The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-13

publish in our special dispatches in another
part of the HERALD, is likely to be the death
of peace commissions.to warlike Indians. On
Friday morning that gallant and ven
cradle soldier, General Edward II. S.
Candy, and the pious and jealous Peace Com
missioner, Rev. DIR. Thomas, were murdered
by the Modoc Indians during peace parley.
Another of the Commissioners, Mr.. Meacham,
was dangerously, if not fatally wounded, and
the remaining Commissioner of the party Mr..
Dyar, barely escaped with his life. This
hellish piece of treachery will awaken the
whole country to sorrow and Indignation, and
will result in stentorian call for the extirpa-
ton Of every savage of the band.
The history of this Modoc trouble is still
fresh in the public mind. After some difficult
ties with tho whites on the lonely border
country between California and Oregon the
Modocs gained their first bloody distinc-
ton by the murder of number Of settlers
upon Lost River. From thence the band
under Captain Jack, now forever infamous in
history, retired to position rendered almost
impregnable by nature among the lava beds
near Tule Lake. Here they remained
gathering live stock and provisions to their
fortress and raiding on the white settlers in
the vicinity for that object At length the
United States resolved to send the army into
the field against the Indians. For this pur-
pose force Of three hundred men, under
Colonel Gillem, proceeded to attack the In
dams. The nature Of the country was evil
IDENTIFY unknown to the commanding officers,
for with this small number they undertook
| to storm the Indian stronghold. The
sharp defeat met by the troops and the
| severe losses there sustained are SO recent as
merely to require notice here There
! after it was resolved to push forward
the means for attaining peace upon a
| double basis. Three hundred add
tional troops, under General Candy, were
hurried forward to punish the Indians, and a
full Peace Commission was organized to
pacify them. In the meantime the Indians
made sally, but were repulsed. Before the
troops moved again the negotiations were
opened. With the first party which entered
the memorable lava beds on this peaceful mis-
sion was a HERALD commissioner. Ar
engagements were speedily made for a sur
render in which the Indians were to be
protected from the enraged Oregonians
and transported to some nice reservation, to
be fed and clothed forever OF government ex-
pense. A day was appointed and agreed to
for the surrender to take place. Wagons
we're sent by the good-hearted Commits
sioners to convey Captain jacks bag
gage over the rough ground; but no
signs Of the Indians were discoverable.
Days passed, and at length an Indian
and his fellows were fearful Of the troops, and
that they wanted to go to their old Lost River
reservation. The troops under General Candy
now moved forward again and commenced
to encircle the savages in their fortress.
The circle was drawn gradually closer, and
the Indians again professed desire for peace
conferences. They saw the troops drawing
closer and closer, and now set up new de-
mand. They objected altogether to leaving the
lava beds, and wanted the troops sent away.
Notwithstanding this preposterous demand
the End-hearted Peace Commissioners lis
tened to the palaver of the braves. Several in
terviews took place. The story of the last one
cision through hnd-heartedness met by du-
plicity and murder.
Warning Of this danger does not appear to
have been wanting. Riddle the interpr eter,
expressly stated his grave fears but consented
to accompany the too-trusting Commissioners.
In order that we might have nothing wanting
to show how deliberately planned was this
massacre, we learn from the surviving Com
missioner, Mr.. Dyar, that Captain Jack him.
self fred the signal shot, and with his
own weapon took the life Of the
| bravo ond GOOD ba, ri ad coId;op whose nor,o
was terrible to the nations enemies in our
civil war. Falling there, by such base hands,
we must honor his memory, as though he
had died in the saddle leading charge
in some great battle whose thunders shook