Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1873-07-11
DEATH SENTENCE:
HEAD QRs. DEPARTMENT COLUMBIA, ]
In THE FIELD. 4
tI'rLE LAKE. Cal. June; 1873.

DEal n Benz L@NSAt
HEAD QRs. DEPARTMENT COLUMBIA
In THE FIELD.
ICLE LAKE, CAL, June. 1873.
JAcK: Since Tie white men first began to
travel through or settle in the country occu-
pied by tile Modocs, a people OF which you
clam to be one Of the chiefs, the Modocs
have been knows, as band Of merciless rob-
bers and murderers. The history of your
tribe il filed with murders of the white race.
Even among your Indian neighbols you are
known as domineering and tyrannical
tribe. Old settlers III the country report as
many as goo murders ctli,i United 1y your
people within the limits of the present gen.
Grafton. Along the shores Of this beautiful
little lake, in We've which we now stand,
are the graves Of over sixty victims Of Mo-
doc barbarity, all murdered by your imue-
diatc ancestors in brutal act. They were
peaceful imnIigrants--men, women and
children passing quietly through the coun-
try on the public highway. For these crimes
no adequate punishment has ever been Wis
tied upon tire guilty. either as tribe or
Individually Upon the contrary, the Gov
eminent tacily overlooked them. A few
years ago, regardless Of these acts Of treach-
cry, it gave you a. reservation. That land
was for home where, if you chose, you
could remain and enjoy the annual bonnties
Of the Government unmolested. You all
went upon the reservation thus provided,
and part of your tribe has remained; but
MI -, RI
the war path. You left the reservation ard
you spuTned the kindness of the Government
even resisted the soldiers in the execution
Of their duties to force you backto the res
eryaton, 1on iastened the war. EmnlatiDg
the bloody deeds of your fathers, you again
strewetl the shores OF Tule Lake with slain,
victims of your bloody band. All these vic
tins were peaceful citizens, unsuspectIng,
while in their dan: avocatiohs'
You then fled to your stronghold III ~ insa
beds, prepared for war and detied tie power q
The Government. Still the President at Wash
ington ordered the soldiers to desist until the
Peace Commissioners could have a talk with
you, if possible to avoid the shedding OF
After much delay and many attempts at con-
Citation on their part you decoyed the Coni-l
missioners into your hands unarmed. These
acts have placed you and your band outside
the rules of civilized warfare. In other
words you have made yourselves outlaws.
Simeon arrival heresas successor to General
Candy whom you murdered with your own
hands, Izhaye- made unrelentlng war upon
you until at last you have been captured
after much expense to the Government and
the loss of many valuable lives. Now that |
have recounted to you the history of your
tribe and the recent, acts Of yourself and
band, | will close this interview by inform
ing you that have this day directed that
you and your confederates, The members Of
] our band, be execr ted at sunrise tomorrow
in the presence of troops paraded for the
purpose, your people and the assembled citi-
zens OF the country.
THE RESPITE.
WhileI was preparing. list Of those in
tended to execute, a courier arrived with
instructions from Washington to ''hold the
prisoners until further orders.'
FACILITATING PEACE TALKS.
After the execution intended organizing
a force forsthe purpose Of starting for Col
umlia-prohably Tor LapWai-seeing and
talking with as many chiefs as possible
while en- route. knew that prompt exc
cution OF the Modoc outlaws would facilitate
peace talks among the Indians Of Oregon
and Washington Territory, as well as Cali
tornia, and have a tendency to quiet the
Indians all through the country. The In
dams al. know that we have captured the
Modocs. They will quickly learn the news
if the death penalty is inflicted. The acIllev-
ment would result in mutual benefit to both
Indians and whites. With the prestige the
troops hare gained we could Go great good
by such d campaign. HI
MRs. LEES PROPERTY. Airs Robert q.
Lee recently stated, in an interVieW-Which is
reported III the Washington Republican, that
the Arlington estate was her personal prop
erty, and that General Lee never owned, or
assumed to own or control, any part of it;
that the property was Willed to her by her
father, and that the viii contained an obliga-
ton that all THE slaves belonging to the es-
tate should be set free at the expiration of
five years. The time of their ananumission
came on in 1868, Mrs. Lee says, and right in
the very height Of the war. General Robert
e. Lee, as the executor of the will, sum-
moned these slaves together at q convenient
point within his lines and care them their
Tree papers and passes through the Cohfed-
crate lines to go whittier they would. Mrs.
Lee does not pect that the property will
be restored to her; but she asks that she be