Steele is reported saying, that the president knows the Modocs are not to blame in this matter, then why should not the army be turned against the Oregonians ? . . . Can you not leave the Modocs at rest ? Give them long, long time. Throw upon Oregon alone the responsibility of this grave injustice. Is there no way but that our army nmst receive in their breasts the bullets which are shot because of the greed and covetousness of the Oregonians?"
The quakers also interested themselves for the Modocs, Alfred H. Love, of Philadelphia, protesting against employing the army in forcing them to make peace, and saying the Peace Society of that city freely discussed and deeply deplored such a cause. Many newspapers took this view of the subject. The people of Oregon survive.
Orders now came from Washington to wipe out the Modocs. On the day after the massacre at the council-orround, the Indians attacked Mason's skirmish line, forcing the left picket post to give way. it was, however, retaken by Lieutenant Thellar, of the 21st infantry, with a portion of Company I, a sharp skirmish being kept up all day and a part of the 13th, the Modocs attacking. On the 14th General Gillem telegraphed Colonel Mason asking if he could be ready to advance on the morning of the 15th; to which Mason replied that he preferred to get his first position at night, and was ready to move that night. Gillem then ordered him to take his position on that night; not to make any persistent attack, and to shelter his men as well as possible. Donald McKay having arrived with a company of seventy -two Warm Spring scouts, which Canby had ordered organized after it became a])parent that the Modocs might reengage in hostilities. Mason was directed to post them on his left, or on the north side of his stronghold, with orders to work around toward Green's right; and be sure to wear their uniforms to prevent
