Qualla: First Battle of the Stronghold

First Battle of the Stronghold: Introduction

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Walter Siegmund, CC BY 2.5. The fog rolled in thick as milk on the morning of January 17, 1873, blanketing the black lava beds along Tule Lake's southern shore. Somewhere within that volcanic maze, 53 Modoc warriors waited in silence. They knew this terrain intimately - every cave, every trench, every jagged outcrop that could shelter a rifleman. The 400 US Army soldiers advancing from two directions knew almost nothing. By nightfall, the Army would retreat in defeat, leaving 37 men killed or wounded on the field. The Modoc would not lose a single warrior. No Army survivor would report having seen a single Modoc during the entire battle.

Image: Walter Siegmund | CC BY 2.5

First Battle of the Stronghold: A Fortress Written in Stone

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Dave Bunnell / Under Earth Images, CC BY-SA 2.5. Captain Jack's Stronghold, as it came to be known, was nature's gift to the Modoc. The lava beds that now form Lava Beds National Monument offered a natural fortress of caves, trenches, and razor-sharp volcanic rock formations. The Modoc had improved these defenses, making them n...

Image: Dave Bunnell / Under Earth Images | CC BY-SA 2.5

First Battle of the Stronghold: The Trap Closes

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Mav at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Lieutenant Colonel Frank Wheaton devised a two-pronged attack. Major John Green would lead the main force from the west while Captain Reuben Bernard's smaller unit would attack from the east. The plan was simple: the two forces would sweep through the lava beds and meet south of ...

Image: Mav at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0

First Battle of the Stronghold: Ghosts in the Fog

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Mav at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Dawn brought no relief. The fog clung to the battlefield like a burial shroud. Two 12-pounder howitzers fired three shots as a signal for the attack to begin, but the gunners could see nothing - not their targets, not even where their shells landed. Fearing they might hit their o...

Image: Mav at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0

First Battle of the Stronghold: A Medal and a Miracle

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Mav at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. By 2 pm, Green's advance ground to a halt at a deep chasm that blocked further movement. Bernard's eastern force fared no better, stopped by an impassable gully. Wheaton abandoned his original plan and ordered the forces to try meeting along the lake shore instead. The California...

Image: Mav at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0

First Battle of the Stronghold: The Spirits Smile

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Mav at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. The Modoc's spiritual leader, Curley Headed Doctor, claimed responsibility for the fog, saying he had summoned it through his rituals. Whether divine intervention or fortunate weather, the result was undeniable: the most lopsided American defeat in the Pacific Northwest Indian Wa...

Image: Mav at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0