Captain Jack's Stronghold, in the lava beds of northern California, was a refuge and defensive position used by the Modoc people in their homeland during the Modoc War. After the Battle of Lost River in 1872, Captain Jack's band withdrew into this rugged volcanic landscape, where broken lava and rock formations provided powerful natural defenses. In January 1873, 51 Modoc warriors repulsed a much larger U.S. force and volunteers. Although reinforced troops later seized the stronghold's water supply, the Modoc escaped before the final assault in April. The site preserves the history of Modoc resistance and the violence of nineteenth-century U.S. expansion in California.