July 2, 1864
            DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERY --
	      On Saturday last [June 25], while the stage
	    from Quincy to Oroville was coming down,
	    driven by Chas Wycoff, and containing two
	    passengers, Mr. O. W. Cherry and A. F. Landen,
	    with Whiting & Co.'s treasure box, it was
	    attacked by three men and robbed of $1,852,
	    principally in dust, about $220 in coin.
	    In the first instance, two men appeared in
	    the road, one taking the horses by the head,
	    and the other demanding the treasure box,
	    with cocked pistol in hand presented at the
	    driver.  The driver responded "there was no
	    treasure box in the coach," when they told him
	    they "knew a d_____d sight better," and hand
	    it out and put on no airs.  He then handed out
	    the treasure box, and a man took the box
	    forward to the side of the wheel horses, broke
	    it open and took out the money.
	    About this time, the man who had the box
	    dropped his pistol while opening the box; the
	    driver was going to give them the contents of
	    his pistol, when the passengers discovered
	    the third man in the brush, with his pistol
	    cocked on the driver, and they begged the
	    driver to desist, which he did.
	    About this time, Constable Brown, of Bidwells
	    Bar, arrived in a buggy.  One of the robbers,
	    with pistol in hand, made him drive to the rear
	    of the stage; then examined Brown to see if he
	    had any money or weapons.  He told them he had
	    no weapons, and but six dollars and a half in
	    money.  They told him he might retain that.
	    They demanded the money of the passengers, who
	    replied that they had no money but a few dollars.
	    They then started to cut their baggage open,
	    when the passengers offered them their keys.
	    They were then ordered by the chief brigand to
	    leave the passengers alone -- they "only wanted
	    the treasure, and not to molest the passengers."
	    The robbers then held their pistols on the stage
	    and buggy, and told them to go and not to say
	    anything about the matter until they got to
	    Marysville, and not to tell any lies -- if they
	    did, they would see them as they came back.
	    They then drove on to Oroville, leaving the
	    robbers on the ground where the robbery was
	    committed.
	    Constable Brown came immediately to Oroville,
	    when Constable Parks started immediately in
	    pursuit, searched the canon and side hill that
	    evening, but could find no traces of the robbers.
	    Suspicion then settled on a party that had been
	    camped near the place of the robbery, who were
	    supposed to be emigrants consisting of five men,
	    two women, one Indian girl, and two children.
	    They had left camp the morning after the robbery
	    was committed, and started in the direction of
	    American Valley. Constable Parks went in pursuit,
	    and on Monday morning arrested them at Berry
	    creek.  Their wagons and persons were searched,
	    but no gold dust was found.  They had on their
	    persons about $600 in coin, five Colt revolvers,
	    three bowie knives, and a rifle.
	      They were conducted to Oroville, and are now
	    undergoing an examination before Justice Coughey.
	    Constable Parks holds the same parties under
	    charge of robbing Langston's Express near
	    Camptonville. The names of the parties,
	    as given to Constable Parks, are as follows:
	    Upton Sheridan and wife, Henry Sheridan,
	    Charles Sheridan, Jas Stairs, J. F. Sims,
	    and Mrs. Nelly Johnston.
 

Note:
These names are fictitious.
See the articles about the
Legal Proceedings for the actual names of the people who were charged.

       July 9, 1864
            ANOTHER STAGE ROBBERY --
	      A San Francisco telegram says
	    the Los Angeles stage was robbed
	    near San Juan, on the night of
	    the 5th.  All the passengers were
	    robbed and the Express treasure
	    taken.  There appears to be a
	    preconcerted arrangement among
	    the highwaymen all over the state,
	    and raising funds for the Southern
	    Confederacy is becoming an
	    important branch of business.
 

Note:
Apparently such attacks were happening fairly frequently -- a form of "guerilla warfare" perpetrated by Southern sympathizers against the predominantly Yankee population of California.
A columnist/historian has written an account of another such holdup, which occurred on 30 June 1864. The story appeared in several installments in the "Mountain Democrat", of Placerville, California in November and December, 1999.

A related link: "Copperheads ..."

Newspaper articles from
The Weekly Union Record
Butte County, California

INTERNET Adaptation
by Sandra Shuler Bray