Scarface Charley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scarface Charley (1851? - December 3, 1896) was a chief of the Modoc tribe of Native Americans.

He took part in the Modoc War of 1872-73 in California, and is considered to have fired the first shot at the Battle of Lost River. After the execution of Kintpuash and three of his warriors for the murder of Major General Edward Canby and Rev. Eleazer Thomas, Scarface Charley was appointed by Colonel Frank Wheaton as chief of the Modocs who were to be sent to Oklahoma as prisoners of war. After a year in Oklahoma, Scarfaced Charley was replaced as chief by Bogus Charley, partly due to the latter's better understanding of English.

Scarfaced Charley was also a gifted craftsman, designing an elegant typeface for the phonetic transcription of the Modoc language. He also developed a line of traditionally influenced domestic furniture, which was an important source of revenue for him after his political career was ended.