The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-07-11
Details OF the Three Days Encounter
with the Forces OF Chief Joseph,
Near Cottonwood,
The Volunteers and Regulars are Badl,
Handled by Colonel Perry Leuten.
ant Ralnes and His Entire Com.
mand Bulchered for Want
Of support.

SAN FRANCISCO, July l0.-Dis.
patches from Lewiston, via Portland,
gives details OF encounters with In
dlans, on the Sd, 4th and 9TH Instants,
near Cottonwoods, On Tuesday Colo.
mel Whipple sent out Forster aud
Baird scouting for Indians in the direc.
ton OF General Towards camp, on
Salmon river They had not gone far
when they met three or four Indians,
who ran them back toward camp.
Baird was endorsed, but escaped. For
ster reached camp. Whipple ordered
his command Ia readiness to move,
and in the meantime Lieutenant
Raines, with Forster and eleven men,
were sent In advance to reC0nnoitre.
Raines aud his men rode over the first
Use, this side Of Cottonwoods, and
down in side TaVine where the road
crosses, before the ascent OF crags and
the mountains, and were attacked be-
fore Whipple could get to him after he
heard the firing. Raihes and his
whole party were killed, including
Forster. Whipple's command came
forward and formed in line of battle
on the east side of the ravine and the
Indians on the west, all in open ground
about one thousand yards apart and
with only the ravine between them.
Here they remained menaoing each
other about two hours, till darkness
came, when Whipple returned to his
camp and the Indians passed over To a
point on Cottonwood trail to the erags
crossing. No more was done that
night.
On the next morning, Whipple and
his men started this way to meet
Colonel Perry, who was expected with
a supply train from Lapwan, aud kept
out his skirmish lines. Along the
route they met Colonel Perry with his
train, NEAR Board House, and escorted
him to the camp ON Cottonwood Greet.
Baird and two men arrived soon after,
from Mount Idaho, and about five in
the afternoon the rifle pits were all
manned and two Gatlins placed in
position. The Indians made several
attempts to storm the rifle pits, but
were kept at distance. About nine
o'clock the firing ceased for the night.
On the morning Of the fifth, two
oouritrs arrived from Howard, chased
into camp by the Indians. Soon
after the Indians moved their
camp, with about sixteen hundred
head Of stock, across the prairie in
the direction of the Cottonwood. No
movement was made 10 intercept.
Soon after Captain Randall and six
teen volunteers from Mount Idaho APP
peared. About one hundred and fifty
Indians intercepted at the Junction Of
the Elk City trail with the stage road.
AT this crisis, being seen from perry's
position on the hill at the rifle pits,
the colonel was urged to go with his
troops to their rescue, TO which he re-
piled that il was no use they were
gone up. He would not order his men
to the rescue. The volunteers say that
their captain, seeing bis position, or.
dered them to charge and break the
line Of the Indians. They dash over
toward the creek and bottom,
dismount and return the In
dian fire, ana held their posi-
ton partly under cover OF Il hill, !
until the force at the Cottonwood |
could reach them, The command was
no sooner given than Captain Randall |
and sixteen men made a charge. They |
broke through the Indians lines,
reached the position named, dismount-
ed and returned fire. In the charge |
Captain Randall was MORALLY wound
ed, Benjamin Evans killed, and three
oilers wounded They fought there
for an hour and kept the Indians at
bay. In about half an hour after ii
was known that the Indians had the
volunteers in tight place, Colonel
Perry gave orders for dfy m1n to go
to their relief twas qI ghly obeyed,
aud they were relieved bout one hour
after the charge NIpursuit Of the
Indians was ordered, but retreat was
made to camp,and no pursuit had been !
made since, up to the time Morrill,
left.
WASHINGTON, July l0.-The follow
ing was received at the war depart
ment this morning
SAN FRANcIFCo, July ., 1871.
TO the Adjutant General United States Ar
my, Washington:
The following telegram, dated Craig
Ferry, Salmon river, o p. M, July 5tb,
Just received
Green's advance, or rumOr Of II,
turned Joseph back, and as ! crossed
the Salmon to the enemy's side, he
fled to the mouth OF the Salmon and
recrossed. / Rad provided for this, by |
ordering n cavalry force, with two Cat
lin guns, back to the Cottonwood.
Captain Ferry, and portion Of the
train from LapwRn, formed a Junction |
with the Cottonwood force, or very |
near doing so. AS Joseph aps
pesred on the road near that place, the
cavalry forced him back southwark.
am re-crOssing the Salmon on the In