Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-24
FIGHTING THE MODOpS.
NO Harksmen In the Army rtor
Arms In the n nnsiS of the Troops
How the W arm Sprtng Ind aas Fsg at

LAVA BEDs. April 2i.-it Is no displacement
to the soldiers 10 say: As rule they are not
good shots" for such Il the fact This, take IT,
rs owing 10 two causes First, they are not
drilled enough at target shooting; second the
guns all shoot high and wide, especially after
being fired number OF rounds. I think I am
pretty good shot with a rifle or six shooter
but know Modoc would be tolerably safe
before me with an army gun-either cArbine or
while you can shoot fast and at a long distance
they viii not do for target work. and that L.
Just what shooting At Moiocs is, and a very
small target they are too, generally speaking.
As have before notified you. the safety of our
men during the hight was owing. in a great
measure. TO the fact that the guns used by The
Mococs were those captured in the fght OF the
nth OF January. and almost invariably they
oyershot their mark.
The Warm Spring Indians are a fine looking
body OF men, many OF them being six feet. and
even taller. They are very decent and orderly.
much better behaved than an equal number OF
ordinary soldiers, for your soldier OF 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 are Miller. Warm
Spring orge, Pi-Pock- psh, and HOrnssheig.
They are fine men, and many of them sneak
and, L think some of them read aud write
English. Their head chief is Dsumets, and he
number in all about 90. Their reservation is
about seventy miles south of the Dalles ON the
Des Chutes, in a very good location. Their
leader here, Donald Mckay. is 81 wears old six
feet tall, ami weighs 2il pounds-his claw
weight being rs. He II a quiet, reserved
man, perfect specimen Of a half-breed and
fully up TO every Indian trick and device. The
Modocs would give a. much 10 get his scalp a.
they would fer that OF General Gillem. He j.
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 this coast. There are several
other sons-George, an express rider in the
service OF the government, and DIR. William an
accomplished physician, now residing in Una
tia. Their father came here Donald knows
not when, but he remembers hearing him tell
OF bringing IN the fist drove of sheep and cattle
from California ever brought into Oregon and
that his companions on that trip were Coleman
and Hall. He had at one time a saw mill aud
rancho on ChampcontZ, on the Willamette, a
saw and grist mill at Walalula, a rancho and
200 head of cattle on Butte creek mot the one
of that name near herel and a rancho on
Willamette Slough, where he died in the winter
OF 1880. So much for the leader; and now I
will give you a little sketch OF the manner i'm
which they fight. When their line was formed
the extreme right ami left end or flank men
carried little flag on pole that their true
position could be determined at all times. They
night under cover generally, "huntng in twos."
one covering the other. One creeps ahead.
trying TO entice shot by every possible device.
IL one misses TO take aim at the head one.
the concealed friend blazes away at once
and the foremost one il then ready to fire
at one who rises TO return that shot.
As an instance OF the tricks OF which thew re
sort TO draw the enemy's fire, or TO make him
expose his person / will relate an instance which
came under my own observation during the
second days battle. We have, belonging 10
the Government pack train. a Warm Spring
Indian called Joe, who speaks good English.
ana has been in Government employ for several
wears. Well. on that day the train was idle, and
Joe must have a shot, so two or three of his
tribe, who were on that side, went in for ga
leetle fun" as Joe expressed il. They hap
pened 10 go up into the skrmish line before
that break occurred which left Colonel Miller
I'm such warm place. The Modocs then were
very quiet, and they found il difficult TO get A
shot at them. Cautiously they crept forward.
IL one made a forward move il was quick a. a
flash, then down behind a rock, hat OF and by
his side. his gun always at full cock and TO his
shoulder ready for firing. Waiting long time,
as II seemed, behind tits rocky shield, another
forward move was made in a similar manner.
Getting tired of this, and not succeeding in
provoking shot. the old man Zeely. 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 dis
lance the old fellow took two stones and grated
them together, producing a sound like the gra-
ting OF a soldiers hobnaiIed shoe on the hard
lava. Stealthly Modoc peered cut from his
cover to see where the Boston man was when,
quick a. thought, Joe sent a bullet crashing
through him, and the Nodoc threw up his arms
and fell over. The Mod0cs poured in a shower
OF balls. but Zeely sprang back, getting knocked
down by bullet, which cut the thick hair on
the top of his skull, but Joe covered his retreat
A few minutes afterwards the firing opened
heavily, and then the shells, driving Miller and
his men out and as they came over the crests
rades to stem the tide alone. They stood il
awhile, and then fell back aud came down to
Hospital Rock, were General Cullen and stat
we're at the time. swell Joe," said General
Gillem in his pleasant way, s'have you been
fghting?' .'Yes sir" said Joe, forgetting to
salute as is the soldiers custom; eyes, sir aud
Modocs?' asked the general "Dont know,
sir, got good shot at one, and he tumbled
over, replied Joe, very modestly, Here Zeely
put IN his oar, a. We say, and by signs. for
he can't speak English, showed how it was done
and where Joe hit the Modoc, asserting that be
was killed. well, Joe," continued the General
with merry twinkle in his eye, 'yOu have don
good service, but why did you not stay and fight
longer Eight longer, replied joe. who did
not understand the line falling back, eight
longer; how could L? The id soldiers run
away and left me an him to fight alone. They
left one man dead i'm their hurry upon the line,
aud one wounded man. We kept the Mojocs
back as long as we could; buth-l, ''do you 'spose
two men fight all the id Modocs? Slowly the
General turned away, with a queer look in his
eye and an odd smile around bis lips, which
seemed to say: ''Joe, 1 respect your bravery
and truth, but can't say I admire your diction
which is mere fOrcible than elegant" Joe had
made mistake; the wounded man got awav.
though the dead man was left. But there IL no
doubt that Joe killed or fatally wounded the
ModOc, and some assert it was Scarfaced Char
ley, but l think from the description il was
Crank" who had a scar on his face, and was
found wounded and dispatched the day follow
ing. | must close for the weather il so cold
that am half frozen, and there is no fire i'm