New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-01
STURGIS'S FIGHT.

A TERRIBLE BLOW TO THE NEZ PERCES.
A KCSNING FIGHT or OVER 100 MLES-IIE CAP
TIRE OF 900 HoRsEs-wHERE HOWARD HAS
BEEN UNDULY BLAMED-LEIIERs AND "HDiRS.
IFRoM AZ OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rHiBuNE'I
Fort ELLIS, N. T., Sept. 1S.-News from
Howard and stnrgs seems doomed 10 ine in by Install
mens but the attending Circumstances render so ar
complete report impossible. We nave moieial reports
regarding the tate .ht, which, iJ seems, was begun on
the 1871 and continued and throug ' l4th sIurHs
having really had q running battle OF over IVO Wes'
On the lin the In rlns made STUBBORN
stand ct tn crossing Of the Xcowstna few miles De-
low q ,rlls Fort bat were d1vcl OF demjrilti' Two
Crows being killed. that band, exaspeidt'd joined IN
The dgit and aie credited with the cap as o- over 800
OF the Ncz Parc6s horses, winch NJ doubt viii prove
staggering blow.
when the messenger bringing these details len tho
conloand the pursuit continued, the Crows niesung Tue
outsurs Of the 81 Perc6s retreat. constantly pick
Ing ND tue scattering animals TIC Crow agent reports
nearly 500 Crows assisting the troops ana inc
Agucy Crows themselves assert that thr River Crows
from te Nuscicsen are heading of he Nez PercCs and
DRIVING them bacl, toward sturgIs and Howtrd An old
,rul-e ex.ss between the Two bands, which no doubt
wIl prove fortunate, as tine Mountain crows nave 80
long maintained friendly rel t"ns with the hos-9 Ncz
Perc6, that their assistance could nos be spechy de
pended upon.
capturl horses As they reported being IN possession
Of all the Nez Perce pa k-anmas ami packs the situa
TON would appear favorable for our forces However
The capture of the packs was followed by desperate
rally OF The despoed hOstles and seeing the departure
~ ,eir slprcs they recovered themselves and drove
the combined troops and Crows some di6ianc'' win
Whit farther result we DO not vet know. THIS report
was NJ first disbeieved but after It's circulation the
following counrmatoly dispatch was received here:
CROW AGENCY, sept. 10.
The Crows IN with very s4se ma , o. h2ra So,
train and all the packs bat tn hoses then rallied and
drove back tire whites and Grows; Io%e'er Tue id''
Go w. FROST, u. $. Indian Agent.
As preliminary to the fight the following orders were
issued aud letters written and OF interest IN the mat
ter OF eturgs action, regarding which have before
written you.
CL,rK's FORK CANoy, Sept. g, 1877.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF rHE co Si, GHBiA'
To the Adu,antGcneyal, Military Department Of the
asies are between my command and that Of sur-
eis' ana one day in advance OF It s'cus har'ly
probable they c'n escape this time. move straight
upon them tomorrow. ho"A'D'
The following order was issued by sturgis
Sept g, 1877.
To CUsHNe .-,.,. - 1900,
possible 10 Heart Mountain. scouts sont ont vesterly
we're fouu1 killed toi ~ aud the Nez Prc6
moving south. We expect TO meet them tomorrow.
The same day the following written:
CLARK's FORK ANON, Sept. g.
Hare was sent out with twenty men, s'erlay-tound
two ctznn scouts sent ont Yesterday shot one deid
frou, bigh uoint saw tne n Perez camp apparently
the squaun camp and herd We leave as soon ~ nnSsoie
in pursuit. uA"i'N'ioN'
Then follows the appended order from Howard:
NEAR CRaNDAIL CREEK, Sept 3.
Bring forward supplies TO ClarKs Fork qlcky az pos
sihe. The In Inns are between mo "h1 sturSis; any
ward Clark, Fork you will DO enabled to reinforce bo1h
stureis and me. howard.
T, will ne seen from tn, foregoing. and fr m what
have lately written you that General Howard IL not 10
blame in that the fight di not occur a. Heart Mountain
II remains for Colonel sturS to explain the escape to
the from an Indian point OF view advantageous position
unon Clark's Fork Bottom. Howard has been so much
criticised that escape at least should not be lad at
his door.
Ibaye written you OF the Crow capture of Nez Perez
s In their CAMP Tie was eventually delivered TO the
ogeo, who now has him in irons He admitted having
fought in the late fights but protested he had not visited
enc camn with hostile intent. aud claiming q relative
% The Crows insist upon the friondV Offices Of tho
nt who prevented his Crow murder. and secured him
as stated. 49,, ,, =,
.hsocared savnq"s. Even now they are hEht asthey
nm and renting all they have eft on earth Their
bres their sguaws ana children, their lives-their all
n he hrst settlement Of the Territory they have
h tne los nj friends Of the whites from year 10 year
pon n,rg neaceably through the settlements: and ore
pt of the ma nre OF tn Internal not TO commits
er@e them lr disasters following me Ontrages w
'sed nv violation o. triay at the hands % the best
I,n eienent Of despair seems 10 animate them-they
cantur, Crow on the lith, but ms cad OF killing him.
90 INN npon good horse called him squaw, ana nj
him nnharmed back to his people, O., sturglss COM
| maud. ,.-o nora hos,os
- hel snrinrs supposed TO I've those OF McCarney As
sist,ut suDerntendent OF the Park, AMI hanlton tue
ed trappcr and scout both OF whom were Obliged 10
| retrcat AT The time the COwan Affair occurred.
The c,sulties in the ght OF Colonel sturgis with he
Eez Perc6s are stated In telegraph dispatches re-
ceved by TIE TRIBUNE since the date Of the above let
% have been four soldiers killed and een wounded,
and twenty Indians killed aud sixty wounded The cap
tr NJ about 900 II the horses OF the Nez Perees Is
arroed nv DISPATCHES and il would appear from oil
accounts therefore, that terrible blow has now been
! inflicted upon this hostile tribe
| BATTLE IN TEXAS.
GALVESTON, Sept. 30.-A special dispatch
from, Fort Clark dated the 29tn inst, says Information
- received there this morning that Bulls had severe
engagement with the Indians near Pleos RIVER In when
ma lot seyeral OF his command Reports are oonnictng
the result a. the battle One Of Skaters guides ar
syed here this morning and reports that seven compa
10 n, cavalry with Catling guns crossed tno MO
randa AZ The mouth Of Pedro Pinto creek, ana arc In
lie Indiana.