The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-09
The Joseph War.

"A correspondent OF Ine NeW IOTk
Herald, under date of Kamiah, Jul,
18th, says:
My letter of the 18th inst. closed will
the retreat of Joseph's command up tht
mountains on the left side of the Soutl
Fork of the Clearwater. Our cavalry
which had been dismounted and fighting
as infantry, answered the bugle call o
"boots and saddles" as quickly as posi-
BILE, and hurried to take possession of the
Indian camp. Here we found that the
Indians had been so demoralized tha
they had left almost all their plundel
and Indian ictas behind them, meat &C.
tually cooking before the fires remaining
untouched. Our soldiers were all soor
engaged in pulling over the teaches" and
loading themselves and horses with plum.
der. Some of the boys in blue now ap.
peared dressed in the handsome buckskin
and bead-work shirts; others had piles
of buffalo, bear, beaver, fox, cougar
gar, deer and elk skins. Some confined
their plundering to little "hoodoos," OF
Indian amulets made of beads, furs and
feathers; others again went about de-
stroying their provisions and miscellane-
Gus artscles, such as saddles. clothing,
cooking utensils, canvas, diggers, axes,
&c. All of us, more or less, took some
little souvenir of the occasion.
That night our force slept in Joseph's
camp, and the next morning a dozen or
more fires along the river bank told the
story of lodges and contents being de-
stroyed.
PURSUIT OF THE INDIANS.
Our little army then started over the
mountains cavalry, infantry, artillery
and all-in pursuit of the runaways.
When about half way over the route we
came to hill strongly fortified and
abandoned, which I have since learned
had been occupied by the volunteers and
abandoned by them because Of the In.
dians stampeding their horses, which had
been picketed in their centre on the sum-
NIT of the hill. 1t seems the redskins
waited till night and then with fright
full yelling from 800 sets of leather lungs
and the firing of their guns, made feint
to charge the breastworks, which so
frightened the horses las they knew it
would) that forty-fve of them broke and
ran down the hill, some carrying off stones
as large as barrels tied to their lariats.
The result was the Indians got the horses,
and the volunteers, thus deprived of
means of rapid locomotion, set out on
foot back. to Grangeville the next day.
Our ride on the 18th was rather monoto-
nous, over grassy, treeless hills, with very
little water and no signs of life, except
some young colts, which Joined us, negh-
ing for their lost mothers, and the "fool'
hens, species of grouse, which our men
knocked over with sticks and stones.
THE KAMIAH VALLEY.
Arriving on the summit of high
mountain the beautiful little Kamiah
Valley, rich in grain fields vegetables,
along the silver Clearwater, in patches of
green and yellow, lay stretched out be.
fore us. This valley is inhabited by the
most intelligent Indians in this part of
the country, under chief Nez Perces,
James Dawyer. Most of them live in
neat little frame houses, and are practical
farmers; and, being devout Presbyterians
and having regularly ordained ministers
among their own number, yesterday (Sun-
day. was duly observed as a day of rest.
On bringing our field glasses into requi-
sition, from the mountain top referred to,
we discovered that Joseph had crossed
all his stock to the other side Of the
river, and, before we could reach him,
would be himself also in that place of
temporary safety. We, however, hasten
ed down the mountain, and, galloping
through the wide roads of the pretty lit
tie valley, soon reached the river.
UP WITH THE INDIANS.
The Indians had lost no time, and on
our coming within range of their sharp
shooters found they had piled up stone
breastworks from which they intended to
harass our crossing. Captain Wilkinson
soon got the Gatling gun in position, and
so peppered the different points taken by
the Indians that, although they did not
actually retire, they became suddenly
impressed with desire to deal sparingly
with their ammunition. Captain Whip
pie, who had taken road with mis- COM
pany of cavalry far off to the left, along
the river bank, was surprised by being
fired into about forty times in quick sue
cession by some Indians ambuscaded be-
hind rocky point which ran we'll out
into the river. Fortunately, not a man
was hit, and, although many of the SOL
diers dismounted and let their horses 60,
all finally joined lis in safety. The only
man on our side who was hit in this days
skirmish was an artilleryman, who re-
ceived scalp wound from one of the In
dian sharpshooters. Moving a little
back from the river we went into camp,
where we have been for the past two days
reconnoitring, planning how to head of
Joseph and listening to his overtures OF
peace.
OvERTUREs OF PEACE.
Yesterday James Reuben, son of the
former chief of the Nez Perce Indians,
and one of General Howard's most faith
full guides, brought us word that Red
Heart and five Indians had come in and
given up their arms to James Lawyer,
and that Joseph wished to know on what
conditions he might surrender. General
Howard sent him word to first call in all
his pickets and "corrap his stock and
people, and then he would listen to what
he had to say. Later in the day the full
force of Indians were seen leaving and
climbing the mountains far on the other
side. of the river. Joseph sent word that
White Bird and other chiefs were de-
termined upon not surrcndering, as they
would all be hanged, and that he had to
20 with them on this march toward the
buffalo country to keep up appearances,
but would surrender to-day. General
Howard then told Joseph, through his
own messenger, that he must surrender
unconditionally and be tried by mill
tary court. At this stage of the negootia-
tions the matter rests at the time of my
writing, General Howard, placing little
| faith in Josepn's professions, going on
twith his plans just as if Joseph had never
fcried peccavi.