The New York herald., 1877-09-10
Graphic Pictures of Terrible Struggles
Among the Mountains.
MISTAKEN CONCEPTIONS CORRECTED
Honor Given Where Honor.
Is Due.
BRAVE SOLDIERS and BRAVE INDIANS.
CAMP OF GENERAL HowARD's COMMAND. !
AOntapn AuUuaf oJ 1877

the present war, been friendly TO the whites What
train Of events led to the outbreak the wrtor is
at present unprepsrod to state but the direct and i'm
mediate cause was that the government wanted them
to 60 tho reservation apart for them This they
refused TO do at several interviews had with them by
General Howard and otherA At the last powwow had
with them by General Howard Chief Joseph requested
thirty days to consider whether he his peo-
pie would go on the reservation, which granted,
previously stating, however, that he and hts people
and thcir fathers owned ana lived In these valleys,
and that they prepared stay and die there If
necessary and when told by General Howard that tho
government had soldiers enough to compel him to 70
that chief ssd -"White man says what 10 not so; !;
white chief tells lics. F" The powwow broke up with
the understanding before mentioned Before the
thirty days were up hostilities commenced.
The hostes commenced operations by numbering
all the white settlers they could Hnd of whom there
were many, burning their houses, driving Off their
stock and taxing all the vauabes they wanted. But
the most revolving Of all the to which they
carried their diaboca deeds OF outrage In most IN
stances leaving their victims unconscious and an
indescrbabe condition. The news OF these revolving
deeds caused the commanding officer at Fort Lapwai
TO send out all the available troops at that post pun
fish tho perpetrators Of such fendish acts These
troops consisted Of two companies OF cavalry
COLLISION WITH TROOPS.
The terrible Of thirty three or these sol.
diers, under tho command Of Captain Perry, on June
u frst attracts our attention Captain Perry belongs
TO the FIRST cavalry, and commands i company of
Inat regiment From all reports anu gossip he has
heretofore been considered brave and gallant oicer
On tho day of the fight, or rather massacre he had
under his command and II companies Of the First
pavary, comprising command OF ninety or one hun.
tred men, The officers un der his command were Can
tain Trimble and Lieutenant Parne OF the First cav.
AIRY, and Lieutenant Thecr, OF tho Twenty. first in.
Antry.
Chiefs Joseph and wbi,sbird had united at this
time, but their united bands according 10 the most
exaggerated accounts Of soldiers aud ctzens) did not
exceed $50 warriors, and a majority Of the citizens
give II as their unbiased opinion that Is or 100
redskins were all that could possibly be the Joseph
Whitcbird band at that time. With this description
Of the relative strength Of the oombatants We can
better understand what follows
Captain Perry attacked the Indians on Whitebird
canyon, situated on crock OF the same name, at a
point about three miles from where that stream
empsies into the Salmon RIVER This canyon Is verv
deep and extensive and the trail leading down to 1t is
very steep and in places extremely narrow neccss.
tating for part Of the way march by ale II is
seven miles from the point of descent to
tho creek, tho first three miles being almost
You approach the creek, sloping down to tho
watcr's edge. The width Of the canyon contiguous
to the stream is about Eve miles 1t mere presents
tho appearance OF rolling prarie being dotted hero
and thero with wavelike swcs Those swells In some
places take the shape OF knoils or mounds on the
SUBMITS Of which the Indians bury their dead This
canyon Is bounded on all sides by steep and precpi-
tous hills except for distance OF about eight hun
dred yards across the creek, where It Is bounded by
gently rising hil but at each side of this the bluns
approach the mountainous. The hostilvs were campcd
on the stream and at the canyon side. Captain Perry
led his command down the trail at daylight on
the morning OF June IT, after marching all night with
men and horses hungry and weary. The Indians per-
mitted him to advance to within seventy 1--WE yards
without resistance even showing themselves 20 the
troops. When the redskins were visible the command
was given, Left front into line forward charge % at
which the whole column camo into limo a nd charged
M gallop, who the Indians poured into them
aoady fire. At the rst contact the hostles separated
into two wings, going to the right tho other to
The left flank of the troops and almost surround
Ing them, but all the time pouring in q
fatal shower of bullets. About this time some
Of the cavalry horses became unmanagcable
and threw their riders. causing confusion and
dsmay: at which all commenced retreating toward the
bluffs IN every direction; but the Indians had already
occupied the pass es In these bus, and the soldiers
attempted the ascent with their tired horses they
shot down by parties whom they could not see caus.
,ng still creator panic and the Widest confusion ana
preventing all possibility of raying. Captain Perry
lid attempt 10 rally his men, he could not get one
Iwcntietn OF them together, scattered they wcre
specially as ho could not lind either Of hts rumpcers.
However. with tho few mon under his immediate eye
he occupied semcircle OF snos, with himself and
f~xu tho Al,
opportunity occurred TO retreat further in SINH
ar manner and his party reached the top of the canyon
whittier all who had horses If for their nves
Nine enths OF those killed found dead about half
way up the bluffs, and SO scattered the command
that the dead lay from seven TO fifteen miles apart.
Tho Indians pursued the fleeing troops miles, and
terror stricken the soldiers that some oil them
III their eagerness to get away threw away their
cafbines pistols and ammunition, all OF which, of
course were picked up by The Indians, aud 1t
Indians kept up the chase for hour
longer not a man would have escaped There
doubt but the lndans would have pursued aud mas
sacred every one OF the command we're 1t not Tor he
bravery and determined pluck 0i Lieutenant Psrnel,
o the FIRST cavalry. This oicer gathering lew
around HIM, occupied knols here there after gain
Ing the high ground, aud SO vigorous and elective
the Are poured into the victo Indians that they
uhc Indisns) did not deem II prudent come wnhin
range, but instead circed to the right le when
Lieutenant Parnc would 50 change his position as 10
again check tbem THIS, of course, gave the rest of
The troops time 10 get Tar enough to the rear 10 or
ganze and prepare ior defence. which they did, but
me Indians withdrew, satisfied with the bloody work
already acco npiishcd. After this the troops pro-
ceeded 10 Mount Idaho. town fifteen eighteen
miles distant
THE DEAD SOLDIERS NOT MuTiLArED.
On their way back the Indians Killed all the
wounded anu helpless soldiers None oil The soldiers
we're mutilated except one The manner In which this
man was putchcrcd rs too horrible TO describe The
squaws are charged with this human aud act
Two oil tnc woundcd escaped 10 Mount Idaho. lher
names are prvatcs Kelly, OF Company H. and McLaugh-
r, of Nh hum hav
recovered These men assert that their escape WAS
due entirely TO The supcriory and neetness their
horses. Another VINO was Thought 10 have been
murdered also escaped This man, who rs first ser
gcant OF Company, was unhorsed alter bat
tc com meucod mis- horse being Killed outright and
himself surrounded by four or i've Indians VINO shot
at him several times. Thinking himself thus hone
cssy lost, ne fcgncd to he severely wounded and land
down. The redskins we're In such hurry in pursuit
oil the fleeing troops that they did not wait to kill
him, but turned him over to squsw, with iastruc-
iions TO watch him and others until their return Be-
fore their return hc managed TO elude the squaw
ped 10 the brush which lines the creek distance
OF ABOUT eght hundred yards and made his way on
nxtla