Page:The Indian History of the Modoc War.djvu/234

 before finally disbanding, to reorganize to suppress bushwhacking and his venture was fully justified in its good results. He was subsequently a member of special commission to decide claims on the War Department. He was on the board that determined the plans for the new building for the War and Navy Department. In 1869 he voluntarily consented to take command of the De- partment of the Columbia, in which he had the oversight of the Indian tribes of the Northwest. In i 872^73 he went into the field to endeavor to bring the Modocs to accept the terms offered them by the government, in arranging a permanent peace. His views and intentions were on the side of mercy rather than justice and in a letter to the Department at Wash- ington but four days before his death he outlined a policy that but for the treachery of the Indian leaders would have pre- vented a long and sanguinary war on April nth, 1873. He, in company with two other officers, met Captain Jack, the leader of the Modocs, on mutual ground, who arranged for a treaty of peace. At a prearranged signal the Indians killed all the Commissioners before the escort could afford protection and the Indians escaped to the Lava Beds, which constituted the stronghold. Subsequently Captain Jack and three of his subordinates were captured and executed. The place of Gen- eral Canby's assassination was the Lava Beds, Siskiyou County, California, April nth, 1873. He was tall and sol- dierly in appearance, with a benevolent countenance. He had very little money saved at the time of his death and a few