Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-06-13
How Captain Jack G ut HIS Name.
The Way 10 Fight M0docs.
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Colonel Jack Gambill.

IL VIII Tx u pfiSC1 W tHdt23 iFOptC lteTG
to learn that Colonel Jack Gambill is rot
only al old Indian fighter but that his Prev
css SO impressed the great Modoc clilet in
1850 that the savagc gave himself the sobri-
quot Of Captain jack in imitation oi tic
white chief who vanqnishcd his tribe. The
Colonel Mas packer at Yrcka in 1856. and
Tie Modoc chief had turnel hick the pack
train twice, as having no tight to pass over
the Moloc Territory bat Goiencl Ga,abiIi
told tho savage ilslt he wDalI torcc his way
through the next time he visited him--and
he did The Colonel took up 500 men, and
whipped all the tribes between the Klamath
and the Pitt river mountains. lie found
the Indians in their wigwams, and gave
them battle in tile grey of morning. then he
followed them witllou rest. and PHI he'd them
from one point to another until the sayages
acknowledged that he was a great Chief, and
they promised not to disturb his pack trains
any more. Colonel Jack studied the Indian
mode OF fighting and followed their tactics
except that he used superior intelligence.
As sharpsloo'er he is falnous-!ie can cut
the ace out of the cen re OF a card and Eevcr
throws away shot; his men were instructed
how to save their lead, and make an Indian
fall every time they touched the trigger OF
the gun. Sometimes the savages.tried the
plan of an alnDuscade, but the Colsnel ever
made it point to dislodge them, and never
let he..Intlian think he had achieved a vic
tory. There was no 'rctiring in good ORDER
| i ~. =
II they retired, he followed; if they al
tempted TO charge, lie sent Us many As posi-
Bile to their .happy hunting grounds,n., and
the Indians very soon GIT tired Of .il5 com
bat.
lie says they arc a willy foe, and undoubt-
~ good fighters, but his knowledge of Indian
habits, acquired by q long residence among
Creek Indians, gave him the means of detect
ing their stratag.ns and avoiding ambus
cades. One plan adopted by the Modocs was
very successful but they left themse yes ex-
posed to the disadvantage OF meeting their
antagonists IN open tight II the attack from
ambush did not produce Generalization.
Finding the rangers unear Colonel Ganbill
too well generated to be drawn into an an
buscldc ili the canyons the Indians rcsortcd
TO the plan Of lyiag OF IN opsn plain. with
jlst enough of earth looscned to cover their
sheads-not bush to screen tllcun-ard yet
1ileir naked bodies assimilatc so closely TO
the color of the soil that their presence
could not b aseerfainel till they h jump
ed up and seat shower OF arrows ito the
ranks OF the enemy. Each warrior would
have.a couple Of hundred or so Of arrows
handed 20 INN by helper as he needed
them, and they would be discharged SO fast
that they ratified aon their foes like .liah.
rbey had few .:jaegers'' Or Mississippi
rifles, which they useI witha good deal of
skill but their poisoned arrows proved very
formidable weapons, .anl ~ much to be
dreaded as bullets. 'rne arrows were slict
with such force as to go clean throush an an
stelope. ~ aa ssaa 2 xts
The Indians, however, soon recognized he
superiority Of the arms used by the whites.
and the better generalsinp. and were glad to
call for truce. ss Esstsa 5fltEs9 eis5ftss.s ss
What a pity there could not be about two
hundred'of such rangers got together now,
with Col. Jack to steer them and turn them
loose on the numbering Modocs. Soon here
would be no Indian to boast that he or his
ancestor murdered General Canby.-Alta
California. iiEa&3k4sa s#E5 1854