, 1877-07-31
INDIAN IIOSTILITIES.
Description Of Gen. lInwnrti's Battle on Cot
tonHOtHl Errrks

Description Of Gen. lIowarti's Battle on Cot
tohsson,i Crrrk.
Cbrrespandtn.e Sin fstnefseo Chronicle.
OS TILE nArrLE-FiELp, At THE Mourn or
CorToNwooD CREEK, July la-lIrnrinE that
Joseph and his batt1 wcrc In the nrghborhoM
Of the south fork of the clearwater ls!vcr, Gen.
Howard, with Ills farce OF 100 men, made two
rapid marches :rum t;rangs City in this dIrcc-
tion. When within few miles Ut tho volunteer
camp, Lieut.. Fletcher OF Gen. 1iowar.l's staff
and ALT. Chapman, sun OF Col. Chapman, ut
Portland, d wcll.known and courageous fro,,~
tiersn,at,, discovered, wEIte scouting o!Y tho
nsutn trail, large banl at catt's In little
hollnw ncar the contiucnce u thc south
fork of tho Clearwater River and Cottonwood
Crcek ten. Howard WIS Immediately yppns-
ed, atNl with I'LL possible speed hurried ,au,l,l-
taln llowitzer and company OF tnfansry to
lstg! point overlooking the camp, prepared to
lombard them tn their hiding place should In
diana bc with the stock.
4 few shots we're fired from the gun in tho
direction Ut the Intlian tulgen. When suddenly
over thv Hills III every lIreetlon. keeping up On
uneaFthty yelling aud l,crtltlg their stork iu-
gethcr. which VAS afterwards driven by the old
Indians, saIuaws. and children into the hills to
fell snorf Ut their mark, Ten. 1iuward 1s,uye a
couple OF tuwttxcrh tn u hill about mile to thu
south, but, by the time the runs weTe mounted,
snost Vi the stUck was bcyund range. TIL" gun
&lEt6 lI4t4 1t1stGlf 0tkuA 0HtIA1Was WHICH kuEY
were surprised by rattlIng lire fruna knoll utI
their Left, across d thtckiy-ttmbercd gulrlI,
which the lnltans tlstl taken possession Of while
our attc,ltlon wns heing occ,lpted by talcr atck.
The troops wCrt nil Utriurcl tu the south hill,
and tho engagement then tacHn III Earnest.
This YVES little after O'Clock. asrl VIZ hnl oIl-
ps,sca tt, u atMouL 3tU strongly }-filtreBcuti var
rurs. ten. Howard lad tlle puck train driven
tu thu rrntrr uf the tahlr-lnnd TIL Allieh VIZ
wrre with tlIe horses, auti then distnoutIting thr
cavalry with the Infantry cirrlri them IN IL
siugle rink nrouH!. A. quickly Us tho Indians
saw tlns thc} wsrc discovered. aMl that t4r
attention was bctng transferred frIm the kt,Nk
u them, snlnu eight OF ten vi them rtS1e .Nlt
from thu little canon and along the entire line
of nur left, yelling fn cuntet1!pt autl provoking
from our boys shower ii shot. TheIF object
WIS evidently to divert us further iron! tte Is
Gaping stock aud stlarpshuoters aesoss thy canon;
In this, however, they wcre disappointed, u Uur
trttoEs could not be derlye.t from their posts.
Shortly ufter this about twcnty-hye Indians IL.
sucl from tho sans canut., riding far xru,luti
cur LETT 5uspeetluR that they had seciI pArk-
train which was e1l route for ua, Capt. Wikin-
sun hurried a cslupfe OF cunll,anles-one of CAV.
alry and uho ol artlilcry-lown tho roa.i, anl
just IT. tins to save the cntirr traIn. With tlr
execution Of oEe mule which VIVA loaled with
balls fur the howttzcrs,- htrt. are pretty much
VI an elephant OIL their hands. Twn packers
arc trtss,ng md supposed to have bcsa killed IN
the struggle
Although We uutnumbercd the Indians by q
hundred rlen, We fought At great ilsa.!yan-
taEc. Inc fEtisklhs were III I0rttueu f1nntIt
sl.unttng irnn the brow Vi \ hill. through tho
gruss mid from hclind tsccs ard rocks, wtllt
our !neA wete Obliged tn approach thcm ulong
an uptn aud trueic4s prairie. At tEmcs rcd
skin would show his head, or Jump up and slowu,
throwing Ills arm. about wtlllly. and then pitch
himself like .lcad nun dat upon the grass, and
those were tho ouly chances our men had to
tire. Two charges were u.aic ou tho intlisns,
when they wesu driven back from tho uusittun
tt,cY had steadily occupied under = very hot
1rc.
During the early part Of the light an Indian