Sometimes it pays to talk to the locals when visiting a small community. Such was the case when our family visited Alturas. While touring an antique store and creating small talk about local history with the owners, they informed us about a grave that exists just south of Alturas, memorializing a soldier killed during a skirmish with Indians. We had to see this grave for ourselves.
This memorial/grave can be located after driving over the North Fork of Pit River on the west side of the road. There is a bronze grave marker monumented on a large boulder that reads:
IN MEMORY OF
JOHN MADIGAN
IRELAND
1 LT CO D 1 US CAVALRY
INDIAN WARS
SEP 27 1867 |
The sun was setting fast when we arrived at this grave but we were able to take some decent photos that looked almost peaceful, with the faint light shining through the azure, cloudy skies in the background.
Upon doing some online research when we got back home, we discovered more information regarding John Madigan and the events leading up to his untimely death. Wikipedia.com contains a writeup on the Battle of Infernal Caverns and reads:
Infernal Caverns is the site of an 1867 battle between U.S. armed forces and Shoshone, Paiute, and Pit River Indians. Infernal Caverns Battleground is California Historical Landmark No. 16 (it's since been removed).
Infernal Caverns, also known as Hell Caves, is located 6.5 miles west of Likely, California, and 1 mile south of the Ferry Ranch in Modoc County, California. The Infernal Caverns Battleground was the site of one of the last Indian battles fought in California, on September 26–27, 1867.
United States Army General George Crook was sent west to quell Indian uprisings that had begun in 1848 when the Northern Paiutes, related to the Shoshone tribe, bitterly attacked and killed European-Americans. The last incident that had brought U.S. Army action was when marauding Indians killed 78 miners that were en route to Colorado.
With the 39th Mounted Infantry, General Crook tracked the Indians south from Goose Lake (which lies on what is now the California-Oregon border), engaging them in a desolate spot named Infernal Caverns. The two-day battle began high in a canyon covered with giant boulders, rocky caverns, and hollow fumaroles caused by lava flows. Eight soldiers were killed in action. Six were buried at the site, and a seventh, Sgt. David Rustler, was transported by double mule travois to Camp Warner at Goose Lake, where he died a few days later. Lt. John Madigan, the only officer killed in the fight, was buried just outside of the town of Alturas, California. Six white marble tombstones were erected by the U.S. government to mark the burial location for the soldiers. One additional tombstone was added in 1995 for Private Willoughby Sawyer, who also died in this battle and whose marker was missing. This historical omission was discovered by California historian Chris J. Wright.
We also located an old newspaper article from the Berkeley Daily Gazette from Oct. 7, 1929 (snapshot to the right) that mentions a monument that was erected in John Madigan's memory. From looking at the grave marker on the boulder it is obvious that this marker is much newer than the monument that was erected in 1929. We can only surmise that the previous marker was vandalized, stolen or fell into disrepair and a newer marker was placed here. We are contacting the local Modoc Historical Society for more information and if/when we receive additional info, we'll update it here.
We also located a really nice writeup on the events surrounding the Infernal Caves Indian Battle from the book titled, Historic Spots in California, Third Edition, that mentions John Madigan's death and burial in more detail and reads:
The Battle of Infernal Caverns, one of the most famous Indian fights in California, took place on September 26-27, 1867, between 110 soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel George Crook and a band of 75 Piutes, 30 Pit Rivers, and a few Modoc. For some time the Indians, well equipped with arms and ammunition, had been terrorizing the settlers throughout southern Idaho, western Nevada, and northeastern California, and Colonel Crook and his men had been sent to subdue them. The Indians were finally driven into a rough region on the South Fork of the Pit River. Here, before a seemingly impregnable fortress of caves and rocks, a pitched battle took place. The Indians were eventually driven from their stronghold, leaving many of their number dead, but not before eight of Crook's command were killed and 14 wounded.
The battleground of Infernal Caverns, where the old fortifications may still be seen, is on the Monroe Ranch about 17 miles south of Alturas. At the foot of the slope the graves of six of the soldiers killed in action have been marked by regulations Army headstones. Lieutenant John Madigan, 1st Cav., who was among those killed, was brevetted posthumously for conspicuous bravery. His body was secretly buried at a spot near the forks of the Pit River not far from Alturas. To reach Infernal Caverns drive 14.5 miles south on Highway 395 from the south limits of Alturas, turning right for one mile on a good road leading to ranch homes. Turn right again at the sign reading "Pit River Ranch Headquarters." Follow this road, keeping to the right, for three and one-half miles to the Monroe ranch house. The six graves are about a mile from this point, and above, in very difficult terrain, are the caverns.
The posted coordinates to Infernal Caverns and the gravesites are:
41.16.338 / 120.34.561
These seven graves and California Historical Marker at Infernal Caverns are yet to be waymarked and our family is eager to seek them out and capture their story in the near future.
There are a number of books published that document this Battle of Infernal Caverns. Among them is a detailed and well-written documentary of the events surrounding this battle by Joe Wasson in a book titled, The Deadliest Indian War in the West: The Snake Conflict, 1864-1868. Wasson was a newspaperman who followed General Crooks and his soldiers from Camp Warner to seek out the Indians that were causing so much trouble and mayhem to many white settlers in the area. Wasson details LT Madigan's death in an excerpt from the book that reads:
... Appearing on the exposed hill moments later, Lieutenant Madigan stood for a few seconds, still wearing his tightly buttoned overcoat. Whether he stopped to assess the ground or encourage his men, the delay was fatal; a bullet crashed straight through his skull and he crumpled to the ground with the same type of death wound, and on the exact spot that Private Lyons fell (dead) the day before.
Further reading regarding Madigan's death relates:
On September 29, the command began its march north (back to Camp Warner), along the west bank of the South Fork Pit. Fifteen miles brought them to the junction of the North Fork (River). They crossed over, and 20 rods north and 30 rods west of the junction they stopped to bury Lieutenant Madigan. He was eulogized in a special ceremony. He was born in Ireland, and came to America where he joined the 88th New York Infantry during the Civil War, working his way from private to lieutenant. In August 1863, he joined the 2nd New Jersey Cavalry as a first lieutenant, and after the war, in February 1866, he joined the 1st Cavalry as a second lieutenant. He was posthumously breveted captain for conspicuous gallantry at the Battle of Infernal Caverns. Wasson said he was genuinely friendly, with "a droll originality and humor," and his presence around the campfire would surely be missed.