The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-05-30
at'heeling Aesister.
NO MARKsMEN IN THE ARMY.
Inferior Arms I'm the Hands OF the
Troops.

Lava Bed Cor. Sacramento (Cal) Record.
1t is no dispsragement to the soldier
10 say, "As rule they are not good
shots" for such is the fact. This, l
take it, is owing to two causes. First,
they are not drilled enough at target
shooting; second, the guns all shoot
high and wide, especially after being
fired a number oil rounds. think I
am pretty good shot with rifle or
six shooter, but know a Modoc would
be tolerably safe before me with an
army eun-e;ther carbine or Spring.
field musket. l have tried them, and
while you can shoot fast and at a long
distance, they will not do for target
work, aud that is just what shooting at
Modocs is, and very small target they
are, too generally speaking. AS have
before notified you, the safety of our
men during the fight was owing, in
great measure, to the fact that the guns
used by the Modocs were those captured
in the fight of the 18th of January, and
almost invariably they shoot over their
mark.
THE WARM SPRING INDIANS
are fine looking body OF men, many Of
them being six feet, and even tallar
They are very decent and orderly, much
better behaved than an equal number
OF ordinary soldiers; for your soldier off
duty is not always the most quiet and
orderly man in the world. They obey
implicitly their leader, Donald Mckay,
and the sub-chiefs who are with them.
The sub,chiefs names are Miller, Warm
Spring, George, Pi-Pock-pan, and Hor-
nasheig. They are fine men, and many
of them speak, and l think some OF
them read and write, English. Their
chief is Daumeta, and he is at Umatil-
la, with a few OF his people, who mum.
ber in all about four hundred. Their
reservation is about seventy miles south
OF the Dalles, on the Des Chutes,in q
very good location. Their leader here,
Donald Mckay, is thirty seven years
old six feet tall, and weighs 2ll pounds,
his "lazy weight" being 225 pounds.
lie is quiet, reserved man, a perfect
specimen of half breed, and fully up
to every Indian trick and device. The
Modocs would give as much to get his
scalp as they would for that of Gen.
Gillem. He is one OF eleven children
by Thomas Mckay, an old Hudson
Bay Company trader, and the
MOST CELEBRATED INDIAN FIGHTER
ever known on the northern part OF
the coast. There are several other
sons-George, an express rider, in the
service of the Government, and DR..
William, an accomplished physician,
now residing at Umatills. Their father
came here, Donald knows not when,
but he remembers hearing him tell OF
bringing in the first drove Of sheep and
cattle from California ever brought
into Oregon, and that his companions
on that trip were Coleman and Hall.
He had one time saw mill and ranch
at Champontz, on the Willamette, a
saw and grist mill at Wsllalula, a ranch
and 100 head of cattle at Butte Creek
mot The Cne of that name now here),
and a ranch on Willamette Slough
where he died in the winter OF lS49-5O
So much for the leader; and now l will
give YOU little sketch Of the manner
in which they fight.
When their line was formed, the eX-
treme right and left end, or flank men,
carried little flag on pole, that their
true position could be determined at all
times. They fight under cover gener
ally, hunting in two" one covering the
other. One creeps ahead, trying to en-
tice shot by every possible device. II
one misses to take aim at the head one,
the concealed friend blazes away at
once, and the foremost one is then
ready to fire at any one who rises to
return that shot.
JOE on THE sKIRMlsH LINE.
As an instance OF the tricks to which
they resort to draw the enemy's fire.
or to make him expose his person,
will relate an instance which came un-
der my observation during the second
DAYS battle. We have, belonging TO
the Government pack train, Warm
Spring Indian called Joe, who speaks
good English, and has been in the
Government employ for several years.
Well, on that day the train was idle,
and Joe. must have a shot 80 two or
!hree of his tribe who are on that side,
went ont for "leetle fuu," as Joe ex-
pressed it. They happened to 60 up
into the skirmish line before that break
occurred which left Colonel Miller In
such warm place. The Modocs then
were very quiet, and they found it diff
cult to get shot at them. Cautiously
they crept forward. II one made for
ward move it was as quick as flash,
then down behind rock, hat of and
by his side, his gun always at full cock
aud to his shoulder ready for firing.
Waiting a long time, as it seemed, be-
hind this rocky shield; another forward
move was made in similar manner.
Getting tired OF this and not succeeding
in
PROVOKING A SHOT,
the old man Zeeley, who is lame in one
knee, laid down his gun by Joe, and
crawled forward like a snake in the
direction of the ledge. After getting in
advance some distance, the old fellow
took two stones and grated them to-
gether, producing q sound like the
grating Of soldiers hob-nailed shoe on
the hard lava. Stesthily 9 Aodoc
peered out from bis cover to see where
The Boston man was, when quick as
thought, Joe sent bullet crushing
through him, and the Modoe threw up
his arms and fell over. The Aodoes
Boured in a shower OF balls, but Zeeley
sprang back, getting knocked down by