The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-05-06
THE MODOC WAR.
Slaughter OF Troops In the Lava
Red.

Hf60s
New York, April 29-The Herald
special from the Lava Bed, dated 26th
inst, says: The force under Captain
Thomas, which started to reconnoiter the
position suppose o be held by the Mo-
does, numbered 60 men. The object was
mainly to find out how the Modocs were
situated, and whether mortars could be
brought up and eAec.ually used against
them. AS the troops approached the
cave in the Lava Bed, about half-past 10,
our command was brought to halt, and
the men allowed to take rest. The sto-
ry of the first fire is differently reported,
some SAYING five or six shots were fired,
and others only four, but Ticknor states
positively that it came from party of 9
Indians who occupied bluff, to the east,
ward of where the troops were stationed
Major Thomas Immediately threw the
troops into skirmishing order, r,with Lieut..
Wright's company on the right The
latter, however, had not got into position
before they were 1anked on the right by a
party of IA other Indians that had come
Up to the advance of those who had fired
first. The cross-fre on Wriehts mer
proved very demoralizing, and they
broke back in confusion, leaving theil
gallant leader in an exposed condition
and supported by a few of his non con-
missioned officers,
In the meantime, another small party
Of Indians had obtained position tt
The left, ana opened raking fire on th'
two batteries OF artillery. 1t was ,
fearful trap, ard the first four shot
We're only fired to draw the troops mor'
directly between the fire of the Indians
on the right and left The rout wal
complete, and with the exception of the
officers and on-commssioncd officers
the majority of whom lay stretched OIL
the rocks with their life blood ebbin:
last away, the wstchword was "Sauv
qui peut" Confused and demoralizet
as they were, the men became an cas-.
prey to the Modocs, who, confident IL
the protection of their native rocks
shot them down like SO many frightel
ed deer.
Occasionally news was brought IN b.
the scared stragglers, exaggerated il
) the extreme, but significant Of SOM
dire disaster. Many of these men VIII
E had deserted their officers in time o
, peril, had seen one hundred Indians al
t around them. Fear had distorted thei
vision, and made them so helpless tha
r one of their number was afterwar
found dead on the field, without sho'
He had been butchered by knives, an
so panic struck he could not fire q she
o in bis own defense.
There vas mystery about the a
tack that nobody appeared to solve a
to how the troops were so completed
c surprised. If in camp, where were tn
pickets or advanced skrmishers 1t al
o peared so strange that party of sixty
o nine men should be almost surrounde
: by Indians without their being aware {
sign of an Indian as far as they coul
! see. This fact alone will give the pul
9 lie an idea Of the nature Of the groun
, on which these Indians fight, and VIII;
q our soldiers have to contend against =
r During the night the Indians wel
:. creeping through the rocks to scalp an
e strip the dead soldiers. Soldiers con
r ing through Colonel Green's line tol
q him where the dead of Batteries X an
q A were to be found. Colonel Gree
q Immediately moved forward his line I
/ the place indicated, and there, hid
!. some sagebrush, were the naked bodit
o of Major Thomas, Lieutenant How
!. Sergeant Rover and six Others Coli
Q mel Wright's body lay little to the LEI
n and on the right was Lieutenant Ha
h ris, severely wounded, and the bodi
q of five of his men, stripped of all the
p clothing. Forty nine were killed al
q wounded out of command of siXt
!, nine men,