Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-12-22
{ FOSTER MONUMENT.
4 Brave Man Met His Death A
Renaissance Of the Indian
War Of 1877

witnessed stirring times OF
has Prairie, when the hostil,
Perces under Chief JOSEPH
. in the flood tide Of their car
d of deviltry. The events o
period followed each other in
ok succession from the memor.
date OF the outbreak on Jurs
VI down to the second week il
". The circumstances of which
now speak occurred on July 4,
the morning of that day VIII.
Foster and Charles Blewett,
izen scouts in the service of the
vernment, were ordered to scout
Craig's mountain to ascertain
4 whereabouts of the indians
ley had proceeded as far as Law
RS canyon when they ran into a
,nch of the hostiles who were
1bushed there. Blewett and
)ster were some distance apart
hen the Indians opened fire and
Blewet seemed to be in the thick
y the firing, Foster hailed him
y .ying: "Come on and get out OF
lis." Blewett replied: ~ am
Ding to have one shot first" and
amounting, he fred at an Indian.
lis horse scared by the firing,
roke away from him and ran to-
ards the Indians who were con-
called in the brush. Foster tried
o head off the animal, but the
l0stiles were shooting at him al
UGH short range that he was com
)elled to retreat. He then called
o Blewett to take to the brush and
ie would try to help him. Blew
ut had evidently been crippled by
! shot in the leg, as the last Foster
saw Of him hi was limping for the
brush along the creek. Foster BY
this time headed for the prairie,
Ind the Indians chased hin To the
brow of Cottonwood hill. He
however escaped to the Cotton
wood house, where company of
troops under the command of
Lieut.. Perry were campcd, and
narrated the circumstances, aud
made such an eloquent appeal for
help to assist him in returning to
rescue young Blewett, that the
entire company volunteered. but
as it was deemed inadvisable for
the whole force to go, a volunteer
company composed of Lieut.. Rains
and eleven soldiers were detailed
to return with him and ATTEMPT
the rescue. Foster was particular
to impress upon the Lieutenant
and the soldiers the necessity of
the utmost caution and that some
or all of them were liable to be
killed in the attempt. They left
the Cottonwood house and had got
as far as the springs ON the stage
road up the butte when the entire
command were fired upon by Ind
ians ambushed in the brush. Part
Of the soldiers dismounted, getting
among the rocks and firing into
the ambuscade, while others of the
company charged, but these were
met by such volley that they
were compelled to retreat to the
stage road and join their compan-
ions. Foster was the last, and in
to reach the command
his horse was shot under him, and
in attempting to run on foot he
was killed in the road, opposite to
where his grave now is. The SOL
diers were all killed and were bur-
led in one grave, and their remains
have since been exhumed and re-
buried with military honors at old
fort Lapwai. Flo ster being a civil
liam, was buried and still sleeps
where he fell, by the side of the
stage road on the hill which over
looks the prairie.
4 Realizing that Fosters deeds
we're we'll worthy of concentration,
the editor Of the FREE PRESS some
years since started popular sub
scription OF fifty cents and one
dollar each in order to purchase a
= ,nnment to mark tie site OF
ter's grave. The sum OF S1I9I
raised and the handsome stone
ch now rears its shaft over the
ne of this direful tragedy, was
erected. Last summer that
brthy and big hearted pioneer,
u. G. Bunnel, of Lewiston, visited
Camas Prairie and noted the fact
that the Foster monument needed
m enclosure to keep the cattle
from rolling it over, SO he pur-
chased handsome iron fence and
had it shipped To the Foster mon
ument at his own cost and notified
Sam Goldstoae, of Cottonwood. of
his action and requested him to
raise subscription for the purpose
of placing the fence in position.
This part of the program Mr..
did at his individual
expense. and thus the scene of
this tragedy and heroism is now
marked hy q substantial evidence
of appreciation erected by the