The Portland daily press., 1873-05-01
THE MODOC WAR.
rhe EoeIing about the nIodoc nisa,ler


SAN FRANCISCO, April ga despatch from
Yreka tonight says that the people of that
place and in SCOTS Valley are arming under
the apprehension that there will be a general
Indian war.
MendenhalPs troops, numbering 100 men,
were expected to join General Gillem last
night.
The settlers in the valleys of Oregon, above
the lakes and lava beds, are moving away with
cattle and other property, being afraid to re-
main longer.
There is no further news from the front.
NEW YORK, April 3O.-A Yreka despatch
dated last night. says that the news there over
the defeat of our troops causes the greatest ex-
element and there is strong disposition by old
frontiersmen to organize aparty to fight the
Modocs in their own style. Ii any inducement
were held out to- these men they could exter-
inmate Capt. Jack and his band shortly.
The report that the Modoc squaws and pap
poses had taken refuge with the Pitt River
Indians is not credited at Yreka, as those tribes
are not on friendly terms.
The ladies of Yreka have organized a society
for the relief of the wounded soldiers.
1t generally believed that Lieut.. Cranston
and party will not be heard from again.
Gen. Davis and staff leave this morning (the
30th) for camp.
A Washin ton special says that it is mys-
terry to the War Department how the Modocs
are so well provided with ammunition and the
latest implements. Gen. Sherman says there
was no such loss during any engagement in the
late war as in the last fight with the Modocs.
The latter have chosen a far more difficulty
country to battle in than the Seminoles had in
the everglades of Florida, and how it is to end
we cannot tell. He thinks they certainly have
allies, either Indians or whites. but the difficult
to overcome is the same and whatever the
victory may cost it must be achived. Another
prominent army officer states that every prep
aration is making for an emergency that may
arise in that section of the country. The sue
cess of the Modocs over the army is thought by
old army officers to be the precursor of long
conflict with the Indians.
Loss of an Ocean Steamer
New YORK, April 30.-The Herald has a let
ter from Rio Janerio of April 4th giving the
following account of the css of French steam
ship Gambia. 1t is chiefly interesting because
of the similarity in some respects to the Allan
tic disaster, though the results are so widely
different The Gambia sailed from Rio March
4th for Bordeaux with quite full passenger
list and cargo of coffee, hides and tallow. She
was due at Bahia on the 18th, and at midnight
of that day, or more properly at twelve o'clock
on the morning of the 29th, she suddenly went
on the reef known as the Java Rocks, off the
small town of Abrantes, seven miles north of
the village of Itapona, and about eighteen
miles north of Bahia, as she was bound to
Bahia, which port she had not entered.
The only way to account for her being where
she was lost, as well as for the loss of her
course, is the hypothesis that the wind had been
prevailing many days strong and steady from
the south and southwest and may have occa-
stoned slight increase of coast current, of
which sufficient notice was not taken. AS the
night was thick and stormy it was impossible
to see any distance ahead, and the passengers
were all asleep. The sudden blow of the
steamer woke them and occasioned naturally
the greatest confusion and alarm. The prompt
decision and cool conduct of tt Q officers, how
ever, served in great measure TO allay the
excitement The vessels launches were lower
ed and manned, and by six in the morning the
passengers were all safely landed.