Year: 1878

The following private letter mas been
kindly furnished Us for publication. as
an interesting recital of the exciting
events of last Summer in Idaho Terri
tory:


SLATE CREEK, /. T.,


March 4. 1878.
Dear Mrs. - received yours
of January 3lst. and will try to tell you
some particulars of the War. There
were three young Indians, some Of the
| old Whistle Nocker tribe came along
just at sun set and Charles and l were
leaning over the fence in the yard.
They were boys raised there with our
boys. They asked me for two bits
worth of bread, and | told them / had
none baked to spare. They went back
to Charles and got some They went
on up the river to old Dick Divine's and
killed him, took his guns and ammuni-
tion and came on down to John Day
creek, and in the morning when the
men went to work in the field, they
shot them. Bob Bland and Henry's
Nephew, Harry Beckerode were start
ing to hitch the horses TO a moving
machine and Henry was going up just
inside the gate when he was shot.
The Indians took the team of horses and
one that was hitched iii the field, and
came on down. crossing the creek
above here They were afraid the
horses would be known if they passed
here, so they went into the bills and
and came the road between here and
the old Slippy claim. and as Charles
was on his way to the claim that moru-
ing. they rode along up to HIM and
asked him if he knew those horses. and
he told them no; thinking it not best to
know too much. then they said: where
you go? Charley Cones?" He told
them he was going to the claim They
said go home and stay home and tell
the boys to stay home and Char
ley Wood. and old man Wood, to
stay at home; that tonight they were
going to kill all on Camas Prairie,
they then went to the cabin where one
of their squaws was camped and told
her they had commenced the war and
had killed four men and they did not
care who she. told, and for iher to
go over the other side of Salmon
river quick. They went down the
river shot Sam Benedict through both
thighs, and went down to Mr.. Bakers.
told Coon who was building another
big barn, that they were going to kill
everybody but none believed them
thinking they were drunk. But Coon
thought he would come up to John
Days and get his gun; and so saved his
| life. After they went on to the Prairie
the tents all fell III ten minutes and the
eople that saw them were frightened.
The Indians were to have been moved
on the reservation on the 18th of June
and they commenced to murder on the
18th. After Charles met them he hur-
ried home and told Brother Charley
the Indians meant trouble. All the
time they were talking to him they
were flourishing Henry rifle in his
face which they had ltaken from Dick
Divine and had killed them all with it.
Charley and Dave Baldwin jumped on
horses and went up to John Days to
see if it was true. and found it to be
true. They came back got an old
squaw (some of Indian Joes family who
is loyal to the whites) to go to Florence
and get the men who had guns to come
down here. Then they oil got togeth-
sr and as We had q big wood pile, made
fort round the house by setting logs
upright in the ground. The Indians
came back from the Prairie to White
Bird the same day aud killed Mr.
puEar Tanl hapnal ahDt apI
wounded but is living shot through
the hips. Also killed Manuel's wife
and baby, Sam Benedict, Harry Ma
son. Osborne his brother in-law, and
two. Frenchmen and burned all the
houses aud abused all the women.
Among the inurderers were old Black
Tailed Eagle. Long John, old Captain
John aud all the most friendly Indians
we knew the same day. they commenc-
ed to kill travellers on the Prairie; but
the people got warning sooner than the
Indians expected and they fortified at
L. Z. Browns and the Indians did not
attack them. Henry Elpers leaves
four child-en one born the first day of
January. Mrs. Benedict has four, aud
Mrs. Osborne has four and Jack Man
uel two. Mrs Randall has five she was
Ankenys daughter; Mrs. Chamberlin
on the Prairie was left for dead, her
husband and child killed and one was
left with o knife sticking in its neck
when they found it, 1t is still alive
Mrs. Norton and family from the Cot
ton wood House were trying to get TO
Mount Idaho but the Indians attacked
them 10y moonlight and shot at them ig
the wagon. Mrs. Norton was shot
in both ankles. and all the men were
killed or wounded. They got out of
the wagon and behind the dead horses
kept the Indians of until help came in
the morning. They were IN the road
near Browns. OH dear caonot tell
you half. They came back here in
force on the 4th day but found us pre-
pared for them and were afraid. When
they came up five came forward to talk,
and told Us who they had killed, and
said that the one who killed Jennie
was drunk They said she fought as
we'll as the rest