New York Daily Tribune

THE INDIANS IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON TERRITORIES.

INCIDENTS OF THE WAR.

Soon after the defeat of Col. Steptoe by the Indians on the Spokane River, Major John Owen was appointed by Col. Nesmith, Indian Superintendent in Oregon and Washington Territories, to proceed to the Spokane country to hold a council with the Indians, and endeavor to ascertain the causes of the attack upon Col. Steptoe. Being at that time on my way through the part of the country accompanied Major Owen, as an account of our adventures may be of interest to your readers, I send you this letter.

We left the Dalles, on the Columbia River, early on the 17th of June, reached Walla Walla, 150 miles distant, in five days, and from thence proceeded to Fort Colville, on the Upper Columbia, a short distance below the junction of Clark's Fork, where we arrived on the morning of the 4th of July. We here joined Major Owen's camp consisting of two white men and seventy-five animals—horses and mules. Fort Colville is an old post, which the Hudson's Bay Company have occupied for some thirty years and is the center of settlement. There is a fine valley lying back of the Fort, which is one of the best farming regions that one could wish to see. In the immediate vicinity of the Fort the scenery is quite wild, there being a high bluff between it and the valley beyond, and the face of the country on the opposite side of the river being very rugged and broken and the river itself although wide is also deep and rapid. The trade of the above about $12,000 per annum mostly with the Indians though the settlers participate in it to some extent.

On our arrival we found a band of Coeur d'Alene Indians who were with the party that attacked Col. Steptoe, occupying a room in the Fort. They had a great number of horses and mules, which they had taken in that fight, and which the agent of the Hudson's Bay Company, in charge at the Fort, readily purchased, although he was well aware of the mode in which they had been obtained; indeed the Indians themselves boasted loudly of the fact.

On the 7th of July we left for the chutes of the Spokane River, where we arrived on the 17th, and found a camp of about 1,500 Indians, consisting of Palousers, Spokanes, Coeur d'Alenes, Yakamas and Colvilles. They were all in their war-paint, and in a state of great exultation over their recent victory, riding about on the captured animals, and boastfully "showing off" the various articles they had taken from the troops. They all seemed to think that the U.S. Government could not send troops enough into the field to whip them, and when told that such would certainly be the case, they only laughed, and said—"the more they send, the more we will kill." They were fine-looking set of men, and some of them acknowledged that they were led into the war much against their own will, but that, being in, they were determined to fight it out.

Our party consisted of five men, all well mounted and armed. Major Owen is the agent for the Flat Head tribe, in the Bitter Root valley, where he has passed the last ten years, and had many a warm personal friend among the Indians in camp. George Montour, our guide and interpreter, is a half-breed, well known throughout the Territory, about six feet in height, weighing over two hundred pounds, and as brave and true as steel; the other members of our party were like myself, merely spectators of the scene.

On riding into the camp, we went to the great Council Lodge and dismounted, but no one came out to welcome us. As long-established custom has made it a most sacred duty for the chief of a tribe to welcome any one that comes to his camp, be he friend or foe, the present neglect was considered a mark of great hostility, and, in the words of one of the party, "made the hair feel quite loose on the tops of our heads." Some little time, however we were sent for, and told to come into the Lodge and smoke, and have a talk.

As we entered the Lodge, the chiefs in council stood up till we were seated, and then began the talk. Sgal Hault and The Fool's Son, two of the principal chiefs present, deserve a special notice. The first mentioned is a large, fine-looking man, one of the great braves of the Spokane nation, a firm friend of Major Owen's, but a bitter foe to the troops. He was opposed to the attack upon Steptoe, but says "that since his young men have disregarded his counsels and commenced the war, they must now stand up to that position to which their own foolishness has brought them; and that he, for one, will never desert them, but will fight to the last, and die with his face to the enemy." The Fool's Son, another of the Spokane Indians, is one of the men most to be dreaded in this war. He literally had our lives in his hands for one word from him, and our whole party would have been scalped. Fortunately for us he did not give that word, but why he did not we were unable to say, for he is one of the most deadly enemies of the white man in the Territory, and says "that he will fight and die by the graves of his fathers." Some inferior chiefs were present, but the burden of the talk fell upon these two.

The most of the time during the interview was taken up by the Indians, who asked what the white men intended doing about the fight? whether they would try to come again? whether Major Owen would tell the Great Father all that he saw and heard at the council, or only part of it? what led us up into their country? when we would go away? how many men Col. Steptoe could muster? whether the Volunteers would turn out again? whether Major Owen had anything to say to them about making peace? &c. &c. They said they did not wish to make peace, but meant to fight and die; but hoped the Volunteers would not turn out, for they knew how to fight. To all their questions Major Owen could give but scanty replies, as he had no authority to treat with them, but was sent specially to ascertain their disposition. After being in the council for five hours we were dismissed, and walked out into the open air.

As we stepped upon the green in front of the Lodge, such a scene burst upon our sight as would baffle abler pens than mine to describe as it deserved. The Spokane, in full view, breaks through the mountains with a beautiful succession of falls. The camp is at the bottom of a valley of about a hundred acres, smooth and almost without vegetation, as it has for long time been used as a camp ground at this season of the year. On all sides the valley is surrounded by high hills, densely wooded to their summits, by the lofty pines and cedars of Oregon. The deep green of the masses of the general features of the scenery, though it imparts a monotonous were not for the bold, bare cliffs of white and red granite, that appear here and there, sparkling like diamonds in the sun-light, and the small streams that send their waters dashing and glistening like a thread of silver down the mountain side into the river below. Farther down one comes bounding down from above, one completes the Falls of the Spokane, where a large body of water, mass of foam, with the heads of the black rocks, now some huge monsters sporting in the sunshine. Then appearing and now disappearing, like the heads of white at our feet the village spread out before us, and the Indians—some riding about, some dancing the scalp dance, some seated on the ground cleaning their arms—the squaws bringing salmon from the river where they had been caught, the horses and cattle browsing at the foot of the hills before being sent higher up for the night. Taking all in at a glance on the hill-side all pleasant and peaceful—in the valley below, the barking of dogs, the sound of the war drum—made us all feel that this was a sight to be seen but once in a man's lifetime.

"But what is this coming? is not that one of your mules, Major?" "Yes, but don't say that it is; let us see what they will do with it." The Indian rode up, and dismounting sat down before us and commenced gambling with his companions on the mule, his blanket, and all else that he had to stake. He sat a moment, then got up, saying that he knew where to get another mule, and started off.

Soon after this we were called again into the council.