The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-23
Correspondence Of the Sacramento Record,l
Fighting the IOdOcs.

LAVA BEDS, April 24.-It is no disparage
ment to the soldiers to say, Gas a rule,
they are not good Shots" for such is the
fact. This, take 1t, is owing to two eau
ses First, they are not drilled enough at
target shooting; second, the guns all shoot
high and wide, especially after being fired
number OF rounds. | think am pretty
good shot with rifle or six-shooter, but /
know Modoc would be tolerably safe be-
Iore me WIN an army gln-either carbine
or Springfield musket. | have tried them
and while you can shoot fast and at long
distance, they will not do for target work
and that is just what shooting at Modocs
IS, and a very small target they are too
generally speaking. AS have before no.
tined you, the safety of onr men during
the hight was owing, in great measure. to
inc lact That the guns used by the Modocs
were those captured in the fight of the 18th
OF January. and almost invariably they
overshot their mark.
THE WARM SPRING INDIANS
Are a fine-looking body of men. many of
them being six feet and even taller. They
are very decent and orderly. much better
oehaYed than an equal number of ordinary
soldiers, Tor your soldier off duty is not al
ways ,,o ,y theI quiet and orderly man in
leader, Donald Mckay, and"mllcitly their
who are with them. The sub-chiefs' names
arr arr, Ml ,I ir warm Spring George, Pi-Pock-
pan ana llornashelg. -rivs- era fine men
and many of them speak and. / think, rU,ii,
of them read and write English. Their head
dhief is Daumeta, and he is at Umatilla
with few of his people, who number in
Az 400. Their leader here, Donald Mckay.
is 81 years old, six feet tall, and weighs
nov ~ pounds-hs 'lazy weight" being
20. lie is qniet, reserved man. n per
! rect specimen of n half-breed, and fully up
t! every Indian trick and device. The
Modocs would give as much to yet his
scalp as they would for that of General
Glllem. lie is one of eleven children by
Thomas Mckay, an old Hudson Bay COM
pany trader, and the
MOST CELEBRATED INDIAN FIGHTER
ever known on the northern part of this
! coast. There are several other sons
George an express rider in the service of
The Government, and DIR. Williams. an ac-
c0mplished physician, now residing in
lmatilla. Their father came here Donald
knows not when, but he remembers hear
ing him tell of bringing in the first drove
| OF sheep and cattle from California ever
brought into Oregon and that his compan-
ions on that trip were Coleman and Hall
lie had at one time saw mill and rancho
on Champeontz on the Willamette, saw
and grist mill at Wallaula, a rancho and
seven hundred head of cattle ON Butte
creek mot the one of that name near hcrc)
and rancho on Willamette slough, where
he died in the winter of $4,000. So much
for the leader; and now | will give YOU a
little sketch of the manner in which they
fight.
When their line was formed the extreme
right and left end, or flank men, carried a
little flag on pole that their true position
could be determined at all times. They
fight nnder cover generally, 'hunting in
twos, one covering the other. One crecps
ahead, trying to entice shot by every pos
sible device. If one misses to take aim at
the head one, the concealed friend blaZes
away at once and the foremost one is then
ready to fire at any one who rises to return
that shot
JOE on TIE sKIRMIsH LINE,
AS an instance of the tricks to which
they resort to draw the enemy's fire, or to
make him expose his person, | will relate
an instance which came under my own OBJ
servation during the second days battle
| We have, belonging to the government
pack train, Warm Spring Indian, called
>loc, who speaks good English, and has been
IN government employ for several years.
well, on that day the train was idle and
100 must have shot so two or three of
for IA lectie fun as Joe 9 t e2br siae went in
happened to go up into the s<irmish line
| before that break occurred which left Col.
| Miller in such a warm place. The Modocs
then were very quiet, and they found il
difiiult to get sn6s at Ithem; Cautiously
ward move it was quick as a flesh thcr
down behind a rock, hat off and by hi,
side, his gun always at full cock and to hi,
shoulder, ready for firing. Waiting n long
time, as it seemed, behind this rocky shield
another forward move wOs made in a SINH
lar manner Getting tired of this, and moi
succeeding in
PROVOKING A SHOT,
the old man Zeeley, who is lame in ono
knee, laid down his gun by Joe and crawl
d forward like snake in the direction OF
the ledge. After getting in advance some
distance the old fellow took two stones and
grated them together, producing a sound
like the grating of soldiers hobnaied
shoe on the hard lava. Stealthily ModoC
peered out from his cover to see where tho
Bosom man was, when, quick as thought
Joe sent bullet crashing through him.
and the Modoc threw up his arms and fell
over. The Modocs poured a shower OF
balls, but Zeeley sprang back, getting
knocked down by a bullet, which cut the
thick hair on the top of his skull, but Joe
covered his retreat. A few m uutes after
wards the firing opened heavily, and then
the shells, driving Miller and his men out,
and as they came over the clests the line
was broken, leaving Joe and his comrades
| to
STEM THE TIDE ALONE.
They stood it awhile and then fell
back and came down to Hospital Rock
where Gen. Gillem and staff were at the
time. "Well Joe," said Gen. Gillem in his
pleasant way, 'haye you been fighting p
Yes, sir, said Joe, forgetting to salute, as
is the soldiers custom; Eyes, sir, and its
ID hot up there" ''Did you kill any
Modocs?" asked the general. Don't know
sir, lgot a good shot at one and he tumbled
over" replied Joe, very modestly. Here
Zeeley put in his oar" as we say, and by
signs, for he can't speak English, showed
how it was done and where Joe hit the
Modoc, asserting that he was killed.
| "Well, joe" continued the general, with a
merry twinkle in his eye, you have done
I good service, but why didn't you stay and
! fight longer ?" Eight longer replied Joe
who did not understand the cause of the
line falling back, eight longer; how could
| The id soldiers run away and left me
an him to fight alone. They left one man
dead in their hurry upon the line, and one
wounded man. We kept the Modocs back
as long as we could but HI do you sup
pose two men can fight all the id Mo
docs ?" Slowly the general turned away,
with queer look in his eye and an odd
smile around his lips, which seemed to say
Joe, l respect your bravery and truth, but
l cant say admire your diction, which is
more forcible than elegant. Joe had
made mistake; the wounded man got
away, though the dead man was left. But
there is no doubt that Joe killed or fatally
wounded the Modoc, and some assert that
Il was Scarfaced Charley, but think from
the description that it was Frank" who
mad scar on his face, and was found
| wounded and 1nenatchad tho do,, foIIo,,,