Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-04-30
THE MODOC TRAP.
Saturdays Disastrous Conflict.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE AFTAUR
Our Troops Attacked while Resting.
1t. Cranston Among the Killed.
Four Omeers and Thirteen Enlisted
Men Killed, and One Onicer
and Sixteen Privates
wounded.
THE MODOC TRAP
1t. CranstOn Among the Killed.
Four Savages Killed.

Gen. Sherman received the following last
night:
SAN FRANCISCO, April % To General Saer-
man: The following distressing intelligence is
just received:
LAVA BED, April %, 1s1s-To Major General
Schctetd, San Francisco On the 2Sth instant.
Major Green, commanding the camp on the
west side of the lava bed, ordered Captain
Thomas, Of the 4th artillery, with batteries A
and party of Warm Spring Indians (about 20
soldiers and IA Indians) to make q reconnois
sance In theasterly direction to a point
at a. m. At II m tue party reached a desig-
mated point and were resting No Indians had
been seen. Suddenly the party was fired upon
seems to have become panic stricken, and or
ganizat.on seems, in a great measure, to have
ceased. Stragglers arrived in camp at about
went to the assistance Of Major Thomas
Arriving on the scene he found Thomas
command entirely disorganized and scattered
Upon searching in lava chasms the bodies of
Capt. Thomas and Lieut. Howe, ith artillery,
and Lieut.. Wright, 18th infantry, were found.
LIST Lieut.. Arthur CraT ston, 4th artillery, has
not been found. He is undoubtedly killed.
Lieut.. George Harris, and acting assistant Sur
ge0n Lenig, are seriously, though hope, not
dangerously wounded. Thirteen enlisted men
were killed and sixteen wounded. All the Of
fcers and part of the men remained together
and fought like heroes, but the Indians had Sc
cured advantages of position before being dis
covered. The remains of the officers go to
Yreka tomorrow. The bodies of four warriors
have been found at or near the scene of the bat
tie. Capt. Mendenhall reports from Burketts
vile, and is expected to join us on the 18th.
four miles south of their old caves. 1t will be
impossible to surround them with the force at
or OF en- route to this place: The circumference of
very much of the same char .cter Gen. Davis
is expected tomorrow.
ALvAN C. GrLLEM,
Col. LIST Cavalry, commanding.
Gen. Davis starred from Yreka for the lava
beds this morning.
j. NJ. ScHoFIELD, Major General
Gen. Sherman this morning telegraphed
President Grant the contents of the above dis
pach.
Secretary Robson, Acting Secretary of War,
had long conference with Cen 5t-rman this
mOrT ing.
General sherman is greatly depressed by the
disaster OF Saturday. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas,
the father of Captain Evan Thomas, who was
killed, called at the War departm cnt this morn
ing, and had
AN AFFECTING INTERVIEW
with General sherman. General Thomas, who
Is on the retired list is quite ad vanced i'm years
and is deeply affected by his berea vement. 1t
is not known what disposition will be made of
the bodies OF the other officers killed; but, un-
less otherwise ordered by their friends, they
will be buried at Yreka, as the government does
not consider itself responsible for the transpor-
tation of the bodies of officers of the army. GEN
says III feln1OTCementS are
deemed necessary at the lava beds they will lie
drawn from the Pacific coast under the direc-
ton OF General Schofeld.
LIEUT.. CRANsToN,
of battery A, 4th artillery, who is mi ing, is a
b-other-in-law of Colonel Martin, of General
Sherman's staff, and few years since married
Miss Eacon, of this city, who is the daughter
OF Mr.. Bacon, the grocer, on Market Space.
His friends in Washington fear the worst as he
was still missing when General Gillem for
warded his report of the battle to Gen. Schofield
yesterday.
The VIENNA Commemorate telegram
has been received from the special commits