New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-08-28
Fight TVitI. the Nee Perces.
TChicago Times.

=.
Chicago Times.
The raid of band of Nez Perces Indians
through Montana, an account of which, as
telegraphed Gen. Sheridan, appeared in the
Times over a week ago, has ended in disaster
to the redskins, as is shown by a report re-.
ceived at military headquarters on yesterday.
The report, which details the operations of a
detachment of soldiers commanded by Lieut..
Thomas S., Wallace, is forwarded by Mai.
Fl. L. Chipman, commanding at Fort Mis-
soula, Montana.
1t had been reported to the officer in com
mand that small party of Indians, sup
posed to be- Nez Perces, had committed
numerous murders in the Dearborn Bear
Gulch, and. Rock creek valleys, and that they
were apparently moving in the direction of
the Lou-Lou pass, through which they
could easily escape to Idaho territory. AS
Roo valley, Maj. Chapman dispatched Capt
James H. Gageby, with one company, to
guard the Lou-Lou pass, and at5the same
time sent out,a detachment of fifteen men,,
under Lieut. Wallace.
go GIVE CHASE TO THE RAIDERS.
Lieut.. Wallace proceeded up the valley. to
the scene of>Gibbon's fight with the enemy,
a year ago, without finding trace Of In
dians. He started to return, but, at poin
sixty-four miles from the Big Hole battle
field, struck the looked for trail, and resumed
pursuit. After following the trail eighty
one miles, and coming within a short dis
lance of the enemy, the citizens volunteers,
numbering about fifty, who had accompanied
him thus far in the pursuit, turned back.
The next day, with thirteen regulars, two
volunteers. and a guide, he pushed ahead to
the north fork of the Clearwater, having in
the meantime crossed the line into Idaho
territory A7little further on, at the mouth
of the cannon, the Indians were espied.
After short rest, during which it may be
imagined the volunteers were engaged in
screwing up their courage to the sticking
point,
THE CAMP WAS CHARGED,
the troops opening rapid fire as they adj
vanced. The Indians the report says, were
completely surprised. The regulars must
have fired with tolerably good aim, for the
report states that six Indians were killed and
three others wounded, ahd that twenty three
mules and ponies were also killed. The fir
ing ceased on both sides until about sun
down, when the Indians let fly three shots
into camp, striking and severely disabling
two horses. The fire was promptly returned
but with what affect is not known, or, if
known, is not stated in the report. Dark
ness enveloped everything, and under cover
of it the redskins escaped.
During a temporary cessation in the firing,
Sergt. Edwin Phoenix, of company FL, Sd in
fantry, waded the stream, which, at that
point, was twenty feet wide and nearly waist
deep, to the open ground in front of the
enemy, where, the Indian ponies we're lar
lated. He cooily set about cutting the lar
lats and stampeding The animals to the op-
posite shore. Two rifles, which he found
upon the ground among the ponies, he threw
nto the creek. He mounted one of the
beasts, and undertook to lead the herd of
ponies across the stream. The Indians
poured an unceasing fire at him from the
bush near by. The animal under him was
shot dead in it's tracks. Nothing daunted by
this little mishap, he mounted another one
and successfully stampeded thirty-one head
of horses to the opposite bank, where they
were taken charge of by the troops.
The report gives the number of Indians
engaged in the fight at nineteen, Two of
these were squaws, but they fired quite as
often as the bucks. A number of the
fed and claimed by citizens of the territory,
from whom they had been stolen. The
troops s
ESCAPED EVEN THE SLIGHTEST CASUALTY,
and only two of their horses were struck by
bullets. The horse belonging to the guide
was killed. The Indians were a party OF
Nez Perces, who, having deserted Chief
Joseph during the latter's engagement with
Gen. Miles and taken refuge in Sitting Bull S
camp in Canada, had deserted from his gang
and are now marauding across the country,
with the view of ultimately reaching their 0, ID
home in western Idaho Ta-ba-bo is their
chief, and it is thought he was fatally wound
ed in the fight. 1911
Lieut.. Wallace, after commencing the
bravery displayed by several officers and
men, closes his report as follows: s'The
position Of the Indians was strong, on &C
count Of the ground which was necessarily
passed over in approaching them, the troops
having to charge down hill under full view
for about four hundred yards, with but few
trees and no brushes to shelter the men from
the fire. 4si t't ,t
THE AIAN-EATER" OF EEL RIVER.