Captain Jack's Stronghold was a holdout of the

Modoc people The Modoc are an Indigenous American people who historically lived in the area which is now northeastern California and central Southern Oregon. Currently, they include two federally recognized tribes, the Klamath Tribes in Oregon and the Mo ...

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 authoriz ...

and

Canby, California Canby is a census-designated place in Modoc County, California, Modoc County, California. It is located west of Alturas, California, Alturas, at an elevation of . Its population is 183 as of the 2020 census, down from 315 from the 2010 census. T ...

. The stronghold, which is now part of

Lava Beds National Monument Lava Beds National Monument is located in northeastern California, in Siskiyou County, California, Siskiyou and Modoc County, California, Modoc counties. The monument lies on the northeastern flank of Medicine Lake Volcano, which is the largest ...

, is named for Native American chief

Kintpuash Kintpuash (c. 1837 – October 3, 1873), also known as Kientpoos, Keintpoos, or by his English name Captain Jack, was a prominent Modoc leader from present-day northern California and southern Oregon. His name in the Modoc language translates to ...

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 Americans in the United States, Native American Modoc people and the United States Army in northeastern California and southeastern ...

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 primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

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 a series of genocidal massacres of the indigenous peoples of California by United States soldiers and settlers during the 19th century. It began following the American conquest of California in the Mexican–Americ ...

, when agents of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

assisted by private citizens began the systematic killing of thousands of

indigenous peoples of California Indigenous peoples of California, commonly known as Indigenous Californians or Native Californians, are a diverse group of nations and peoples that are indigenous to the geographic area within the current boundaries of California before and afte ...

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 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 The Second Battle of the Stronghold (a.k.a. Lava Beds) was a battle during the Modoc War between a band of the Native Americans in the United States, Native American Modoc people, Modoc tribe and the United States Army, Army of the United States, ...

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 ele ...

. 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. He served as a military governor after the war. In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Depart ...

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, was a conflict initially fought by European colonial empires, the United States, and briefly the Confederate States of America and Republic of Texas agains ...

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 the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meetin ...

#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