The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-07-10
CAIRO, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, JULY To- 1877
q he Bu!letjn.
TRAGEDY OF THE LAVA
BEDS
cOi. 4. ~. MearhAm's Account Of the
ssassinatiOn OF sen. tanb,.

/ col. 4. ~. Meacham's Account of the
Assassination OF sea. tanb..
/ (Cih inati Gazettel
/ The lecture of Col. Meacham last night
st, Pau's Methodist Episcopal church
was very graphic account of one OF the
most tragic events in all American history
the murder of Gen. Candy anu DR..
Thomas by the Modnc Indians, in council.
The war OF which this cyent,wa, thc,ctOwu-
! z alrority, presents, said the speaker, al
most every phase Of Indian life. On the
part Of the chief, Capt Jack, 1t was con-
test for the home which had been denied
him aud iorayeuging the wrongs which lie
conceived had been pun upon him. not by
individuals alone, but by the government
itself lie was a fun bloyded Indian. and
was born aImO,, on the very spot where
tue first battle took place. HE had been
embltttred, first, by the breaking Of The
ueaDie. by the whites, then by refusing to
grant him a reservation such as he "a ,ked
for, aud finally. by the refusal to admit
him to citizenship. The ret Of the tribe
all complained Of grieypn3,s more or lers
important. After tie first battle, which
resulted in the death Of Thirteen soldier.
an one Indian, the regulars capturing the
camp OF the Mod0c', set lire TO the lodges,
aud one woman who could not move, was
burned alive. he redmen swore VEN
geaBce for this act Of cruelty. Then came
the battle VI the Eth VI January, which
resulted so di-astrou.Iy TO the regular-,
and out OF which the Indian. emery d
without the lo., of a man. When ,urrcA-
der was proposed among them they had
the reco lectioa Of this remarkable victory
to inspire them with defiance. They were
a'so aware that if they surrendered they
would be forced to give mp their young
men TO certain death on the salIow,. But
after the appointment OF the speaker and
hi colleagues ~ members Of the peace
commission an attempt was maCc TO secure
settlement. An armistice was agreed
upon that for the time being n act Of war
should be committed by either party and
that the ttoop, should not advance uearer
= the stronghold OF the savage, I Nor
tunatcy .omc OF the horses Of the MgdOcs
were taken possession Of by an officer, and
Gen Candy not only refused to return
tn N but also removed his troop, withil
two miles of the ModOc lines. Capt. JAcls
irrtutad by the bad faith of the whites,
sent for the "baldheadel man with
straight tongue" meening Col. Meacham,
TO meet him in council At this meeting
the chief enumerated the cases Of bro ken
faith OF which he COMPLAINED, aud de-
mandcd the restoration Of the terms Of the
arni .fire Thi. conv"r.ati-n m" 'hNfa
which had preceded, was without result
After thus detlilng the course OF oliairs
the lecturer proceeded 10 give an cloquen,
account Of the assassination oiGen. Candy
and DR.. Thomas. without eXcusing the |
treachtry OF the Indians lie pointed t. the |
many serious causes OF anger which they |
had, aud to the fact tina, they reasoned |
with the diroctne,- at the same time with |
the implacabiliry natural to savage men.
Gen. Candy an his companion was repeat |
eddy warned OF the intentions Of the Mo-
docs to draw him into council unarmed and |
there murder them, but thought that such |
treachery was impossible so near the
troops When Col. Meschan found tina.
they had gone, he decided that he must
f.ll,y ia roman Woull he coWlrllce
and he preferred the alternative Of death,
as he anticipated, / e result is doubt.
less remembered, Gen. Candy a'd DR..
Thomas ware pitilessly murdered, The
speaker was wounded seven times 10 the
had aud body, and was saved only by tie
heroic fti.hiure,s of an Indian woman