This is an excerpt from the San Joaquin Republican on the 2nd expedition to go after the Yosemite Indians;
FROM MARIPOSA
MARIPOSA INDIAN AFFAIRS
Camp, Near Fort
Miller.
Mr. Foster – Since my last, we have had
several changes in this region and on the Fres-
no. Lieut. Comn’d
Moore, accompanied by
Lieut. McLean, with 45 rand and file, proceed-
ed towards the mountains, ‘with intent to kill,’
no doubt
There is a troublesome tribe of about 250
warriors, called Osemetas, I think, who were
mainly brought in during the last Indian war,
but escaped again to the mountains; so soon as
their chief was unfettered, they bid defiance to
the whites and have thus far done as they pleas-
ed. Lieut Moore has resolved to bring them
into the fold treaty, and no doubt he will
accomplish something important before he has
done. The expedition is well appointed in
every particular, and will be out for two or
three months, mostly probably. Major Savage,
left camp with 100 Indian warriors, chosen
from different tribes, on Tuesday morning, and
proceeded to a point designated in the vicinity
of the belligerent red-skins. They are pretty
hard cases, and will elude the expedition if pos-
sible, but they take ground in the rear of the the
Tribe in order to cut off retreat to the moun-
tains. Much depends on the success of this
signal for a general outbreak amongst the In-
dians. They are all at ease. The govern-
ment has not carried out the stipulations of the
Treaty…
The Osemetas are the Yosemites or the Ahwahnee Indians, who are mainly Paiutes. Note in the excerpt that Maj. James Savage used “100 Indian warriors, chosen from different tribes”. These tribes were from the Southern Sierra Miwuk and Nutchu tribes to go after Chief Tenaya and his Yosemite Indian people on the second expedition. The 100 Indians scouts and guides blocked the escape of Chief Tenaya and he cursed them for that. Tenaya was trying to escape to Mono Lake, the home of the Mono Lake Paiutes, his brethren, who always hid him out.
This is part of Mono and Mariposa County Indian history that many people are unaware of. Savage used Indians to capture Chief Tenaya and his band and these scouts and guides are now many of the same Indian ancestors of those now claiming to be part of the descendents of the modern day Ahwahneechees. Believing that they are part of the Yosemite Indians, but in fact, they are the descendents of the enemies of the Yosemite Ahwahnees and workers for Jim Savage and the Mariposa Battalion.
This was also written in Lafayette H. Bunnell’s Discovery of the Yosemite.