Wigwam and War-path Or the Royal Chief in Chains Part 34

You ask, What are they?

Go to yesterday's line of battle, scan the rocks closely, and you will see some of them are dyed with human gore; look closely, and you will see a bare foot, may be a hand, half-covered with loose stones; examine carefully, move the rocks, and you will find a mutilated white body there, and if you will uncover the _crushed head_ you will see where the articles came from that the Modoc braves are showing with so much pride.

Suppose you count the Modoc warriors now. We know they had fifty-three yesterday morning, for we have the names of all the men of the whole tribe, and we have taken pains to ascertain that every man who did not belong to Captain Jack's band was at "_Yai-nax_," under the eye of the old chief "Schonchin" and the Government agent, while the battle of yesterday was going on, except three Modocs--c.u.m-ba-twas--and they were with Capt.

Oliver Applegate's company during the fight. There is no miscount.

Fairchild, Applegate, Dorris, and Frank Riddle know every one personally.

Call the roll in Jack's camp, and _every man will answer to his name_, except one man who was wounded in a skirmish on the 15th, with Col.

Perry's company of regulars. This statement is correct, notwithstanding the Telegraph said the Modocs had _two hundred men in the fight_.

Listen to Curly-haired Doctor. He is saying, in his native tongue, "I promised you a medicine that would turn the white man's bullets. Where is the Modoc that has been struck with the white man's bullets? I told you 'Soch-a-la Tyee,' the Great Spirit, was on our side. Your chief's heart was weak; mine was strong. We can kill all the white men that come."

Schonchin John says: "I felt strong when I saw the fog that our medicine-man had brought over the rocks yesterday morning. I knew we could kill the soldiers. We are _Modocs_."

The chief (Captain Jack) arose, all eyes turn toward him, and in breathless silence the council awaits his speech.

He does not appear to share in the general rejoicing. He is thoughtful, and his face wears a saddened look. He feels the force of the doctor's speech; Schonchin's also. He knows they are planning for his removal from the chieftains.h.i.+p.

"It is true we have killed many white men. The Modoc heart is strong; the Modoc guns were sure; the bullets went straight. _We are all here_; but hear me, O muck-a-lux (my people). The white men are many; they will not give up; they will come again; more will come next time. No matter how many the Modocs kill, more will come each time, and we will all be killed after a while. I am your voice. My blood is _Modoc_. I will not make peace until the Modoc heart says '_peace_,' We will not go on the warpath again.

Maybe the war will stop."

After the several braves have recounted the various exploits they have performed, the council adjourns.

See the squaws bringing great loads of sage brush. They are preparing for a grand scalp dance. This is to be a great demonstration. The women dress in best attire and paint their faces, while the men, now wild with triumph, prepare for the ceremonies of rejoicing.

The drum calls for the dance to commence. They form around the fire on the bare rocks, each warrior painted in _black and red_, in figures rudely made on their arms and breast, indicating the deeds they may boast of.

Each bears on the ramrod of his gun the scalps _he_ has _taken_. The medicine-man begins a kind of prayer or thanksgiving to the Great Spirit above, and to the bad spirit below, for the success they have won. The dances begin,--a short, upright hop, singing of the great deeds of the Modocs, the warriors meanwhile waving the ramrods with the scalps.

Round and round they move, stepping time to the rude music, until they are exhausted. The blood of the warriors is at fighting heat.

The chief takes no part. He is ill at ease; his mind is busy with great thoughts concerning the past and the future of the Modoc people.

Leaving the Modocs to exult and quarrel alternately, let us hunt up our disappointed army. A part of them have returned to Col. Barnard's camp at Lone Lands; another part, the volunteers, have collected at Fairchild's ranch. Great, unauthorized councils are being held; a hundred men give wise opinions. Gen. Frank Wheaton is declared "incompetent," and some underhand work is going on to have him relieved of his command. It will succeed, although he was brave and skilful, and did as well as any other man could have done under the circ.u.mstances.

But that is not the question now, he _must_ be relieved; it is enough that he did not succeed, and it is necessary now to send a new man and let him _learn_ something of the country. True, Gen. Wheaton has experience and would know how to manage better than a new man. Political power is triumphant, and this worthy man is humbled because he could not perform an _impossibility_. He had raw recruits, that were unskilled in Indian wars, and he was attacking with this force the strongest natural fortress on the continent.

Let us listen to some of the pretty speeches being made in the volunteer camp.

"I tell you aint them Modocs nearly thunder though? But the 'regulars'

fired from the hip; they could not _get down_ and draw a fine bead."

"It takes _Volunteers_ to fight Ingens. Ruther have one hundred volunteers anytime than a regiment of 'regulars.'"

"The captain says he's going to raise a new company, picked men; and then the Modocs will get h--l. Won't they though?"

Our unpopular gray-eyed man strolled into the volunteer camp. He is a little caustic sometimes. Sauntering up to the fellow who was so brave a few days before, he said:--

"How did you like your 'Modoc sirloin,' eh? putty good, eh? didn't take it raw, did you? Where's that feller who was going to bring home a good-looking squaw for a--dishwasher? Wonder how he likes her about this time? Where's that _other_ fellow who was going to ride Captain Jack's _pacing hoss_?

"Wonder if those boys who were spoiling for a fight are out of danger?

"Say, boys, there's some old squaws over there near the spring; they aint got any guns, aint no bucks there; may be you can take _them_." Tossing his head a little to one side, a habit of his when full of sarcasm, he went on to ask the captain of a certain company, "if he found any difficulty in holding his boys back. Where was _you_ during the fight, anyhow? I heard Gen. Wheaton asking for you, but n.o.body seemed to know where you was, 'cept Donal' McKay, and he said you was down on the point; said he saw your general there with a mighty nice breech-loading _bird gun_, and that once in a while some of you would raise your heads and look round, and then Shacknasty Jim would shoot, and you would all lie down again.

"Now, captain, let me give you a little bit of advice; it won't cost you nothing. When you raise _another_ company to fight the _Modocs_, don't you take any of them fellows that you can't hold back, nor them fellows who want to eat Modoc steaks _raw_; they aint a good kind to have when you get in a tight place. Why, Shacknasty Jim could whip four of them at a time.

Them kind of fellers aint worth a continental d--m for fightin' Modocs.

Better leave them fellers with their mammies."

CHAPTER XXVI.

OLIVE BRANCH AND CANNON b.a.l.l.s--WHICH WILL WIN?

A few days after this battle Captain Jack sent a message to John Fairchild and Press Dorris, proposing a "talk," telling them that they should not be molested, and agreeing to meet them at the foot of the bluff, near the Modoc camp. Messrs. Fairchild and Dorris, accompanied by one other white man and an Indian woman (Dixie), visited the Lava Beds.

The meeting, as described by Fairchild, was one of peculiar interest.

Those who _had been_ friends, and _then enemies_ and at war, without any formal declaration of peace, coming together in the stronghold of the victorious party, presents a phase of Western life seldom witnessed. The white men, fully armed, ride to the Indian camp with the squaw guide. The Modocs had observed them with a field-gla.s.s while they were descending the bluff, two miles away.

On their arrival, the men who had so earnestly sought each others' lives stood face to face. A painful silence followed, each party waiting for the other to speak first. The Modocs approach and offer to shake hands. "No, you don't, until we understand each other," said Fairchild; and continued, "We came here because we learned that you wanted to talk peace. We are not afraid to talk or to hear you talk. We were in the battle. We _fought you, and we will fight_ again unless peace is made."

Captain Jack replied, that "the Modocs knew all about who was in the big battle, but that should not make trouble now. We are glad you come. We want you to hear our side of the story. We do not want any war. Let us go back to our homes on Lost river. We are willing to pay you for the cattle we have killed. We don't want to fight any more."

Such was the substance of Captain Jack's speech; to which Fairchild and Dorris replied, that they were not authorized to make any terms, but would do all they could to prevent further war.

These men visited the Modoc camp from humane and kindly motives; yet tongues of irresponsible parties dared to speak slanderous words against these men who ventured where their vilifiers would not have gone for any consideration. Their motives were questioned, and insinuations unworthy the men who made them, never would have been made had the characters of Fairchild and Dorris been better understood.

The results of the battle of Jan. 17th had startled the public mind, and especially the authorities at Was.h.i.+ngton City. On investigating the cause of the war, it was thought that some mistake had been made. The citizens of Oregon who were then in Was.h.i.+ngton, headed by Gen. E. L. Applegate, consulted with Attorney-General Williams on the subject of the Modoc troubles. Inasmuch as a vast amount of ink has since been wasted in expressing indignation against the Modoc Peace Commission, I herewith submit the subjoined letter from Gen. Applegate, of Oregon, to the "Oregon Bulletin," which gives a fair, and, I believe, true statement of the circ.u.mstances attending its conception. I was not present at the conference referred to, neither was I consulted as to the propriety of the movement, either by the Honorable Secretary or the Oregon delegation.

Secretary Delano is qualified to defend his own action, and I only suggest that, with the representations set forth, he acted wisely in the course he pursued.

Although I did not advise the appointment of a Peace Commission, I declare that it was right, and no blame can be justly attached to either the Commission or the appointing power, if it was not a success.

The principle of adjusting difficulties by such means is in harmony with justice and right. Let those who _burned_ the Honorable Secretary in effigy remember the continued stream of denunciation that was poured out against the Commission by a portion of the secular press of the Pacific coast, and the reason why the peace measures failed may be better understood.

LETTER FROM WAs.h.i.+NGTON CITY.

_How the "Peace Commission," was formed--An Account from General Applegate--His Agency in the Matter._

WAs.h.i.+NGTON, D. C., January 29th, 1873.

EDITORS BULLETIN: I "arise to explain" that, since coming to this city I have been meddling somewhat with public affairs. You know the Indian question is one which I think I have a right to express an opinion upon. I ought to know something of Indians and Indian affairs; and, believing that a wrong policy in regard to the Modocs might involve the country in a tedious and expensive Indian war, without a sufficient degree of good being accomplished by it to justify the losses, delays, and expenses incurred, could not avoid undertaking such action as I believed might the most quickly hasten a settlement of the trouble.

The fame abroad of Indian wars and dangers in our State is very injurious to the cause of immigration. A great many good people are confirmed in an opinion, which has been very considerably entertained heretofore, namely, that Oregon is yet an Indian country, and that the settlements are at all times in imminent danger of the tomahawk and scalping-knife.

My policy with Indians may be denominated the "pow-wow" policy. A matter has not only to be thoroughly explained to an Indian, but it must be explained over and over; and the fact is, that thirty years of observation convince me that Indians can be talked into any opinion or out of it by the men in whom they have confidence, and who understand the proper style of Indian talk. Consequently, I was in favor of sending some man as a Peace Commissioner to the Modoc country to pow-wow with these Indians and settle the difficulty. "Jaw-bone" is cheaper than ammunition; and the fact is, that all comes round to this at last, and always has. This might just as well be done at first, it seems to me, as to go through all the ups and downs, and expense of blood and treasure and long-delayed peace, with the bad effects abroad on the State, and then come to it.

I was, therefore, in favor of sending Mr. Meacham to that country immediately as a peace officer, to turn the whole thing into a "big talk," instead of letting it go on and getting into a big war.