Steptoe didn’t fight ON the Butte

In the feature story titled headlined “Monumental Struggle” that I wrote for the Aug. 13 edition of The Spokesman-Review, I included the following two paragraphs:

“On May 17, 1858, Col. Edward Steptoe and a detachment of 155 soldiers (plus several Nez Perce scouts) engaged 800 to 1,000 (estimates vary) Indians from the Coeur d’Alene, Spokane and Palouse tribes.

“In what has become known as the Battle of Steptoe Butte , Steptoe and his men were soundly defeated. They escaped during the night.”

Since then, at least two local historians have chastised me for not pointing out that the so-called Battle of Steptoe Butte never got near the 3,600-foot peak . It was waged just north of what is now Rosalia.

As you’ll notice, I didn’t say that the battle was fought at Steptoe Butte. In fact, I had originally included a line saying that the battle was, indeed, waged nearer to Rosalia. But it was edited out.

Even so, for whatever reason, the battle has come to known as the Battle of Steptoe Butte. And since I wasn’t really writing about that battle, that’s the name I used for it.

Let’s hope this helps clear up the confusion.