Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-09-05

We have received through ptrhes Wht have re-
Gently arrivedfrOm tbe Fiaihead enuntry in RassE
'pgfOn Territory further particulars 10 ree.rd tothe
rumored murder Of Colonel Srepi0e and pariy un-
der his Command. oy the IadIaBs 10 Oregon The
news is e7nfalned in letter received by Father H6-
Ken, Of the Catholic Mssos 10 the Fla head coahtry
from Father Josef fFOa the C@ur d'Alens Nission.
near The mouth Of the Snake river, il Washingron
Territory From his letter IL appears thai abou5 he
middle Of the mouth OF May last the sertihfs and
miners al COlville, on the C0lumbia River % are-
gon, having been very much annoyed during the
winter and spring. By The repesied depredslions
cOmmirted By The Indians in that vicinity uDbu er
sock in fields, word 10 Col Stepiee a. FaFt
Walla-Walla, begging him 20 send up body OF sol
diers TO protect them To this message C, n So oe
replied that he mareh Of AMI oonsidefabIe hum6ef
Of soldiers in thai direction Eonid be nsideTl ~
ihe Indians as declaration Of war, aRd thai itWrud
Inevitably result in a re opening Of bO-tlf'ies
against al he whites. He determined, however, 10
90 up with small escort and see II II we're Dot
possible 20 prevent these ouir4aes Of the Indfaus
and avert if possible the ealamities e anoher Ia
dian war. In he meantime large bands ne Cayuses
Sp0kans, Yakamss Ceur d'A ienes and Ponderees
% the number Of 500, tad assembled at scot hs.
tween the Columbia and the SBa BE rvers about 100
miles above the mouth Of the latter for the purpo~o
Of digging camsss ROOTS and holding grand Council
together. Faiber J0set present a. this Council
meeting ia company with few Of ibe lay men Of bis
mission. in Crder 10 endeav0r 10 conclate and re-
concle the Indians WhO in Consequence Of their re
ceut difficulty with the whites, we're quite hostile
aud malicious This place Of ga herring was some SO
miles from Colviile, and about the same distance
from the Ceur 0'Alene Mission, bu Col Steptoe's
guide-a Nez Perez ludian-instead Of takfnyhia, "a
Ihe COiville settlement, led him some 20 miles out
Of the way, directly into The Indian camp This. Of
course, aroused the suspicious Of the Indians: A.
though Col. s and the missionaries made every ef-
fort, during short psrley which vas held. 10 ap-
pease and satisfy them.
In he evening, the Indians charged upon the par
ty-Which consisted Of so men-add lied thirfy
soldiers and three officers, aud stole al Of their ani
mails During The night, the remainder Of tkepar-
~ leaving their camp 6Tes burning. made 3 retreat
toward Snake River. Their 4 ght vas not discover
ed until morning, when large party Of Indians i'm
mediately started in pursuit Of them. Pafher J5ssF
and his party left the camp as lhey saw that
The Indians we're bent hOsiiliiies, and travelled
back as rapidly as possible 10 the Coeur Alene
mission which. at the time be wrote hey were pre-
pairing 10 leave.
From this information, It as is yet uncertain
whether Col STEPTOE was killed in the 6ght Asis
IS not mentioned whether he vas oue Of the three
officers who were killed, our informanis, however,
fear that the party who escaped that night being On
foot, must have been oysrtsken, and kied also but
they have 10 information regard 10 it -
We learn from another quarter that war party
Of BonBaoks have since attacked The Cayuses in their
camp and taken from them all tho hJrses which
had been stolen from the soldiers they also took
from the Cayuses several white mems sealts which
hey found banging in the lodges
All Of the mounfaineers who we're living In the
Flathead country have left their ranches, and are
moving SOuih, as they fear general war With the
Ior' hern Indian tribes A &c