The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-11-01
I Il + DISPATC H.
'NDAY MORNING. .NovEMBsR lI-l,,.. !. lss
LATER FROM OREGON,


Tnk L.si IsprAS BArrLs IN osreos The battle
AZ "feur Lakes" in Oregon, on the l.t inst. bo.
tween the Y. $. troops under COL Wright AM 500
Indians OF the spoksn and pelouse tribes, Ia fully
aeserieed In official dispatches to the War Denart
ment The following 10 an extract:
Mben the command was concentrated on the
an,' .ae hihes were ordered to depioy down to the
.s". ana ar've the indians out OF the wood, while
,he ne~iixer battery, under 1t. White, supported
ey an artillery company, nnder 1t Tyler were
oraersd 10 charge at the left of the Rifles Thess
orders were most Eailantly pcr formed and after a
sbarp night, the indians we're driven from the
AT THE time the scene was exceedingly fine The
PLAIN below and the slope OF the hills was covered
wth tho enemy, numbering, IL vas thought sbout
900 The troops had been formed into line. more
.nan mile long. which advanced with all the pre-.
oision OF parade. firing as they went As they
moved steadily forward delivering most effective
hfe, the enemy fell back and many took refuge in
a wood at the left. Here they were charged by
Lt. Ransom, with company g Of the Third Artil.
iery, and, after a short struggle dsiodged.
After the enemy had been driven partly across
the plain, the dragons passed through the inter-
Va's OF the companies, and charged lem In the
most splendid style, driving them over to take
refuge In the opposite hills Then the artillery
companies and howitzer battery again pass them
driving the Indians over the hills, when the rout
~as entire, and the enemy. without attempting
again to make head, scattered through the woods
aud broken grounds, where they could not be fol.
lowed by the troops. The last shot was fired bv
the howiizsr battery, throwing shell into group
which most effectualiy scattered them After re-.
naming some time and no enemy appearing, the
recall was sounded, and the troops marched back
10 camp.
During the fight the Indian force was driven
back about three miies and half the frisg com.
mencing about q mile and half from camp and
ending about five miles off.
The hostile indiaus numbered, as near as could
be Jude, d, about five hundred, all spendidly
mounted aud we'll armed A large number of tro-
phies were taken, in the shape of bows and arrows
buffalo robes, provisions aud horses. 1t was
amusing TO see the troops returning with their
spoils One officer bad two buffalo robes and q
blanket wrapped around him self ard horse
Strange to say rot officer or man on our side
was hurt, although some of them had bullets
through their caps, and dragoon horse was shot.
The long rifle muskets took the Iadians very much
by surprise
The tribes engaged in the feht were the spo.
kans, Peiouze and Coeur dAlienes What WAS their
loss it is impossible to say. as being all mounted,
they rush forward and carry off those who fall
Eighteen dead bodies. however. were found, aud
ths lumber of wounded must have been large
Dor allies the Nez Percis, took number ofscaips,
which they brought into camp, where they had q
grand dance on their return
About one half the men lad never before been
under fire, but the oficers all say that they have
never seen finer discipline or more gallant con
duct than they evinced. The spirit Of the hostile
tribes must now be broken when they find them
selves deprived of the prestige they supposed
ihey had won by their defeat of Col. Steptoe.
The letter mentioned by telegraph as having
been receyed at New Haven by the father of Lit
Tyler, gives account of another battle which
was fought four days after that at "Four Lakes.
The command had left the scene of the former
fight aid gotten about nine miles, when they
again saw the Indians before them. The letter
says:
They formed very animating sight, prancipg
about on horses tricked ont in all their fiuery
singing their war songs, and evidently feeling very
confident My company was one of those first
thrown forward TO meet them. They commenced
operations by setting fire to the grass and charging
down upon us through the smoke.
The fire, however, did not detain us much, and
we soon left it far behind US, and by dropping
some of them from their saddles our Mjuuis<bul
| let's warned them TO keep their distance. We
finally drove them into the timber. We of course
pitched in after them and after abo1t two hours
nght-they firing at us from behind trees, bogs
| and rocks-we routed them completely. During
the fight an Indian was shot from his horse, W ho
vas captured by one of my company, aud upon
him was found the pistol of Lieut.. CASTOR, who
was killed iu Col Steptoe's fight.
Providence favored US, and We did not lose a
man, and had only one wounded. We made camp
in the afternoon on Spokan river, which the In
dians had been boasting We should never At
ter resting day on the river, We moved up along
the left bank. At camp, we captured Pelot
Kin, the head chief of the Spokans. The day after
We struck of the heaviest blows of the war by
capturing herd of about nine hundred horses be.
longing to Pelnse chief named Vii ho-wax, the
most notorious horse thief and rascal of the from
tier. We selected about two hundred Of the best
horses for our own use. At Dead Horse" camp
We crossed the river, and moved up the bank aud
across the mountains TO this place. Coming Up
the river We destroyed large quantity If the
crops of the hostilcs, both in the fie and slowed
away in log houses for the winter.
The Indians perfectly disheartened at our
victories, and think the is over for this year.
They dare not live with their stock ip the plains
and are therefJre driven to the mountains, where
they are living in fear and trembling lest We
follow them. They are greatly in fear of our
MIME bulets.
The Indians have sent in to us many emissaries
under white flags, to talk; and it is upon the repre-
sentation of the priests of this missien that the
CGur d. Alenes woud come to our terms, that We
are BOW at this place.
Wsare in the very heart of the enemy's coun
try, aud the dangers which beset this letter are
very great. The only way can get the mail
through is to eutrust it to the good faith Of the
Indians who fought US the other day.
One OF the terms Of the treaty is. that all the
property abandoned by Col. Steptoe's party shall
be returned, and the Indians are doing so very
faithfully and infinitely. Tin pans, cups, spurs
pistols, have been returned, aud even a skein of
thread and needle have been brought in These
we're the first Indians have ever seen who we're
absolutely igpcraat of the value OF money