Background
Immediately after the inconclusive November 27, 1872 Battle of Lost River in Oregon, the Modocs involved escaped to the lava beds in what is now Lava Beds National Monument, California, where they joined with an additional band of Modoc Indians under the leadership of Shacknasty Jim from Hot Creek, who had not been involved in the Lost River action. The Modocs were encamped at a natural fortress of caves and trenches 300 yards (300 m) wide and 2 miles (3 km) long in the lava beds, now known as "Captain Jack's Stronghold", which they had improved to make more defensible. The Modoc had also captured about 100 head of cattle that they were using as a food supply.
The Army moved units from all across the Department of the Columbia to the south end of Tule Lake, where the units established two encampments, the larger at Van Brimmer's Ranch, about 10 miles west of the Stronghold, and a smaller force at Louis Land's Ranch, 12 miles (19 km) to the east.
Read more about this topic: First Battle Of The Stronghold
Famous quotes containing the word background:
“Pilate with his question What is truth? is gladly trotted out these days as an advocate of Christ, so as to arouse the suspicion that everything known and knowable is an illusion and to erect the cross upon that gruesome background of the impossibility of knowledge.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (18441900)
“They were more than hostile. In the first place, I was a south Georgian and I was looked upon as a fiscal conservative, and the Atlanta newspapers quite erroneously, because they didnt know anything about me or my background here in Plains, decided that I was also a racial conservative.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“In the true sense ones native land, with its background of tradition, early impressions, reminiscences and other things dear to one, is not enough to make sensitive human beings feel at home.”
—Emma Goldman (18691940)