An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 17

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524

USA > Idaho > Kootenai County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 17
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 17
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 17
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 17

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During the previous night the Masons and Os- bornes had decided to return to their homes. They proceeded to the Mason ranch, where they concealed themselves in a nearby gluch. Here they remained for some time, but eventually, as the story is told, the children became hungry and the party was forced to do something for them. They accordingly went to

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

the house of Osborne to procure something edible, and while they were there the Indians attacked them. As afterwards told the Cone brothers by Yellow Bull, the redskins offered to allow the rest of the party to go unmolested if they would deliver Mason. It seems that Mason had had difficulty with an Indian early in the spring and moreover he was a thorough Indian hater. Of course the whites refused to deliver him and the redskins attacked the little party. Osborne, Francois Chodozo and Mason were killed, after which the women, Mrs. Mason, Mrs. Osborne and Mrs. Walsh, a sister of Mason, fell into the hands of the savages and were shamefully treated. Subsequently the Indians allowed them to proceed to Slate creek where the first news of this last of the Salmon river outrages was reported. A Frenchman known as "Shoemake." who had escaped the Indians, joined the women a short distance from the scene of the attack and accompanied them to the fort. After the battle of White Bird the Indians returned to Mason's store and spent a night in carousing and general debauchery, ending their merry making by burning the buildings. In fact nearly all of the buildings destroyed along the Salmon were burned after this Indian victory.

But we must return to the home of John J. Manuel whose wite and baby were left unharmed by Mox Mox's band after these Indians had secured the cov- eted ammunition. There has been much discussion relative to the murder of Mrs. Manuel and her little son and some difference of opinion exists as to whether or not Chief Joseph was a participant in it.

It is generally believed by Salmon river residents that the famous chieftain was guilty of participation in the dastardly affair, and that he killed Mrs. Manuel with his own hand. The following is the story of Mrs. Maggie Bowman, nee Manuel, the only white eye- witness, who was but seven years old at the time :

"Our family consisted of my father and mother, sister Julia (now Mrs. W. K. Knox, of Grangeville), a baby brother eleven months old, grandfather and myself. With the exception of my sister Julia, who was in school at Mount Idaho, we were all at home when James Baker and Patrick Price came to the house and told us that the Indians had wounded Mr. Benedict and that we had better flee for our lives. They suggested that we go to Mr. Baker's stone cellar, about a mile down the creek, and there leave the women while the men defended the place.

"We started immediately. I mounted father's horse behind him, while mother and the baby took an- other animal. Grandfather (George Popham), and Patrick Price remained at the house. We had pro- ceeded about half a mile on our journey when, looking to a hill we had descended. I saw several Indians com- ing toward us on a run, yelling and whooping at the top of their voices. 'The Indians are coming,' I said to father. Just as the Indians appeared, the horses we rode became frightened at the noise and stam- peded, separating father from mother. The Indians opened fire on us with arrows, the first arrow striking my left arm near the shoulder. An arrow struck me in the back of the head and glanced and pierced my

father's neck. An Indian, who had only two cart- ridges as we afterward learned, fired at father at the same time and shot him through the hips. A second bullet burned one of his ears. Father was also wounded between the shoulders by an arrow. The wound through the hips caused him to fall from the horse, dragging me with him. Our horse had taken us to the top of the hill before we fell from the saddle.

"Father saw that our only chance was to roll down the hillside into the brush and this we did, meanwhile undergoing the rock throwing of the Indians. One rock broke father's little finger and another struck me on the forehead. The redskins were afraid to follow us, doubtless thinking that father still had his pistols. Very foolishly we had left all weapons and ammuni- tion at the house with the idea of showing any In- dians we might meet that we were peaceable.

"Meanwhile, Mr. Baker had fallen from his horse at the first flight of arrows. The redskins surrounded him and one of them pointed an arrow into the old man's face. He courageously thrust it away, but was unable to maintain the unequal contest and the next instant fell lifeless, being riddled with arrows.

"Mother's horse threw her and the baby and in the fall one of her knee caps was broken* and the baby injured. Afterwards she said that two or three of the Indians took her to the house and promised not to in- jure her if she would give up the ammunition and a fine rifle that father had. She did this and was un- injured by her captors.

"As soon as the Indians left the place, grand- father and Mr. Price came into the house. Mother told them where we had crawled and grandfather came to us. He brought me to the house about dark and left blankets, food and water for father.

"That night mother, the baby, myself, Mrs. Bene- dict and children (who had come over to the house after Mr. Benedict's death) and the men stayed in the brush. The next morning Mrs. Benedict tried to persuade us to go up the creek and escape to the prairie, but mother and grandfather decided to return to the house, thinking that the danger was past. Then, too, mother refused to leave father alone in the brush, wounded and without aid. So we returned to the house, except Mrs. Benedict who took her children and started up the creek where she was subsequently rescued.

"Mother and I went to bed while Mr. Popham and Mr. Price stood guard. Along in the forenoon, Mox Mox and a band of White Bird Indians, nearly all of whom we knew very well as their camping ground was on a part of our place, came to the house. They ransacked it, but did not offer to molest us. They finally told us that Chief Joseph's Indians were fol- lowing them, advising Mr. Popham and Mr. Price to go to the brush and promised to protect us.

*Mrs. Robie (formerly Mrs. Benedict) told the writer that the Indians made two knife cuts over each of Mrs. Manuel's knees, one lengthwise and the other crosswise, their object being to prevent her getting away. Mrs. Robie says she knows this because the wounds were shown her by Mrs. Manuel.

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

"Early in the afternoon Joseph and his band came up. Joseph was dressed as a chief and told us that he was Chief Joseph. The Indians called him Joseph and I am positive that it was he. Mox Mox and White Bird were also there. Mox Mox had promised to keep the hostile Indians out of the house but had failed to keep his word.

"Joseph had not been in the house over an hour before he took a seat on a trunk in the room where mother, baby and I were. Mother sat on a trundle bed and was nursing the baby when Joseph addressed her with some remark. They were only a few feet apart. Joseph reached over and without any prelimi- maries, plunged a knife into her heart. Mother fell back on the bed and the only words she said were: 'Don't kill my children.' She repeated these words three times. The redskins dragged her to the floor and stripped off her clothing. All this I saw from my bed in the same room and just across from mother's.

"After this the Indians took me to an adjoining room and shut me in. Of course I cried and I remem- ber that one of the White Bird Indians slapped me. Being sick and exhausted, I fell asleep and didn't wake up until nearly dark. Then I went into the other room where mother had been killed. I was barefooted and even now I can recall the horrible feel- ing that came over me as the blood oozed between my toes. The body was naked and lying in a pool of her life's blood. At her head lay baby Johnnie, also dead.

"My first impulse was to find grandfather and I started in search of him. Instead of him, however, I found Pat Price with whom I stayed in the brush that night. In the morning the Indians attacked Mr. Price and me in the brush. He determined to go straight to them and try a ruse, so he went up to Chief White Bird. To him Mr. Price showed the cross tattooed on his breast with India ink. He proposed to the Indians that if they would allow him to take me to Mount Idaho he would return and surrender himself to them. This the chief agreed to and after we had gone into the house and seen mother's and baby's bodies, we left for the prairie. I was barefooted and in my night clothes. We traveled all day, Mr. Price carrying me a portion of the way, and stayed that night at Harris's place near the head of Rocky canyon. There, Mr. Price fixed me a chair, fashioning it out of a dry goods box. With a rope he fastened it on his back. At this place he found an old white shirt and put it on me. During all this time and until I reached Mount Idaho, my left arm, which had been broken in the fall from the horse, hung limp by my side, the older people in the excitement not even fixing me a sling. In this box chair I rode into Mount Idaho, reaching there about noon. Mr. Price risked his life to carry me through to the settlement and of course I never forgot this kindness and devotion.

"The same day we left the house the Indians burned it, together with the bodies of mother and baby. Subsequently their charred bones and mother's ear rings were found in the ruins. One ear ring was par-

tially melted, the other was in its natural state, except for being blackened by the fire. The house was built of logs and lined with lumber and must have made a very hot fire. From his place of concealment in the brush, grandfather witnessed the destruction of the buildings.

"Father remained in the brush and small outbuild- ings on the ranch for thirteen days, living upon berries and vegetables that he was able to secure from the lit- the garden. After suffering for five days from the arrow in his neck, he cut it out with his knife and dressed the wound, using horseradish leaves and cold water from the creek. His hip wounds had crippled him so seriously that he was unable to travel. The soldiers found him and brought him to Mount Idaho, where he eventually recovered.

"Grandfather came into Mount Idaho several days after Mr. Price and I arrived.

"This is the story as I now remember it and the recollection of it all comes to me very vividly despite the long years that have rolled by.

"The above facts are given from personal knowl- edge and not from hearsay.

SIGNED :- MAGGIE BOWMAN. "Grangeville, Idaho, April 1, 1903."

Meanwhile events of considerable importance were transpiring on the prairie. As early as June 9th the situation had become alarming and some of the set- tlers felt that the Indians were about to carry out their threat of commencing war although the settlers generally seemed disposed to discredit these rumors. Previous to the 14th Cyrus Overman and M. V. Jar- rett, who lived near the lakes, brought their families in nearer 10 Grangeville and Mount Idaho and left them with friends, in order to assure their safety in case of trouble.

Considerable activity was manifested by the In- cians on the 13th. Sometime during the day Seth Jones and Charles Horton passed two bands attired in full war dress. The white men were unmolested, however.

Along in the afternoon of the 14th ( Mr. Johnson says 13th) Henry C. Johnson and Cyrus Overman noticed, from the Johnson place which overlooked the Indian camp, that the Indians were acting very rest- lessly. They saw several of them leave in small bands of from two to four each toward the Salmon.

About three o'clock, Mr. Overman told Mr. John- son that he had concluded to go over to his farm, sack up a little wheat and proceed to town. Upon reaching home, he saw Mr. and Mrs. Watson driving rapidly across the prairie toward Mount Idaho. He also saw a band of seven Indians coming away from Watson's place. Quickly saddling and mounting his horse, he set out to overtake the Watsons, which he succeeded in doing after a ride of three miles. From them he learned that Crooks had been driven out of an Indian camp that afternoon and that the settlers had been warned by messenger to come into Mount Idaho. The courier had turned back before reaching the Johnson place. Mr. Overman continued his journey

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

to Mount Idaho, arriving about eleven o'clock that night.

Later in the day, Mr. Johnson, whom Mr. Overman had been assisting until three o'clock, saw the In- dians tearing down their tepees and concentrating their vast herd of horses, of which they had, accord- ing to his estimate, fully ten thousand. He says it was fascinating to watch the agile Indians slowly moving the seething bands across the prairie toward Craig's Mountain.

Mr. Johnson decided to remain at his ranch that night, though he took the precaution to sleep out of doors in one of his fields. The last he saw of the In- dians before darkness cut off his view, they were still engaged in moving their ponies toward Craig's moun- tain and only five or six tepees were still standing at their old camping ground. He believed that at last the red men were moving upon the reservation and his apprehension of danger, if any he had, were at least partially removed.

Next morning he was unable to see any sign of Indians so he decided to drive over to the settlement and inquire for news concerning them. Arriving at the saw-mill on Three Mile creek, he there learned that the Norton party had been attacked the night be- fore, so of course gave up all thought of returning to his home.

On the afternoon of the 14th (or according to some the 13th) John M. Crooks, the cattle king of the county at that time and a friend of the Indians, volun- teered to ride out to their camp from Grangeville and learn what he could regarding their intentions. He did not believe that the Indians meant to go on the war- path, but undertook the journey for the purpose of reassuring himself and his neighbors. Mr. Crooks reached the Indian camp in safety. There, however, he was greeted with hostile demonstrations and warn- ings to leave immediately, so he wheeled his horse and started on his return to Grangeville. One Indian pur -. sued him nearly to town, once riding up close to him and flourishing a revolver in his face.

Upon arriving at Grangeville, Mr. Crooks turned in a general alarm. Mounted men were at once sent to all residing outside of Mount Idaho and Grange- ville and families came rushing in from every direc- tion.

By nightfall nearly all of the inhabitants of Camas prairie had gathered at Mount Idaho. There they prepared for defense as best they could. They were unusually poorly armed for a pioneer people and had the Indians attacked them a general massacre would surely have followed. But, as stated elsewhere, the Indians were well disposed toward the settlers of the prairie and treated them far more generously than is usually the case in an Indian war. In fact they told the settlers to leave them alone and not take sides in the trouble and they would not injure them.

Early in the morning L. P. Brown had sent a mes- sage, the "Overman" letter, to Fort Lapwai apprising the commandant there of the critical situation on the prairie. Late in the afternoon Arthur Chapman, who lived several miles northwest of Grangeville, received

definite information from an Indian boy of the up- rising on the Salmon. In a short time he was in the saddle and speeding toward Mount Idaho, where he announced what he had heard. The citizens decided to send information to Lapwai at once with a request for troops. Lew Day volunteered to carry this mes- sage and set out quite late in the afternoon.

Day had proceeded about twenty-five miles on his journey when he was joined by two Indians. They inquired where he was going. He replied that he was on his way to Lewiston for a doctor. The red men dropped behind the messenger and fired at him, wounding him in the shoulder. After returning the fire, Day proceeded on his way, but his wound re- sulted in a great loss of blood and he was finally obliged to turn back. He returned via Cottonwood house, of which B. B. Norton was the proprietor. There he found Mr. Norton, his wife and son, Hill, Miss Linn Bowers, John Chamberlain, wife and two children, and Joseph Moore. All immediately began preparations for the journey to Mount Idaho. About ten o'clock p. m., they started, Norton and Moore mounted on saddle horses, the others in a wagon. For ten miles they traveled without casualty; then con- menced the most horrible performance of the war. The Indians rode upon them in the rear and com- menced firing and yelling like mad men. Soon the horses of Norton and Moore had been shot. The men got into the wagon and the race for life was continued but before long the team was shot down and men, women and children were left apparently to the mercy of the savage demons. Miss Bowers and little Hill Norton, however, stole away in the darkness and es- caped unharmed to Mount Idaho. Mr. Chamberlain, his wife and two children attempted to do likewise, but were discovered. Chamberlain and the boy were killed, the latter, so his mother said, by having his head crushed beneath the knees of a powerful Indian. The other child was snatched from the arms of its mother and a piece of its tongue was cut off ; it was wounded with a knife, so many testify, in its neck and in this pitiable plight it was left alone on the prairie. The poor heartsick and sorrow crazed mother, after being subjected to outrages more horrible than death, had her flesh torn and lacerated by the nails and fingers of the incarnate fiends. Norton, Day, Moore and Mrs. Norton had remained near the wagon. Norton was shot just after he sprang from the wagon and Mrs. Norton as she stood on the wheel, but she crawled out and sought refuge behind the dead horses. The bullet which struck Norton severed an artery and re- sulted in his death fifteen minutes later. Moore was shot through both hips; Day received two bullets in the shoulders and one through the leg; and Mrs. Norton was wounded in both lower limbs. At day- light, for some unaccountable reason, the Indians with- drew.

Meanwhile Miss Bowers and little Hill Norton had become separated in their flight for life, but both managed to keep on the right course. Hill was picked up about daylight four miles northwest of Mount Idaho by F. A. Fenu, who was scouting. Mr. Fenn

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

took the boy on his horse to Crooks's ranch, where a general alarm was given. Miss Bowers was found about nine o'clock by J. A. Swarts, about two miles north of Mount Idaho, and was taken to that town.

At the Crooks's ranch or Grangeville, a party con- sisting of Frank A. Fenn, C. L. Rice and James At- kison set out for the scene of the encounter. About three miles northwest of Grangeville they found the wagon and to it Rice and Fenn hitched their saddle horses, taking harness from the slain animals. Mrs. Norton was placed in the wagon and one of the sad- dles had been thrown into the box when the redskins suddenly appeared on a nearby hill. At once Fenn and Rice mounted the horses, not having any reins, for these had been used to splice the tugs, and the party commenced another race for life .. Fortunately, a sec- ond and larger party came out to their relief and the Indians drew off. Peter Ready, Lew Wilmot, E. W. Robie, Mac Williams and others went out later the same day and picked up Mrs. Chamberlain and others, living and dead. Mr. Chamberlain's body was found about a quarter of a mile from the wagon. His two children. one of whom was also dead, were lying in his arms. Half a mile farther away Mrs. Chamberlain was picked up. All were placed in the wagon and brought to Mount Idaho where every attention was given them. Day died the following afternoon from the effects of his terrible wounds and six weeks later Moore succumbed, but Mrs. Norton, Mrs. Chamber- lain and the child eventually recovered. Dr. J. B. Mor- ris, the prairie's physician, was in Lewiston when news of the outbreak reached him. He immediately set out to return, courageously riding through the lines of the hostiles to Mount Idaho, where he remained throughout the conflict.

On the night of the Norton masacre, Peter H. Ready and Lew Wilmot had camped on Shebang creek (near the present site of Denver) with their freighting outfits. Each had a four horse load con- sisting of dry goods, clothing, groceries, hardware and salt, and an empty hack trailed behind Wilmot's wagon. Just before nightfall Lew Day pased them on his way to Fort Lapwai and informed them of their peril, but they decided to remain in camp until morning. About eleven o'clock they were awakened by the Cottonwood party passing them. Day told them the cause of the abandoment of his trip to Lapwai and again advised them to move forward to Mount Idaho. This time they heeded the warning to the extent of harnessing their horses and otherwise preparing to move at an instant's notice. The Cottonwood party had been gone but a short time before Ready and Wilmot heard firing in the direction of Grangeville. They did not pay any serious attention to it, but remained at their camping place until daybreak when they commenced their jour- ney toward Mount Idaho. Soon they saw Indians ap- proaching them. Cutting loose their lead horses, each mounted one and began an exciting race. Fortunate- ly they outran the Indians and escaped to their homes. They then got their guns and joined the party going out to bring in the Chamberlains, for these had been

missed by Fenn, Rice and Atkison when they brought in Mrs. Norton.

The Indians who had been pursuing Ready and Wilmot returned to the wagons and looted them, packing some of their spoils on the wheel horses which had remained near the wagons. Before they had finished their work the band of redskins that was pur- suing the first rescuing party turned from their chase and joined the pillaging crowd at the wagon, evidently fearing they would lose their portion if they did not go after it immediately.

Mr. Ready thinks that the hostiles attacked the Cottonwood party in the belief that they were attack- ing the freighting outfit. Indeed he was so informed by Indians after the war. The blood-thirsty set soon discovered their mistake of course but when the ex- citement of the slaughter had taken possession of them they cared little who their victims might be, or whether or not their dastardly deeds would be re- warded by material gain. Just what band of redmen were the chief actors in this murderous assault has never been determined.

There has been much discussion over the date of the attack upon the Nortons and Chamberlains, many who had good means of knowing contending that it took place some time during the night of the 13th of June, while others are just as positive that it took place twenty-four hours later. The preponderance of evidence seems to us to be that the attack was made upon the night of the 14th. Some who thought that the 13th was the correct date were also certain that the day of the week was Thursday, and Thursday is shown in the almanac to have fallen on the 14th, in the year 1877. The letters from L. P. Brown to the com- mandant at Fort Lapwai, quoted on former pages, bear the date of June 15th. The one dated 7 a. m. speaks of the attack on the Cottonwood party ; says they were all wounded or killed and that "the wounded will be here shortly, when we will get more particulars." The letter dated 8 a. m. says: "I have just sent a dispatch by Mr. West, half breed. Since that was written the wounded have come in," etc., showing that unless Mr. Brown made a mistake in dating his letter, the unfortunate event transpired on the night of the 14th. Gen. Howard tells us in his book that Brown's messenger arrived toward evening and he wrote his reply at once. His reply is dated June 15th. If Mr. Brown was mistaken in his dates either the messenger must have consumed from 7 o'clock in the morning of one day to evening of the day following in going from Mount Idaho to Fort Lapwai or General Howard must have made a mistake in dating his note exactly corresponding to that made by Mr. Brown. Both these contingencies are certainly very unlikely.

Those on the Salmon river whom it was the writer's privilege to interview are practically a unit in their statement that the Salmon river murders, except that of Divine, were committed on the 14th. It has been generally understood that the Indians camped near Rocky canyon on Camas prairie did not commence their depredations until incited to them by the exciting recitals of the Salmon river horrors. Those who take

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

the ground that the massacre of the Nortons and Chamberlains occurred on the 13th must assume that the Salmon river people are mistaken about the date of the murders there or that the outbreak on Camas prairie antedated the Salmon river outrages. The first assumption can hardly be true. Mrs. Cleary certainly is not mistaken as to the date of her husband's death, neither can other persons be mistaken as to when the most terrible events in their experience transpired. The other assumption has probably never been entertained by anyone.

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 17

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1524

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524