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382 Series I Volume L-I Serial 105 - Pacific Part I

Page 382 OPERATIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII.

and joined Lieutenant Funk in camp some six miles from Boonville (Owyhee mines). Moved next day to the immediiate vicinity of Boonville, and on ascertaining that the party of citizens referred to in letter of 19th had left some six or seven days previously for the Indian camp, from which the first party had been repulsed wiith the loss of Jordan, a prominent of Boonville, distant only forty miles, I determined to lay over the next day with hopes of learnign by express directly from them, and to learn by inquiry, if possible, something of the country and obtain the services of some one who had been through it. Failing in both instances, and acting upon the conclusion that the Indians had left the camp referred to and had scattered, proceeding most probably west, I resumed the march on the 24th, going down Jordan Creek, west from Boonville some twelve miles. Here the detachment sent with Captain Currey's supplies joined us. Leaving it and pursuing a southwest course, with the calculation of passing the camp where Jordan was killed some forty or fifty miles to the west, and expecting to striike the Owyhee River 100 miles above the mouth of Jordan Creek and 175 or 200 from its mouth, then to turn east if I failed to discover the Indians or their sigh, and search the waters of Middle River (Bruneau); thence north to Ruby City or Boonville. Previous to dispatching the force from the post I had requested, through the citizens who made the representations upon which I acted in outfitting the expedition, that they would not make any demonstrations against the Indiian camp until a force sufficent to destroy them could be cat to get them to fight in considerable force was very desisrble; that a premature movement might render the efforts of the military, as well as citizens, valueless; that I would take force and material sufficient, I thought, to beat any party of Indians that could possibly be in that part of the country, however strong their position might be naturally. We continued the march at the rat of ten to fifteen miles per day, examiniing particularly with scouts the canons of the streams that flow to the west (our right), and the mountains that divide the waters that run directly to Snake River and the Owyhee (our left). The cavalry performing this duty traveled daily from twenty=five to thirty miles, the country being generally well watered and grass abundant, though terribly rocky and cut up with iimmense canons. These running across our course generally, and frequently aat the points first touched, impassable for footmen even, gave us much trouble. No Indian trails, old or new, being discovered, showed that the country ahead was rough, if not impracticable; but thinking that when they did move from fear they could not find a more suitable country for defense, I preserved the course first determined upon as closely as possible, keeping up the examination of the country on either side. After making some seventy-five miles old signs became quite common, and on the evening of the 30th a scouting party discovered fresh signs on a mountain thickly covered with cedar. (The Owyhee here bends east almost to the foot of the mountains, the foot-hills and narrow strip of table-land bordering the river being cut every mile or two by canons, some of which we found utterly impassable.) The party proved to be small, and were camped nearly on the summit of the mountain. The camp was deserted wiith their meals on the fire, leaving also behind the uisual appendages of Indian camps-dogs and skins.

The next morning the scouting party to the right discovered the same Indiians, six men and-women, in their fliight from the party on the left. Pursuit was made immediately, necessarily on foot, but the Indains succeeded in outfooting the party form one to another of the may canons


Page 382 OPERATIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. Chapter LXII.