The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-30
THE TWO BATTLES WITH INDIANS IN WASHING
-. TON TERRITORY

The policy of our government is such that while
one of its great departments is required by law to
lavish large annual bountes Of money upon the In
in liberal instalments among them, another depart
ment is often called upon to engage in mortal con
fct with the same savages, and reduce by bullet
and sword the spirit of selEconfdence and insubor-
dination which these largesses of money and pres
ents of firearms inspire.
The country has been harassed for several months
with continual accounts of bloody engagements be-
tween our brave little bands of troops scattered in
small squads over the Rocky mountain country, and
the various Indian tribes which roam, plumber, and
murder over that wild and extended region.
The news which we chronicle to-day is more
cheering and gratifying than any we have had the
fortune to publish for long time for it is not OF
talks" and new stiponds promised the savage
but OF two decisive engagements Of troops with
the Indians in Washington Territory, in which the
red men were soundly beaten and some of them
frightened into earnest overtures for peace. @
We publish the full particulars Of these handsome
affairs Of our troops, and see in them more promise
of safety and peace to enterprising settlers
the Pacific border, than if millions of money and
thousands of stands Of had been stipulated to
be delivered them in many tedious talks and pro-
tracted pipe-smokiugs with their chiefs ts
The energetic system Of measures which has been
set on foot against the Indians by the War Depart
ment in that region Of country; of which we have
but partial development in these two engagements
cannot fail to result under the able auspices of Gen
1 - -. ~ y. Z -. y = -.a Z
Harvey who has by this time arrived at the theatre
Of operations in securing to our people on the Pa
cifc perfect immunity for all time to come from
Indian robberies, murders, and outrages
The value Of Sharpe's rifle and the Mimic ball in
Indian warfare has been thoroughly demonstrated
in the operations in Washington. Col. Wrights
Indians with these modern weapons Col Steptoe
had the old cavalry carbine, which never known
to kill an enemy on any occasion, whatever damage
their recoil was in the habit of nflicting on the
unlucky troops who had to fire them. COL Wrights
command used the Sharpe rifle, and the difference
in result is most striking. Says account of the
battle Of the -Four Lakes eve have killed and
wounded moro than fortyseyen Of the enemy, and
not one of us hurt / tell you the Indians were as.
tonished when our fellows perched them off at four
and five hundred yards. They won't let single
man now approach them nearer than half mile"
The War Department has given unusual attention
of late to the Improvement Of firearms and especial
pains have been taken to supply our forces in Wash
ington Territory with the most effective of the va
rious newlyinvented guns This has been done
not less to give the highest efficiency to our troops
that distant theatre than to test by actual use and
trial the relative value Of the arms. We shall
look with much interest to this feature of the
counts we shall from time to time receive of our
military operations on the Pacific slope.