Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-05-10
ON THE LAVA BEDS.

In about the year 1S42 there was
born in one of the most desolate regions
Of the Union-the lava beds that ex
tend from northern California into
southern Oregon-an Indian girl. Her
father was Sc Cot, an intractable Modoc
subchief, who lost his life in an attack
Oh party Of whites enligrating to the
Pacific coast in 1850. Along about
1867, when adventurous white men,
seeking gold, began to penetrate the
Modoc lava bed region by the several
hundreds every year, there came that
way certain young Kentuckian, who
had been an army sergeant stationed at
the Preside, in San Francisco. He was
Frank Riddle He had refreshments at
the miserable home of the squaw widow,
Sc Cot, and soon took fancy to her
daughter, Wi-ne-ma, then 10 years old,
and famous iii that region as the best
looking and most agreeable Indian girl
in California. Riddle got money in gold
mining in southern Oregon and soon
m arried the handsome Modoc girl. The
couple took up their abode near the
gold diggings, and the young wife be.
gan to learn her husbands language.
While she visited her savage brothers
and sisters occasionally and bore them
gifts she became weaned to the life and
thought Of white people But she never
dared, on pain of assassination OF poison
ing, to reveal her change Of faith Or to
show that she really loved white man.
In 1860, when gold was discovered in
large quantities in the Klamath region
and thousands Of venturesome Ameri-
cans rushed through northern California
and across the lava beds, the anger Of
the Modocs was reused to fullest pitch
by the lawlessness Of the invading
whites. In June, 1860, the Modocs lured
IA gold miners into narrow canyon,
and there, after unspeakable cruelties,
extending over two days, let the white
men die. The news of the murders by
the Modocs got abroad a month later
and set OH fire the whole white popula-
tion of northern California and southern
Oregon.
In August band of rs whites left
Yreka, Cal, to punish the Modoc saw
ages for the act. The avengers were led
by Benjamin Wright, an old mountain
Ger, who had hunted and fought Indians
with Kit Carson, Jim Beckwith, John
Scott and Jim Bridger. After long
chase through the rough country, which
was not productive of good results, the
chiefs were invited to meet the whites
and make treaty This they agreed to
do, and the warning parties went into
camp near each other on Lost river, the
Indians outnumbering the white men by
three to one Early on the morning OF
the conference a young Modoc squaw,
breathless, her clothing torn and her
feet bleeding, came into the Wright
camp and asked to see the leader. She
had run and walked some nine miles
across the rugged mountain trail. Her
errand was to warn the invaders against
treuchery. The night before she learned
at the council fire that her people in
tended to surround the white men dur
ing the conference and put them to
death. Wright and his men met cunning
with cunning They went into ambush
near the place Of conference, and when
the unsuspecting Modocs fell into the
trap but two escaped from the slaughter
that ensued. This affair is known i'll the
history Of northern California as the
Ben Wright massacre. The sqnaw who
conveyed the timely warning to her
white friends was Wi-ne-ma, tho wife
of Frank Riddle This fact was never
found out by her people, else her life
would have been forfeited.
Eleven and half years passed. The
Modocs had been confined by the gov
eminent to defined reservation, and
treaties were made with them, which
were repeatedly broken. The tribe was
the prey of post traders, contractors and
Of almost every white man who came
in contact with it. The only one Of the
hated whites in whom the Indians had
confidence was the late Judge Elijah
Steele. To this man they went for coun-
sci and advice, but in the lapse of time
they even contemplated taking his life,
as in the Indian mode Of reasoning the
death Of single white man grasses the
wrongs perpetrated by many.
Sullen at first under their injuries, the
Modocs were awakened to fury and de
clared vengeance on their oppressors.
The memory Of any detail of the Wrigh,
affair was never allowed to fade. Al
every council Captain Jack or Seal
Faced Charley called upon the vengefu
Modocs to remember the August day
when the palefaces had killed their ia
theirs and brothers. At last, in January
1878, the whites in northern Californi,
knew that another Indian war was a
| hand
Shortly after hostilities began tn,
government appointed peace commits
sioner to confer with the rebellious red
skins and endeavor to make peace. Ii
| the meantime Riddle and other squav
men on the reservation used their influ
ence toward q settlement Of the diff
Guilty, but to no effect. The turbulen
warriors lei by Captain Jack were ben
on slaughter. When the peace com
missioner arrived on the ground, thu
Indians refused to treat with him. They
did, however, finally agree to SURRENDER
to Judge Steele and two other men o
that region and arranged to give VI