Editing Modoc people (section)

===Emigrant invasion===
From 1846 to 1873, thousands of emigrants entered the Modoc territory. Beginning in 1847, the Modoc raided the invading emigrants on the Applegate Trail<ref name=michno9091>Michno, pp. 90–91</ref> under the leadership of Old Chief Schonchin.<ref name="Thrapp, p. 1276"/>

In September 1852, the Modoc destroyed an emigrant train at Bloody Point on the east shore of [[Tule Lake]], killing all but three of the 65 people in the party. The Modoc took two young girls as captives.<ref name=michno9091/><ref>Heard, p. 33</ref> One or both of them may have been killed several years later by jealous Modoc women.<ref name=murray2428>Murray, pp. 24–28</ref> The only man to survive the attack made his way to [[Yreka, California]]. After hearing his news, Yreka settlers organized a militia under Sheriff Charles McDermit, Jim Crosby, and Ben Wright.  They went to the scene of the massacre to bury the dead and avenge their deaths. Crosby's party had a skirmish with a band of Modoc and returned to Yreka.<ref name=arnold507/><ref>Walling, p. 204</ref><ref>Murray, p. 74</ref>

Wright and a small group stayed on to avenge the deaths. He was a notorious Indian hater.<ref>[http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/modoc/learning/history-culture/?cid=stelprdb5310672 "Modoc NF History, 1945 -- Chapter II, Early History Emigrant Traills and Indian Warfare."] U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 28 May 2012.</ref> Accounts differ as to what took place when Wright's party met the Modoc on the Lost River, but most agree that Wright planned to ambush them, which he did in November 1852. Wright and his forces attacked, killing approximately 40 Modoc, in what came to be known as the "Ben Wright Massacre."<ref name=murray2428/>