Hell With the Fire Out: A History of the Modoc War

by Arthur Quinn

The Modoc War, pivotal in American history, pitted the peace policies of President Ulysses S. Grant and Quaker activist Lucretia Mott against William Tecumseh Sherman - the destroyer of Georgia - and his outspoken desire for the Modocs' "utter extermination." When it ended in 1873, with the execution of the tribal leaders and the relocation of the Modoc tribe to Oklahoma, the federal goverment's Peace Commission was in tatters. The way was paved toward the more famous, but no bloodier, battle at Little Bighorn and the battle at Wounded Knee, the last battle of the western Indian wars and the final closing of the frontier.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Native American, War

200 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An almost-forgotten story from a remote corner of the West--"the Modoc War" of 1869-72. The "Hell" in the title refers to the weird lavabeds in Northern California, where much of the war took place. For me, the story was most interesting because it highlights a great Native American leader who can be ranked with Sitting Bull or Chief Joseph. He was called "Captain Jack" and, though his tribe was a very small one, he was not afraid to stand up to the overpowering might of the white Americans. The Modocs did not want to stay on the reservation that the US government put them on and they resisted. They actually won the first round. But the United States could starve them and finally wear down the tiny tribe and force their surrender. All part of "the winning of the west " which we are taught is a glorious episode of our history.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the Modoc tribe is worthy of a Shakespeare play, tragic figures caught in the vicissitudes of hate, friendship, freedom and betrayal. This book should be made into a movie worthy of the subject. Unfortunately Hollywood would make a mess of it, unable to convey the good and bad of both sides. This book does a good job though, bringing a mostly clear eye to the events. The Modoc tribe has an earned reputation as fierce fighters.
Old Schonchin had been the great war chief when the Modocs were terrorizing wagon trains along the Applegate Trail. His explanation of his decision to lead his people onto the reservation was famous:

“I thought if we killed all the white men we saw, that no more would come. We killed all we could, but they came, more and more like the new grass in the spring. I looked around and saw that many of the young men were dead and could not come back to fight. My heart was sick. I threw down my gun. I said, ‘I will not fight again.’ I made friends with the white man.”

The Modocs have been forced to move from their historic lands to the Klamath reservation, their historic enemies’ land. The two tribes make peace but trouble soon starts:
At first, everything had seemed fine on the Klamath reservation. Jack’s Modoc had set to work to build what looked as though it would be a permanent settlement. They had reconciled with the reservation Modocs led by Old Schonchin.

Then the Klamaths started treating the Modocs like mendicants living on the Klamath dole. Just when the needling started is unknown. Apparently it was started by Link River Jack, whose mischievous sense of humor Captain Jack relished when it was directed at others. Now Link River Jack and the other Klamaths began to address each Modoc they encountered as “Stranger.” They then reminded the Modocs that they were only guests on Klamath land. Looking at a pile of lumber, they would say blandly, “It is our timber; you may use it, but it is ours. You can make rails, but we want some of them.” When Captain Jack and others bridled, the Klamaths responded with benign condescension, never violating the letter of the treaty, constantly perverting its spirit.

The proud Modocs leave the reservation and go back to their homelands. The Modocs are friends with a number of white ranchers, settlers and residents. They work job as ranch hands and some Modoc women become temporary wives to the gold miners in Yreka, CA…the Modocs were popular with the miners. But the settlers and nearby townspeople petition to have the Modocs returned to the reservation. After a year of complaining, the military is given the task to return the Modoc to the reservation.

Confrontation occurs and fighting begins, with the Modocs inflicting a defeat. Captain Jack, the Modoc tribal chief, does not want to fight the Americans but his hot-headed younger members vote for war and the tribe retreats to the their best ground for defense, the lava fields. There are many points where the fighting could have stopped but once blood is shed, hard to think clearly. The Modoc gain respect from the professional soldiers:
(R.E Bernard) was a captain, having been breveted twice for bravery. Since the Civil War he had been cited once again, this time for action against the Apaches. In short, R. E Bernard was not someone squeamish about war and its horrors. Still, Bernard used his report as an occasion to express his outrage at having to fight the Modocs. While Wheaten and others were writing about the Modocs in military terms, Bernard, the ex-blacksmith, decided to discuss the whole situation in moral terms.

“These Indians have acted more humanely, in every instance, than we have. The only thing they claim or ask is a home at the mouth of the Lost River, where they were born and raised. . . . They have fought like men fighting for their rights, and if any man should have, or could gain their rights by fighting for them, the Modocs are more than entitled to what they claim.”

The Modocs kill/wound the military and government negotiators while under a flag of truce, which pretty much seals the determination of the military to defeat them no matter how long a fight. It’s a sad story because these tough fighters and the white society both had a love of freedom and it could have been a win for both if strong, calm leadership had been there. A permanent spot on the shelf for this book. 4 Stars only because he should have included map(s).

[Katherin Kirkpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOV 29, 1872, LOST RIVER, OREGON:
One hundred forty years ago the first shots were fired in the Battle of Lost River, and Oregon's Modoc War began in earnest. The history of this war, which still reverberates in every Oregonian's life, is taught in few Oregon history classes--an especially sad fact given that there's a beautifully written book on the subject.

The harshness of the landscape at the Oregon-California border drew the Modoc War to such agonizing stalemates that the key participants had time to jot down their intimate, minute-by-minute thoughts; indeed, it's one of the best-documented battles in US history. Thanks to these firsthand accounts, former UO professor Arthur Quinn's "Hell With The Fire Out" packs the emotional impact of an action novel without resorting to fiction.

Imagine a history as moving as Ken Burns' "Civil War" or "The West," but all taking place just over the hill from where you grew up. A tale of Kafkaesque bureaucratic bungling on an other-worldly, moon-cratered landscape; where two mild-mannered heroes, one a young Indian chief and the other an elderly Methodist missionary, stoically face martyrdom when their best advice goes unheeded; and a bicultural heroine, with nerves of steel and a child in tow, literally dodges bullets and wipes brain spew off her petticoats while trying to talk two armies out of annihilating each other.

Sadly, Arthur Quinn died shortly after completing his manuscript, which meant that "Hell With The Fire Out" ended up hastily packaged without illustrations or publicity. But it doesn't detract in the least from the inherent power of this incredible history--OUR incredible history!

....I might add that any story with a character named Shacknasty Jim is worth reading for that mere fact alone.

[Greg Schroeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed. The history is complete - all of the actions and personages are there and the narrative moves along but I found several significant flaws. Primary amongst them was that the narrative, without warning or apparent reason, switches from past tense to present tense and back. The next largest was a complete lack of even rudimentary maps. Finally, there are no notes or illustrations to help explain the perspective of the narrative or put faces to the participants.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A excellent book about a tragic moment in US history. Having visited the Lava Beds and Captain Jack's Stronghold, the site of Canby's murder, Gillem's camp and Fort Klamath made an excellent book that much better. If you ever have the opportunity to visit these sites, do so.

[Bruce Mendelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written history of the conflict between the Modoc Indians and the invading US army. There are very good descriptions of the terrain where the battles were fought. I have visited the area and can understand how this small group of natives was able to hold off their attackers for so long. But, the superior number of the US troops eventually won out. A sad part of American history. Anyone interested in the history of the American west should enjoy this book.

[Brett Bosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written history of a little-known war in northern California. As is often the case, it began due to poor leadership, misunderstanding, and hot heads. The combat itself reminds me of WW1, the terrain suited for defense. My last Indigenous book for the Heritage Month.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief but insightful chronicle of a vicious ethnic cleansing campaign conducted in northern California and southern Oregon in the early 1870s.

[Bruinrefugee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been awhile since I read, but if memory serves, a good history of a little-known covered conflict. I think it avoided the polemics often found in these kind of things, but captures the pain.

[Sandra Lannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read; A well-balanced account of the Modoc War.