The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1877-08-15
- ~ - Id IS n q y
Fighting Indians.

oALr AAAE, y tall, August ll.-lhe IOl
lowing was received this morning.: (,
BIC HOLE, Montana, Aug. 8. : To Gov
Potts: We had y hard fight with the Ne1
Perces, killing numOer and losing j
number OF officers and men. We need /,
doctor and everything 4ss -s.. .,s
Send US sucii relief rs: you can. ,e.,, ...3.
(Signed -G JOHN GtBBoS, ,
8s5.f .SS55fe Col. Comdg.
BIC HOLE, August 9.-To Gov. Potts
We are mere, near the mouth Of OF Big
Hole pass, with u large nll.nDer Of ,Wounl
ed and in want Of everything food, cloth
ing, medicine and medical attendance
5chd Us assistance at Olce.
(sigued) JOHN G1sBos,
Col. u. S. AZ.
DEER LoDGE, August II, y A. NJ w. H.
Edwards has just arrived from Big Hole
bringing accounts Gt u terrible battle be.
tween Gibbons command and the Nez
Perces on the Big Hole river, August "
Gibbons command, consisting Of 1S2
men, II officers, l35 regulars and 81 citi.
zeils, volunteers, crossed over from Ross
hole on wednesday. Starting ut Ii
o'ci,ck on tire same night they moved
dOWn all thettrDDps with The exception ot
u few miles above, close to the Indian
camp, which was made on the Big Hole,
,nrec miles below where the Bitter Root
aud BannOck trail crosses. At daylight
this morning the tight opeaed by The VOL
unteers tiIlng on and killing and Indian
going after. horses. A charge vas then
made on the camp and hard fighting oc-
Cured for tne next two hours, during
which time large numbers OF men anI
InIial We're killed. The soldiers then
charged Gu tile lodges, but were repnlsed
IN the attempt The Indians then at
tempted to cut them from The high wood
I'd point, but the soldiers charged, and,
driving the Indian advance from IT. held
it and ut once fortified. The lighting con.
linued all day, aud was still progressing
fitfully when the courier left at IL O'clock
Tue fighting was desperate on both
sides, the full force Of the Indians being
in the fight. ii Capt. Logan and Lieut.
Bradley were killed, and Gen. Gibbon
Capt. Williams and /, Lieuts. Coolidge
English and Woodruff wounded-Gen
Gibbon only slightly. Bradley was the
! first man killed.
The MESSENGER says that after they
failed to capture the lodges the Indians
moved their camp off in the direction ol
Bannock. All their horses being captur
ed, the messenger had to come To French
gulch, nearly sixty miles, on foot An
other messenger was sent to Howard who
should have reached there To day.
The howitzer had been left six miles
behind aud was ordered to be moved VI
at daylight During the fight they heard
it discharged twice and then ii was silica.
A band Of Indians soon after appeared
with a|aEge nnn.se Of horses and it Ii
believed all the horses Of the command
gupss supplies, reserve ammunition, etc.
were captured k$g
Gen. Gibbon thought when the couriel
left there that he still had 100 effective
men aud believed the Indians had nearl,
all withdrawn from his front Il
The messenger says lie thinks 100 In
diaus were killed, and nearly half Of tht
command, including citizens, were killed
or wounded.
Gen. Gibbon has sent for medicine, sur
geons, supplies. etc.
Dr.. Mitchell will leave today with al
escort n 81 57 NJ, 5ssft ss.. "a: 3
Gen. Gibbon particularly asks for am
bulance wagons TO, CONT under escort
and every available wagon will SO for
ward from here anil Butte. &.
y II WAS one Of the hardest fights q
record and Gibbons command made ,
most gallant and desperate fight agaiis
overwhelming odds.
s. DEER LONG 3, August II. l0.A. N. s--Goy
ernor: We want men 10 escort wagons
| We are rushing up wagons, stores, ice
etc. Eighty out of one hundred are kill
ed or wounded IS G.. Journal, Aug. IL