News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-09-25
LIFE In AN INDIAN CAMP.
THE STORY OF GEN. GANBY'S DEATH
UNDER A FLAG OF TRUCE.
The Story Told, rs IL was Never Underst o ood
Before-Canby might Easily have been
saved.


DIR. T. T. Cabaniss, in the Historian of
Oregon, retells the story of the treachery
of the Modocs in the lava beds "Gen.
Canbv and DR.. Thomas led the party op
foot and Dyar and Meacham followed on
horseback, though the nature of the
ground was such that one could
make better time on foot over the rocks
than on q horse. The distance from
General Canby's tent to the council tent
was 900 yards and the latter was hidden
from us Except the signal officer by a
fall-off in the lava bed. The General
was about fifty yards from the place
where it stood Cat the 90 of our camp
next to the indians an5--~Dr. :Ii'ac-ngs
behind. I shall never forget those two
men as they looked that day, marching
into the jaws of death-Canby with his
all figure, dressed in new military
coat, and Thomas in suit of Scotch
gray. At this moment Meacham turned
his horse from the trail and rode up to
me. Said he, DIR. Cabaniss, do you
think there is danger under the arrange
ment we have made?' what is the ar
rangement p 1 asked. There are to be
five unarmed Indians and five OF u.s.
Under that arrangement [ replied,
there is no danger; but Meacham, if
you are suspicious of these Indians, re-
main here and let me go and see them
He turned in his saddle, and seeing that
General Candy and DR.. Thomas had
gotten some distance in advance, with
out replying, followed them. Subse-
quent events proved that the Modocs
intended to kill Colonel Mason as we'll
as Candy, Gillem and others.
"After the commissioners had been
with them some time. aud at the mo-
ment that Candy -yas making them
laugh, while smoking cigars, an Indian
came in sight of Mason's camp, mile
and a half from the council tent, and
waved white flag. General Candy had
told them to do this if they wanted to
see the whites. Lieutenant Sherwood
was officer of the day, and went to meet
this Indian, accompanied by Lieutenant
Boyle. When within few yards of this
man Sherwood asked him what he
wanted. 'Nothingr was the answer.
AS the officer turned several Indians
rose from the rocks and commencefr-d
ing at him and Boyle. The first shot
was through his thigh, breaking the
bone, from which wound he died several
days afterward. Boyle escaped. Sher-
wood took shelter behind rock, and
he man who was on picket several hun
dred yards away opened fire on the In
dians and kept them from advancing
on Sherwood. TbG troops turned out
and the Modocs retreated to their camp.
"Almost Immediately after this oc-
currence Lieutenant Molore, tne signal
officer in Mason's camp, telegraphed to
General Gillem: The Indians have
fred on this camp, killing Sherwood
and Boyle 7 Upon receipt of this mes
sage. General Gillem sent his adiutant,
Lieutenant Rockwell, for me, and de-
sired my presence. Upon reaching his
tent Gillem said: 'Dr. Cabaniss, will
YOU take a message to General Candy !?
sYes. SIR L have selected you out
of this entire command, but L do not
want you to go under any misappre
hension.' / answered that [ would &C
to the rescue of General Candy if he
was in danger from the Modocs. viii
write the message said he, because il
YOU carry a verbal message, Bogus
will tell the other Indians. AS he hand
ed me the message, telling of the deatf
of Sherwood, the officer at the sigma
station called out, They are firing at the
council tent 7 The men turned out I'M
mediately, and some of them under Ser
geant Woeten, an ex.Confederate soldier
of K Company of cavalry, started with
out awaiting the orders of the officers
"Meacham has told what followed
and I will merely correct a few mis-
takes which he makes. DIR. Thoma
was shot with a pistol by Boston, an'
then through the front part of the heat
with ball from carbine. Genera
Candy had wound from a pistol-bal
, under the left eye, and one from pistol
ball in the side of the head, above tn
left ear, without passing through, and
stab with narrow-bladed knife unde
the right ear. Candy was thirty-hv
wards from the spot where he sat whe
shot. and Thomas was about eight
, wards in another direction.
Had gone to these Indians first,
would have counted eight instead OF hVe
and I would have seen that they wer
armed, as Dyar did when he got to tn
ground. I would have made Jack b'
= Iieve that Candy was delayed in cam
and then walked away. This could hay
been done with perfect safety, as the
were after larger game, and knew th'
! to shoot me would defeat their plan
and General Candy and DR.. Thom'
would be living to-day. Had 1 reache
the General before the firing commence
5 the whole plan of the Indians woul
s have been changed, and being arme
a standing by Dyar's horse, would ha'
IS killed Jack and possibly have saved tt
# Generals life. What my fate Won
have been, of course, is not known, b
# [ believe that one cool and courageo1
q white man, under such circumstance
!. can whip that number of Indians, esp
cially when he had Meacham, Dyar, 81
others to divert their attention. At lea
the risk would justify one in the no
of saving such man as General Candy
=
70 DIsMAI.-A Chinese orchestra I
,r hearses daily on Mott street, New Yor
ii preliminary to giving series of co
.e certs in neighboring cities. A remar
ii able instrument is the trumpet. It
i of Tartar origin, and produces moi
J. like a bagpipe, but much louder. T
robearsals are described as ''dismal dl
= bv those who heard Fhem.
:, - $50 YOU think John is becoming
NJ great man in the city p said farm
" sneaking of his absej ejnt son to a comps
70 ion of the youth. "Great man!
II should say so. Why there amt b
-. keeper in the city hardly, that he do
~ call by his first name"
u A LITTLE school girls definition
le scandal was: "Nobody does nothing g
a, everybody goes on telling of it eve