An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 18

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 18
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 18
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 18
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 18

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The author is convinced that Elfers, Bland and Beckroge were killed on the morning of the 14th, that their murderers proceeded to the Indian camp at Rocky canyon the same day, wounding Benedict en route ; that they related their experiences to the other Indians, who forthwith decided to commence hostili- ties ; that seventeen or eighteen Indians went that night back to the Salmon river country to engage in further depredations, while the others, or some of them, began hostile movements on Camas prairie, one of which movements was the attack on the Cottonwood party. He is constrained to believe that this is the correct date and this the correct sequence of events. He admits that many who hold a contrary opinion are able to pro- duce convincing arguments in favor of their views, but is inclined to agree with the many others who are equal- ly insistent that the event in question happened between eleven o'clock on the night of June 14th and daybreak the following morning.

The foregoing statements concerning the outrages during the earliest days of the Nez Perces Indian war have been verified by exhaustive investigation into all printed accounts that could be secured, and by inter- views with very many of those living in the storm center at the time. Unusual pains were taken by citi- zens during and after the war to ascertain exact facts, owing to the attempts of some to throw the blame for the outbreak of the war upon the settlers. The re- sults of this investigation have been perused in the preparation of this work. It is therefore believed that these statements are as near the truth as it is possible for historic records to approach. The assertion of Indian Inspector Watkins that up to June 22d no houses had been burned or other depredations committed by Joseph's band, drew forth an indignant protest from the citizens. A positive counter statement was made that on the evening of June 18th, ten dwellings, three stores, seven barns and one shop had been burned, besides a large number of miners' buildings ; that be- fore the 16th, large numbers of abandoned dwellings had been plundered and some thousands of cattle and horses stolen and driven off by the Indians. "Besides this," said a citizens' letter to the Boston Sunday Herald, after referring to some of the murders here- tofore spoken of, "five worthy women and mothers suffered, from the brutal fiends, outrages worse than death, part of them being stripped of their clothing and dragged about naked by the heels, others wounded, and all of them, after defending themselves to the last extremity, made the victims of the lust of the hell hounds." The statements of the letter were vouched

for by George M. Shearer, major of volunteers, B. F. Morris, county recorder of Idaho county, and C. W. Case, sheriff of Idaho county.

But what of the movements by which these terrible outrages were to be checked and avenged? Colonel Perry, as we have said, set out from Lapwai on the night of the 15th. All night long his column toiled on over Craig's mountain and across Lawyer's can- yon ; all next day they continued their march, reaching Grangeville toward evening. Here they paused to listen to the reports of citizens and take in the situa- tion as best they could. They were joined by eleven volunteers, who guided them over the sixteen miles to White Bird creek still to be traversed by the weary marchers and their jaded animals. Reaching the top of the canyon about an hour before dawn, they halted to await the daylight and take much needed rest. Day- light came soon enough, revealing a deep short canyon with precipitous sides and a smooth looking bottom, which was in reality a rolling prairie sloping toward the creek. From the head of this canyon to the creek the distance is probably five miles. Just before reach- ing the creek the trail turned abruptly to the west, passed through a small canyon or ravine between two low hills and then gradually approached the creek, reaching its banks about a mile and a quarter farther along, just above the Manuel place. At this point the brush and trees which fringe the creek were unusually dense and the trail was bounded on the north by a low bluff. A rail fence stood just south of the highway and altogether the location was an ideal one for an Indian ambuscade.

Behind this fence and in the bushes lining the trail, the main body of Indians was posted, while a small force was deployed a mile and a quarter farther up the trail to lure the soldiers onward.

Where the trail ran through the ravine heretofore mentioned the ragged basaltic rocks along the summits of the hills afforded an excellent barricade, while to the left of the trail the heavy spring floods had washed out a deep gulch which ran through the bottom of the ravine and then south and emptied into the creek. Be- hind these rocks but principally down in the bottom of this deep, dark gulch the Indians concealed them- selves in large numbers. As soon as the skirmishers had drawn the troops through this canyon these Indians were to leap from their hiding places and open the attack. Should Perry go onward toward the Salmon he would rush into the main ambuscade and his case would be without hope. The plan was skillfully laid out and illustrative of the military genius of Joseph and White Bird. How nearly successful it was we shall see.

Perry led his command. now numbering a little over a hundred men, over the crest of the first slope of the canyon and down the narrow pass. With him and in advance were several Indian scouts, recruited from the friendly Nez Perces. When the troops had advanced about five miles from the top of the bluff and had practically reached the foot of the mountain, not over a quarter of a mile from White Bird creek, and about where the trail turns to the west, the scouts

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

reported hostiles some distance ahead. It is said that they refused to go through the narrow and ugly look- ing ravine which now confronted the command, fear- ing that the hostiles were lying in wait.

Perry halted and dismounted his command at this point, one man out of every four being left with the horses as is customary. The remainder of the troops were then ordered forward, a portion of them deploy- ing along the crest of one of the ridges. Suddenly the Indians appeared stretched out in a long irregular line ahead of the troops. Before these had advanced very far down the ravine an excited Indian lying in the deep gulch fired off his gun and in an instant the battle was on. Perry was not trapped, neither was he absolutely surprised as has often been intimated, and had his men been seasoned troops instead of recruits who had as yet scarcely smelled gunpowder, he might have held his own creditably or have withdrawn with honors.

Upon the opening of the engagement the redskins fired from several directions and it required all the skill at the officers' command to hold the troops in good order. Soon occurred an event, says Major Fenn, which decided to whom should belong the victory. How it happened or just why it happened can only be surmised, as the terrible calamity which followed swept away many who could have told and those who survived have left it indefinitely recorded. Certain it is that the partially demoralized troops on the line de- tected a retreating movement in their rear. They saw the men, who had been left with the horses, falling back up the hillside and probably thought this move- ment was incited by a flank movement on part of the Indians. This suspected retreat may have been only the efforts of those in charge of the horses to get on to higher ground, but being cavalrymen it was quite natural that those on the line should rely almost entire- ly upon their horses and that when they saw these moving farther and farther away, they should become disconcerted. The lines wavered and broke, and soon became thoroughly demoralized. The wily redskins were quick to follow up the advantage and attacked the troops more fiercely than ever. These became panic stricken and, throwing away guns, ammunition, cloth- ing and accoutrements, fled indiscriminately. Contrary to all military usage, the saddle girths on the horses had been left loose while the men went into action and as a result some of the excited troopers slipped off the backs of their steeds. These stampeded, leaving the footmen at the mercy of their savage foes.

Upon going into action the ten volunteers under Major Shearer were assigned to the extreme left and accordingly took a position between what is known as the old Indian burying ground and the creek. Here they found some shelter in the rough surface of the ground. Hardly had they taken their position be- fore the Indians under White Bird began a flanking movement through the brush on the opposite side of the creek ; two of the volunteers, H. A. Faxon and T. D. Swarts, had been wounded, and all became aware that the troops were retreating. Under these circumstances the volunteers deemed it best to retreat also.

By this time the whole force was in headlong flight and the number of hostiles was constantly in- creasing by arrivals from the lower camp mounted on fresh horses. In vain Perry and his officers tried to rally their men. The bugler, who would have sounded the calls, had been killed at the first fire, so Perry and his officers were obliged to personally appeal to the troops. But the cavalrymen would not halt; they were completely demoralized and no power could pre- vail upon them to stand and face their tormentors who poured an incessant, withiering fire upon them. Just below the steep canyon leading to the prairie above, and at the mouth of a blind canyon, the gallant Thel- ler gathered a small body of men behind some natural breastworks and attempted to stem the tide. For a short time it seemed as if he might succeed, but the Indians finally concentrated their fire and overwhelmed the little band of brave men. The stalwart, lion- heartcd, young lieutenant became the target for a score of rifles, and he soon fell, pierced through the head. This was the last stand made by the troops in White Bird canyon. The men who were still uninjured rushed up the long, steep trail, fully exposed at every step to the withering fire from above them, to the can- yon's rim, where they were arranged by Perry and Par- nell into a better order of retreat. Before this narrow canyon was entered, however, the volunteers had left the troops and reached the prairie by means of an old cow trail up Chapman creek. Thence they escaped un- harmed to Mount Idaho, where they organized a party of citizens to go out and meet the troops. Together the troops and volunteers fought their way across the prairie and finally, exhausted, dispirited and with gap- ing ranks, the little command entered Grangeville.

"The Indians fought us," wrote Perry that evening. "to within four miles of Mount Idaho, and only gave it up on seeing that we would not be driven any farther, except at our own gait." This was a disastrous defeat. Nearly forty per cent. of Perry's command were left dead on the field. The chagrin of failure was the por- tion of the trained United States troops, while the exhil- aration of victory sent its pleasing thrills through the pulses of the savage warriors. This victory supplied arms to the Indians. They secured at least fifty car- bines and much ammunition, thrown away by the sol- diers Colonel Perry collected his discomfited troops at Grangeville, reorganized them there and put them in as good condition for future operations as possible.

Howard had remained at Fort Lapwai to await the arrival of reinforcements. Wilkinson, as we have said, had gone to Walla Walla, where he started the tele- graph into activity with messages for aid. A courier is sent to summon Colonel Whipple from Indian valley with his two companies of cavalry, and immediately upon receipt of the message that officer is ready for the march. The soldiers at Fort Walla Walla, those near Wallula, all that can be spared from Forts Vancouver, Harney, Klamath, Stevens, Canby and Townsend are in motion as soon after despatches reach them as they can be mobilized, and most of them are headed toward Lapwai. The artillerymen, coming down from Alaska,

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

are also directed to the front, and the call for help in time reaches to troops in California, Arizona and even to Georgia.

Citizens also are doing what they can to place the threatened country and the storm centers on a war foot- ing, but there is great dearth of arms and ammunition, there being only seven repeating rifles on Camas prairie at this time. At Mount Idaho, as we have seen, the citi- zens gather for defensive purposes on the evening of the 14th. Many decide to return to their homes the following morning, believing that the scare is ill-found- ed, when news of the attack on the Norton and Cham- berlain party reaches the town. This, of course, dispels all idea of a return to the country, and steps are imme- diately taken to form a military company, erect a fort and otherwise place the little community on a war foot- ing. Every able-bodied man and boy is enlisted in the volunteer company of which Arthur Chapman is chosen captain. A retired English naval officer, H. E. Croas- dale, who had recently engaged in the stock business on the prairie, is placed in charge of the defenses. On this same day, June 15th, work is commenced on the stone fort which three days later is finished. At Grangeville another military company is organized by Captain Bloomer, and Grange hall is soon fortified.

Slate creek, in the very heart of the savage-scourged country, soon has its fort, consisting of a high stockade built around Wood's hotel, in which the settlers of that section gather. Here are Mrs. Walsh and her two children, Mrs. Osborne and her four children, Mr. and Mrs. Tittman and two children, William Rhett and family, Mr. and Mrs. David Baldwin and girl, Mrs. Henry Elfers and her three children, E. R. Sherwin and family, the Woods, the Cones, John Gibbons, Joshua Fockler and others. Realizing their desperate straits, those in the fort decide to send to Florence for assistance. The mission is a dangerous one, and none can be spared from the garrison to undertake it, but finally Tolo, a friendly Nez Perce squaw, is prevailed upon to carry the message for aid. Faithfully does she serve her white friends, making the hard trip of twenty- five miles in safety and bringing back twelve men. With the addition of these the force numbers about six- ty-eight capable of bearing arms, but there are few arms to bear and little ammunition.

Warren is fortified so as to defy a force of 500 In- dians ; Elk City has plenty of men, but only a few old- fashioned guns and a limited supply of ammunition. Lewiston has caught the alarm at the first outbreak, and its call for aid takes the form of such dispatches as the following :

LEWISTON, I. T., JUNE 17th.

TO THE MAYOR OF PORTLAND :

For humanity's sake send up 50 or 100 stand of arms with ammunition. The Indians have broken out on Salmon river and Camas prairie. They have massacred 30 or 40 men, women and children, and the work is still going on. We have men but few arms. We will be alright as far as this city is concerned. The city assumes responsibility for their safe return. The arms, etc., guaranteed by the merchants. Subscribed. D. J. Warner, city recorder, by the order of the Common Council of the city of Lewiston, and N. B. Hol- brook, mayor; John P. Vollmer, merchant; Loewenberg

Bros., merchants; Grostein & Binnard, merchants; A. Damas, merchant.

P. S .- June 18th. Settlers on Palouse and Paradise val- leys, and from all the country north of us, are fleeing in here for protection. Farmers are all abandoning their farms, stock and everything.

(Signed) J. P. VOLLMER.

LEWISTON, I. T., June 17, 1877. TO THE PRESIDENT O. S. & N. COMPANY :

We have appealed to the Mayor of Portland, and aid us in this without delay. We are sadly in need of arms. Unless the country is relieved merchants must close busi- ness, farmers must flee from their crops, and this country will become depopulated. You will see our interests are identical. We want arms, soldiers and volunteers to pre- vent the slaughter of whites. Down with the peace policy.

By order of the city council.

(Signed) N. B. HOLBROOK, Mayor. D. J. WARNER, City Auditor.

A subscription paper is circulated also among the leading merchants and business men of Portland by H. D. Sanborn, of Lewiston, and the sum of $2,365 is quickly subscribed for the purpose of furnishing the citizens of Lewiston, Idaho Territory, with arms and ammunition for their defense. By this means a volun- teer company of sixty men under Ed McConville, which had been speedily raised for the defense of the town, is fully equipped for action, rendering this important base of supplies comparatively safe.

The excitement prevailing all over the country is intense. No one knows how many of the Coeur d'Al- enes, Umatillas, Spokanes, apparently friendly Nez Perces and other northern Indians can be relied on ; no one can certainly predict how many will be encouraged to join Joseph by Perry's defeat, and every one is be- coming painfully cognizant of the utter unpreparedness of the military for the crisis now presented. "Al- though it has been held out to settlers," complains the Teller, "that ample military force should be on the ground to enforce the orders to remove Joseph upon the reservation, six months have elapsed since the issu- ance of the order from Washington, and today there are not soldiers enough here to hold in check the single force of Joseph's 200 warriors, and, with the advantage of position Joseph has, he will continue to make his sallies upon the unprotected settlers and small detach- ments of troops and cut off scores of men from the living and continue that state of things for months to come. Every success he wins strengthens his cause among the other Indians who are professedly friendly, and may involve us in a long and bloody war which may lead to the extermination of the tribes in this whole northern country. Had the force been here at the time appointed for Joseph to come upon the reserve and properly stationed Perry would not have been defeated and Joseph's power would easily have been subdued. But it was planned that the Bible, and not the sword, should subdue him, and that this missionary peace pol- icy should have the credit of his subjection. The plan has failed."

Howard in his history of the war frankly admits the utter inadequacy of his force for the work in hand, but does not vouchsafe any explanation of the fact that the military was caught napping when it knew that

TOO-LAH, The Friendly Nez Prece Squaw who rode to Florence from the Salmon River, warned the Whites of the Hostile Outbreak of the Indians, and brought Twenty-six Miners to the Rescue.

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

force might become necessary to comply with the in- structions of the Indian bureau, neither does he attempt to fix responsibility for the unfortunate condition of af- fairs. So sure were the Indian agents and military men that Joseph would comply with his agreement to go peacably upon the reservation that they trusted al- most implicitly to that promise, though they knew that treachery on his part meant death and outrage to inno- cent and unarmed citizens.

General Howard gives some graphie accounts of life and activities at Fort Lapwai during the few days succeeding the outbreak. "Mule trains," says he, "were hired, supplies of all kinds put in motion, couriers were coming and going ; Indian messengers and escaping sol- diers with their mouths full of exciting rumors and bad tidings were arriving from the field seventy miles away. By the 21st of June eight new companies of reg- ular troops-little companies they were, for the whole made up but a few over 200 souls-were on the green plat near the Lapwai post. A small organization of volunteers under Captain Paige joined themselves to Whipple, who was in command of the cavalry, and were on hand for Indian fighting.

"The time from the first news of the terrible disaster at Whitebird canyon till the morning of the 22d of June seemed long indeed. It appears long even in retrospect. Still it was only four days. Our effective men for the front now at Lapwai numbered but few more than two hundred.

"Captains Whipple and Winters had arrived from their eireuitous and tedious march from Wallowa. Cap- tains Miller and Miles had reached Lewiston by steam- boat and marched to Lapwai with several companies of the Fourth Artillery and the Twenty-first Infantry under their charge. The volunteers before mentioned, a little more than twenty strong, under Paige, of Walla Walla, had also joined us. Lieutenant Bomus, the quartermaster of the post, had improvised a supply train. The numerous miners, employed in different directions about Lewiston, had been thrown out of em- ployment by the Indian outbreak, so that their means of transportation, 'the mule pack train,' and their pack- ers became available for our use."

By the 22d of June Howard was ready to move. His force was still smaller than that opposed to him, but with such as he had to set out from Lapwai at 12 o'clock noon. Camped next day at Norton's ranch, his descrip- tion of which, as affording a glimpse of the "abomina- tion of desolation," we quote at length :

"Mr. Norton, the late owner," says Howard, "was the man who was trying to get to Mount Idaho with his family when he and others were killed and his wife sadly wounded. We came to his house about half past one o'clock, having marched nineteen miles. Mr. Nor- ton had kept a sort of hotel. His house was now de- serted. The Indians had rummaged everything ; what the family had left here was found in complete disorder. Who can realize what it is to have savage warfare break upon a family with little or no warning-to kill, wound and scatter like this? It was worse than the desolation

spoken of in the seriptures, where one shall be taken and another left. None were left! There were the clothes, cut and torn and strewn about, the broken chairs, the open drawers, a mixture of flour, sugar, salt and rubbish, the evidences indeed of riot run mad. Do we wonder that those who have passed through such experiences have been slow to forget and forgive 'mad Indians' ?"

At this desolated ranch the force was ordered to encamp, and there they remained over Sunday. Critics of the generalship of the Nez Perces campaign have complained much of this delay, some of them asserting that Howard stopped for the purpose of giving religious instruction to his command and distributing Bibles among the soldiers. Howard says he paused because he wished to ascertain certainly the whereabouts of the Indians, because he wished to give Captain Trimble time to get beyond the hostiles to Slate creek, so that the Indians might not be pressed back upon the little band of citizens "forted up" there, and thirdly, because he hoped that additional forces might join him from Lewiston.

On Monday the troops moved forward, the infantry going to Johnson's ranch, the cavalry. with Howard, to Grangeville, where Perry's command was. After visiting Grangeville and Mount Idaho the cavalry re- joined the remainder of the command at Johnson's ranch, whence, at 6:30 next morning, the column pro- ceeded to the scene of Perry's defeat at White Bird canyon, for the double purpose of reconnoitering the enemy and burrying the soldiers who had fallen there more than a week previous. Approaching with ex- treme caution, not to be caught a second time in the same way, they reverently buried the dead. Mean- while Paige of Walla Walla with his gallant volun- teer company, guided by Arthur Chapman, had been searching for signs of the enemy, whom they eventually succeeded in locating on the safe side of the Salmon river. The general also learned from a wounded citi- zen that it was Joseph's intention to draw the whites into the vicinity of the Seven Devils, to get them the farther from a base of supplies.

To the military genius of the wild, savage chief, who had never seen the inside of a military college, had had no military training, had never read a work on tacties, in short was without other guidance than his own innate military judgment, the trained and ex- perienced general pays the following compliment :

"The leadership of Joseph was indeed remarkable. No general could have chosen a safer position or one that would be more likely to puzzle and obstruct a pur- suing foe. If we present a weak force he can turn upon us. If we make direet pursuit he can go southward toward Boise for at least thirty miles, and then turn our left. He can go straight to his rear and cross the Snake at Pittsburg landing. He can go down the Sal- mon and eross at one of several places, and then turn either to the left to his old haunts in the Wallowa val- ley or to the right and pass our flank, threatening our line of supplies, while he has at the same time a won- derful natural barrier between him and us in the Sal- mon, a river that delights itself in its furious flow."

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 18

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