The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-08-02

ulall pollcy OI tne governments ABOUT
four weeks since, to all human appear
ances, General Howard's labors were
crowned with success. Chiefs Joseph
and Dull Knife promised to go on their
reservations; Skamiah was released
from the guard-room; fourteen days
given the Indians to fulfill their pledg-
es, and General Howard returned to
Portland, the head quarters of the
Columbia, of which he is the cammand-
ing officer.
During brief interview with Gen.
Howard, after his return, he told me of
the influence exerted by these dreamers,
and as he spoke noticed he manifested
solicitude concerning the bands of ''ren-
egade," "itinerant'' Indians, about 800
in number, belonging to the Umatillas,
Warm Springs, Nez Perces, Yakimas
and Occur d Alenes, who were still
rowing about at their own pleasure; and
while talking, Col. Watkin, Superinten-
dent of Indian Agencies, entered Gen.
Howard's private office. That day
they decided to go to the eastern coun
try to visit the Agencies, and to see
how well Joseph and his followers were
carrying out their pledges. AS the
time drew near for Gen. Howard to
compel rccusant Ilelians to go on their
reservations, they matured conspiracy
to murder the whites and to deiy the
authorities and just about the time
Gen. Howard and Col. Watkin reached
Lewiston, on Snake River, dispatches
were received of the massacre of about
lS defenceless settlers and the
slaughter of about 30 soldiers at the
point known as Mt Idoho, sixty miles
nearly southeast from Lewiston. 1t
would seem that they swooped down on
Col. Perrys cavalry when the men
were dismounted and struck them
with panic, $50 that they behaved bad
ly,) slaughtered, scalped, stripped and
horribly mutulated these victims of
their rage, and left their disfgured re-
mains to mark and to emphasize the
proverbial bad faith of Indians. A
noble officer, Lieut.. Theller, was MUIR
dered (his remains have not yet been
found) and Lieut.. Trimble was wound
ed This locality is now designated as
Camp Perry, and is occupied as the
base of operations. Thither has been
sent every available soldier, from Sitka
and Wrangle, the companies of cavalry
and artilery-all the infantry from
Forts Stevens, Candy and Vancouver,
and last night the crvalry from Fort
klamath arrived here to leave for the
field on Friday.
From enumeration the status of Gen.
Towards forces will doubtless seem
formidable, to people uniformed as to
the skeleton character of our military
companies. Gen. Howard has, to-day,
less than 600 available soldiers, while
the hostile Indians are computed to
have not less than 200 to 800 fight
ing men, with the advantages of posi-
ton and familiarity with the country
to which they have retired, taking with
them the horses and cattle and plumber
stolen from the people that they have
killed and the settlers that they have
robbed
DR. Finn, of this town, very familiar
with the Snake and Salmon and Weiser
river countries, where the Indians are
now hiding and recruiting from disaf-
fected bands, told me it is 'the rough
est country he ever visited. 1t will be
their policy to draw our soldiers into II
trap, and if possible surround them rs
Custer and his band were surrounded
and inundated.
Already, Gen. Howard, who has Ia
ken the field in person, complains that
he cannot bring the Indians Ito bay"
The task of transporting troops, sup
plies, ammunition and mountain howit-
zes is positively very difficult, and
necessarily slow; our skeleton army
and its noble band of officers, with the
Christian general at its head, needs most
of all the faith and prayers Of the ma
tion and an immediate reinforcement,
that they may chastise their unci,lized
and barbarous foes.
The losses already inflicted upon the
settlers, and the obstruction Of their
crops will require years Of toll to re-
gain A general sense Of alarm is rap
idly spreading. - the news from the