October 3, 1873: Chief Kintpuash Is Executed

October 3, 1873: Kintpuash, the Chief of the Modoc tribe of Native Americans, is executed at Fort Klamath, Oregon. He is believed to have been about 36 years old, and is the only Native Chief to be executed for war crimes.

He is believed to have been born in 1837, around Tule Lake, California, near the Oregon State Line. In the Modoc language, "Kintpuash" means "Strikes the water brashly." In 1864, the U.S. government, wanting the fertile land in the area, forcefully removed the Modocs to the Klamath Reservation in southwest Oregon. The act itself was bad enough, but Klamath was already home to the Klamath tribe, their arch-rivals. There was a lot of fighting between them.

In 1865, Kintpuash, by then informally called "Captain Jack" by American colonizers, led a band of Modoc from the reservation back to their home in California. In 1869, the band were rounded up by the U.S. Army, and returned to the Klamath Reservation. Finding conditions had not improved, in April 1870, Kintpuash led the Modoc back to the Tule Lake area.

(He was not the first person in a leadership position in the Americas to be known as "Captain Jack," nor the last. At least one later Native Chief had the nickname. The Billy Joel song of the same title was about drugs, as Billy knew of a heroin dealer with the nickname.)

In 1872, U.S. troops were sent to capture Kintpuash's band, and force them back to the reservation. On November 29, while their surrender was being negotiated at the Lost River in Oregon, fighting broke out between a soldier and one of the Modoc warriors. The brief Battle of Lost River ensued, and Kintpuash was forced to retreat.

They found what is now the Lava Beds National Monument, a natural fortress. His warriors made use of its many caves and trenches in the lava beds for defensive fighting, and women and children could be sheltered. The Army launched an attack on January 17, 1873, but it backfired: They lost 35 men, while the Modoc suffered no casualties.

Kintpuash's advisers, not understanding differences between Modoc and Euro-American culture, suggested that the Army would leave if their warriors killed its leader, Major General Edward Canby. Kintpuash hoped for a peaceful solution that would allow his people to stay in their territory. He was challenged for leadership, and agreed to their plan.

On April 11, 1873, in what was supposed to be a peace conference at Tule Lake, he shot Canby. Another tribesman killed a minister, the Reverend Eleazar Thomas. Two other negotiators were wounded. This -- and the fact that George Armstrong Custer's General status during the Civil War was a brevet rank, and he was a Lieutenant Colonel when he was killed at the Little Bighorn -- made Canby the only U.S. General killed during the Indian Wars. The Kentucky native was 55 years old.

The Modoc fled to the lava beds. The Army brought in over 1,000 reinforcements, and attacked on April 14. The Modoc scattered, thinking they had a better chance of continued resistance if they were separated. But as time passed, Kintpuash's own men realized that it was just a matter of time, and turned him in. He surrendered on June 1, ceremonially laying down his rifle.

He and 3 others -- known as Black Jim, John Schonchin and boston Charley -- were tried by a military court, for the murders of General Canby and Reverend Thomas. They were all convicted, and were hanged on October 3, 1873.

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October 3, 1873 was a Friday. The only professional team sport in North America at this point was baseball, and, while the National Association season was not over yet, there were no games scheduled for this day. The Boston Red Stockings, the team that would eventually become the Atlanta Braves, would go on to win the Pennant.