Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-05-07
he mor;ars coull be brought up and


beds about 1880 A NJ, our command
was Drought to hsh and the r.en allow
ed to take rest.
The stony of the first fire differently re-
ported some saying five or six shots
were fired, and others only four but
Ticknor positively states that. it came
from party of nine Indians, who occu-
pied bluff to the eastward of where the
troops were stationed Major Thomas
Immediately threw his men into skirmish
ing order, with Lieutenant Wright's COM
pany on the right. -
The latter. however, had not got into,
position b efofa they were aanked to. tbs
right by. party of four; cen other Iudi
ans. The cross fire on Wright's men
proved very demoraliziug, and they
broke back in contrsior, leaving their
gallant leader in an exposed condition,
and supported by few of his non-conn-
missioned officers
In the meantime another small party
of Indians had obtained a position to the
left, and opened raking fire on the two
batteries of artillery. 1t was a fearful
trap, and The frs. four shotsl were only
fired to draw the troops more directly be-
tween the fire of the Indians on the
right and the left. The route was COM
plete, and with the exception of the Off
GERS and non commissioned officers. Taa
jority of whom lay stretched on TIE
rocks with life blood ebbing fast away,
the wstehword was ''saure quipeat"
Confused and demoralized as they
were, the men became an easy prey to
the Modocs, who, confident in the pro-
lection of their native rocks, shot them
down like so many frightened deer. Oc-
casionally news was brought in by the
scared stragglers, exaggerated in the ex-
treme, but ignifcant. Of some dire disas-
ter.
Many of these men, who had deserted
their officers in time of peril, had seen az
hundred Indians all around them. Fear
had distorted theft vision .nd made them
so helpless one of their number was aftct
ward found dead or The field without a
shot. He had been butchered by Knives
and so panic struck that he could not
fire shot in his own defence.
There was mystery about the attack
that nobody appeared to solve, as to how
the troops were so completely surprised
in camp where there were pickets and
advanced skirmishers. 1t appeared SO
strange that a party of sixty nine men
should be almost surrounded By Indians
without their being aware of sign of
Indians as far az they could see. This
fact alone will give the public an idea of
the nature of the ground on which these
Indians fight and which our soldiers have
to contend against.
During the night the Indians were
creeping through the rocks to scalp aud
strip the dead. Soldiers coming through
Colonel Green's line told him where the
remains of Batteries X and A were TO
be found. Colonel Green Immediately
moved forward his line to the place indi.
Gated, and there hid in some sage brush
wefe the bodies of Major Thomas, Lieu
tenant Howe, Acting Surgeon Simig.
Sergeant Romer and six others.
Cal Wright's body lay little 10 lie
left, and on the right was Lieut.. Harri-.
severely wounded, and the bodied of
five of his iien, stripped 5f all their
clothing Forty-niue were killed and
wounded, out of command of sixty
nine men.
GILLEM's DESPATCH TO SHERMAN.
The following is the ofIlcial report Of
the surprise and slaughter of Sunday:
LAVA BEDS, April 2S, 1873.
To Maj. Gen. Sr8ofe'd, San Francisco
On the 9Th inst, Major Greer, COM
mandins the camp on the west side of
the lava beds. ordered Capt. Thomas.
4th infantry, and party of Warm Spring
Indians, abou, serenity soldiers and four
teen Indians, to make reconnaissance in
southeasterly direction to point about
fout miles from camp.
The party left camp at II ", and
reached the designated point, and were
resting No Indians had been SEEN
Suddenly the party was fired upon by
Indian. when upon searching in the lava
chasms the bodies of Capt. E. Thomas
and Lieut. A. X Howe, 4th artillery,
and Lieut.. Thos f. Wright, 18th infant
ry, were found. First Lieutenant Arthur
Cranston. 4th artillery, has not been
found He is undoubtedly killed.
Lieut. George NJ. Harris and Acting
Assistant Surgeon B. SEEMING seriously,
though l hope not dangerously wounded.
Thirteen enlisted men were killed and
six have been wounded.
All the officers and a part of the men
remained together and fought like heroes.
but the Indians had secured the ad7an-
tages of position before being discovered.
The remains of the officers go to Yreka
tomorrow. The bodies OF four warriors
have been found at or near the scene of
the battle. Capt. Mendenhall reports