The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-16
NEWSPAPER ACCOUNT.
(From the Oregon weekly Times, May 2sth


On tho 9Th Instant, Col Scptoe with G, Il, and II
companies st dragoons and twenty five Of the 9th
infantry, with two mountain howtzers, left Fort Walla
WaIla for Golvle. The officers of the command were
Col Steptoe Capts. Wnder and Taylor ieus Wheeler,
Fleming eiaston and Gregg After marching eight days
reaced the Pioneer river, and were about passing
into the Spokan country when were informed by In
dans that the Spokans would resist entrance into
their country The Spokans have always been regarded
as friendly to the whites and when left Walla Waa
no one thought of having encounter with them,
any other Indians on the march. .,.. ..-.
On Sunday morning, the l6th,. on leaving mp, we
were told that the Spokans had assembled and ready
to fight u.s. Not believing this march contin
ued until about Ii O'clock when found ourselves in
the presence of six hundred warriors in costume
The command was halted for the purpose OF having q
talk in which the Spokans announced that they had
heard had gone out for the purpose of wping them
out and if that the they ready to fight
u.s. and that should not tho Spokan river The
Indians well mounted principally armed with ri
es and extended along flank at the distance of one
hundred yards. After some talk, the colonel told
should have to fight and immediately put ourselves
into position to to better ground determined that
the Spokans should fire the first gun After marching
mile we reached sheet of water it decided to
camp and hold another talk with the Indians. Nothing
resulted from this except the most insolen denonstra
tions on their part We dared not dismount and
kept IN the saddle three hours until the setting of the
sun dispersed the Indians.
On Monday morning left camp to return to the
Palouse marching in the following order II company
advance in the CENTRE with the packs and in the
rear. At o'clock the Indians appeared in great num-
bers about the of the column, and just the adj
vance was crossing small stream they began firing In
twenty minutes the fire became continuous Seeing that
we must fight and that the action must become general
ordered to move forward and occupy hill that the
Indians were making for, and from which they would
have close fire upon the head of the column. After
close race gained the hill in advance seeing which
the Indians moved around and took possession Of one
commanding that which occupied. Leaving few men
to defend the first, and deploylng men, charged the
second and drove them Off
At this time the action general; the three compa
Mes numbering in all about 10 men, warmly en-
gagged with five hundred Indians. Tho companies were
separated from each other nearly thousand yards and
fought entirely by making short charges At III o'clock
was reinforced by the howitzers and the two compa-
nes began to towards the position held the In
dams pressing closely upon them AS + company was
approaching large body of Indians got between it and
my company, that having it between two fires, they
could wipe it out at CASTOR, seeing this moved
quickly toward me- having the Indians in his 'front.' and
when near enough and saw he was about to charge
charged with Ii company The result was that our com
panes met having the Indians in right angle in which
angle we left twelve dead Indians After getting to-
gcther kept up the fight for half an hour and again
started to reach the water, moving half mile under
constant and raking fire, under which our comrades,
Taylor and CASTOR, fell We finally reached hill near
the water and occupied the summit and the Indians
having now completely surrounded it, we dismounted
and pcketcd horses close together the centre of
crest making them lie fat to the ground as the Indians
were SO close and daring to attempt TO charge the
HILL but although outnumbering us eight to one, they
could not succeed
Towards evening our ammunition began to give out,
and the men, suffering much from thirst sand fatigue,
required all our attention to keep them up. To move
from one point to another we bad to crawl on our
hands and knees amid the bowling of the Indians, the
groans Of the dying and tho whistng Of the balls and
arrows. la fs ft
We kept in this position until 8, p. M, when as
night set in, II became apparent that on the morrow VIC
must go under and that not of ms would escape IL
plain that nearly destitute of ammunition we were
completely surrounded by six or eight hundred Indians
and the Of these points which must pass 70
get away Therefore il was determined to run the
gauntlet that IL possible, might escape Aban
doning everything, mounted and left the hill at
clock and after ride of nearly ninety miles mostly
in galop and without rest, reached Snake river at
eb Wolf Crossing tile next evening, and were met by
our friends the Nez Perces
We had two officers, five men, and three friendly In