Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-04-24
THE ADVERTISER.
s. c., April 24, 1873.
The Air of California Resembling With
Cries of Vengeance!

The Air of California Resembling With
Cries of Vengeance!
Now that Major General of the Uni
ted States Army has been brutally muir
dered in cold blood, in the midst of
peace conference, we are to have an end
of President Grants peace policy towards
the Indians. In fact, with ths death of
Candy this sort of thing is played out.
It seems that twill not do. The Indians
are not Christian statesmen. Too long
has Mr.. Grant, with Quaker-lke sim
plicity, parleyed with these red devils.
What s the use of reasoning with savages?
What do they know of the virtues OF
peace-they whose highest ideal of beau
ty is dripping scalp suspended from a
greasy wampumf No government with
any self respect can meekly endure such
a flagrant outrage as the murder OF Can
by. Consequently all the dogs OF war
are now let slip, and throughout our
country the engrossing topic OF eye'
and ear, is the great Modoc Expedition.
The murderous Modocs live in one OF
the extreme Northern counties of Cali
fornia, named Siskiyou-named, but un:
settled and unexplored. The chief stream
of their section is the Tule River, which
empties into large lake of the same
name. Professor Hayden, in charge Of
the United States expedition for the geo.
logical survey of the Territories, who
last year visited the Lava Beds now oc-
cupied by the Modocs, gives the follow
ing account.of them:
The lava beds are an outflow of vol
canic matter forming perfect sea OF
melted rock. which in gradually cooling
became broken. InDumerable little
streams have worked their way through
it. and the whole place Is filled with cav
erns which often connectwith one another
and extend for miles under ground. They
vary in width from fifty to five or. six
hundred feet. The entrances to them
are generally very small, and therefore
can easily he defended. The lava beds
comprise from fifty to one hundred square
miles. It will be difficult thing to sur
round the Modocs. and there Is great
danger of their eluding our troops on ac-
count of the familiarity of the Indians
with the lava beds. The Modocs are the
same as the Digger Indians. and i've
upon the rabbits. lizards. snakes, mice
and all kinds Of bugs and insects which
are found in the caves.
The commander of the Modoc Expedi-
ton is Gen. Alvin c. Gillem; and the
following dispatch from him to Gen.
Sherman shows that his animus towards
the Indians is bitter and unrelenting-
which in fact is but ins accordance with
the spirit Of the orders lately issued by
the Government. This dispatch shows
also that he has secured as allies the
Warm Spring Indians:
HEADQUARTERS NopoC EXPEDITION,
Camp South of Tule Lake, April IA.
To General w. T.. Sherman:
"Seventv-two Warm Spring Indians,
under Donald Mckay, arrived at the
camp east of Tule Lake last night. I
shall close on the Indians tomorrow,
and endeavor to cut off all escape.
No effort will be spared to make the
punishment of the Indians commensu-
rate with their crime If possible no In
dian shall boast that he or his ancestors
murdered General Canby."
(Signed) ALVIN c. GILLEM.
Colonel lat Cavalry, commanding Modoc
Expedition"
At o'clock on the morning Of the 18th,
the Federal troops. infantry, artillery
and cavalry, began to move upon the
lava beds, and until sundown of the
same day were engaged in desultory
fight with the Indians, who seem to have
been not only well posted but well pre-
pared with arms and ammunition. TO.
wards the close of the day an infantry
charge was made by the Government
troops and the Indians driven from
certain strong position, but neither rout-
ed nor driven from the lava beds. A
half dozen U. s. troops were wounded,
but none killed. The victory seems to
have been barren one; and Candy, at
latest accounts, was still unavenged.