The New York herald., 1877-09-01
Description of the March Through b
the Lolo Trail.
GENERAL GIBBONS BATTLE.
Less Than Two Hundred Against
Twice Their Number.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
CAnr JANIS H. BRADLEY, FORTY MILEs PROM
BAySocK Cry, NJ. T., August IL, 1871

BAxSocK Cry. NJ. T., August IL, 1871
As you can see from my dispatches General How
ard and command have been since tho 30th Of July
until the stu in getting through the Loo traii,
the notoriousy bad pass in this entire country
The trip was mnde In excellent time, and TO General
Howard IS due the full credit he aonc appeared to
be the hurry through It, at NIL hazards
to lie or iimb and ell times. On leaving Kamah
we wero accompanied by severe rain which kept
company tor the entire day, making tue marching,
which was single he account OF tho narrowness Of
the path OF the most slippery, sticky, mucky and
Hthy OF the trip. The 1rst night we camped ut the
wey-ipe (Nez Pcrce for marshy place the noun
tains,, where plentiful that the path
taken by men was in places actually white with
this favorite Indian bulb. should like to carry you
with through the different camps but as thcre
great these shall conhne myself 10
presenting few general outlines.
MILES AND MOUNTAINS.
About twelve years ago several thousand dollars
appropriated by Congress to have the Lolo trail
surveyed and, judging by the great distances between
ihe milo posts the engineers in league with
who wanted 10 get further appropriation for n
wagon road In connection with the extraordinary
length OF these miles they nearly all straight up
and down mountains. which in height and In the Ian
uage Of tho Oregon trapper, Joe Meck make ordinary
picnic mbuntains as Tor instance, tho Adrondacks.
days and halt OF experience this trail
horses wore entirely without grass the only sombance
oil IL being tough species Of wire grass which mules
and horses alike refused 10 eat Tho rapid marches,
lack OF food and camping on the sides of mountains
which deprived tho poor brutes Of rest night, made
our last marches before reaching tho mouth OF the
olo very precarous to say Of the order In which
''works his passage"
their arrival at tho mouth OF the Iolo that the In
dams their way toward Mlssoula from Kamah,
lsking that they be headed off. Captain Rawn rased
ZIG men, regulars aud volunteers and fortified himself
tho end Of the lrail but unfortunately, not far
enough leaving several canyons each side between
bm and the Indians BY which the hostles might
escape, advantages which the indians could have
bad at any other point In the entire trail The
Indians patleycd with the fortified whites for the
purpose OF gaming time and examining the country,
making all kinds OF promises which they ruthIessly
broke and IN foil view Of the ontrsnched soldiers and
settlers movsd through canyon the right and
passed over the mountains unobstructed.
PURSUING HosrILgs.
General Gibbon, with about one hundred and 6ity
men-solders and ctizcns-hurried after the Indians,
whom be overlook the entrance OF the Big hole
Prairie the 9th inst. The scene OF the light
narrow plain, between slightly wooded hills on-one
side and bare tabelands the other, through
which the Ruby Creek flowed, tho banks OF
which covered with stunted willows,
very dense and tangled On tho taDleand side OF the
creek, opening along the willows tho Indians bad
pitched their camp Gibbon the night previous the
Dght threo miles OIL, and breaking camp at
O'Clock A. N. with his entire forco moved along the
creek Just opposite tho Indians, tuking up position
in the hostes the base OF the wooded
hill until light enough to distinguish objects
GENERAL GBBoN's YGHr.
Tho troops then ordered TO cross. but before
they got the Indian herders discovered and
fred more shots and then Tho troops
and citizens then charged the camp, of tho
bucks escaping in two bands, taking to
the brush and the other to the tablcland.
The whites began firing into the 'sepces," killing
come bucks and several squaws and children. STOP
ping p.lage the Indians the underground opened
fire our men, who Immediately charged the
party the willows. In the meantime the BUCKS
who bad gone to the tableland rallied and began
CALLING ire on Gibbons men. Tho Indians who had
run 10 the tabeland werc mounted, and dividng into
parties they crossed tho river aud began attacking
he troops the TANKS One of parties discov-
srng corporal and bringing q
now,zer and mule loaded with cartridges,
hey cut them on capturing tho am
nunition and destroying the gun. Gbbon
tno t0en lel phCk reCrOSseu rlver ana
understand the situation, finding he surrounded
began iortifyng on little wooded knoll Here was a
most dfhcult undertaking, and tho hidden Indian
sharpshooters picked OF many men, being able TO shoot
down i'm medatey into the barrcade In order TO ret
Gibbons men the Indians set fire to the grass on
the bare part of the hill quarter of milo from the
FORT with the idea OF burning the nrench hmcnts, but
fortunately tho wind unfavorable, and the arc
about three hundred yards from the trees 10
which tho whites barricaded.
The Indians remained here the day. firing eve.y
lime a soldier showed himself aud left with the ut
most leisure the morning of the 11th, apparently
indifferent to pursuit. The number Of Indians killed
have already tcegraphcd, and in addition to this
men burned several cpces and captured poles
and few Indian trnkcs The Indians got the guns from
most of the whito Dead say twenty five in number,
captured {, 900 rounds oil cartridges and howtzer,
and leaving out the women and children shot BY the
solders killed moro men than side.
GIBBoS DEFEATED
Looking at this tight impartiaIly General Gbbon got
u. oncii>A sxr<sfv