USA > Idaho > The history of Idaho > Part 19
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TRANSPORTATION OF U. S. MAILS AND PASSENGERS.
This business was carried on over all the principal routes in Southern Idaho by the Northwestern Stage Company. They gave good service, had good mail pay, which, in connection with their express and passenger business, made a good and profitable busi- ness for them. But on the whole, these four years from 1872 to 1877 may be put down among the dullest years in the history of Idaho. Little or no progress was made.
CHAPTER XLII.
NINTH SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OF IDAHO-CONVENED AT BOISE CITY, DECEMBER 4, 1876-ADJOURNED JANUARY 12, 1877.
The names of the members were as follows:
COUNCIL.
I. N. Coston Ada County
W. T. Baker . Ada County
R. A. Sidebotham Alturas County
William Budge Bear Lake County
E. A. Stevenson Boise County
J. V. R. Witt Boise County
S. P. C. Howard Idaho County
E. T. Beatty Lemhi County
W. G. Langford Nez Perce County
L. P. Higbee . Oneida County
R. Tregaskis Owyhee County
F. C. Porter Owyhee County
D. W. C. Dunwell. Shoshone County
President, E. T. Beatty.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
F. K. Froman Ada County
Thomas Gray
H. K. Hartley . Ada County
Ada County
B. L. Warriner
Ada County
T. J. Curtis
Alturas County
C. K. Davis
Alturas County
James H. Hart
Bear Lake County
Stephen Dempsey Boise County
M. G. Luna . Boise County
John H. Myer . Boise County George W. Richards Boise County
I. S. Weiler
Boise County
Phil. Cleary
Idaho County
Jesse McCaleb Lemhi County
L. C. Morse . Lemhi County
S. P. Edwards Nez Perce County
F. Points Nez Perce County
J. N. High. Oneida County
J. F. Griffin Ada County
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
W. T. Norcross Oneida County
P. A. Tutt Owyhee County
R. L. Wood Owyhee County
Ed. H. Moore Owyhee County
G. W. Gilmore . Owyhee County
John Ward Owyhee County
Ed Hammond Shoshone County
Speaker, T. J. Curtis.
The Comptroller's report covering the time from December 1, 1874, to December 1, 1876, shows that he drew warrants during that time as follows:
Against the general fund $20,590.90
Against prison fund 10,796.57
Total amount drawn. $31,387.47
Add to this contingent expenses of Treasurer 537.62
Judges' warrants in favor of attorneys 454.76
Total. $32,379.85
This covers the whole amount of the current expenses of the Ter- ritory for two years other than that which the United States paid. But the worst is yet to come. That old bonded and floating war- rant, interest-bearing debt which was created under the extra pay acts of the legislature several years previously, was drawing an- nual interest of $12,500 or about $25,000 every two years, which was oppressive when we take into consideration the small amount of taxable property in the Territory.
The Comptroller's report shows the amount of assessable prop- erty for the year 1875 in the Territory to have been $4,652,919.13, and for the year 1876, $4,381,277.46. The interest on the bonded debt had to be paid twice a year in gold coin or its equivalent. Other outstanding warrants were paid according to their issue and register, out of the respective funds on which they were drawn, when there was money in the fund with which to pay. All drew interest from the date of their registration at the rate of ten per cent per annum until paid. Warrants drawn on the general fund were at this time (1876) about three years behind, and warrants against the prison fund about five years behind.
The Territorial Treasurer's report shows:
December 1, 1874, balance on hand. $ 9,676.77
December 1, 1876, whole amount received from
all sources for two years 61,674.28
Total amount received $71,351.05
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NINTH SESSION OF LEGISLATURE
Disbursements for the two years:
General fund warrants redeemed. $19,570.81
Prison fund warrants redeemed. 16,085.90
Interest on bonds 15,724.22
School fund warrants redeemed 3,840.74
Library fund warrants redeemed. 274.63
$55,496.30
Balance in treasury
15,854.75
Total. $71,351.05
From this balance reported on hand, there should be deducted $2,920.33, which is a shortage which occurred several years prior to the time of which we are writing. It had not been replaced, so the real balance on hand December 1, 1876, was only $12,934.42.
Territorial debt as shown by Treasurer's report, December 1, 1876:
Bonded coin debt with interest. $ 71,386.45
General fund warrants with interest. 36,338.89
Prison fund warrants with interest. 36,122.68
Total debt.
$143,848.02
Less amount in treasury 12,934.42
Debt less cash in treasury $130,913.60
This shows an increase of Territorial debt over what it was two years prior to this time of $7,383.84, which looked discouraging. Most of this increase in debt was caused by the Eighth session purchasing what purported to be a revision of our laws at a cost of $3,500, and $1,400 paid for printing, making $4,900 issued in warrants on account of revision of laws, which was far from being complete in respect to what it purported to be. It increased the Territorial debt to a considerable extent, giving some little benefit.
The report of the Superintendent of Public Schools shows that fairly good progress was being made in the public schools. A de- tailed statement would be quite lengthy and not very interesting at this late date.
LEGISLATION.
This Ninth session passed several important acts, among which was one amendment to the revenue law for assessing and collect- ing county and Territorial revenue. This act imposed a quarterly license tax on all common carriers of gold dust, bullion, gold or
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
silver coin. They passed another act authorizing county commis- sioners to levy annually a tax for school purposes on all property in each county (not exempt) of not less than five mills nor more than eight mills on the dollar, also for all fines and forfeitures to be paid into the public school fund.
Several acts were passed reducing salaries and fees of county officers, all of which tended to reduce the burden of taxation in the different counties. In the back part of the volume containing the laws passed at the Ninth session in 1876 and 1877, can be found nineteen acts which were passed at the Eighth session in 1874 and 1875. Some of these acts are important. Why they were not pub- lished with the Eighth Session Laws, I do not know.
This legislature passed an act repealing the old system by which county officers were allowed to retain out of the Territorial portion of money collected, whatever the commissioners of the county would allow them. This old system was not uniform. Some of the officials retained out of the Territorial portion of the tax and license money as high as 45 per cent, and none less than 16 per cent. The uniform rate fixed by this law was as follows: Assessor and tax collector, 6 per cent; treasurer, 3 per cent; auditor, 3 per cent, making the total amount to be retained by county officers 12 per cent, which reduced the cost of assessing and collecting about one-half.
Another bill enacted by this legislature provided that 35 per cent of all the county money of Ada county should be placed in a fund to be called a redemption fund, to be used for the purpose of pay- ing all outstanding warrants according to their register. The other 65 per cent was to go into a fund called the current expense fund, to be used, or as much of it as was necessary, to pay the current expenses of the county. This law had the effect of putting the county business for the first time on a cash basis. Everything the county had to purchase was furnished for less than one-half of what they formerly had to pay. Anyone selling warrants for fifty cents on the dollar heretofore, could now go to the treasury and and get the cash. Outstanding warrants amounting to about $80,- 000, which were drawing interest at the rate of ten per cent per annum, but they had been bought up for from forty-five to fifty cents on the dollar. The interest and premium when redeemed, paid the investor well, and they were all redeemed in less than three years after the passage of the act referred to above.
CHAPTER XLIII.
INDIAN WAR-THE WAR WITH CHIEF JOSEPH AND HIS BAND OF NEZ PERCE INDIANS IN THE YEAR 1877.
These Indian wars are always unpleasant remembrances, for they have always been destructive of life and property. The In- dian is a curious being. If he thinks he has been wrongfully treated by the Government, or by any officer, agent, or other per- son, he does not often seek to get revenge on the person or per- sons who inflicted the injury, but usually makes a murderous as- sault on the first white people he comes in contact with, regardless of guilt or innocence, or of age or sex. It is often that the inno- cent have had to pay the penalty of a cruel death at the hands of the Indians for some real or imagined wrong done by our Gov- ernment, or by some other person. Such, we think, was the case in the war of 1877. In one respect most Indian chiefs are like most white men, when they once acquire power by getting into a high official position they seldom if ever want to surrender that power. Large tribes of Indians often split up or divide into two or more bands. Each of these bands selects its leader, who is commonly called the chief of the band. When these divisions come in tribes of Indians, they are usually caused by some ambitious young warrior who wants to be chief, and he usually moves away from where the main tribe and old chief live, and selects some place as a home or headquarters for himself and all of his fol- lowers.
This seems to have been the case with Chief Joseph. He and his followers were Nez Perce Indians, but had separated them- selves from the main tribe many years ago and set up for them- selves. They would, however, sometimes visit with the main tribe, and many of them were present at the time a treaty of peace was made between the Nez Perce tribe and the United States Govern- ment in 1855, through the agency of Hon. I. I. Stevens, at that time Governor of Washington Territory and ex-officio Superintendent of Indian affairs for that Territory. At that time the father of the present Chief Joseph was chief of the band of Indians about whom we are writing.
The treaty did not include within its boundary lines any portion of the land that he claimed as his home. The reservation set apart for the Nez Perce Indians under the provisions of this treaty of 1855 was all on the northeast side of Snake River, then in Wash-
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ington Territory, now in Idaho, and Joseph and his band claimed as their home quite a large tract of country in the northeastern por- tion of Oregon, on the opposite side of Snake River, embracing what are known as the Grande Ronde and Wallowa Valleys. This treaty made in 1855 was changed or amended in 1863 so that the Nez Perce Indian reservation was reduced somewhat in size, but still left abundantly large for all, and in consideration of the ces- sion of the Indian title to all land outside of the reservation, our Government provided them with schools, and a large amount of annuities for a number of years, consisting of clothing, blankets, provisions, farming implements, etc. It appears, however, that Chief Joseph and his band still refused to sign or accept any of the provisions of the treaty, or to accept any of the annuities aris- ing therefrom, but still stuck up for their old home and accepted nothing from our Government. In 1862 white people began to set- tle in Grande Ronde Valley. Two small towns started, La Grande on the west side, and Uniontown on the southeast side of the valley. Joseph and his followers gradually retreated farther east and made their headquarters near Snake River, and in the Wallowa Valley. Things went on without serious trouble until, in the early seven- ties, white people began to settle in Wallowa Valley, believing they had a right to settle there and make homes. No objections were made by our Government to this settlement, but it was not long be- fore friction arose between the whites and the Indians, each claim- ing the land as their own. Finally some United States troops were sent there for a time to keep peace between the white settlers and the Indians, and to try to persuade the Indians to go peaceably to the Nez Perce Indian reservation, but all efforts seemed to fail. They claimed that country was and had been their home before white men ever came there, and that they had never sold their right to the land to our Government, and that they would stay in their own home.
It appears that Chief Joseph received orders from some Govern- ment official early in May, 1877, for him to move with his band of Indians from Wallowa Valley, Oregon, to the Nez Perce Indian reservation in Idaho by June 14th. Now comes the critical point. These Indians must leave what they at least called their home, which they had occupied in their Indian style for many years, or else they would be taken away by force and put on the Nez Perce reservation where they did not want to go. They doubtless felt that they had not been treated right, and were filled with a spirit of revenge, and, as we have said before, when Indians think they have been wronged they do not seek the parties who committed the wrong, but take revenge on the first whites they meet. The In-
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dians left their country about the 10th or 11th of June, 1877, crossed Snake River to the Idaho side, thence on to the Salmon River and crossed over on the 13th of June to where the country was thinly settled by good, peaceful white citizens, who were at- tending to their peaceful avocations, and swooped down on them and commenced an indiscriminate slaughter of these people who had never harmed them in any way. They deliberately murdered in a cruel manner seventeen persons, fifteen men and one woman and her child, and wounded a number of others who made their escape by running to the brush and hiding through the day, and traveling by night without food for several days until they reached Mt. Idaho about forty miles distant. The Indians ransacked the settlers' houses, then burned the houses and barns and drove off their horses and cattle. They then moved farther on into the unprotected set- tlement and killed and wounded a few more settlers before they could get away, burning their houses and barns and driving off their stock.
This outbreak caused great excitement in Idaho and Nez Perce counties. The citizens organized volunteer companies as quickly as possible for the protection of the citizens residing in the fron- tier settlements. They were gathered into and near the town of Mt. Idaho as soon as possible. In this work of gathering in the settlers, the volunteers had several engagements with the hostile Indians. A few more of the settlers and volunteers were killed, and quite a number were wounded. This was a serious and trying time for the unprotected settlers in Idaho County. There appears to have been three other small bands of these non-treaty Indians besides Joseph's band: Chief Lookingglass' band, living on Clear Creek, a tributary of Clearwater River; Chief White Bird's band, living on Salmon River ; and the old Dreamer Chief, Tchulhulsote's small band, living on Snake River. None of these Indians had ever made their home on the Nez Perce reservation. All of these three bands joined Joseph's band. It appears that General Howard was at Fort Lapwai at the time of this outbreak (which fort is on the
Nez Perce reservation), but that Joseph and others of his tribe had promised the General that they would move peaceably on to the reservation by June 14th, and the General relied on their keep- ing their promise. General Howard says that the first inkling of something wrong came to Fort Lapwai on June 14th through L. P. Brown. At 7 a. m. on June 15, 1877, L. P. Brown wrote and sent by special messenger, Mr. West, a letter stating "that the Indians had gone on the warpath and killed or wounded several whites who had started to go from Cottonwood to Mt. Idaho. A report says some whites have been killed on Salmon River. A number of
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THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
families have come to Mt. Idaho for protection, but they had but few arms there to protect them with." He urged that troops and arms be sent at once. "You cannot imagine the people in a worse condition than what they are here."
At 8 a. m., June 15, 1877, Mr. L. P. Brown writes to command- ing officer at Fort Lapwai as follows: "Send letters by friendly Indian, Lookingglass's brother, the parties that started from Cot- tonwood have been brought in. The wounded are Mr. Day, mortally ; Mrs. Norton, both legs broken; Moore, shot through the hip; Mr. Norton, killed and left in the road six miles from Mt. Idaho. Teamsters attacked on road, wagons abandoned and plun- dered and horses taken by Indians. Indians have possession of Camas Prairie. Lose no time in getting force of men here. Stop stage and other travel on road unless they have strong force. Hurry up, we need help."
General Howard sent a brief communication to Mr. Brown concerning the dispatch of two companies of cavalry, and enjoined on him to cheer the people. Colonel Perry was dispatched forth- with to the scene of trouble with ninety men, all that could be spared from the fort. Captain Wilkinson and Lieutenant Bomus were sent post haste to Walla Walla with messages for more troops from Walla Walla and Portland, and also with request for twenty- five scouts from General McDowell at San Francisco.
We must now turn to the Salmon River country and see what has been happening there. On June 13th several Indians came down from the Prairie to Mr. Manuel's ranch (situated on a small stream that empties into the Salmon River, and about twenty miles south of Grangeville). They seemed friendly, and used Manuel's grindstone to sharpen their knives and other tools, these acts arous- ing no suspicion. Late in the afternoon three young buck Indians went to the house of Mr. Cone up the river above Manuel's. Two of these Indians belonged to the Salmon River or White Bird band, and the other one to Joseph's tribe. They wanted bread and am- munition. They were given bread, but young Cone was short of ammunition and could not supply them. They seemed friendly and said they were on a huting expedition and went on up the river. Richard Devine, an old gentleman, lived on the Salmon River some six miles above the John Day creek, which is a few miles above White Bird creek. This old man had never had any trouble with the Indians. He was the possessor of a very fine rifle, and a few days later he was found dead near his door and his rifle was gone. It is supposed that these three Indians camped close to his house on the night of the 13th of June, and when he came out next morning he was shot and killed by them and his rifle taken. On
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INDIAN WAR OF 1877
the morning of June 14th these same three Indians, who had been seen to pass Mr. Elfer's ranch at the mouth of John Day Creek, came back that way and shot and killed Mr. Elfer, Mr. Bland and Mr. Bickrage while they were on their way from their house to the hay field to work. They were shot down in cold blood without the least notice or warning. The Indians then took some fine horses belonging to Mr. Elfers to ride, went to the house where Mrs. El- fers was, took Mr. Elfers' rifle, and went on below. They did not disturb Mrs. Elfers, nor did she know that they had killed her hus- band and the other men until they were gone, as the killing took place out of sight of the house. Soon after, some neighbors came in and reported to her what had happened.
On the way down the river the Indians shot and wounded Mr. Samuel Benedict, near the mouth of White Bird Creek, but he succeeded in getting away and reaching his house.
It appears that these three Indians, flushed with the blood of innocent white people, then went to the main camp of the Indians at what is called Rocky Canyon, situated nearly midway between White Bird Creek and Grangeville, and reported what they had done, and were re-inforced by fifteen or twenty more Indians, and they all returned to White Bird Creek. Mr. Manuel, whose resi- dence was on this creek, had heard of the attack made on Mr. Benedict that morning (June 14th) and had started on horseback, with his family, to go to some place of greater safety. They had gone only a short distance when the Indians attacked them. Mr. Manuel and his daughter seven years old were riding the same horse. He was shot and badly wounded. They both fell from the horse and he rolled down the hill and hid from the Indians among some rocks. One man, Mr. Baker, was killed. Mrs. Man- uel and her baby were thrown from their horse and injured. They and the daughter were taken back to the house by the Indians. The daughter had been shot and wounded with an arrow, and had one arm broken in the fall from the horse. It is said that the In- dians promised Mrs. Manuel that if she would give them Mr. Man- uel's gun and all the ammunition he had, they would not molest her. This she did, but soon after more Indians came in, and one who was said to be Chief Joseph, plunged a knife into Mrs. Man- nel's breast and killed her instantly. This was done in the presence of her little seven year old daughter. They also killed her ten months old babe. Two other men, Mr. Popham, an old man, and Mr. Price, were at the Manuel ranch when this trouble occurred, but they concealed themselves so the Indians did not find them. The next day Mr. Price took the little seven year old girl and started for Mt. Idaho. She had no clothing except her night clothes,
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the Indians having ransacked the house and taken everything. They returned later and burned the Manuel home with the dead bodies of Mrs. Manuel and the baby. Mr. Manuel wandered alone in the brush and rocks, getting nothing to eat except a few berries, for thirteen days, with his almost fatal wounds, one through the hips with a rifle ball, the other in the neck from an arrow. He pulled the arrow out, and dressed his wounds the best he could. On the thirteenth day he was found by a soldier and taken to Mt. Idaho, where he recovered. Mr. Price and Manuel's daughter arrived at Mt. Idaho safely after a hard trip and much suffering. The daughter also finally recovered. Mr. Popham, after several days' struggling through the brush and mountains, reached Mt. Idaho safely.
After leaving Mr. Manuel's ranch the Indians went to the mouth of White Bird Creek, where Mr. Benedict lived and had a store. It will be remembered that they had shot and wounded him when out earlier in the day, but that he had made his escape and got home. Here they found him and August Bacon and killed them both. Mrs. Benedict escaped and made her way to Mt. Idaho. The Indians then started for H. C. Brown's store, one mile down the Salmon River. Brown saw them coming, took his wife, and with Andrew Bensching made his escape in a small boat across Salmon River. They remained in the timbered mountains for several days, but were finally rescued by a party under H. C. Johnson. The Indians spent the night of the 14th at Brown's ranch, where they helped themselves to everything they wanted in the house and store, including liquors. They then went to the Osborn ranch, which is a few miles toward Grangeville. There were several fam- ilies at that place. The Indians killed Mr. Osborn, Mr. Mason and Francois Chodazo, after which the women, Mrs. Mason, Mrs. Os- born, Mrs. Walch, and several children fell into the hands of the Indians, and it is said that the Indians treated these women shame- fully. Finally they allowed them to go, and they were met by a Mr. Shoemaker who had escaped, and assisted by him to Mt. Idaho. After plundering the houses and stores of everything they wanted, the Indians burned nearly all the houses and some of the barns on the ranches.
Late in the afternoon of the 14th, Arthur Chapman, who re- sided a few miles northwest of Mt. Idaho, received word of the outbreak of the Indians on Salmon River from an Indian boy, and at once went to Mt. Idaho and reported the news. L. P. Brown desired to send another dispatch to Lapwai and Lew Day volun- teered to take it. After passing Cottonwood he was attacked by two Indians and wounded so severely that he turned back and
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stopped at the Cottonwood house, kept by B. B. Norton. There he found Mr. and Mrs. Norton and son Hill, John Chamberlain, wife and two children, Miss Linn Bowers and Joseph Moore. They all immediately prepared to start to Mt. Idaho, a distance of about twenty miles. They got started about ten p. m., Norton and Moore on horseback, and the rest in a wagon. After traveling about ten miles, the Indians came upon them and first shot down the horses ridden by Norton and Moore, who jumped into the wagon, and then began a race for life. Soon the team was shot down, the In- dians were on them. Miss Bowers and the little boy, Hill Norton, made their escape in the dark. Mr. Chamberlan and wife and two children attempted to escape in the same way, but were discovered by the Indians. Mr. Chamberlain and his little boy were killed, the other child was snatched from the mother's arms and a piece of its tongue was cut off and it was wounded in the neck with a knife and left alone on the prairie. The poor, crazed mother was then treated outrageously by the Indians. Mr. Norton and wife re- mained at the wagon, also Mr. Day and Mr. Moore. Norton was shot and died in a few minutes. Mrs. Norton was shot through both legs, but crawled between the dead horses and remained there until morning. Moore was shot through the hips. Day had two bullets in the shoulder and one in the leg. At daylight the Indians withdrew.
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