In 1891 Toby Riddle was one of the few Native American women to be awarded a military pension by the United States Congress, for her heroic actions during the peace negotiations in 1873.

[3] During the 1873 negotiations, sometimes Winema carried messages between General Edward Canby and Kintpuash; as a woman, she was considered peaceful.

After taking a message to Captain Jack's Stronghold to schedule a peace talk, Winema learned of a Modoc plot to assassinate Canby.

[1][2] Afterward the US Army, commanded by General Jefferson C. Davis, finally captured Captain Jack and other Modoc leaders.

He wrote a lecture-play "Tragedy of the Lava Beds",[4] starring Winema, Frank, and their son Jeff, and toured with them and Klamath representatives across the country for the next two years.

[6]Because of her heroic role in trying to save the peace commissioners during the 1873 talks, Meacham petitioned Congress to award Riddle a military pension.

[2] Toby and Frank's son Jeff C. Riddle wrote his own account of the Modoc War, to give the Indian perspective, which he published in 1914.