The Lincoln County herald., 1873-05-07
THE INDIAN WAR.
Another Fight with The Modocs-..
The Troops Surprised and Forty.
nine out OF Sixty mine Killed and
WOuned.

| lu0 lTOOpS surprised a00 Forty
| nine out OF Sixty mine Killed and
W0uned.
SAN FRAN CISCO, April 20 "A courie,
just arrived, reports another terrible fgh,
with the Modocs, in which nineteen Of
our men were killed, including Captain
Thomas and Lieutenant Howe, of the
Fourth artillery, Lieutenant Wright o.
the Twelfth infantry twenty three are
wounded, including Lieutenant Harris o.
the Fourth artillery. Others are miss
ing.
LAVA BEDS, April 26. A reconnoi-
sance, composed Of battery X and A
Fourth artillery and company L, Twelfth
infantry, left camp 7.30 this morning
proceeding in the direction known &
lead to the present Modoc stronghold
Captain L. Thomas being in com ma nd
A dozen or SO Warm Spring Indian.
were expected to CO operate on Captain
Thomas left. The troops having formed
lice Of skirmishers, advanced withou
molestation until they arrived at the foo
Of the bluff south of the lava beds. having
in tho meantime signaled to the camp
that no Indians could be found.
On reaching tho bluff, the Modocs
opened a severe FIRE, causing the troops
to seek such shelter as they could find iu
the chasm, and as usual the foe was
unseen. The first posltion became un-
teuable, owing to the fact that the ndians
obtained q cross FIRE. So exposed was
the position that, up to the present writ
ing, p. NJ, only two of the wounded
could reach camp.
Nine of the wounded, Including Lieu
tenant Wright, of the Twelfth infantry
had sought shelter in a crevice, which
was particularly open to the Modoc FIRE.
So soon as information was received at
headquarters as to the relative peril of
the troops, aid was at once pushed for
ward to their rescue, four companies
being ordered out, two of cavalry from
the camp, and two from Col. Mason's.
Stretchers for the conveyance Of wounded
men were forwarded. These latter are
returning just now without having
achieved tho object for which they we're
intended. Poor fellows! A bitter Geld
night is before them. 1t is barely pos.
sibls from the character of the enemy
that some Of them no longer need the
cold or heat. Their comrades coming
into camp show plainly by their demeauor
their heartfelt sorrow. They feel for
them, but are powerless in the matter.
cnl 1;ek &c a. l.
Captain Edward Thomas, Fourth ar,il.
lery, battery A; Lieutenant Howe,
Fourth artillery, battery A; private
Robert l.. Romer, Fourth artillery, bat
terry A private Parker, Fourth artillery,
battery A; private John Lynet, Fourth
artillery, battery X private James Rose,
Fourth artillery, battery X; private
Joseph w. Ward, Fourth artillery. bat.
terry X private Michael Wallace, Fourth
infantry, Company Z; private Greed,
Twelfth Infantry, company L; citizen
Levi 4. s. Weber Of Sickujon county.
1t Is next to Impossible to obtain the
number Of Modocs killed and wounded.
Yesterday Captain McKaw reported that
bis warm Spring Indians have taken
four scalps. This may be the whole Or
it may be only q portion of the killed,
the Modocs being very careful to destroy
as far as possible all traces Of their casu-
alties, buryiug the dead in caves, and
burning the dead bodies. Their wounded,
it is supposed. are hidden in the caves.
But few of them havo been found so far.
The Modocs are armed with Spencer
carbines ard brecchloading muskets. nor
is it q single instance only where one
Modoc has been known to have possess
sion of two or more Spencer rifles, eua-
bling him to keep up rapid firing as he
shoots from his natural or artificial
breastworks of rock.
The surface OF the ground iu many
places is torn up by volcanic actions,
leaving crevices, aud these are we'll
adaped to.the pursued, either as . tiding
or points of defense.
In several instances soldiers knowing
nothing of the topography have come
uuawares on such assures, and before
they coald escape from thoir position
have been confronted by willy Indian,
rife leveled, finger on trigger death, or
at least dangerous wound has been the
result too often. The cowardly redskins
escape by so many paths known only to
themselves.
As a sample Of their treachery end
cunning, it may not be amiss to state
that s'portion of batteries A and X of the
Fourth artillery, company e of the
Twelfth infantry, finding themselves in
danger of being outAanked, took shelter
ia hollow spot, sfording partial cover
for some twenty. No sooner hsd they
done so than the Indians, who knew and
commanded every egress from the cavity,
and at that point numbered twenty one
warriors, detached seven of their number
to 20 oe one side, the fourteen remaining
on the other. They opened cross fire
on the poor fellows, who could nos show
their head or hand without certsiuly
being struck. Very few escaped ipjusy.
They we're either killed or wounded.