The teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1876-1878, 1877-10-13

| thicutcDi'lIs H'aHc Dy THESE InulaUS
| Again after the Indians had recrossec
! Salmon river aud were at the forks O
Clearwater, and when Howards force.
were tired from forced marching. h,
instead of proceeding directly to where
the Indians were known to be, ordered
his forces to proceed from Grangeville
across the Clearwater canyon to Walls
a distance Of Is miles, which only
brought him to within distance of
nearly 10 miles of the Indians. while il
he had proceeded direct he could have
struck Joseph's camp in less than Is
miles from GrangcvilIe. | heard man
ask the General why he went round by
Walls, and he said that he wanted to
keep the Indians from crossing the
mountains by the Elk City trail. Col.
McConvil!e with small band Of volun
teers, was at the time, camped within
two miles Of Joseph's camp. he sent
word to Howard, when at Walls, desr-
ing the Gen. to attack the Indians the
next day from the north side, and he
would at the same time attack them
from the south side. McConville said
his men were out of supplies and he
could not wait longer than the next
day without grub. But Gen. Howard
would not do 50. saving, that he must
wait for a few of his fniantrymen to
come up, and SO waited another day.
Meantime the Indians made a night
attack upon McCouville's force aud
succeeded in st4mpeding 43 Of hi,
horses. He then waited another day
for Howard to attack and no attack was
made. His men and himself then be
ing more full Of disgust than grub.
and being dismounted went onfopt to
jim Cearleys t. get grub and remount
themselves. Howard on the third dav
moved down below Scotty's. distance
OFFS miles feeling round for Indians
and found them camped at the mouth
OF Cottonwood. While he was moving
up the Clearwater, the Indians came up
out of the Clearwater canyon aud made
their attack upon his forces and made
1t Cry hot for him all that day. He
had his men out on a fat where the In.
dams could reach them from no less than
three canyons, and there he kept them
and he said himself that the first DAYS
fight was drawn battle. The Indians
had selected the place and the Gen.
was not smart enough to get out of. or
around it, and had it not been for the
bravery of Capt. Miller and his men,
Howard would have suffered an over.
whe'ming de eat. Howard after the
battle sent dispatch to McConville
stating that tn, hosties were re.
crossing Camas Prairie. McConvil.e
with all possible speed moved his small
force across the prairie as far as Law
yers canyon = to intercept them, but
could see no sign Of their being on the
prairie, and the neA day proceeded TO
kamia where Howard was canned
That night We were commanded to be
in marching order at 4 o'clock mex.
morning. At ] past 5 next morning
We were marched out in full view
of Joseph's band. If Howard had
wanted to cut Joseph off from the Lo
lao trail he would have sent a force of
ms men around in the night, and made
success of the movement. Joseph
thought Howard wanted to block the |
10 Lo trail, and so'he sent word to
Howard to hold on while, that he
wanted to have a talk, and Howard
ae!d on while. meantime Joseph
moved his forces to the camas grounds
1.-THE entrance of the Lo In trail.
Howard then ordered all his forces back
. Kama aud crossed the river and
ent an expedition out under Mason and
$ soon as the Indians had killed two
i his scouts he pronounced his mission
nded, as he was only sant to coo wh