The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-11
LAST OF THE MODOCS
TO LEASE THE QUAPAw RE-
 SERVATIoN.
Some Interesting "Reminiscences of the Fight Between Capt. Jack and the Soldiers of United States
 in Vava Beds Years Ago.

The Washington correspondent of The New York Evening Post sends his paper the following interesting story:
 Tle news that the last remnant of the once cumulative and dreaded Modoc tribe are preparing to remove from the little corner of the Quapaw Indian Territory, to which they and their companions of the Lava Beds massacre were consigned as prisoners, calls up some weird and not altogether pleasant memories.
 The Modocs were cut out by nature for 'irreconcilables," or, in modern parlance, "kickers.'' They were never satisfied with anything-even the rule of their own kinsmeL of the Klamath tribe in Southern Oregon. After throwing off the yoke and wandering about the Pacific Coast In search of other Indians and isolated white settlers to prey upon, they were soundly whipped by a detachment of United States troops. But they had not yet had enough; and presently they made another outbreak, led by their war chief, Captain Jack, and attacked the ranch of a settler named Brotherton, killed the head of the family, his two adult sons, and hired man. and laid siege to the ranch house in whi-h Mrs. Brotherton had taken refuge vith her two little boys. She was a woman of great courage, and with her own hands barricaded all the possible ept- nrances to the building, armed both boys with rifles and took one herself and held the fort for twenty-four hours. killing two of the band afd wounding six
 As soon as the Indians had raised the siege and made off, Mrs. Brotherton and her sons slipped out of the cabin, and. be- tween walking and running, managed to gain military camp some twenty miles away, and gave the alarm. General Can- by the local commander at once organ ized an expedition under Lieut.. Col. Frank Wheaton-now a retired Major General-to fierce the Indians out of the lava beds where they were intrenchIng themselves, and back to the reservation. Wheaton appeared to have thought rath- CT lightly of the task, for. in a letter ac- Knowledging receipt of his orders, he said: T have 400 men ready to start for the lava beds All are enthusiastic. We will meet Captain Jack about day after tomorrow. and think that MT. Jack will soon report to Fort Klamath, lashed to the pommel of my saddle" He was so sure that he urged the Indian Office to make the necessary arrangements in ad- vance for taking care of the prisoners.
 He had counted without his host. True, all his preparations had been carefully made for surrounding Captain Jack s stronghold and attacking it at daybreak the morning after the arrival of the troops; but Jack was too much of gen. eral to submit to that. About sunset, and without warning, he gave the signal to his warriors to begin the battle them selves. The Modocs were fairly well arm ed and understood handling their weap- ons; and from behind every jutting lump of lava came a shot which told. The troops. taken wholly by surprise, returned the fire wildly and as soon as night fell. were glad to retire with the loss of eight killed and twenty wounded men, and thir- ty head of horses, abandoning their wag- on train entirely and retreating to ranch thirty miles distant
 Defeat of White Soldiers.
 The result of this first encounter, which occurred in January, 1873. spread dismay throughout the region. Rein forcements were hurried forth from the nearest point. until a body of 900 addi- tional regulars had reported to Wheaton, and Colonel A. C. Gillem, of the cavalry, followed to take command. Meanwhile however, the press of the east, at the instance of leading advocates of the "peace policy" which had recently come into vogue. made so loud an outcry against further bloodshed that the Wash ington authorities countermanded Gil- lem's orders for a fresh expedition, and the president appointed A. B. Meacham of Oregon, A. M. Peterborough of Cali fornia. and a Methodist clergyman nam ed Thomas as a peace commission to