Captain Jack's Stronghold was a holdout of the

Modoc people The Modoc are a Native American people who originally lived in the area which is now northeastern California and central Southern Oregon. They are currently divided between Oregon and Oklahoma and are enrolled in either of two federally recogn ...

that is located between

Tulelake Tulelake ( ) is a city in northeastern Siskiyou County, California, United States. The town is named after nearby Tule Lake. Its population is 902 as of the 2020 census, down from 1,010 from the 2010 census. Tulelake peace officers are author ...

and Canby, California. The stronghold, which is now part of

Lava Beds National Monument Lava Beds National Monument is located in northeastern California, in Siskiyou and Modoc counties. The monument lies on the northeastern flank of Medicine Lake Volcano and has the largest total area covered by a volcano in the Cascade Range. ...

, is named for Native American chief

Kintpuash Kintpuash, also known as Kientpaush, Kientpoos, and Captain Jack (c. 1837 – October 3, 1873), was a chief of the Modoc tribe of California and Oregon. Kintpuash's name in the Modoc language meant 'Strikes the water brashly.' He led a ...

who was also known as Captain Jack. During the

Modoc War The Modoc War, or the Modoc Campaign (also known as the Lava Beds War), was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc people and the United States Army in northeastern California and southeastern Oregon from 1872 to 1873. Eadweard M ...

in 1873, Captain Jack along with 53 Modoc warriors, and numerous women and children in a band of 160, managed to hold out against the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

which outnumbered them by as much as 10 to 1 for several months. The Modoc retreated to this area because it was part of their traditional territory where they had hunted and lived before the start of the

California genocide The California genocide was the killing of thousands of indigenous peoples of California by United States government agents and private citizens in the 19th century. It began following the American Conquest of California from Mexico, and the ...

, when agents of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

assisted by private citizens began the systematic killing of thousands of

indigenous peoples of California The indigenous peoples of California (known as Native Californians) are the indigenous inhabitants who have lived or currently live in the geographic area within the current boundaries of California before and after the arrival of Europeans. ...

in the mid 19th century. Many of the brutal acts carried out against native populations were encouraged, tolerated, and perpetuated by state authorities and militias.

History

left, Modoc warriors defending the Stronghold After the

Battle of Lost River The Battle of Lost River in November 1872 was the first battle in the Modoc War in the northwestern United States. The skirmish, which was fought near the Lost River along the California–Oregon border, was the result of an attempt by the U.S. ...

in November 1872, Captain Jack's band settled into the area around stronghold for several months. The Modoc used the lava beds as a defensive stronghold because of the rough terrain, rocks that could be used in fortification, and irregular pathways to evade pursuers. On January 17, 1873 a combined U.S. Army command of 225 soldiers supported by 104 Oregon and California volunteers were defeated by 51 Modoc warriors at the

First Battle of the Stronghold The First Battle of the Stronghold (January 17, 1873) was the second battle in the Modoc War of 1872–1873. The battle was fought between the United States Army under Lieutenant Colonel Frank Wheaton and a band of the Native American Modoc t ...

. A total of 35 Whites were killed and many wounded while the Modoc suffered no deaths or serious injuries. The Second Battle of the Stronghold took place on April 15–17. After getting additional reinforcements, the US force captured the stronghold's spring as well as cutting off access to

Tule Lake Tule Lake ( ) is an intermittent lake covering an area of , long and across, in northeastern Siskiyou County and northwestern Modoc County in California, along the border with Oregon. Geography Tule Lake is fed by the Lost River. The eleva ...

. The attack resulted in the death of one officer and six enlisted men while thirteen soldiers were wounded. Reportedly the only Modoc casualty was a boy who was killed when a cannonball he tried to open with an axe, exploded and several Modoc women who died from sickness. After being cut off from their only water sources, the Modoc escaped on April 17. They used a crevice that had been left unguarded while US troops were moved from one position to another in preparation for the final assault on the stronghold. Over the next few weeks, most of the band were caught. The last group, which was made up of Captain Jack, John Schonchin, Black Jim, and Boston Charley, were finally captured on June 1, 1873. After being convicted of murdering General

Edward Canby Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9, 1817 – April 11, 1873) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Department of New Mexico, defeating the Confederate Gen ...

and Reverend Eleazer Thomas at a peace parley in April 1873, Captain Jack and the three others were hanged on October 3, 1873, at

Fort Klamath Fort Klamath was a military outpost near the western end of the Oregon Trail, between Crater Lake National Park and Upper Klamath Lake in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The Fort Klamath Site, about a mile southeast of the present communi ...

. Canby would be the only US general to be killed in the

Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

Historic site

On June 1. 1932, Captain Jack's Stronghold was designated "

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

#9".

References

Captain Jack's Stronghold (Lava Beds National Monument)
{{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in Lava Beds National Monument Modoc War Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in California Geography of Siskiyou County, California History of Siskiyou County, California Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in Siskiyou County, California