The following letter of instructions was furnished for the guidance of the commission.
With these, and the appointment of Messrs. Applegate and Case, I went to the head-quarters of Gen. Canby, then at Fairchild’s Ranch, twenty-five miles from the Modoc camp in the Lava Beds.
I arrived at Fairchild’s Ranch on the 19th of February, where I found General Canby, Hon. Jesse Applegate, and Agent Samuel Case.
The Commission was duly organized, and immediately began operations looking towards the objects sought to be accomplished.
Communication with the rebel camp had been suspended after the visit of Fairchild and Dorris. To reopen and establish it was the first work. This was not easy to do under the circumstances. There were several Modoc Indian women encamped near head-quarters; but it was necessary to have some messenger more reliable. Living but a few miles distant, was a man whose wife was a Klamath, and who was on friendly terms with the Modocs. This man, “Bob Whittle,” was sent for, with a request to bring his wife with him. On his arrival, we found him to be a man of sound judgment, and his wife to be a well-appearing woman; understanding the English language tolerably well.
A consultation was had, and we decided to send this Indian woman and her husband, Bob Whittle, and “One-eyed Dixie,” a Modoc woman, with a message to the Modocs in the Lava Beds. The substance of this message was, that a commission was then at
Fairchild’s ready to talk over matters with them. This expedition was very hazardous.
These messengers left head-quarters early on the morning of the 21st of February, all of them expressing doubt about ever returning. Fairchild’s Ranch (our head-quarters) is situated at the foot of a mountain overlooking the route to the Lava Beds, for several miles. We watched the mounted messengers until we lost sight of them in the distance, wondering whether we should ever see them again.
Talk of heroism being confined to race, color, or sex! nonsense; here were two women and a man, venturing where few men would have dared go.
They returned late on the same day, unharmed, and reported having been in the Modoc camp; and bringing with them, in response to our message, the reply, that the Modocs were willing to meet John Fairchild and Bob Whittle, at the foot of the bluff, for the purpose of arranging for a council talk with the commission.