Modoc POWs Murdered - (7 June 1873) - History - http://maxpages.com/modocwar/POWs

BOYLE'S CAMP, TULE LAKE PENINSULA, June 8.--About daylight yesterday, John and James Fairchild, and a dozen other members, left Fairchild's ranch, on the banks of Cottonwood Creek, with seventeen Modoc captives, including Bogus Charley, Shacknasty Jim, Tehee Jack, Poney, Little John and Moocha. John Fairchild and all the white men, save James, were mounted and armed, and rode in the advance soon after the start, leaving the balance of the party several miles behind. James had the Indians in a wagon, drawn by four mules. At the crossing of Lost River, late in the afternoon, James came across the Oregon volunteers, Captain Hiser, who was encamped and en route for home. The members of the company were scattered around the camp and engaged in various occupations; but upon the approach of the Indians they all ran and armed themselves, and then gathered about the wagon. Captain Hiser said: "Where is Hooka Jim?"

"At Boyle's Camp," replied Fairchild.

Hiser.--What two scouts left Fairchild's this morning?

Fairchild.--Bogus and Shacknasty.

Hiser.--What route did they take?

Fairchild.--Can't possibly state.

Hiser.--What Indians have you here?

Fairchild.--All Hot Creeks except Little John, who is a Lost River.

Hiser [to Little John].--Who shot you?

John.--Shacknasty Jim.

John was badly wounded in the thigh, and had his leg broken below the knee.

Hiser to Fairchild.--What kind of Indians are these?

Fairchild.--I guess they are not among the worst; there are no charges against them.

The conversation was of this sort for some time. Fairchild had an idea that it would be best to place the Indians under the protection of Hiser, as matters were getting mixed. The volunteers looked as if they meant mischief. Upon second thought, he deemed it best to push forward and reach the camp as soon as possible.

Hiser.--Where will you camp?

Fairchild.--At Dennis Crawley's.

Fairchild drove on, and the volunteers retired to camp. Half an hour after this episode, a citizen rode up and asked Fairchild if anny men had passed along ahead of him, and the latter replied in the affirmative. The stranger kept Fairchild company for a mile, and turned off to the right toward a bend in the river two miles from Crawley's house. Fairchild noticed a couple of men riding hurriedly to a rocky point two hundred yards ahead, as if to intercept him. He watched them the more closely, as he suspected foul play. They gained the point, dismounted, and placed their hats upon the sage brush. One of them tied a handkerchief about his head and used a pantaloon leg undoubtedly for the purpose of disguise. When the team neared them one stepped to the rear and the other in front, and

PRESENTED COCKED NEEDLE GUNS AT FAIRCHILD.

The man in front also had a butcher-knife drawn. He was the spokesman: "Get down you old white headed son of a bitch." "By what authority?" said Fairchild. "By mine. I am going to kill the Indians and you, too," was the reply. Then the leader caught hold of the mules and unhitched them, or cut the harness, and Fairchild, clinging to the lines, leaped to the ground. The poor wretches implored for mercy, and begged Fairchild to save them. The warriors were unarmed, and knew that resistance was useless. They were the coolest in the party, though facing sure death. But the women and children shrieked and groaned and wept piteously. Fairchild had nothing but a small pistol with him, six inches from his ear was the muzzle of a needle gun. "Indeed," says he to me a few moments since, "the tears came to my eyes as I mingled my voice with those of the Modocs, in the hope that a massacre might be averted.

"OH, IT WAS A TERRIBLE SCENE;

I never shall forget it. I shudder when I think what I saw and heard. The tearful voices of those women and children are still ringing in my ears." But the cowardly hounds were not to be baulked. A shot, and Little John lay dead in the bed of the wagon with a bullet in his brain. The four mules dashed away, with Fairchild tangled in the lines. Five more shots were fired in rapid succession, and Tehee Jack, Poney and Moocha, the remaining warriors, were dead, and Little John's squaw had a frightful wound in her shoulder. Away ahead on the road, and in the direction of Boyle's Camp, was a cloud of dust, indicating the approach of a team. The murderers espied the dust, and in a moment were riding rapidly away. Sergeant Murphy, of Battery G, Fourth Artillery, with ten men and a teamster, came by the team. The Sergeant took charge of affairs and remained with his men on the ground, and Fairchild and the teamster, the wounded squaw and her two children came hither at 2 o'clock this morning. Fairchild reached General Davis' headquarters, and related his story. Teams, with an escort, were at once sent out after the prisoners, dead and alive. No steps were taken for the apprehension of the felons who performed the bloody work. It is generally supposed that Oregon volunteers are the guilty parties. Fairchild is of that opinion himself. The warriors killed were not charged with murder, and those who know them best say that they have only participated in open fights. Every one here condemns the affair as

ATROCIOUS AND WITHOUT EXCUSE.

There is no doubt that the murders were carried out upon a carefully arranged plan, as Fairchild noticed horsemen on the road ahead and behind him. When the shots were fired, had John Fairchild, instead of James, been present, another murder might have been added to the list, as the Oregonians are bitter in their hatred of John.

Father O'Kane, assistant pastor of the Yreka District, held Catholic service to-day as usual, at the Provisional Hospital building. The weather is soft and mild.

Sergeant Clinton is fast failing.

"Colonel" William Thompson (1912)

[The "Investigation"]

The next morning at daylight the orderly to Gen. Davis came to my tent and awaking me said that the General wanted to see me at once. Hastily dressing I walked over to the General's tent. He was sitting on the side of his camp bed, partly undressed. Jas. Fairchilds was sitting in the tent talking as I entered. The General asked him to repeat to me what he had been saying. Mr. Farichilds then proceeded to relate that a bunch of Indians, four bucks and a lot of women and children, had come in to the ranch and surrendered. He had loaded them into a wagon and started to the Peninsula to turn them over to the military authorities. When within about six miles of his destination he was headed off by two men who were disguised past identification. They ordered him to stop and unhitch his team and after doing so was told to drive the horses up the road. When about thirty yards away he was ordered to stop. The men then began killing the Indians . . .

While we were talking Donald McKay came up and accused the volunteers of the massacre. I told Gen. Davis that it was impossible that the volunteers could have committed the crime. McKay was drunk and swaggered around a great deal and finally asked the General to let him take his Indians and follow the volunteers and bring them back.

Becoming angered at the talk and swagger of McKay I told the General to let him go, and plainly told McKay that I would go with him. That he, McKay, was an arrant coward and could not take any one, much less a company of one hundred men. I then expressed my belief to Gen. Davis that the killing had been done by some of the settlers whose relatives had been massacred by the savages; that Gen. Ross had gone around the south end of the lake and that Capt. Hizer must have been many miles on his road towards Linkville.

I told him, however, that I would make an investigation and if possible bring the perpetrators of the act to justice. Mounting my horse I rode rapidly back to where the wagon was standing in the road. The women and children were still in the wagon with their dead, not one of them having moved during the night. It was a most ghastly sight, the blood from the dead Indians had run through the wagon bed, and made a broad, red streak for twenty yards down the road. Soon after my arrival Donald McKay rode up, and I ordered him to go to the lake and get some water for the women, one of whom had been severely wounded. Soon after his return with the water Mr. Fairchilds came with the team and all were taken to the camp. The woman was not seriously hurt, but the four bucks were literally shot to pieces.

[Editor's Note: This is all the investigating William Thompson carried out; the murderers were never identified and no serious attempt was made to discover them.]

Joseph H. Hyzer (17 June 1873)

[Oregon Volunteers Defended]

Having seen and heard several statements and imputations made against the Oregon Volunteers, connecting them with the killing of Modoc Indians on Tule Lake recently, I feel called upon to reply in the opposition, through justice to the State of Oregon, to the men under my command, and to myself.

On the day when the Indians were killed I camped just above Lost River ford with my company, being en route from General Davis' Head Quarters on the Peninsula, where we had been on escort duty guarding Modoc prisoners, whom we delivered to Major Mason at that place. I state this fact that the public may understand the opportunity which the Volunteers had to butcher Modocs had they been inclined to do so. They were under our charge from June 3d, when they were captured until June 6th, when they were delivered to Major Mason. They were taken nearly 70 miles after they were captured, being three days on the march. . . . Now if the Volunteers were so bloodthirsty, . . . Could they not all have been slayed there among those fastnesses, when but a few men were present, and perhaps never have been discovered? Were they obliged to bring out a single Indian? And did not the authorities at Washington expect them to be exterminated? Then I say, the actions of my men, under these circumstances, plainly show they did not intend to kill them.

Taking all these circumstances into consideration we will revert to June 7th, the day on which these Indians were killed. Lieutenant Lindsay and I were riding together in advance of the Company above Crawley's ranch, when we met three persons in an ambulance, who informed us about Mr. Fairchild and party coming around that day, with Indians in charge, going to the Peninsula. Soon after Mr. Dipple, a citizen, came up, when I informed him about the Indians, and told him if any of the Indians concerned in the massacre of citizens were among the party I intended to arrest them and send them to Jacksonville. He told me about the raft at Crawley's and said the wounded men would be likely to cross there. Why did we not make disposition to guard that point and take them in too? Would a gap like that have been left open if we intended to kill the Indians? When Mr. Fairchild crossed the ford, with the Indians in his wagon I went there to meet them with several men, Mr. Dipple being present to identify any of the murderers whom I intended to arrest and send to Jacksonville, and that is why my men were armed. I asked Mr. Fairchild all about the Indians, the same as any person would have done, and he answered all of my questions as they were asked, in a very gentlemanly way. I also inquired of him what Indians were upon the other route who would cross the raft and if Hocker Jim was with them, as I had heard he was out somewhere. He told me he was not, and informed me who were in the party. I think he said the party were Bogus Charley, Shacknasty Jim, a few white men and John Fairchilds. . . . As for my conduct towards either Mr. James Fairchild or his brother John I ask these gentlemen themselves to testify what the feeling towards them has ever been, manifested on my part. Mr. Fairchild, according to the correspondence of the Chronicle, said he thought he had better put his load under my charge. I will say, had he done so, he should have had an escort through and welcome. I think my men were all in camp at the time the Indians were killed. The Company say they were, and the scene of the slaughter is about ten miles distant.

Editorial comment -- Yreka Union (28 June 1873)

[Lt. Marsh's Boast]

CAPT. HYZER'S LETTER.--We call attention to Capt. Hyzer's letter on the first page of to-day's UNION, in which he defends the Oregon Volunteers from the charge of being the parties who assassinated the Modoc captives on Lost River. It will be seen he repels the charge with great vehemence. Apropos of this matter it may not be amiss to state that there was a person came to this town on Thursday evening, who represents that his name is Marsh, and that he was 2d Lieut. of Capt. Hyzer's company of Oregon Volunteers. In a conversation with E. H. Autenreith and others, in Duenkel's saloon on Thursday evening, this person claimed that they (members of Capt. Hyzer's company) had killed the four Modocs who were massacred on Lost River. We do not vouch for the truth of what this person uttered. We only know, from reliable information, that a person making such pretensions in relation to himself, and claiming the achievement above stated for Oregon Volunteers, is now in Yreka, or at least was a few hours ago.

Editorial -- San Francisco Chronicle (10 June 1873)

The Indian Massacre

If the Government needed any argument to convince it of the impolicy of turning Indians taken captive in war, and now held as prisoners of war, over to the civil authorities of Oregon, it is afforded in the cruel and cowardly murder of Modoc captives by Oregon citizens. From the beginning of this controversy we have believed that the Indians have been most shamefully treated by Oregonians and had great provocation for their conduct. Except for the massacre of General CANBY and the Peace Commission, the Modocs have acted with great honor and with great bravery. We are now more than ever decided that the sympathy of every generous and honorable man should be so far extended toward the Modoc captives as to pray the General Government not to subject them to the inhuman and brutal prejudices of the people of Southern Oregon. We sincerely hope it may not be found true that these cowardly assassins were volunteer soldiers or members of the Oregon militia. If they are, Oregon has been sadly disgraced and the flag under which they organized has been dishonored.

Editorial -- Portland Bulletin (10 June 1873)

An Atrocious Deed

No words are sufficiently strong to condemn the massacre of unarmed Indians, traveling under supposed safe conduct, which is reported in to-day's dispatches. It is atrocious in itself, and is calculated to do us infinite injury. It will send a thrill of horror through the Eastern States, and our whole people will be condemned as bloody ruffians for the act. It will cause an immediate reaction of public feeling against our people and in favor of the Modocs, and will cause not a few to declare that the Indians have been wronged, and are excusable for their conduct throughout. The act is as senseless as brutal; the Indians were soon to be tried and punished by the due form of law. The perpetrators of this deed should be sought out and promptly dealt with. No right thinking man in Oregon or anywhere else can excuse such a deed so perpetrated. It will probably liberate Jack and the rest, for the Government will now think the Modocs more sinned against than sinning.

Opinion -- Jane Swisshelm (1873)

[A Word on Behalf of Lynching]

I do not wonder that the men there are desperate. The wonder to me has long been that the Western States have not long ago resolved to shoot Indians wherever they are found, and hang every Indian Commissioner who sets foot upon their soil. Nothing but the overwhelming power of the United States prevents some such policy. Why is it that the Indians are such an exception to all laws? No citizen of the proudest government in Europe dare commit murder on the soil of California and rely on his government to override the sovereignty of that State to take him out of its hands. Why does the United States trample on that sovereignty, and enable any and every naked savage to defy it with impunity? While the General Government protects and rescues criminals under Western law, we need feel no surprise at such occurrences as the lynching of prisoners.

Opinion -- H. Wallace Atwell (9 June 1873)

[A Cold-Blooded Massacre]

Cowardly, brutal acts have marked the frontier history and Oregon has her full share of these stains on a people's honor. We boil with indignation because these Modocs slew settlers, after having been attacked by them, and because they slew General Canby; but I question if either case equals in atrocity and cold-blooded cowardice the massacre of these defenceless prisoners, two of whom were old, feeble men, and wounded, and neither of the band had been implicated in anything beyond fighting. Two of the party had fought in the lava beds and two had never been with Captain Jack at all. This is a glorious record for the Oregon volunteers, and may God give them joy of it. But if this band, or the ruffianly portion of it, is not disbanded it will provoke a general war along the border. There is far more danger in their disturbing existing peace than that the Indians will rebel. And peaceful citizens had better take their chances with hostile Indians than with such allies.

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