communication between Wheaton s camp by the lake arid his supplies on the hill, which were left in charge of only ten men. Signal-fires were already springing up in that direction.

This determined Wheaton to fall back to camp, and he again signalled to Green his change of plan, author izing him to withdraw to Bernard s camp, as just re lated. At dark the retreat to camp began, Applegate leading, the wounded in the centre, and Kelly s com pany, with the detachment under Ross, skirmishing in the rear. As the evening advanced the Modocs withdrew, and the stumbling and exhausted men reached camp a little before midnight.

The loss sustained in the reconnoissance of the 17th- for it could hardly be called a battle was nine killed and thirty wounded. 55 Among the latter were Cap tain Perry and Lieutenant Kyle of the regular ser vice, and Lieutenant George Roberts of the sharp shooters. The dead were left upon the field, where if life were not extinct the Modoc women soon despatched them. The high spirits of the morning were sunken in a lethargy of mingled sorrow and exhaustion at night. Every officer who had taken part in the oper ations of the 17th was surprised at the result of six weeks preparation for this event, and it became evi dent that a much larger force would be required to capture the Modocs in their stronghold- -the strongest natural position ever encountered by the army, if not, indeed, the strongest possible to find on earth. 5(

The loss of life on the side of the Modocs was not thought to be great. The arms and ammunition cap tured on the persons of the fallen soldiers made good much of their loss in material. They were, in fact, scouting within six miles of Lost River on the 19th, Lieutenant Ream with twenty-five volunteers having

63 This is the official count. Applegate says the loss was 41, of whom 1,1 were killed. He may count some who did not die on the field, but lived a few days.

56 Kept of Gen. Wheaton, in H. Ex Doc., 122, 43d cong. 1st sess. HIST. OB., VOL. II. 38 \n