Chikchikam Lupatkue-latko ( – December 3, 1896), known as Scarface Charley, was a chief of the

Modoc tribe Modoc may refer to: Ethnic groups *Modoc people, a Native American/First Nations people **Modoc language **Modoc Nation, a federally recognized tribe of Modoc *Modoc War, the last armed resistance of the Modoc people in 1873 *The "Modocs", rival ...

of Native Americans. He took part in 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 ...

of 1872–1873 in California, and is considered to have fired the first shot at the Battle of Lost River. On April 26, 1873, Scarfaced Charley led a victorious attack against a patrol of 63 soldiers. He killed all five of the officers in the patrol, as well as twenty others.Champagne, Duane. ''Native America: Portrait of the Peoples.'' Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 1994: 326. . It is widely written that he stopped the slaughter and told the soldiers, "We've killed enough of you, now go home." After the execution of Kintpuash and three of his warriors for the murder of Major 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 Rev. Eleazar Thomas, Scarface Charley was appointed by Colonel

Frank Wheaton Frank Wheaton (May 8, 1833 – June 18, 1903) was a career military officer in the United States Army during the American Civil War and Indian Wars. He also was military commander over south Texas during the Garza Revolution. Early life and c ...

as chief of the Modocs who were to be sent to

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. After a year in Oklahoma, Scarfaced Charley was replaced by Indian Agent Hiram Jones, as chief by Bogus Charley, partly due to the latter's better understanding of English.Scruggs, Patrica
The History of the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma.
2009 (10 Feb 2009) Other accounts hold that he was removed because he refused to accept that white people were "true rulers". Scarfaced Charley was also a gifted craftsman, designing an elegant typeface for the phonetic transcription of the Modoc language. He also developed a line of traditionally influenced domestic furniture, which was an important source of revenue for him after his political career was ended.

References

External links

* , another account with Scarface Charley Native American male artists 1850s births 1896 deaths People of the Modoc War Modoc people Native American leaders 19th-century Native American people {{NorthAm-native-bio-stub