Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/619



cham, not knowing how to get Jack back on the Klamath Reserve, recommended that this special favor be given the ontlaw. All this fed the vanity of the savage and made him more insolent and dangerous. A part of the land that Jack de- manded was claimed under U. S. laws as the property of Jesse D. Carr of Cal- ifornia, and then in ('liarge of Carr's Agent — the old pioneer, Jesse Apijlegate. Of Applegate, Jack demanded pay for occupation, which being refused, one of Jack's personal friends known as Black Jim went on the war path with twenty warriors, alarming the whole community. The Modoc war had now practically commenced. Jack had repudiated and defied the U. S. authorities, openly com- mitted murder on a government reserve, defied the rights of white settlers to their lands under the laws, and put an armed force in the field to enforce his de- mands. About this time there was much confusion of authority on the Klamath Reservation by the changing of Agents, there being four different agents inside of three years time ; and this did not add to any respect for U. S. authority. Jack was invited to repeated conventions to settle differences, sometimes he would come and sometimes treat the invitation with contempt; and when he did con- descend to meet the white men to talk peace he was always accompanied by a dangerous retinue of fighting men. Finally, on June 27, 1872, Jack sent a mes- sage to Agent L. S. Dyer who had invited Jack to meet him at Linkville, in-, structing Dyar to say to the Superintendent: "We do not wish to see him (the Supt.) or talk with him. We do not want any white man to tell us what to do. Our friends and counselors are men in Yreka, California. They tell us to stay where we are, and we intend to do it, and will not go upon the Reservation. I am tired of being talked to, and I am done talking. "

This ultimatum from the haughty son of the forest, somewhat humiliating to the kindly appeals of government officials, put upon them the necessity of either allowing a savage to run at large ready to commit any outrage his innate hatred of the white race might suggest, or take the last resort and capture Jack and all his warriors by military force. The Superintendent of Indian affairs turned the whole matter over to Col. Green of Port Klamath, and that officer, guided by Ivan Applegate, made a forced march for Captain Jack's camp, ar- riving there early on the morning of November 29, 1872 with thirty-six regular troopers. Arriving at the outskirts of Jack's camp they called on the Indians to come out and surrender. A part of the Indians seemed willing to yield to the command, but Scarface Charley and Black Jim seized their guns and stood on the defensive. Lieut. Boutelle then advanced with a small guard to arrest "Scarface" and "Jim", when Scarface fired a rifle shot at the Lieut, and missed him. A volley of shots from both sides followed ; and one trooper was killed and seven wounded, and fifteen Indians were killed outright. Up to the time of the firing Jack had remained silent in his tent; but on the opening of the battle he came out and led the reti-eat of the Indians numbering twice as many as the soldiers. The Jlodoc war was now fairly opened; and couriers were sent off in every direction warning the white settlers to flee for their lives. Prom that time the enraged Indians burned, killed and destroyed in every direction, to the full extent of their a.bility. These murders and pillaging of property aroused the Governors of both California and Oregon to action and volunteci-s were called out to aid the U. S. regulars. Col. John Ross of Jacksonville and Capt. 0. C. Applegate of Klamath both raised companies which were accepted