Lapwai, Idaho Ter
July 22^nd 1877

Miss McBeth
Yours of the ___ is rec^d . I did not intend to find fault with you in my letter to Dr Lindsley. James Lawyer was the one who said he had been taught that the Bible teaching was against Christians going to war, & when I called upon them to take up arms & help defend their property, they refused on the grounds the Kamiah were Christians & they could not. I rode to K. last Thursday night guarded by ten In. Scouts from the Lapwai Fort. When I got to Kamiah I found Messengers in from the Fort with the news that Joseph crossed in force on the Oyiep & the 20 Ind Scouts sent in advance of the troops had had a fight in which John Lewis was killed. Abraham wounded through the shoulder & James Reubens through the arm. Gen Howard was marching his force to this side of the River & leaving Kamiah & the people without protection. I sent to James Lawyer & wanted him to take guns I would furnish & protect the people from Joseph if he should come back which I was certain he would to. James & the Indians refused to do any such thing and moved to this side of the River. The Lapwai In. here done bravely in acting as Scouts. James Reubens in particular having swam the Salmon River twice to carry dispatches to Gen Howard when no white man would risk the trip. I knew from talks I had with you in regard to our late war that you were a good deal of a Quaker & when James Lawyer & others refused to take Arms & gave the reason they did I thought it might be you had talked to them the same, but this had no influence in my actions as to dropping your name from the list of employees. But I should have continued you had they not taken your salary for the Spokanes. I asked Dr Lindsley to try & provide for you so that you might return to Lapwai & again open a school for I believe you have done a good work & there is much more to be done before the Nez Perce people are full, competent to take care to themselves. Col. Watkins Inspector, said that Kamiah is the first In. settlement he ever saw & compared it favorably with what he saw in the In Ter.

Gen Howard moved his force back toward Lapwai. Col Watkins & myself stopping behind a short time with the Scouts. When we was on the top of the hill coming home I looked back & saw a body of horsemen coming across the hill on the Kamiah side. I stopped & looked with my glass when I discovered a party of the Indians about six miles back of Kamiah. I gave my glass to Col. Watkins & asked him to look. He said they were coming. There were about forty of them. They came down to Kamiah formed in a line near the church, rode around the Inds, said they had come to kill them that night. Since then I have heard they drove off a great many horses belonging to the Kamiah people & killed some of the cattle. We rode on & overtook Gen Howard he halted his force at Cold Springs, & the next morning moved back to Kamiah. He named his camp ‘Camp McBeth’

I think I got out of Kamiah in time to save my scalp. I brought your trunks on this side & left them in care of Lorraine & will have them brught down the first opportunity. I brought all your papers including Nez Perce dictionary with me & now have them in my office. Will send all as soon as trunks come down.  Kind regards to Dr Lindsley
Truly yours

Jno B. Monteith