Chronology - Events of the Modoc War - History - http://maxpages.com/modocwar/Middle

for a detailed timeline of earlier events, click here.

25 January 1873 -- The Peace Commission. An Oregon delegation headed by Elisha Applegate calls on Columbus Delano, Secretary of the Interior, to propose sending a delegation to discuss peace with the Modocs. They are told to put their recommendations into writing.

27 January 1873 -- The Oregon delegation sends its written recommendations to Delano.

30 January 1873 -- John Fairchild and a Modoc woman named Dixie attempt to have a talk with Captain Jack. Dixie goes into the Modoc camp, but the Modocs will not come out and Fairchild will not go in. Sherman wires Canby to use the troops to protect citizens, but to avoid war.

4 February 1873 -- Early in the morning Fox and Atwell, correspondents for the New York Herald and the Sacramento Record, leave Yreka for the front.

5 February 1873 -- Fox and Atwell leave Ball's ranch in the morning. Fox meets General Gillem near Dorris' ranch, and spends the night at Fairchild's ranch. Fox writes an account of the origin of the Modoc war, published 21 February.

7 February 1873 -- Gillem, Rockwell, and Fox leave Dorris' ranch in the morning and arrive at Lost River camp eleven hours later, about 8 p.m.

8 February 1873 -- Fox writes an account of the First Battle of the Lava Beds, published 24 February.

10 February 1873 -- General Canby and Samuel Case, one of the Peace Commissioners, arrive in Jacksonville, en route to Linkville for a meeting on the 15th.

11 February 1873 -- Wheaton turns over his command to Gillem. Wheaton leaves for Camp Warner via Fort Klamath and Yainax reservation. News arrives that the Peace Commissioners are to meet on the 14th.

12 February 1873 -- Still at Lost River Camp, Fox sends story about the general circumstances at the time; this appears 27 February.

14 February 1873 -- A Grand Jury in Jacksonville indicts eight Modocs for murder. In the evening the Modocs burn down a hut belonging to Dennis Crawley. A cavalry party investigates, but it is too dark to determine much.

15 February 1873 -- Preliminary Peace Commission Meeting. Gillem, Rockwell, Jesse Applegate, Surgeon McElderry and Fox ride from Lost River Camp to Linkville. Jesse Applegate and Samuel Case hold the first meeting in the absence of Meacham; they elect Oliver Applegate to be Clerk of the Commission and table a lunatic letter from the Governor of Oregon. Fox telegraphs an account of the meeting via Ashland; this appears 17 February. Fox spends the night at Linkville.

16 February 1873 -- The five return to Dorris' ranch, with Anderson, Oliver Applegate, Samuel Case, and General Canby. On the way they stop at Klamath ferry so that Canby can talk with Mrs. Whittle, a Klamath woman, about taking a message in to Captain Jack if necessary. A. B. Meacham arrives at Yreka, on his way to Van Brimmer's.

17 February 1873 -- Fox sends an interrupted story from Dorris' ranch about the first peace commission meeting, published 1 March. General Canby and his staff, and the Peace Commission, move to Fairchild's ranch in the afternoon.

18 February 1873 -- Fox moves to Fairchild's ranch. A. B. Meacham arrives. In the evening General Canby and the Commissioners meet secretly; they send for Mrs. Whittle and Modoc Sally, Klamath women.

19 February 1873 -- Fox rides over to Van Brimmer's ranch to confer with the officers there, Miller and Throckmorton among them. Upon his return he finds that Mrs. Whittle has arrived; Meacham gives her instructions.

20 February 1873 -- Mrs. Whittle and Artina leave for Captain Jack's camp early in the morning. Fox sends a story from Fairchild's ranch about the First Peace Commission Meeting; this story appears 6 March. Fox rides with Captain Anderson to Van Brimmer's and spends the night there. Colonel Miller has replaced Major Throckmorton in command.

21 February 1873 -- Fox returns again to Fairchild's ranch in the morning. In the afternoon Matilda and Artina return. Fox and the other reporters are kept from hearing Matilda's report to the commissioners. Meacham then gives his version to the press.

22 February 1873 -- The Whittles start for the lava beds. Fox writes a story about his activities; this appears on 8 March. Captains O. Applegate and Ferree leave for the Yainax reservation. Lalake, John Parker, and Modoc Sally arrive. A telegram is received announcing Judge Roseborough's appointment to the commission. At eleven the Whittles return with Dave.

23 February 1873 -- The Commission hears the Whittles' report in the morning. Fox writes a story about the results of these first contacts; this appears March 8 also. Modoc Dave returns to the lava beds to report to Captain Jack. Whittle, Fairchild, Matilda and Artina prepare to go the next day. Fox is denied permission to go with them; goes to Van Brimmer's instead.

24 February 1873 -- The Fox Interview Conference. Fox follows the party to the lava beds and horns in on conference with the Modocs. They all spend the night in the lava beds.

25 February 1873 -- After a conference in the morning, the party rides back; Fox leaves them and returns to Van Brimmer's. Fox telegraphs a long story about the meeting, which appears 28 February. In the night Hooker Jim, Curly Jack, and Shacknasty Jim come in to talk with Lalake about their horses.

26 February 1873 -- Canby and the Peace Commissioners have a tal with the three Modocs before they return to the lava bed. Fox writes a short telegraphic dispatch from Van Brimmer's Ranch.

27 February 1873 -- Rosborough and Steele arrive in the evening.

28 February 1873 -- The Modoc Press Conference. Steele, Fairchild, the Riddles, and three reporters go into the lava beds for a conference.

1 March 1873 -- Fox writes the story of his trip to the lava bed to be sent by mail. Steele, Fairchild, and company return with several Modocs from the lava bed. Fairchild and Steele disagree about the results of their mission.

3-4 March 1873 -- The Woman's Hat Conference. Steele, Atwell, the Riddles go back to the lava beds, and are met with an unfriendly reception. They spend the night guarded by Captain Jack and Scarfaced Charley and attend another angry conference in the morning. The party gets back to Fairchild's at dusk and Steele reports to the Commission.

5 March 1873 -- Boston Charley and the other Modocs that accompanied Steele and party out return with an unfavorable message to the lava beds. Atwell writes an account of the Steele Conference for the San Francisco Chronicle.

6 March 1873 -- Mary, Boston Charley, and another Modoc woman come in to camp to report that Captain Jack accepts the offered terms.

7 March 1873 -- Mary and Boston Charley go back in to the lava beds.

8 March 1873 -- Boston Charley and a Modoc woman come in to say that the band would be ready to leave the lava beds on Monday, 10 March. They say that they did not come in today because one of their band had died.

13 March 1873 -- Major Biddle arrives at Van Brimmer's ranch with thirty-four Indian ponies, which he captured despite the truce.

14 March 1873 -- Fox writes an article from Van Brimmer's ranch attacking the Peace Commission as a humbug; this article appears in the Herald 26 March 1873. Artina Choakus arrives in the evening.

19 March 1873 -- Four coehorn mortars arrive at Van Brimmer's ranch.

21 March 1873 -- Juniper Tree Conference. Fox goes with Canby and Gillem on a reconnaissance of the lava beds; he and Dr. Cabaniss act as hostages while Captain Jack and Schonchin talk with Canby and Gillem. Nothing much is accomplished, and the party returns to Van Brimmer's, arriving after midnight.

23 March 1873 -- The camp at Lost River is moved to the east side of Tule Lake. The Reverend Thomas arrives at Yreka in the evening, en route for the front.

24 March 1873 -- The Reverend Thomas leaves Yreka in the morning. Fox arrives at Yreka in the evening; he telegraphs a story from Yreka about the Juniper Tree Conference.

26 March 1873 -- Fox writes an article from Yreka about the Juniper Tree Conference; this appears in the Herald on 7 April 1873. Gillem makes a reconnaissance of the lava beds along with Elder Thomas of the Peace Commission; they talk with Bogus and Boston Charley. Lieutenant Boutelle and fifty-two recruits arrive at Van Brimmer's.

27 March 1873 -- Fox leaves Yreka for the lava beds.

29 March 1873 -- Boston Charley comes in from the lava beds.

30 March 1873 -- Boston Charley returns to the lava beds. Fox sends a dispatch by courier from Van Brimmer's Ranch to Yreka concerning recent troop movements and mentioning Hooker Jim's trip to Yainax.

31 March 1873 -- The camp at Van Brimmer's is broken up, and camps for the night by Little Klamath Lake.

1 April 1873 -- The troops from Van Brimmer's set up camp by Tule Lake, about two and a half miles from Captain Jack's stronghold. Boston Charley comes in to arrange a talk between Captain Jack and the Peace Commission. During the night Meacham wakes up Gillem to say that the Modocs are going to attack, but the expected attack does not materialize.

2 April 1873 -- Canby and the Peace Commissioners have a talk with Captain Jack and the other leading men of the tribe.

4 April 1873 -- The Rosborough Conference. Rosborough, Fairchild, and Meacham have a conference with Captain Jack and the other Modoc leaders. The Modocs give up their claim to Lost River if they can keep the lava beds.

about 4 April 1873 -- The Assassination Plot. At a turbulent night meeting, Captain Jack is persuaded to join a plot to assassinate the Peace Commissioners by Black Jim, Hooker Jim, and others.

7 April 1873 -- Major Mason moves his camp to Hospital Rock. The Peace Commission sends Toby Riddle in to arrange for a talk. She is unable to reach an agreement with the Modoc leaders.

9 April 1873 -- One of the Modocs is said to have died; the Modocs suspect the army may have killed him by magic.

10 April 1873 -- Bogus and Boston Charley come in to camp and arrange a peace conference for the next day.

11 April 1873 -- The Good Friday Assassinations. Toby Riddle warns the Peace Commissioners that the Modocs are planning to murder them. The council is held anyway. Captain Jack, Sconchin and others murder Canby and Thomas, and attempt to kill Meacham, Dyar, and Riddle at a peace conference.

for a detailed timeline of later events, click here.

The Good Friday Assassinations.

[Something will go here.]

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Page Updated Thu Mar 2, 2000 4:22pm EST