The Second Battle of the Stronghold (a.k.a. Lava Beds) was a

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...

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 ...

between a band of the

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

Modoc 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", ri ...

tribe and the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

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 ...

, in northeastern

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The battle began on April 15, 1873, and ended on April 17, 1873. The Army succeeded in forcing the Modoc to abandon their fortified position at

Captain Jack's Stronghold Captain Jack's Stronghold was a holdout of the Modoc people that is located between Tulelake and Canby, California. The stronghold, which is now part of Lava Beds National Monument, is named for Native American chief Kintpuash who was also kn ...

in the Lava Beds, but failed to capture the band.

Background

Following the assassination 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 another member of a peace delegation during a peace conference on April 11, 1873, the Army, under the command of Colonel Alvan Gillem, made preparations to attack the Stronghold.

Fighting

On April 15 a general attack began, troops advancing from Gillem's camp on the west and Mason's camp at Hospital Rock, northeast of the Stronghold. Fighting continued throughout the day, the troops remaining in position during the night. Each advance of troops on the 16th was under heavy fire from the Modoc positions. That night the troops succeeded in cutting the Modoc off from their water supply at the shore of

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 ...

. By the morning of April 17 everything was in readiness for the final attack on the Stronghold. When the order was given to advance, the troops charged into the Stronghold. After the fighting along the shoreline of Tule Lake on the afternoon and night of April 16, the Modocs defending the Stronghold realized that their water supply had been cut off by the troops commanding the shoreline. On April 17, before the troops had received the order to charge the Stronghold, the Modoc escaped through a crevice left unguarded during a movement of troops from one position to another.

Casualties

During the fighting at the Stronghold, April 15–17, casualties included one officer and six enlisted men killed, and thirteen enlisted men wounded. The only Modoc casualty was a boy, reported to have been killed when a cannonball, which he was attempting to open with an axe, exploded. Several Modoc women were reported to have died from sickness.

Order of battle

U.S.Modoc War
/ref>

Col. Alvan C. Gillem, 1st U.S. Cavalry commanding

Mason's Command - Major Edwin C. Mason * 1st U.S. Cavalry ** Troop B ** Troop C * 21st U.S. Infantry ** Company B ** Company C ** Company I * 4th U.S. Artillery ** Howitzer Battery * Scouts **

Warm Springs Warm Springs may refer to: *Warm Springs Apache, a subdivision of the Chiricahua Apache *Warm Springs, California, in Riverside County *Warm Springs, Fremont, California **Warm Springs Elementary School, elementary school in Fremont, California **W ...

Green's Command - Major

John Green John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author and YouTuber. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including ''The Fault in Our Stars'' (2012), which is one of the List of best-selling books#Bet ...

* 1st U.S. Cavalry ** Troop F ** Troop K ** Troop H (remained behind as rear guard) * 12th U.S. Infantry ** Company E ** Company G * 4th U.S. Infantry ** Battery A ** Battery E ** Battery K ** Battery M

Modoc

Modoc bands of Captain Jack, Scarface Charley and John Schonchin

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stronghold 2 Battles of the Modoc War Battles involving Native American people Sieges involving the United States 1873 in the United States 1873 in California Native American history of California April 1873