The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-08-13

Bio HoLE, Mont, Aug. 0.
TO GOranor Potts;
Wehad hard fight with the Nez Per.
ces, killing q number and losing mum.
Der OF officers and men. We need .
doctor and everything, Send such relic
as you can.
JOHN GIBBoN,
COI. Commanding
BIC HOLE, August 0.
To Governor P0iLJ;
We are here near the mouth OF Bis
Hole pass with a large number Of woun,
ded in want Of everything, food, clothing
medicines and medical attendance. Send
us aid at once.
JOHN GrBBoS, Col. U.S.A.
To GOrernOr POtLG
We had a hard fight and took the vii,
lage, but were finally driven back with q
heavy loss. Capt. Logan and Lieut.
Bradley were killed, Gen. Gibbon and
Its. Coolidge, English and Woodruff,
wounded, English seriously, the Others
slightly. The troops are entrenched and
the Indians leaving.
When the messenger left, Gen. Gibbon
said: ~ want an escorts sufficient to pro.
tect the wagons which arc going in TO re.
lieve us; load the wagons as light as
possible. The Indians have cut me oil
from my supplies.
DEER LoDGE, August II, 0A. NV
II. Edwards has Just arrived from Dig
Hole, and brings accounts Of terrible
battle between Gibbons command and
the Nez Perces on the Big Hole river,
August 0.
Gibbons command, consisting Of ls2
men, II officers, 1888 citizens and 80 citi-
zen volunteers, crossed over from Ross
Hole on Wednesday. Starting at II
o'clock on the same night they moved
down all the trOOps~ with the exception
Of few left to guard transportation, a
few miles above, close to the Indian
camp, which was made on Big Hole, about
thirteen miles below where the Bitter
Root and Bannock trail crossed. About
daylight this morning the fight opened
by the volunteers firing on and killing an
Indian who was going after some horses.
A charge was then made on the camp,
and hard lighting occurred for the next
two hours, during which time a large
number Of men and Indians we're killed.
The soldiers then charged on the lodges,
but were repulsed in the attempt. The
Indians then attempted to cut them from
high wooded point, but the soldiers
charged, and driving the Indian advance
from il, held it and ut once fortified. The
fighting continued all day and was still
progressing frightfuily when the courier
left Mt Ii o'clock. The lighting was dcs.
perate on both sides, the full force Of In
dians being in the fight. Capt. Logan
and Lieut.. Bradley were killed. Gen.
Gibbon, Capt. Williams, and Lieutenants
Coolidge, English and Woodruff, were
wounded, Gen. Gibbon only slightly.
Bradley was the lrst man killed. The
messenger says that after they failed
to capture the lodges the Indians
moved their camp off in the di-
rection OF Bannock, all the corpses
being captured. The messenger had to
come to French Gulch, nearly sixty miles
on foot. Another messenger was sent 10
Howard, who should have reached there
tonight. The howitzer had been left
sixty miles behind and was ordered 10
be moved up at daylight. During the
fghtthey heard it discharged twice and
then it was silent. A band OF Indians
soon after appeared with a large band Of
horses, and 1t is believed that all the
horses OF the command, the gun, their
supplies, reserve ammunition, &c, were
captured. General Gibbon thought that
when the courier left there he still had
100 effective men and believed the Indians
had nearly all withdrawn from his
front. The messenger says he thinks that
one hundred Indians were killed. Nearly
half the command, including citizens,
were killed or wounded. Gen. Gibbon
has sent for medicines, surgeons supplies,
&c. DR.. Mitchell will leave to-day with
an escort. Gen. Gibbon particularly
asks for ambulance wagons to come under
escort, and every available wagon will 20
forward from here and Butte City. 1t ID
one Of the hardest Indian fights on record,
and Gibbons command made most gal.
liant and desperate Eight against over.
whelming odds.
DEER LODGE, August ll-1OA. NJ.
GOrerHor: Have all the men we want
here to escort wagons. We are rushing
up wagons, stores, etc. Eighty ont OF
one hundred are killed or wounded.
No FURTHER PARTICULARS.
SALT LAKE, August 1.-Two couriers
are in from General HOward'S command,
lie was Is miles from Gibbon, and would
reach there early on the llth. There are
no further particulars from the battle
field, excepting that Gibbons Camp and
guns were captured.
LATER.
HELENA, MONT, August ia cour.
ier from Gen. Gibbons arrived ut Deer
Lodge, Montana, Mt $3.50 p. NJ. to-day, with
dates TO the llth. Gibbons supply train
and camp were not captured, as at first
reported. There was no fighting after
the first dayshattle on the OH. Gibbons
losses are: Killed-Capt. Logan, Lieu.
tenants Bradley and Bostwick and II
men and five citizens. Wounded-Lieu.
tenants Coolidge, Woodruff and English,
the latter seriously, besides 80 men and
four citizens. The Indians suffered aeri-
ously, as 40 dead bodies were counted on
about one.half the battlefield. Howard
has arrived and would pursue the Indi.
ans as soon rs his command arrived.
Gibbons would move to Deer Lodge and
take his wounded to Fort Shaw as soon
as medical aid and transportation ar.
rived. The Indians had disappeared, in
which direction had not yet been learned.
TERRY's OFFICIAL REroRr.
CHICAGO, August 1.-THE following is
the Official report Of tho Indian fight in
Montana:
ST. PAUL, August II.
LieHl, General Sheridan, CIicago:
A dispatch has just been received from
Gen. Gibbon, dated Big Hall Pass, August
9Th, and is as follows:
SurpriSed the Nez Perces' camp here
this morning, and got possession Of IL
after a hard fight, in which both sides
lost heavily. Capt. Logan and 1t. Brad.
ley are killed; myself, Capt. Williams
and I.ts. Coolidge, Woodruff and English
wounded, the last seriously:
[Signedl A. II. TERRY,
Brig. General.