▁min ers ▁er upt ed ▁on ▁Christmas ▁E ve ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁with ▁the ▁be ating ▁of ▁Isaac ▁D ixon , ▁a ▁fre ed ▁American ▁black . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁town ▁bar ber ▁and ▁in ▁later ▁years ▁was ▁a ▁popular ▁journalist ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib oo . ▁D ixon ▁was ▁be aten ▁by ▁two ▁men ▁from ▁Hill ' s ▁Bar , ▁the ▁other ▁main ▁town ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁gold fields . ▁The ▁complicated ▁series ▁of ▁events ▁that ▁en su ed ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁McG owan ' s ▁War . ▁Its ▁potential ▁to ▁prov oke ▁United ▁States ▁an nex ation ▁amb itions ▁within ▁the ▁gold fields , ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁governor ▁to ▁send ▁newly ▁appointed ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁Beg bie , ▁the ▁col ony ' s ▁chief ▁of ▁police ▁Chart res ▁B rew ▁and ▁a ▁cont ing ent ▁of ▁Royal ▁Engine ers ▁and ▁Royal ▁Mar ines ▁to ▁interven e . ▁They ▁did ▁not ▁need ▁to ▁use ▁force , ▁and ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁resolve ▁the ▁matter ▁peace fully . ▁The ▁team ▁also ▁de alt ▁with ▁the ▁cor ruption ▁of ▁British ▁app o inte es ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁which ▁had ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁crisis . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁The ▁F ras er ▁C any on ▁War ▁did ▁not ▁affect ▁the ▁upper ▁reaches ▁of ▁the ▁gold fields , ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁L illo o et , ▁and ▁the ▁short - l ived ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁Douglas ▁Road ▁caused ▁the ▁town ▁to ▁be ▁designated ▁" the ▁largest ▁town ▁north