Pitt River Expedition
Encyclopedia
The Pitt River Expedition is the name given to several expeditions, detailed below. They were named for the Pit River
and Pitt River Indians, as they were then called. (Note the spelling difference). The Pit River is one of several tributaries of the Sacramento River
. The expeditions were part of the Indian wars in California which took place during the California Gold Rush
of 1849.
(Pit River
), Atsugewi
(Hat Creek) and Modoc to establish relations with them.
, later US Civil War Officer and General led the second Pitt River Expedition as a 1st lieutenant in 1857. In one of the several engagements, he was severely wounded by an Indian arrow.
. Citizens requested Governor John B. Weller
to call out State troops from the northern counties to remove the Indians from the mountains and place them on a reservation.
The Governor sent Adjutant General of California, William C. Kibbe to the northern counties of California to organize volunteer military companies to stop Indian raids, collect them and remove them to the Mendocino Indian Reservation. At Red Bluff
, General Kibbe raised a company of 93 California militia, the Kibbe Rangers, under Captain William Byrnes. General Kibbe directed Captain Byrnes to carry out an expedition against the Indians in Tehama, Shasta, Plumas, and Butte
counties. In the following three months, Captain Byrnes' rangers had many minor clashes with bands of Indians and captured more than 500. Due to the snow blocking the route over the coastal ranges to the Mendocino Reservation, the captive Indians were taken by steamboat
from Red Bluff to the Tejon Reservation
.
Pit River
The Pit River is a major river draining from northeastern California into the state's Central Valley. The Pit, the Klamath and the Columbia are the only three rivers in the U.S...
and Pitt River Indians, as they were then called. (Note the spelling difference). The Pit River is one of several tributaries of the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
. The expeditions were part of the Indian wars in California which took place during the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
of 1849.
First Pitt River Expedition
The most usually noted expedition is the Pitt River Expedition, in California, April 28 to September 13, 1850. The Indian Agent, Colonel E. A. Stevenson, led the expedition to the AchomawiAchomawi
The Achomawi are one of eleven bands of the Pit River tribe of Native Americans who lived in northeastern California, USA....
(Pit River
Pit River Tribe
The Pit River Tribe is a federally recognized tribe of eleven bands of indigenous peoples of California. They primarily live along the Pit River in the northeast corner of California...
), Atsugewi
Atsugewi
The Atsugewi are Native Americans residing in what is now northern California, United States. Their traditional lands are near Mount Shasta, specifically the Pit River drainage on Burney, Hat, and Dixie Valley or Horse Creeks. They are closely related to the Achomawi and consisted of two groups...
(Hat Creek) and Modoc to establish relations with them.
Second Pitt River Expedition
In 1857, George CrookGeorge Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
, later US Civil War Officer and General led the second Pitt River Expedition as a 1st lieutenant in 1857. In one of the several engagements, he was severely wounded by an Indian arrow.
State of California's Pitt River Expedition (1859)
The State of California notes expenditures for the California Militia and “Expeditions Against the Indians”, 1850–1859; which makes note of a Pitt River Expedition in 1859 http://www.militarymuseum.org/MilitiaandIndians.html. Ongoing conflicts between settlers and the tribes in the northern counties of California provoked appeals by citizens for the removal of the tribes from the region. Federal authorities could not do so due to the shortage of Federal troops available; some were already involved in the early phases of the Bald Hills WarBald Hills War
Bald Hills War was a war fought by the forces of the California Militia, California Volunteers and soldiers of the U. S. Army against the Chilula, Lassik, Hupa, Mattole, Nongatl, Sinkyone, Tsnungwe, Wailaki, Whilkut and Wiyot Native American peoples.The war was fought within the boundaries of the...
. Citizens requested Governor John B. Weller
John B. Weller
John B. Weller was the fifth Governor of California from January 8, 1858 to January 9, 1860 and a Congressman from Ohio, U.S. senator from California, and minister to Mexico.-Life:...
to call out State troops from the northern counties to remove the Indians from the mountains and place them on a reservation.
The Governor sent Adjutant General of California, William C. Kibbe to the northern counties of California to organize volunteer military companies to stop Indian raids, collect them and remove them to the Mendocino Indian Reservation. At Red Bluff
Red Bluff, California
Red Bluff is a city in and the county seat of Tehama County, California, United States. The population was 14,076 at the 2010 census, up from 13,147 at the 2000 census....
, General Kibbe raised a company of 93 California militia, the Kibbe Rangers, under Captain William Byrnes. General Kibbe directed Captain Byrnes to carry out an expedition against the Indians in Tehama, Shasta, Plumas, and Butte
Butte County, California
Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the US state of California, north of the state capital of Sacramento. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 220,000. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County is the "Land of Natural Wealth and Beauty."Butte County is watered by the...
counties. In the following three months, Captain Byrnes' rangers had many minor clashes with bands of Indians and captured more than 500. Due to the snow blocking the route over the coastal ranges to the Mendocino Reservation, the captive Indians were taken by steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
from Red Bluff to the Tejon Reservation
Sebastian Indian Reservation
The Sebastian Indian Reservation was established on lands of in 1853 by Edward F. Beale in the far southeastern corner of the San Joaquin Valley in the Tejon Canyon. The reservation was within the Rancho El Tejon Mexican land grant, but Beale hoped if the land claims were upheld the land could be...
.