Howdy, With your permission - realizing that I risk boring some, I again exerpt one of the diaries of 49erPrivate Robert ECCLESTON - a member of the Mariposa Battalion at the start the Mariposa Indian War of 1851, which battalion inadvertently disovered(again forgive me Joe WALKER) Yo Semite. This diary is sorta long. And without the superb annotatons of editor C. Gregory CRAMPTON, much of it would be difficult to place on the "ground" to even the most ardent or frequent Yosemite historian/visitor. BUT it's all WE GOT. Private Eccleston was in Company C and the only one in the entire Battalion who wrote a regular diary. I KNOW 49er/doctor/Private L. H. BUNNELL was a member of the Mariposa Battalion. But he kept no diary. He supposedly wrote his book "Discovery of the Yosemite and The Indian War of 1851" from his REMINISCENCES some 30/40 years later.- But Bunnell WAS there; and he probably thought up Yosemite's name. Might as well just start at Pvt. Robert Eccleston's beginning, as he writes: "Robt ECCLESTON. Journal of Expedition against the Indians of California, Feb. 12th, 1851 - Major SAVAGE'S Battalion [I omit a Roster of the Officers] "Feb. 12[1851] Wed. "Mustered into service[probably at WHITTIER's Hotel in Agua Fria] at 12 o'clk by Jas. G. BURNEY, Sheiff of Mariposa County by order of a requisition from Gov. McDOUGALL. .About 180 men volunteered, the requistion calling for 200. Jas. D, SAVAGE was elected Major without an opposing candidate or a dissenting voice. After this election, the Battalion marched to Dutch Frank's (LOREMCEISTER) and partook of refreshment eatable & drinkable, after which they marched to the rendezvous about 2 1/2 miles from Town[Buckeye Creek?], where a Surgeon, Comissary, &c. were elected." "Feb. 13. "The day was occupied in pressing animals, & by the members in revisiting their camps & finishing their preparations for a start. In the Evening the Companies paraded, & although numerically the smallest, the "Mariposa Co"[Company C- with 55?] was the only company having in them men not only unarmed but otherwise not in readiness to march" The next day Eccleston writes that they were to remain "encamped" for awhile as "the Commissioners in company with Mr. Savage & a group of Regulars proceed to make overtures of Peace" Then on March 1st our diarist notes "Major Savage arrived this morning accompanied by about half a dozen Indians. He was announced by a burst of cheering." Eccleston adds: "The Commissioners are doing their best to make a treaty with the Indians & have given them 8 days from today to bring their families & all they possess into the plains... They propose [giving] the Indians... 10 years provision & clothing for 20 yrs, a pair of pants, shirt & blanket every four mo[nth]s to each Indian. They also give them 1 Farmer, a Carpenter, a Schoomaster [Aha!:-))] & Preacher, and a Blacksmith. They are to gather thus all between the King's River & the San Joaquin, all between the San Joaquin & Mercede & all between the Mercede & Tuolume, & all between the Tuolume & Calavaras. Our diarist continues on March 1st; "Major SAVAGE has got permission at the Expiration of 8 days to scour the mountains & should any of them stay behind, drive them down & burn up all their homseteads,,,thus we will break up their old haunts & they will be more likely to stay in the plains... The Indians will not be allowed to visit the whites without a guard but will be allowed to go to each other's Rancheris or towns by obtaining permission. One of the provisions of the treaty are that the Indians give up the murderers of the whites. "It is Major Savage's opinion that all the Indians will not come down, only bringing the young men & fast travelling women[:-)]. They will then receive the presents, put up some temporary houses but as soon as they get a good chance, steal a large band of horses & kill a few white men & run back to the mountains." TO BE CONTINUED - maybe:-) NOTE: Special thanks to NANCY<[email protected]>, CAROLYN FunFifty, CINDYLadyBug, RUTHieSkee and maybe others who either sent or directed me to Yo Semite and related stuff. If I omitted anyone, please forgive. In addition to Robert Eccleston's diaries, Lafayette BUNNELL's "Discovery of Yosemite" and Carl Parcher Russell's "One Hundred Years in Yosemite", I have looked at a bunch of neato - but sometimes confusing/mirky:-) Yo Semite history materials. Wonder why so many versions evolve from important events?:-))) Will try to make the next installment shorter:-). Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com>