The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1873-05-08
MR of0eY On Can. WRlqnf.

ant en0ef Cape. wright IN ms .camPs'8"
against the Indians in Oregon, in 1861,
stopped in Salina on his way to Denver
and the West. In tho course Of his con-
versation he said something which indi-
Gated his connection with Wright and
WAS induced 20 tell the tale Of the
/" Wright massacre" from which We
make note Of the following - substan-
tally his story:
Capt BENZ. Wright who had the fight
with the Modocs in 1852, was private
citizen, rancher, and IN old hunter and
Indian fighter. The Aodocs were muir
dering smigrants and destroying their
trains, and tho settlers were called upon
to protect them. The call was respond
cd 70 BY Capt Wright and his nsighbors,
mostly Missourians and miners, and
whom tho Indians styled Boston men, !"
who after searching for some time found
. war party Of Indians under Scar Face,
encanped IN the bend Of the river, where
they were enabled to hold them ut I'd.
vantage4the. Indians outnumbering the
whites three to one-Capt Wright on
the evening Of coming up to the Indians,
invited them to come to bis camp on the
succeeding evening to have talk and eat
roast OK, to which Scar Face agreed;
but said that the whites must leave.
Two Of the soldiers were detailed to kill
and prepare the OK tho next day, and
suspccting treachery on the part of the
Modocs, Capt Wright instructed .
third to poison the OK with strychnine.
Before the the time for the council ar
rived, Capt. Wright secreted his men
near the camp, each man having ride
and:two revolvers, with orders that when
the Indians arose to 60 to the water for
drink, it should be signal for every
man to shoot his red skin." At the ap-
pointed time tho Indians came to the
council dressed in their war outfit, paint
cd, and armed with bows and arrows and
knives. The "Boston men" received
them and helped them to roast OK. Ar
ter eating short time one of the In
dams started for the water, which was
the signal, when Capt. Wright singled
out Scar Face and snapped his revolver
at him but it failed fire. Scar Face
pulled his bow on Capt. Wright when q
man named Rogers shot him dead. The
rest Of the party then shot down the In
dams killing all but Eve, who managed
to escape. In this fight Capt Jack was
then very young, and taken
home by Capt. Wright.
In 1854, Gov. Lane of Oregon, appoint
cd Capt Wright Is an agent to look af-
ter Indian affairs. Not long after his
he with an assistant had oc-
casion to go into the interior, and took
with them three Modocs. After having
been gone several days, the Indians re-
turned without Capt. Wright and his
companion, and reported them Is lost.
them of having murdered
the men, Gov. Lane, demanded that they
should DO given up by tho tribe, which
was done, and the Indians then confess.
ID that they had murdered Capt.
Wright and his companion, and carried
Them into the hills and buried them.
The bodies were found where the In.
1ians state that they had buried them,
and the indians were tried and execut.
ID.
Capt Wright is described As being q
fine looking man, with long flowing hair
md firm in anything he undertook. He
Gould talk seven different languages and
vas very familiar with the Modocs' Ian
Euage and habits. Tho Lieutenant had
worked with Capt. Jack in the mines.
He was with the whites q number of
years, and seemed quite contented with
hem. He was noted as being "crack
hot"
The Lieutenant also gave description
# the country where the present Indian |
roubles are occurring. He says the |
ava beds arc composed of innumerable
;aves, which extend for many miles.
They are undermined by large and small
treams of water and the Indians cannot
70 thirsted out. His story was very in
eresting, giving many incidents which
At the time of Wright's cam
'ampaign and describing: the country
through which thcy passed. We have
lined only to give his points concern
ng the "Capt. Wright massacre" which
las beer published considerably BY pa
,ers with . different version, and
which the Lieutenant says 10 not correct
n its statements.
UB FARNHN nOyKuKyf.
Like all other movements that enter
INTO and effect tho relations of business