The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-04-26
THE MODOC WAR.

In our last issue we published the painful
news of the massacre Of General Candy and
two Of the Peace Commissioners by Captain
Jack and his Modoc savages. The United
States troops then set about what they
should have proceeded to do several months
ago, which was to move on the stronghold
of the Indians, the lava beds, and shell and
drive them out. In pursuance of this OBJ
.ject, General Gillem two days after the
massacre struck his tents, supplied his men
with three days rations and marched on the
lava beds, and with band of Warm Spring
Indians as allies, the Modocs were attack
ed on all sides and shelled out of their
stronghold. In Captain Jacks cave, was
found the body of an Indian which was at
first taken for Scar-faced Charley, but
turned to be Shacknasty. The body of
Schonchin, one of the "big chiefs, who
assisted at the massacre of General Candy
and the Peace Commissioners was blown to
pieces by shell. The shell fell in the In
dian camp and was picked up by one of
the Indians and exploded in his hand,
killing several Of the savages, and causing
stampede from the camp, leaving every
thing behind, and to which they never
returned. The battle ground is thus de-
scribed in dispatch from the seat of war:
The lava bed presents horrid spectacle:
bodies have been discovered in the crevices
from under the heaps of rock, and the
sickening stencil fills the air. There must
have been, many killed and wounded we
know nothing of, but we have evidence of
the death of seventeen Modocs. Their
wounded must be at a greater rate than
ours, as the ground is literally covered
with fragments of broken shells all over
the place. Three shells fell in the main
ravine in the centre of their camps. The
women and children were removed before
the massacre of the Peace Commissioners.
There were ABOUT 220 men, women, and
children, sixty of whom could fight
Probably fifteen warriors were slain i'll the
three days fight.
Some four or five of the troops were
killed, and perhaps a dozen wounded, in
the course of the several skirmiShes and
fights The Modocs have scattered and
the troops are searching for them. 1t APP
pears to be uncertain whether they are
still in the lava beds or have made their
escape to the mountains; but the most
probable theory is that they have divided
into small parties, some remaing in the
lava beds while others are seeking safety
and an opportunity to commit depreda-
tions in other quarters. A dispatch from
the front, dated April Goth, says:
The cavalry have returned. They failed
| to discover any signs of the Indian trail
DR.. Carboneso has returned from the lava
beds. He reports that two squaws have
been captured. An old squaw was brought
in yesterday and shown Schonchin's head,
and said it was his head. Colonel Perry
travelled about eighty miles, making
circuit of the lava beds. He saw no 1ndi-
ans. The Warm Spring Indians will soon
be on the trail Of the rambling Modocs who
bother the troops tonight. Dir. Carbone-
so was along the line during the day Of
the fight. and says he saw twelve warriors
slain. How many were buried no one
knew. The Modocs were seen to-day from
the lookout at the signal station. Mr..
lucknow started to day with an express to
| Linkville, but he saw party of Indians,
and had to turn back. Two Modocs are
supposed to have been killed on the night
of yesterday.