New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-21
LETTER FROM COL. STEPTOE.

A priyste letter from Csl. Steptoe, ds.ed g. Fort
Wslls Walls, May 81, 1858, has been piaeed a. oar
Disposal from which extract and suolon hIs nsr.
raiye OF the crcumst attending his recect acton
with the Spokane and other Indsns.
As Col. Step,oe did no. enter the lndisr country
with any expectation o. tostities, We do not feel
justified crticisrg his retrsa.. His uen seem 70
have fought bravey, and his own UnGoub-ec courage
and conduct render il probable that no alternative
remained, except u be cut of detail sbsndon his
expedition In the face Of such disparity OF force,
best that could be done. Il does not 10 have
teen surprise. bat unexpected cecsreIJn OF hos-
tili,ies or the part Of the Indians The Florida wa
began with the surprse and msssaeTe OF Ds5s oon.
rand, and We suppose that this battle viii De pre-
lude TO al obstinate and expensive wa-.
EXTRACT rEon COL. sTyProE LETTER.
al LEFT this fort lW8lls Walls on the l3.h, With the
command mentioned above tlJ2 n-eL,l 20 yIs.s Col.
vile, white settlement near tie British lne, and
about Two hundred miles distant. The object OF my
ysi. wac 10 talk with the while people tLd indians,
and Try TO effect more Harmonious Intercourse be.
tween them. Two deep, strong rvers-the 81 AXE snd
the SpoksIe-hsd 10 be crossed succeeded IL c-oss
in: the fret with great difficulty, and S5en nes- tie
other found myself suddenly Il, the presence OF more
thsn thousand indians, ST. armed, painted snd highly
excited. They demanded Dletne. We came - attack
them. | answered tnst VT were friends 70 all who
were friendly, and did not wish 10 light ii il cond De
avoided. They expressed themselves ss.isted, bit
pcsed themselves OF the siImmts OF tn-ee bills,
around the bases OF which road wou.d.
Never suspectng t-eachery, wss OF the point OF
entering the deh.e wnen 6 mere a. cent excited my
suspicIon and turred aside. Tneie Is no doubt on
ny mind now that, if We had go2e on no; one would
have lived 10 see the uenow. nal.ed aad encamped
but the bated savsges g.sred upon Us, peststng 10
attack and we remained thus in hal hostile sts-
tude till sunset. lac rlerest tre woald have been
sufficient to precpste either party UPON tue o'ne'
"The mex, morning resumed the march, but had
only gone two three miles wheI the Indians sttaA-
cd the rear guard, and inme1iEteytne hsh. became
general. We sbofed under tne disadvantage Of hav-
ing to fight while moving on, srd In the midst OF q
country Of successive hills peculiarly favorable 20 the
enemy. My force was ali mounted, bat composed
chiefly Of troops who had never before been under me-
About L. o'clock the commander OF oae company :sll
and the Indians charging hercey upon Lis meD, they
gave way and could not be rsled. Soon after
another company commander fe. snc some OF .he
brsvest petty officers 10 the command were severely
wounded. determined, therefore, 70 take position
and halt. The fight continued wlthOI. Interm-ss.on
until short time before sunset when the enemy
posted themselves all around to wait fo- tae night
sId for reipforcemelts. We knew that 100 OF U0
more would Join them before morning; our smmuni.
ton was nearly exhausted, our lose in killed ana
wounded very considerable. II was evident tass We
could not fight another day.
"These considerations determined me to make
forced march and get possession o: the canoes 10 wnn
We had crossed Snake River before the enemy cocd
do 90. Painful a. the step we., Few there was no
other alternative. We could not .emsin where we
were and slow march would be fully Sd disastrous;
for II tie enemy seized upon the csnoes our ssussioe
would be wo,s6tnsn ever. For these reasons put
the command il motion about 10 O'Clock 81 night and
did not stop until We reached TIE river nearly ninety
miles of.
This war has been ns.uring FOR sore tine, but II
could have beaten the enemy Gt the star, oil future
difficulty might have been prevented as It s, lear
that many lives will be lost before sfsc.ory So
ment DO arrived at. The ssvsges appear TO nave
been excited by rruo-s tlst the Government iaNlos
10 take posseson of their lands and the act o. the ast
Congress, TO lay military -osd from tas psee .
the waters Of tne Upper Mssou-, fully sstishei tasm
Of the t:uth Of the Iumo.. Tne party y survey .ns
road wse lust assembling nere, and :he tsnf WIZ ine
has no DOUBT saved II tom massacre"