Fish Creek
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Fish Creek was likely at the north end of the east arm of the Black Rock Desert, near Leonard Creek and Bartlett Creek.
1866 battle
In 1866 a battle as fought at Fish Creek, which is described in A Gallant Fight in Fish Creek Valley, Humboldt Register, January 20, 1866.
Below is the text from Records of California Men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867:
- "On the eleventh of January 1866, Captain George D. Conrad, with thirty-five men of Company, and twenty-five me of Company I, under Lieutenant Duncan, Second California Cavalry Volunteers, attacked a band of hostile Indians on the west side of Queens River, near Fish Creek. Thirty-five Indians were killed and nine taken prisoner. Corporal Biswell and private Allen of Company I, and privates Thomas A. Duffield, John Riley, and Richard Shultz of Company B, Second California Cavalry, were wounded. Two horses were killed and nine wounded."[1][2]
Fairfield (1916) wrote:
- "January 12 1866 Captain GD Conrad of Company B Second California Volunteer Cavalry with thirty five soldiers nine citizens and twelve Piutes had a fight with the Indians near where Fish creek runs into Queen's river. The first night out they were joined by twenty five men from Company I same regiment under Lieutenant Duncan. Dr Snow, a citizen doctor went with him The night of the eleventh they had to run in a circle on the desert to keep from freezing. The Indians got into a place covered with rye grass and tules and full of gullies. They used poisoned arrows and fought bravely for two hours and a half Their leader was Captain John a chief of the Warner lake Shoshones who killed Colonel McDermit and a soldier named Rafferty the previous year. Captain Rapley shot him through the head. Thirty five Indians were killed and two squaws were killed by mistake. Seven soldiers were wounded One Indian was wounded in the back It was said that every Indian died rather than surrender The Indians camp and their supplies were destroyed.[3]
Sessions Wheeler further describes the battle that occurred.[4][5]
Wheeler believes that Battle Creek Ranch got its name from the battle.
1870 census
In 1870, the population of Fish Creek totaled 11:[6]
- 3 Native
- 8 Foreign
- 10 White
- 1 "Colored"
Apparently native and foreign were not counted as part of the total of 11?
In 1890, Bancroft wrote that Fish Creek was 65 miles west of Paradise Valley.[7]
References
- ↑ "Records of California Men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867," California. Adjutant General's Office, p. 186, 1890.
- ↑ "Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force of the United States Army for the Years 1861, '62, '63, '64, '65 ...: Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, California, Kansas, Oregon, Nevada," United States. Adjutant-General's Office, 1865 p. 331, 426.
- ↑ "Fairfield's Pioneer History of Lassen County, California," Asa Fairfield, 1916, p. 371, 391.
- ↑ "The Nevada Desert," Sessions Wheeler, 1971, p. 85.
- ↑ "Nevada's Black Rock Desert," Sessions Wheeler, 1978, p. 134.
- ↑ "House Documents By USA House of Representatives: 9th Census," p. 199, 1872.
- ↑ "History of Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming, 1540-1888," p. 220, 1890.