THE SHEEP EATER CAMPAIGN. 



441 



that all the rations we could spare were to 

 be given to Farrow, who, with his scouts, 

 would remain in that vicinity to run down 

 this band of Indians. Captain Forse and 

 Lieutenant Catley were to proceed to their 

 proper stations, and we were to march to 

 the mouth of Loon creek, where we ex- 

 pected to meet rations from Boise. Our 

 first march up the mountain, getting out of 

 that canyon, was a terrible one, and cost 

 us 14 mules. We soon found we had been 

 too liberal in dividing the rations. Ours 

 were entirely exhausted before we reached 

 the mouth of Loon creek, and we found no 

 train there, so we were without food for 3 

 days of hard marching. As ill luck would 

 have it, just at this particular time we saw 

 no game. 



On the afternoon of the 3d day of our 

 famine, as we were riding up Loon creek, 

 someone shouted, " Salmon! " There they 

 were, a fine lot of them, sunning themselves 

 in water scarce deep enough to cover their 

 backs. The captain and half a dozen of us 

 dismounted at' once. The Lieutenant was 

 directed to find a camp, and in a few min- 

 utes we had shot about a dozen large fish, 

 which were soon in camp. Salmon steaks 

 were hastily cut, thrown on fires, and when 

 about half cooked, they were snatched from 

 the fires and eaten, without bread or even 

 salt. The first swallowed would not remain 

 down; but we persisted until we could 



make it stay. I ate no more salmon for 

 several years after that meal. 



That evening our energetic chief packer, 

 Barnes, took 2 of his best pack mules and 

 struck out for Bonanza, a mining town sup- 

 posed to be about 75 miles away. The next 

 day we marched up Long creek to Oro 

 Grande, and that evening Barnes rejoined 

 with 2 loads of bacon, crackers and coffee, 

 and we had the most enjoyable feast of my 

 life. The following day we met Lieutenant 

 Patten, 21st Infantry, with a pack train 

 loaded with provisions, and our famine was 

 ended. 



A few days later we went into camp on 

 the Payette river, where we awaited orders 

 from General Howard, who finally directed 

 us to return to Boise Barracks, where we 

 arrived about the middle of September. 

 Meanwhile, the scouts under Lieutenants 

 Farrow, 21st Infantry, and W. C. Brown, 

 1 st Cavalry, were pressing the Sheep Eaters 

 and soon had them all captured. I believe 

 there were only about 20 warriors in the 

 band. 



Thus ended our Sheep Eater campaign. 

 The march had been a hard one, because 

 we had been obliged to keep going; we had 

 suffered from hunger, and were in rags; 

 but for real pleasure and sport, for one who 

 enjoys hunting and fishing, the country 

 traversed by us in the summer of 1879 can 

 hardly be equalled. 



THE SHEEP EATER CAMPAIGN. 



MAJOR T. E. WILCOX, U.S.A. 



Oro Grande, a mining camp on Loon 

 creek, a tributary of Salmon river, Idaho, was 

 the scene of an Indian massacre in the 

 winter of 1878-9, the victims being a few 

 Chinamen who were gleaning the placers 

 abandoned by white men. The Indians 

 concerned belonged to that little-known 

 band called " Sheep Eaters," together with 

 a few renegade Bannocks who escaped 

 capture or surrender in the Bannock war 

 of 1877-8. 



Bonneville makes mention of a band of 

 Indians, not allied to any of the great tribes 

 either side of the Rocky mountains, but 

 possibly made up of renegades from all, 

 shunning all men, Ishmaelites, who dwelt in 

 the remotest recesses and among the lofti- 

 est peaks. The mountain sheep supplied 

 them with food and a name. 



As soon as news of the massacre reached 

 the authorities, one company of infantry 

 was sent in to " apprehend and if necessary 

 destroy " the marauders. 



This expedition met with disaster. 



A few weeks later a courier brought to 

 the post summons for " the field," the com- 

 mand being at Payette lakes, 3 days' march 

 distant. 



Preparations were hurriedly made, and 

 on a sultry August afternoon we started 

 upon what proved to us an eventful cam- 

 paign. 



Taking a trail which greatly shortened 

 the distance to our prospective camp, for 

 the first night, we reached Horseshoe bend 

 of the Payette river, where a hotel afforded 

 a lodging place and an early breakfast. 

 From this we descended the river a short 

 distance, crossed and proceeded up Squaw 

 creek to the last ranch, where we took the 

 trail up the mountain which had to be 

 crossed. Reaching the summit and cross- 

 ing it, a dense and vine-tangled thicket was 

 entered, where our guide soon became be- 

 wildered and led us here and there until ap- 

 proaching darkness, when, stumbling over 



