Oregon volunteers were raised to attack a group of Indians in the Walla Walla region, who
were probably from the Iron Confederation and defiant, as were the Iron Confederations
warriors who participated in the two previously mentioned battles. The Iron Confederations
warriors in this military campaign may have numbered around 1,000. Reading of the descriptions
of the four day battle gives the reader the impression that the Americans were extremely
suspicious of some Indians who deliberately surrendered to them, but those Indians probably
snitched on the Iron Confederation. The captured Indians were to lead the American military
force to the main group of Iron Confederations warriors, but during the trip to them they
made a decision which offset what they all (including the captured Indians) originally planned
on, which included sending for reinforcements, which suggests that the Americans knew that
the Indian military force was large.
On the morning of December 7, 1855 the four day battle commenced, after the Americans awoke then prepared to give battle to the Indians they had been searching for. For the next four days the warriors from the Iron Confederation bravely defended themselves against the better armed American soldiers. On December 10, the Indians learned that new American reinforcements arrived to strengthen their military force fighting their brave warriors, which forced them to agree to flee from the battle with their women and children, north, across the Snake river. This battle was an American victory, but we have been given good reasons to believe that the Iron Confederation was betrayed by their own kind. To show their gratification to the Indians they had captured, the Americans killed them. If the Americans used torture to get important information from the captured Indians, it helped their cause. If the Indians were friendly towards the whites and wanted to aid their cause, the Americans didn’t have to kill them, but the whites were known for doing that. American casualties during the four day battle were 20 but probably higher, with seven of them killed. Indian casualties were estimated at between 75 and 100 killed, which is probably true, because they were obviously betrayed. The goal of the Americans in this battle was to force these defiant Iron Confederation Indians out of the war.
On the morning of December 7, 1855 the four day battle commenced, after the Americans awoke then prepared to give battle to the Indians they had been searching for. For the next four days the warriors from the Iron Confederation bravely defended themselves against the better armed American soldiers. On December 10, the Indians learned that new American reinforcements arrived to strengthen their military force fighting their brave warriors, which forced them to agree to flee from the battle with their women and children, north, across the Snake river. This battle was an American victory, but we have been given good reasons to believe that the Iron Confederation was betrayed by their own kind. To show their gratification to the Indians they had captured, the Americans killed them. If the Americans used torture to get important information from the captured Indians, it helped their cause. If the Indians were friendly towards the whites and wanted to aid their cause, the Americans didn’t have to kill them, but the whites were known for doing that. American casualties during the four day battle were 20 but probably higher, with seven of them killed. Indian casualties were estimated at between 75 and 100 killed, which is probably true, because they were obviously betrayed. The goal of the Americans in this battle was to force these defiant Iron Confederation Indians out of the war.