The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-14
Towards Mule Train.

"Thcy stampcdcd part Of my mules just
before dawn, says HOWARD, in his recent
despatch from Virginia, Montana, to Gen.
SHERMAN. Put in that tcrsc way, the incl
dent doesn't seem of much account; but
it becomes u little more important when we
learn that the value of the stock thus STAN
peded was probably sl0,0OOl suppose How
ARD had inflicted loss of $4,000 or even of
$40 ON JOSEPH would one line have told the
glorious storyY
But II was the manner Of the stampede
that was specially dlshcartcning. For two
months, with slight intcrmissions. the UNI
feeling JOSEPH had been leading granny
HOWARD a will o the wisp chase over the
hills and far away. when at last on the
night Of Aug 10, just sixty days after hc
left Fort Lapwai, HOWARD got to spot
whore he felt that he might and must rest
his weary men The camp selected was one
which Natures own hand had fortified, and
there were grass and water in abundance.
In this lucky spot, accordingly the mule
train was let loose, and good nights rest
for man and beast was resolved upon. Alas
and alas! The same night, just before
dawn, JoSEpH's war whOOp rang in
the camp That hcartlcss warrior. who
dancing tcmptingly just ahead. had so long
lured poor HOWARD "up and down, up and
down. like some aboriginal PUCK. now no
sooner found his foe comfortably at rest
than he burst upon the camp and drove of
HowARD's entire mule train-not "a part OF
my mules, as Howard falsely said-llo.in
number, besides all the horses not belonging
To the cavalry companies. And now we may
understand why HOWARD, completely dis
gnsted. sat down aud pcnned these doleful
words to SHERMAN: 81 think / may stop
near where am. and in q few days work
myself back to Fort Boise slowly, and dis
tribute my troops before snow falls in the
mountains"
But how was it that HOWARD did not pur-
sue the Indians whom he had been chasing
so long. and whom he now found right in
his camp, under his very nose. and incum-
bered too, with "A huge train? Thereby
hangs n tale that Howard does not tell
He simply says 1.-THE effort to recover the
mules brought on a sharp skirrnish after
which they fled rs usual But accounts
from the camp say that our forces, as soon
n it was light, rode after JOSEPH. found
that cool warrior waiting for them, and,
having made an attack, were flanked and
whipped so quickly that they were glad TO
fall back with few mules which the Indians
had dropped. and wait for reanforccments.
And this l. the secret of lIOwARDs writing
They have had some rcenforccmcnts from
Montana. picked up plenty Of stock. and,
though worried and depleted in numbers.
are still able 10 give battle and do much
damage
The next day HowARp's refnforcoments
of infantry and artillery came up. and then
the word was forward; but JOSEPH, who
knew perfectly well HowARD's arrange
80 that on reaching Henry Lake, HOWARD
found JOSEPH, as usual a day ahead.
One thing more only needs to be noted.
namely, the grccdincss Of this reprehensibe
man JOSEPH. After having already picked
up from our forces and from settlers, as he
moved along, herd Of mules ana horses
estimated at over thousand head, the ra-
pacious chief was still not satisfied as we
have seen, until ne had also snatchcd away
HowARD's mule train, and driven ii of from
under our Generals nose. Now, We have
heard much of the difficulties OF catching the
nimbe Indians, because the latter move with
out membranes, whereas our forces are
obliged to carry long pack trains. What,
then, shall we think of the conduct Of n cam
paign in which couple of hundred savages.
having already more than n thousand
qundrupeds with them, not only take II mule
train from our camp with perfect impunty,
but, additionally burdencd as they are, at
once gain full days march on their So
called pursuers?