Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1922-06-01
GRAVE ON
COTTONWOOD
BUTTE

graves of Indian victims in the war of
1887 as published last week is far
from complete. One notable omittance
is the name of William Foster, 10
whose memory the old-timers of Cam
as Prairie erected a marble monument
on the slope of Cottonwood butte
where he was killed.
From the Free Press file of July s,
1887, / find the following article,
which is worth repubIishing in full;
A NEGLECTED GRAVE
How Brave Man Met His Death
War of III
The months of June and July, 1877,
witnessed stirring times ON Camas
Prairie. when the hostile Nez Perces
under Chief Joseph were in the food
tide of their carnival of deviltry. The
events of that period followed each
other in quick succession from the
memorable date of the outbreak on
June IL, down to the second week in
July. The circumstances of which we
now speak occurred on July 4. On
the morning of that day William Eos
ter and Charles Blewett citizen scouts
in the service of the government,
were ordered to scout on Craig's noun
tain to ascertain the whereabouts of
the Indians. They had proceeded as
far as Lawyers canyon when they
ran into bunch of the hostiles who
were ambushed there. Blewett and
Foster were some distance apart when
the Indians opened fire, and as Bile
welt seemed to be in the thickest
of the firing, Foster hailed him, say
ing: "Come on and get out of this. -
Blewett replied 81 am going to have
one shot first,' and dismounting.
fred at an Indian. His horse, scared
by the firing, broke away and ran
| toward the Indians who were con-
cealed in the brush. Foster tried to
head off the animal, but the hostiles
were shooting at him at such short
range that he was compelled to retreat.
He then called to Blewett to take to
the brush and he would try to help
him. Blewett had evidently been
crippled by shot in the leg, as the
last Foster saw of him he was limp
ing for the brush along the creek.
Foster had by this time headed for the
| prairie and the Indians chased him
| to the brow of Cottonwood hill. He,
however, escaped to the Cottonwood
| house, where company of troops un-
| der command of Lieutenant Perry
was camped, and narrated the cir
cumstances, and made such an eloquent
| appeal for help to assist him in re-
| turning to rescue young Blewett, that
the entire company volunteered, but
as it. was deemed inadvisable for the
whole force to go, volunteer com
| pany composed of Lieutenant Rains
and eleven soldiers were detailed to
return with him and attempt the res
| cue. 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 en-
tire command were fred upon by the
Indians ambushed in the brush. Part
| of the soldiers dismounted, getting
among the rocks, while others of the
company charged, but these were met
by such a volley that they were COM
PEELED to retreat to the stage road and
join their companions. Foster was
| the last, and in endeavoring to reach
the Command his horse was shot under
him, and in attempting to run ON foot
he was killed in the road, opposite
where his grave now is. The soldiers
were all killed, and were buried in one
grave. and their remains have since
been exhumed and reburied with mill
tarv honors at old Fort Lapwai. Eos
| ter, being a civilian, was buried and
still sleeps where he fell, by the
side of the stage road on the hill
which overlooks the prairie.
The grave of this brave scout is in
sadly dilapidated state. The rails
which once enclosed it have been re-
moved by vandal hands, the soil has
given birth to rank growth of grass
and briers, and the coyotes have
burrowed so that the earth is caving
in, and verv soon, unless steps are Ia
ken to re-enclose and preserve this
memorable spot, the tramping stock
will soon obliterate the few faint
traces that are left to mark the spot
where fell brave man who risked
his life. after once escaping from the
very teeth of death, to save a com
rade.
"Greater love hath no man than
this: that he layeth down his life for
his friend"
Never do we pass this sacred spot
without experiencing a hard feeling
around the heart-a feeling that in
spires us with a desire to do some
thing TO preserve this lonely grave
from desecration and humiliation, and
to have the brave deeds of its occu-
pant commemorated in enduring mar
BILE.
Cannot this thing be doneg Are
there not enough survivors of the
bloody drama among us-men with
knightly feeling for the doer of al
brave and knightly action-to raise a
purse for the erection of plain mar
BILE tablet to commemorate the heroism
of William Foster and for the pre-
servation of his grave from fur
Their dissertation?
The publication of this narrative
was responded to so quickly that in
a short time a subscription of $115
..oo1.I.- ,o,ooI IN onI IN cont