Weiser Bridge Indians

LETTER FROM OUR WEEKS CORRESPONDENTS

Weiser Bridge, Ada Co.,  August 17, 1878.

Ed. World: There is always a calm after a storm, and as the storm has passed, we now have our calm. As several articles have been published in Boise City papers which have caused some talk and stir between the citizens and military about the Indian fight on Snake river, I will give you the truth as nigh as I can get it from different men and my own knowledge:

Willis Groom, while horse hunting, discovered Indians crossing Snake river at the mouth of Jenkins creek, two miles below the mouth of the Weiser. He notified the soldiers that were stationed below the line, and two soldiers went to see. They found the reds and exchanged shots, after which the Indians jumped in the river and made for the other side, and the soldiers to their camp, I suppose to be reinforced. Mr. Groom made good time to warn the citizens of this valley, which he should have done in the 1st place and not disturbed the peace and quiet of the soldiers while lying in the shade of a warm day. Some three hours lapsed before any one returned to the scene of action. There were no Indians to be seen, but all their plunder and stock, consisting of the blankets, buffalo robes, saddles, horses and provisions, were left behind. The Weiserites helped themselves to what they wanted of the plunder, and fired the balance. The citizens swam to an island and drove some horses and one mule. The Lieutenant claimed the mule as being government property. The gentlemen who found the mule disputed it being government property, whereupon the officer ordered a guard placed on him. The citizen coolly replied that he (the officer) could not place a guard over one side of him ( the cutizen). The order has not yet been executed. The next thing was to place a guard alongside of the Snake river for the night. The Soldiers stayed until near the middle of the night, when they withdrew from the field, leaving six of the citizens to stand guard and like true veterans they did, for they discovered an Indian about daylight making toward the hills. The indian was kill, which proved to be a squaw. All I can say is she was out of luck by being there.

The scouts who have been out through the mountains report Indian signs plentiful between Weiser and Salmon river, in the mountains. The scouts captured one squaw and papoose near the mouth of Crane Creek on the Weiser River. They were sent to Bolse City yesterday.

We have been blessed with a much needed shower of rain, which cooled the atmosphere and settled the dust. The farmers have been threshing their grain, regardless of the warm weather. The crop will fall short. So far as threshed, I don’t think there will be more than one-third of a crop. Our merchant, Tommy Jeffreys, at the Weiser Bridge, is doing a lively business in the way of dry goods, groceries, queensware, hardware,  and in fact everything in the mercantile business. He sells as cheap as the merchants of Boise City.

From Idaho Semi-Weekly Word – Idaho City, Idaho – Friday, August 23, 1878