The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-07-06
THE IDAHO INDIAN WAR.


Its Origin and Present Outlook.
Helena, July 5.-Secretary Mills, who
visited M~issoula, has just returned and
reports his observations as follows:
/ reached Missoula about the time Of
the outbreak, when some friendly Nez
Perces, claiming to come from Lewis
ton stated that the Nez Perces We're
coming to raid the valley. The settlers
didn't have the same advices that we
had here, that Joseph's Nez Perces had
gone in another direction.
\ friendly Flathead privately in
formed some OF his intimate white
friends of tine impending danger. The
FlatLeads became resel we'd in talk, but
evinced u jubilant spirit. Eagle of the
Light, q deposed Nez Perces chief, who
has been i'll the valley, intimated that
his band had gone to Idaho to fight and
in time would come back to Bitter Root.
His band in the valley, consisting Of
about three hundred lodges, who are
now under Il young chief named Joseph,
were sent for from Idaho. They tried
to get out by the Nez Perces trail at
the head of the valley, but failed, prob
ably e~ncOuntering snow. They came
back to the Lolo trails and started over
that in great haste on the 22nd of June.
About this time the Carlos Flatheads
began to disappear, and on the 28th no
Indians were to be seen in the valley.
This is one Of the worst features Of the
case. The reasonable result of these
concurrent facts was to create q gen
eral alarm. Duncan Mcdonald had
seen chiefs Michel and Ariee on the
18th. They said they would not fight
the whites, their men might kill them
first, and the inference he had from
their statement, vas that their young
men were disaffected, and they did not
think they could control them.
Mcdonald says that preparations
have long been progressing for an alli-
ance of all the Indians to fight the
whites. Incidental to this, the Indians
have advices that the Crows are to
make peace with the Sioux and ally
against the whites. They had word
that the Crow chiefs would this spring
refuse to go along with the soldiers,
but would ostensibly go out alone to
ligut the Sioux. When near the Sioux
camp they would send ten men to treat
with Sitting Bull for peace and an alli-
ance i'll an offensive a Two Nez
Perces are now with him.
The Pendoreilles say the rising of
the NeZ Perces was premature. One
| of their chiefs has been opposed to hos
tilities until recently. At the council
he announced he was for war, and told
his young men they must make ample
preparations, by supplying themselves
with good guns and ammunition, even
If they had to trade their horses. Soon
after TWO of them went to the. trading
post near Lapwai, and n desired to
buy u gun. The trader refused saying
they were bad Indians. The Indian,
pointing to to the sun, said before it set
he should have one The trader came
around his counter to eject him, when
the Indian drew a revolver and shot
him through the head. They then
killed another man In the store aud
beat a woman to death with clubs. Co.
ing out they killed four settlers and
rode to camp, and then their com.
rades turned out AMI massacred all the
people on Salmon river. These are the
stories current among the Indians.
From all the information I think it
probable that II general and concen
trated rising has been in contempla-
ton, but the time had not arrived
when an outbreak precipitated it in
Idaho. They have not since that had
time to agree upon plan Of operations.
1t is probable that Carlos has gone to
Idaho via the Lolo trail. 1t is 22C
miles from Missoula to Camas Prairie.
Carlos is the fayorite chief of the dis
affected Indians, and it is estimated
that he can control two hundred war.
riors, including Michell's and Ariees'
young men. One half the Indians
called Flatheads and Pendoreilles are
Nez Perces, or intermarried until the
name is only a distinction. Michel,
the Pendoreilles chief, has almost sixty
lodges, four to the lodge, neal st. Ig.
natias' mission. Arlee has fifteen oil
twenty lodges of Flatheads near locke
Agency. Carlos Flatheads number
from seyenty-tive to ninety lodges, who
recently made Bitter Root valley theil
headquarters. They have been very
surly since the soldiers came. Inyel
Kootenai has four hundred lodges al
!, Flathead Lake.
Two companies under Capt. Raw
are stationed four miles from Missoula
On Friday Capt. Rawn sent up Bittel
Root valley for horses, with which, i
, tile settlers could furnish them, b,
would post videttes on the Lolo anC
Neg Perces trails. The settlers hay,
been advised to construct block-house,
at some central point to several farms
Q where they could quickly rally an,
Withstand an attack. Sixty stands Q
! arms would reach Nissoula on SatuI