Jesse McCaleb

Jesse McCaleb

Jesse was born on Christmas Day, (December 25) 1837 in Roane County, Tennessee (west of present day Knoxville) to James Newton McCaleb and Susannah Hope.  Jesse was one of 7 children.  There is not much information about his childhood except for census records showing that the children may have been deserted by their parents and their being raised by close family members. 

Jesse left Tennessee (at the age of 20) in 1857/8 going to Camden County, Missouri (southeast of present day Kansas City).  The 1860 census records list Jesse as living with the James Vernon family (James' wife Harriet was Jesse's first cousin).  It was here that Jesse met his second cousin and future bride, Anna Boyd Vernon (Harriet's daughter, who in 1860 was 13 years old).

Jesse was working as a clerk in the mercantile owned by James W. Vernon, but when the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in the Confederate Army at Camden County, Missouri and went away to war, where his record states he distinguished himself, and was promoted to the rank of Captain.   

After the war, he wanted to have nothing to do with the hardships he would face returning to life in the South.  Like many other veterans of the Civil War, he deciding instead to go west to seek his fortune.  He returned to Missouri to find Anna Vernon, and asked her to marry him and go West.  She accepted.  They were married on November 11, 1871, and headed for Idaho. 

Jesse became a partner with George L. Shoup who operated mercantiles in Virginia City Montana, Salmon and Challis to provide supplies to the miners in the areas.  Shoup was appointed commissioner to organize Lemhi County (which included Challis at the time) and in 1874 he was elected to the territorial legislature.  Jesse was the manager of the store in Challis and was also a member of the territorial legislature as a representative from Lemhi County, maybe in part because of his partner's influence.

Late in the afternoon of August 11, 1879, the freight outfit of Joe Skelton went into camp at the Narrows of the Big Lost River, several miles about the spot where the town of Mackay now stands. A few days before a band of renegade Bannock Indians were known to have taken to the war path and that their path led across the Lost River country.  Skelton had loaded his outfit at Malad City, Idaho, the latter part of July and was instructed to proceed to Birch Creek, where at a designated point, a letter would be given to him telling Skelton whether to go to Salmon or Challis.  Skelton was freighting for George L. Shoup & Co., who owned stores at both points and Shoup had scouts out in the territory to keep a lookout for Indians (because of the beginning of the Bannock War). Had those scouts known that Indians were in the Lost River country the shipment would have continued up Birch Creek valley to Salmon City.

The freight train consisted of 4 nine-yoke team of oxen, with three wagons to the team, belonging to Joe Skelton.   George Dinamore joined the freighters somewhere in the Snake River country.  He had one nine-yoke team and three wagons. The group consisted of Joe Skelton, wagon boss; Joe Carrier, Henry Skelton (Joe's brother); Will Rush, Daniel D. Wade, Geo. Dinamore and one other unknown individual.

While gathering their stock the morning of the 11th of August, the men discovered the Indians and as soon as possible the wagons were placed in position to withstand an attack.  The freight was taken out and made into a barricade. It is said they were hauling 40,000 pounds of flour which made for good protection.

As the freighters were long overdue, a party of men set out from Challis to help the freighters reach their destination. These men joined the Skelton party before the attack.  The Challis party consisted of Jesse McCaleb, Dave Woods, Billy Trealor, Joe Rainey (a half breed); Mr. Harrington, a man called Jack and one other man.  This group had also learned that Indians were in the neighborhood and came to warn the freighters.  

As evening approached a few random shots from the brush gave warning that the Indians (Bannocks) had located the Freighters. The Bannocks rode in a circle around the barricaded group; yelling, firing on the freighters crouched on their heels behind their barricade. 

Jesse McCaleb, George Shoup's partner, was then in charge of the Challis branch of the stores.  He was a fearless man and although constantly admonished by Skelton to keep his head down below the barricade, McCaleb failed to heed the warning and a bullet from an Indian’s rifle hit him in the head.  It has been said that Jesse was jelling something at the Indians as they road past.  Jesse (age 41) was killed in this first attack and was the only casualty of the battle.

The fight continued for three days, hotly waged in the day time, but quieting down with darkness.  At about 1:00 O’clock in the morning of August 13th, Rainey and Trealor, slipped out of camp and road to Challis for assistance. The Indians, somehow found out these men had left, and took off fearing a company of U.S. regulars and citizens from Challis would soon be coming.

Skelton, and most of the men connected with the battle have long since passed on.  Skelton especially, was well known among the early day residents and had spent practically his entire life among cowboys, miners, freighters and frontiersmen.  

The Mackay reservoir covers the spot where the Bannocks met defeat.  Battleground Cemetery sits on a small hill near the upper end of the reservoir.  A small monument indicates that Jesse was killed in the battle which took place below the hill.

Mt. McCaleb stands as a silent sentinel overlooking the “drowned memories” and seemingly protecting not only the point from which local history is dated; but, the valley and community below as well.

JOINT RESOLUTION

Concerning the late Honorable Jesse McCaleb.

Whereas: We submit with feelings of profound sympathy and regret to the fatal dispensation of providence, that has summarily taken from his family and friends, a worthy and honored member of the ninth session of the territorial legislature by the hand of the ruthless and vindictive savage; and whilst we deprecate the inefficient measures taken by the general government to protect its frontier settlers, we deplore the loss of so true and good a man as the late Honorable Jesse McCaleb, a member of the ninth legislative assembly, who fell bravely at his post defending his family and friends on Lost River, Lemhi County, on the 11th day of August, 1878. Therefore; be it

Resolved, By the legislative assembly of the Territory of Idaho, that we acknowledge our appreciation of the sterling Qualities of our late legislative colleague; his unassuming and gentlemanly deportment, his strict and faithful integrity in the discharge of his official duties, his unswerving fidelity to constitutional rights, and his nobility of soul, as manifested in all the walks of social and political life. It is therefore

Ordered, That this expression of our respect for the deceased;, and. Sympathy for his bereaved family find the community of which he was an active and efficient member, be enrolled and transmitted to the family of the deceased, with the condolence of this legislative assembly; and that this preamble and resolution be spread on the minutes, and be recorded in the journals of the tenth legislative assembly. 

Approved February 20, 1879.

Mount McCaleb