Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-05-06
The MODOcs.
The Lava-Beds the Scene of
Another Fearful Massacre.
Twenty-fivs Killed and as Many
more Wounded.


er who arrived here reports another
terrible fight with the Modocs, in
which Is of our men were killed, in
Guiding Capt. Thomas and Lieut..
Howe, OF the Fourth Artillery, and
Lieut. Wright, of the Twelfth Infant-
ry, and % wounded. including Lieut..
Harris, OF the Fourth Artillery.
Others are missing. Justice to the
MEMORY OF THE GALLANT DEAD
compells us to record the following
Northumberland facts: When
Capt. Thomas found himselj and his
men surrounded by the vindictive
foe, true to bis nature as soldier,
he sought to cheer the soldiers on TO
the bitter end, obtain, if possible, life
for life, and sell their lives dearly,
saying: "Men, we are surrounded
We must fight and die like mon and
soldiers" In this noble effort TO sus-
tain the courage Of bis small com
mand, he was ably seconded by Lieut.
Howe and Lieut.. Wright. After re-
ceiviDg his mortal wound he buried
his gold watch and cham among the
rocks and emptied his revolver
among the enemy before dying. II
living he would also write in terms
we'll deserved the praise of Lieut..
Harris, who was similarly situated.
Some sixty or sixty-one Modocs are
ARMED WITH SPENCER CARBINEs
and breech- loading muskets ; nor is
it single instance only where the
Modoc has been known to have pos
session of two or more Spencer rifles,
enabling him to keep up a rapid fire
Of shots from his natural or artificial
breastwork of rock. The surface OF
the ground in many places is torn up
by volcanic action, leaving crevicef,
and these are adaptable to purposes
Of either hiding or points Of defense.
There were several instances of sold
iers knowing nothing of the topo.-
graphy who have come unawares OF
such assures therefore, they coulo
not escape their positions were con-
fronted With willy Indian rifle level
ed, with finger on trigger; death, or
st least dangerous wound, was the
result and too often the cowardly
redskin escapes by SO many paths
known only TO themselves.
New YORK, April 29.-The Herald
special from the lava beds, dated the
Goth says: THE force under Capt.
Thomas, which started to reconnoiter
the position supposed to be held by
the Modocs, numbered
sIXTY-NINE MEN
The object was mainly 10 find out
how the Modocs were situated and
whether mortars could be brought
up and used effectively against them
As The troops approached the cave
and the lava beds, about half past 10
our command was brought to a halt
and the men allowed to take rest
Tho story of the first IRE is different
ly reported, some saying Eve or six
shots were fired, and others only
four, but Ticknor states positively
that it came from party of nine In,
dams who occupied the bluff to the
eastward of where the troops were
stationed. Mai. Thomas immeditely
threw the men into skirmishing or
der, with Lieut.. Wright's company
on the right. The latter, however,
had not got into position before they
were fanked to the right by party
of fourteen other Indians that had
como up to the advance Of those who
fred the first. The cross fire on
Wright's men proved very democrat
izing, and they broke back in con
fusion, leaving their gallant leader in
an exposed condition and supported
by few nom commissioned offers
In the meantime, another small party
# Indians had obtained POSITION to
the left, and opened raking fire on
the two batteries of artillery, 1t was
A FEARFUL TRAP,
and the first four shots were only
fred to draw the troops more direct
ly between the FIRE Of the Indians
beteen the right and left. The route
was complete, and with the excep-
ton of the offers and non-commis-
stoned officers, the majority of whom
lay stretched on the rocks with their
life-blood ebbing fast away, the watch
word was Sduve qui peut. Confused
and demoralized as they were, the
men became an east prey to the Mo-
docs, who, confident in the protection
Of their native rocks, shot them down
like SO many frightened deer. Oc-
cssionally news was brought in by
the scared slragglers, exaggerated in
the extreme, hut significant OF
some dire disaster. Many OF
these men who had deserted
their officers in the time of peril had
seen hundred Indians all around
them. Fear had distorted their Wis
icn, and made them so helpless that
one Of their number was afterwards
found dead on the field without a
shot. He bad been butchered by
knives, and so panic. struck he could
not fire shot in his own defense.
There was
MYSTERY ABOUT THE ATTACK
that nobody appeared to solve, as to
how the troops were so completely
surprised. 1t appeared so strange
that party ofsixty-nine men should
be almost surrounded by Indians
without their being aware Of sign
Of an Indian as far as they could sec
This fact alone will give the public
an idea OF the nature of the ground
in which these Indians fight, and
what orr soldiers have to contend
against. During the night the Indi,
ans were creeping through the rocks
to scalp and strip the dead. Soldiers
coming through Col. Green's line
told him where the remains of the
members OF Batteries X and A were
TO be found. Col Green Immediate
ly moved forward his line to the
place indicated, and there, hid in
some sage brush, were tho naked
bodies Of Mai. Thomas, Lieut.. Howe.