90th Anniversary Of Modoc Massacre Observed
PACK I A JIERAID AKD ,NWI. Klamath Falls. Ore.
Thursday, ApHI II, 1
Superintendent Irvin Kerr of the
Lava Beds National Monument
reports that April 11, 1963, will
mark the 90th anniversary of the
attack by Modoc Indians, led by
their chief, Captain Jack, upon Die
L'.S. Peace Commission during
the 1873 Modoc Indian War in
the Lava Beds.
The ill-fated Peace Commission
had the difficult task of negotiat
ing a peace with Captain Jack's
victorious and insurgent Modoc
band of 160 men, women, and
children entrenched in the Lava
Beds. During the Battle of Lost
River mear the present town of
Merrill. Ore ), on Nov. 29. 1872,
ths Modocs thwarted the army's
attempt to arrest them and force
their return to the Klamath Res.
ervatjon. After their escape the
Mo)ioc sought safety in the nat
ural fortress in the Lava Beds
which became known as Captain
Jack's Stronghold.
On Jan. 17, 1873, the 55 men of
the Modoc band scored a sensa
tlonal victory over more than 325
army and volunteer troops who
attacked the Modocs Stronghold.
The Modocs suffered no casual.
tics while they killed 16 and
wounded 49 attacking troops.
Following this startling defeat,
President U.S. Grant's adminis
tration yielded to the humanitar
ian demands of Easterners to
seek a peaceful settlement with
the Modocs. Accordingly, the
Peace Commission was appoint
ed and sent to the Lava Beds to
end the hostilities and to relocate
the Modocs on a protected reservation.
The Peace Commission was
headed by former Oregon Super
intendent of Indian Affairs 118691
Alfred B. Mcacham, and included
the Reverend Elezcar Thomas of
Pctaluma. Calif., and Klamath
' Reservation Sub-Agent L. S. Dyar.
' Military adviser and guiding
figure of the Peace Commission
was Commanding General of the
Military Department of the Co
lumbia, General Edward Canby.
Canby had gained fame as the
Civil War commander of Union
forces in the New Mexico Ter
ritory, conqueror of Mobile, Ala.,
and military governor during the
' Post-Civil War reconstruction pe
riod. .Confident with their recent' vic
tory over the army, the Modocs
' attempted to dictate to Peace
Commission messengers from the
beginning. General Canby re
fused Jack's demand that the
commission negotiate only in the
Lava Beds and without a mill
tary escort. When it appeared
that Captain Jack was not willing
to compromise. Army Chief of
Staff William T. Sherman tele
graphed advice to Canby to set
an example with the Modocs so
that "no other reservation for
them will be necessary except
graves among their chosen Lava
Beds."
On April 1, 1873, General Can-
by moved his reinforced troops
to the Lava Beds for a show of
force. This movement of troops
brought a quick agreement from
Captain Jack to meet face to
face with the commission.
At the first meeting with the
Peace Commission, on April 2
the Modoc chief demanded that
the soldiers leave the Lava Beds
He demanded Lost River for a
Modoc Reservation and a general
amnesty for those Modocs indict
ed by Oregon authorities for mur
dcring settlers along Lost River
A rainstorm broke up the meet
ing with an agreement to erect
a tent for shelter and to contin
ue the talks.
Immediately after the meeting,
Frank Riddle and his Modoc
wife Toby (Winemai, Peace
Commission interpreters, cau
tioned General Canby to watch
for treachery. Canby, however,
ignored the warning.
On April 5, the Modocs met
the commission at the tent to re
sume talks. Captain Jack com
plained about the nearness of the
army troops and said that he
feared Commissioner Thomas as
a religious leader. He advised
that if the army would leave and
concede Lost River to the Modocs,
there would be no more trouble.
Finally, Jack asked for the Lava
Beds as a reservation. He was
advised that if he would sur
render to the army, the Peace
Commission would try to have the
Lava Beds reserved for the Mo
docs. The next meeting was
scheduled for April 8.
On April 7, Toby Riddle (Wi
nemai was sent to Captain Jack's
Stronghold. Toby reported that
she was secretly warned by a
Modoc friend not tn go to the
peace tent again. When she re
ported this to the Peace Com
mission, only Commissioners Mca
cham and Dyar heeded her warn
ing. On April 8. Jack sent word that
he would meet the commission at
the tent with six unarmed Mo
docs. As the Peace Commission
party prepared to leave the army
camp for the tent, an army sig
nalman reported six Modocs at
the peace lent and at least 20
others hiding in nearby rocks
General Canby refused to let the
commission leave camp that day.
The Modocs then sent a messen
ger requesting a parley for Fri
day, April 11.
On the night of April 10, the
Modocs agreed to kill General
Canby and the Peace Commis
sioners at the next day's meeting,
believing that killing the leaders
would cause the army to with
draw and leave the Lava Beds
to the Modocs. On the fateful
Good Friday, April 11. 1873, the
Modocs arrived early at the
meeting tent.
Frank and Toby Riddle's con
tinued warnings of disaster were
discounted by General Canby and
Reverend Thomas. Commission
ers Mcacham and Dyer, however,
armed themselves with derrin
gers.
Arriving at the meeting tent,
the commission party found eight
Modocs, two of whom were armed.
As talks began, the Modocs re
vealed an ominous attitude which
alarmed Commissioner Dyar and
Frank Riddle, both of whom
moved to the edge of the group.
Sensing imminent danger, Toby
Riddle casually stretched herself
out on the ground into a more
protected position.
Suddenly, with a signal to tnc
other Modocs, Captain Jack
drew a concealed revolver and
shot the surprised General Canby.
At the same moment, Boston
Charley 6hot Commissioner Thom
as. Dyar and Frank Riddle im
mediately ran for the safety of
the army camp. Hooker Jim
chased Dyar until Dyar drew his
concealed derringer, whereupon,
Hooker Jim ceased pursuit. Frank
Riddle reached the army camp
close behind Dyar.
With the killing of Canby and
Thomas, Schonchln John and oth
er Modocs wounded Mcacham
who fell, apparently dead, among
CANBY MASSACRE
APRIL II, 1573
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the rocks. Boston Charlie was in
terrupted in his scalping of Mca
cham, when Toby Riddle (Wine
ma) shouted, "The soldiers arc
coming!" This bluff saved Mea
cham's life, for the Modocs has
tily retreated to their Stronghold
before the troops left camp.
Violating the truce by their
attack upon the Peace Commis
sion, Captain Jack and his band
were doomed to relentless pur
suit. However, three more costly
and violent battles were fought in
the Lava Beds before the Modocs
could be captured, and Captain
Jack and three others hanged
for their treachery.
The place where General Can-
by fell was marked with a rock
monument. Atop the monument a
cross was later erected which
bore the inscription "General
E. R. S. Canby was murdered
here by Modocs April 11, 1873
Superintendent Kerr points out
that most of the battle areas of the
Modoc War, including the site
of the Canby Cross where the
Peace Commission was attacked
are located at the Lava Beds
National Monument and are pre
served and protected by the Na
tional Park Service as a part of
the nation's historical heritage.
Kerr added that the Lava Beds
National Monument is open the
year-around and people are in
Canby's Cross Erected At Scene Of Slaying
, Editor's Note: Following is a
reprint of a story published In
the Herald and Newspn April 11,
; 19(8, on the 75lh Anniversary of
the Canby massacre, written by
former managing editor of the
Herald and News, Malcolm Kp
Icy, regarding the placing of the
Canby Cross.
H'lllld:!
OPENS 6:4
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By MALCOLM KPI.EV
Sunday, April II, murks the 75th
anniversary of the Canby mas
sacre, sanguinary
Modoc Indian War
drew the nation's awed attention
to the rugged Modoc Lava Beds
near Tule Lake.
A lonely wooden cross, held up
right by a pile of stones, stands
today at the scene of the mas
sacre, exactly as It was placed
there 66 years ago by Lt. John
S. Parke of the United Slates
Army
This wcathcrbcaten monument,
easily accessible from the west
side Tulclako road or from the
Lava Beds road by way of Newell,
is worthy of a pilgrimage by
those aware of its significance and
interested In the Indian war that
made the most stirring chapter in
the history of the Klamath country.
The story of the war and the
massacre lias heen often told,
but few may know how it hapcn
that the cross was placed there
on a windy September day in
IIW2.
Lieutenant Parke thus marked
the .spot on his second visit to the
Lava Beds, Fortunately, the lieu
tenant was a writer of no poor
ability, and alter making tun
trips into the historic area, wrote
CANBY'S CROSS Still well preserved, the original cross that was placed on the
spot wher Gen. E. R. S. Canby was killed by Modoc Indians on April II, 1873,
stands guard over this historic spot. It was placed here in 1882 by Lt. John S. Parke
of th United States Army. The inscription, still essentially the same after these 81
years reads, "General E. R. S. Canby was Murdered Here by the Modocs, April II,
1873.
Inrical Section of the Army War
College. A copy is owned by
Don C. Fisher, present custodian
of the Lava Beds National Monu
ment.
Parke first visited the Lava
Reds in WHO, just seven years
after the end of the war. going
into the area from Gillom's Blulf
on horseback. (It was wild, un-
a complete account for the His- scltlod counliy then, with no roads
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ALFRED HITCHCOCK
flSIMHRPI lMs" I t :
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ROD TAYLOR -JESSICA TANDY
SUZANNE PLESHETTE m,..TIPPI'HEDREN
VUI HUNU hat ALfRCO HI1CK0CII. Dtwit.
Wt Jii"H4 "THI IIRDS" kt tn tram IK. ir.rt,
W "THI IIRDi" toiih r 7 CO t4 9:11
such as are available to the mod
ern trawler). The lieutenant was
accompanied on Ihc trip by John
A. Fairi'hild, whose ranch was 22
miles west from the Lava
Beds. On that occasion, he first
saw the scene whore Gen. K. R. S.
Canby and Dr. Kleicar Thomas
were killed at a peace conference
with the Modocs. Parke himself
gives a graphic account of the
meeting of Indian leaders at a
council lent with the peace com
missioners, which included Canby,
Thomas, a Methodist minister:
L. S. Dyer, Indian agent, and
A. B. Mcacham, Indian superin
tendent. This occurred on April 11, 1K7;1.
Although warned by Frank Rid
dle and his s q u a w, Wincma.
that the Indians intended treach
ery, the peace commissioners
went out to the tent a mile in
front of the Army encampment
near the present entrance of the
Lava Beds National Monument.
In the course of the interview,
they were attacked : Canby and
Thomas wore killed, and Mcach
am was wounded. Dyer escaped
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to the Army camp. Winema, who
had befriended the whites through
out, was present at the confer
ence as an interpreter, and a
shout by her, probably a false
warning that soldiers were com
ing, saved the lives of Mcacham
and Dyer by frightening the In
dians away.
Lieutenant Parke, on his first
visit in 1B80. was tremendously
impressed by the significance of
the scene of this incident. He
found there an old board, with an
inscription almost obliterated by
Ihc elements, lie wrote:
"It was with a feeling of awe
that I stood on the spot so still
and quiet then, which now is sel
dom disturbed hv human foot
stops, and on which lew eyes ever
rest save those of some wild bird
as he wings his flight over its
bloodstained rocks."
The Army ofliccr recalls his sec
ond visit as follows:
"My second visit to the Lava
Beds was prompted by a desire
to see that the exact locality of
these stirring events, and esjieci
ally the place where the council
lent stood, should be so marked
and when this historic place
comes lo be visited by the inter
ested and the curious, it may not
ho of such uncertain location as
to he a matter of speculation and
discussion, but that the visitor
may say when he visits Ibis spot,
'This is where (loucial Canby
and Dr. Thomas wore murdered
by the Modocs.'
"Accordingly, on being ordered
to Fort Klamath in IXK2 on some
temxn'ary duty. I look advantage
of the opirtunity and asked per
mission of the department com
mander, lieneial Miles, lo go a
little out of my way on my return
to headquarters for this purpose
s it involved no serious loss of
lime, nor expense to the govern
ment, my request was gi anied.
vitcd tn visit the authentic bat
tle areas to recall the violent and
historic conflict of 1873.
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