LAVA BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT ON THE SITE OF MODOC WAR

Mr. George W. Webb,
Editor Winners of the West,
St. Joseph, Mo.

Dear Sir:---

I have read with much interest the story by Mrs. Eugene M. Bacon, published in your issue of February 28^th, Mrs. Bacon touches very lightly on the experiences of her husband in the Modoc War as hers is the story of the entire life of her husband in the Army, and included other campaigns. She writes only of what she knows to be the truth. Also having read several stories on that war, written by men who saw nothing of it. I wish that others would follow the example set by Mrs. Bacon.

I am convinced that no one, who was not engaged in the Modoc War can have anything like a correct vision of what our troops experienced. I was in it from start to finish, yet about the best description of the war that I can give is that given by General Sherman, in defining war.

I have before me a folder issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forestry Service, and bearing the title; "LAVA BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT, MODOC NATIONAL FOREST, CALIFORNIA." Thinking that this may interest you, I am sending you a copy. It contains a good description of the Lava Beds in which the war was fought, a brief story of the war, and on the inside a map of the Lava Beds, on which the scenes of the principal battles were fought. The location of some these battle grounds was known, and had been Marked by the Forestry Service, prior to my visit to the Lava Beds in 1927. But the battle ground of Dry Lake, Gillem's Graveyard, and some other points of interest had not been located. These I was able to locate, and all are now properly marked. As Dry Lake was the prettiest fight I ever say, and was the decisive battle of the war, it pleased me greatly to have this marked.

Of course as you will see, this map does not show the roughness of the lava Beds. But from the map in connection with the printed description, you will be able to get a fair idea of what we were up against. For instance, so as is known on the map one might easily pay baseball on any of the ground between "Jacks Stronghold," section 15,T46N. And the scene of the Thomas Massacre," Section 5,T45N. Yet in going from the Stronghold to the scene of the "Massacre," on April 26, 1873, when we were hurrying to the relief of Thomas I wore the soles from a pair of new shoes that had been issued to me on that day. Yes it was plenty rough, and shelter for an enemy was not lacking.

But I am not trying to write a story. Just accept the folder, and when you get a yarn about the Modoc war, look it over. It may help you to an idea of the writer of the story is trying to tell.

Very Truly yours,

CHAS. B. HARDIN
Major U.S. Army, Retired Private, Troop G. 1^st Cav. In Modoc War.