Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-05-06
7Ae .S.ronahola az khe Enemu..

the totron9hotd or The Enemy.
Lava BEDS, April GA accommodating
party, composed of batteries K and A,
Twelfth Infantry, left camp at 1880 o'clock
this morning, proceeding in direction known
to lead tothe present stronghold of the Modocs,
Captain Evan Thomas of the Fourth Artil-
lery, being in command. A dozen or SO
| Warm Spring Indians were expected to CO.
operate on Capt. Thomas left.
The troops having formed line, skirmish.
ers advanced without molestation until they
arrived at the foot of the bluff south of the
! lava beds, having, meanwhile, signaled the
camp that no Indians were to be found.
Fire Opened.
On, reaching the bluff the Modocs opened
severe fire, causing the troops to seek such
shelter as they could find in the crevices,
chasms, &c. As usual, the foe was unseen.
The first position soon became untenable,
| owing to the fact that the Indians were able
to deliver both cross FIRE and an epfilading
fire, and the position of the troops were so ex-
| posed that up to the present writing e. p. NJ y
only two of the wounded could reach the
camp. Out of the nine wounded, Lieutenant
| Wright, of the Twelfth Infantry had sought
shelter in crevice. which was particularly
open to the Modoc fire. Grave doubts exist
as to their ultimate safety.
The Iter1f Of the Party.
! AS soon as information was received at
headquarters relative to the peril of the party.
troops were at once pushed forward to their
rescue. Four mpanes were ordered out,
two of cavalry, from this camp. and two from
Col. Mason's. Stretchers for the conveyance
of the wounded were forwarded but the lat
ter are now returning, without having
achieved the object for which they were in
tended
The Surprise Complete.
LAVA BEDS, April 1850 A. MA
despatch received from Colonel Green, First
Cavalry, who went out with reinforcements
yesterday morning, shows the surprise to have
been more camplete and more terribly fatal
than was at first supposed. The despatch
states that Captain Thomas and Lieutenant
A. K. Howe, of the Fourth Artillery, were
killed. Lieutenant Harris, of the fourth Ar
tillery. is badly, and perhaps MORALLY, wound.
ed, and Lieutenant l}ranston, Fourth Artil-
lery, is missing.
Despntch from, Colonel Green
LAVA BEDS, April 27-5 p. M.-From
second despatch sent by Colonel Green it an
pears that there are now collected and await
ing conveyance to camp the bodies of sixteen
men killed, including Captain Thomas, Leu>
tenant Howe. of the Fourth Artillery, Lcu>
tenant Wright, of the Twelfth Infantry. and
eight wounded, including Lieutenant Harris,
of the Fourth Artillery. These, added to
the number of wounded men above cited,
show large percentage of casualties from the
small number of men engaged.
Some sixty or sixty>one Modocs are armed
with Spencer carbines and breech loading
muskets. In more that one instance Modoc
has been known to have two or more Spencer
10
from his natural or artificial breastwork of
rock.
Points Of Defence.
The surface of the ground in many places
is torn M by volcanic action which form cre>
vices, and these are adaptable TO purposes of
hiding, or for points Of defense In several
instances, soldiers knowing nothing of the
topography, have come unawarcs on such
assures, and, before they could escape, were
confronted by the willy Indian, with rifle
leveled, and finger on trigger. Death, or at
least dangerous wound is the result Too
often the cowardly redskins escape by so many
paths known only to themselves
TreocAc'y and Canning
AS sample of their treachery and cunning
may not be amiss, I will state that portion
of Batteries n and X, Fourth Artillery, and
Company +, Twelfth Infantry, finding them
selves in danger of being ou,flanked. took
shelter in hollow spot afording partial cover.
No sooner had they done so than the Indians
at this point, numbering twenty Zone warriors.
who knew and commanded every egress from
the cavity, detached seven of their number
on one side, fourteen remaining on the other.
and then opened cross-fire on the poor fell
lows, who could not show either head or hand
without certainly being struck. Very few es
capped injury. The rest were either killed or
wounded.
1t is impossible to ascertain the number of
Modocs killed and wounded Yesterday. Cant.
Mckay reported that his Warm Spring In
dams had taken four scaps. This NAV be
the whole or it may be only portion of the
killed. The Modocs very careful to de-
stroy, as far as possible, all traces of their cas-
ualt'cs, carrying their wounded into the caves
and burning the dead bodies Their wounded
are supposed to be hidden in the caves. but
few OF them have been seen so far.
Life for Life.
Justice to many of its gallant dead compels
the record of the following wel-authenticate
facts When Captain Thomas found himself
aud his men surrounded by his vindictive
foes, true to his nature as a soldier he sought
to cheer the soldiers on to the bitter end. and
obtain, if possible, life for life, aud to sell
their lives dearly, saying: "Nen, we are sur
rounded /; We mus: fight and die like men and
soldiers"
In his noble efforts to sustain the courage
OF his small command, he was ably seconded
by Lieutenant Howe and Lieutenant Wright.
After receiving a mortal wound he buried his
gold watch and chain among the rocks and
emptied his revolver amongst the enemy be-
tore dying. If living. he would also write in
terms of wcll>descrved praise of the conduct
OF Lieutenant Harris, who was similarly situ-
ated as Captain Thomas with portion of his
Battery K, Fourth Artillery, and set an ex-
ample of bravery and determination to his
men, utteriug some such sentiments as those
already quoted not that it required such ex-