The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My Public Portal AboutSheepeater Indian War STORY IS TOLD OF INDIAN AMBUSH AND ORIGIN" OF NAME OF "VINEGAR HILL" Taken from "Cascade News" March 24, 1939 Volumn XXIV Number 51 From Idaho's lusty infancy of the gold boom period came an inter- esting and picturesque nomenclature, names like Oro Fino, Ora Grande, Stibnite, Baboon Creek, Placerville, Quartzburg--.but few tantalize the imagination like "Vinegar Hill." Located in the Salmon river wilderness, a country still compara- tively unknown and described, by geologists as having mineral possibili- ties outstanding in the United. States, Vinegar Hill has been seen by only a small percentage of Idaho's citizens. A rocky unassuming point, it lifts to a not impressive height from the north bank of Big Creek, which empties into the mystic Middle Fork only a short distance above "Impassable Canyon." In 1879, Lt. henry Catley's command, consisting of some L,5 mounted infantry and hot on the trail of the Sheepeaters, bumped into an Indian ambush on Big Creek. The first volley wounded two of Catley's superiors, who quite possibly never knew what it was to be fired upon in a rocky canyon by an unknown force of hostile..Indians. Withdrawing apprehensively, his wounded on hand-litters, Catley started his command up a ridge which he hoped would lead him out of the Big Creek country. This maneuver among the rocks brought on a game • of hide-and-seek, much to the Indians liking. There were only a score or so of them, but they must have seemed several times that number to Catley and he was greatly disturbed presently to learn that they were not only behind but in front as well. He halted and prepared for defense on the nearest point. The Indians fired the brush and soon Catley's command found itself in an extremely warm predicament. "The wind was high", so the commander himself reported later, "and the terrible roaring of the smoke and flame seemed to approach in every direction." A first sergeant, by the bold name of John A, Sullivan, took a detachment and did some brave work backfiring around the position. This and a fortunate shift of the wind is credited with saving the command. They found fire-fighting exceedingly hard work. In the smoke and heat on top of that hill thirst soon became maddening. Water--water-_ But there was no water. The oi:1y liquid they could find was vinegar, from the food packs. Sour and bit,:ar, it nevertheless moistened dry parched throats. When under cover of darkness at two o'clock the following morning, Catley's men, disordered and having abandoned most of their equipment and supplies, slipped down that fire-blackened h.ilisi,'e and scooted for the safety of the gold camp, Warrens, they left behind a landmark which has :_:ndured on Idaho maps to this day and the mere name of which, to them, must have tasted a little "Vinegarish" for years afterward. Spawning grounds The fiery le g end Ho Vine g lll by Koxanna Allen A hot July 30. Fire burning all around you, and _trail or give up the pursuit." no water to drink. Feverously you search through Catley and his men came across even fresher your rations for some form of liquid to quench signs of Indians on July 29 in the form of an your thirst,and finally come across a container of ambush at the mouth of Big Creek. vinegar. Two men were seriously wounded, and Catley Not a very appealing thought, is it? This is the ordered a retreat with the wounded up a ridge. predicament that 48 mounted infantrymen found The men took cover as the Indians surrounded themselves in, under the order of Lt. Henry the hill. The Indians set fire to the brush. Catley, in 1879 on a ridge that was destined to "The wind was high and the terrible roaring of become known as "Vinegar Hill." the smoke and flame seemed to approach in every In February, 1879, five Chinese miners were direction," was the later report made by Catley. found robbed and killed on Loon Creek, 80 miles John Sullivan took a detachment of men and set northeast of Boise. In April the bloodstained a backfire. This and a shift of the wind were the bodies of Hugh Johnson and Peter Dorsey were saving factors of the troop from being scorched discovered at Dorsey's ranch on the South Fork of alive. the Salmon River, southeast of Warrens. Indian There was no water on the hill for the hot and signs were detected at both scenes and it was tired troops.Searching through their rations,they supposed that hostile Indians wintering with the found some vinegar. Pungent as vinegar tastes, Sheepeaters were responsible for the incidents. nevertheless quenched their thirst. Lt. Catley was dispatched from Camp Howard, The Indians only fired about 15 shots at the near Orangeville, with 48 mounted infantry. hidden troops; the only wounded being a mule. Their orders were to form a junction with Captain About 2 a.m. July 31, they left the hill under the Reuben Bernard from Boise Barracks. Captain cover of darkness, discarding much of their Bernard was in charge of 56 men from Company baggage. Eleven mules were lost that night G. Their goal... "to ascertain who the murders because the bell of the pack train had been were, and, if Indians, to apprehend them and muffled. The retreat continued until reaching bring them to Boise." Warm Springs (Burgdorf) Aug. 5. They were Lt. Catley left Camp Howard to meet with intent on returning to Camp Howard only to be Captain Bernard June 4. He had to turn back met with reinforcements with orders to turn twice because of deep snow. Catley finally toward, and not away from, the Indians. reached the Rain's ranch July 17, 100 miles from It should be known that Catley was court- Camp Howard. On July 19 they arrived at the martialed and found guilty of misbehavior in the head of Chamberlain Creek. presence of the enemy. The sentence was . Lt. Catley's later report stated: "Having dismissal, but it was set aside by Presidential I marched into the Big Creek country, I found fresh order. Indian signs, which led me down Big Creek Catley and his troops left a landmark that through a deep and rocky canyon, and the signs continues to imprint Idaho maps to this day as becoming fresher, I was obliged to follow their "Vinegar Hill." I c�r,c�w�1,`..' gKET CH Iv►AP liawsko mei, MIDDLE IDAHO '' SNDW�NG fRA1L MADE dY a►T�iy �N SHEEPEA'TER CAMPAIGN `� 1879 y � Y � afrdt�as �� rfh,nce .443, a 5 � gP`� ..., b(, ,1y 'p Is ° f� -,�y , \.. lid Ti ,`\ Ri"-'TIC-�'<'` ,rc ofderf �� fi3.ttyi1) S O� I'd fc �� r tii �,� . , J- ,I C ,c C C .� • VLNE6KC I 11A�n enf MLI� t�. <aiugRat6et' Se QZfR / i F R to