Post by cinemo on May 15, 2014 13:33:56 GMT -5
During the mid-1800s in California, the prevailing sentiment towards Native Americans was not good. The majority of Californians thought it would be necessary to "exterminate" the Native American population. Some thought it would be a good idea to enslave them, therefore taming them. Luckily, there were those who spoke out for Native American rights, but they were too few and they were quickly silenced. This sentiment led to the enslavement of an untold number of Native Americans. In 1850, California passed the "Act for the Government and Protection of the Indians". While sounding good, this act allowed white men to enslave any Indian they found without means of support. Since the Indian held no rights and could not testify in court, nearly every Indian in California suddenly became a candidate for slavery.
Among the early pioneers to enter Northern California were two ranchers, Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone. In 1847, Kelsey and Stone purchased a cattle operation from a Mexican, near what is today Kelseyville. While the former Mexican owner had hired Indians as ranch hands, Kelsey and Stone adopted the policy of enslavement. The treatment of these Indian slaves would go from bad to worse. In 1849, Kelsey took 50 Indian slaves with him to see if he could strike it rich in the gold rush. Unsuccessful, it is said Kelsey sold all the supplies meant to feed the Indians to other miners, and only two Indians made it back to the ranch alive, the others having starved to death. Starvation was a common problem among Kelsey and Stone's slaves. Each Indian herder was paid 4 cups of wheat a day for their labor, which was inadequate to feed the families. The story is told of one Indian that sent her nephew to beg for a cup of wheat, and was killed by Stone. Whippings were a common punishment, and at least four Indian's were beaten so bad they later died. Another way of punishing Indian's was too tie their hands together and hang them from a tree for hours.
Among the numerous crimes committed against the Indians, rape of the Indian women and girls was common. A father who refused to bring his daughter to the house for sex with Kelsey or Stone when instructed to, would be whipped. In December 1849, when Kelsey and Stone took the Chief's wife, the Indians decided to react. During the night, the chieftain's wife poured water into their muskets and the next morning, five braves attacked the house. Finally, Kelsey and Stone were killed. The tribe, knowing there was no such thing as 'justifiable homicide' by an Indian, fled into the hills.
Word of the murder of these two men spread and word was sent to the Army of a Pomo Indian uprising. Lieutenant Nathaniel Lyon ( First Dragoons US Cavalry ) was dispatched with a detachment to find and eliminate the Indians. From the National Park Service website - "Lieutenant Lyon arrived at the lake (Clear Lake) in the spring of 1850 with a detachment of soldiers. Since he could not reach the Indians' hiding place, he secured two whale boats and two small brass field cannons from the U.S. Army arsenal at Benicia. While waiting for the boats and field artillery, a party of local volunteers joined the expedition. Soldiers took the cannons aboard the whale boats, while the remaining body of mounted soldiers and volunteers proceeded to the west side of the lake. The two groups rendezvoused at Robinson Point, a little south of the island. The artillery was taken to the head of the lake in order to be as close as possible to the Indians. In the morning, soldiers fired shots from the front to attract the Indians' attention while the remaining force lined up on the opposite side of the island. The soldiers then fired the cannon, which sent the Indians across the island where they met the rest of the detachment." (It should be noted that the Pomo village on the Clear Lake island that day were not associated with the Stone-Kelsey Pomo slaves. The Pomo's were spread throughout Northern California and this tribe, calling themselves Badonnapoti, were peaceful fishermen.)
In a time when chivalry, mutual respect and fair play was common on the battlefield, what happened next can only be described as an atrocity. The number of Indian's killed on the island that day vary from 75 to near 200, but few survived. The fact that only two of Lyon's force were wounded reflects the lack of resistance the Indians offered. The fact that no prisoners were taken, even among the women and children reflects the actions of the men under Lyon's command. Many were killed as they attempted to swim off the island. Others were shot. Many of the women met their deaths by bayonet. But most horrific of all were the stories of the deaths of children. One Pomo historian later wrote "One lady told me she saw two white men coming, their guns up in the air and on their guns ( bajonets ) hung a little girl. They brought it to the creek and threw it in the water. And a little while later two more men came in the same manner. This time they had a little boy on the end of their guns and also threw it in the water....She said when they gathered the dead they found all the little ones were killed by being stabed<sic>
After the destruction of the village, Lyon's forces continued throughout the area, about 75 Pomo Indians were killed on the Russian River shortly afterwards.
Today, Bloody Island, the massacre site, is no longer located in Clear Lake. It is a hill with a monument to those who died that day.
Sources : www.chrisanddavid.com/clearlakemassacre/
www.wolfcreekarcheology.com/KelseyTalk.pdf
The second link contains various versions regarding particulars of that terrible incident.
cinemo
Among the early pioneers to enter Northern California were two ranchers, Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone. In 1847, Kelsey and Stone purchased a cattle operation from a Mexican, near what is today Kelseyville. While the former Mexican owner had hired Indians as ranch hands, Kelsey and Stone adopted the policy of enslavement. The treatment of these Indian slaves would go from bad to worse. In 1849, Kelsey took 50 Indian slaves with him to see if he could strike it rich in the gold rush. Unsuccessful, it is said Kelsey sold all the supplies meant to feed the Indians to other miners, and only two Indians made it back to the ranch alive, the others having starved to death. Starvation was a common problem among Kelsey and Stone's slaves. Each Indian herder was paid 4 cups of wheat a day for their labor, which was inadequate to feed the families. The story is told of one Indian that sent her nephew to beg for a cup of wheat, and was killed by Stone. Whippings were a common punishment, and at least four Indian's were beaten so bad they later died. Another way of punishing Indian's was too tie their hands together and hang them from a tree for hours.
Among the numerous crimes committed against the Indians, rape of the Indian women and girls was common. A father who refused to bring his daughter to the house for sex with Kelsey or Stone when instructed to, would be whipped. In December 1849, when Kelsey and Stone took the Chief's wife, the Indians decided to react. During the night, the chieftain's wife poured water into their muskets and the next morning, five braves attacked the house. Finally, Kelsey and Stone were killed. The tribe, knowing there was no such thing as 'justifiable homicide' by an Indian, fled into the hills.
Word of the murder of these two men spread and word was sent to the Army of a Pomo Indian uprising. Lieutenant Nathaniel Lyon ( First Dragoons US Cavalry ) was dispatched with a detachment to find and eliminate the Indians. From the National Park Service website - "Lieutenant Lyon arrived at the lake (Clear Lake) in the spring of 1850 with a detachment of soldiers. Since he could not reach the Indians' hiding place, he secured two whale boats and two small brass field cannons from the U.S. Army arsenal at Benicia. While waiting for the boats and field artillery, a party of local volunteers joined the expedition. Soldiers took the cannons aboard the whale boats, while the remaining body of mounted soldiers and volunteers proceeded to the west side of the lake. The two groups rendezvoused at Robinson Point, a little south of the island. The artillery was taken to the head of the lake in order to be as close as possible to the Indians. In the morning, soldiers fired shots from the front to attract the Indians' attention while the remaining force lined up on the opposite side of the island. The soldiers then fired the cannon, which sent the Indians across the island where they met the rest of the detachment." (It should be noted that the Pomo village on the Clear Lake island that day were not associated with the Stone-Kelsey Pomo slaves. The Pomo's were spread throughout Northern California and this tribe, calling themselves Badonnapoti, were peaceful fishermen.)
In a time when chivalry, mutual respect and fair play was common on the battlefield, what happened next can only be described as an atrocity. The number of Indian's killed on the island that day vary from 75 to near 200, but few survived. The fact that only two of Lyon's force were wounded reflects the lack of resistance the Indians offered. The fact that no prisoners were taken, even among the women and children reflects the actions of the men under Lyon's command. Many were killed as they attempted to swim off the island. Others were shot. Many of the women met their deaths by bayonet. But most horrific of all were the stories of the deaths of children. One Pomo historian later wrote "One lady told me she saw two white men coming, their guns up in the air and on their guns ( bajonets ) hung a little girl. They brought it to the creek and threw it in the water. And a little while later two more men came in the same manner. This time they had a little boy on the end of their guns and also threw it in the water....She said when they gathered the dead they found all the little ones were killed by being stabed<sic>
After the destruction of the village, Lyon's forces continued throughout the area, about 75 Pomo Indians were killed on the Russian River shortly afterwards.
Today, Bloody Island, the massacre site, is no longer located in Clear Lake. It is a hill with a monument to those who died that day.
Sources : www.chrisanddavid.com/clearlakemassacre/
www.wolfcreekarcheology.com/KelseyTalk.pdf
The second link contains various versions regarding particulars of that terrible incident.
cinemo