Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-09-10
smudging the Modocs-

In March. 1851, gold was discovered
in Yreka Flats, and in a few weeks
several thousand miners were working
there and on Greenhorn Creek. In the
summer following, number of men
| took up claims in Shasta valley and cut
hay for the Yreka market. Besidesthe
old teams used in hauling the hay to
| town, they all ranched a number OF
horses, mules and cattle belonging to
| themselves and parties in the mines.
| The MOdOc Indians made occasional
forays into the valley, and drove OFF
small bands of stock to their country, a
| hundred miles to the eastward. Much
stock that was no doubt stolen by white
| thieves was charged to the account OF
| these savage maraIders, and it IS very
| questionable if they were guilty of half
| of the thefts ascribed to them. Late in
| the summer they stampeded a corral of
animals near Butteyville, and made off
with fOrty-siX fine mules and horses,
many Of them belonging to the pack
| train of Augustus Meamber, then on
his way to Yreka with load of goods.
| That this act was committed by the
MOdOcs there was ample evidence to
show. A company of twenty men was
raised, consisting chiefly of miners from
| the vicinity of Yreka, to follow the
| thieves into the heart of the Modoc
country, punish them for their roguery,
and, if possible, recover the stolen
property.
On the afternoon of the second day,
having penetrated into the celebrated
II D..1, lf fN,,ra r oh nhnnt n
dozen Indians were discovered, some of
whom hastened to warn the village of
| danger, while the others took shelter
behind rocks and juniper bushes, and
| discharged their arrows at the advanc-
| ing party as soon as they came within
range. a bushwacking contest was
maintained for long time, the Savages
falling steadily back toward the village.
This was situated on plateau and
| along crescent ledge of rocks, where
the ground sunk abruptly to a depth
of about twenty feet. Within the ledge
was what appeared to be the smooth
bed of a stream. 1t was about thirty
feet wide and one hundred yards long,
with slight incline terminating near
the middle of the ledge, where cave
bltlth lllO lONho. bht
habItants of the village had taken
shelter, tying their horses in front of 1t,
where they could protect them with
their arrows while lying concealed IN
the cave, The whites opened fire upon
them from the top of the ledge of rocks,
at distance of a hundred yards, and
the savages returned the fire, shooting
their arrows with such force and preci-
SION that several of the men were
wounded. They soon discovered that
their shields of tule ruSheS were not
bullet-prOof, and retreated within the
shelter of the cave with the loss of
several warriors. One stalwart brave,
probably Medicine Man who desired
to exhibit his supernatural powers,
emerged from tie cave so envelOped in
shields that he resembled an animated
basket. Behind their protecting fronts
he felt SO secure that he walked boldly
forth and defied his aSSailantS, only to
be laid low by a well aimed shot from
the bluff above. After this exploit not
an Indian ventured from the cave again.
How to dislOdge them from their hole
become the next question. The men
were out of provisions and could not
besiege the cave, the rocky and desert
country affOrding no game or other
means of subsistence of which they could
avail themselves. A smudge was sug-
geSted. Hgrriedly gathering logs and
brush, the men cautiously pushed them
over the edge of the bluff at the mouth
of the cave and set fire to the heap.
The Indians could not prevent this, for
they were closely coOped up in the cave
by the rifles of the men who stood guard
opposite. From out the dark recesses
of the cavern the imprisoned savages
maintained close watch upon the be-
siegers, and each head or arm that was
exposed IN adding fuel to the blazing pile
was saluted with a shower of arrows,
and one of the men was severely wOun-
ded in this way.
The heat and smoke rushed into the
entrance in such volume that any one
but ModOc Indian would have been
suffOcated or roasted. They Frustrated
themselves upon their faces to breathe
the little fresh air that came in along
the bottom of the cave, and with a
courage born of desperation, resolved
to perish there rather than go out TO be
SlduSuIcItu DN lucI cuculcS. uc
attack upon them had been so sudden
and unexpected that they had forgotten
to take water along with them into
their retreat The place of shelter,
also, was small, and had no outlet or
means of ventilation save the entrance
through which they were receiving
such generous donations of heat and
smoke. They could have held out but
little longer, when they were OverjOyed
to see their prosecutors take their de-
parture. The men had kept up roast
ing fire for twenty-fOur hours; but being
out of provisions, over hundred miles
distant from any source Of supplies,
and not knowing the terrible straits to
which the enemy had beeh reduced,
they had rolled last contribution upon
the burning pile and taken up their line
of march for Yreka. To rush out INTO
the fresh air, scatter the blazing logs
and brush, and moisten ther parched
throats with cooling draughts of water,
were the first acts of the savages. They
were too thankful for their escape to
think of pursuing or annoying the
white men further.