Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-05-08

their dead in coves, or burning their
dead bodies. Their wounded are sup |
posed to be hiden in caves; but few of |
them have been seen so far.
HEiALD CORRESPONDENT.
NEW YORK, April pa Herald
special from the lava beds, dated the
26th, says: The force under Captain
Thomas, which started to reconnoiter
the position supposed to be held by the
Modocs, numbered 60 men. The object
was mainly TO find out how the Mo-
docs We're situated, and whether NOR
tars could be brought up and used
effectually against them. As the troops
approached the cave of the lava beds
about half past ten, our command was
brought to halt and the men allowed
The story of the first fire is different
ly reported, some saying that fire or
six shots were fired, and others only
four, but Tickuor states positively that
it came from a party of nine Indians
who occupied a bluff to the eastward
of where the troops were statioAed.--
Major Thomas Immediately threw the
men into skirmishing order, with
Lieut.. Wright's company on the right.
The latter, however, had not got into
position before they were flanked to
the right by party of fourteen lndi-
ans that had come up to the advance OF
those who fred first. The cross fire on
Wright's men proved very demoraliz-
ing, and they broke back in confusion,
leaving their gallant leader in an ex-
posed condition, and supported by a
few of his non-commissioned officers.
In the meantime another small party
ofIndians had obtained a position to
the left, and opened a raking fire on
the two batteries of artillery. 1t was Il
fearful trap aud the first four shots
were only fred to draw the troops
more directly between the fire of the
Indians on the right and left. The
rout was complete, and with the yex-
ception of the officers and non-com'
missioned officers, a majority of whom
lay oa the rocks with their life blood
ebbing fast away, the watch word was
s'iSdure qui peatt." Confused and de
1noralized as they were the men be.
1
came an easy piey TO the Modocs, who,
confident in the protection of theIi
native rocks shot them down like sc
many frightened deer. Occasionally y
news was brought in by the scared
stragglers, exaggerated in the extreme
bu. significant of some dire disaster.
Many of these inen who had deserted
] their officers in time of peril had seen
one hundred Indians all around them
Fear had distorted their vision an0
made them SO helpless that one of theil
number Was afterward found dead or
the field without shot. He had been
butehered by knives, and so panic
struck he could not fire a shot in his
own defence. ..-- -..,s .i -'..l
There was mystery about the az
tack that nobody appeared to solve a.
to how the troops were so completely
surprised, if in camp, where there
were picknts or advanced skirmishers
1t appeared SO strange that a party 0
60 men should be almost surrounded
by Indians without their being aware
of sign of an Indian as far as they
could see. This fact alone will give
the public an idea of the nature OF thu
ground in which these Indians fight
and what our soldiers have to contend
against. During the night Indians
were creeping through the rocks t.
scalp and strip the dead. Soldier
coming through Col. Green's line tolt
him where the remains of batteries 4
and A were to be found. Col. Greer
Immediately moved forward his lint
to the place indicated, and there, lyins
in some sage brush. were the naked
bodies of Mjor Thomas, Lieut.iHowe,
Sergeant Rover, and six Others. O. Col
Wright's boIy lay little to the left
and on the right WAS Lieut.. darrls Harris
severely wounded, and the bodies 0
five of i.is men, stripped of all theil
clothing. Fo-ty-nine were killed ano
wounded out of the comm and ofslxty
nine men. ipI. ;.I ! liDaalBn -i-i'