Show yom south alu july p col uth th the diaze lafr tair inor lnor f from col coi steptoe lf f 4 w vj ati I 1 A V from fr or col coi C 01 steptoe e dated at fart walla walia walla may 1858 has been placed at it gur zur our disposal from froin which awe we extract andu iud ind subjoin bjoin his narrative of the circumstances es attending attee linchis lin ghis bib bis recent action with with t the he spokane Sp and other irit InT lians As col steptoe did not enter the indian country with any expectation of hostilities we do justified q criticising criticizing critic ising his retreat his men seem beem to have hava fought bravely and arid his own undoubted courage cobrae and conduct render it j probable that no alternative remained except 0 t off in detail or abandon abaid on his exp eap expedition edl edi in the face of such a dispa disparity rity rily of 01 f force orce arid and in a position so unfavorable it was perhaps the best that could be done it does not beem seem bee see m to have been a aj surprise but an all unexpected declaration of hostilities on the part of the indians the florida war began with the sur priss and wild massacre of dadea Dades command and we suppose oppose that the battle battie batt lewill be a prelude to ail an obstinate nate and expensive war extract TRACT FROM COL letren fri left heft this fort walla walia wala walla on orf the with the command mentioned men to visit colville a white settlement near the british line lifie and about two hundred mites miles distant the object of my visit was to talk with the white people anahid and indians lais laib and try to effect a more harmonious intercourse inter couse between them two tivo deep strong rivers the snake and the spokane had hadbo to ba be crossed I 1 succeeded in crossing the first with great difficulty and ana when hen near the other found myself suddenly in the presence of more than a thousand indians all armed painted and highly c excited they demanded whether we ca came m e to attack them I 1 answered that we nye were friends to all who were vere friendly and arid did not hot wish to td fight if it could be bi avoided avoid avold edt edi they expressed pressed ix themselves thi the I 1 ll selve seive satisfied atis litis bied fied but posted osted themselves themi elves on the sum bilts hilts 1 bf three gills hills around the bases of which our road never suspecting treachery I 1 was on the point of entering the defile when nhen hen a mere accident dentex exited cred cUed m suspicion my y and I 1 turned aside asido Is qs ho bo doubt on my mind now that it if we had gone on not olie one would have lived to see ee the morrow ted and encamped but the baffled ravages i glared upon us hesitating to attack attach attack and we remain remained td thus in a hait half hostile attitude till near sunset the merest trifle would have bilge been sufficient to precipitate either party upon the other 0 0 0 the the next in morning orning I 1 resumed the marh march marb but I 1 hidgon hadon e v only enly to or three miles when tb be e indians attacked the rear guard and ana imme diat ilat ely the fight became general we labored under unde the disadvantage of having haling to td fi fight n bt while moving on and in the midst pf af a c country of successive hills peculiarly fayora favorable bite blie ta tile tiie enemy my force was casall ail ali all mounted but composed compoi ed chiefly I 1 ze of troops who had never before been under lare fare about 12 the commander of one C company campany an v felland tel fel lahd abd the indiana charging fiercely I 1 upon his hist nell neli th they y gave way and could not be b raille rallied d soon soan after aften another company commander fell fill and some bome of the bravest petty of hec fic ficera eis in the com command mana we were ri severely wounded I 1 determined therefore a yosl llon llop and halt klinn the them fight continued linued without in terms interns afon sun short time before unset sunset bw thie enemy enemy tt posted osted themselves all arlund Us to wil wait t for the e night and for reinforcements ments menis we knew that tbt or more would join them be beform before tore fore montah morning our oun ammunition was nearly neatly gilr our cis loss oss it in killed and wounded very considerable it was evident that abat we could not cot nocher day these considerations determined me to make a forced march and get possession of the canoes in which we had crossed snake alver before the enemy could do go so painful ful fui ats aks its a the tep step was eisaw I 1 saw there was no other al alferna terna tive we could noet notT not remain emain where ivero we were aad zad a slow stow march would be fully as disastrous for if the enemy selz seiz seized ed upon the canoes cano q S our situation would be worse lorse than even ever ever even these reasons I 1 put ut the command in ill motion about 10 0 at it night an anddie dald daid not stop until we wp reached the river nearly ninety binet ym miles 1 off I 1 thia this s war has been in maturing for dom gom sometime eamel but if it I 1 could have bave beaten the tha enemy at the start all future dl difficulty ali c lity in might lat uv haie been prevented as it is I 1 many lives ilves will be lost before a satisfactory adjustment cabbe can be thrived at lit the savages appear io have jeen e n excited by rumors that the government intends to t tike uko possession of their lands lardsa and the act of the last congress to lay laj out a military road from this place to the waters of fhe upper mis gouri louri fully satisfied hem tiem of ilia ilip the tha truth of the gutoro the party to survey the road roa dAas just assembling here and the fi fight 0 with me has no doubt sayed saved it from massac massacre te |