Captain Jack, Modoc Renegade

by Doris Palmer Payne

Though a champion of peace, Captain Jack entrenched his half-hundred warriors in the volcanic wilds of the lava beds of Southern Oregon and Northern California, and defied the United States Army for six months in the fierce Modc War of 1872. Many rare photos.

Genres: History

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1979

Reviews

[Kevin Keating · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in a narrative style, it is a very good book for the beginner or armchair historian. I would recommend this for students in a class. I do wonder about how the author puts words in the mouths of the characters that she couldn't possibly have known, and it doesn't make clear that it's speculation. But anyway, I enjoyed the book, and it adheres pretty closely to the truth of the matter and it does have a nice bibliography at the end.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author sanitized a lot of the facts about the Modoc War, most likely in order to keep things "polite" and on account of the era of which it was written. One such fact was her factually inaccurate retelling of Kientepoo/Captain Jack's demise and his capture. Namely the fact that she completely dismissed what happened, omitting the fact that after he was hanged, the Army removed his head, preserved it and sent it to the Army Medical Hospital, then to the Smithsonian. Eventually it was returned, but to his enemies. (Though since the book was written before the 1980's when it was sent back, it's understandable that it wasn't mentioned.) There are also some disputes about what Captain Jack said when he was captured. But that's a lesser matter to my mind.

[Evan Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

A niche, hyper-localized history of the modoc indian war, this book does a good job of covering an inherently interesting topic.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

My parents, at the suggestion of a friend of the family, read my brother and I this book when we were young. One thing I remember is them skipping over many parts that they felt were too gruesome for us to hear.

This book is dated in its terminology, and perhaps factually inaccurate, but it paints a very vivid picture of the kind of how fast reason is made a casualty of war. This book starts with a simple case of mistaken identity (rather helped by racist ideology), and ends with hundreds dead, and corrupt, evil men left free to go about their lives. It is an amazingly sad and fascinating story, and I'm surprised that the life of Kintpuash (AKA Captain Jack) isn't as well known as Crazy Horse or Geronimo. I'm glad I had a chance to hear this truly remarkable story as a kid, and I wish more people, especially those that live in the region of the Modoc people, knew it.

[Thelastsnowflake · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book while informational is also partially incorrect and misleading in some areas. It is written BASED on true accounts of the events that occurred around the Modoc War. It is written not as informational but as a novel or collection of stories from an outsiders view point. I feel some embellishments have been made and personal views put in place of true history. Overall I found it a good read and enjoyed it's version of the truth. The pictures were nothing you wouldn't find in the Klamath Museum or other similar works on this subject. It shows CPT Jack in a positive light for his bravery but does not give a very fell telling of the events from both sides. I enjoyed reading this and actually finished it on a trip in only a few days.

[alysia]

interesting fact about me, i am related to this renegade american indian. he was the brother of my mother's grandmother. time to get schooled.

**edit: he was the uncle of my mother's grandmother. sorry. skipped a generation there.