American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-12-24

Camas prairie, about where Hill City
now is, and on the 2Sth scouts of the
band tried to murder three men who
short time before had come in there
with some horses and cattle. Their
names were Nesbet, Kensier and Sill
yey. Nesbet was shot through the
jaw, and bullet grazed Kensler's
head. but only stunned him. Kensler
grabbed a gun and wounded one of the
Indians. AS Nesbet, Silvey and Kens-
Ter were leaving their camp, which
they did as soon as they could get
their horses saddled, they Saw Buff
falo Horn and his warriors approach
ing in the distance. The Indians who
did this shooting were known as Jim
and Charley. l afterward knew Jim
quite well. He was here until two
or three years ago. The last time
saw him he was very old man.
Buffalo Horn did not attempt to
follow Nesbet and his partners In
some manner. probably from some
freight outfit, they had secured a lot
OF liquor, and were content to have
a big carouse. They stayed at the
abandoned camp that day and night
and contented themselves with killing
nearly all the cattle left and taking
the horses with them. The following
morning the Indians came near having
trouble among themselves, some of
them wanting to return to the res
on the warpath. About two hundred
of them followed Buffalo Horn and
the others sneaked back to the res
ervation. The war lasted until Au-
gust. and Buffalo Horn was killed in
one of the. engagements. The Duck
Valley Indians, Malheur's and Sheep
Eaters joined Buffalo Horns band. and
were with him when they we're finally
decisively defeated in the Blue noun
tains by General Howard. Thus ended
the last Indian war in Idaho.
Incident on Lost River.
About the time of this outbreak
Joe Skelton, one of the biggest of
the freighters, had an interesting ex-
perience on Lost River. He was en-
gagged in freighting between Corrinne
and Challis. which was just started.
he and ceven men who were with him.
were surrounded by party of Ban
nocks but saved themselves by building
a stockade of flour, which composed
the greater part of their loads. They
kept them there for several days. but
finally left. 1t is possible that the
band he encountered was part OF
those returning from Camas Prairie,
and fearing that they might be missed
from the reservation and blamed for
some of Buffalo Horns deviltries, deci-
ded that it was best TO leave SHELTON
and hasten home.
The presence of soldiers kept the
Indians on the reservation quiet. but |
they were restless. The Nez Perce war
of the year before had excited them. !
The Nez Perces, on their way from
their disastrous defeat near Grange /
vile. had scattered and fled to Mon I
tana, some of them coming as far |
south as Camas creek, near Dubois, /
where there was a stage station. the |
second one north of Ross Fork Stock I
was run off from this station, hut no /
one was killed
The fall and winter of 1873 ] moved |
10 Ross Fork, as Mr.. Schilling thought |
il was not safe for me TO stay on the |
ranch. The next spring returned |
70 the ranch where ] remained for !
several years, and then removed t. 1
American Falls. which had sprung ~ /
ike a mushroom with the coming of
he railroad"
The next installment will deal with
he early settlers. the arrival of whom
will be given in the order of their COM
ng, according to Mr. divers mem
Dry Some of the first settlers and
arge number of their descendants are
It the present time residents of the
county.