The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-14

sAstafi1se-ooxes, 10 subdae the hostile rad man
Ane fonte was through what constituted the
present counties Of Columbia and farfeyd
siriKing the Snake river at the mouth of Al
pow poNa creek, at which point Timothy, friendly
- 80 cree chies, resided with his band These
inuians ierried the command across the river.
ana Timothy and three of his warriors accom-.
panied the soldiers On May L. as tbs troops
approached Four Lakes. the Indians be-
ca.ns aehant, and informed Colonel steptoe that
= ne marehea further north they should attack
LIE LIE. lie said the necessity for water compelled
IL. alin 70 camp az the lakes and promised TO turn
DacA IN the morning. At O'Clock on the morn
ing OF May IL the command started 70 return.
put the indians soon surrounded them. A par-
isy ensned tetween Colonel steptoe and C6eur
Aiene Indian named soltees, the inferpreter
oeihg Inc missionary priest Of the latter tribe
Iasher Joseph soltees assured Colonel steptoe
that no attack would he made and then turned
afoana 70 MS people and shouted to them In his
native tongue. One Of the friendly Neg Perces.
named Lew, al this struck soltees on the head
Win the handle Of the whip, shouting: aWhat
Iol you tell sieptoe no fight, and then say to
your people, Wait awhile You talk two
tongues A short time afterwards Father
Sosepn joined Colonel steptos and told him that
Inc trouDle was due 20 the fact that the Indians
were afraid the government was about 10 de-
priFe them OF their lands, and that
the fIafheads, Ceur d'Aienes and spo-
kAnes had bound themselves TO massacre anv
party found at work surveying the lands
Coionei steptoe kept his troops moving until
anopts O'Clock, when, az they were approach.
Ing Pine creek through ravine, the indians
opened IRE upon them along the south side
from elevated positions Lieutenant CASTOR
without awaiting for orders, charged on the
enemy and made an opening to the highlands on
the south and was followed by the entire force
ne noHitzsr was then uniimbered and brought
Txrrr al.
Two privates OF Company were wounded and
one OF Timothy friendly Neg Perces was killed
py soldier, who mistook him for hostile and
then the retreat was resumed, and Sergeant
Williams, OF Company E, United States dra-
goons, covering the extreme rear, was wounded.
1oionel sieptoe was in advance with Company
ID OF the First dragons and the pack animals
a detachment of Company c, Lieutenant
"heeier, was on the right. Lieutenant CASTOR,
Win Company K, United States Dragons was on
the left. Captain o. II. Taylor with the remainder
o. Company G, covered the rear The hostiles
Followed closely, harrassing the retreating col
umn, but being held in check by Captain TAYLOR
and Lieutenant CASTOR. When their amrauui.
zion was exhausted a messenger was sent to
colonel Steptoe To halt the column, so that
Hesh supply OF ammunition could be secured
OUT The request was not noticed. When the head
OF the column had reached Cache creek word
was sent to steptoe that Lieutenant CASTOR
j ne command was halted and hand to- hand
night followed the effort to recover 6astons
oody, which the Indians succeeded in retain
Ing In this tight Captain Taylor was killed.
aud when his command attempted TO rescue his
oooy two soldiers were killed and one wounded.
Lieutenant Gregg sprang 70 the front, and
called for volunteers to charge the
Indians and relieve the rear guard,
but such panic had seized
on the soldiers that only ten men were courage
Gus enough to step out from the ranks to form a
iorlorn hope. The enemy at this juneture with
drew and Colonel Steptoe went into camp at the
point where the rear guard had fought so
yaiiantly against overwhelming odds aud had
repulsed the enemy. such of the dead as had
not been abandoned in the retreat were here
buried A strong picket line was posted and
council Of war was held, at which II was decided
to bury the howitzers, throw away the stores
and abandon the pack train in the hope that
the Indians would suspend the chase while the
plumber was being distributed The Indians
were camped In the bottom within sight of the
soldiers bivouac, which had been surrounded
by Indian sentinels to give warning of any at
tempt at escape. Thinking they had the SOL
diers securely entrapped. the Indians awaited
the coming of daybreak, when they intended
TO massacre the remainder of the small
force. Timothy, the friendly Nez Perez chief,
beleaguered force. He knew of difficult pass
through the hills which the hostiles, firmly be-
lieving the troops had no knowledge of. had
left unguarded. and he told the soldiers that he
would lead them through IL. dark night
favored them aud the soldiers mounted and in
single Ole followed Chief Timothy silently
through the ungusrded pass. It was q rough
and bitter experience for some of the helplessly
wounded, but they were saved from a terrible