yet standing near the Pentz post-office.

The next trouble in this locality was with the Tiger Indians, who came into the valley and stole cattle at what is known as Clark's ranch, in the year 1853. A company of seven men, with Mr. Pence as captain, was organized, and followed the robbers. In the company was Alexander Dick, now of Biggs. They followed the Indians for some time, but could not succeed in locating their whereabouts, until, at Pence's suggestion, they set a watch for one called Express Bill, who came out daily to the "double log-cabin" for salt. He was captured, and hung to a tree near the house. The party spent the night there, and as the morning dawned they journeyed on to Dogtown, where they made an effort to recruit their forces, but were refused any aid by the Dogtown people. They went on, and in a short time met an Indian. He said he was going to a small rancheria. He was killed, also, and left in the road. Proceeding on their course, they at last found the Indian camp, which contained about thirty warriors. It required considerable nerve to attack this band with only seven men, and more stratagem to perform it successfully, as the savages were in their stronghold, and ready to make a vigorous resistance. The little attacking force was divided, that the enemy might be attacked in flank and front at the same time. Pence and one of his men circled around the camp, and the fight commenced. The savages at that time were armed only with bows, and did but little execution, the only accident happening to the men being an arrow-wound in the neck of one. The fight lasted the remainder of the forenoon, each side shooting carefully from behind trees and bushes. In the afternoon reinforcements arrived, and the enemy was soon conquered. Twenty-five of the "red-skins" were killed in this fight.

During the fall of the same year, the Indians came out on the west branch of Feather river and killed ten Chinamen. Pence was again summoned, and chosen as the captain of a company of thirty whites and thirty Chinese. Pursuit was immediately instituted, and the hiding-place of the Indians was found

about a mile from the river. An attack was made, and from forty to sixty Indians were sent to the "happy hunting-grounds."

It does not appear that the Indians were always the aggressors, or that their attacks on the whites were wholly prompted by "pure cussedness," which many would fain believe. Though the whites have suffered greatly by them, it is also true that on many occasions here in Butte county great wrongs have been done the simple natives, in more ways than merely taking from them the hills and valleys of their forefathers. Crimes against the Indians were very frequent, and fully account for some of the bloody reprisals made a few years later. At Frenchtown, Oregon township, a meeting was held February 14, 1854, and resolutions were passed in regard to the men who were in the habit of committing outrages on Indian women, stating if the law did not punish the offenders, they would mete out to them the punishment they deserved. Those who were actual settlers had their lives and property endangered by these overt acts of lawlessness. The immediate effect of this action was a better treatment of the

savages, and a consequent period of immunity from their raids. For a number of years no trouble of importance occurred. A meeting was held at the Forks of Butte, in Kimshew township, on the eighteenth of June, 1862, for the purpose of making an organized resistance to the encroachments and outrages of the Indians. N. Smith was chairman, and G. Nichols secretary of the meeting. The following statement of their grievances was made:-

"The Indians known as the Deer or Mill creek Indians, have of late committed numerous depredations in this vicinity, such as robbing mining camps, murdering white men and killing stock; and whereas, they have acknowledged to be the murderers of Michael Walsh, of Chico, and Mr. Dunbar or Dunlap, of Mud creek, together with numerous other murders on the Washoe trail near Lassen's peak ; also, to two recent murders of persons whose names we have been unable to ascertain, but from description given of a recent murder committed by them, we judge it is Mr. Haynes, of Chico Meadows, but do not know for certain; also, they are threatening to murder every white man on Butte creek, and capture all the white women and children."

It was resolved to raise a company for the chastisement of the savages and protection of the settlers, and a committee was appointed for that purpose. A company of twenty-four men was raised and started on the war-path on the twenty-first of June. They were none too soon, for on the afternoon of the twenty-fourth Thomas Allen, a teamster for J. L. Keefer, was killed and scalped on his way down from Morrill's saw-mill. An Indian belonging to Keefer, who was in company with Allen, was badly wounded, but escaped and brought the news to the valley. Three children—two girls and a boy-belonging to a family named Hickok, near where the above murder was perpetrated, were captured and carried away. The children were away from home when taken. A party hastened in pursuit, found the horses killed on which they were riding, and portions of the clothing of the two girls, torn off by the bushes as they were hurried away by their captors. The bodies of the girls, Ida A. and Minnie S. Hickok, aged sixteen and thirteen respectively, were afterwards found, that of the eldest being pierced with thirty arrows. They were buried at their home, amidst affecting ceremonies.

Upon learning of the murder of the two Hickok girls, and the abduction of the little boy, the volunteers made an active pursuit of the perpetrators, and, on the first of July, attacked them in camp, killing several, when the others fled in confusion. The clothing of the boy was recovered. Two weeks afterwards, beneath a pile of rocks and brush, were found the mutilated remains of the unfortunate youth. The neck was broken, fingers, ears and toes cut off, and the body had been dragged some distance by the incarnate fiends, with a rope fastened to the neck. The cruelty here revealed has seldom been equaled in the long annals of Indian warfare. Charles Hickok, a younger brother of these unfortunates, now resides in Oroville.