Kintpuash (aka Captain Jack)
Kintpuash or Captain Jack was the chief of the Modoc people in both California and Oregon. His name in the Modoc language was “Strikes the Water Brashly”. He was the only Native American leader to be charged with war crimes. Kintpuash and his Modoc tribe lived near Tule Lake along the California and Oregon border. After the European invasion Kintpuash and his tribe were forcibly removed by white settlers to the Klamath Indian Reservation in southwest Oregon. The Klamath tribe already occupied this land, and with the arrival of the Modoc’s the two tribes became rivals. After being poorly treated by the larger Klamath tribe, in 1865 Captain Jack led his family, and the Modoc people back to their lands in California. In 1869 the Modoc tribe was rounded up by the United States Army and taken back to the Klamath Reservation. The following year in 1870 Kintpuash once again led his people back to Tule Lake, California.
This back and forth escapade instigated the Modoc War in 1872-1873. The United States Army was sent out once again to round up Captain Jack, and his tribe of Modoc’s to have them sent back to the Klamath Reservation. During negotiations a fight broke out between a U.S. soldier, and one of the Modoc men. This encounter brought about the “Battle of Lost River”. Kintpuash then escorted his people to the Lava Beds National Monument in northeastern California. In 1873 the United States Army located the Modoc’s, and a war broke out. Captain Jack eventually killed the army’s general Edward Canby, and Modoc warrior Boston Charley killed a California minister Reverend Eleazar Thomas. Kintpuash was captured and turned in by one of his own people. He was tried by a military court, and was found guilty of the two murders. Captain Jack was hanged on October 3, 1873.
Kintpuash, also known as Captain Jack, was a prominent leader of the Modoc tribe in the 19th century. He was born in the Lost River area of present-day California and Oregon in 1837. Kintpuash was a skilled warrior and leader who was known for his bravery and tactical abilities.
In 1872, the Modoc people were forced to leave their ancestral lands and move to the Klamath Reservation in Oregon. However, the Modoc people did not adapt well to the reservation lifestyle and many returned to their traditional lands. Kintpuash and a group of Modoc warriors, along with their families, refused to stay on the reservation and returned to their ancestral lands in California.
This led to a conflict known as the Modoc War, which lasted from 1872 to 1873. Kintpuash and his followers used their knowledge of the terrain to launch surprise attacks on the US Army, which had been sent to force them back onto the reservation. The Modoc War was the costliest American Indian War in terms of both lives and money.
Kintpuash was eventually captured and executed in 1873, along with three other Modoc leaders. His execution was controversial and is still debated by historians today. However, Kintpuash remains a significant figure in the history of the Modoc people and the American Indian Wars
Short Bio
Kintpuash, also known as Captain Jack, was born in 1837 in the Lost River area of present-day California and Oregon. He was a member of the Modoc tribe, which had a long history of conflict with the United States government over land and resources.
In 1864, the US government signed a treaty with the Modoc people, which established a reservation for them in southern Oregon. However, the reservation was small and poor, and the Modoc people were forced to share it with other tribes with whom they had historical conflicts. Kintpuash and other Modoc leaders resisted the relocation to the reservation, but they eventually agreed to move there in 1870.
Life on the reservation was difficult for the Modoc people, who were not used to the sedentary lifestyle imposed on them. Many Modoc people fell ill or died from diseases that they had no immunity to. In 1872, Kintpuash and a group of Modoc warriors left the reservation and returned to their traditional lands in California, where they felt they could better provide for their families.
The US government responded by sending troops to force the Modoc people back onto the reservation. Kintpuash and his followers, who were experienced in guerrilla warfare, used the terrain to their advantage and launched a series of surprise attacks on the US Army. The conflict became known as the Modoc War, and it lasted for several months.
In April 1873, Kintpuash and three other Modoc leaders surrendered to the US Army under a flag of truce. They were taken to trial and found guilty of murder, and they were sentenced to death. Kintpuash and the other leaders were hanged on October 3, 1873.
Kintpuash is remembered as a brave and determined leader who fought for his people’s rights to their ancestral lands. His execution remains controversial, and it is still debated by historians and Native American activists today. Despite the tragic end to his life, Kintpuash remains an important figure in the history of the Modoc people and the American Indian Wars.
Kintpuash’s Family
There is limited information available about Kintpuash’s family. However, it is known that he had a wife and two children, a son named Schonchin John and a daughter named Jane.
During the Modoc War, Kintpuash and his followers established a stronghold in a lava bed, where they were able to hold off the US Army for several months. Kintpuash’s wife and children were among the Modoc people who were living in the stronghold during the conflict.
After Kintpuash surrendered to the US Army, he and his followers were taken into custody and eventually sent to a reservation in Oklahoma. It is not clear what happened to Kintpuash’s family after the Modoc War, but it is believed that they may have been among the Modoc people who were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma.
Despite the lack of information about Kintpuash’s family, it is clear that his leadership and actions during the Modoc War had a significant impact on the Modoc people and their struggle for land and resources.