The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-13
MoDoc HISTORY.
The Full story OF Ben Wright and the
Massacre OF MOdocs ina IS52.

e Massacre OF mOdocs tn 1S52.
: A correspondent of the New Yorl
5 Times writes from Salem, Oregon, as
: follows:
: In the fall of 1852 word came to Yreka
that an emigrant train had been destroy.
ed in the Modoc country. The details
were sickeniug, horrible. Volunteers
were Immediately called for, and one
Ben. Wright, frontiersman, possessed
of all the recklessness and much of the
chivalry that dwells upon the border,
raised company of thirty-two men, and
went out to bury the dead, ayenge the
wrong, and pilot other emigrant trains
slafely through the danger. Ben.
Wright was genuine Indian-killer,
who spent much of his life among In
dians, and whenever excuse offered was
as ready to kill them as to eat. He was
afterward assassinated, in 1856, by the
Indians of the coast tribes, among whom
he was then sub-agent.
There is quite an interest now felt in
the history of that expedition, because
the Modocs claim that he was guilty of
an act of treachery to them which ex-
cuses them for the death of Gen. Candy
and DIR. Thomas. From the first Jack
told the commissioners eve remem-
ber the treachery of Ben. Wright long
ago, and will trust no one. More than
| twenty years ago, when was little
boy, Ben. Wright murdered my father
and forty-three others who went into
his camp to make peace" The facts
which give below are taken from one
of the company, whom l have known
from that day to this, and are corrobor-
ated by the account of the affair Ben.
Wright, himself, gave to Rev. j. i.
Parrish, an early missionary, an old and
well know citizen of Oregon. They are
also in accordance with the statements
made by old Schonchin, the peaceable
Modoc chief, who is loyal and consider
ed reliable. They differ somewhat from !
statements lately made by persons who !
were also in the company, but who claim
they discovered that the Modocs intend
ed treachery and took the initiative
themselves.
Ben. Wrights company, while on the !
way to the Modoc's country, killed sew
eral Indians they found digging camas
near their route they then found the |
spot where the emigrant train was mas
sacreed, and buried thirty-two men, |
women and children. who had evidently |
been found sleeping in their beds aud
brutally murdered. Their bodies had
even been horribly mutilated after
death. They learned afterward that
two children saved alive from the mas
sacre were murdered by being thrown
over precipice, very likely one of the
precipices found in the lava beds.
The party did not succeed in finding
the Indians, who easily concealed them
selves in the tall tules that skirted the
1,I~ .,Swl,A sr,1 /
Modoc woman, who was the pro tenn.
consort of one of his men, to open ne
gotiations, and by feasting those who
come. The Indians were camped near
the volunteers, and between them and
the lake. One day Wright made them
a great feast, roasting an OK, but the In
to partake, so Wright and
his men opened fire on them, and only
two escaped forty-four Indians were
killed, and the excnse now given is that
the Modocs intended treachery. My in
formant knows nothing of that, but does
know that it was generally talked in the
camp the Indians were to be killed that
day. Old Schonchin says they were in
formed by a Columbia River Indian,
named Sill, who was with Wright, that
they were to be feasted on poisoned
meat. Sill had become Impressed
by the claims of the Modoc woman, and
notified her of the danger, and she in
formed the rest. My informant adds
that this Indian received a hundred
lashes, and was sent out of camp the
next day, and they think he was pursued
and killed by another Indian, who was
also in the company. Old Schonchin
says he and his followers took warning
and went away before the massacre.
1t is claimed by some of Wright's
men, who now publish statements, that
the Indians were saucy, said they would
not surrender the goods and things
stolen from emigrants, and said they
were more numerous than Wrigbt's
men, and could not be made to do SO. 1
1t may not be easy to justify Wright's
conduct, but we can remember that
these mems souls had lately been fear
fully narrowed up at the scence of the
massacre. They felt toward the Indians
only implacable hostility, yet they have
hearts that could grieve over that scene I
Of murder, and could hazard much to
avenge it. They did faithful duty, to-
ward other incoming trains, and that,
too, without hope of reward, and on
their return they counted up about sixty {
Modocs killed, while their own loss was
L S1sa1 /