Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-05-03
EpOm the Lara Beds,
ANOTHER TERRIBLE BEHIE.

LAVA BEDsr April &c. A reeennoi-
tering party. composed of Batteries
X and A Of,the Fourth Artillery and
Company p of the Twelfth Infantry.
left camp at $50 this morning, pro-
ceedingsin the direction known to
lead tothe present stronghold of the
Modsos, Capt. Thomas il. command.
Adozen or so Of Warm Spring H.
dams were expected to cooperate on
rhomas's left. The troops having
formed Il line, the skIrmishers al
vanced without molestation unit! they
arrived at the foot IF bluff souih of
the lava beads, having meanwhile sig
nailed to the camp that no Indians
were 10 be found.
On reaching the bluff the BIo1ioes
opened q severe fire, causing the
troops to seek such shelter as they
could find in the crevices, chasms, etc.
AS usual the foe was unseen.
The first position soon became I'M
tenableY lowing to the fact that the
Indians were able to deliver a cross
fire,and an entilading fire, and the po-
sition of the troops is so exposed that
Up,to the present writing. Z o'clock,
P. NJ, only two could reach. the camp
out of nine wounded.
Confused and disorganized as they
were, the men became an easy prey
to the Modocs, who, confident in the
protection Of their native rocks, shot
them down like so many frightened
deer.
LAVA BEADS, April &c, $50 4. NJ
A dispatch received from Colonel
Green Of the First Cavalry, who went
out with reinforcements yesterday
morning, shows the surprise. to have
been more complete and more terribly
fatalthan was at first supposed. The
dispatches state that Capt. Thomas
and Lieut.. A. X. Howe of.the, Fourth
Artillery were killed. Lieut.. Harris
of the Fourth Artillery is. badly anc
perhaps mortally wounded, and Lieut.
Branston Of the Fourth Artillery i:
missing.
There was a.mystery about the at
tack that nobody appeared w. to solve
as 10 how the troops were ,se.eomplete
ly surprised 1t appears straEg'
that a party Of 65 men should .be al
most surrounded by the, Indians
without their being aware Of sigI
of the Indians as far as they coult
see. This fact alone will give th,
public an idea ,Ofl the nature of thu
grounds on which these Indians fight
and what our soldiers have to content
against.
During the night the Indians wer
creeping through the rocks to scalI
and stlip, the. dead. Forty-nne mer
were killed and wounded out of a com
mand Of 60 men.
1t is impossible to ascertain TIL,
number of Modocs killed and wound
ed: Yesterday Capt. Mckay reported
that his Warm. Spring Indians hat
taken four scalps. This may be tn
whole, Or it may be only portion o
the killed, the Modocs being very
careful to destroy as far rs possible
all traces of their casualties, carrying
their wounded into the caves ant
burning the dead bodies.
Sixty Modocs are armed with Spen
Ger carbines and breech-loadih!
muskets. In more than one instanc
Modoc has been known to have tw,
or more Spencer rifles, enabling hin
to keep up, u rapid fire from his natu
raj or artificial breastwork of rock
The surface of the ground in man,
places is torn up by volcanic actions
which form crevices, and these ar
adaptable to purposes Of either hid
ing or for points of defence.