The Modoc War officially began on November 28, 1872, when orders were received from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Troops were sent from Fort Klamath in attempts to move the Modoc from their home "by force if necessary" back to the reservation. The Modoc numbers surprised the Army and fighting begin almost immediately, the Modoc fled and the troops proceeded to burn the Modoc village. The Modoc were made up of three groups, each group loosely following the leadership of Kintpuash. The first group, was led by Hooker Jim, they proceeded east around Tule Lake, killing 14 male settlers in retaliation efforts. Captain Jack led a group of Modoc from the Lost River moving across Tule Lake by boat, entering the Lava Beds; Hooker Jim's group would join them later. Captain Jack worried that allowing Jim's group to join up with them would put the other Modoc's lives in danger, since it was Hooker Jim's group that murdered the settlers while in Tule Lake. An additional group of Modoc, the Hot Creeks, joined Kintpuash after being tricked by settlers into thinking that they would be hung for being