INDIAN MASSACRE AT PYRAMID LAKE

By Adam S. Eterovich

In 1859-60 the Indians experienced an especially severe winter. Many children died of privation. They had a long list of grievances which included insults, injustices, and the encroachment of the white men upon their favorite lands.

With the discovery of rich silver deposits in 1859 many mining parties were in Nevada. The boom had started.

The Slavonian prospectors from California were also arriving. The Massacre at Pyramid Lake appeared in many California and Nevada Papers including subsequent histories of the State of Nevada. The following names were noted:

Centovitch (probably Zenovich)

Gaventi (listed as Austrian)

Knezwetz (probably Knezevich)

Kuezerwitch, M.

Kneegiswoldt, Marco (listed as Austrian)

Cuesavick, Marco

Cesvick, M. (listed as Austrian)

Shasterirch, M.

Anderson, Spero

Zenovich’s were in Virginia City during 1860. Mathew Shusterich, Austrian, was in Hamilton, Nevada in 1870 and appeared on the U.S. Government Census of Population. there were many Knezovich;s in California. Kuezerwitch, Kneegiswodt, and Knezwets are all on the same person.

The San Francisco Bulletin during this period of May 1869 states:

Messrs. Espers, Anderson, Lamar, Ques, Kind, Charles Palmer, and Marco Cuesavick, left here Saturday, 5th, for Pyramid Lake. At Red Bluff, Truckee River, they were joined by John Gibson and Mr. Canfield recently from Oroville. They left Red Bluff, Monday morning, for Pyramid Lake. Their bodies have been found in Willoughby River, four miles from the place of departure, showing that they were murdered the day they left Red Bluff. This was the day on which the Massacre at Williams’ Station took place. (1)

A good account of the battle is found in Bancrofts works. (2) On page 210 of the footnotes the Virginia City Volunteers of Company Number 1 are:

Captain F. Johnson Henderson

F. J. Call Andreas Schnald

McTerney Marco Kneegiswoldt-- Austrian

Hugh McLaughlin John Gaventi-- Austrian

Charles McLeod George

John Fleming O. C. Steel

Page 212 of the footnotes lists the killed as:

Eugene Angel W. Hawkins

WIlliam Arrington William Headly

S. Auberson F. Gatehouse

Boston Boy Flourney Johnson

A. K. Elliot M. Kuezerwitch

John B. Fleming John Gaventi

George Jones

The San Francisco papers in June of 1860 carried extensive coverage of the battle. (3)

List of killed, missing, and returned: On my return from Virginia City about one week since, I had designed to have immediately published a corrected statement of the loss of life int he disastrous engagement of the command under Major Ormsby, at Pyramid Lake; the present report will be found to be correct, and differs from the first you received from us by telegraph in addition of eleven more names added, but the unknown, and the removed of two names from the list of the dead, who subsequently returned. It contains also the names of the parties murdered at the Red Bluffs of the Truckee and the number of those massacred on the Eastern portion of the Honey Lake Valley and Back Rock Districts.

Dead: M. Knezwetz, John Gaventi, M. Cesvick

Missing: M. Shasterich

Thus far we have the total of 96 names only of the 106 who were in the engagement; and of this number 50 have returned, including the wounded. Of the 42 remaining, the number of those known to be dead amounts to 23, leaving as missing 19 others.

One of the correspondents of the San Francisco Herald gave the number of bodies found on the field and buried at 43. (4)

The Battle

Like the bursting out of a long smothered conflagration was the vengeful excitement which followed the news of the attack at William’s Station. Couriers sped in ever direction and at night and by unfrequented ways to ward camps of prospectors and outlying settlements of their danger. On the day of the attack John Gibse and 7 others, sixty miles away, were also slaughtered; settlers were killed and houses burned at Honey Lake, and two men killed on Truckee River; war parties stationed themselves in the Humboldt valley, and the mountains at Mente and Walker River. Intelligence was sent to California with an appeal for arms and ammunition, to which the citizens of that state quickly and generously responded. But without waiting for aid the NEvadans immediately formed companies in all the tows and proceeded on the 9th to Bucklands en route to Williams Station. They were divided into several detachments under leaders few of whom had any military knowledge numbering altogether but 105 men. They were poorly armed and undisciplined. After interring the dead the volunteers proceeded to the Truckee River, where they encamped on the night of the 11th at the present site of Wadsworth, moving down next day toward the main camp of the enemy. About two miles from the foot of the lake the mountains approach closely to the river, leaving but a narrow strip of bottom land, which constitutes a pass easily defended, and dangerous to an attacking force. No enemy in sight, the volunteers march don for a mile and a half. When they were well within the trap, about 100 Indians showed themselves ont he ridge a little in advance, Major Ormsby gave the order for his company to charge up the slope. When they reached the plateau above on still another ridge line was stationed in the same manner as the first, but more extended, and with their r right ad left almost touching the narrow valley through which ran an impassable river. Seen from every sage brush twanged an arrow or hissed a bullet, and the thirty men realized their peril. They made a hasty retreat to a piece of timber which came down toward the bottom on the west, but here they were met by the savages under the Black Rock chief Sequinata commonly called Chiquite Winnemucca or Black Rock Tom, who forced them down toward the river where they would be entirely at his mercy.

At this juncture Numaga or Young Winnemucca, threw himself between Chiquite Winnemucca’s warriers and the volunteers, and attempted to obtain a parly but he was disregarded by the Indians, now in hot pursuit of Ormsby’s men who had been reinforced by other companies form the valley and were making a stand in the timber where Ormsby by general consent took the command. When the commander comprehended that his force was surrounded he made an effort to keep open an escape by sending Captain Conden to the Genea rangers and Captain R. G. Watkins of the Silver City guards the only veteran soldier among them to guard the pass out of the valley. But a panic ensued. Seeing the hopelessness of their situation,many turned and fled. Watkins returned to the bottom where the remnants of the commands were engaged in a life and death struggle with the Indian who flushed with victory, were sating their thirst for blood. The white men cried for mercy, but savages said “No use now/ too late.”

The battle began about four o’clock int he afternoon. The bloodiest part of it was where the rear of the white forces, crowding at the pass in their efforts to escape, retarded the exit, and the Indians riding in amongst them chewed them in pieces. Just where Ormsby died his friends could not tell. He was shot in the mouth by a poisoned arrow, and wounded in both arms. The working poison caused him to fall from his horse. It was that he besought his men to rally around him dreading to fall into the hand of his enemies before life was extinct. The pursuit was kept up until interrupted by the darkness of night and the fugitives scattered over the country a hundred miles from Virginia City. Comparatively few were wounded. The first effect of the defeat at Pyramid Lake was to drive many out of the country. The women and children of Virginia City were placed in an unfinished stone house, which was turned into a fortress and called Fort Riley. At Silver City, a forificaiton was erected ont he rocks overlooking the town and a cannon made of wood was mounted at the fort to frighten away invaders. At Carson City the Penrod Hotel was used as a fortification after being barricaded and pickets established. At Genoa the small stone house of Waren Wasson was taken for a defense while Wasson rode through the enemy’s country 110 miles, to Honey Lake, to carry a telegraphic order from General Clarke to a company of cavalry supposed to be at Honey Lake to march at once to Carson. (5)

Other Events About Pyramid Lake

There was a force of possibly thirty men, under Captain Weatherlow, from Honey Lake Valley, in the mountains west of, and toward the north end of Pyramid Lake; and following letter of confident power and prowess, the Governor Roop, tells all concerning him or his command:

June 4th, 1860

Dear Gov.: With my small party I am scouting around Pyramid Lake. The last two days have been on the north side of it, and am now on the west side, within two miles of the lake. I have not seen an Indian, although I am in view of the ground on which Major Ormsby fought the Indians. Would to God I had fifty men, I would clean out all the Indians from this region. Thus far I have been waiting for the troops from Carson to attack them, and then to cut off retreating parties, but the movements of the troops are so dilatory that I fear the Indians will scatter off before there is anything done. If there is any more men in the valley who Will come, and can get a fit-out, send them along, for my party is too small to venture much; yet all are anxious for a brush with the redskins. You need feel no alarm of being attacked in the valley; there is no Indians about to make it, at least on the north.

Respectfully yours, etc.,

Gov. Isaac Roop. Capt. Weatherlow.

It would seem that the Captain got out of the way just in time, from the north end of the lake, to escape an opportunity of having the brush his men seemed so desirous.

Captain Thomas F. Condonand Warren Wasson had induced a few men, ten in all, including themselves, to move to the north from Carson, and occupy a pass to the west of the south end of Pyramid Lake. This pass was the outlet through which the Pah-Utes were likely to attempt to retreat in the direction of Honey Lake Valley, if defeated by the Washoe Regiment, under Colonel Hays. It was important this exit should be guarded-- just as important as the attempt was reckless, with such a mere handful of men. Their number was increased on the way, May 31st, by a detachment from the valley that the movement was designed to protect, and the pass occupied by the entire force under Captain Thomas F. Condon, now swelled to thiry-four men, on the fist day of June. This was the day before the battle; and but for the approach of the whites from the south, along the river, they might have found themselves in a hornet’s nest.

On the second June snow fell too feet deep on the tops of the mountains, north and south of the pass, and on the night of the fourth this command reached the opposite side of the river from Captain Stewart’s command, at the south end of Pyramid Lake, where they discovered the charred remains of seven white men. Their limbs were burned off, but the face and balance of their bodies had not been touched by the flames, even their beards being unscorched. They were left unburied for about one wheel, with hope that some one might identify them, but no one did at that time.

They were supposed to be a party of California prospectors, who had last been seen passing down the Truckee River by O. M. Evans, the day after the Massacre of the whites. They knew nothing of the trouble with the Pah-Utes, and were never heard from after the thirteenth of May. Their names were: (6)

N. H. Canefield Daniel King

Spero Anderson Courtright

John Gibson Cenovitch

Charles Ruth

It is surprising that there were so few Indians and whites in this first and last great Indian war in Nevada.

The Slavonians played a small but significant part. They died in battle.

1. San Francisco Bulletin, May 18, 1860

2. Bancroft Works, Vol. XXV, Nevada, 1890

3. S. F. Daily Evening Bulletin, June 6, 1860.

4. S. F. Herald, May 14, 1860.

5. Bancroft Works, VOl. XXV, Nevada, 1890;

S.F. Alta, May 8, 1860;

S.F. Bulletin, May 14, 16, 17, 26, 29, 31, 1860

June 5, 6, 7, 1860

6. Thompson & West, History of Nevada (Oakland: 1881), p. 163.