Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-05-08
The MOD0C WAR.
Another Desperate Encounter.
SLAUGHTER OF UNITED STATES OF
FICERS AND TROOPS.
They ARE TAKEN BY SURPRISE.
List Of the Killed and Wounded.
LAVA BEDS, Ap.

W tuc pIcStIlt StfouSnoiu VI UH0 NAo
docs. Captain Evan Thomas, of the
Fourth Artillery, being in command
A dozen orso Warm Spring Indians
were expected to cooperate on Capt
Thomas left. 4 IS
The troops having formed line,
skirmishers advanced. without molesta
ton until they arrived at the foot of
the bluff southsof che lava beds, having
meanwhile, slgnaled that no Indians
were to be founds qsie-.. ~,
Onareaching the = bluff the Modocs
opened 4 severe fire: causing the troops
to seek such shelter as they could find
in the crevicess, chasIns, &c. AS usual
the foe was unseen. @s--.s -
The first position soon became un:
tenable, owing tosthe fact that the In
dams were able to deliver both a cross
fire and an enflading fire, and the posi-
ton Of the troops was SO exposed that
up to the present writing & P. NJ
only two Of Che wounded could reach
the camp. Out of the nine wounded
Lieutenant Wright, of the Twelfth In
fantry, had sought shelter in a crevice
which was particularly open to the Mo
doc fire. Grave doubts exist as to theu
ultimate safety.
As soon as information was received
at headquarters relative to the peril o.
the party, troops were at once pushed
forward to their rescue. -Four compan
les were ordered out, two Of cavalry.
from this camp, and two from Col
Mason's. Stretchers for the convey
ance of the wounded were forwarded,
but the later are now returning, with
out having achieved the object fol-
which they were intended.
Poor fellows! bitter cold night al
least is before them. 1t is barely posi-
BILE that some of them no longer heed
cold or heat. Their comrades, who
from cause are coming to camp, show
plainly by their demeanor the heart
felt sorrow they feel for them, but are
powerless in the, matter. Z.
The wounded, so far as can be learn.
ed just now, are as follows: First Ser.
geant CliftoBs Company E, Twelfth
Infantry; Private John H. Clifford, Bat
terry K, Fourth Artillery, twice; Pri
vate John Lynch, Battery K, Fourth
Artillery, since dead; Private Joseph
Mclaughlin, Battery K, Fourth Ar
tillery; Privateg1Vm. Mccoy, Battery
K, Fourth Artillery, twice; Private
Michael Wallace, Battery X, Fourth
Artillery, since dead; Private Joseph
Broberick, Battery A, Fourth Artillery
Lieutenant Wright, Twelfth Infantry
reported as dangerously wounded; Lieu
tenant Harris, Fourth Artillery, struck
by spent ball.. but not injured much
LAVA BEDS, April 27-5 80 A. M.
A despatch received from Colonel
Green, First Cavalry, who went out
with reinforcements, yesterday morn
ing, shows the surprise to have beer
more complete and more terribly. fatal
than was at first supposed. The des
patch states that Captain Thomas and
Lieutenant A.; K. Howe, of the Fourth
Artillery, were killed, Lieutenant Har
ris, of the Fourth Artillery, is badly
and perhaps MORALLY, wounded, and
Lieutenant Branston, Fourth Artillery
is missing 81.
A full list of the killed and wounded
cannot now be obtained, but it is
known that Pri4ates Ward, of Battery
X, and Parker and Collons, of Battery
A, were killed Private Boyle, Of
Company E, Twelfth Infantry, and one
other man Of the same company are
missing.
1t is supposed that the Modocs burn
ed the bodies of the two latter.
In addition, the names of First Ser
geant Roomer, Of Battery A, and mi
vate John Higgins, OF Battery K,
Fourth Artillery, are given as badly
wounded. Matt Murphy, of Company
E, Twelfth Infantry; James noble and
Charles Cuff, of Battery A, Fourth
Artillery, are slightly wounded. Act
ing Assistant Surgeon B. Semig was
wounded in two places while attending
the wounded. ~ p. r...i-5
LAVA BEDS, April 27-5 P. M.
From second despatch sent by Col
onel Green it appears that there are
now collected, and awaiting convey
ance to camp the bodies of sixteen mer
killed,includihg Captain Thomas, Lieu
tenant Howe, Of the Fourth Artillery
Lieutenant Wright, of the Twelfth In
.fantrY aandEei ghtN wounded, including
Lieutenant Harris, of the Fourth Ar,
tillery, These, added to the number Of
wounded a7menS above cited, show a
large preeeatagsssl dH casualties from the
small number of men engaged.
Some sixty OF sixty zone Modoos are
armed with ISpencer, carbines. and
breeeh loading muskets. In more than
one instance aaModoc has been known
to have twoosors more Spencer. rifles,
enabling him to keep up a rapid fire
from his natural artificial breastwork Of
rock.
The surface Of the ground in many
places is torn up BY volcanic action
which form crevices, and these are
adaptable to purposes OF hiding, or fo1
points of defence. In several in
stances, soldiers knowing nothing Of
the topography, have come unawares
on such assures, and. before they could
escape, were confronted by the willy
Indian, with rifle leyeled, and finger
on trigger. Death, or at least dan
gerous wound is the result. Too often
the cowardly redskins escape by SO
many paths known only to themselves.
AS sample of their treachery and
cunning may not be amiss, | will state
that a portion Of Batteries A and K,
Fourth Artillery, and Company E,
Twelfth Infantry, finding themselves in
danger Of being outfanked, took shell
ter in a hollow spot affording partial
cover. No sooner had they done so