Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-27
OVER THE BEAR RIVER HEROES.

told by Historian whitney. together
with the preliminary details. II reads
a. follows;
ION the 18th u January. iss1. n miner
named william BcvinH made ndiiinvit
hefnru chief Justice kinney 60 the 81.
feet that about ten days previously
himself and party. numbering eight
men. who were on their way TO tho
urasHhoppcr gold mines 10 Dakota.
dlana and one ~ their number killed;
also that another party of ten miners
en- route TO Salt Lake city had been
assaulted aud murdered by tho same
Indians In the same locality. Upon this
Information warrants Tor the arrest of
three Of the chiefs were Issued and
placed IA tho hands % the United
States Martial, trane l.. unbha, who,
realizing that resistance would be Of
Tered. laid the matter before Soloncl
connnri Three days. later a company
" Infantry and two howiizerr. started
for the camp Of the hortlicH. ami 90
sunday evening. the 18th. four. o0m-
unnltr ~ cavalry under command ~
Colonel Common himself followed. Mar
shat Gibbs accompanied the expedition.
though with what purpose u not clear.
~ the mission and tho Intention OF the
troops was TO
suMMAnILY PUNISH.
and not merely arrest. the anyaRca Tor
the various crimes and deprcdations 81
which they were accused. Colonel Con-
nor IA his report says he Informed the
marshal that ali arrangements FOR the
expedition were ALREADY made. and that
the civil process had little To do with
II N evident from the coloneir fur
thor remark. being satisfied that
they uhu lndihnI We're part ~ the
same band who had been numbering
| emigranta On the overland mall route
/ Tor the past fiftren years and the pfin-
/ cirni actors ana leaders IN the horfid
massacre ~ the past summer. deter
mined. although the weather was un-
favorable 70 ~ expedition to ehastlse
'"ruoadny night. the ssth. the cavalry
force overlook the Infantry nt Mondon.
| Cache county but the Infantry at once
resumed the march and We're again
| 0Nvrtakcn during the following night
dian encampment. Al o'clock on the
morning of the 10Th. the Infantry were
la motion. and m hour later the cav
airy set out, Oycrtnking ana passing
their plnddinH comrades about four
mllcA south % the river The battle be-
kan at 9 o'clock tho Indians having
detected tho cfort Of the mounted
troops % surround them. and defeating
u BY at once engaging them, The posi-.
ton OF tie nnYAHus was one OF great
natural strength, and they had Inn
proved u with considerable ingcnuiiy.
\ narrow. dry ravine with steep, rocky
Sides. sheltered them from tho firr 0f
tho soldiers, who, advancing along the
level tuhle-lnnd through which the
gorge ran, were exposed 10 the
MuRDERous voLLEYs
Of the concealed foe. stops cut In tho
banks enabled the latter 20 ascend ami
descend Ms necessity required, and ar
/ tlhclal cOpscu ~ Willow served as add.
tiunnl defvnarH whore the rnyine'u
course lcft an exposed point. The hat
TIC opened lnauspiclously Tor the troops
who quickly saw the disadvantage at
which thoy were placed. Several fell.
killed and wounded, al the first fre.
the Indians glutfully noting the fact,
and dgfylnF the survivors 90 come on
Meantime the Infantry, whose advance
had been checked by the swift, Toy
waters Of Hear river. until horses fur
nished by the cavalry had assisted
them over the stream, had joined in the
engagement and a successful thanking
movement soon afterwards enabled the
troops TO pour an enlluding iire Into the
onemy'n camp. This was the beginning
~ the end. for though tho savagus
Fought with fury, they We're now at a
| disadvantage and were mot by a line
| pf soldiers at either end OF the raVinr.
rs they moved toward the low. end
the colonel ordered his troops thither
dlHposlng me cavalry 30 as 10 cut IN
escape, one company stood at N,
mouth OF the gorge and visited
TERRIBLE EXECUTION
upon the enemy; at a single spot forty
eight eorpsos were afterwards counted.
liy 10 o'clock the savages We're COM
| pletely routed and the slaughter was
ended. Two hundred and twcnty-fOuT
warriors Il IL claimed. were found d. ! 4
upon the ncld-but this number was
doubtless exaggerated Among them
were the chiefs Bear Hunter Sngwitch
and Iehi thu first, II II said. falling
into the fre a. which he was moulding
bullets, and being literally roasted.
snnpitch. one OF the chiefs named
In Judge kinneya warrant. made
his escape, as did also Pocatello ana
probably nifty braves. The lighting
strength OF the Indians was estimated
TO DO over three hundred; one hundrss