The Modoc War, pivotal in American history, pitted the peace policies of President Ulysses S. Grant and Quaker activist Lucretia Mott against William Tecumseh Sherman - the destroyer of Georgia - and his outspoken desire for the Modocs' utter extermination. When it ended in 1873, with the execution of the tribal leaders and the relocation of the Modoc tribe to Oklahoma, the federal goverment's Peace Commission was in tatters. The way was paved toward...
Stayed up until 4am reading this for the third time. Amazed that this hasn't been made into a movie. The nuances, the subjectivity, the history of this region is turned into art by Arthur Quinn. No clue why this book wasn't a Pulitzer Prize winner. Its engaging, witty, ultimately sad. I grew up in Modoc County and there were great grandsons and daughters of many of the people mentioned. To this day, Captain Jack or general...
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This book is very, very good for anybody interested in 1870 era American Indian conflicts, especially in Northern California. Story easy to follow, no unecessary words, facts etc., unless they're relevant to the story.Reads as if it were a movie, but is all true, as judged on what I know of California frontier history.Book is worth getting.
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During the height of the Indian conflicts on the plains a smaller,but no less deadly campaign was being waged against the Modocs of the Northwest. Like the Cheyenne after them, the Modocs were a small band whose numbers had already been reduced by warfare and desease. They were willing to live peacefully, only they wanted to live in their own homeland. And as with the Cheyenne, the military wasted much time money, and...
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Arthur Quinn treats with respect both perspcetives of one the Modoc War. The extreme brutality of both the American Government and the Modoc Warriors is reflected in a suprisingly unbiased manner.
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While not a traditional history text, this book deals very plainly with the people and events of the Modoc War. Graphic depictions of the causes leading to the conflict and the battles themselves lead you to to able to imagine yourself as being there.
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