The Modoc Indians lived in far northeastern California in the area of the lava beds and Tule Lake. The lava beds are now a national monument and make an excellent side trip for anyone on vacation in far northern California. The lava beds are located in Siskyou and Modoc Counties. The Modocs whose leader was known by the name of "Captain Jack" were known as a relatively peaceful tribe of native Americans and as compared to their cousins on the plains did not really experience the full brunt of western expansion and the decades long Indian Wars.
Like most of the conflicts between Indians and settlers, the catalyst was the encroachment of white settlers onto traditional Indian land. The problems for the Modocs started in earnest in the early 1850's. Remember that the gold rush in 1849 brought thousands of settlers into California and the tide only grew larger with each passing year. In 1852 the Modocs killed 65 white settlers on a wagon train. Eventually the military becomes involved when settlers are slain and in retaliation 41 Modocs were killed at a supposed peace conference with a California militia. Hostilities continued until 1864 when the Modocs signed a treaty that had them relocate northward into southern Oregon so that their fertile land could be taken over by the white settlers. The relocation didn't work well because the Modocs were now encroaching on the Klamath tribes and there was violence that ended with murdered whites which then caused the Oregon settlers to set upon the Modocs.
The Modocs retreated back to the lava beds area and during a peace parley in April 1873 with the Civil War hero General Canby of the army, Captain Jack pulled out a gun and killed him. The army retaliated and captured Captain Jack and his small band in the lava beds which they fled to for natural protection and concealment. The end result was that he and three other Modocs were hanged for the killing of Canby and another man. The Modoc War is sometimes referred to as The Lava Beds War.
You will want to see our Western Trips article and photos of a trip to historic Oregon City, the end of the Oregon Trail.
(Photos and images from the public domain)
This website will give you much more information on the area and it's exact location:
www.nps.gov/labe/planyourvisit/directions.htm
This site will give you more on the Modoc's and the war:
www.mnsu.edu/emuseum
