Page:The Indian History of the Modoc War.djvu/178



A. "Yes, sir."

Q. "State the facts about it. State what followed after your return to the Commissioners ?"

A. "After I got back to Gillem's headquarters, I went to the Peace Commissioners' tent with Capt. Jack's reply, stating that he would meet five unarmed men and he would do the same, five, including himself, unarmed. I also told Mr. Meacham that the Indians had been building breastworks and was well fortified all around their camp, and that they had been killing cattle just before I arrived in their camp. I also said I thought it was useless to try to make peace any longer with them if Capt. Jack would not agree to meet at the peace tent. If I were in your places, Commissioners, I would not meet the Indians any more under the same conditions."

Q. "What was the Commissioners' reply or what did they decide upon? What decision did they come to?"

A. "They held a council among themselves. I was not at their council."

Q. "Was your visit the day before the assassination ?"

A. "Yes, sir. I went and saw General Canby that same evening. I told him that I had a proposition to make to him. He wanted to know what it was. I said, 'General, if you intend to meet the Indians in council tomorrow about daylight in the morning, send about twenty-five or thirty men somewhere near where you intend to hold the council and secret them in the rocks, so they could be ready to catch the Indians if they started to do wrong.' I said, 'General, if you do that, it may be the means of saving your life and also the others.' Canby said, 'Why, that would be too much of an insult to Capt. Jack if he found that out. Jack and his men might do an injury to some one. I will not do it.' '

Q. "Did you hear him say that ?"

A. "Yes."

Q. "Did he determine to meet them or not?"

A. "The Commissioners sent for me the next morning to come to their tent."

Q. "Was Capt. Jack informed that they would not go to that place one mile nearer?"

A. "Yes, sir. Bogus Charley went in that evening before