, 1889-11-14
SALMON RIVER IN 1877.
An Interesting Reminisce Of the
Nez Peroe War in
Idaho.
An Earnest Tribute to the Bravery
and Endurance of the
Pioneers.

A few days after our defeat and
disaster at White Bird creek, was
ordered to the mouth of Slate creek,
to the relief of some miners and
their families who were then be-
sieged. I had under my command
what was left of my troop of cavalry,
thirty men and two officers, and
sixteen volunteers organized for this
special duty. The distance from
our point of starting TO Slate creek
was, by the nearest trail, twenty-six
miles, but that trail being obstructed
by the hostiles, was obliged to
take circuitous route over the
mountains of 100 miles. We took to
the woods directly after leaving the
village of Mt. Idaho, and after
very disagreeable march of twenty
miles through slush, mud and tan
gled brake, encamped amid snow
and ice In II small swale of the
mountains. The next day our march
led us through the now deserted
Florence dlggings. Only one white
man and one Chinaman were visi-
BILE. The former had kept saloon
and had remained to watch his
small stock of liquors. The leader
of the volunteers invited us TO par
take, and the only beverage con-
venient being champagne, several
bottles were lavisbly displayed, al
though the price was 81 per bottle.
We halted towards night In n
small grassy valley. Here we made
preparations for night march over
a high gap on the Spenten Dhiril
range of the Salmon river mount
aims. Our pack mules and saddle
horses were very weary from hard
parllous service, carrying heavy
loads over the many miry places,
and when j WAS shown by one of
the volunteers where our route lay,
] almost despaired of getting any
thing over that night. He pointed
to a comparatively low notch in the
seemingly unattalnable snow bar
rier almost straight above us. How
ever, at dark we moved out, the vol
unteers taking the lead. And in
deed 1t was an impressive sight to
watch those hardy, self-reliant from
tiersmen as they moved off with care
less poise, the white and stripped
blankets which comprised their only
beds, worn II la capote, or lying
across their thighs, quite handy, the
short pipe alight In the grizzly
beard, each one a genuine Westerner,
IA never falling rifle shot, and several
of whom had been I'm the Rogue
river war in 1855, quite thirty-fve
years ago. At this writing, as we
assembled the mountain almost
straight up, the moon, just then at
the full, broke forth below w and
seemed to follow like beacon in
the rear, TO use a paradox. When
the summit was reached, my first
lieutenant consulted a small aneroid
barometer he had purchased i'm Lon
don the year before and this little
instrument informed us that we
were nearly 5000 feet above sea
level.
The bright full orb now lit up the
scene, which was grand. Deep
snow beneath our hoofs and far
away on either side great snow
peaks could be discerned, tinted in
pink by the rosy light from Luna's
beams. Each trooper held last to
his horse, rs to be dismotinted In
such a place would lead, maybe, to
perilous results. Then down, down
we go, across yawning chasms, along
juttfng hedges, and occasionally
coming together In a bunch at the
foot of q perpendicular pitch. Twas
most anxious to reach the miners
camp before day-break, unpercelved
by the Indians. This we succeeded
In doing, arriving there about
o'clock In the morning. Our pres
ence Immediately released the great
nervous tension to which all haC
besn wrought, and our Joy wa.
great to find that they still "held the
fort" There were about twelve
able-bodied men, some five womer
and several children. They had but
Ave guns At for service and a small
supply of ammunition, and theil
grub would have probably lastet
them four days longer. They haC
erected good barricades, but all wer,
well nigh exhausted from watc hing
AS IL was now eight days since OH
defeat at White Bird, and the In
dians were clamoring quite close Il
them, expecting a sure victory In {
very short time, here I remained
until General Howard appeared OF
the Salmon river, about ten mile
below, when l procured boats be
longing to citizens and Forwarded
them to him by brave, hardy boat
mon, who took their lives In theil
hands for this service, running risl
Of death by the bullet or perishing
in the many rapids on the route.
will just here mention In conclu
sion that do not think Genera
Howard ever fully appreciated thii
service; he certainly did not public
ly acknowledge the same as he die
many other trifiing services. Tn,
citizehs In that vicinity contributed
their labor and knowledge as loca
guides, also furnished horses ant
provisions, for which they did no
receive any compensation for man,
months or years, and some none a
all.