Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-08-06

Goi. steptoes Defeat.

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,v;sh three companies. OF the first dra-
awaaas and seventy-kye men Of the 9th
sfTsantry, left Fort Walla for Goiyllie.
The offieerso of the command were LoI.
Steptoe, Capts. Winder ard Taylor,
Iieuts. Wheeler, Fleming, Gaston and
Gregg
the 10th nit. that the Spokans had de-
termined to resist The entrance Of tie
troops into their country. and had as
sembled for a battle. The Indians
were abontsIx hundred in number. well
mounted. and were principally armed
with rides. After some sstalk," from
which nothing resulted, night came on
and the Indians dispersed.
On the following day, the soldiers
N1sft the camp. to return to Peiouse III
she following order: company IN adj
n G in the centre. with the pasks,
aud I in the rear. Tie events which
followed are thus described by enc sho
participated IN them:
At S.o,elock the Indians appeared
In great numbers about the rear of the
column. and just as the advance was
crossing a small stream. they began
firing. In twenty-five ralnites the tiF
eing became continuous. The tiFee'
companies numbering in all aDont*ilU|
men, were warmly eaSage with 800
ndians.
w reached q hill near the water,
and occupied the suassaiteand the fa-I
sliaus now completely ssirrounlai IL;
smeaisnosmtsl and picketei our horses
close together on the centre of the fiat
inclinett summit, aud posted our men
aroundthe crest. masking them Law Hat
81 the ground, do the Indians were -
close and so laFing as to attempt to
charge up the hill, hHt. although ont
rum bering us eight to ono, they could
o tsueceesk-
Towards evening, oug ammunition
began t. give out, ami Our men, suffer
ing SO muchfrom flirst anil fatigue,
required all orr attention to keep them
up. 1t was plain that, nearly surroun-
del by SIX OF eight hHnircI iniians,
we were nearly destitute OF aIumuni-
ton, A5anloping everything. we
mounted and left tha hill at9 O'Clock.
and, after q risIeof ninety miles, most
lynn a gaIlops and without rest, we
reached Snake river, at BED Vol
Crossing. the next evening, and Were
met BY our %friensls, the Nez perees.-
We hal two officers, hive men, AMI
three friendly Iniians Killed. and ten
men wonaded; Sergeant Ball. OF rom
pany. S missing, The Sergeant dis
~tipguishel h;,aself ucsy mneh during
The action.
Captain TAYLOR was shot through tie
neck, and lieutenant Castor through
ths body, they both fell lighting gall
lantly. The companies fought brave-
II, like true men. Before the battle
WAS near over, the Indians picked up
nine Of their dead; how many Of them
were kiIledis not knoxn, but [ can
count hfteen. They acknowledge hay-
ing1 wounded.
Il will take a thousand men to go in
to tAe Spokan country.
Anotller account says:
We have positive and reliable infor-
nation that there were more than one
thousand indians engaged in the attack
upon Col. Steptoe's command; that
the Indians had planned an ambush in
to which. had the command been led,
his whole force you'll have been utterly
iost;;that he suspected the design, AMI
varied his course in order TO avoid it.
when the Indians commenced the at
tack; that the warriors. the fighting
men. of the Spokans, the .CGur d
AIenes, andlhe Flat Heads, were the
main participants in the fight; that Fa-
Their Joseph. the Gear d Alenc priest.
rode upto Col Steptoes Just previous
TO the onslaught. and told him that the
Indians. were exasperated, and resolved
upon fighting. because taoy had heard
a road was to be laid out through Their
country from Walla- WaIla to Fort
Benton, and that they would massacre
every white man who attempted to pass
through their country on such a miss
ion.
This, then, is the acknowledged, as
eertained cause oftEe assault, and it j.
lndlsputably the fixed purpose of t}t
Indians to prevent, if possible, any
transit whatever across that country
TIE misfortune, deplorabie as it is, i.
yet not SO great, sinceit will have beer
the means of saving Lieut.. Muller ant
party, which was aatlle eve of starting
QUITO open the road. aud would other.
wise have been nlassaered.
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