Last week I began the transcription and translation of Jean La Forêt's diary with the first four pages. It's a new week and time for another four pages.
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1887 – Jan. 1 – Deuxième warrant.
" Mai 1 – Retourne à Hoopa Valley où je reste jusqu'au 10 Octobre.
" 10 Octobre – Retourne à Requa avec six hommes et un sous-officier pour arrêter troubles. Capitain Dougherty avec nous.
" Oct. 12 – Arrivons à Requa embouchure du fleuve Klamath où je reste en charge de la Reserve Indienne du Bas Klamath et commandant du Poste militaire.
" Decembre 12–14 – Premier conflit avec les authorités civiles de Del Norte Co. Mandats d'arrêts lancés contre moi – Affaires McKenzie et Hume. Un Detachment militaire est envoyé à mon secours et nous tenons tête. Authorités civiles recrutent une petite Compagnie pour forcer mon arrêt. Grand revue-ménage à Crescent City, Capitale de Del Norte.
1887 – Decembre 22–23 – Le sheriff arrive et entre en pourparlers. Pas de resultat, mes ordres étants de tenir tête jùsqu'au dernier homme et j'ai des gaillards décidés avec moi.
1888 – Janvier 2–3 - Chassés de nos quartiers par l'innondation, Le Klamath detruit maisons et proprietés le long de ses rives. Embouchure fermée et s'ouvre dans le coin nord.
" Janv. 3 – Je quitte Requa avec six hommes d'escorte pour Fort Gaston où je reste jùsqu'au 27 février.
1888 – Février 27 – Retourne à Requa pour reprendre mon Commandement. Des mandats d'arrêt son de nouveau lancés contre moi et un recompense de $250 ou douze cent cinquante fres est offerte à quiconque me livrerait, viviant ou mort. Soldats et indiens me sont dénoncés et je puis rire au nez des imbéciles.
Les journaux me déchirent, surtout ceux de la côte du Pacifique; ceux de l'Est me défendent légèrement. Honnêts gens et Armée de mon côte.
1889. Juin. 1 – Envoyé de plus en plus par authorités de Del Norte. Pars de Requa par Hoopa pour conférer avec Capt. Dougherty; il me donne le conseil de voyager pour quelques temps jùsqua'à ce que la Cour a décidé.
" Juin 4 – Je pars pour Eureka de là à Arcata et Trinidad où je reste jùsqu'au 20 Juin.
Juin 20 – Reçois l'ordre d'abondonner la Reserve et de ramener Detachment et propriété du gouvernement à Hoopa Valley.
Juin 22 Quitte Requa avec Detachment et arrive à Fort Gaston le 27 Juin.
Juin 28 Pars pour San Francisco avec Co. à l'encampement d'été.
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1887 January 1 – Second warrant.
" May 1 – Return to Hoopa Valley where I stay until October 10.
" 10 October – Return to Requa with six men and a noncommissioned officer to stop unrest.
" October 12 – We arrive at Requa at the mouth of the Klamath River where I am in charge of the Indian Reservation of the Lower Klamath and commanding officer of the military post.
" December 12–14 – First conflict with the civil authorities of Del Norte County. Arrest warrants issued for me – McKenzie and Hume business. A military detachment is sent to save me and we hold position. Civil authorities recruit a small company to force my arrest. Grand jury inquiry in Crescent City, capital [county seat] of Del Norte.
1887 December 22–23 – The sheriff arrives and begins negotiations. No change, my orders being to hold position to the last man, and I have determined men with me.
1888 January 2–3 – Chased from our quarters by the flood, the Klamath destroys houses and property along the length of its banks. The river mouth is blocked and opens to the north.
" January 3 – I leave Requa with a six-man escort for Fort Gaston, where I stay until February 27.
1888 February 27 – Return to Requa to resume my command. Arrest warrants are again issued for me and a reward of $250 or 1,250 "fres" to whomever delivers me, alive or dead. Soldiers and Indians inform me, and I laugh in the face of the fools.
Newspapers rip me up, especially those from the Pacific coast; those from back east slightly defend me. I have honest men and the Army at my side.
1889 June 1 – Sent away increasingly by Del Norte authorities. Leave Requa for Hoopa to discuss with Capt. Dougherty; he recommends I travel for a while until the court makes a decision.
" June 4 – I leave for Eureka and from there to Arcata and Trinidad, where I stay until 20 June.
June 20 – Receive orders to abandon the reservation and to take the detachment and government property back to Hoopa Valley.
June 22 Leave Requa with detachment and arrive at Fort Gaston 27 June.
June 28 Leave for San Francisco with company for the summer encampment.
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I believe what Jean means by "second warrant" is that he was promoted on January 1, 1887. He seems to have been doing well in the U.S. Army.
On the other hand, he definitely ran into problems in Del Norte County. He doesn't explain the back story of the unrest, but these pages say that Dougherty (or perhaps Jean, as his agent) expelled John McKenzie and R. D. Hume from the Klamath Indian Reservation, and that Hume sued Dougherty and Jean. And he had a bounty on his head! This is going to be a fascinating story to research! I wonder if I'll be able to find some documentation of the bounty offer (or what 1,250 "fres" was) . . . .
As if that weren't enough to deal with, in the middle of the court problems, the Klamath River flooded the post! The 1888 flood is mentioned in this report (look at the bottom of the link page, 3-10) on the Klamath Hydroelectric Project.
Jean didn't record in his journal the court's decision, but since he abandoned the post and brought everything back, I'm guessing it went against him and Dougherty. I'll just have to wait until I'm finished going through my entire "treasure chest" to find out.
This man had an interesting life well before he met Emma!
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