The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-30
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST
THE MODOCS.
4 Reconnaissance Of Jacks
Stronghold.
Tho Soldiers Fall Into an AmbuS-
cade and are Slaughtered
Like Sheep.
OVER FoRTY MEN KILLED
AND WOU HDED.
A FIOTId Account Of a WTeiched
and Bloody RepulSe.
LIsr or KILLEp ANp WOUNDED.

LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED.
SAN FRANCISCO, April sS.-A courleI
arrived with reports Of another terribl
fight with tho Modocs, in which nineteel
Of our men were killed, including Capt
Thomas, Lieut.. Howe, 4Gh artillery; Lieut.
Wright, 18th infantry. % wounded IN
cluding Lieut.. Harris i4th artillery. Other
arc missing.
LAVA BED, April ga reconnoiSancI
composed OF batteries K and A, 4th artil
flery aud Company 3 Of the 18th infantry
left tho camp at 1880 this morning, pro
ceeding in o direction known 10 lead Il
the present Modoc stronghold, Capt. E
Thomas, 4Lh artillery being in command
A dozen or so Warm Spring Indians were
expected to cooperate with Capt. Thomas
left. The troops, having formed line oil
skirmishers, advanced without molesta-
ton until they arrived at the foot OF
bluff south ot the Lava Bed, having II
the meanwhile signalled the camp thai
no Indians could be found. On reaching
the bluff the Modocs opened severe fire
causing the troops to seek such shelter Hs
they could find in the crevIces and
chasms, and as usual the foe was unseen,
the first position becoming untenabler
owing to the fact that the Indians had
obtained both cross and enilading fires.
The position was so exposed that up to
the present writing (seven T. ny two Of
the wounded only could go to camp. AS
nine Of the wounded, including Lieut..
Wright, OF the 18th Infantry, had sought
shelter in crevices which were particu-
larly open to the Modoc fire grave
doubts exist as to their ultimate safety.
So soon as information was received at
headquarters relative to the peril Of the
parties, troops in aid Were at once pushed
forward TO their rescue, four companies
being ordered out, two cavalry from this
camp and two from Colonel Mason'sD
sretchers for the conveyance Of the
wounded were forwarded. These latter
arc returning just now without having
achieved the object for which they were
intended. Poor fellows! bitter cold
night, at least, Is before them. 1t Is
barely possible, the character ot tho
enemy conceived, that some Of them no
longer needed cold or heat. Their COM
rades, who from some cause are coming
into camp, show plainly oy their de-
mesnor the heartfelt sorrow they feel for
them, but they are poWerlesS in the mat.
ter. The wounded so far as can be learned,
Just now are: First Sergeant Clifton,
Company E, 12Lh infantry; Private John
Il. Gifierd, battery K, 4th artillery, twice;
Private John Lynch, battery K, 4th artil.
lery, since dead; Private Jos. ]. McLaugh.
lin, battery K, 4th artillery Private Vim.
Mccoy, battery K, 4th artillery, twice;
Private Michael Wallace, battery X, 4th
artillery, since deadi Private Joseph Bod.
erick, battery Z, 4th artillery; Lieut..
Wright, 12th infantry, reported as danger.
ously wounded; Lieut.. Harris 4th artil.
lery, struck by spent ball but not injured
much.
$50 A. N, April 27.-A dispatch re-
ceiyed from Col. Green, oil the 1st cav
airy, who went out with reinforcementI
yesterday morning, shows the surprise too
have been much more complete and more
terribly fatal than was at first supposed.
The dispatch states that Captain Thomas
and Lieut.. A. K. Howe, Of the 4th artil-
lery, were killed; Lieut.. Harris, 4Ih artil.
lery, badly, perhaps mortally, wounded
and Lieut. CranSton, 4th artillery, missing
A full list ofthe killed and wounded can
not now be obtained, but It ls known that
Privates Ward, Of battery K, and Parker
Collins, Of battery A, werekilledi and also
Private Boyle, Of Company E, 18th infau.
try, and one other man. 1t iS supposed the
ModoCs burned the bodies Of the Two lat
ter. In addition to the list given above
nrst Sergeant Il. P, Roemer, battery A,
and private ]. Higgins, battery K, 4th ar.
tillery given as badly wounded; Matt Mur.
ply, Company E, 18th infantry, James
Noble, Chas. Cuff, battery A, 4th artillery
slightly; acting assistant surgeon Besi-
ming, wounded in two places while at
tending the wounded troops.
SUNDAY, April 27-5P.M.
From the second dispatch sent by Col.
Green, 1t appears that there are now col.
lected and awaiting conveyance In camp
sixteen men killed including Capt. Thorn
as, Lieut.. Howe, 4Gh artillery, Lieut.
Wright, 18th infantry and eight wounded
including Lieut.. Harris, 4th artillery.
These added to tho number Of wounded
men above cited show large percentage
Of casualties for the small number Of men
engaged, some sixty or sixty.one. The
Modocs are armed with Spencer carbines,
and breech loading musketS, nor Is It a sin
gle instance only where one Modoc has
been known 10 have possession Of two OF
more Spencer rifles, enabling him to keep
up a rapid fro Of shots from his natural
or artificial breastworks Of rock. The
surface Of the ground In many places Is
torn up by volcanic action, leaving crew
ices that arc adaptable either for hiding
purpoIes or points Of defence. In sew
eral instances the soldiers knowing moth
ing Of the topography, have como una
wares on such fSsureS, and before they
could escape from their positions, they
were confronted with body of Indians
rifle levelcd, and finger on the trigger
Death, or at least a dangerous wound, Il