The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-07-18

NeZ Perce Indian came 10 me and
shook hands | showed him the scalp
and the blanket with the bullet hole in
IT, He laughed, while he examined II
closely. During the day ne had told
Col. Kelly that Gov. Stevens was com
ing back from the head of the Missouri
river that he mad passed through IN
June going up country with lots OF
mules and pack animals The boy said
it had been planned by the Indians 10
ferry about half Of the party over the
river ana then murder them all. The
boy said 1t was about time for Stevens
and his command 10 reach the river.
That same night Col. Kelly started the
boy with letter to Gov. Stevens. and
next morning early nearly every man
was swearing at Col. Kelly for send
ing out hostile Indian, claiming that
he would give US all away. offered
to bet that the boy would go To- GOV.
Stevens.
In the morning We went again TO the
battle ground and found the Indians in
the rifle pits, and It was some time be-
fore We got them out A man named
man was shot in the nose several of
the boys got bullet holes through. their
clothing. Freling Choate got three
shots through his coat. One bullet
went through the tin cup on his belt,
and striking his pocketbook opened it
at the catch. One half the bullet stop
ped there and the other went on.
Lieut.. Jeffries Of our company went
over in the hills and made arrange
ments with Capt. Connor, in charge of
company of mounted half-breeds from
French Prairies, to charge the Indians
This company was about the best com
pany Of Indian fighters in the com
mand. Pretty soon we heard the
French boys yelling, and we could see
their flag above the hill. They dashed
off as fast as their horses could run.
Company B then charged over the hill.
The Indians ran and we captured their
rifle pits. They left their tobacco
sacks, gun sticks; IN fact nearly eV-
erything they had could be found in
their holes in the ground. We got into
their rife pits. was along with
Lieut.. McAulf and jim Beebe. The
Indians had made a stand Just over the
next rise of ground They would raise
their hats on gun sticks for US to shoot
at, and occasionally one would dance
around, holding his blanket by the one
corner while he swung it in the air
made a hole in the ridge of earth
thrown up outside our pit, laid a stick
of wood on top SO that | could not be
seen by the enemy, and sat there with
my gun cooked. McAulitt and Beebe
were lying down. Beebe kept saying,
"Why don't you shoot" | said, wv ait
till that rascal swings his blanket
again. Presently the Indian made d
grand flourish and swept around grace
fully with his blanket. 1t was all done
in an instant but fired and shot him
in the belly. The Indians made a
great fuss and | could hear hlm crying.
He was put on horse and started
across the bottom. Finally he was
taken off the horse and about Is In.
dians came out of the timber and took
him away.
While a party of us were sitting on
hillside eating camas and Goose, we
noticed an Indian stealing down toward
a hollow in the direction Choate had
gone. We yelled to Choate and tried
to tell him to look out for himself. but
couldn't make him understand. We
then motioned for him to come back
went over toward the Indian and
craWied up behind badger mound.
looked over in the gully ana saw the
Indian crawling along He saw me at
the same time and got behind light
rise In the ground. laid with my
face close to the ground, as the little
mound would hardly hide me. Pretty
soon the boys shouted, Shoot him,
Anne, he's running. AS raised up
he had started out across the bottom.
He ran In zig gag course SO that |
could not aim until he was about l25
yards off, but | finally downed him.
He Land there IN plain view of us, but !
could not get to him, as he was too
close to the headquarters Of the lndi-
ans in the timber We had an old
mortar gun that we had brought from
the fort. We loaded it with sock
filed with pieces of old iron, bullets,
etc, then fired several shots into the
timber, thinking to oust the Indians.
While Capt Wilson was pouring pow
der into the tube along came bullet
and knocked the can out of his hand.
About the third time the mortar was
! fired it bursted, and the flying pieces
nearly killed Capt. Wilson, who went
about with his head tied up for several
/ days. The Indians came in the night
and dragged my 'injun' away with a
horse and lariat, and all got from
i him was l6 bullets found along the
/ trail over which they had dragged
] him. A little later bullet struck the
! front part of Meigs cap and nearly
/ tore it from his head. A bunch of
cotton bigger than the cap was knocked
out Of it, Meigs jumped on Bill Gate S
/ horse and rode down the hill 50 yards
and up the other side of the gulch
about 50 yards and then came riding
slowly back. He was young lawyer
from The Dales.
Next day was the last day of the
fight An Indian came out some dis
tance from the main crowd and said he
wanted to talk with our commander
Lieut.. Jetfries and | went out to meet
+ MN. Inc lIuldl dloO Hdl d ttdu VII
him. When we got within about zoe
yards the Indian asked that only one
Of us come to him. so | stopped anc
the other Indian did the same. Jetfries
and the Indian met and shook hands.
Their talk lasted about five minutes,
when each man turned and started foi
his own command. The Indian was
on horseback while Jetfries was or
foot When they got about so yards
apart about so Indians on horseback
came yelling toward u.s. Jetfries rar
until he came up to me. drew my
gun to my face The Indians came tc
within about 200 yards, when one halt
of them turned to the right and the
other to the left What they wanted
to do was kill one Of our officers. but
they saw our boys running down the
mil to meet them. and they We're Toe
coWardly to come nearer.