Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-10-25
LIFE IN AN INDIAN CAMP.
TIE Story or GEN. CANBY'S DEATH
UNDER A RI aE OF TRUCE.
The Story Told, as II wa Never Understood
B~efOre-Cnnby might Easily have been
SaVcA.

The story Told, as II was Never Cndcrstood
B~oforo-Cnnby might Easily have been
>aveA.
Dr.. T. T. Oabaniss, in the Aaorian OF
Oregon, retells the story oithe treachery
of the Modocs in the lava beds : Gen.
Candy and DR.. Thomas led the party on
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 md the latter was hidden
from us Except the signal oficer) by a
fall-oT IN the lava bed. The General
was about fifty yards from the place
where it stood Cat the end of our camp
next to the 1ndians), and DR.. Thomas
behind. / shall never forget those two
men as they looked that day, marching
into the jaws Of death-Canby with his
tall figure, dressed in q new military
coat, and Thomas in q suit of Scotch
gray. At this moment Meacham turned
his horse from the trail and rode up to
me. Said he, DR.. Cabaniss, do you
think there is danger under the arrange
ment we have macic?' What is the ar
rangement 2 / asked. There are to be
five unarmed Indians and five Of u.s.
Under that arrangement I 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 "a well
as Candy, Gillem and others.
"After the commissioners had been.
with them some time, and at the mo-
ment that Candy was making them
laugh, while smoking cigars, an Indian
came in sight of Mason's camp, a mile
and a half from the council tent, and
waved a white flag. General Candy had
told them to do this if they wanted to
see the whites. Lieutenant Sherwood
was office of the day, and went to meet
this Indian, accompanied by Lieutenant
Boyle. When within a few yards Of this
man Sherwood asked him what he
wanted. Nothing |! was the answer.
As the officer turned several Indians
rose from the rocks and commenced fir
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 a rock, and
the man who was on picket several hun
dred yards away opened fire ON the In
dians and kept them from advancing
on Sherwood. The troops turned out
and the Modocs retreated to their camp.
almost Immediately after this oc-
currence Lieutenant Moore, the signal
officer in Mason's camp, telegraphed to
General Gillem: The Indians have
fired on this camp, killing Sherwood
and Boyler Upon receipt O this mes
sage, General Gillem sent his adlutant,
Lieutenant Rockwell. for me, and de-
sired my presence. Upon reaching his
tent Gillem said: DIR. Cabaniss, will
Won take n message to General Candy 2
Yes, sir. i have selected you out
OF this entire command, but do not
want you to go under any misappre-
tension. | answered that [ would 60
to the rescue of General Candy if he
was in danger from the Modocs. L VIII
write the message said he, because il
you carry a verbal message, Bogus
will tell the other Indians As he hand
cd me the message. telling of the death
of Sherwood, the officer at the sigma
station called out, They are firing ut the
council tent 7 The men turned out i'm.
mediately, and some of them under Ser
geant Woeten, an ex Confederate soldier
Of X Company of cavalry, started With
out awaiting the orders oS the officers.
.Meacham has tod what followed
aud | will merely correct a few ms
takes which he makes. DIR. TluMA
was shot with a pistol 10y Boston, III,
then through the front part Of III hra,
with = ball from a carbine. GcAcra
yards from the spot where he sat whel
shot, and Thomas was about eight,
yards in another direction.
Had I zone to these Indians first,
would have counted eight instead OF five
and | would have seen that they wer
armed. as Dyar did when he got to III
ground. | wonld have made Jack be
lleve that Candy was delayed in cam
: and then walked away. This couldhav
been done with perfect safety, * the
were after larger game, and knew III:
to shoot me wonld defeat their plan!
and General Candy and DIR. Thoms
Candy had q wound from a pistol-ha
under the left eye, and one from a plsto
ball In the side OF the head. above I'll
left ear without pasSiur throuch and