The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-06-27
The Indian Outbreak-Tbe Situation I'm
Idaho.

HuHhO.
SAN Francisco, June pa press dispatch
from Boise City says: Previous reports of
the Indian outbreak near Salmon are SUBJ
stantially confirmed. The scene of the first
massacre is on Salmon river and the tribu-
taries OF that stream coming in from the
northern side, draining Camas prairie and
the neighboring mountains The Camas
prairie covers the foot of the hills to the
north of the Florence mountains, and ex-
tending several miles northward into the
plain which lies between the Florence mour-
tains and the breaking down of the table
land called Craig's mountain. Mt Idaho is
about the center of the range. The settlement
on Camas prairie is situated at the foot of
the Florence mountains, 65 miles from Lew
iston. Idaho settlement, on the Salmon
river and its tributaries, lies to the south and
the southwest of Mount Idaho at distances
varying from Is 10 80 miles. The Indians
did not kill the women and children hut
allowed them TO be taken under the escort
of friendly squaws to Slate creek. which had
thus far been left undisturbed. At Slate
creek the whites have fortified themselves
in the stockade fort, into which has been re-
ceived the wives and children of the muir
dered men, together with the families of the
men who had escaped the massacre. Gath
cred in this place are the following persons:
Mrs. Henry Elfers and two children--hus
band murdered at John Days creek;
Mr.. Sherwood and wife and
grown daughter; Hiram Tilman,
vie and several children Mrs. VIM. Os-
borne and five children, husband murdered
at Harry Msson's on Salmon river. sister of
Harry Mason's murdered at his home Mrs
C. b. Brown, husband murdered at his store
on Salmon river; Mrs. ]. J. Manuel and two
children, husband murdered at White Bird
postofflce; John Woods Charles Ford's wife
and four children; Mr. Cohen, wife and sew
eral children; VIM. Rhelt, wife and several
children. These women are thus shut up in
the midst of the hostile Indians, without
adequate means Of defense, and without aid
will certainly be oyerpowered and murdered,
as the Indians declare their determination
to take the fort and murder the men. 1t can
not be hoped that the Indians will again
spare the women and children after the
losses they must sustain in capturing the
FORT as the men will fight to the last Our
informant says he is reliably Informed that
the Indians did not fire a single building or
destroy any property, but cleaned the coun-
try of stock, which they have driven to the
south side of Salmon river. They seem to hope
that they will ultimately be undisturbed
proprietors of all the property the whites
are now compelled to abandon. They thins,
not without reason, that before the country
is regained from them an army must be
created and long and doubtful campaign
passed through. The Indians have now their
principal camp and headquarters on the
salmon river, just below the mouth of
small stream called Skookumchuk, while the
stock is gathered and pastured on an extern
sive triangular shaped region formed by
Snake and Salmon rivers and a high noun
tain range ying about the sources of Payette
and Weyser rivers Here there is abundant
pasturage for the summer and winter, and
here they will doubtless make their final
stand. In contradiction to previous reports
Jhat the troops behaved badly, our inform
ant says by citizens who were in the fight,
he is assured that the troops, though they
allowed themselves to be decoyed into
| ambush, displayed throughout the action
the utmost gallantry and fought like tigers.
About % or 80 soldiers were killed in about
| the same number of minutes. The situation
| in northern Idaho far exceeds in gravity any
Indian outbreak of our day, and it will tax
the best resources of the government and of
| the psople Immediately interested to sub Tue
| the Indians and restore peace to the coun-
| try. The Indians know the army on this
coast is skeleton, and the people helpless
| from want of arms.