Being now assured that nothing short of an armed force could bring the Modocs to submission, Odeneal sent word to Colonel Green, in command at Fort Klamath, that military aid would be required in arresting Captain Jack, Black Jim, and Scarface, who should be held subject to his orders.
It had never been contemplated by the superintendent or by Canby that any number of troops under fifty should attempt to take Jack and his warriors. In view of this necessity, Canby had issued a special order early in September giving Wheaton control of the troops at Klamath, that in an emergency of this kind he might have a sufficient force to make the movement successful, and Wheaton had directed Green to keep him fully advised by courier of the attitude of the Modocs. But now occurred a fatal error. Ivan Applegate, who carried Odeneal's requisition to the fort, supposed that there was a sufficient force of cavalry at the post to arrest half a dozen Indians,[1] however brave or desperate, and gave it as his opinion that no serious resistance would be made to the troops. Odeneal, in his letter to Green, said: "I transfer the whole matter to your department, without assuming to dictate the course you shall pursue in executing the order." Green, who was of Applegate's opinion that the Modocs would yield at the appearance of his cavalry, and thinking it better to take Jack and his confederates before they were reenforced, immediately sent off Captain Jackson with thirty-six men to execute the order.[2]
The troops left Fort Klamath at noon on the 28th,
- ↑ The order to arrest did not include more. Jack was believed to have about 60 fighting men, and that about half that number were at his camp.
- ↑ When the mistake had been made, there was the usual quarrel between the military and Indian departments as to which had been in the wrong. Gen. Canby exonerated Odeneal by saying: The time and manner of applying force rested in the discretion of the military commander. It is easy to see that Green might have been misled by Applegate's report that Jack had only about half his warriors with him, but he must have known that he was not carrying out the intentions of the commanding general of the department. I myself think that he wished to show how easy a thing it was to dispose of the Modoc question when it came into the proper hands.
