The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-04-27
,.THIs D.ps.,a ,Jaoix.

event Of. twenty years ago, which is be.
tleved TO have been the prime cause of
the naassacre OF General CANDY and DR..
IhoE4lass The details of this event are
Fbs5eny summed up in the folio wing teIe.
gram from San Francisco. dated the Goth
inst: {; 0'''
.In 1852. North California was dis.
tusbed by Indian troubles, and the same
year q company; under command of Can
tain Renjamin Wright, was organized
and ptooeeded from Yreka to the Indian
country around Tnle Lake and the lava
beds. They fought three unsuccessful
battles, the force being insu fioient for
the subleotion of the Modocs. They re-
turned to Yreka. organized larger force
ana marched again to the Modoc country,
winter approaohing, found the Modoos'
supplies OF blankets. ammunition and
1000 extremely limited; consequently,
lne Aodoos were anxious for cessation
OF hostilities. In April, Captain WRIGHT
received the Modoo overtures with great
cordiality. aceoonference was agreed
upon, and place appointed in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the massacre of Gene
raj Oanby. The conference met. consist.
ing OF about twenty-five Indians and
thirty white men. While discussing the
terms. Wright gave the men signal, and
ID moment they killed eighteen Modocs,
ana seven Modocs escaped. Thus pe-
r!shed the fathers Of the present Modocs.
Oapta1n Jack was nine years old, John
Schonchin nineteen, and Boston Charlev
and Hooker Jim two years old. It is
probable revenge grew with age, culmi.
mating In the Canby and Thomas 1nassa.
ere Some years afterwards, Wright was
appolnted ludian Agent on Rogue River.
Wright was apprehensive of Modoc ven.
geance. One night, Modoc chief
named Enos, murdered and horribly mn
tliatea Wrights body. Chief Enos was
afterwards captured and hanged. He
died exulticg that he had wreaked ven.
geanoe on tho leader of the massacre of
his murdered tribe.
| 'Ihough the Infamous butchery per-
petrated by Wright is no sufficient apo.
iogy for the mursierous treachery Of Cap.
tain jack. yet, from o strictly Indian
point OF view, there is logical aud iusti
fable connection between these two
oioody deeds. OF the two, Wright's is
the worst He was white man aud an
American, and therefore might be sup.
posed to have faint perceptions of human
~, honor and justice; while jack and
MS comrades, being savages, arc sup
PooS " oo uesoi'y uestltute Oh tleSe
qualities. Wright's slaughter of the
Modocs Was entirely unproVoked: jacks
murder of Candy and Thomas did have
proyooation. Let not the innoceno. of
the victims, and the horrible manner of
| their taking OF, put that provocation out
of light altogether. We cannot afford to
ignore facts, even where Indians NAV de-.
rive slight benefit from them"
The correspondent of the San Fran.
cisco Chronicle writes from the Modoc
camp:
The principal portion OF the camp ia
situated in huge opening or widening
OF tho ravine, of perhape an acre ia area.
On all sides OF this opening, which
seems more like huge wash bowl than
anything else, the natural wall rises 100
| feet or more; but ID is easily scaled. for.
the inner side is inclined, aud the rocks
are sharp and jut out all over it. Once
III this basin, there is but one way out,
and that is by the trail We entered.
There are other ways out, but they are
by tunnels leading to the many caves or
Sink holes in another part Of the lava
bed, and which will be more fully de-
scribed further. On the outside of this
basin. there is succession of ridges as
high as that which encloses it, but these
do not extend all the way around. To
the West Of the basin is fiat, tab!e-like
surfnce OF lava, extending from the very
sum nit OF it's rim clear back for more
than mile. In this level place are the
sink holes or caves formed thousands of
years ago, perhaps in the cooling of this
immense body OF molten earth. The
openings Of the holes are very small
indeed, onn does not sec them until lie
has almost fallen in. But they widen as
they, go dowu, and, their sides being
s!oping, one can pick his way to The bot
tom without difficulty. Most of these
caves are connected with each other and
with the larger basin by subtcrraneous
passages, so that one can go for half
mile in the bed, without coming to the
surface at all. This is Of iucalculablc
benefit in defending tho stronghold, for
one man Gun keep 100 at bay almost any.
where in it, without fear Of being
smoked out or having retreat cut of.
After supper, which, by the way, was
shared with IL keen relish by about II
dozen naked Indian babies, Bogus
Charley came and said lie would conduct
Us to Captain Jack. SO tho whole party
gathered mp their blankets and followed.
Charley led tho way right up one side of
the basin, through little trail not easv