New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-06-15
From the Overland Monthly.j
THE NlODCCS.

| From the Overland Monthly.l
THE ,lODOCs.
| The Modocs have hereditary chieftair
ship, and they are something less demo
! cratic and INDEPENDENT than the CalifOTni
Indians proper. But their surly and il
! trac,able character reveals itself occasion
| ally. Schonchin, the lineal and rigLtf,:
| chief OF the whole tribe, and perhaps thu
| most conscientious and honest ModOc tn
| Americans ever knew, together with th.
] famous LayIake latter whom brancl
OF tie nation is cal]ed), made treat,
of peace with Captain Jesse Wake
| in the year 1854, and again with III
| government in 1864, and both OF them b
| kept religiously. He remained on the Kla
math reservation, as he had promised, ant
| i. was partly his fidelity to his pledge
| which finally brought about Captain Jack
secession and all the subsequent troubles o
this year. In 1870, Captain Jack, a coward
| and a braggart, set up the standard OF IN
| surrectlon, and led away from the reserva
| ton all but hundred Of the Modocs, WHIT
remained and still remain loyal to thel
| legitimate chief. He had given no pledges
| for himself, and he declared that Sch0nchiI
had no authority TO bind him.
! 1t is sometimes asserted that the MOdOct
have improved in disposition since the
American conquest. b. +. DOwell, Tor IN
stance. states that twenty years ago they
were all rowing hostile, barbarous savages
while now more than half Of them are loyal
very kind and many Of them speak very
good English. This lisa rank delusion com
mon to American egOtism. Their "loyai
ty," as with great majority OF indians, IL
simply fear; they are neither more nor less
kind than they were as savages-H any
thing, less generous to each other; and ex.
perience gives proof that the younger and
English-speaking generation are less truth
full, less honest and less virtuous than the
old simon pure savages.
l will give an instance of conspicuous
shabbiness in their modern treatment OF
one another. When Captain Jack revolted
and left the reservation, he and his band
went down to Lost river and engaged IN
gambling with Captain George and his
Muckalucs klamath Lake Indians). The
latter were successful, and eventually won
twenty-odd ponies, besides other articles.
When the time came Captain Jack refused
to give up the ponies, and proposed that
they should try q shooting match Tor them.
Captain George had fewer followers than
he and they we're not armed, SO after much
fierce jangling he was forced to consent.
Then CAPTAIN Jack turned bully, began to
buster like a pirate, and openly threatened
O6pIAlu OcOTSc l4C. fAuu uuo1J uAONO LILO
ponies coolly of.
On the other hand. how admirable was
the conduct Of SchOnchin in contrast. He
and his faithful hundred were atterward
removed to the YainaX reservation, and IN
the spring Of 1872 they departed on a two
months leave OF absence, to gather roots
and fish. The day before reached the
reservation Schonchin's furlcugh expired,
and the old chief mounted his horse and
rode fsrty miles through the desert to get
it renewed, though he knew well there was
not bayonet on the reservation, and that
the whole matter was an uImitigated farce
When going into battle the Modocs gen
orally strip themselves naked, aud hide
ously besmear the front Of their bodies
with blood coloreG streaks and splashes Of
paint. Every frontiersman knows and
breads the terrible significance OF red paint
when employed by an Indian; it is the
black flag Of savage warfare. Their wO-
men often 20 forth to battle with them.
Alvy Boles relates the following story,
which may possibly be little apoc1yphal,
though the accounts received from the
front during the present war 60 TO confirm
It, In 1854, Captain Judy was campaigning
against the United bands OF the Modocs
and Shasteecas, on the Klamath, ncrth OF
Yreka, women were frequently seen among
the Indians, Citing, and sometimes found
among the dead.
One day the enemy came suddenly upon
him, advancing rapidly over the brow of a
hill, and filing the air with a perfect shower
Of arrows. But not q male barbarian was
n sight. Before them, in solid line of bat
lie, their women were moving to the charge,
while the warriors skunk along behind them,
lischarging their arrows between. For q
the Americans were taken aback-
Their traditional gallantry, not a whit di-
by residence on the frontier, for
But what could be done! They could not
.hoot bullet at right angle over the
heads, though they would doubt
ess have done that if they could. Then
he gallant captain gave the order, "Break
Town the breastwOrks! " 1t was done. In
lis report of the battle, Captain Judy men
toned that few equaws were killed by
lccidenl.'
One custom the Modocs have which is
peculiar. In the morning, at day break,
before any one has issued from his wig
v am, they all arise in their rude couches
md join in an orison, kind OF chant in
oned in that haunting and mourn1ul ca
hoarse, long, wailing sound
which is SO infinitely saddening in all the
music of the American Indians. 1t would |
eem to be a kind of invocation to that |
Great Being (KomoOse) whom the Modocs |
recognize as the Creator. This was related |
% me by N. B. Ball, q soldier under Cap |
ain Jesse Walker, who listened to it one |
morning with strange feeling while he |
ay close along the brow OF hill before |
lac battle. giancing down his gun barrel |
md waiting for the day break to show the |
,ick in the sights.
All the Modocs were absent from the |
and widely scattered over the |
country, at their summer labOrs; hence l |
Jaw none of the chiefs and did not get |
perfectly satisfactory account of the tribe. |
But the Muckalucs, known to the Ameri- |
ans as the klamath Lake Indians, have |
he same language and the same customs,
md their history will supplement the other. |
They divide themselves into two main |
bodies, the Eocskinnes and the Blvkinnes,
which names mean respectively "lowland- |
RS and ''uplanders." The Eocskinnes |
lwell around klamath Lake, and the Bly,
Iinnes on Sprague river. Though they |
ave intermarried good deal with the
Iodocs. giving rise to a border race called |
,ombatwash, they have warred on them
ven more, and beaten them time out of |
mind. They are deadly hereditary enemies.
We lave come. now, into the real Oregon
aces. who have produced great chiefs,
Mighty warriors, organizers OF government,
len of old renOwn. Perhaps the most
of these was Cumtucne, who
led about 1866. He was rather peace |
If, great orator, prophet and
ain-maker. Not only among the Nuckalucs |
nd ModOes, but through all the surround
lg tribes, he was known and dreaded, and
indians travelled 200 miles to consult him.
was believed that he could poison water