The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-05-01
Ml' N 8UTcHERYl
70 Killed, IS Wounded and
More Missing. r

70 Killed, IS Wounded and
More Missing.
1Hs DEAD BRuTALLY MUr1LATED.
anao1sm OF THE SOLDIERS.
Hsrlike Action Of Other Tribes.
SAN FaAso1.oo, April 49, Law.
Beds, 26th.-A reconnaissance, CEN.
posed Of batteries K and A Fourth
ARTILLERY, and Go. 2, T~elfth Infantry,
lott camp At 7:30 thus morning, pro.
ossdisg in the direction known to lead
to the present Modoc stronghold, Capt
H. Thomas, Fourth Artillery, being in
command. A dozen or 80 Warm
Spring Indians were expected to 90
operate on Cspt. Thomas left. The
troops, having formed . line Of Skin.
mishers, advanced without molestation
until they arrived at the foot of the
bluff south Of the lava beds, having in
tho meanwhile signalised the camp
that no Indians could DO found.
On r. aching tho bluff the
MoDoos OPENED A SEVERE FIRE
causing the troops to seek such shelter
Is they could ind in orevioes and
ohasms. Az usual the foe VA unseen.
The first position becoming untenable,
owing to tho fact that tho Indians oh.
tanned both = oress and enflading Ere,
was soon abandoned. So exposed Was
the position that up to the present wri-
ting, seven p. NJ, only two of the
wounded could get to camp. As nine
OF tho wounded, including Liant
Wright, Of the 18th Infantry, had:
sought shelter in = orsvice wEiieh v,s
particularly open to tho H.odocs' fro.
grave doubts exist Of their ultimate
ssfety.
As soon ~ Information was received
at headquarten, relative to tho peril o.
the parties,
7Roops IN AID
were ut once pushed forward to their
rescue, four companies being ordered
ont, two Of cavalry from this camp and
,'*o from Col Mason's.
! "PEAoE POLICY oARB1NEs.
6p. N. April 27-Frsm . second
dispatch sent by Col. Greene it appears
that there are now collected and await
ing conveyance to camp 16 men killed
isolaaing Capt. Thomas, Lieut.. Howe
4th Artillery, Lieut.. Wright, 18th In
faotry, and 8 wounded, including
Lieut.. harris, 18th Artillery.
! Some go or 81 Of tho Modocs are
armed with Spencer oarbines and
breachloading muskets, nor is it singh,
instance only whore ono nodoc h.a
been known to have in possession two
or more Spencer riaes, enabling him to
keep up rapid fire Of shots from hla
natural or artificial breastwork. The
surface Of the ground in many pla'
oes Is torn up by volcanic action, lsav.
ing crevices, aud these are adapted to
the purposes either Of hiding or esoap.
ing. In several instances the soldier.
knowing nothing Of the topography, h.v.
come uaawarss on such assures aud be.
fore they could escape from their po-
sitlons we're confronted with q willy To.
dian with riff" lsveled, finger on the
trigger, death or . dangerous wouni
tho result. Too often the cowardIy red
skins escaped by many paths know
only to themselves. As . sample of
THEIR TREAoHERY AND CUNNING
it may not be amiss to state that q por'
ton Of batteries A and K, 4th Artil.
lery, and Company E, 18th Infantry
finding themselves 10 danger and ont
lanked, took shelter in = hollow spo'
atfordiag partial shelter go some twenty
No sooner had they done so than tn,
indians, who knew and commanded ev-
cry eg1ess to the cavern, At that point
numbering twenty-one warriors, de-
tached seven Of their number on on,
side and fourteen remaining on th,
other, open = cross Ere on the poor tsl.
lows Who could not show head or haut
without certainly beiog struck. Yer,
te~ escaped being killed or wounded
1t is next to impossible to ASCERTAIN tn
number of Modocs killed and wounded
yesterday. Capt. Mscksy reported hi
Warm Spring Indians had taken four
soslpa This may be the Who'll. or ma,
DO only portion Of tho killed, the No
docs being very careful to destroy q
far as possible oil traces of their oasu
alties, burying dead in caves o,
buroing the dead bodies. Thei,
wounded are supposed to be hidden,
bat very few Of them can be seen 8,
far.
J. THE GALLANT DEAD.
Justice to the memory Of tho g.ll,n
dead cenpels rs to record the following
we'll authenticated facts. Whom Capt.
Thomas found himself and men sur
rounded by viudictive foe, true to BIZ
} nature a. soldier he sought to chez,
the soldiers on to the bitter end to Oh
tain if possible life for life, and sci
their lives dearly, saying, "Men, w
are surrounded, We must fight die lik,
men, like soldiers" In his noble eff.
forts to sustain the courage Of his small
command, he was ably seconded BY
Lieut.. Howe, and Lieut.. Wright. At
ter receiving . mortal wound hs buried
4 -