The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-04-30
The Fairfield Herald.
PUBLISHED
EV.ERY' WEDVE.SDAE
Description OF the Lava Beds

ing California from O.cgon, in Which !.
the lava beds Gro Situated, has bean
the theatre of military operations:
against the Indians at different times
during the past twenty years. 1t has
beon travcrsod by emigrants who Set
tied IN tho neighborhooa, and it is:
we'll and favurably known as cattle
range. With the"cxcoption of tho ir-,
regular Volcanic region, south of the
lakes, the land bas been surveyed and
laid out in sections. Sill very little
accurate information can be h I'd con- .
cernlng tho retreat where the Modocs
have continued to defy tile power
OF the government. 1t is known, how.
ever, to be cut up with fssures, yawn.
ing abysses, lakes, high mountains
covered with snow and Astounding
with caves. Tbo lava Beds rcovsr an
area of1C0 square miles. They ap.
pear to have been brought into ex.
istence by uphcavnls from below.
The foughness of the upper surface
remains, while all underneath is,
honey comb cd hy'cracks and crcvices.
The largest cuye is known as Bon
w rights cave, which is said to con-.
tain fifteen acres of open space under
ground, in which there is good
spring and many openings through
which man can crawl, the main en-.
trance being about the size Of a com.
mon window. In this cave, it is un.
Ierstood, Jack and his followers have
ortitied themselves. Tho gulches
and crcvicos range from few feet to
,ne hunered feet in width, and many
If them are one hundred feet deep.
The Indians can travel through all
these lava beds by trails only known
to themselves, and stand on bluffs
over persons fifty yards beneath and
where it would require long journey
to go to them. They can see then
coming at a distance Of five 'ih;iles
without being visible themselves.
They also can permit their pursucrs
to come within few feet Of the bluff
and shoot down and retire, if neoes.|
sary, to other similar bluffs. If prcss-
too closely the Indians can drop into
creviccs entirely inaccessible to troops,
and follow some subtcrranean pas.
sage, with which they are fully 40.
quainted, tnd gain another ambush;
from which it would cost ten lives TO-
dislodgo them. It is represented
that the Modocs can shoot from the
tops of cliffs without exposing an inch
of their persons. IN the lava beds
nre a number of small plots.
ADuNDANTLY sUrPLi:o WITH BUNCH
GRASS,
which ca tile find by long and c'ircui-
tous trails. The only thing the
Nlodoos lack is ammunition. Those
who visited the military headquarters
during the past few months wore de.
tccted on several occasions stealing
cartridges, and even some of the wo.
men werc caught in the act. The
troops arc we'll posted so as to pre-.
vent tho Indians escaping. Their
only line of retreat would seem to be
in southerly direction into the ritt
River Mountains. The tribes in
that quarter are ola warlike charac-
ter and have given the government
considerable trouble in times past.
In 1858 and 1859 their embushes
were SO effective and their manner
of warfare so advantageous that at
first very little progress was made in
reducing th,m to submission. The
Pitt River saVages, when pressed
>closcly, would take to their canoes
and paddle to the islands in the
lakes, where they could not be follow
ed. After much care and trouble
several boats were built and transfer.
red across the lava beds, and tho In.
dians were cut off from these hiding
places. Ono ofthe latest IN easurcs of
precaution taken by General Canby
was to place boats on Tule Lake.
The troops, in pursuing the Modocs
have to follow them on foot, and in
passing through the gulchcs and crew..
ces must expect to find the enemy on
the high bluffs above them at eyery
point, making their way through con-
cealcd passages to secure retreat.
The cannon and howitzcrs command
all approaches to and from the cave.
Five hundred hand gr,nades arrived
last week at Van Rremer's, and the
supply of shot and shcll is ample for
prolonged operations. There is no
disguiring the serious difficulties that
Colonel Gillem has to encounter,
90. Tho Modccs know every nook and
-o1rner in the lava beds, and will, of
course, seek to 6nd safety
in fight. 1t would be very unfortu.
nate, indeed, tif they succeeded in
eifecting o Junction with the Pitt
River Mountaia indians.
The peculiar geological features
Of the lake country in California re.
semble the county Antrim, in Ireland
in which is located the celebrated
Giants Causeway. The scientific in.
ttsrest Of the latter is enhanced By the
beauty of its tcrraced formations and
it's great richness and variety of COLOR.
ing. Like the lava beds, the basalt
IS from three hundred to five hun.