John Mason, (? - 1866) was one of the leaders of the Mason Henry Gang organized by secessionist Judge George Gordon Belt, that posed as Confederate partisan rangers but acted as outlaws, committing robberies, thefts and murders in the southern San Joaquin Valley, Monterey County, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County and later in the counties of Southern California.[1]
Little is known about John Mason before he joined the Mason Henry Gang. He was Southern-born and a former stage hostler who had reportedly killed several men in altercations.[2] In the spring of 1864 the gang rode from Belt's rancho over to Santa Clara County, a center of Copperhead sympathizers, to recruit more members. They returned without success to the San Joaquin Valley.[3] By October, 1864, with the Presidential election approaching and the Civil War on the east coast was reaching a climax, Mason and Henry's gang quickly deteriorated into brigands but because they called themselves Confederate soldiers, they managed to have support among the Copperheads in the area. They threatened to kill every "black republican" they chanced to meet.
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Mason seems to have led the Mason Henry Gang into outright criminality, two murders committed on November 10, 1864, soon after the second election of Abraham Lincoln. Following the voting, during a party held at the Elkhorn Station and settlement, George Robinson who ran the stage station, a strong Union supporter from Maine, had gotten drunk and had made certain remarks slurring all Southern women. Word of this insult reached the Mason Henry Gang, who were camped in the area. They immediately rode over to Elkhorn Station and found the station keeper was working in a field a few miles away. The gang rode up the trail and found Robinson who was heading home. They drew their revolvers, surrounded him, asking if he had insulted Southern womanhood in such a way. He denied it. Mason pointed his pistol at Robinson's face, forcing him to kneel on the ground and swear to it. The man did so and got to his feet. Mason said, "I'm going to kill you anyhow. You're nothing but a damn black Republican and should die." Then he pulled the trigger, but the pistol misfired. Robinson attempted to escape but he was shot down by the rest of the gang. He was hit several times and died almost immediately. The gang galloped up the road eight miles to the next stage stop which was kept by Joseph Hawthorne who was also killed because he was a Union man. Word of the murders spread, the newspapers named Mason and Henry "The Copperhead Murderers" and Governor Low offered a 500 USD reward for their arrest.
Mason was described by The Visalia 'Delta' of November 30, 1864 as one of two secession guerillas and murderers "who killed ROBINSON and 2 other men the day after the late Presidential election:"
After the murders the Gang crossed over Pacheco Pass, and went into hiding at a camp in the mountains above Corralitos. While in hiding, the gang frequented Watsonville where the local secessionists continued to shelter them as they made periodic raids up and down the San Joaquin Valley.[5] They held up a stage on the road from Watsonville to Visalia, killing three men and vowing to "slay every Republican they would meet." Under the pretense of being Confederate guerrillas, the gang terrorized Monterey County and the nearby counties for the next several months.[6]
In April 1865, word arrived at San Juan that the Mason Henry Gang had attacked at Firebaugh's Ferry. Captain Jimeno, in command of Camp Low, sent Lieutenant John Lafferty and a detachment of five Californio lancers from Company B, 1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers, in pursuit of the bandits. Hoping to cut off the gang at Panoche Pass, the lancers rode south along the western flank of the Diablo Range and encountered Mason the next morning. As the bandit spurred his horse in a desperate attempt to escape, Lafferty fired, wounding Mason in the hip and felling his mount with a single bullet. Although the soldiers captured the outlaw's horse, somehow Mason managed to elude them. At six that evening, Lafferty and his troopers returned to Camp Low with the only the horse in tow.[7]
When the Civil War ended in April with Lee's surrender at Appomattox and no longer shielded by "the cause", the gang came under pressure in Central California. They moved into Southern California and split up. James Mason continued his criminal career in Los Angeles County in the vicinity of Fort Tejon and in what is now Kern County with the $500 reward still on his head. While hiding in the mountains near Fort Tejon in April 1866, he tried to recruit Ben Hayfield, a former Indian fighter into his gang. But Hayfield aware of the reward for Mason planned to collect it. One night when they were preparing to bed down, Hayfield shot Mason with his pistol before Mason could reach for his own gun. Hayfield's shot passed through his neck, killing him.[8]