The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-08-16
JOHN GIBB0N,.
Colonel Commanding.
BIG HOLE, August 0.
To Governor Potts:

iAN 1AOhAj %Aeo"SS "
To Governor Potts:
with large number of wounded, in want of every
thing-foOd, clothing, medicines and medical at
tendance. Send us assistance at once.
JOHN GIBB0N, Colonel U. S. A,
We have had hard fight and took the
village, but were finally driven back with
heavy loss. General Gibbon and Lieutenant
Coolidge, English and Woodruff are
wounded, English seriously, the others
slightly.
The troops areintrenched and the Indians
leaving.
When the messenger left General Gibbon
said: Il want an escort sufficient to protect
the wagons which are going in to relieve us.
Load the wagons as light as possible. The
Indians cut me off from my supplies"
DEER LODGE, August 11-9 a. NV. H.
Edwards has just arrived from Big Hole
bringing accounts of terrible battle be-
tween Gibbons command and the Nez
Perces on the Big Hole River, on August Q.
Gibbons command, consisting of one hun
dred and eighty-two men, seventeen officers,
one hundred and thirty-three regulars and
thirty-two citizen volunteers, crossed over
from Ross Hole on Wednesday. Starting
at II o'clock the same night they moved
down all the troops with the exception of a
few left to guard the transportation, few
IllleS dDONc, ClO6c W lIt NhlSli
was made on the Big Hole about three miles
below where the Bitter Root and Bannock
trail crossed.
At daylight this morning the fight opened
by the volunteers firing on and killing an
Indian going after horses. The charge was
then made on the camp. Hard fighting Oc-
CURED for the next two hours, during which
time large numbers of men and Indians were
killed. The soldiers then charged on the
lodges, but weIe repulsed in the attempt
The Indians then attempted to cut them
off from high wooded point, but the sol
diers charged, and driving the Indian adj
vance from it, held it and at once fortified.
The fighting continued all day, and was
still progressing fitfully when the courier
left at eleven o'clock.
The fighting was desperate on both sides
the full force of the Indians being in the
| fight.
| Captain Logan and Lieutenant Bradley
were killed, and General Gibbon, Captain
| Williams, and Lieutenants Coolidge, Eng
lish and Woodruff were wounded. Genera
Gibbon was only slightly wounded. Lieu
tenant Bradley was the first man killed.
! The messenger says that after they failet
to capture the lodges the Indians moved
their camp off in the direction of Bannock
All their horses being captured, the mes
senger had TO come TO french Gulcn, nearl.
sixty miles, on foot.
Another messenger was sent to Genera
Howard, who should have reached there to
day. The howitzer had been left six mile
behind, and was ordered to be moved up a
daylight During the fight they heard i
discharge twice, and then it was SILENT
| A band of Indians soon after appeared
with large herd of horses, and it is be
lieved all the horses of the command, TIL
gun, theirl supplies, reserve ammunition
etc, were captured.
General GibbOn thought when the courie
left there, he still had one hundred effectiv
men, and believed the Indians had nearly al
withdrawn from his front.
The messenger says he thinks about on
hundred Indians were killed, and nearl
half the command, including citizens, wer
killed or wounded.
General Gibbon has sent for medicine.
surgeons supplies, etc. DIR. Mitchell wi
leave to-day with an escort. General Gibbo
particularly asks for ambulance wagons t
come under the escort, and every availabl
wagon will go forward from here and ,Fol
Butte.
1t was one of the hardest Indian fights o
record, and Gibbons command made mo!
gallant and desperate fight against .ove
whelming odds.
Eighty are killed or wounded.