The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-06-23
THE INDIAN A

The Salmon River Massacre Confirmed.
San Francisco, June PA press
dispatch from Boise City confirms pre-
vious reports of the Indian outbreak on
Salmon river. The scene of the first
massacre was or Salmon river and the
tributaries of that stream coming in
from the northern side, draining CO.
mas prairie and neighboring mountain
settlements. Comas prairie covers the
foothills to the north of the Florence
mountains, extending several miles to
II northward into Il plain which lies
between the Florence mountain and
the breaking down of the table land
called Craig's mountain.
Mount Idaho is about the centre of
a range of settlements on Camas prai-
rie, situated at the foot of the Florence
mountains, siXty-five miles from Lewis
ton. ldado settlements, on the Salmon
river and its tributaries, lie to the south
and southwest of Mount Idaho, at dis
tances varying from fifteen to thirty
miles.
The Indians did not kill the women
or children, but allowed them to be
taken under the escort of friendly
squaws to Slate creek, which had thus
far been left undisturbed. e.
At Slate creek the whites have forth
fled themselves in a stockade fort, into
which has been received the wives and
children of the murdered men, togeth-
er with the families of the men who
had escaped massacre. A few men are
thus shut up in the midst of hostile In
dams, without adequate means of de-
fence, and unless immediate aid is
forthcoming they will certainly be
overpowered and murdered, rs the In
dams declare their determination to
take the fort and murder the men. 1t
cannot be hoped the Indians will again
spare the women and children after the
losses they must sustain in capturing
the fort, as the men will fight to the
last.
Our informant says he is reliably in
formed that the Indians did not fire II
single building or destroy any property.
but cleaned the country of stock, which
they have driven down the south side
of Salmon river. They seem to hope
that they will ultimately be the undis-
turbed proprietors of all the property
that the whites are now compelled to
abandon. They think, and not without
reason, that before the country Fan be
regained from them an army must be
SiealSu diiu IL louS anu uOuDiiul ctiu-
paign passed through.
The Indians have now their principal
camp and headquarters on Salmon riv-
er, just below the mouth of II small
stream called Skookumchuch, while
their stock is gathered and pastured on
an extensive triangular shaped region
formed by the Snake and Salmon rivers
with q high mountain range lying on
the third side. There is abundant pas
turage for stock during the summer
and winter, and at this place they will
doubtless make their final stand.
In contradiction to previous reports
that the troops behaved badly, our in
formant says he is assured by the citi-
Zens who were in the fight, that the
troops, though they allowed themselves
to be decoyed into an ambush, dis
played throughout the action the ut
most %gallantry, and fought like tigers.
Aoou twenty or thirty soldiers were
Killed in about the same number of
minutes.
The situation in northern Idaho far
exceeds in gravity any Indian outbreak
OF our day, and it will tax the best re-
sources of the government, and of the
people Immediately interested to sub
due the Indians and restore peace to
the country. The Indians know the