Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1860-11-30
Late Salmon Falls Massacre,


Snake river massacre and of the snbsc-
qucnt travels and rcscllc of the s,lrviv-
ors, which we took down as follow:
There were tifty-tour persons in the
company. Col. Howe sent an escort of
twenty-five dragons with our company
from Port ncut river, seven miles this
side of Fort Hall. The escort were
furnished with only twelve days rations
and were to escort us six days aud re-
turn, which they did. We desired Col.
Howe to give Us an escort farther, but
he said there would be no trouble; that
tlcimmigrants were in no danger if they
would keep the Indians away from their
camp and not allow them to come too
near. T'rhis seems to us almost like
irony.-Ed.1 lie said there were troops
ON the roads beyond Salmon Falls.
Col. Howe had furnished an escort for
the California train but for what dis
lance | do not know; Col. Howe was
generally disikcd by the immigrants.
After the escort left the company, two
weeks TRANSFERRED before the attack.
The attack was made between nine and
ten o'clock A. NJ, on the 18Th of Sep
tcmbcr.-Therc were about one hum
drcd Indians, most of them on foot.
They first came around the train, whoop-
ing and yelling. probably to stampede
thc cattle. We then corr.,llcd and de-
Tended ourselves. The Indians then de-
sisted and made signs Of friendship,
signilyin" that they wished something
to cat. AS many rs came were fed.
They made signs t. Us that we mi chit
pass on to the river. In doing this,
when we reached an cmincncc which
exposed us and furnished the Indians
the covert of SAGE brush, they COM
mcnccd II general firing upon us with
arrows and rifles. We again corralcd
rs soon aS we could. Before we had
fully done this and got cur oxen secure,
three of our men were shot down, viz:
Lewis Lawson. William Utlcv. and
'tislllnl, Il German. We defended
ourselves ~ well H. we could: the fight
ing continuing througl the day. During
the day we saw several of the Indians
fall. Ii WAS believed that twenty or
more of them were killed the first day.
The Indians kept shooting at the train
through the light, mostl V with arrows:
occasionally with rifles. Their random
shots did not do much harm, except to
wound and r,'tatc the cattle and hors-
cS, which We're without GRASS and water
all the day ard nj -ht. The fight was
renewed in the morning and continued
nearly through the entire day, as on the
previous; one of our men, JudSon Crcs-
scv, being kilcd.-About an hour be-
fore shutdown, the train agreed to leave
four wagons and contents as booty for
the Indians and start ON, hoping this
would satisfy them, and that while they
were ravaying these the company might
escape with the remainder. This plan
WAS attempted without success. The
Indians paid no attention to the desert
cd prey. but swarmcd about the train
like bees, attacking it with renewed ac-
tivity. The company drove on as fast
as they could. but the cattle were so
ravcnous after sage brush that they
could NOT he got along, and in the mean
time. the firing of arrows and rifle balls
by the Indians was activcl V continued.
Before we started the last time MINI the
corral, four Young men were detailed,
mounted and armed, to go in the van
of the train and open the way for the
wagons. They were discharged sol
dicrs from the post at Portncut. They
were we'll armed with rifles and rcvolv-
crs, which, with the horses, belonged to
the train. Instead of assisting the inn
migrants, they Immediately fled. Their
names were Snyder, Murdoch, Cham
boury and Chatfcy. Snyder, it is said,
reported two as killed by the Indians.
He and Chaitcy are living. With these
horscmcn two left on foot, viz: Jacob
and Joseph Rcith. These were the
two men who brought word into the set
Elements OF the condition of the immi-
grants, and Jacob Reith returned with
Capt. Dents command for their relief.
At about dusk we left our cattle and
wagons, as we found that we could do
nothing with the Indians. After driv-
ing ont of the corral, my brother was
shot down by my side. The Indian
who shot him was not more than ten
rods off, in the sage brush. I saw him
as he was drawing upon ns and shot
him, but not until he had fatal wound
cd my brother. / saw the Indian roll
over dead. When we were finally leav-
ing the wagons, l helped Miss Utter out
ofthc wagon and was setting her down,
when a rifle ball passed through my
coat and two shirts, grazcd my body and
killed her. She spoke some after be-
ing shot: said that she had got her death
llnu,. fhnt sho 1,,as l.illod 40