The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-07-28
Cole Steptoe,s Defeat.

In a private letter to friend i'll Rich
mond, Va, Col. Steptoe gives the following
account of his battle with the Oregon In
dams, and his defeat and retreat.
II left this fort (Walla-Walla) on the
18th, with the command mentioned above,
(l25 mem 10 visit Colville, white settle
ment near the British line, and about two
hundred miles distant. The object of my
visit was to talk with the white people and
the Indians, and TO try to effect more har-
monious intercourse between them. Two
deep, strong rivers-the Snake and the
Spokane-had to be crossed. | succeeded
in crossing the first with great difficulty, and
when near the other, found myself in the
presence of more than a thousand Indians,
all armed, painted and highly excited.
They demanded whether we came TO attack
them. answered that we were friends to
all who were friendly, and did not wish to
fight if it could be avoided They express
ed themselves satisfied, but posted them
selves on the SUBMITS OF three hills, around
the basis of which our road wound.
"Never sJspecting treachery, | was on
the point of entering the defic, when
mere accident excited my suspicion, and
turned aside. There is no doubt in my
mind now, that if we had gone ON, not one
would have lived to see the morrow.
halted and encamped, but the baffled saw
ages glared upon Us, heSitating to attack,
and we remained thus in a half hostile at
titudc till near sunset. The mereSt trihe
would have been sufficient to precipitate
either party upon the other.
"The next morning resumed the march,
but had only gone two or three miles, when
the Indians attacked the rear guard, and
| Immediately the fight became general. We
labored under the disadvantage of having
to fight while moving on, and in the midst
of country of successive hills peculiarly
favorable to the enemy. Ny force was well
mounted, hut composed chiefly of troops
| who had never been under fire. About ! 2
! o'clock the commander of one company fell,
and the Indians charging fercely upon his
men, they gave way and could not be raj
! lied. Soon after, another company's COM
mander fell, and some of the bravest petty
officers in the command were severely
wounded. / determined, therefore TO take
! position and halt. The fight continued
| without intermiSsion until short time be-
/ fore sunset, when the enemy posted them
/ selves all around us to wait for the night
and for reinforcements. We knew that two
| or three hundred more would join them be-
fore morning; our ammunition was nearly
exhausted our loss in killed and wounded
very considerable. 1t was evident that we
could not fight another day.
"These considerations determined me to
make forced march and get possession OF
the. canoes in which we had crossed Snake
river before the enemy could dose. Painful
as the,step was, saw there was no other a.
tentative. We could not remain where we
WERE and a slow march would be fully as
disastrous; for, if the enemy seized upon
the canoes, our situation would be worse
than ever. For these reasons | put the
command in motion about 10 o'clock al
night and did not stop until we reached the
river, nearly 90 miles off.