, 1877-07-14
Letter From Mount EdaIio.

NOM lDAHo, july o-5 ?. A.
LELAND Il hardly know how to write You
to-day, but the trath and the facts should De
told. Yesterday morning. at s \. NJ, we re
ceived word that Col. Whipples command
at Cottonwood lad been engaged the day
before with a strong force OF Indians Upon
receipt of the intelligence Capt ID. Is. Ran
dali. In command of Mount Idaho volunteers,
called around HIN l. OF his most trusty men
They at once started for Cottonwood W hen
within about two miles OF there they were
attacked BY large force OF Indians estl-
mated To number from I25 to 100 They
were surrounded at once and Capt Randall
gave the order 10 charge through them,
which was a success He then Or'iered them
TO make stand; they dismounted and man.
tanned their position for an hour and a nall
and killed and wounded quite number OF
the Indians and drove them away to long
range and kept them there, but great ms
fortune befel us in the loss OF Capt. randall
He was shot twice through the breast, and
died before the fight ended. He was brave
and noble man, and the whole community
mourn his loss. He shrank from no duty or
danger, and asked TO man To so where he
did not 60 himself We also lose IN the
dsath of Beni. T. Evans, another Of our de
Tenders; he was shot IN the neck and died
with Randall. Mr. d. II. Howser, was Sc
riously wounded through the lungs. Mr.
A b. Leland, your son, received severe
wound in the calf Of the ieg. Charles John
son, received q shot III the ankle the two
latter VIII soon recover. Had 1t not been
for the daring pluck and bravery of the ht-
tie band Of brave men they would all have
been massacred Never did men fight such
an overwhelming force, with full determi-
nation TO win or sell their lives rs dearly as
possible What | have stated have from
the men themselves
Maj q. NJ. Shearer, brave man, was at
Cottonwood, and seeing the situation, he at
once rushed 10 the rescue and rendered them
all the aid in his power; but what ought TO
be said OF the conduct of COlOnelS Whlpple
and Perry, who were within mile and
half of the field, and SAW and knew what
was going on, and did not 90 to the field un-
til the Indians had drawn away out Of range.
They had under their command hundred
strong men, wellarIned, with ammunition and
two Gatling guns. Our officers and men say
that they learned that the soldiers We're anX-
iouS and eager 20 go To the rescue, but were
ordered back by the commanding officer,
and time and time again they begged 10 go
and were threatened with court martial for
disobedience Of orders. Never did soldiers
or men have better opportunity to meet the
foe IN an open field where they had equal
chances with them, since the making Of the
world, and successful fight should and
could have been made. which would 50 have
crippled the Indians that, / believe would
have terminated the war No attempt or
effort was made by Cors Perry and Whip
pie after arriving ON the field to pursue them
or continue the fight, and they returned TO
the Cottonwood house with the dead and
wounded. 1t is a terrible affair, and looks
to us here, who listen to all the statements
made by those who were engaged III the
fight that We can expect little aid from the
troops IN the field, and must rely ON the vol
unteers to chastise the rcd devils Such con-
duct is unaccountable. We had every con-
fidence that shoEld the troops come across
the Indians, an effort would be made 20 fight
them, and when you find l. men able to
drive the Indians from the field, you can
imagine what the result would have been had
the whole force participated in the fight.
| ! have no time 10 write more, but to an
nounee the death Of Mr.. John Houghen,
who died here July 9TH, Of fever.
Yours truly, L. ?. BROWN.