Idaho Historical Society Chairman Martain Stinnett (Documentary Photo #ff342): We can't say for certain what produced those bullets on the site, but our explanation seems reasonable and in accord with the available facts. |
I groaned when I discovered an Indian burial
ground associated with the site. Luckily it is not on the site itself
but a hill half a mile north -- hill 342z, according to the Idaho
Geologic Survey.
The Bannock Indians are connected with hill 342z, and during the period of Indian wars, confronted the 47th cavalry group out of Fort Boise. Sometime in late 1878, a small group of soldiers ran a patrol up Table Rock. A deep gully borders the site, and there the Bannocks concealed themselves as the cavalry rode up the ridgeline. Unfortunately, the troops had been recently armed with Remington repeater rifles. When the Bannocks attacked, they were cut down in about one minute of gunfire. The remainder of the tribe located in the area pulled away into the mountains to the north. This is all conjecture as no record of such an encounter exists. The above account is based upon the presence of Remmington rounds, a few bodies in hill 342z and a little inductive reasoning on the part of the Idaho Historical Society. Evidence at the site: 97 Remmington rim-fire rifle cartridge cases. |
