The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-07-06
SCOUTING IN TdE
SETTLEMENT or LEMt4l
Alex Cruiekshsnks "Reminiscences
Article


pass with his army tnrDagh Pleasant
valley and endeavor To intercept
them down on Camaa creek along the
SAT- L.ake-N irglnla stage road. lie
figured that they were making Ia
the buffalo country along the yellow
stone river and would cross thE
road s,5mewhsTe in thai vicinity,
volunteered 10 take up The Indian
trail and follow il and induced Pat
Dempsey, Charles Mcintosh, George
SpesFs, charles Turner and Dan ia
good, ali froAn BannAck. To accom-
pany me. AS the Indians had goLt
over the Lemnl valley country, ",
at once hit the tran for that section
and crossed the mountains through
/ Lemhi pass during the night, coming
into the valley near Fort -emhi anu
from Ihance toward the Junction.
scouting the country pretty thorough
1 ~ as We went. Egbert Nasholds and
John X. Mcdonald then running "A
stage line from Bannack 10 Salmon
and kept stage station and stop
p.ng place on Little E.gul-Mlle creek.
which place We made by daylight. A.
We were sleepy, hungry and tired
We lay down for short time 10 rest
and have "a nap and told these pro
prIetors who were famuarly calico
Nash" ana Red" 10 get some break
fast and call US wnen ready. Before
long Red" came TO US very much
excited, saying that the Indians were
onto Us and we were AS goou as cap
Ulred. or course such news brought
US up standing" and hardly being
awake / rushed out OF the house To
ascertain our situation. / found q
bunch of Indians all right, but not
hostile ones, for had they been !
would no doubt have gotten killed.
They proved 10 be- some friendly
Lemhis however, who were going
back To their reservation after scout,
ing around Junction TO pick up some
stray or crippled horses left by the
Nee Perces.
After getting breakfast and rest
ing awhile we rode on 20 Junction.
found that the people IN this vi
cinity had erected a stockade about
mile north OF Junction and a dozen
or fifteen families were within its
walls for protection. Ii was made
of timbers set on end in the ground
and stationed In two rows, the space
between being filled with earth To
break the force of the bullets. Port
holes were made at intervals through
which TO shoot the Indians. If attack
ed by them. The Neg Perces had
passed near this stockade but not
knowing the strength of the lighting
force within and knowing that they
were holly pursued by the soldiers
they made no attack on these people
and kept out OF range of any IRE
that might be made on them from
the fortifications. They had caused
near where Leadore now stands for
part of IA day but in the evening after
council, they broke camp and NOV
ed that night To Neg Perez canyon
which they fortified by erecting
small rock embankment. Something
gave them a scare and they left the
valley without molestlng any one, eX.
eept to steal what horses they could
pick up along their route, ! also
found that Col. Shoup had just pass.
ed through Junction with a company
OF volunteers which he had collected
at Salmon and was looking for any
damage the Indians might have done.
From Junction / dispatched Demp.
sey. Sperry and Turner to notify
Gen. Howard of the direction the
Indians had taken. afteg which Nc
Intosh. Osgood and myself Joined
band of about thirty Bannack Indians
who were led by a notorious sub
chief known as Major Jim. The In.
dams intended going over the old In
dain trail which passes up Hawley
creek, thence over the divide into
Sheep basin, Montana, and from
thence across the mountains again
TO South Medicine lodge creek
where they expected to get near
enough to the Nez Perces TO steal
their horses. Knowing that we would
come out somewhere in the vicinity
of Camas creek where we would per.
haps meet the soldiers. we started
to 20 this way with them.
We had not gone far and were
/ just entering the canyon leading In
TO the mountains when We were over.
taken by Billy Price whom Col.
Shoup had sent 70 persuade the In
/ Indians to Join his force which was
going up the road toward the Lemhi-
Birch creek divide. Price told Us
that two Cinnamon had come from
a freighters camp on Birch creek
with tha news that the NeB Perces
had massacred the entire party and
the chances were thai lie Indians
| were still there and all the force Ihat
could be gotten together was needed
to rescue this party. If possible, and
Ito ehastise the Indians. Major Jim
answered in a hAughty manner, say
ing that he would not go back a.
Tendoy was with Col ShOup and be
didn't like the Chief. saying. Ten
doy no good" Afterwards learned
that they did not get along well to
gether, Major Jim being a Bannack
and Chief Tendoy q shoshoni and
that Tendoy had used his power a.
chief 10 curb several Indian propen-
sities which Major Jim wanted %
exercise. So be with his Indians con
tinued on their way and ! had OsgOod
To 20 with them 70 watch for any de
Telopments that would aid In run
ming down the Nez Perez band
Mcintosh and myself went back
with Price 20 Join Col Shoup's party
We found them al Ten Nile creek
a. the wagon road crossing where
they were holding q council. There
were about eighty people collected
I here AfwfAaH fuFn nnAhaf4 Indiana