Richard H. Barter

Richard H. Barter (c. 1833 – July 11, 1859), known as "Rattlesnake Dick", was born in Lower Canada. Around 1850, he came to California on the Oregon Trail with three other family members. He tried his luck at mining at Rattlesnake Bar during the California Gold Rush. He was twice charged, and once convicted, of being a thief, the second time for stealing a mule. Once the mule and the real thief were found, he was released.

For two years, Barter mined in Shasta County under the assumed name of Dick Woods. It was an uneventful period for him until a former foe from Rattlesnake Bar enter the county and shared information about Barter's reputation. Barter's name was sullied again. Turning outlaw, he became a highwayman and joined a gang that was known for stagecoach robbery.

In the summer of 1856, Barter planned one of the biggest holdups during the gold rush. His gang stole $80,000 of gold bullion from a mule train guarded by the Wells Fargo Express, but Barter and Cyrus Skinner were arrested for stealing mules, which foiled the successful completion of the crime. Barter was killed on July 11, 1859 after a shoot-out with lawmen.

Early life Richard H. Barter traveled the Oregon Trail in 1850 to get to the western United States Barter, born about 1833 in Quebec, Lower Canada, was the son of an officer of the British Army and a French-Canadian woman. Both of his parents died by 1850 when he traveled to the United States with his older brother, and an older cousin, John Cross. They traveled through America on the Oregon Trail. Barter's sister and brother-in-law, who traveled with them, settled in Sweet Home, Oregon. The two brothers and their cousin headed for the gold mines of California in the spring of 1851. Barter and his brother intended to work in gold mines and save money earned to their sister in Canada.

Rattlesnake Bar

Barter, his brother, and cousin settled along the North Fork American River at Rattlesnake Bar, a mining camp with hundreds of cabins full of prospectors. In the early 1850s, it was known as a good place to prospect for gold. The men settled in an abandoned cabin. The camp had a saloon, jail, and a couple stores.

By the time they arrived, though, the gold had thinned out considerably. The three men worked hard in difficult conditions, but they did not find much gold. Barter's sister encouraged the men to return to her and her husband's homestead, where they were "doing well". Barter's brother and cousin returned to Oregon after a year. By 1853, many of the miners moved on to new sites. About 1854, Barter stayed and did some prospecting on his own and worked for miners who had claims. He was so determined that Rattlesnake Bar would still provide him a fortune that other miners called him "Rattlesnake Dick" in a good-natured manner. Barter had experiences with other men, though, who were cruel and vindictive. A historian from Nevada County wrote that Barter was "naturally able, clever but selfish, vain, and devoid of the ordinary sense of right and wrong—one of these men whose course in life is governed by circumstances."

Legal woes

In 1853, a fellow miner accused Barter of stealing from a dry goods store near Rattlesnake Bar. He was tried and found not guilty by the court. His friends agreed with the ruling. Lawman John Boggs accused Barter of stealing a horse or a mule the same year. Although Barter had professed his innocence for a second time, He was best known as a highwayman, robbing stage coaches over six years. It became harder for Barter to avoid arrest as the number of lawmen increased and they became more effective at catching outlaws.

Barter was suspected of planning with Tom Bell's gang to rob a pack train that was carrying $25,000 in gold on Trinity Mountains on March 12, 1856. George Skinner, Nicanora Rodriquez, and Big Dolph Newton of Tom Bell's gang performed the robbery.

Beginning in the summer of 1856, "Barter went on to form gangs and terrorize the Sierra Foothills from Nevada City to Folsom." It seemed that Barter had been shot twice and would likely have died from the injury, but people speculated that he may have been shot a third time, this time in the head, for a quicker death. He could have done it himself, his companion may have done it, or someone else. It remains unknown who might have fired the final shot. Barter's body was buried at the Auburn Cemetery in the town of Auburn. His gravestone states, "Rattlesnake Dick, 1833-1859, Richard H. Barter, early day resident of Rattlesnake Bar, famed as the outlaw Rattlesnake Dick, fatally wounded in a gun duel with the law July 11, 1859 near the Martin Park Fire Station in Auburn."

In 1988, the Placer County Historical Society placed a marker at the site of the Junction House, a hotel and stagecoach station in Auburn, where Barter's body was found.

Personal life After he died, a letter was found on him from his sister Harriet of Sweet Home, Oregon, dated March 14, 1859. She expressed how much their family missed him and had repeatedly sent him letters that were not answered. She stated that she hoped that he could get in touch with them and give up his life of crime. She ended the letter with "look down deep into your heart and see if there is not a which to remember your sister, your own most affectionate and anxious sister."