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The ferry house consisted of a cloth house or large tent in front of a small clapboard building. In the former were three men. In the later the younger Blackburn & his wife slept. Early in the morning the Indians cut open the sail house and killed the three men. A noise one of them made awakened Blackburn who went to the door when an Indian jumped at him and he had just time to get back and bolt the door. They then commenced hurling stones to break in the house and attempted to fire it. Blackburn had two guns and his wife loaded for him to fire. He fired 20 rounds and as was believed killed 17 Indians. Two of then came with a brand swinging it. One he shot when the other took it up and he killed him also. This struck them with a panic and they drew back. About 8 o'clock they hauled off. The squaws endeavoured to get his wife out by telling her that it was aiegueh. About 10.A.M. a pack train came up and relieved them. The Indians expressed great admiration of the conduct of the woman. It is difficult to tell what was the real motive of the act. It is generally alleged to have arisen from the conduct of a boy who had made a practice of insulting the women.

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Spink and Cushing, two packers were killed at Bloody Camp in the spring of 1850 among the first of the packing. At Frenchman's Grave, a man was also found murdered the same summer. Mc Mahans first expedition was previous to the Blackburn murder. Before the election of June 9. 1851 for county organization, a man named Walker on his way from Durkee's to Elk camp was as is supposed killed by the Indians, his pistol afterward having been found on a Trinity Indian. A company was raised at Trinidad by Mc Mahan which went out to Elk Camp, where they were on the day of the Election, from thence they marched in a disorderly manner to Tompkin's ferry (then owned by Mc Dermot Tompkins & Blackburn) Tompkins told Mc Mahan that he did not want him to interfere, that he was safe himself and he intended at the proper time to punish certain Indians who had committed depredations, but he did not want them put on their guard. He would only do damage. While scouting from Elk Camp this party found the body of a Dr Higginbottom, in a gulch leading into Redwood Creek. The fact of his having been lost was not previously known Mc Mahan after leaving the ferry