The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-02

FRIDAY
The Erratic Words of Modoc News.
We suggest to indignant lettcr.writers aho
~,.ic-rarhers of news from the scat 4" ''
Noaoc wal that they frequently use "''S""7
that i, neither panly nor true. Inc i"N
n recrpt encounter in the nfa-
beds a massacre is not correct ~
- orr understanding. The h'~'
was ON the part OF our lhe". '". y
.h., III, indians. who entiladcd them,
.; ,,,ro avn account is that our men were
;rlca upon the first fire from the
I,3,,,,>. and that from that moment Hd"r'
.v, o~,,I"-or. Let him save himself who
800, "--uas the rule OF action. captain
mo g. assisted by LieutcuantS HOWE ana
Ns,Gur. did their best TO inspire the men
and :, induce them to sell their lives as
d,arlv a> possible; but the statements made
tx those who give lis the news do not war
rant The belief that they were sustained with
ihr >n;rjt which they themselves displayed.
The three fell molly. 1t does not appear
that toe tntiladin- party Of ModocS num-
l.rcl more than twenty-one, while Captain
vpous mad in his command sevcnty-one
soldiers and fourteen Warm-Spring Indians.
Twcnty-thrcc Of OIL men were killed, clgh-
tea wounded. and five were missing. 80
that a, least for!y-ninc Of our men made
.,ai their escape, If We Concedc the five
r,f>s,nv 10 lie killed. These jorty.niac were
who, lavin. certainly lost tour ct their num-
Der. were only Seccntecu strong!
This. then. is anything but a lna->acre. 1t
WAS q fca, OF strategy allowable in War-crc-
d;tablc to the general who outwits his adj
yerSlry bv it.. And in the wars of the most
civilized people. when a general has his nd.
,cr>lrv thus in his power he continues his fire
mi; the White fa- is raised. Our men in
tn, l,y,.hrds did moi ctf,r to surrender. and
tn. lunian< continued their tire. Tie nAr,
:, surrender. indeed. would have been idle:
t.,r surrender would have led 10 a massacre.
rnt - h,f .,r,tv ,ou,J the Federal soldiers
have e>nrctcd at the hands OF the cyaSpc-
rated Modocs: They bad no doubt heard
n the orders from WASHINGTON, all con.cln-
nl,;iua th,. determination of their whole
,rih,, and thcY looked upon the soldiers rs
,ho, po,rad their covert rs their Intended
xncn,;onors and their own safety consisted
:, ,h.;r hccominr tbr cxcrutioner, Of their
,rorld.hc .~.r,tiorcS.
,m,in the ,Eoioc-war chroniciers STYLE
tho adversary 1.-The cowardly Nodocs."
This i >ilIv In all orr indian wars no
.,,a.o tr;.,e has d;sn,,ved greater bravery
49,, ,,or. sh,,, aud ]~,n,inr s,r,to,v than
,,..o uoJoc. They are understood to n.
:r..,.,,or. ,rd ,not.d;,,,rs and their
,.,,,.,c ,,d .hrcwdpc.s. therefore are not
,,.;i, oynI,iopd Their very ,rc,c bcrv we
n,,rr, =; .nt "a dcuouurr sine. they have
.., ,i.,;,uu or ,ha most re,oItinu tre,chcrv
-. ~, hand. If In. white man roy,rdly
,,,., ~ ,.,;,.l tl,ev r,m. back "a thr
..r, nf ,r,,,.. -, ,i,ht and s,-,lred rho dead
and probably some not We, dead. whom our
own Zen wrr. not intrepid enough to
-fyrd,
-Atat
i, j., not mani, to hap opprobium on this
sinai; tribe of Indians, who may he the
lrtr,.,t amongst the brave of their race of
men. They will. we suppose, be cxtermI.
mated. bu! they will live long in history.
III. Indian. savage as he is. has always
"a ,.u that exalted virtue love of country,
and this it is which has cost this nation so
nlr.h in blood and treasure to wrench from
him his loved home, and compel him to
,.u,,yr nr " from STAGE 10 sta~e. before the
advancing wave of civilization until he is
almost lost in the Pacific. This virtue is
III tlc Nodocs irrcprc>>iblc. They have been
forced from their hun~tinS-Srounds to the in
lso>iiilbl" cline OF upper oregon. and re-
!rnt'GIy have they, Involuntary i> it were,
stla.-!rd back to their native grounds. AT
h.; they Seplu to have determined to die
....,r.. Preserve indeed y to which IN,
,,,,J.ral Government compelled them 70 ro.
r,o, .u tha 1,d;,r ,,;hos v;l 10 nh;