Spokane Topics – Page 2 of 2

Preliminary Treaty of 23 September 1858

Preliminary Articles of a Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between the United States and the Spokane Nation of Indians Article 1. Hostilities shall cease between the United States and the Spokane nation of Indians from and after this date. Article 2. The chiefs and headmen of the Spokane Indians, for and in behalf of the whole nation, promise to deliver up to the United States all property in their possession belonging either to the government or to individual white persons. Article 3. The chiefs and headmen of the Spokane Indians, for and in behalf of the whole nation, promise and … Read more

The Spokanes in Council

Headquarters Expedition against Northern Indians Camp on the Ned-whauld River, W. T. Lat. 47 Deg., 24 Min. N. September 24, 1858 Sir: I have the honor to submit a continuation of the history of my operations since the 21st, the date of my last communication (No. 18). Marching from my camp on the morning of the 22d, at the distance of three miles we emerged from the woods onto the open prairie, and after pursuing a west-southwest course for eighteen miles over a rolling country thinly studded with pines we reached this place and encamped. Before reaching here I was … Read more

Retribution for Previous Losses

Headquarters Expedition against Northern Indians, Camp on the Spokane River, W. T., 16 miles above the ‘Falls’ September 9, 1858. Sir: I remained during the 6th at my camp, three miles below the falls, as my troops required rest after the long march and battle of the previous day. No hostile demonstrations were made by the enemy during the day; they approached the opposite bank of the river in very small parties and intimated a desire to talk, but no direct communication was held with them, as the distance was too great and the river deep and rapid. Early on … Read more

Measuring Strength with the Northern Indians

Having crossed the river and being now properly in the land of the enemy, a final inspection of the different branches of the command and equipment was made before moving forward. Ominous signs had for several days appeared in the north. Smoke arising at various points during the day and the illuminated horizon at night indicated that the grass was being burned over a broad front, plainly denoting also that Indian scouting parties were vigilantly covering every nook and corner of that vast region. But few doubted that somewhere beyond that fire line the hostiles were preparing to the last … Read more

Wright’s Order 6

Orders No. 6. Headquarters Expedition against Northern Indians Camp on Snake River, at Mouth of the Tucanon August 19, 1858 The field work erected at this place will be called “Fort Taylor. Captain Keys, commanding the battalion of the 3rd artillery, will designate a garrison for Fort Taylor, of one company, or at least sixty-five rank and file, exclusive of officers. The two six-pounders will be mounted in Fort Taylor. The two mountain howitzers, with ammunition, &c., complete for field service, will be turned over to an officer to be designated by Captain Keys. Assistant Surgeon Brown is assigned to … Read more

Wright’s Order 5

On the return of Lieutenant Davidson to Walla Walla with the supply train, as directed in Orders No. 3, Colonel Wright, being in readiness, moved forward with but brief delay. While yet at Walla Walla he issued the following orders for the government of the command throughout the coming campaign. Orders No. 5. Headquarters Expedition against Northern Indians Camp Near Fort Walla Walla, W. T. August 14, 1858 The residue of the troops for the northern expedition will march from Fort Walla Walla tomorrow, and unite with the advance at the Snake River. Marching from Snake River, the order will … Read more

Wright’s Order 3

Chief Timothy was proud of his own record of friendly relationship with the whites, and his counsel to his people was ever to preserve a spirit of good feeling between the two races. He possessed an old flint-lock gun which, he said, was given to his father by the explorers, Lewis and Clark, and which he valued highly as an heirloom. He himself remembered the visit of the explorers, and in his declining years loved to recount the events which clustered around the coming and going of the first party of federal officials that ever traveled across the continent. Colonel … Read more

Preliminaries Before the Battle at Tohotonimme

The events of Colonel Wright’s expedition against the Indians who opposed the advance of Colonel Steptoe are set forth in detail and at length in his own reports and letters. These appear in full in the following pages with the interjection of such information from other sources as the author deems expedient for the purpose of rendering the narrative complete. Preceding the reports of the expedition is also the pertinent correspondence leading up thereto. Because of the exactness and completeness of detail which characterize these reports, written from the field, as they were, during the progress of the campaign, their … Read more

Casualty Report – Battle at Tohotonimme

Report of the killed, wounded and missing in the battle at To-hoto-nim-me, May 17, 1858 Company C, First Dragoons. Killed Brevet Captain O. H. Taylor Private Alfred Barnes Mortally wounded Private Victor Charles De Moy Severely wounded Privates James Lynch and Henry Montreville Slightly wounded Farrier Elijah R. Birch Company E, First Dragoons Killed Second Lieutenant William Gaston Mortally wounded First Sergeant William C. Williams Severely wounded James Kelly, William D. Micon, and Hariet Sneckster. Slightly wounded James Healy, Maurice Henly, Charles Hughes, and John Mitchell. Company H, First Dragoons Killed Privates Charles H. Harnish and James Crozet Missing First … Read more

Colonel Steptoe’s Report

On the day succeeding the return to Walla Walla, Colonel Steptoe dispatched the fol lowing report of the expedition to head quarters of the Department of the Pacific at San Francisco: “Fort Walla Walla, May 23, 1858. Major: On the 2nd instant I informed you of my intention to move northward with a part of my command. Accordingly, on the 6th I left here with C, E, and H, First dragoons, and E, Ninth infantry; in all, five company officers and one hundred and fifty-two enlisted men. Hearing that the hostile Pelouse were near Al-pon-on-we, in the Nez Perces land, … Read more

Dragoon Soldiers Retreat

Lieutenant Gregg reached the trail and following it soon overtook the advance companies, which had moved under some restraint, expecting him to join them, and the whole command proceeded rapidly onward. Specter-like, they galloped over high ridges, presenting a chain of fleeting figures that loomed strangely on the starlit horizon. Sinking again into deep hollows fashioned among the hills by the Great Architect, they formed a mass of darkness more dense than the gloom through which they moved. It was a hard ride, fatiguing alike to horse and rider. The unscathed soldier fought with his exhaustion to keep himself awake … Read more

Council Between the Officers

Captain Winder, next in command to Colonel Steptoe, Lieutenant Gregg, now senior dragoon officer, and Surgeon Randolph, having come together, fell to discussing their situation. They entertained no doubt as to the intention of the Indians to renew the attack, either during the night or on the following morning. Nearly destitute of ammunition, the command could hardly withstand a single onset. They were outnumbered five or six to one and should a determined assault be made upon them, and the ammunition become entirely spent the survivors would be helpless to prevent being slain on the spot, or captured and subjected … Read more

Battle at Tohotonimme

The portentous events of the day now fully impressed Colonel Steptoe with the danger that would be incurred by pressing his advance farther toward Colville and he determined, therefore, to retrace his steps toward Snake River. For potent reasons he desired to accomplish the return without a clash with the Indians. His light supply of ammunition and the overwhelming, well-armed force opposed to him augured much against risking an engagement. And, besides this, he had entertained no thought of projecting his command offensively into the country of the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene in violation of their avowed friendly relations, it … Read more

Palouse incite Coeur d’Alene and Spokane Indians

Numerous indications of the recent presence of Indians were observed as the expedition proceeded north from Snake River. Evidently a considerable number of had gathered in the vicinity of Red Wolfs crossing and, being fully aware of their own guilty conduct and of the punishment justly due them, they fled to the Coeur d’Alenes and Spokane to incite among those tribes, if possible, a spirit of hostility toward the soldiers in the hope of thus being aided by their counsel and numerical strength. After marching eight days, Colonel Steptoe reached the Palouse River and on Friday morning, the 14th, when … Read more

Lot, A Spokane Chief

The Spokane, when they were not off on a buffalo-hunt or camping here and there to store up the carcass roots for winter as the squirrels store up beechnuts, used to live along the banks of the Spokane River in Washington State. This river, with many falls and rapids, flows through great forests west to the Columbia. It is a beautiful land of wooded hills and fertile valleys, and the Indians clung to it with great fondness. here are found every sort of game. The deer run wild in the natural parks, and the speckled trout dart up-stream, shining in … Read more

Conquest of the Coeur d’Alene, Spokane and Palouse

The expeditions of Colonels Steptoe and Wright into the country of the Coeur d’Alenes, Spokanes and Palouses were made without the blare of notoriety; they were not heralded by the press in startling headlines; nor were the minutiae of accompanying details flashed momentarily over convenient wires to an expectant nation. In obedience to orders laboriously conveyed to them, the commanders of these expeditions went forward to their duty.

Spokane Tribe

Mr. and Mrs. Three Mountain, Washington State, circa 1920

Spokan Tribe, Spokan Indians, Spokane Indians. A name applied to several small bodies of Salish on and near Spokane River, north east Washington. According to Gibbs the name was originally employed by the Skitswish to designate a band at the forks of the river, called also Smahoomenaish. by the whites it was extended to cover several nearly allied divisions, which Gibbs enumerates as follows: Sin-slik-ho-ish, Sintootoolish, Sma-hoo-men-a-ish (Spokenish), Skai-schil-t’nish, ske-chei-a-mouse, Schu-el-stish, Sin-poil-schne, Sin-shee-lish. The last two were claimed by the Okinagan also. All of them are now held to be separate divisions and not bands of one tribe. The population … Read more

Condition of the Idaho Indians in 1890

U.S. Indian Agent and Party on Fort Hall Reservation

Early the summer of 1877 troubles arose in regard to the occupancy of the Wallowa valley by white settlers, it having been withdrawn in 1875 as a reservation under treaty of 1873, because of the failure, of the Indians to permanently occupy it. An Indian belonging to a band of non-treaty Indians under Chief Joseph was killed by some settlers; then the Indians insisted upon the removal of the settlers and the restitution of the valley to them. Upon the refusal of the government to do this, and after further efforts to compel all the non-treaty Indians to come into … Read more

Biography of Rev. Elkenah Walker

REV. ELKANAH WALKER. – Rev. E. Walker was born at North Yarmouth, Maine, August 7, 1805, and was the son of a farmer. He was brought up in his native place. He was converted when about twenty-six years old, and soon afterwards began to study for the ministry. He took an academic course, but did not go to college, a fact which he afterwards regretted. he entered Bangor Theological Seminary, Maine, in 1834, and graduated in 1837. Having given himself to the foreign missionary work, he was appointed by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to South Africa, … Read more