Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1924-10-02

They rode the horses of these MUIR
dred men down the Salmon river and
wounded Samuel Benedict, who es-
capped into the brush, but was followed
and killed in his own house ON White
Bird creek. These Indians then left
| to join the main band ON Camas pra-
irie for reinforcements, and returned
to Salmon river and continued their
carnival of crime. On the way, they
shot Jack Manuel and his little girl,
and killed James Baker. August Ba-
con was killed at the same time, and
the next day Mrs. Manuel, William
Osborn and Harry Mason were killed.
The main band ON Camas prairie had
meanwhile raided the settlements in
the immediate vicinity of the Cotton
wood house. The settlers had stock
AIDED, but as the Indians were increas-
ing in numbers and growing more
threatening they decided to escape
to Mt. Idaho, starting at night in the
hope of eludipg the Indian vigilance.
They had gone ten miles when the
the outfit was attacked in the rear
by the hostiles. Their horses were
shot down, and in attempting to es-
cape, John Chamberlin, his wife, two
children were detected. Chamberlin
and his little boy were instantly killed
the boy having his head crushed be-
tween the knees of a powerful In
dian. The other child was torn from
its mother and its tongue cut out and
knife run thru its neck. Mrs. Cham
erlin was repeatedly outraged. The
remainder of the party sought re-
fuge in the wagon where Morton was
shot and killed. Moore shot thru
the hips, Day thru the shoulder, and
Mrs. Norton thru both legs. Moore
lived for six months Mrs. Norton
recovered. In the long list of killed
and wounded from the time of the
Salmon river raid down to the Big
Hole fight, there was not an act COM
mitted that can be justified by any
stretch of i Imaginative reasoning
The killing of the seventeen brave vol
unteers at Cottonwood was a brutal
massacre. The battle at Whitebird
was more of an ambuscade than a
battle. The Clearwater fight was the
first act of this bloody drama appro-
acing anything like honorable war
fare. East of the mountains, at least
score Of settlers were wantonly
killed in cold blood.
HostiIes Ten Well Treated
Beyond deportation to the Ponca
Indian reservation in the then Indian
territory these hostiles were never
punished, despite the fact that a
grand jury of Idaho county invoked
the civil law by returning indictments
against Chief Joseph and other known
participants In the atrocities commit
ted in 1877. The territory of Idaho
was then subservient to the dictation
of federal officials In Such cases, on
the proposition the Indians were
wards of the nation" with whom
the government made solemn treaties
as with great sovereign nations, and so
the civil law was thrust aside. 1t
has always been my thought (and it
is plausible assumption) that If
Chief Joseph had been adequately
punished for the atrocities of 1877,
Buffalo Horn would never have start
ed the Bannock war in the following
summer of 1878.
Upon the arrival of the tribe at the
POnca reservation congress immed-
lately appropriated 100000 to build
and furnish them houses, schools and
churches. Farms were provided and
stocked for their amusement and an
nual appropriations were voted for
the maintenance of the identical In
dams who, at the Lapwai council of
May, 1877, spurned government boun-
ty. In the treaty of 1855, article "
they were provided with 100000 for
annuities, and in article V, they were
to be provided with the essentials of
improvement towards civilization, of