Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-08-16
THE INDIANS.
A terrible Battle in which the whites, of Course
Were Whipped-The Full Account.

HELENA, Montana, August IL
On the 18th of July the Hostile Nez
Ptrces, $50 strong, hanked the en-
trenchments in Lolo canon of Capt.
Rawn and his command Of United
States soldiers and volunteers, and
began their leisure flight, as How
ard is pleased to cali their cool march
up the Bitterroot valley, toward the
Big Ii IL pass and the buffalo ooun-
try. Although they knew that 800
United States soldiers were behind
them, and that
HUNDREDS OF ARMED MEN
on every side were thirsting for their
destruction, they moved AZ calmly as
if on q mere hunt instead of 10 the
midst of an enemy's country, a. they
really were. They marched but
seventy miles in week, and could
have been easily destroyed by a
night attack at any timo, for they
camped as in defiance OF the whites
on an open prairie.
When the first alarm Of imminent
danger was sounded, Goa. John
Gibbon vas ia Fort Shaw, over two
hundred miles from the scene of the
impending war. The hundred and
fifty men at bis call, were scattered
through the various military posts 10
Montana, hundreds of miles apart,
but the work of consolidating them
was Immediately commenced, and
on the 4th of August the tired little
army of Montana was in Missoula.
The Indians had weeks start. The
military force, with the exception of
ten privates of the Seventh cavalry,
consisted wholly of infantry, and to
every ordinary man pursuit would
have been considered useless, but
John Gibbon did not think SO, and
hastily impressing new transporta-
ton, the wron-out little, augmented
by thir y~two citizen volunteers
from Missouia county, began by
forced marches to follow the Nez
Perces trail. The entire force mum.
bered one hundred and eighty-two
men, including thirty-two volunteers
and one hundred and fifty-two reg
| ulars-seventeen officers and one
hundred and thirteen privates. The
soldiers belonged to the Second and
Seventh infantry and the Seventh
| cavalry, tho larger number being
members of the Seventh infantry.
All were veterans in tho service and
| had seen
MANY HARD FOUGHT FIELDS.
| both during the civil war and IN
combat with the redskins. The
transportation facilities of tho expe-
dition consisted of wagons, which
were also required TO hasten the
movements of the infantry in the
chase. On Tuesday night the expe.
dition camped in Ross Hole, with the
Indians about thirty miles ahead
and on Wednesday the Indians made
very short marcn, while the whites
moved from Ross Hole over to the
Big Hole, being at sunset on Wed
nesday evening only ten miles in the
rear of the savages, who were ap-
parently as unconcerned a. ever.
Gen. Gibbon believed that his &c.
tions were observed by Indian scouts
and therefore to blind the foe, went
into camp, sending out his own
scouts in the meantime to ascertain
the exact location Of The savage vii
lage. At LIP. NJ. the scouts re-
turned, reporting the Me- Forces in
strong position a. the mouth of
Big Hole, and about three miles
above where the Bannock and Bit
terroot trails cross The camp was
broken at once, and leaving fifteen
men TO guard the supply train, cav.
airy horses, and mountain howitz rs.
which would cucumber them. Gen.
Gibbou moved his command about
six miles into q r0vine opening on to
the village, which contained double
the numbsr Of N4z Perces that Gen.
Gibbon thought it did aud about
tour hundred warriors of Joseph's.