Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-05-07
I .-.. TIE D ]. nopee EAR
Details Of the Last Massacre-FOrty OF
q Command ef SIxty-NIns Killed
!. . Ansthsr Blood{ Fight win the No No

Another Blcody Fight win the mo-
q docss
SAH FRANCISCO, April g. "A eour-
Ter has arrived, and reports another
terrible fight with the Modocs, In
which nineteen CT our men were kill
ed, including Captain Thomas and
Lieutenant Howe, Of the Fourth Ar
-tiIlery, and Lieutenant Wright, Of
the twelfth Infantry. Twenty three
men were wounded, among whom is
Lieutenant Harris, Of the Fourth Ar
.tiIlery. Others are missing. Partic
ulars soon. ASH at --a' 'a -
LATER-PARTICULARs OF TIE MOVE
-o1ai8 AlENF. fT sr a.. II.
NEW YORK, April ga Herald
Special from the Lava Bed, dated the
The force under CAPTAIN Thomas,
which started to reoonnoiter the posi-
ton supposed TO be held by the Mo-
docs, numbered sixty-nine men. The
object was mainly 70 ind out how the
Modocs were situated, and whether
mortars could be brought up and used
effectively against them. As the
troops approached the cave lava beds,
about half past ten, our command was
brought to a halt and the men allow
ed to take . Test. The story Of the
brst fire IL differently reported, some
saying that five or six shots were fired
and others only four, but Ticknor
saws positively, that II came from a
party OF nine Indians who occupied
q bluff to the eastward of where the
troops Wera stationed. 2 Major Thomas
Immediately threw his-men into
Diminishing order, with Lieutenant
Wrighg's company on the right The
latter. however, had not got into Po-
sftion. before they were fanked TO the
right by q party Of fourteen other IN
dams, that had come up to the assis-
tanee Of those who fired The first
cross fire on Wright's men proved
very demoraliEing, and they fell back
in confusion, leaging their gallant
leader in an exposed situation, and
supp0Fted By few or hia lon7eom-
mfssioned offieers. In the meantime
another small party Of Indians had
obtained position to the left and
opened q raking fire on the two bat
teries Of artillery. ss
1t was 6 fearful trap, and the first
four shots were only fired to draw the
troops more directly between the ire
Of the Indians on the right and left.
The rout was complete, and with the
exception OF the Officers and non-com-
missIoned officsrs, the majority OF
whom lay stretched on the rOcks with
their life blood ebbing fast away, the
Wafchword was s'sauve qui peut. u
Confused and demoralized IS they
were. the men became an easy prey
70 the Modocs, who, confident In the
protecti0n of their native rocks, shot
them down like 80 many frightened
deer. Occasionally, r news was
brought In by the scared stragglers,
exaggerated In the extreme, but sig
nifieant OF some dire disaster. Many
Of these men, who had deserted their
officers IN the time Of peril, had seen
an hundred Indians ali around them.
Fear had distorted their vision, and
made them 50 helpless that one OF
their number was afterwards found
dead on the field without a shot. He
had bean bntehered BY knives, and so
panic struck, that be could not IRE q
shot in his own defence.
There was mystery about the
attack that nobody appeared to solve.
IS to how the troops were so complete
ly surprised. If in camp, where
were the plckets or advanced skir-
misherss 1t appeared 20 strange that