, 1873-04-26
THE. MODOCS.


How Cnpt. ncn Wright ~ sunnod tho
fIoccnsins', ,, OF Thrco Hundred Mo"
docs. =. '.
Rashtnoton Aprn2a) Correspondence Of Tho Nzto York
i, Stsn:
Tho statement rublishod In the Boston Globe,
Tint Some ycars ago, 4 Capt. Wright OF tho
United states ariny, invited party OF ModocH to
q feast, and thon treachorously nasahcrod them,'
Ia untrue. The following are tho faots, ~ ro-
lated by m old Oregon hunter who was one Of
" Wright's bnnd":
Capt. Bon. Wright never MAS a united statee
otnenr; nor IN any way connected with tue army.
He wns representative man OF olaeB KnoWn e
huntsEs and tapPers nSs s.nssr a." Il veoonos % tar
tho o1ctement It affords. Something more
overland @ % emigration T Vas flowing strongly to
Oregon md California, tho northwestern portion |
OF tic latter State, and tile aoutheastern portion
Of tho former, bounded on tho east by tho slorra
thoroughfare to the inferior Of these states, and
this section waB In possession Of tho Modocs.
Those savagoB, true to their instincts, took ad-
vantage of tho weak md exhausted condition Of
tho99 mgntss sa wG pnang sefoagn
them On the road, or Of night attacked ana pun,
derod thoir camp and murdered men, women, mud
children. TO such an. extent did they carry
thoir numbering md thieying that immigration
was almost entirely hrokon up in this direction.
It ras under stloh circumstances that Capt.
Bon. Wright, then living ut Yreka, ono Of tho
nearest mining camps vas called upon, by tno
| him few determined mon Of hia own daring
| stump, and protect immigrant travel through The
| Modoo country. Ho responded to tho call, gatll-
his f9w bTses and thy mnodaey p as pt5 ta
pass along tho thoronghfarcs -leading through
tic Modoc section, aud bury tho bodies Of mur-
dored passengers. rhoy next turned their at-
tenton to the authors of thh wan5on a H. ana nn,
and habits 'of THO enemy, they were, careful re-
not: to rovoal =. their: preHenco until they
woro roady to strike blow. Tho opportunity
o g sSs ' Tns{ s tehs So ndna q
doop and rapid river, which gave the , 1nt!ian-
hunters decided vantage ground, which they cor
tainly needed, ea tho enemy ontnn1nborod them
alton. alton CT called for q speaco-salk" Tho timo ap-
pointed for this talk was tho ensuing morning.
Understanding vol the character Of tho hodocs,
Wright spout tho nght:in watching their move
1nonts. His vigilance Was rewarded by the dis.
coyory of unmistakablo signs Of treachery, and
lie we'll know that the safety Of his own little
band depended upon striking tho fret blow.
That blow WIS struck with terrific effect; as, in
tho ileht which followed, his little handful OF
mon summed tho moccasina"' Of nearly tho en-
tire camp, few oscaping to toll tho talo.
ARcminiaccnce OF the Flodocs--Fig7lt-
ing ON the Klamath River Nineteen
Years AEos
70 the Editor qf tho se,p Pork Herald:
III the mouth Of February, 1861, intelligence
seotts Valley Elk that number .st% ot tho
wood, just at tbs crossing Of tho klamath
River, Ind boon alan by q party OF Nodoc In
dians, thcn making their winter. quarters at q
cayo some sixteen Iniloa above tho forty. The
flo Of the Fourth United States Infantry, Was
} Immediately put in notion The ground WINS
coyorod to the extent OF a foot or oighteen
tnchcs doop with snow, nnd. the ; NG;athor vas A
down as 10 degrees above zero. Biyouacking
near Yroka tho fret night, tho second tho Kla-
mnth ferry was made, and here, joined by soma
command Of Mr.. aoigor, tho whole force pro-
ceedcd tho next day, BY rough and Rnow-cov-
cred TRAIL in tho direction Of tho cave, Along
) this rond the melancholy spectacle was witnesace
Gently slaughtered. Their scalIs wero taken,
!: thor tongues cut of and transnxed to theii
! skulls With arrows, and they woro subjected t.
otlor mutilAtions too horrible to mention. Or
high oliif overlooking the river, the volunteer
tableland just abovo, with =, orders tt
; por1nit no ogress therefron. The regular
Of tic cliff and tho river, and, protected by.
!. ridge OF rocks, roconnoitored the position. An
exchange Of firing now took place without effect
the distance in all air limo boing about two nun.
! drcd yards. Tho Indians Kept up great noiss
and shouting, amid which IN occasional derlsiv'
epithet III English could bo recognized. Mean
q .whilo tho unfortunate leader OF the volunteers
IL pserng ogaf the Ledge rss 1nssy killed =
. head Finding it was hopolesB to accomplis!
. nnytling with muslets, two messengers, of wlicl
tho writer, by request was ono, were dlspatonIot
to Fort Lane, with instructions to Hook aasiSt
Q anco from itg commander, Capt. A. ]. Smith
:, Firat DragoonB in rcinforcements and noun
. tain llowifzor. After bitter ride Of thlrty-ny
miles, crossing Siakiyou Mountain into Oregon
and G Tic the ne5t morning Capt Smith, with fieut
! Oglo, ton mon, aud tho gun, accompanied u
back. On rohchiug the cavo the gun was place.
: In position and tho sheiling began, but with NJ
= ell dorisIon After ten days Of exposure, vithon
= ofYectng any decisive result, tho expedition va
r. abandoned and tho troops returned to thoi
= quarters.
= Jonua, through friendly Indians, had preyalle
u on this band to come In to tho reservation, an
!. in pursuance Of this .greoment tho comman'
Year, Year, n ne"f M Tie Klamath ferry receive them
. The dny came, and tho command had. but jna
Eeaohoa tho spos agrosdt Upon ,x;ne Tmon aa ~
J. tain tho paoksra killed aud the mules, with thei
burdens, ran OF. Wo moved at once In TINT Ill
" " roction and, on reaching tho mountain, 1onn
" TINT tho ru1nor Was but too true. Taking til
trail 1t lod us along tho ridge for somo distance
and tlon bore Oft IN tho direction OF tho cave
md upon tho plateau just above wo oano upo
tllom, and nftor sharp conflict, In which two c
10 throo Indians were killed, recaptured tho stole
plumber. -.
20 It will 10 soon from even these facts how nj
t. tcrly useoss 1t ia for the Government to des
d. generously or kindly with such psoplo, and
n, should DO tho wish OF every white man III til
ID country that they may moot with the most foa1
ful retributon for tlloir recent dastardly condut
T. in cutting abort 80 valuable lifo Us that Of til
Ia late Gen. Oanby..
i, An Ex-OEr1oEn OF THE ARMY.
IL
j., Grand Opening To-day.
" To those who delight In aeeng tho styleu,
" portnuy will bo offered today, Brown, Prior
~ Fisk Wabash avenue a Monros street. tho celebrate