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Papers online from Modoc War
Fisher Papers a collection of war correspondence
By LEE JUILLERAT
H&N Regional Editor
January 26, 2012
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Todd Kepple, Klamath County Museum manager, believes the records were assembled in the 1930s by Don Fisher, then superintendent of the Lava Beds National Monument. The records, which originated mostly as handwritten correspondence in the 1870s, were transcribed with a typewriter on nearly 1,900 pages of paper and bound in 11 volumes.
Anne Ogle donated a copy of the papers to the museum in 1967.
Karen Caverly, an Eastern Oregon University history major, scanned the pages, which were then uploaded to the Internet. The text-searchable files can be viewed at www.modocwar.org.
“This is a huge addition to the volume of research material about the Modoc War that can be viewed online,” Kepple said. “We’ve been hoping to share these records with the public for a long time, and we’re very grateful to Karen for taking the initiative to get this project done.”
Commonly refer red to as the Fisher Papers, the records include hundreds of letters and reports written by Army officers, government agents and civilians living in the area where the Modoc War occurred in 1872-73.
Kepple said the records provide
unique insight into the war and
provide details about its toll on
the lives of Native Americans and
white settlers.
A look inside
A petition that begins on page 103 conveys the settlers’ request in 1872 that the Modocs be removed from the Lost River area. It reads as follows: “… shall a petty Indian chief with 20 desperadoes and a squallid band of three hundred miserable … savages any longer set at defiance the strong arm of the government, driving out citizens from their homes, threatening their lives and destroying their property.”
The Fisher Papers also include letters from people who defended the Modocs. One letter, written by an Army officer after the first battle for Captain Jack’s Stronghold, made a particularly impassioned plea. Writing from his Clear Lake camp, Capt. R.B. Bernard said the Modocs had been cruelly treated by whites and the federal government. His letter begins on page 586.
“These Indians have acted more humanely, in every instance, than we have. The only thing they claim or ask is a home at the mouth of Lost River, where they were born and raised,” Bernard wrote to Army headquarters in San Francisco.
Another letter written by a California woman condemns the government for its handling of the Modocs. It begins on page 1,432.
“It is Genl Sherman, who, under the
authority of President Grant,
commanded their ‘utter
extermination’ and sent
Kepple said posting of the Fisher Papers online will allow direct access to primary sources of history for researchers, students and the public.
“These papers have been sitting on a shelf in our library for nearly 45 years,” he said. “It’s a real pleasure to make this information available to anyone who might be interested.”
The original Fisher Papers are on display in the museum’s lobby through February before they are placed in storage.
For more information, contact the museum at 883-4208.
Side Bar
Student’s
capstone project involves
scanning 1,900 pages
While growing up in Klamath Falls and touring Modoc War sites at Lava Beds National Monument, Karen Caverly thought she had at least a basic understanding of the 1872-73 war.
She’s learned differently.
“Growing up in this area you hear the history of the war,” said Caverly, 47, who graduated from Mazama High in 1982. “But it seems like you only hear one side of the story, just one perspective. There’s really much more.”
Caverly learned more about the war while scanning nearly 1,900 pages from the Don Fisher Papers, a compilation of correspondence from military leaders, Indian agents, government officials in Washington, D.C., Klamath Basin settlers and people from around the U.S. written before and during the Modoc War.
“I have a passion for history,” said Caverly, a senior history major at Eastern Oregon University who lives in Boise, Idaho. “This involves my hometown area.”
Along with serving as her capstone or senior project, Caverly’s digitalization work is a joint effort between the Klamath County Museum and Eastern Oregon University. Museum director Todd Kepple said the university has provided some money for the scanner and software.
“In my opinion this could be one of the most significant bodies of information on the Modoc War,” he said.
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml