Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-08-06

tains, when the west offers fields like these
for the laborcr to work in? L. NJ.
mo more gold fcycrs out in Iowa, friend
but may not Gland fevcrs' and Iowa
cities be equally dclusive? Did you see
FRANK, in Scrgcant's Bluff
The Indian War on the Pacific.
IThe Bcllofonte Wig has received from
Col. J. IRWIN GREGG, the following ex'
tracts from a letter addressed to him by
his cousin, DAVID MN. GREGG, Lieut..
of U. s. Dragons, stationed on the Pa
ciGc coast, in Oregon and Washington ter
rito-ies. The writer was, some few years
ago, q student in the Lcwistur- tuivcFsi-
ty from Centre county (subscquert'y at
West Point, and has many friends, who
will be gratiticd to learn of his good for
tune and gallant bearing, and that he has
received honorable mention in the official
/ Report of Col. Steptoe, his commanding
officer. The letter, though evidently not
written with the least idea Of publication,
gives very full and plain statement Of
the recent battle between the command of
Col. Steptoe and the Indians, Oh the Spo-
kane river
Fort WALLA WALLA, Wash. Ter.
May 81, 1888.
DEAR IRv.-I can only offer as an
apology for my long silence, the fact that
| have been SO unsettled Of late that to
attempt to write to any one, could only
result in a failure On the 7th Of April,
| left Fort Vancouver with INV Company.
for Walla Wal,a, which reached on the
2Sth of that month l had only been
here about ten days, and had not got fix
cd in quarters, when was ordered with
my Company on an expedition to Colville.
Since this expedition has proved one of
the most evcntful which has been made on
this coast, it is proper that should give
some account of it. The whole country,
far and wide, is excited, and exaggerations
are so multiplied that it would not be sur
prising if the most incorrect reports of our
expedition should reach the Atlantic
States.
On the 9TH inst Col. Stcptoe left Fort
Walla Walla, for Colyille and its vicinity,
with the following troops: "C' Company,
lst drag. Capt Taylcr and 1t Wheeler }
"E' Company, 1st Drag. Git. GastOn,)
and al" Company, lst Drag (myself,>
and in all, $50 men. After a march of
nine days We, to our great surprise, were
met by about fifteen hundred hostile Indi-
ans, eight hundred Of whom were we'll
armed with rifles. They met US to op-
pose our crossing the Spokane river. We
told them that We had come among them
as friends, all to no purpose; and accord
ingly our command, on the morning Of
the 18th inst, at s o'clock, was attacked
by this large force. The Companies, for
the first three hours, were necessarily
employed in charging the Indians and re-
sisting their attacks. The ground occu'
pied during this part of the action was
very favorable for the movements of Ora.
goous. The fight was almost hand to
hand, and it is said by those who were not
so particularly engaged, that it was really
grand-such as We all have imagined
might take place under the most favora
bic circumstanccs-bu nothing similar tc
which is known to the history of the ORA
COON arm of our service. In this part oi
the action, Capt. Taylor and Lieut.. Castor
: were killed, whilst gallantly leading theil
Companies; and also, two privatcs were
killed One of the privates killed wa:
my attendant-as gallant an old soldier
!, as ever wore a uniform. The poor ole
fellow was shot at my side. The fight
was very close, without much advantage
to either side. AT about l. o'clock oul
forces were assembled on the summit of ;
hill, and the fight was continued unit
: o'clock ?. NJ When on this hill. w
) were surrounded by hundreds of Indians
made demons by the loss of many of thei
warriors. They fought like white men
| aud proved themselves far superior skir
: mishers. So incessant and terrific wa!
the fire they directed upon our position
that VIC were compelled to crawl upor
, our hands and knees. Bad as was oul
, situation, we were not without music, fol
the sharp whistle of balls was ever in ou1
ears. Whilst on this hill VIC had one pri
yate killed and several wounded. Oul
total loss during the fight oe twelve hour:
, was-killed, two officers, three privates
and three of our Indian interpreters
wounded, about eleven priyates, one NOR
tally. The loss of the Indians is not GER
tainly known, although they acknowledge
forty wounded, and at one time, during
the action, they carried off nine dead bod
les, and during a charge made by Lieut.
CASTOR and myself, twelve more wcr'
killed. l think the Indians must have
lost about thirty killed. Towards eve