The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-07-11
THE IDAHO INDIAN WAR.

a HerOiS banQ OF volunteers Aelt 10
Fight Alone.
Portland, July lO.-Details of the
encounters with Indians on the 3rd,
Attn and 9Th inst, neal Cottonwood,
state that on Tuesday Col. Whipple
sent out Foster and Blewett scouting
for Indians, i'll the direction of Gen
Towards camp on salmon river. They
had not gone far when they met three
or four Indians, who ran them back to
the camp. Whipple Immediately Or
dered the command to be in readiness
to move. Meantime, Lieut.. Raines,
with Foster and eleven men, were sent
out in advance to reconnoitre. His
men rode over the first rise, this side of
Cottonwood, and down into the side
raviue where the road crosses before
the ascent of Craig's mountain, when
they We're attacked, aud before Whip
pie could get to them, after he heard
the firing, Raines, Foster and the whole
party were killed. Whipple's COM
mand came forward and formed in line
ON the east side of the ravine while the
Indians were on the west side, all OH
| open ground and about one thousand
yards apart, with only a ravine between
Them. Here they remained menacing
each other for about two hours until
darkness came, when Whipple retired
To his camp, and the Indians passed
over to II point on Cottonwood trail to
Craig's crossing, and no more was done
that night.
The next morning Whipple with his
men started this way to meet Col. Per-
ry, whe was expected with a supply
train from Lapwai, and kept out II
skirinish line along the route. They
met Col. Perry with his train near the
Board House and escorted him 10 the
camp on Cottonwood creek. Baird
and ten men arrived from Mount Idaho
soon after, and at about 5 p. m. the
rifle pits were manned and Gatlings
placed in position. The Indians made
several attempts to storm the rifle pits
but were kept at a safe distance. AT
about 8. y. w.. the firing ceased for the
night.
On the morning of the 9th, two cour-
iers arrived from Gen. Howard, being
chased into camp by the Indians. Soon
after the Indians moved their camp,
with about 800 head of stock, across
the prairie in the direction of Cotton
wood. No move was made to inter-
ce,.t them. Soon after Capt. Randall
and sixteen volunteers from Mount
al fplfi &hDoNb olIo ~
dred and fifty Indians intercepted them
1T the junction of Elk City trail with
the stage road. Being seen from Col.
Perry's position at the rifle pits on the
hill, the Colonel was urged to go with
troops to their rescue, to which he re-
piled 1t was no use, they were gone;
and he woulu not order the rescue.
The volunteers say that their captain,
seeing his position, ordered them to
charge, break the line of the Indians,
| dash over toward the creek bottom,
dismount and return the fire, and hold
their POSITION partly under cover of
the hill, until the force at Cottonwood
could reach them. The command was
no sooner given than Capt. Randall
and his sixteen men made the charge,
broke through the Indian line, reached
the position named, dismounted and
returned the fire.
In the charge Capt. Randall was
mortally wounded, Benz. Evans killed,
and three others mortally wounded.
| They fought there nearly an hour and
kept the Indians at bay. An hour
after, when it was known that the In
dians had the volunteers in a tight
place, Col. Perry, after Earnest solicita-
ton, gave orders for fifty men to go to
their relief. 1t was quickly obeyed
and they were relieved in about an
hour. No pursuit of the Indians was
ordered but retreat was made to camp,
and nothing had been done since up to
Morrill's leaving on the night of the
9Th inst.
The volunteers say that they know
the, killed several Indians and wound
ed many others. as they saw the Indi-
ans packing off their dead and wound
ed during the fight.
The anne night McConnville with a
volunteer force arrived at Cottonwood,
from Haryard's command.
On the 9th a detachment of rs men,
under M~cConnville, was sent rs IN es-
cort to the wagon carrying the killed
and wounded to Mount Idaho.
Morrill, says that Randall, after he
was wounded and had got into position,
sat up on the ground and fired many
shots at the Indians, the last one not
more than five minutes before he fell
back dead. Not one Of these seven
teen faltered in the least, or showed u
white feather. though hard pressed by
nearly l5O Indians; nor did one of them
seek to run for Cottonwood after they
had broken the Indian line, but strictly
obeyed the orders to hold their ground.
The following are the names of the
rropno,oh1o oovopfoo,,. n d Dood.u