The New York Herald Newspaper, April 30, 1873, Page 5

‘SLAUGHTER. The Modocs Surprise and Destroy a Detachment of Troops, CAUGHT IN A TRAP. Fifeen Killed, Nineteen Wounded and Nine Missing. ° THE OFFICERS LOST. Major Thomas and Lieutenants Howe and Wright Killed, A TERRIBLE BUTCHERY. Graphic Description of the Struggle in the Rocks. SOLDIERS SHOT DOWN LIKE DEER. “We Must Fight and Die Like Men and Soldiers.” AN INVISIBLE FOE. The Troops Led Into the Fastnesses and. Nearly Surrounded. THE KNIFE IN THE DARE. Modoc Savages Sealping and Stripping the Bead and Wounded. THE NINE MISSING. Lieutenant Cranston and Eight Men Left in the Rocks. THE MODOC LOSS. Four Scalps Taken by the Warm Spring Indians. EXCITEMENT IN YREKA. Frontiersmen Moving to Take the Savages " in Hand and Ladies Aiding the Wounded Soldiers, _ Case on Lava Buns, April 28—6 A.M. Death is again among us, and on this 0c- easion the call has boon mada with Mo aporing hand, as the lava beds are red with the blood of some of our bravest officers and men who fell on Saturday afternoon, the victims of 8 surprise from an enemy who, in the rocky fastnesses of this volcanic débris, is master of the situation. In 4 previous despatch I told you of THE DEPARTURE YF CAPTAIN EVAN THOMAS, Brevet, Major, yith a force of sixty-nine men, to reconnoitrethe position empoees to be held by the Mods. @{RENGTH OF THE COMMAND. ‘The command comprised Lieutenant Albion Howe, Lieitenant Arthur Cranston and twenty men of Sattery H, Fourth artillery; Lieuten- ant G. 4. Harris and twenty-one men of Bat- tery &, Fourth artillery, and Lieutenant ‘Thmas Wright, with twenty-six men of E empany, Twelfth infantry. They were under she command of Captain Evan Thomas, Bre- vet Major, of Battery H, Fourth artillery, and ‘were accompanied by Acting Assistant Sur- geon Semig. CITIZENS WITH THE TROOPS. Mr. Ticknor was with the party in the capacity of guide, and a citizen named Louis Webber had charge of three mules, carrying the medical stores and hand litters. The party left camp about seven A. M. on the morning of Saturday, April 26, with a small party of E company, Twelfth infantry, deployed as skirmishers, and advanced in the direction of A LONG BARE SAND HILL abont four miles south-southeast of our camp, in the neighborhood of which they expected to find the Indians. Major Thomas had received orders from General Gillem to reconnoitre the position of the Modocs, but not to bring on a general engagement. THE OBJECT OF THE RECONNOISSANCE, The object was mainly to find out how the Modocs were situated, and whether the mor- tars could not be brought up and used effec- Mood against them. THE WEATHER ‘was charming, and with their muskets glitter- ing in the morning sun this little band tramped along over the rough and craggy rocks, never thinking that before that glisten- ing planet had disappeared from sight on the western horizon, half their number would be dead and dying at the mercy of a pitiless and barbarous savage. THE MARCH TO DEATH. Onward they marched, following their gal. lant commander, 8 man who knew no suck feeling as fear, and yet who, after passing Abrough the war of the rebellign. the hero of . (NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1873—QUADRUPLE SHEET. THE SCENE OF THE BUTCHERY. Map of the Countey Through Which the Troops Advan: «Tl Aat SCENE OF THE { MASSACRE OF CANBY & THOMAS ISCENE. OF FIGHT oF pieg a6 a score of battles, was doomed to die at the hands of savages, deserted by all except a few of his non-commissioned officers, After a two hours’ tramp THE LAVA BUITE TO THE SOUTHWARD loomed up grander and blacker as they neared its base, and presently, at about half- past ten o'clock A. M., the command were brought to a balt and the men allowed to take a rest. From this point my story is derived from hearsay alone and from * HE EVIDENCE OF THE SURVIVORS who have returned. They, however, are all agitated and unsettled by the bloody scenes they have just left, and it will probably be two or three days before the exact position of the troops at the time of attack can be ob- tained. Up to the time of their halt no In- dian signs had been seen, and Major Thomas ordered private Kitchen, of K troop, First cav- alry, doiny: Jat? in the signal corps, to advise Lieutenan® Adims, in our camp, to that effect, THE FIRST FIRE. The order was being executed when our troops received-their first fire. It is differ- ently reported; some saying five or six shots were fired, and others only four; but Mr. 'Ticknor states positively that it came from A PARTY OF NINE INDIANS, who occupied a bluff to the eastward of where the troops were stationed. Major Thomas immediately threw the men into skirmishing order, with Lieutenant Wright’s company on the right. The latter, however, had not got in position before they were FLANKED TO THE RIGHT by a party of fourteen other Indians that had come up to the advance of those who fired first. The cross fire on Wright's men proved very demoralizing, and they broke back in confu- sion, leaving their gallant leader in an ex- posed condition and supported by a few of his non-commissioned officers, In the meantime ANOTHER SMALI PARTY OF INDIANS had obtained a position to the left and they opened a raking fireon the two batteries of artillery. It was A FEARFUL TRAP, andtthe first four shots were only fired to draw the troops more directly between the fire of the Indians on the right and left. The rout was complete, and with the exception of the officers and non-commissioned officers, the majority of whom lay stretched on the rocks with their life-blood, ebbing fast away, the watchword yes Pa 0 QAOVE QUI PEUT. Confused and demoralized as they were the men became an easy prey to the Modocs, who, confident in the protection of their native rocks, shot them down like so many frightened deer, THE NEWS IN CAMP. In the meantime the news had reached our camp of the attack, and, although no one dreamed of the scene of carnage that had | been enacted, the troops were ordered out as reinforcements, Colonel Mason was also sig- nalled to send what help he could from his camp. REINFORCEMENTS FORWARDED, The two commands presently started and moved out in direction of the fight, The force from Colonel Mason’s camp comprised Captain Throckmorton, brevet major, and Battery E, Fourth artillery; Captain Bernard, brevet colonel, and B troop, First cavalry; Captain Jackson, brevet major, and G troop, First cavalry. THE LINE OF ADVANCE, ing the lake, where Hovey was killed, and headed for the scene of the fight. They were under the command of Captain Miller, brevet colonel of the Fourth artillery. “THE OTHER SUPPORTS. The command from our camp under Major Green, brevet colonel of the First cavalry, consisted of Captain Perry, brevet colonel, with F troop, First cavalry; Lieutenant Cresson, brevet major, with K troop, First cavalry, and Captain Trimble, brevet major, with H troop, First cavalry. Colonel Green’s command advanced along the bluff and finally connected their left with Colonel Miller's right, DARKNESS SETS IN. Darkness finally set in, and the living, dead and dying were soon surrounded with the im- penetrable cloak of night. Occasionally news was brought in by the scared stragglers, exaggerated in the extreme, but significant of some dire disaster. Many of theso MEN, WHO HAD DESERTED THEIR OFFICERS in the time of peril, had seen a hundred Indians all around them. Fear had distorted their vision and rendered thém so. helpless that one of their number was afterwards found dead on the field without 1 shot. He had been butchered by knives, and so panic struck he could not firea shot in his own defence, A MELANCHOLY NIGHT was passed in cgmp, awaiting the return of the killed and wounded. As the reports had been so vague, no one felt assured who were numbered among the killed and wounded. There was little sleep among the garrison of that camp. They moved abont from tent to tent through the drizzling rain, each anxious to hear the latest news, There was A MYSTERY ABOUT THE ATTACK that nobody appeared to solve, as to how the troops were so completely surprised. If in camp, where were the pickets or advanced skirmishers? It appeared so strange that a party of sixty-nine men should be al- most surrounded by Indians without their being aware of the sign of an Indian as faras they could see. This fact alone will give the public an idea of the nature of the ground in which these Indians fight, and what our soldiers have to contend against, ~ FRONTIER SCOUTS WANTED. One hundred well armed frontiex Scouts are wanted in thig ¢oftry—men each of whom is {4 general in himself. These Modocs, once in line, fight on their own responsibility and do not require orders ; and we want men to meet them accustomed to Indian fighting, not mere machines who have to await the orders of their officers, They would be all very well in open country, but in these rocks every man has to look out for himself and fight the Modoe in his own way. ARRIVAL OF A WOUNDED SOLDIER. About daybreak on Sunday morning Corporal Noble, of Battery A, Fourth artil- lery, arrived in camp severely wounded in the neck. From this man was learned the first authentic news of the fight, and the pre- vious reports of the death of Brevet Major Thomas, Brevet Colonel Wright and Lieu- tenant Howe were confirmed. Each death had its own sorrowfal tale of unswerving courage in the fearful position into which their duty had called them. A PARTY LEFT TO THEIR FATE, Colonel Wright and some few men, seven or eight in number, were left by the rest of the company shortly after the first fire. They were lying behind a small ridge of rocks, They struck right across the lava beds pkist- | which only proved a protection on one side, and they were soon exposed to a volley of bullets from their right. COLONEL WRIGHT WAS FIRST SHOT through the groin, dangerously wounded; but even then the indomitable pluck of this scarred veteran kept him up, and, with his revolver in one‘hand, he buried his watch in the sand with the other, saying, ‘The red devils shall not get that.” He had not long to live, as a second bullet passed through his heart, and he shortly afterwards breathed his last. Some of his company remained by his body through the night, several badly wounded. THE INDIAN SCALPING IN THE DARKNESS. During the night the Indians were creeping through the rocks to scalp and strip the dead, One Indian came near this party, talk- ing in good English all-the time, telling them not to be afraid; he was not going to hurt them. But when he came within about three feet ®+ wate Benbim struck him over the heador ON he batt of a musket, and he was | speedy despatched, Noble stated that as he came in he passed through Colonel Green’s line and told him where THE REMAINS OF BATTERIES K AND A were to be found, Colonel Green imme- diately moved forward his line to the place indicated, and there, hid in some sage brush, stripped and naked, were the bodies of Major Thomas, Lieutenant Howe, Acting Surgeon Semig, Sergeant Rower and six others. Dr. Semig was wounded in two places, but hopes are entertained of his recovery. COLONEL WRIGHT'S BODY lay a little to the left, and on the right was Lieutenant Harris, severely wounded, and the bodies of five of his men, stripped of all their clothing. As soon as Colonel Green's ‘command arrived on the ground the attention of all was given to the dead and dying. The wounded were placed on pack mules and brought back to camp, where they arrived early Sunday morning. All the bodies of the dead have not yet been brought in, as there were not sufficient pack mules. THE MISSING PARTY. Lieutenant Arthur Cranston and five or six men are still missing, and hopes are enter- tained that they escaped through the night tg | the southward, as nothing has been seen of their bodies, THE MODOC Loss. There is no certainty as to the loss of the Modoes, with the exception of four, who were scalped by the Warm Spring Indians. The Warm Spring Indians were to have acted in conjunction with Major Thomas’ éommand, but it appears they did not meet them at the | appointed place, After the fight commenced the Warm Springs appear to have got in the rear of the Modocs, and did some good ser- vice; but finally our men became so de- moralized that they mistook their friends for foes, and the Warm Springs had to walk back. NO FURTHER MOVE MADE. General Gillem has not made any further move, but awaits the arrival of Captains Men- denhall and Hasbrook with two batteries of the Fourth artillery. They are expected to- night. General Jeff. C. Davis and staff are expected on the 30th. THE MODOC WOMEN WITH THE PITT RIVER IN- DIANS. Intelligence has been received that the Modocs’ squaws and papooses have taken refuge with the Pitt River Indians. above item is reliable, and it looks’ as if the Modoc bucks meant to fight to the last man, THE HOSPITALS CROWDED. wounded has crowded our hospitals to over- flowing, but new tents are being put up, and | Assistant Surgeons McElderry and Dewitt are working like slaves. Nothing can exceed their attention to the sick. THE KILLED, WOUNDED AND MISSING. ——+————- Camp on Lava Buns, April 26, 1873. The following isa list of the killed, wounded and missing as far as I have been able to get | them:— Killed. | Captain Evan Thomas, brevet major, United States Army, Battery A, Fourth artillery, shot through right temple and leg; skull mashed in with a rock. First Lieutenant Albion Howe, Fourth artil- lery, shot in groin and left arm. First Lieutenant Thomas F. Wright, Uom- pany E, Twelfth infantry, shot through groin and breast. First Sergeant R. R. Romer, Battery A, | Fourth artillery. Corporal Junius St. Clair, Company F, Twelfth infantry. Private Newsburg, Company E, Twelfth in- fantry. Private John Parker, Battery A, Fourth ar- tillery. Private John Collins, Battery A, Fourth ar- tillery. Bugler John Moran, Battery A, Fourth ar- tillery. Private J. Lynch, Battery K, Fourth artil- lery. Private M. Wallace, Battery K, Fourth ar- tillery. Bugler J. W. Ward, Battery K, Fourth ar- tillery. Private William Boyle, Company E, Twelfth infantry. Private Gerb, Company E, Twelfth infantry. Private Thomas Howard, Company E, Twelfth infantry. Wounded. Louis Webber, citizen, in charge of pack mules. Lieutenant G. M. Harris, Battery K, Fourth artillery, severely, in two places. Acting Assistant Surgeon Semig, wounded in two places, Sergeant A. Beck, Battery A, Fourth artil- lery, wounded in the mouth and arm. Sergeant Clinton, Company E, Twelfth in- fantry, shot through the thigh. Sergeant Kennedy, Company E, Tweltth | infantry, shot through the arm and groin. Corporal James Noble, Battery A, Fourth artillery, shot through the neck. | Private James Broderick, Battery A, Fourth | artillery, shot through the thigh. Private James McMillan, Battery A, Fourth | artillery, shot through the right band, severely | shattered. Private J. M. Gifford, Battery K, Fourth artillery. Private J. Higgins, Battery K, Fourth artillery. Private W. McCoy, Battery K, Fourth artil- lery, shot through the groin and hand. Private J. McLaughlin, Battery K, Fourth | artillery. | Private Frolta, Battery K, Fourth artillery, | | shot through right thigh, left calf and right | fore arm. Private Cuff, Company E, Twelfth infantry, shot through right hand, Private Benham, Company E, Twelfth in- fantry, shot through both arms, Private Vandewater, Company E, Twelfth infantry, shot through hip. Private Murphy, Company E, Twelfth in- fantry. Private Kitchen, Troop K, First cavalry, shot through right arm. Missing. Lieutenant Arthur Cranston, Battery A, Fourth artillery. Sergeant H. Selig, Battery A, Fourth artil- lery. Sergeant Matie, Company BE, Twelfth in- The | fantry. Corporal Lawrence Mooney, Battery A, Fourth artillery, Bugler Cormend, Battery H, Fourth artil- | Howe, of lery. The sudden addition to our sick ond! Private Albin. Battery A. Fourth artillery, 1 rane Broom, Battery A, Fourth artile ry. Private M. Flynn, Company E, Twelfth ine Private B. M. Eshner, Company E, Twelfth infantry. THE TOTAL CASUALTIES. The above list gives a total of fifteen killed nineteen wounded and nine missing—making forty-three in all out of a command of sixty. nine wen - SKETCHES OF THE OFFICERS KILLED, Mejor Evan Thomas was the son of the late Adjutant Genera? Lorenzo Thomas, and was born in Washing. ton. Appointed from the District on the 9th April, 1861, to a second lieutenancy in the Pourth artillery, and promoted ,first lieus tenant in May of the same eventful year, he afterwards served with the volunteer forces and was brevetted captain December 13, 1862, and major July 3, 1863. In 1864 he was pro+ moted captain in the regular service and was assigned to Battery H of his regiment, which be commanded at the moment of his death, ifeutenant Howe was born in Plorida, but appointed from New York to the army. He entered the regular service as second lieutenant in the Fourth are tillery, December 2, 1866, from the volunteers, in which he held the rank of major. He was appointed first lieutenant in the Fourth artile lery November 18, 1869. His father is Brevet Major General Albion P. Howe, United States Army, one of the majors of the Fourth artil- lery; his father-in-law is Brevet Major Gene eral Barry, commanding Fortress Monroe, and his uncle was Bishop McIlvaine, Licutenant Thomas F. Wright was born in Missouri, He served during the war in the volanteer army as colonel of @ Missouri regiment and won the brevet of brigadier general, _n 1866 he was appointed first lieutenant in the Thirty-second in- fantry and transferred to the Twelfth infantry in the same year. His father was the dis- tinguished general officer of that name. EXCITEMENT IN YREKA. The Frontiersmen Anxious to Interfere= Ladies Organising to Succor the Wounded—Fears that the Missing Party Will Not Retarn. . Yreka, Cal., Apri 29, 1873, The attack on Major Thomas’ command by the | Modocs last Saturday, and the rout of the troops, bas created considerable excitement in this town and the surrounding settlements There is @ strong disposition evinced by a mamber of old frontieramen accustomed to Indian fighting to form a party that would meet the Modocs on their own ground and fight them in their own style, Uf any inducements were held out to these mep they | could probably accomplish the extermination of Captain Jack and bis band with a far-emaiier sacrifice of life than will ultimately be lost if the regular troops have to do it themselves, A REPORT CONTRADICTED, The report that the Modoc squaws or papooses ; have taken refuge with the Pitt River Indians i¢ not credited, as the Modocs and the Pitt Rivers are known to be gn uniriendly terms, LADIES’ AID FOR THE WOUNDED, The iadies of Yreka organized a society for the relief of the wounded soldiers, and intend sending out to-morrow @ quantity of supplies for their relief THE MISSING PARTY THOUGHT TO BE LOST, Fears are entertained that Lieutenant Cranston and the missing will not be heard from again, General Davis and staff leave to-morrow morning fer the front, ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE. Lava Bens, April 26, 18974 A reconnoitring party, composed of Batterie@ K and A, Fourth artillery, and Company BE, Twelfth infantry, leftcamp at half-past nine o’cleck this morning, proceeding in a direction known to lead to the present stronghold of the Modocs, Captain E, Thomas, of the Fourth artillery, betng in com mand. A dozen or so of Warm Spring Indians were expected to co-operate on Captain Thomas’ left, ADVANCE IN SKIRMISHING ORDER, ‘The troops, having formed a line of skirmishers, advanced without motestation antl they artved at the foot of the bia south of the lave beds, haw ing, meanwhile, signalled to the camp that no Im dians were to be found, On reaching the bie@ THE MODOCS OPENRO & SEVERE FIRE, causing the troops to seek such shelter as they could find in the crevices, chasms, &e, A$ usual, the foe was unseen, The fret position soon became untenable, owing to the fact that the Indians were able to deliver both a crows Gre and an enflading fire, and the position of the troops Was 80 exposed that up to the present writing. seven o'clock P. M.—only two of the wounded coum reach camp out of nine wounded, SAD PATE OF A DETACHMENT, Lieutenant Wright, of the Twelfth ufantry, hed sought shelter 1m a crevice which was partiewlariy open to the Modoc fire. Grave dowbts ext as to their alumate safety, oe ee formation was received at headquarters relative to the peril of the party troops were at once pushed forward to their rescue, Four com- panies were ordered out, two of cavairy from thie | camp and two from Cotoue! Mason's, stretohert Jor the conveyance of the wounded were forwarced, but the latter are now. returning withewt having achieved the ebject for which they were iatended, POOR FELLOWS! A bitter cold night at jeast is before them. It is barely possible that some of them Bo longer heed the cold or heat. Their comrades, who from some cause are coming to camp, show plainly by their demeanor their heartfelt sorrow; they feet for them, bat are powerless in the matter, Lava Bens, April 27, 18736 P. M. From a second despatch sent by Colonel Greem it appears that there are now collected and wait ing conveyance to camp the bodies of sixteen men killed, including Captain Thomas, Lieutenant the Fourth artillery; Lieutenant Wright CONTINUED ON NINTH PAGE. xe