Wailaki Leader in the Bald Hills War
During the 1859-1862 period of the Bald Hills War, the Wailaki, especially Lassic's band, succeeded in driving many of the settlers out of their territory in southeastern and southwestern Humboldt County. This was despite the efforts of the local settler militia opposing them. Finally Federal troops began operating against them with the help of the locals. First Lieutenant, Joseph B Collins, of the Fourth Infantry reported his clash in 1861 with Lassic's band in the Kettenshaw Valley:Death of Lassic
Newspaper and Official accounts
After Lassic's escape he moved down the Kalmath River to the mountains and returned to his homeland. There he continued to carry on a campaign of resistance against the settlers until he was eventually recaptured by local militia. On Saturday, January 3, 1863, the Weekly Humboldt Times, reported:All Right. --- We learn from Mr. Gilkey who arrived on Tuesday, from Long Valley, that the noted Indian Lassux, was in the hands of the whites at Fort Seward. He is probably in the spirit land before this. He was the head of the band taken from the vicinity of Fort Baker, last summer, to Smith River Reservation. Not liking the grub set before him there by father Hansen, he led his band back to the land of pork and beef. He will need no "cast off garments" at the reservation he now inhabits.Lassic with a number of his men were killed at Fort Seward. According to the January 23, 1863 Humboldt Times account they were being escorted to the Round Valley Reservation:
but "on the way they took cold and died." This, at least, is the way we get the word. But knowing,them as we do, the animosity existing between these Indians and the whites inhabiting the region of the Humboldt mail route, and the numerous depredations supposed to have been committed by them, we suspect the "cold" they died with was mainly cold lead.Lynette M, "A deadly "cold", January 23, 1863, Humboldt Times quoted in Lynette's NorCal History Blog, February 5, 2010 accessed July 8, 2011An official report was made about the incident by Captain, C. D. Douglas, Commander of Fort Wright:
Lucy Young's account
Many years later a different account of the killings of the forty Wailaki prisoners including Lassic was told by a Wailaki witness and relative of Lassic, Lucy Young:References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lassic Year of birth uncertain 1863 deaths Native American people of the Indian Wars People from California Native American leaders Military history of California History of California History of Humboldt County, California Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War Bald Hills War