Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-04-09

CAPTAIN Jack and his blOOdthirsty Mouocs
lay in waiting on the morning OF April II,
1873 Captain Jack had broken his pledges
again and again within II few days pre-
ceding the "pcnce talk" which lie made
the cover of II most bnrbarons massacre.
Friendly Indians, who knew the Mouocs
purposes, scouts, and above all u squaw,
who had the privileges of Capt Jacks
lair. and learned by unerring signs that
mischief was on foot, warned the army
leaders aud Indian commissioners not to
trust themselves within reach of the Mo
docs. 1t was II singular state of affairs
there ut the Lava Beds of Tule lake, with
nm "army with banners on one side and I,
handful Of fligitives-outawe,l savages-
on the other The troops numbered several
hundred the larger part being regulars,
provided with the best implements of wpr.
Including cannon. The Indian warriors
numbered about two score, and hal good
small arms, but not much ammunition
The United States forces had been in the
field for months upon an expedition Il
force the Modocs to 20 upon reservation
Several battles had been fought and the
Modocs, generally victorious, had secured
ammunition from the dead soldiers. The
position occupied 10y the Indians had given
them the upper hand in many II desperate
fight with great odds. 1t was in II barrer
region known ~ the Lava Beds, where
volcanic upheavals have left regular
series of ridges. broken ut the surface b.,
deep crevices running both lenSthwisc and
crosswise The crevices formed hidden
passages for the Indians to move about.
md where it suited their purposes they
blocked them against the invading troops
by rolling huge rocks down from above
The army officers reported that one man
in the Lava Beds could keep twenty at /,
distance.
When matters reached II crisis. however
the army surrounded the place. and with
its cannon and mounted troops was in
a fair way To win Mt all points. But bc
fore the blow came to settle the doom OF the
Modocs forever hoStilities were slispendc
by orders from Washington ut the Request
of the Indian bureau. What the diplomatic
world calls negotiation. but i'll the puranct
OF the plains is known us II peace talk,
was to he brought into use at Il monleI
when the scnlpiny knives of the Modoc'
were dripping with blood and their victim;
lay unburied and bleeding within sight o
the council tent. Canby had reached tht
spot prepared to fight and finish tho bus
ness. Not that he was II cruel Indian hater
On the contrary, he was II friend of the ret
man and h,pl proved it scores of times, ever
as far back rs the Seminole trouble. Bu
he thought that patience had celsed TO bt
avirtue and it was time TO cease talking ant
go to shooting. The Mo,locs were not ii new
species The soldiers knew them and thu
settlers us well. They had grievances. too
but had become II nuisance all the same
the more because of brooding over thei
grievances
In the early days Of California, 1871 tt
1910, they destroyed many whites and wer'
afterward whipped by Capt Natlanie
Lyons forces for their foriys upon set
tiers. In lS5, the settlers organized, ant
after terrible massacre invited the Mo
docs to "peace talk" and killed II out q
46 warriors who responded. Naturally
savage tradition didn't allow that sort o
negotiation to die out of remem brnnce
After years OF war, in which they got til,
worst of it, of course, they ccded theil
lands and agreed to 20 on II reservation.
The band then Went on the Klamath
reservation, where they had 10 means o
living, were cheated out of their supplies
and tormented by their natural enemies
the Klamaths Groups of them Straye,
back to their old home on Klamath lake
and these in 1872 were about forty familie