Feb. 9, 2022
Liz Writes Life
In looking through “The Siskiyou Pioneer” 1993 Law
Enforcement issue, I found a surprising story of treason against the United
States – and decided to share. It is written by George Wacker, who was a
life-long resident of Siskiyou County, served as Yreka City Mayor, Siskiyou Co.
Supervisor and a local businessman. George was born in 1912 and died Feb. 15,
2001. Due to space, I am deducing a few things, but will write to keep Wacker’s
incredible story in his voice.
The Plan That Went Astray
The 1863 San Francisco grand jury issued an indictment, which
read, “Armed and arrayed in a war-like manner,” the 22 Californians did,
wickedly and traitorously levy war against the United States of America.
Normally, such a news item, from the state’s “Sin City” would
hardly cause an eyebrow to lift in Yreka, California. On this occasion,
however, the published indictment electrified the town (This was 28 years
before street lighting was introduced in Yreka) because one of the principal indictees
was Ridgeley Greathouse.
Ridgeley was one of Yreka’s leading citizens. He and his
brothers, George and Henry Greathouse, were extensive property owners in Yreka,
Scott Valley and Shasta Valley. The three also operated a bank and an express
and passenger service in partnership with Hugh Slicer.
The stage line ran a daily stage from Yreka to the town of
Shasta in Shasta County, and a tri-weekly run to Jacksonville, Oregon.
Besides his heavy involvement in business, banking and property
holdings, Ridgeley had served as treasurer for the City of Yreka in 1859 and
1860.
In view of Ridgeley’s stature in Yreka, the local populace
had every reason to express astonishment when they learned that their leading
citizen had been indicted for waging war against the United States of America.
This was big-league stuff!
But, why would any sane person wage war against his country?
The answer lies in the fact that, at this time in history, the Civil War was
consuming the Nation. Loyalty was being tested to the extreme. Brother was
pitted against brother – and Ridgeley was an ex-Kentuckian – a Southern
sympathizer – and a secessionist.
It all began when another weathy ex-Kentuckian and
secessionist, Asbury Harpening, approached Confederate President Jefferson
Davis with a plan to financially aid the south in its conflict with the North.
Harpening’s plan was that he and friends would outfit a
pirate ship in California. The fighting ship would patrol the Mexican coast and
capture a Pacific Mail Line steamer carrying California gold to Washington. The
captured steamer would be converted into another raider to capture another
steamer, and so on, until a mini-squadron was formed.
Jefferson Davis readily approved the plan and issued
Harpening a commission in the Confederate Army. Harpening called in his friend
Ridgeley, who was thrilled with the plan and brought they in Alfred Rubery to
the conspiracy. Soon 19 solid fighting men were recruited.
The two wealthy friends purchased a fast clipper ship, named
the J.M. Chapman for $6,500. The vessel was converted to fighting status. But
it was soon found, the conspirators needed a captain to sail the vessel. This
neglect was remedied, when William Law was hired as the navigator.
The Chapman was scheduled to sail on the evening of March 14th
and all hands were on board except navigator William Law, so they were not able
to proceed. Daylight arrived and navigator Law had not made his appearance, but
what did appear was the U.S. Sloop-of-War Cyane whose entire battery was
trained on the untested pirate ship.
The Chapman surrendered, its owners not knowing, until later,
that Law had reported the scheme to authorities within minutes after he had
been hired as navigator of the warring vessel.
The main conspirators, Greathouse, Harpening and Rubery were
jailed. Greathouse was released on bail, but Harpening and Rubery languished in
their cells until the time of their trial six months later. Ridgeley Greathouse
visited the two and said that all of them would probably be convicted, and then
said that he “would be able to buy his way out.”
Law testified at the trail and the jury deliberated four
minutes and returned with a verdict of “Guilty of high treason.” Each accused
was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $10,000.
It had been rumored that Ridgeley held influence in high
places and he was soon released under the General Amnesty Act after taking the
oath of allegiance to the United States. But then, Ridgeley was arrested on
April 16, 1864 in Yreka, taken to San Francisco, heavily chained and sent East
for trial. On May 20, 1865, Ridgeley’s brother, George, announced that Ridgeley
had escaped from Ft. Lafayette and was “laying around loose.”
In reading the last several paragraphs of Wacker’s story, it
looked like George Greathouse moved his family moved to Mexico, where he and
Ridgeley owned several mines. I would imagine that Ridgeley may have decided to
leave the U.S. as well.
So, there you have it – a colorful story for sure from
Siskiyou’s gold mining era.
May peace and calm be with
you this week. Smile – just cuz it makes you feel better!
Liz Bowen began writing ranch and
farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou
County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call
her at 530-467-3515.
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