, 1890-12-04

About u half hour after this Captain
Taylor was brought in, mortaliy
wounded; upon which l immehinteiy
took possession OF convenient nelRho
aud halted. The h9ht continued mere
with undated activity, the Indians oc-
cupying neighboring heights and work
ing themselves along to pick oil our
men. The wounded increased in mum
Der continually. Twice the enemy gave
unmistakable evidence of u design to
carry our position by assault, amt Their
mum Der and desperate courage caused
me to fear the most serious consequences
to us from such an attempt ON their
part.
7. was man irest that the loss of their
officers and comrades began to tell upon
the spirit of the soldiers; that they were
becoming discouraged, and not to be re-
lied upon with confidence. Some OF
them were recruits but recently Joined.
Two of the companies had uusketoons,
which were utterly worthless in our
present condition, and what WAS most
alarming only two or three rounds OF
cartridges remained to some OF the men.
and but few to any of them. IL was
plain that the enemy would give the
troops no rest during the night and they
would be still further disqualified for
stout resistance on the morrow, while
the number of enemies would certainly
be increased. | determined, for these
reasons, to make forced march to
Snake river, about eighty-hye miles dis
tant, and secure the canoes in advance
of the indians, who had already
threatened to do the same in regard
to us.
After consulting with the officers, all
OF whom urged me 10 the step AS tue
only means. in their opinion, ofsecuring
the safety of the command. ! concluded
to abandon everything that might i'm
pede our march. Accordingly, we set
out about 10 O'clock I'm perfectly good
order, leaving the disabled animals and
such as were not in condition to travel
SO far and SO last, and, with deep pain |
have to add, the two howitzers. The
necessity for this last measure will give
you, as well us many words, concep-
ton of the strait to which we believed
ourselves to be reduced. Not an officer
of the command doubted that We would
be overwhelmed with the first rusa of
the enemy upon our position in the
morning; to retreat further by dRy,
with our wounded men and property,
was out of tho question; to retreat slow
ly by night equally so, as we could not
then be in condition to fight all next
day; IL was therefore necessary to re-
lievo ourselves OF all membranes and
to fly.
We had no horses able to carry the
guns over eighty miles without resting
and If the enemy should attack Us en-
route, as from their ferocity We certainly
expected they would. not Il soldier could
be spared for any other duty than skir-
mishing. For these reasons, which |
own candidly seemed to me more cOgcnt
at the time than they do now, resolved
to bury the h0witzers. What distresses
me is that no attempt was made to bring
off: and all eau add Is that If this was
n N
after the cal lnIest discussion of the mat
ter. in which, believe every officer
agreed with me. Enclosed is list of
the killed and wounded. The enemy
acknowledge loss of nine killed and
forty or fifty wounded, many of them
Inortally. IL is known to Us that this is
an underestimate, for one OF the otii-
where Lieutensnts Gregg and CASTOR
met in joint charge twelve dead In
dians were counted. Many others were
seen to fall.
can not do justice in this communI-
cation to the conduct of the officers
throughout the affair. The gallant bear
ing of each and all was accompanied by
an admirable GOODNESS and sound judg-
meut. 10 the skill and promptness of
Assistant Surgeon Randolph the
wounded are deeply indebted.
BE pleased to excuse the hasty np-
pea rance of this letter; | am anxious
to get IL off, and have not time to have
it transcribed. have the honor to be-
very respectfully, yoqrobedient servant
Il. J. STEPTOE,
Brevet Lieutenant Colonel United States
Army.
MAJOR w. w. MAcKALI,
Assistant Adjutant General United
States Army, san Francisco.
ENDORSEMENT.
This is a candid report of a disastrous
affair. The small supply of ammuni-
ton is surprising and unaccountcd for.
1t seems that Brevet Brigadier General
Clark has ordered up all the disposabe
troops in California, and probably will
further reinforce Steptoe's district by
detachments of the Fourth and Ninth
regiments of infantry; and, on the Goth
ultimo, | gave Instructions tor sending
the sixth and SeV nth regiments of in
fantry from Salt Lake Valley across the
Pacihc and via Walia WalIu, If prac.
ticable, In preferences to any route south
OF that. Respectfully submitted 10 the
secretary OF war, July l5, 1853.
WINFIELD SCOTT.
Report of the killed, wounded and
missing in the battle at Te- e-hots-ne- nah,
May II, 1858.
COMPANY q, FIRST DRAbOONs.
Killed-Breyet Captain o. III. Taylor
Private Alfred Barnes.
Mortaliy wounded-Private Victor
Charles DE MOy.
Severely woundcd-Privates James
Lynch and Henry MontrevIlle.
Slightly wounded-Farrier Elijah Il.
Birch.
COMPANY Il, FIRST DRAGONS.
Killed-Second Lieutenant William
CASTOR.
Mortaly wounded-First Sergeant
William g. Williams
Severely woundcd-Jamcs Kelly, Will.
lam ID. Micon and Harriet Sneckster.
Slightly wounded-James Healy,
Maurice Henly, Charles Hughes and
John Mitchell.
COMPANY II, FIRST DRAGONS.
Killed-Privates Charles ii. Hamish
and James Cro2et.
NJ Missing-ftrst Sergeant Edward Ball.
COMPANY H. NINTH ISFANrRY.
Severely woundcd--Private Ormond
w. Hammond,
Slightly wounded-privatcs John
klay and Gotleib Berger.
HAVE LOFTY AIMS IN LIFE.
Inter Ocean