Introduction

¹John Charles Frémont, Memoirs of My Life (2 vols., Chicago, 1887), 1, 480-91. On his northbound trip Frémont camped at the southeastern corner of Tule Lake, May 1, and named it Rhett Lake in honor of Barnwell Rhett of South Carolina. Later he named Lost River after a boyhood friend, one McCrady.

²Dale Morgan, ed., Overland in 1846, Diaries and Letters of the California-Oregon Trail (2 vols., Georgetown, California, 1963), 1, 80-82, quoting Lindsay Applegate.

³Ibid., p. 183, quoting Virgil Pringle, an immigrant of that year.

⁴There is some doubt about the exact location of Bloody Point today. See enclosed map, "Lost River Battle, Nov. 29, 1872." Conversation with Mr. Francis S. Landrum, Klamath Falls, Oregon, May 1967. Col. Jefferson C. Davis, in 1873, referred to it as " Murder Point." House Documents, 43rd Congress, 1st session, No. 122, p. 105.

⁵There are several secondary descriptions of the attack and counterattacks of that fall, nearly all of them exaggerating the number of white travelers killed. One of the better accounts is Harry L. Wells, "The Ben Wright Massacre," The West Shore, 10 (1884), 314-20. Keith A. Murray, The Modocs and Their War (Norman, 1949), pp. 19-27, discusses the events of 1851 and 1852 in considerable detail, with the aid of secondary sources. An unusual defense of Ben Wright appeared in the Army and Navy Journal, May 3, 1873, p. 603; it quoted the Sacramento Union to the effect that Wright was not even in the Modoc country in 1852. In 1863, Major C. S. Drew, 1st Cavalry, Oregon Volunteers, stated that from 1846 to 1863, 151 persons were killed and about 300 wounded in the vicinity of Bloody Point, House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 105.

⁶Theodore Stern, The Klamath Tribe, A People and Their Reservation (Seattle, 1965), pp. 4-23.

⁷Flora, fauna, geology, and physical geography are discussed in Workers of the Writers' Program, WPA, Oregon, End of the Trail, American Guide Series (Portland, 1940), pp. 9-28; and Verne F. Ray, Primitive Pragmatists, The Modoc Indians of Northern California (Seattle, 1963), p. xi.

Chapter One

¹Stern, p. 39; Murray, pp. 35-39.

²Jeff C. Riddle, The Indian History of the Modoc War, and the Causes That led To It (n.p., 1914), pp. 260-61; Stern, p. 39; Hubert Howe Bancroft, History of Oregon (2 Vols., San Francisco, 1888), 2, 557. Stern argues implausibly that Steele believed that most Modoc territory was in California. Bancroft says that Steele knew the Oregon Superintendency was preparing for a treaty.

³Ray, pp. 225-26; Murray, pp. 35 and 41. Murray claims that Elijah Steele gave Captain Jack his nickname, calling him after a Yreka citizen. Richard H. Dillon, ed., William Henry Boyle's Personal Observations on the Conduct of the Modoc War (Los Angeles, n.d.), p. 66, suggests that Jack earned his name because of his fondness for military buttons and insignia.

⁴National Park Service, Soldier and Brave (New York, 1963), pp. 39-40.

⁵Historians have considered Knapp to be a representative of the army, which did have a number of officers serving as agents. It would seem, however, that Knapp lost this tie almost as soon as he entered upon his duties as agent. Murray, p. 45; Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army . . . 1789 . . . 1903 (2 vols., Washington, 1903), 1, 605; Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs . . . 1870 (Washington, 1870), pp. 52 and 67.

⁶An example of Knapp's hostility toward Meacham may be found in his report for 1870. Describing the successful effort to return Captain Jack's hand to the reservation, Knapp listed Meacham (whose contributions to the success were considerable) as "others." Ibid., p. 68.

⁷Ibid., pp. 54 and 68. Most of the Modocs left with Jack at this time. However, during the next two years many of them drifted back to the reservation, only a few still remaining with Jack at the outbreak of hostilities. Murray, p. 58.

⁸Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs . . . 1870, p. 54; and 1871 (Washington, 1872), p. 300. A few writers have mistakenly concluded that Oliver Applegate was the special commissary in charge at Yainax. Oliver did help the various agents from time to time and at the outbreak of the war was in charge of the Modocs on the reservation. Ivan Applegate lost Captain Jack's favor in 1871 when he caused a warrant to be issued for Jack's arrest in connection with the killing of a medicine man. Murray, pp. 62 and 82; Dillion, pp. 60-61; and Riddle, p. 254.

⁹Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs . . . 1871, pp. 305-06; and 1872, p. 65. By 1871, Captain Jack's band had been influenced and strengthened in its ideas by the new Indian "Dreamer" religion, which promised that the Indians would recover all their lands and destroy the whites. Murray, pp. 63-65; Wheaton to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, May 6, 1873, in Olaf T. Hagen, "Modoc War, Official Correspondence of Documents, 1865-1878," typescript; Stern, p. 114.

¹⁰Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs . . . 1872, pp. 361 and 373; and 1873 (Washington, 1874), p. 13; National Archives (hereafter cited as NA), Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 21, A. B. Meacham to Canby, Jan. 25, 1872.

¹¹Much is yet to be learned about the roles played by several groups of whites in the area. Suggestions have been made that whites in Yreka stood to make money selling ammunition and supplies to the Modocs if they went to war. Others have suggested the Yreka business men wanted the Modocs to remain close at hand and at peace because of their regular trade. Still others have suggested that several cattlemen in the Lost River area had not yet got title to their lands and were anxious to have Captain Jack's band remain there as a means of scaring off other potential settlers. Once the land Selection List was approved in 1872, and the original settlers had their claims approved, they no longer needed the Modocs and now urged the government to remove them. One of the most influential men involved in land acquisition at this time was Jesse D. Carr of California. By the eve of the Modoc war, Carr had acquired the beginnings of his vast holdings east of Tule Lake. At that time Jesse Applegate, Lindsay's brother, had run into trouble in Oregon courts and was living on the Carr ranch at Clear Lake. Carr's biographer, Robert B. Johnston, has found no evidence to support the idea that Carr encouraged the Modocs so as to scare off competitors. Alfred B. Meacham, Wigwam and War-Path, or the Royal Chief in Chains (Boston, 1875), p. 362; J. P. Dunn, Massacres of the Mountains, A History of the Indian Wars of the Far West (New York, 1886), p. 549; Colonel William Thompson, Reminiscences of a Pioneer (San Francisco, 1912), pp. 85-86; Robert B. Johnston, letter to Park Historian Harry V. Sproull, Lava Beds NM, March 18, 1966; Kenneth McLeod, Klamath Falls, Oregon, oral interview, 1961, typescript at Lava Beds NM; conversation by writer with Mr. Francis Landrum, Klamath Falls, Ore., May 27, 1967; Canby, "Confidential" letter, to CO, Dist. of Lakes, Feb., 1872, in Hagen; Capt. R. F. Bernard to Maj. S. Buck, AAG, Dept. of California, Jan. 26, 1873. in Hagen; Bancroft, 2, 587n.

¹²John McAllister Schofield graduated from West Point in 1853 and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the 1st Artillery. A captain at the beginning of the Civil War, he swiftly rose to major general in the Volunteers. In 1892 he received a Medal of Honor for action during the Civil War. In 1864, he became a brigadier general in the regular army. From May 1868 to March 1869, he served as Secretary of War during the Johnson administration. Promoted to major general in March 1869, he continued to follow a distinguished career. From 1888 to 1895, he served as commander in chief of the US Army. He became a lieutenant general in 1895 and soon after retired. Died 1906. Heitman, 1, 865 Dictionary of American Biography (20 vols, New York, 1943), 16, 452-54 (hereafter cited as DAB).

¹³Edward Richard Sprigg Canby graduated from the Military Academy in 1839, whereupon he was appointed a 2nd lieutenant in the 2nd Infantry. A colonel in the 19th Infantry at the outbreak of the Civil War, he was a major general of Volunteers by the end of hostilities. He was breveted twice in the Mexican War, and twice during the Civil War. He had commanded the Division of the Pacific before the Civil War but afterwards was out-ranked by Schofield. His career during the war embraced everything from restoring order in New York City following the draft riots in 1863 to command of the Military Division of West Mississippi, i.e., the Gulf States and the Southwest, where he was severely wounded. His tragic death at the Lava Beds in 1873 stunned the nation. Heitman, 1 279; Bancroft, 2, 614n; DAB, 3, 468-69; Max L. Heyman, Jr., Prudent Soldier, A Biography of Major General E. R. S. Canby, 1817-1873 (Glendale, 1959); J. F. Santee, "Edward R. S. Canby, Modoc War, 1873," Oregon Historical Quarterly, 33 (1932), 70-78 (hereafter cited as OHQ.)

¹⁴Francis Paul Prucha, A Guide to the Military Posts of the United States, 1789-1895 (Madison, 1964), pp. 82-83 and 114. Fort Klamath was established by Oregon Volunteers in 1863. Its principal mission was to influence the Klamaths and to maintain peace between them and the whites. Camp Warner was established in 1866. By 1872, it had been relocated northeast of Tule Lake and 35 miles north of the California border. Because of the Modoc War, the District of the Lakes was reorganized to include Fort Klamath, and eventually headquarters moved to it from Warner.

¹⁵1st Lt. Caziarc, AAAG, Dept. of Columbia, to CO, Dist. of Lakes, Feb. 16, 1872, in Hagen; NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 21, Meacham to Canby, Jan. 25; Canby to Meacham, Feb. 5; Canby to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Feb. 7; Meacham to Canby, Feb. 9; Canby to Meacham, Feb. 17; Maj. G. Hunt, CO, Ft. Klamath, to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Feb, 18; Meacham to Canby, Feb. 19, and 22; and Otis to Canby, March 10, 1872.

¹⁶NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 21, Otis to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, April 13; "Abstract of Proceedings of Conference . . . Captain Jack . . . 3rd April, 1872, and . . . Conference at Linkville"; Canby to AAG, Div. of Pacific, April 13; Secretary of War to Secretary of Interior, May 2, 1872.

¹⁷The Yreka Union, April 27 and May 4, 1872.

¹⁸Special Order No. (?), Dist of Lakes, May 3; Otis to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, May 11; and Caziarc to CO, Ft. Klamath, May 22, 1872; all in Hagen.

¹⁹Murray, p. 72. Ivan Applegate suggested to Odeneal that the Indians not be moved before winter.

²⁰John ("Uncle Johnnie") Green was born in Germany. He enlisted in the Mounted Rifles in time for the Mexican War. Commissioned in the 2nd Dragoons in 1855, he remained with the cavalry throughout his career. Breveted twice during the Civil War, he was promoted to major in 1868. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1889, disappointed at not having his own regiment. After retirement he was breveted to brigadier general, 1890, and in 1897 awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the first battle for the Stronghold. 1873. Died at Boise Barracks, Idaho, 1908. Heitman, 1, 473; Cyrus Townsend Brady, Northwestern Fights and Fighters, American Fights and Fighters Series (New York, 1916), p. 293; Walter F. Beyer and Oscar F. Keydel, Deeds of Valor, How America's Heroes Won the Medal of Honor (2 vols., Detroit, 1902), 2, 171 and 173; NA, Congressional Medal of Honor File — John Green.

²¹Orders No. 67, Ft. Klamath. Sept. 1; and Green to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Oct. 5, 1872; both in Hagen. NA, Record Group (hereafter cited as RG) 98, Ft. Klamath Letter Books, vol. 8, June 3, 1872-Dec. 31, 1873, Green to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Aug. 28, 1872.

²²Army and Navy Journal, Sept. 28, 1872, p. 100; Caziarc to CO, Dist. of Lakes, Sept. 10, 1872. in Hagen.

²³Having served on the US-Mexico Boundary Commission for five years as a civilian, Frank Wheaton entered the Army with the grade of 1st lieutenant in the 1st Cavalry, 1885. During the Civil War he was promoted to brigadier general in the Volunteers and breveted to major general. Following the war he was assigned to the infantry, serving in the 39th, 21st, and 2nd Regiments, in that order. In 1872 he was a lieutenant colonel in the Twenty-first. He retired in 1897 with grade of major general. Heitman, 1, 1022; DAB, 20, 38-39.

²⁴NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, Caziarc to GO, Dist. of Lakes, Oct. 30, 1872.

²⁵Wheaton to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Nov. 14, 1872, in Hagen; NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, 1st Lt. Adams, AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, to GO, Ft. Klamath, Nov. 14, 1872; Ft. Klamath Letter Books, vol. 8, 1872-73, Green to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Nov. 25, 1872.

Chapter Two

¹NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, Odeneal to "Sir", Nov. 27, 1872. So few were the Modocs who fought the troops that almost every man came to prominence during the war. Black Jim and Scarfaced Charley will appear again in this narrative. The latter is said to have acquired his name as a boy when he cut his face in a fall from a stagecoach. Murray, p. 85.

²Brady, p. 264, quoting Boutelle. Frazier Augustus Boutelle joined the Civil War army as a quartermaster sergeant. Commissioned in 1862, he became a captain in the Volunteers. After the war, he reverted to the enlisted ranks of the regular army. Commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in 1869, he retired in 1895 with the grade of captain. He received a brevet 1st lieutenancy for the Modoc War. James Jackson was also an enlisted man in the Civil War, but received a regular army commission in 1863. He received two brevets during the war, and another one (lieutenant colonel) for the Modoc War. In 1896 he was awarded a Medal of Honor for action during the Nez Perce War, 1877. Retired in 1897 with the grade of lieutenant colonel. Heitman, 1, 233 and 567.

³Brady, p. 261, quoting Capt. James Jackson.

⁴Brady, p. 264. It should be noted that Boutelle was a second lieutenant in 1872. When writing to Brady about the Modoc War many years later, Boutelle tended to sound as if his were the one cool brain present. Such are the advantages of hindsight.

⁵NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 21, Orders No. 96, Hdqrs., Ft. Klamath, Nov. 28, 1872.

⁶Ibid; Brady, pp. 264 and 273; Jackson to Green, Dec. 2, 1872, in Hagen.

⁷Meacham, pp. 366-67; Map, Site of Lost River battle, History File, Lava Beds NM. Throughout the Modoc War the Army found it impossible to believe it was fighting so few Indians. Twenty years after the Lost River fight Jackson would still claim he attacked a village of 120 warriors. Brady, p. 258.

⁸Several months later, Scarfaced Charley told Boutelle that he had fired his gun accidentally at this time. Boutelle believed him. Applegate stated that the shot was meant as a signal for the sleeping camp. Brady, pp. 266 and 274-75.

⁹Alfred B. Meacham, Wi-Ne-Ma, (The Woman Chief), and Her People (Hartford, 1876, p. 81; Riddle, pp. 46-47.

¹⁰In addition to the sources already cited, the following were relied upon for the Lost River Battle: NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, Jackson to Green, Nov. 30; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, pp. 42-44, Jackson to Green, Dec. 2, 1872; Brady, pp. 261-63, Jackson, 264-69, Boutelle, and 273-76, Ivan Applegate; NA, RG 98, Regimental Returns, 1st Cavalry, Dec. 1872-Jan. 1873.

¹¹Riddle, pp. 46-47; Meacham, Wi-Ne-Ma, p. 80; Oliver Applegate, "The Battle on the East Side of Lost River," in Hagen. There is some confusion over first names for some of the civilians, e.g. Murray, p. 89, gives Nus' name as Wendolen.

¹²It is difficult to compile a list of those killed. Known deaths included William Boddy, William Cravigan (also called Boddy, Jr.), Richard Cravigan (also called Boddy), Nicholas Schira (Schearer), Henry Miller, William Brotherton, W. K. Brotherton, Rufus Brotherton, John Shroeder, John Tober (Sover), ______ Collins, Robert Alexander, Adam Shillingbow, and Christopher Erasmus. Bancroft, 2, 576, 576n, and 577n; Jackson to Green, Dec. 2, 1872, in Hagen; The Yreka Union, Dec. 7, 1872.

¹³Meacham, Wigwam, p. 509. As soon as Green learned of the fight, he ordered Company F, 21st Infantry, under 1st Sgt. John McNamara, to go to Jackson's aid. Orders No. 94, Ft. Klamath, Nov. 30, 1872 in Hagen.

¹⁴The principal sources used for the fight on the east bank and the aftermath of the Battle of Lost River are: Jackson to Green, Dec. 2, 1872; Oliver Applegate, "The battle on the East side of Lost River"; Wheaton to Odeneal, Nov. 29; Orders No. 94, Ft. Klamath, Nov. 30; Orders No. 95, Ft. Klamath, Dec. 1; 1st Lt. Adams, Camp Warner, to CO, Ft. Klamath, Dec. 1; Green to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Dec. 3; Gov. Grover to Canby, Dec. 4; Wheaton to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Dec. 5; Canby to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Dec. 10; Schofield to AG, Washington, Dec. 13, 1872; and Canby to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Jan. 15, 1873, all in Hagen; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Schofield to AG, Washington, Dec. 17, 1872; NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, Adams to Green, Nov. 29; and Jackson to Green, Nov. 30, 1872; Army and Navy Journal , Dec. 7, 1872, p.265; The Yreka Union, Dec. 7,1872; Brady, pp. 267-69; Bancroft, 2, 573, 573n, and 577; La Fayette Grover, Report of Governor Grover to General Schofield on the Modoc War (Salem, 1874), p. 8.

Chapter Three

¹NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letter Books, vol. 8, 1872-73, Green to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Dec. 3, 1872.

²Unfortunately, the regimental returns of the 12th and 21st Infantry are not at this time available for study. Thus, it is not possible always to determine exact strength figures.

³NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, Adams to Capt. R. F. Bernard, Dec. 3, 1872. At this time the Army had not yet adopted officially "Troop" as a cavalry designation. However cavalrymen already used it freely, and it is used throughout this report to help clarify which unit is being discussed. Since all regular army cavalry units in the Modoc War were from the 1st Cavalry Regiment, this designation will not usually be used, i.e. a reference to Troop F will indicate that it is Troop F of the First Cavalry.

⁴David Perry joined the regular army as a 2nd lieutenant in the 1st Cavalry, 1862. Breveted once during the Civil War, he emerged from it a captain. In 1866 and 1868 he was breveted twice for gallantry in engagements against Indians in eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho. In 1877, he commanded troops of the first battle, and defeat, of the Nez Perce war. The last seven years of his career he served with both Negro cavalry regiments, the 9th and 10th, retiring as a colonel in 1898. John Gowdy Kyle graduated from West Point in 1870 and was appointed a 2nd lieutenant in the 1st Cavalry. He was severely injured in an accident at Camp Bidwell in 1874. Promoted to 1st lieutenant in 1876, he died the following year. Heitman, 1, 610 and 785.

⁵Reuben Frank Bernard began his army career as an enlisted man in the 1st Dragoons in 1855. An expert blacksmith, he developed a reputation for his skill in handling horses. Commissioned in the 1st Cavalry early in the Civil War, he emerged from it with the regular army grade of 1st lieutenant and the brevet grade of colonel. Promoted to captain in 1866, he retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1896. Before his retirement he was awarded the brevet grade of brigadier general for actions against Indians in both Arizona and Oregon. According to a sketch of his military career, Bernard participated in 103 battles and skirmishes. Heitman, 1, 214; Dillon, pp. 62-63.

⁶NA, RG, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, Adams to Bernard, Dec. 3, 1872.

⁷Canby to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Dec. 3, 1872, in Hagen. Edwin Cooley Mason entered the Volunteers as a captain in 1861. Accepting a commission in the regular army a year later, he was a colonel and a brevet brigadier general of Volunteers by the end of the war. Assigned to the 21st Infantry as a major in 1871, he retired as colonel of the 3d Infantry, 1895. In 1890 he was awarded the brevet rank of brigadier general, U.S.A., for the Modoc and Nez Perce Wars. Died 1898. Heitman, 1, 694.

⁸Army and Navy Journal, Dec. 28, 1872, p. 313.

⁹Dillon, pp. 15-19.

¹⁰NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, John A. Fairchild, P. A. Dorris, Samul [sic] Cohn, Hot Creek, to Jackson, Dec. 3, 1872.

¹¹1st Lt. E. W. Stone, Jacksonville, to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Dec. 9, 1872, in Hagen; Murray, pp. 97-99.

¹²Grover, pp. 3 and 10.

¹³Ibid., pp. 31-32. Only part of Company B made the move; Applegate still had the rest of it at Yainax.

¹⁴Orders No. 98, Ft. Klamath, Dec. 8; and Green to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Dec. 9, 1872, in Hagen. NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath, Letters Received, Adams to Green, Dec. 5; and Bernard to Green, Dec. 8, 1872. Henry McElderry entered the army as a private in 1863, but soon became a hospital steward. After serving as a "medical cadet" for one year, he was appointed assistant surgeon in 1866. He won a brevet to major in 1890 for action in Texas and in the Modoc War. In 1884, he was promoted to major surgeon. Died on active duty, 1898. Heitman, 1, 664.

¹⁵The Oregon Volunteers left Van Brimmer's on December 19 and camped at William J. Small's ranch near Whittle's Ferry on the Klamath River, about 12 miles southwest of Linkville. They returned to Van Brimmer's, December 22. Grover, pp. 33-34.

¹⁶These scouts were authorized by Canby on December 10. Apparently, they were recruited by Oliver Applegate and outfitted by Fort Klamath. NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, telegram, Wood to CO, Dist. of Lakes and CO, Ft. Klamath, Dec. 10, 1872; and Oliver Applegate to CO, Ft. Klamath, Dec. 24, 1872.

¹⁷Stone to AAAG, Dept. of Columbia, Dec. 9; Field Orders No. 1, Hdqrs., Crawley's Ranch, Dec. 13; telegram, Wheaton to Canby, Dec. 15 and Dec. 26, 1872, all in Hagen. NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, telegram, Wood to CO, Dist. of Lakes, Dec. 10; and Applegate to CO, Ft. Klamath, Dec. 24, 1872; Army and Navy Times, Dec. 28, 1872, p. 308.

¹⁸Mason to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Dec. 25, 1872, in Hagen.

¹⁹The Yreka Union, Dec. 28, 1872.

²⁰Form 55, List of Wounded, Actg. Asst. Surg. Jno. B. White. Pvt. William G. Donahue was hit with a bullet one inch "below spine of the illium." He died Dec. 22. Pvt. Sidney A. Smith was hit three times: left temporal, abdomen, and left leg. "This man was found by the roadside after the engagement. Entirely naked, scalped, and with both ears cut off."

²¹The Yreka Union reported on Jan. 4, 1873, that the Modocs lit a fire and danced a victory dance in sight of Bernard's camp that night.

²²This account has drawn on: The Yreka Union, Dec. 28, 1872; Dillon, pp. 20-21 and 20n; Wheaton to Canby, Dec. 26, 1872, in Hagen; NA, RG 98, Regimental Returns, 1st Cav., Dec. 1872; and Ft. Klamath Letters Received, Adams to CO, Ft. Klamath, Dec. 21, 1872. In the Hagen typescript there is a reference to "Lands burnt Ranch." The original report, in NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 21, has been checked and the middle word does not appear to be "burnt." Unfortunately, I was unable to decipher the word, unless it is "branch." If so, it might imply that the creek on which the ranch was located was called Land's Branch.

²³Mason at this time was more optimistic. He reported 60 rounds per infantryman, and 40 for each trooper. Wheaton to Canby, Dec. 26; and Mason to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Dec. 25, both in Hagen.

²⁴"Form 2, Invoice of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores . . . for transportation to Major John Green," in Hagen. The form contains the following:

2 12 Pdr Mountain Howitzers, Bronze, Cal 4.62"
2 carriages for 12 Pdr MH with Thills, complete
2 fuze gauges for Bormason [ Bormann?] fuze
10 ammunition chests for MH, complete
2 gunner's haversacks
5 pack saddles and bridles
2 lanyards
2 priming wires, field
2 sponges and hammers for 12 pdr MH
2 thumb stalls
2 tubs pouches
1 vent cover
48 shell, 12 Pdr MH, strapped and fixed
204 spherical case shot, 12 Pdr MH strapped and fixed
48 canister shot 12 Pdr MH strapped and fixed
400 friction primers
29 boxes, packing

²⁵NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 21, Wheaton to Canby, Jan. 15, 1873; The Yreka Union, Jan. 4 and 11, 1873.

²⁶Grover, pp. 34-35. Jan 5, Captain Kelly, with 10 men from Co. A, OV, and 5 scouts, exchanged fire with 18-20 Modocs. Jan. 12, Major Green led a patrol from Troop F and Co. B, OV, that "had a lively brush with the enemy, at the top of the bluff."

²⁷NA, Microfilm, 1871, Roll 21, Wheaton to Canby, Jan. 15, 1873. Canby, still at Portland, was now acting commander of the Military Division of the Pacific. General Schofield had left temporarily for the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) on a diplomatic mission—although some thought it was for his health. Army and Navy Journal, Jan. 11, 1873, p. 345; DAB, 16, 452-54.

Chapter Four

¹General Field Order No. 1, Hdqrs., Dist of Lakes and . . . in Modoc country, Dec. 20, 1872; and Wheaton to Canby (containing General Field Order No. 3, Jan. 12, 1873) , Feb. 7, 1873, both in Hagen.

²Superseded in command by 1st Lt. J. M. Ross, who arrived at Van Brimmer's with 19 additional infantrymen Jan. 15, 1873. NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 21, Wheaton to Canby, Jan. 15, 1873.

³This detachment is not considered to be a separate unit in the reports. Apparently it was absorbed by one or both of the two companies.

⁴The California Volunteers did not appear in General Field Order No. 3; but they did take part in the battle.<.P>

⁵The Yreka Union, Dec. 21, 1872.

⁶Ibid., Jan. 25, 1873; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Green to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Jan. 25, 1873.

⁷Ibid.

⁸Ibid., Bernard to Green, Jan. 19, 1873.

⁹House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Green to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Jan. 25; and Mason to Green, Jan. 21, 1873.

¹⁰Ibid.; J. N. Terwilliger, "Letter," Winners of the West, Apr. 30, 1926, p. 4.

¹¹Murray, p. 122.

¹²Wheaton to Canby, Feb. 7, 1873, in Hagen; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Green to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Jan. 25, 1873; and Brady, p. 296.

¹³House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Green to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Jan. 25; and Mason to Green, Jan. 21, 1873; Brady, p. 296; Dillon, p. 25.

¹⁴Ibid. The fog had begun thinning at 2 p.m. By 5 p.m. the air was clear.

¹⁵Wheaton to Canby, Feb. 7, 1873, in Hagen; Thompson, pp. 100-01; The Yreka Union, Jan. 25, 1873; and Dillon, p. 24.

¹⁶Wheaton to Canby, Feb. 7, 1873, in Hagen; Grover, pp. 37-39; Dillon, pp. 24-26 and 30; and Thompson, pp. 102-06. A strong defense of the Oregon Volunteers is found in Captain Applegate's official report to Ross, Feb. 2, 1873, in Hagen. Applegate says he never got the order to move around the Stronghold by the left flank.

¹⁷House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Green to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Jan. 25, 1873; Army and Navy Journal, Jan. 25, 1873, p. 377; Stern, p. 83; Dillon, pp. 27-30; Terwilliger, Winners of the West, Apr. 30, 1926, p. 4; Col. William Haven Miller, "Incidents of the Modoc War," ins.

¹⁸These figures were compiled from: Wheaton to Canby, Jan. 19, 1873; List of Wounded prepared by Asst. Surg. H. McElderry, forwarded by Dept. of Columbia, Feb. 5, 1873, both in Hagen; NA, RG 98, Regimental Returns, 1st Cavalry, January, 1873; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Green to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Jan. 25, 1873; Grover, p. 39.

¹⁹From Asst. Surg. McElderry's report, which includes details on the regulars only. It is not certain if the two Ore. Vol. bodies were left behind. They probably were, due to the hasty retreat.

²⁰Army and Navy Journal, Jan. 25, 1873, p. 377.

²¹Wheaton to Canby, Jan. 19, 1873, in Hagen.

Chapter Five

¹Riddle, p. 56. Among the weapons were "Spencer sporting rifles, old patent Henry rifles, Remington rifles, and Ballard rifles."

²Grover, p. 40; A. Applegate to Ross, Feb. 2; and 1st Lt. J. H. Hyzer to O. Applegate, Jan. 22, 1873; both in Hagen.

³Hyzer, ibid.; Army and Navy Journal, Feb. 22, 1873, p. 437.

⁴Thompson, p. 107.

⁵Dillon, p. 29.

⁶Army and Navy Journal, Jan. 25, 1873, p. 374.

⁷House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 46, Canby, telegram to AG, Washington, Jan. 20, 1873. Troop K was to stop temporarily in Surprise Valley, near Camp Bidwell. It departed there for the lava beds, Feb. 8. Company B, and probably Company C, 12th Infantry, came from the Presidio. Battery E, 4th Artillery, was from Ft. Stevens at the month of the Columbia.

⁸Boyle said the boats would be equipped with mortars, which would fire from the lake. Wheaton said only they were to haul howitzers. The two flatboats were to be purchased, the others built at Tule Lake. Dillon, pp. 29 and 31; Wheaton, telegram to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Jan. 31; and Stone, telegram to Canby, Jan. 31, 1873, both in Hagen.

⁹Murray, p. 132, puts forth the thesis that Gillem was not popular with his fellow officers because his friendship with Johnson brought about his swift rise in the Volunteers. If Gillem was unpopular, it was not because of his swift rise — which took four years, 1861-65. Many other regular army officers rose further much more swiftly during the Civil War. If anything, Gillem lagged behind. Murray also contends that Gillem's career suffered once Johnson left office. The military record does not imply this. Gillem became a regular army colonel, which was not unusual for officers of his grade and experience. It is true that Gillem was not popular with the Radical Congress, for he was of the Lincoln-Johnson school concerning reconstruction. Concerning the Modoc War, Gillem was not unpopular until he started losing the battles. Even then, though there was a sharp drop of confidence in his tactics and strategy, observers continued to think of him as a kindly gentleman — a characteristic that may have been a disadvantage to his leadership. Heitman, 1, 457; Dillon, pp. 69-70; DAB, 7, 287-88; Klamath County Museum, Research Papers No. 2, "The Samuel A. Clarke Papers."

¹⁰Wheaton, telegram to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, received Jan. 27, 1873, in Hagen; Dillon, p. 33, wherein Boyle says the wagons were partly burnt; Army and Navy Journal, Feb. 15, 1873, p. 425; The Yreka Union, Feb. 1, 1873, which stated one Modoc killed and three wounded.

¹¹AG Townsend to Sherman; and Sherman, telegram to Canby, Jan. 30, 1873, both in Hagen.

¹²DAB, 5, 217-18.

¹³Murray, pp. 135-37.

¹⁴John Quincy Adams served in the army during the Civil War, gaining experience in the Signal Corps. In 1867 he accepted a commission as second lieutenant in the 1st Cavalry. He retired in 1896 with the grade of captain. Heitman, 1, 153.

¹⁵Wheaton to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Feb. 5, 1873, in Hagen; Army and Navy Journal, Feb. 8, 1873, p. 404. Reported to be on Jack's side were Scarfaced Charley, Black Jim, and Big Dick. Others in the opposition included Bogus Charley and Ellen's Man George.

¹⁶Wheaton, telegram to Canby, Feb. 1; and letter to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Feb. 3, 1873, both in Hagen.

¹⁷Bernard to Maj . S. Burk, AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Jan. 26, 1873, in Hagen.

¹⁸Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1873, in Hagen; NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath Letters Received, Camp at Lost River, General Orders No. 4, Feb. 8, 1873. The Dept. of Columbia did not cut orders on Gillem's assumption of command until Mar. 4, NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 20, General Orders No. 2, Hdqrs., Dept. of Columbia, Mar. 4, 1873.

¹⁹Gillem to Canby, Feb. 9, 1873, in Hagen.

²⁰Meacham, Wigwam, pp. 422-25; Annual Report of Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1873, p. 74; Oliver Knight, Following the Indian Wars, The Story of the Newspaper Correspondents Among the Indian Campaigns (Norman, 1960), pp. 115-17. Both Frank and Toby Riddle accompanied A. B. Meacham on a speaking tour of the United States after the Modoc War. Meacham made Mrs. Riddle the heroine of his book Wi-Ne-Ma, cited elsewhere in this study. The title is Meacham's name for Toby Riddle. The Riddle's son, Jeff S. Riddle, wrote The Indian History of the Modoc War, also cited in this report.

²¹Annual Report of Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1873, p. 74.

²²Knight, p. 155.

²³Ibid., pp. 109 and 128. Other correspondents to visit the Stronghold after Fox were Robert D. Bogart and H. Wallace Atwell (both from the San Francisco Chronicle), and Alex McKay (representing both the San Francisco Evening Bulletin and the Yreka Union.)

²⁴An example of Oregon's fear that a peace would be arranged by which the Modocs would go unpunished is found in Governor Grover's telegram to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Mar. 6, 1873, in Hagen: "I protest on behalf of the State of Oregon against the consumation [sic] of any treaty with the Modoc Indians which shall screen from trial and punishment those savages . . . indicated for the murder of eighteen peaceable citizens."

²⁵J. M. McCall, Ashland, Ore., to 0. Applegate, Feb. 21, 1873, in Hagen; Knight, pp. 135-38. Bogart was eventually recalled by the Chronicle and later was court martialed by the U.S. Navy on an embezzling charge.

²⁶Jesse Applegate to H. R. Clum, Actg. Comm. Indian Affairs, Feb. 26, 1873, in Hagen. "Sage of Yoncalla" is quoted in Dorothy O. Johansen and Charles M. Gates, Empire of the Columbia, A History of the Pacific Northwest (New York, 1967), p. 244.

²⁷Meacham, Wigwam, pp. 427-29; Meacham, telegram to Delano, Mar. 4; and Delano, telegram to Meacham, Mar. 5, 1873, in Hagen.

²⁸Meacham, Wigwam, pp. 432-36; Meacham telegram to Clum, Mar. 7; Canby to Sherman, Mar. 8; Canby, telegram to Sherman, Mar. 11; Meacham, telegram to Clum, Mar. 11; Canby, telegram to Sherman, Mar. 13, 1873, all in Hagen.

²⁹NA, RG 48, Office, Secretary of Interior, Special File, Modoc War, Folder 30, Meacham to Clum, Mar. 8, 1873.

³⁰Dillon, p. 76; Meacham to Clum, Mar. 24; Sherman, telegram to Canby, Mar. 24, 1873, both in Hagen.

³¹NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 21, Canby, telegrams to Sherman, Mar. 14 and 17; RG 48, Office, Secretary of Interior, Special File, Modoc War, Canby to Sherman, Mar. 17,1873.

³²James Biddle entered on active duty as a first lieutenant in a New York regiment, 1861. He emerged from the Civil War as a colonel and brevet brigadier general of Volunteers. He had accepted a regular army commission as captain in 1862 and after the war served in the 24th (old) and 11th Infantry. In 1870, he transferred to the 1st Cavalry. After he arrived at the lava beds in 1873, he was promoted to major and transferred (on paper only for the time being) to a vacancy in the 6th Cavalry. He retired in 1896 with the grade of colonel. His name is familiar to students of western history because of his wife, Ellen McGowan Biddle, who wrote Reminiscences of a Soldier's Wife (Philadelphia, 1907). Heitman, 1, 217.

³³Maurice Fitzgerald, "The Modoc War, Reminiscences . . ., " Americana, 21 (Oct., 1927), 498-521; a typed copy at Lava Beds NM was used in this report. NA, RG 98, Regimental Returns, 1st Cavalry, Jan. & Feb., 1873; Biddle, p. 101. Mrs. Biddle said that 3 soldiers died from frostbite during this march; however the regimental returns do not show any deaths for Troop K for this period.

³⁴A blow-by-blow description of Hickner's efforts to build the road may be found in the Yreka Union, 1871-72, particularly the issues for Sep. 30, Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and 18, and Dec. 30, 1871, and Apr. 20 and Aug. 31, 1872. Also useful is a description of the road by J. D. Howard, on file at Lava Beds NM. The army employed Tickner as a guide and messenger in 1873 and it is quite possible he was the guide employed by Biddle for this patrol.

³⁵Fitzgerald; The Yreka Union, Mar. 22, 1873; Army and Navy Journal, Mar. 22, 1873. p. 504.

³⁶NA, RG 98, Regimental Returns, 1st Cavalry, March, 1873; Canby, telegram to AAG, Washington, Mar. 24, 1873, in Hagen; Knight, p. 140; Fitzgerald; Dillon, p. 64.

³⁷Jackson's Troop B did not leave the camp at Lost River until March 29, several days after Mason had led the infantry companies to Clear Lake. Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen.

³⁸Although the regimental returns continued to refer to Troop H as a detachment, nearly the whole troop was in action against the Modocs from March on, its strength varying from 33 to 46. Troop F moved from Dorris' ranch to Van Brimmer's, Mar. 25. Troop E, 1st Cavalry, was also enroute from Ft. Lapwai, Ida.; but would not reach the Lava Beds until May, being detained for a time at Camp Harney, Ore. NA, RG 98, Regimental Returns, 1st Cavalry, March-June, 1873.

³⁹Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen.

⁴⁰Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen; Annual Report of Commissioners of Indian Affairs, 1873, p. 76 Murray, p. 168, says this second meeting occurred Saturday, April 5.

⁴¹Meacham to Delano, April 16, 1873, in Hagen; Annual Report of Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1873, p. 77

⁴²Mason to Major Wood, Dept. of Columbia, June 12, 1873, in Hagen. Boston Charley acquired his name because of his light complexion. He was about 22 years old in 1873. A soldier described him as "a stocky little Indian . . . not much over five feet in height; his dress was that worn by the ordinary civilian of the working class — brown coat, calico shirt, dark pants and cap, all a little the worse for wear." Bogus Charley was about the same age. Said to have earned his name because of his penchant for playing jokes on people. Dillon, p. 63; Murray, p. 148; Harper's Weekly, 17 (May 17, 1873) , 415.

⁴³These 8 are named in Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1873, p. 77. Major Mason stated that Bogus Charley did not stop at the tent, but rode directly on to the Stronghold. Mason to Wood, June 12, 1873, in Hagen.

⁴⁴Meacham to Delano, Apr. 16, 1873, in Hagen. A most detailed description of all the incidents that occurred at the meeting and a blow-by-blow account of the attack may be found in Murray, pp. 180-91. Various details may be found in several scattered sources: Mason to Wood, June 12, 1873 (Mason gathered much of his material from Dr. Cabaniss), and Dyer to Clum, Apr. 13, 1873, both in Hagen; Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1873 (Meacham's report, Oct. 5, 1873) , pp. 77-78; and Brady, p. 245. Also useful but colored somewhat by the passage of time is Meacham's lengthy description in Wigwam, pp. 468-500.

⁴⁵William L. Sherwood, a native of New York, entered the army as a second lieutenant in 1867. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1872. Died from wounds received April 11, 1873. Charles Buff Hardin joined the army as a private in August 1872. After his first 5-year enlistment, he returned to civilian life for a year, then reenlisted. In 1882, he accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the 18th Infantry. Retired with the grade of major. Heitman, 1, 500 and 882; Army and Navy Journal, May 3, 1873, p. 603.

⁴⁶This account is taken from two participants, Maj . Charles B. Hardin, in the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting and Dinner of the Order of Indian Wars of the United States, Jan. 24, 1931; and Lt. W. H. Boyle, "Personal Observations on the Conduct of the Modoc War," ins, typescript in Hagen. Pvt. Peter Murphy, Co. I, 21st Inf., was commended for "covering" the two lieutenants. Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen.

⁴⁷House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Gillem to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Apr. 20, 1873.

⁴⁸Fitzgerald's reminiscences.

⁴⁹Knight, p. 143.

⁵⁰Knight, p. 143; Harper's Weekly, 17 (Apr. 26, 1873), 339, and (May 24, 1873), p. 444; Army and Navy Journal, Apr. 19, 1873, p. 568.

⁵¹Riddle, p. 69. Those who sided with Schonchin John included Boston Charley, Bogus Charley, Shacknasty Jim, Ellen's Man, Curleyheaded Doctor, Steamboat Frank, Barncho, and Dave Rock.

⁵²NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 21, Sherman to Schofield, Apr. 13, 1873; Fitzgerald's reminiscences.

⁵³Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen.

Chapter Six

¹House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 79, AG Townsend to Schofield, Apr. 14, 1873.

²Gillem to Canby, Feb. 11 and 13; Canby to Col. J. C. Kelton, AAG, San Francisco, Feb. 17 and 25; and Kelton to Canby, Feb. 19, 20, and 27, and Mar. 26, all in Hagen. The Coehorn mortar was invented by a Dutch military engineer, Baron van Menno Coehorn, in the 17th century. The United States used this small portable mortar in both the Mexican and Civil Wars. It was particularly effective against personnel behind fortifications. Mounted on a heavy wooden block it weighed 296 pounds. Its tube, 5-3/4 inches caliber, had a fixed elevation of 45 degrees. Minimum range — 25 yards; maximum range — 1200 yards. Each shell and its bursting charge weighed 18 pounds, although commonly referred to as a 24-pounder. Francis A. Lord, "The Coehorn Mortar," Civil War Times Illustrated, August 1966, pp. 18-19; Albert Manucy, Artillery Through the Ages, National Park Service Interpretive Series, History No. 3 (Washington, 1949), p. 60.

³Gillem to Canby. Feb. 11, 1873, in Hagen; The Yreka Union, Apr. 12, 1873.

⁴Mason to AAAG, Dist of Lakes, Jan. 27; Bernard to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Jan. 30; and Green to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, Jan. 30, 1873, all in Hagen.

⁵NA, RG 98, Regimental Returns, 1st Cavalry, March and April 1873. Approximate strengths: Troop B—59; Troop G—51; Warm Springs—70. Regimental returns for 21st Infantry not available at this time; each of its 3 companies estimated to be about 40 men present for duty (the strength of the two of them on January 17 was reported to be only 64).

⁶Ibid., and for 4th Artillery. Approximate strengths: Troop F—43, Troop K—67, Troop H—45, Battery A—20, Battery E—45, Battery K—30, Battery M—35. Returns for 12th Infantry also unavailable; estimated strength 40 per company. Although these and the figures in note 5 are but estimates, they are of interest. The Army outnumbered the Modocs at least 10 to 1; still, over the years, there had been a tendency to exaggerate to the point where the Army is said to have had 1000 or more troops, an exaggeration of nearly 50 per cent. The detachment from Troop H remained as a guard at Gillem's Camp. Green to AAG , Dist. of Lakes, June 2, 1873, in Hagen.

⁷Dillon, p. 41; Mason to AAAG, Dist of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen.

⁸Fitzgerald's reminiscences.

⁹Ibid.; House Documents, 43d Congress, 1st Sess., No. 122, Gillem to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Apr. 20, 1873.

¹⁰Ibid.; Miller to 1st Lt. W. H. Winters, June 2, 1873, in Hagen.

¹¹Fitzgerald's reminiscences.

¹²Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874. Murray, p. 212, arrives at a stunning conclusion concerning Mason's unaggressiveness: "Mason must have detested Gillem so much that he wanted the failure of Gillem's plans to bring discredit on his commander." This is a most serious charge and strangely Murray does not offer evidence to support it. To be sure, Mason's command was very unaggressive during this battle. In understanding the cautiousness, perhaps it might be noted that most of Masor's men were veterans of the January 17 fight. The memory of that disaster must have had a certain effect on their minds. Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen.

¹³It is difficult to determine which flank the Modocs fired at. According to Gillem, a copy of Mason's report said it was his left flank; but Gillem had in his possession Mason's "original" dispatch, which read right flank. The conflict arises out of Gillem's futile vendetta against Mason. Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874; Miller to Winters, June 2, 1873; Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, all in Hagen.

¹⁴House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Gillem to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Apr. 20, 1873; Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen; Fitzgerald's reminiscences; Thompson, pp. 115-16. Thompson said that Green and Mason disobeyed orders when they made the northern junction—"I know what I am saying." Although Thompson is not a generally reliable source, he may have been right in this instance. Gillem's reports are worded in such a way that it is not possible to determine if he was consulted or if he approved in advance.

¹⁵Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen.

¹⁶Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen.

¹⁷Figures based on Asst. Surg. Henry McElderry, Form 55, List of Wounded in Maj. John Green's Command, April 15-17; Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, both in Hagen; NA, RG 98, Regimental Returns, 1st Cavalry, 4th Artillery, April 1873; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Gillem to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Apr. 20, 1873.

¹⁸Dillon, p. 45; The Illustrated London News, May 31, 1873, cover; William Simpson, Meeting the Sun: A Journey All Round the World (London, 1874). pp. 364-65 and 376; Army and Navy Journal, Apr. 26, 1873, p. 585; Brady, p. 248; and Fitzgerald's reminiscences.

¹⁹Fitzgerald's reminiscences.

²⁰Simpson, p. 380; and in The Illustrated London News, May 31, 1873, p. 522; John Muir, Steep Trails (Boston, 1918) , pp. 95-96.

²¹Simpson, pp. 374-75; The Illustrated London News, May 31, 1873, cover and p. 522; NA, Still Pictures Branch, Army Signal Corps photograph, 111-SC-83700. Mason commended 1st Sgt. William Kenkle and Sgt. David Creelman for the actual capture of the medicine flag. Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen.

Chapter Seven

¹Fitzgerald's reminiscences.

²Gillem to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Apr. 20; Miller to Winters, June 2, 1873, both in Hagen; Dillon, pp. 45-47; Fitzgerald's reminiscences.

³Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10; Green to AAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 2; Miller to Winters, June 2, 1873, all in Hagen; Dillon, p. 46. Little is known of the precise location of different units at the occupied Stronghold. Apparently a substantial camp was set up in a large depression near the northeast corner. Captain Miller, again commanding his own Battery E, reported that his men were assigned to guard the right (south?) of the area. Units occupying the Stronghold were Companies B, C, and I, 21st Infantry; Company G, 12th Infantry; and Batteries E and M. Gillem's camp was occupied by Batteries A and K, and Company E, 12th Infantry.

⁴Dillon, pp. 45 and 47-49; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, Gillem to AAG, Div. of Pacific, Apr. 20, 1873.

⁵Asst. Surgeon McElderry, Form 55, List of Wounded, Battle of April 20, in Hagen.

⁶Schofield to Gillem, Apr. 22, 1873, in Hagen. Henry Cornelius Hasbrouck graduated from West Point in 1860. He served in the 4th Artillery throughout the Civil War and in the post-war period. From 1882 to 1888, he was commandant of cadets at West Point. Slowly climbing through the grades, he became a brigadier general in December 1902, retiring in January 1903. He received the brevet grade of major for his action in the battle of Sorass Lake during the Modoc War. John Mendenhall graduated from USMA in 1851 and became a second lieutenant in the 4th Artillery. During the Civil War he served as both a judge advocate and an inspector general of Volunteers. Senior to Hasbrouck, he was promoted to colonel of the 2d Artillery in 1888. His career closed with his death in 1892. Heitman, 1, 509 and 703.

⁷Schofield to Gillem, Apr. 22, 1873, in Hagen.

⁸Dillon, p. 50.

⁹Simpson, p. 381. Fox did not get beyond Yreka. When his paper learned of the latest events, it persuaded him to remain another two weeks. Fox agreed, but stayed in town and did not return to the lava beds.

¹⁰Heitman, 1, 547, 953, and 1063. The Army and Navy Journal, May 3, 1873, p. 601, made reference to the three generals' sons but, as it quite often did, got mixed up by saying that Howe was the son of a retired colonel, Marshall Saxe Howe.

¹¹Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen.

¹²Army and Navy Journal, June 14, 1874, p. 647, letter to editor, 2d Lt. George M. Kingsbury, 12th Infantry; Dillon, p. 51. Boyle said neither flankers nor pickets went out.

¹³Army and Navy Journal, June 14, 1873, p. 697. Kingsbury, who took over Company E after this disaster, was presenting a heated defense of the infantrymen's conduct. His second-hand description must be treated with care. Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen. gives a generally similar description of this part of the battle. The use of the "set of fours" indicates that Wright was well acquainted with Emory Upton's system of tactics, adopted by the army in 1867. Russell F. Weigley, History of the United States Army (New York, 1967), p. 275.

¹⁴Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen. Gillem's account is almost meaningless for he uses the term "left" without any reference to the compass. Later, the colonel implies that the ridge was to the west.

¹⁵Army and Navy Journal, May 3, p. 602, and June 14, p. 697 (Kingsbury), 1873.

¹⁶Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen.

¹⁷Ibid

¹⁸Ibid; Army and Navy Journal, May 3, p. 602, and June 14, 1873 p. 697 (Kingsbury); Don Rickey, Jr., Forty Miles a Day on Beans and Hay, The Enlisted Soldier Fighting the Indian Wars (Norman, 1963), p. 279.

¹⁹Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen; Fitzgerald, in his reminiscences, reacted the opposite to Gillem. He wrote that the Warm Springs were but a few hundred yards away when the shooting begun and went into a defensive position behind a rock barricade: "Their abject fear of the Modocs unnerved them and rendered them practically useless in such emergencies.

²⁰Dillon, p. 52; NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 22, Schofield, telegram to Sherman, Apr. 29, 1873; Green to AAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 2, 1873, in Hagen.

²¹Dillon, p. 52

²²Brady, pp. 306-07, quoting Boutelle; Green to AAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 2, 1873, in Hagen.

²³Brady, pp. 306-07.

²⁴Ibid., p. 306, quoting Boutelle, and p. 314, quoting Trimble; Army and Navy Journal, May 3, 1873, p. 602; Rickey, p. 279, quoting Lt. Harry Moore.

²⁵Brady, p. 309, quoting Boutelle; Green to AAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 2, 1873, in Hagen.

²⁶Brady, p. 309.

²⁷Ibid., p. 311, and pp. 315-17, quoting Trimble.

²⁸Murray, photo opposite p. 147.

²⁹Jocelyn, p. 181.

³⁰Figures are based on the following: Stone, telegram to Wood, Apr. 29, 1873; A. Surg. Henry McElderry, Form 55, List of Wounded in Maj. Thomas Command . . . Apr. 26, 1873; Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, all in Hagen; Army and Navy Journal, June 14, 1873, p. 697 (Lt. Kingsbury); Harper's Weekly, 17 (May 17, 1873), pp. 416-17, "The Modoc War"; NA, RG 98, Regimental Returns, 4th Artillery, April, 1873.

³¹Wheaton to Oliver Applegate, May 2, 1873, in Hagen.

³²Army and Navy Journal, May 3, 1873, p. 601; Davis to AAG, Div. of Pacific, May 4, 1873, in Hagen.

³³Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen.

³⁴NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 22, Schofield, telegram to Sherman, Apr. 29, 1873; Gillem to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, June 1, 1874, in Hagen.

Chapter Eight

¹Heitman, 1, 358-59; DAB, 5, 131.

²Davis to Schofield, May 4, 1873, in Hagen; House Documents, 3d Congress, 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 109, Davis to Schofield, Nov. 1, 1873.

³Davis, telegram to AAG, Div. of Pacific, May 5, 1873, in Hagen. Colonel Thompson said of this time that "desertions were by the wholesale." This is incorrect, not only at the end of April but through the war. At a time when about one-third of the army deserted annually, the number of absentees in the lava beds was remarkably low. A check of the regimental returns of the 1st Cavalry and 4th Artillery discloses the following:

Total desertions in regiment, Feb-June, 1873 — 1st Cav. 154; 4th Art. 31.

Desertions in the regiment's units in lava beds. Feb.-June, 1873 — 1st Cav. 46; 4th Art. 4.

Total dessertions in regiment, April, 1873 — 1st Cav. 19; 4th Art. 4.

Desertions in the regiment's units in lava beds. April, 1873 — 1st Cav. 2; 4th Art. 0.

⁴NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 22, Townsend, telegram to Schofield, May 2, 1873; Schofield, telegrams to Davis, May 2 and 6, 1873, in Hagen.

⁵Capt. E. V. Sumner, ADC, to Capt. C. H. Hoyt, AQM, June 2, 1873, in Hagen; Army and Navy Journal, Mar. 17, 1873, p. 630. Sumner names the two women as Artena and Dixie.

⁶Davis, telegram to AAG, Div. of Pacific, May 8; Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, both in Hagen; Army and Navy Journal, May 17, 1873, p. 630; J. D. Howard, "Diary," typescript at Lava Beds NM; Murray, p. 244. Peter Schonchin told the story to Howard, Sep. 5, 1924, when the two passed by the site where the attack took place—the rimrock near the south end of Casuse Butte (said Schonchin). Murray errs slightly in saying the wagons were carrying supplies to Scorpion Point.

⁷Howard, entry for October 29, 1928. There is no way to verify Peter Schonchin's description of the Modocs' route — except that only a few caves in the lava beds have ice.

⁸House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 84, Davis, telegram to Schofield, May 8, 1873.

⁹Brady, p. 320, quoting Hasbrouck.

¹⁰Dillion, p. 47n.

¹¹Brady, p. 320.

¹²Ibid; Rickey, p. 287.

¹³Rickey, p. 287; Charles B. Hardin, " ' Gosh Dash It, Lets Charge' A Story of the Modoc War," Winners of the West, May 30, 1933.

¹⁴Brady, p. 320.

¹⁵Dillon, pp. 55-56; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., p. 105, Davis to Schofield, Nov. 1, 1873.

Chapter Nine

¹Army and Navy Journal, June 7, 1873, p. 85.

²Riddle, pp. 124-27; Murray, pp. 250-51.

³Brady, p. 322, quoting Hasbrouck; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 109, Davis to Schofield, Nov. 1, 1873.

⁴Ibid. Difficult to find, off the main tracks of today's visitors, these fortifications, on national forest land, still exist in a remarkable state of preservation. One may detect from their architecture that different companies around the perimeter had different ideas on how best to use rocks in constructing the forts.

⁵Brady, p. 322; Mason to AAAG, Dist of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen.

⁶Brady, p. 323; Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen.

⁷Riddle, p. 127.

⁸Brady, p. 232.

⁹Ibid. Battery B. did not take part in the pursuit. Before dashing up the ridge, Hasbrouck sent it a message to remain on Tickner road with the pack train until sent for. The message never reached Lieutenant Hazelton, commanding, and he continued on down the road. Battery B did not get back to Van Brimmer's until the next day.

¹⁰Brady, p. 323; Mason to AAAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 10, 1873, in Hagen. Davis was definitely aware of the split in the Modocs by at least May 21, as is shown in SO 59a, Headquarters, Dept. of Columbia, May 21, 1873, in Hagen.

¹¹Sumner to Hoyt, June 2, 1873, in Hagen; Brady, p. 323.

¹²SO 59a, and 59b, Headquarters, Dept. of Columbia, May 21, 1873 in Hagen.

¹³This description is from an unsigned article in the Army and Navy Journal, May 31, 1873, p. 665. Other variations are found in Klamath County Museum, Research Papers No. 2, "The Samuel A. Clarke Papers"; Davis, telegram to AAG, Div. of Pacific, May 22, 1873, in Hagen; and, less reliable, Riddle, p. 127.

Chapter Ten

¹Riddle, pp. 131 and 141.

²Ibid., pp. 141 and 146; Green to AAG, Dist of Lakes, June 2; Sumner to Hoyt, June 2, 1873, both in Hagen.

³Schofield, telegram to Sherman, June 2, 1873. Davis sent out his Modoc scouts May 27. They returned next day reporting that Captain Jack was camped on Willow Creek, 14 miles from Applegate's during the night of May 28. He did not. House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 110, Davis to Schofield, Nov. 1, 1873.

⁴Hasbrouck to 1st Lt. W. H. Winters, Adj., Cavalry Command, June 20; Jackson to Winters, June 20; Green to AAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 2, 1873, all in Hagen. Meacham, Wigwam, p. 585. Hooker Jim guided Hasbrouck; Steamboat Frank guided Jackson; Bogus Charley and Shacknasty Jim accompanied Major Green who chose to ride with Jackson's squadron.

⁵Bacon and Moss were fairly recent graduates of West Point. Both had undistinguished, brief military careers. Cresson had joined the Volunteers in 1861 and had risen to the grade of lieutenant colonel by the end of the Civil War. All three were to be out of the army by 1879, Cresson through retirement, the other two by resignation. Heitman, 1, 179, 338, and 731.

⁶Green to AAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 2; Jackson to Winters, June 20; and Hasbrouck to Winters, June 20, 1873, all in Hagen; Sgt. Michael McCarthy, "Journal of Michael McCarthy," ins, containing a letter to 1st Sgt. C...?..., June 1, 1873; House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 111, Davis to Schofield, Nov. 1, 1873. Davis said the Modoc camp was near where the old emigrant road crossed Willow Creek. On the north side of Willow Creek today, at a point one mile southeast of Sagebrush Butte are some well-engineered rock fortifications. Whether or not this is the site where the squadrons camped for the night is unknown. The area is believed by some experts to day to be the site of Captain Jack's surrender. If so, then the fortifications are probably not of army origin, for Jack's surrender took only a few minutes and the troops, who had just arrived, promptly left to escort him to Applegates—unless Jack surrendered at the original campsite.

⁷Green to AAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 2; Jackson to Winters, June 2, 1873, both in Hagen; Meacham, Wigwam, p. 586, quoting Clarke.

⁸Green to AAG, Dist. of Lakes, June 2; Stone to Wood, June 1, 1873, both in Hagen; NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 22, Schofield, telegram to Sherman, June 2, 1873; Meacham, Wigwam, p. 586.

⁹Jackson to Winters, June 20, 1873, in Hagen.

¹⁰Grover, pp. 18-19; Thompson, pp. 118 and 126.

¹¹Adams to Green, May 31, 1873, in Hagen.

¹²McCarthy, letter, June 1, 1873. Part of the explanation why so few Indians left such clear trails seems to have been their want of food. They stopped frequently to dig roots.

¹³Meacham, Wigwam, p. 587, quoting Clarke; Brady, p. 303 quoting Perry; W. Trimble, "Soldier of Oregon," OHQ 8 (March, 1907), 44.

¹⁴Brady, pp. 303-04. It is difficult to determine how much of this description should be taken literally. Perry, as squadron commander, was interested in acquiring as much credit as possible for capturing "the coveted prize." He was on the wrong side of the creek for that — although it would be he who wrote the official report, not Trimble. In his account he says his scouts talked with Captain Jack before Trimble reached the scene. However, Sergeant McCarthy's description is given preference here, because I consider him more accurate.

¹⁵Michael McCarthy, "Army Sketches," ms, p. 2. In his June 1, 1873, letter, McCarthy says "5" others of Troop H. In "Army Sketches" he accounts for 15 enlisted men other than himself. It is thought he meant "15" in the letter.

¹⁶Ibid

¹⁷Ibid.; Meacham, Wigwam, p. 587, quoting Clarke.

¹⁸McCarthy, letter, June 1, 1873.

¹⁹Ibid.: 1 man, 2 boys, 3 women, 3 or 4 children; Meacham, Wigwam, p. 587: 2 men, 4 women, some children.

²⁰McCarthy, letter, June 1, 1873; Davis to AAG, Div of Pacific, June 1, 1873, in Hagen.

Chapter Eleven

¹Grover, pp. 18-19.

²House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 111, Davos to Schofield, Nov. 1, 1873; Meacham, Wigwam, pp. 588 and 591; McCarthy, "Army Sketches," p. 3.

³Army and Navy Journal, June 14, 1873, p. 697. The army made almost no reference to the physical aspects of the Peninsula camp. Even its location is somewhat of a mystery. Only in this description is any reference found concerning a barricade. This suggests that the narrow neck of sand joining the peninsula to the mainland was barricaded, probably with a rock wall, and that the camp was against the eastern side of The Peninsula hill—the prisoners' tent being right at its base. There is a considerable sweep of high level ground to the east of the hill that could support a camp of the dimensions involved.

⁴Army and Navy Journal, June 14, 1873, p. 697.

⁵Adams to Mason, June 1; Adams to Green, June 8, 1873, both in Hagen; Army and Navy Journal, June 14, 1873, p. 697; unidentified Philadelphia newspaper clipping, "Modoc Indians Murdered," in Hagen; Sgt. Michael McCarthy, "Army Sketches," p. 4; Meacham, pp. 592 and 595.

⁶House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 86, Sherman, telegram to Schofield, June 3, 1873; Davis, telegram to AAG, Div. of Pacific, June 5, 1873, in Hagen.

⁷Davis, telegram to AAG, Div. of Pacific, June 5; Schofield, telegram to Davis, quoting Sherman, June 7, 1873, both in Hagen.

⁸Sherman, telegram, via Schofield, to Davis, June 9, 1873, in Hagen. In this connection, Maj. H. P. Curtis, Judge Advocate, Dept. of California, prepared a 12-page brief for General Schofield reviewing cases of law in the U.S., that concerned the relations of Indian tribes with the U.S., their status or lack of it as foreign nations," and the applicability of the laws of war. In Hagen.

⁹Boutelle to Green, June 11, 1873, in Hagen.

¹⁰Riddle, p. 156.

¹¹Schofield, telegram to Davis, June 9; Townsend, telegram to Schofield, June 30, 1873, both in Hagen.

¹²J. K. Luttrell, Member, 3d Cong. Dist., Calif., to Delano, June 17, 1873, in Hagen.

¹³Special Field Order No. 1, Headquarters, Dept. of Columbia in the Field, Ft. Klamath, June 30, 1873, in Hagen.

¹⁴Ibid.; Hasbrouck to AAAG, Dept. of Columbia, July 9, 1873, in Hagen.

¹⁵General Court Martial Orders No. 32, War Dept., AGO, Aug. 23, 1873 in Hagen.

¹⁶General Court Martial Orders No. 34, War Dept., AGO, Sep. 12, 1873, in Hagen. Barncho died of tuberculosis at Alcatraz, May 28, 1875. Sloluck was freed and allowed to join the exiled Modocs in I. T., Feb. 14, 1878. NA, Microfilm 666, 1871, Roll 22, CO, Alcatraz, to AAG, Dept. of California, May 28, 1875; SO No. 29, Hdqrs., Mil. Div. of Pacific, Feb. 14, 1878.

¹⁷NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath, Letters Sent, vol. 8, 1872-73, Wheaton to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Sep. 30, 1873. Ft. Klamath was made a part of the District of the Lakes, July 8. Wheaton moved his headquarters there from Camp Warner. Army and Navy Journal, Aug. 16, 1873, p. 6. The scaffold was described as being 17 feet high and 30 feet long. The drop was 4 feet wide and 28 feet long. A single rope, passed around the centerpost, held the drop horizontally. Correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle, reprinted Sep. 10, 1950, Centennial Edition, p. 16.

¹⁸Herald and News, Klamath Falls, Ore., 1966 Progress Re port, Sec. D, p. 6L, Feb. 25, 1966, article from C. B. Watson, "Indians and Indian Wars of Southern Oregon." Watson, a newspaper owner, witnessed the execution as well.

¹⁹Grover, telegram to Davis, Oct. 4, 1873, in Hagen.

²⁰Army and Navy Journal, Oct. 11, 1873, p. 133; NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath, Letters Sent, vol. 8, 1872-73, Wheaton to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Oct. 7, 1873.

²¹Army and Navy Journal, Oct. 25, 1873, p. 169.

²²Ibid., Nov. 29, 1873, p. 245.

²³NA, RG 94, Ft. Klamath, Post Medical History, p. 142, Record for October, 1873.

²⁴House Documents, 43d Cong., 1st Sess., No. 122, p. 102, Hasbrouck to AAG, Dept. of California, Nov. 5, 1873; Army and Navy Journal, Oct. 25, 1873, p. 166; Brady, pp. 255-56n; Stern, p. 138.

Chapter Twelve

¹Muir, p. 92.

²The Yreka Union, April 5, 1873

³In 1958, Murray wrote that Coehorn mortars were emplaced on the bluff. In a letter to Superintendent W. J. Kennedy, Aug. 9, 1966, he said "guns were located there and what their purpose was, other than purely defensive, I have no idea." Both unsupported documents are in the History Files, Lava Beds NM.

⁴Kenneth McLeod, oral interview. Tape and transcript on file at Lava Beds NM.

⁵Meacham, Wigwam, p. 493.

⁶Ibid, pp. 441-42; Brady, p. 298.

⁷Meacham, Wi-ne-ma, p. 66; New York Herald, April 22, 1873.

⁸The Yreka Journal, Feb. 26, 1873, typescript at Lava Beds NM.

⁹Biddle, p. 101.

¹⁰Meacham, Wi-ne-ma, p. 64.

¹¹Brady, pp. 318-19.

¹²The Yreka Union, April 12, 1873; Army and Navy Journal, May 17, 1873, p. 633; New York Herald, May 7, 1873.

¹³McElderry to "Sir," a report of medical operations, June 30, 1873, in Hagen.

¹⁴Ibid.

¹⁵Meacham, Wigwam, 518.

¹⁶Ibid p. 502.

¹⁷"List of Aboriginal and Historic Structures, Lava Beds N.M.," July 1951. A personal check uncovered 9 of these, 1967; but there may have been others overlooked in the lava flow.

¹⁸Meacham, Wigwam, p. 544; NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath, Letters Received," List of men buried . . . Lava Beds," July 2, 1874.

¹⁹NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath, Letters Received, Wood, Dept. of Columbia, to CO, Dist of Lakes, Aug. 29, 1873; Kingsbury to Capt. H. C. Hasbrouck, Ft. Klamath, Sep. 4, 1873; and Letters Sent, Vol. 8, 1872-73, Wheaton to AAG, Dept. of Columbia, Sep. 1, and Sep. 30, 1873.

²⁰NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath, Letters Received, "List of men buried in the Cemetery at the Lava Beds," July 2, 1874; Muir, p. 94.

²¹Ibid., Wood, Dept. of Columbia, to CO, Ft. Klamath, Aug. 5, 1875.

²²NA, RG 98, Ft. Klamath, Letters Received, Ebstein to Post Adj., Ft. Klamath, Nov. 4, 1875.

²³Ibid., Cpl. R. Somesby, Ft. Klamath, to "Sir," Oct. 20, 1876.

The cemetery at Gillem's Camp. The rock wall, but not the gateposts, still stands, although rebuilt many times.