, 1873-06-19
Gen. Davis Indian Policy.

is ModOe prisoners on Saturday las
shen he was interfered with by an or
ter from Washington. To a correspon-
dent he relates the following:
Al had procured lumber. chains.
rope, tackle and all other paraphernalla
for an execution, and had selected Sat
urday last as doomsday. On Thursday
forenoon I drew up this declaration
of charges. to read to Captain Jack later
i'll the day.
HEADQUARTERS DEPT. OF COLUMBIA.
In THE FIELD. TULE LAKE,
California. June IL, 1873. J
Jack,-Since the White man first be
gan to travel through or settle in the
country occupied by the Modoc people.
of which YOU claim to be one of the
chiefs, the Modoc have been known as
band OF merciless murderers and rob-
bers. The history OF yonr tribe is filled
with murders of the white race, and
even among yorr Indian neighbors you
are known as d ,llineering and tyran-
meal tribe. Old settlers in the country
report as many as three hundred mur-
ders committed by your people within
the limits of the present generation.
Along the shores of this beautiful little
laks, in view of which we how stand.
Al the graves of 80 victims of the Mo-
doc barbarity. all murdered by your i'm
mediate ancestors in one brutal act
They wer, peaceful emigrants, men.
women and children, passing quietly
through the country on the pubic high
way. For these many crimes no ade-
qnate punishment has ever been visited
upon the guilty parties either as tribe
or indIvidnaIlr Upon the contrary,
the Government has tacitly overlooked
| them. A few years ago, regardless OF
these acts of trenchery,i it gave your tribe
Il Reservation of land as il home, where.
If you chose, you could remain and en-
| Joy the annual bounties of the Govern
ment unmolested You all went upon
the Reservation thus provided, and a
part of your tribe has remained, but
you and your tribe seem to have prefer
red the war path. You left the Reser-
vation. You spurned the kindness OF
the Government, and even resisted the
soldiers IN the execut on of their duties
to force you back to the Reservation.
You FASTENED to war, ana emulating the
bloody deeds of your fathers you strew-
ed the shores of Tnle Luke with the
slain victims of your boody band. All
these victims were peaceful citize is. un-
suspectingiy slaughtered while at their
daily avocations. You then fled to your
stronghold in the lava bed. prepared for
war and defied the power of the Gov
ernment Still the President at Wash
Ington ordered the soldiers to desist un-
til the Peace Commissioners could have
IA talk with yon, and if possible avoid
the shedding of more blood. Their eff
forts were fruitless. After much delay
and many u tempts at conciliiation on
| their part, you decoyed the Commits
sioners into your bands and murdered
them. You have murdered every SOL
dier who has fallen into your hands,
armed or unarmed. These acts have
placed you and your band outsided the
rules of civilized warfare. In other
words, yon have made yourselves out
laws as such since my arrival here as
he successor of General Candy, whom
yru murdered with your own hands. l
have made uhremltting War upon you,
until at last you have been captured
after much expense to the Government
aud the loss OF manv valuable lives.
Now that | have recounted to you the
history of your tribe and the recent acts
of yourself and band, l will close this
Interview by informing you thar l have
this day directed that you and the fol-
lowing nan ed confederates and laem-
bers of your band be executed at sunset
to morrow, in the presence Of the troops
paraded for that purpose, your people
md the assembled citizens of the coun--
try. ~ =