The Great Lava Bed Wars: Battle of Lost River

Without a peaceful settlement by November 27th, Superintendent Odeneal requested Major John Green, commanding officer at Fort Klamath, to provide enough troops to force Captain Jack to move back to the reservation. The next day, Captain James Jackson, commanding 40 troops, left Fort Klamath for Captain Jack’s camp on Lost River.

The troops, reinforced by citizens from Linkville, which is now Klamath Falls, Oregon and by a band of militiamen under ‘Jump Off Joe’ McAlester (also recorded as McAlister) arrived in Captain Jack’s camp on Lost River about a mile above Emigrant Crossing, now Merrill, Oregon, by the 29th. Wishing to avoid a fight, Captain Jack agreed to go to the reservation, but the situation became tense when Jackson demanded the Modoc chief to disarm.

Captain Jack had never fought the Army and though alarmed, he finally agreed to put down his weapons. The rest of the warriors followed suit.

However an argument between a Modoc namedScarfaced Charley and Company B, 1st Cavalry’s Lt. Frazier Boutelle, erupted. The two pulled their revolvers and shot at each other, both missing.

This caused the Modoc to retrieve their weapons and a short battle was fought before the Modoc escaped towards the California border. After driving the rest of the Modoc out of camp, Jackson ordered his troops to retreat and await reinforcements.

‘Jump Off Joe’ and his militia, however pressed the attack against the Modoc. The casualties in this short battle included one Army soldier killed and seven wounded, and two Modoc killed and three wounded.

Another larger band of Modoc, this one under the leadership of Hooker Jim, retreated to the Lava Beds south of Tule Lake. Over the next two days they attacked and killed 18 settlers along the way.

Learning of this, ‘Jump Off Joe’ went in pursuit. But while surveying a dry creek bed on the afternoon of December 3rd, the Modoc warriors ambushed them,  killing all 23 militia members of his command.

Eighteen days later, a Modoc party, scouting from the Stronghold, attacked an ammunition wagon at Land’s Ranch. By January 15th, 1873, the U. S. Army had 400 troops in the field near the Lava Beds.

The largest number of troops were at Van Bromer’s ranch, twelve miles west of the Stronghold. Troops were also stationed at Land’s ranch, ten miles east of the Stronghold.

Col. Frank Wheaton was in command of all troops, including regular army as well as volunteer companies from California and Oregon. The following day, Capt. Reuben Bernard’s men attacked Captain Jack’s Stronghold two miles to the west.

When the attack failed, Bernard withdrew his men by way of Hospital Rock back to Land’s Ranch.

During the next few weeks, the Army moved ever closer to the Stronghold in preparation for another attack. On April 6th, five companies commanded by Maj. Edwin Mason, 21st Infantry, camped at Hospital Rock.

On April 11th, 1st Lieutenant’s William Sherwood and William Boyle walked a half mile beyond the Hospital Rock fortifications carrying a truce flag. The Modoc’s fired on them, mortally wounding Sherwood, who died several days later at the crude field hospital that gave Hospital Rock its name.

Boyle escaped without injury, barely making it back to the safety of his camp.

The following day, the Modoc’s then fired on pickets stationed west of Hospital Rock, forcing them to withdraw. By April 14th, Mason advanced his men from Hospital Rock at night for the second attack on the stronghold.

Two days later, the Army occupied the stronghold — but that would soon change.