Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-24
AMONG THE MODOCS.
\ Story of Indian Diplomacy
Never Before Published.
The Interview That Preceded the Mas
sacrc of the Peace Commissioners
A Perilous Mission and a
Marrow Escape.

A perilOus Mission and a
Narrow Escape.
A thrilling chapter of the unwritten
history of the negotiations that pre-
ceded the massacre by the Modocs of
,the Peace Commission in 1872 is now
related for the first time by a gentle
man of this city who formed one of the
party. Four months anterior to the
appearance of Meacham and the Peace
Commission in the Lava Beds it was
doomed advisable to send q small party
to Captain Jack to have a peace talk
and ascertain how the land lay. The
Indians had no faith in Meacham. They
regarded him as their enemy and the
cause of all their troubles, as he was in
part. and from the start they meant to
Kill him if they got a chance. When
tho overtures for a preliminary talk
were first made, Captain Jack refused
to send out any message by the squaws,
but two days later he sent out two In
'dians who knew Fairchild, a ranchcr,
well. to say that he, Jack, wanted to
see Fairchlld and Squire Steele of
|Yreka, and would talk peace with
them. He wanted them to come IN
armed, and they might bring a few
other good men, but mo soldiers"
1t was rather a perilous undertaking,
but Fairchild promptly said he would
go. Mr.. Steele was communicated
with, and as he had successfully de-
Tended one of the leading Indians in q
cattlc-stealing case, and knew he
would not be harmed, he also consent
ed. The squaws were sent in with a
message that Steele and Fairchild. with
al interpreter, Frank Riddle, and three
newspaper correspondents, II from
New York, one from San Francisco and
a third from Sacramento, would visit
Captain Jack on q certain day, but
that he must send out five of his braves
unarmed to escort the party in. Jack
.assented to this, and in due tine
,'Hooka Jim," "Boston Charley"
,"Bogus Charley" and .'Shacknasty
Jim" appeared at Gillem's camp.
The next morning the party set out.
No arms were carried except a small
derringcr, VIII oh each person had hid
den in his breast for obvious use in
cast treachery was practiced. 1t was
a long ride in the saddle. and ovcr the
worst country that horses foot ever
'trod. Though the party set out at day
light, it was three o'clock in The after
noon before the edge of the lava beds
was reached. The Indians were then
sent ahead to Uncover the trails, and
Jacks stronghold was fully eight
miles ahead. The horses had the
most difficult task to thread their way
-over the hard, tlinty scoria. Little tufts
of sage brush grew out Of %crevices in
the rocks. These covered hidden holes
into which the animals would stumble
and founder, and in scores of places
riders had to dismount and lead the
tired and worried beasts.
Itwas after dark when ..Hooka JIM
took Stecle's horse by the bride and
led him through between two great
.scraping the riders legs. The rest of
the party followed and found them
selves in a great. torn up rocky basin,
resembling the crater of an extinct
volcano. 1t was dark and everybody
had to dismount, but from the little
fires that here and there dotted the
rocky lodges on either side it was seen
that we were in the Indian camp. The
Modoc welcome was not et1usively cor
dial. Bogus Charley" who acted as
Captain jacks Lord Chamberlain, and
could speak d little English, directed
the party where it could picket the
horses INT cook the supper of bacon
and tlapjacks, now much needed. The
Indian women gathered about in a shy
way. and the children came and
.grinncd through the smoke OF the camp
fire.
"'Thcy don't meana any treaohery vet,
that's certain" said Fairchild. when
Indians mean mischief they keep their
;squaws in the background"
The party had brought two pack
,nulcsloadedw with bacon, flour and coffee
and Il sack or two of army biscuit. The
;squaws watched the unloading of these
with the deepest interest. The sup
per ended, Bogus Charley appeared
with .'Scar-Faccd Charley" who was
known as Captain Jacks Adjutant-Gen-
cral. ''Scar-Facc' was u Rogue River
Indian, of lighter hue than the Modocs
and aman of great dignity and stern
ness. He had lived short time among
the whites at Jacksonville, Oregon, and
could speak a little English. He spoke
first to Steele, and shook hands with
Fairchild, whom he knew. He then
said q council of Modoc's had been
called i'll Captain jacks cave, and that
they would meet esquire" Steele and
..Boss'' Faircllild in half IN hour.
Pending this it was noticed that the
party's little camp was closely guarded
bv armed Indians, and what made the
the more disagrceable was that
every Indian had a Springfield breech-
loader. with his breast literally covered
with belts OF cartridges, and every one