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Nez Perce
Indian
War
By the
Nez Percé
Treaty of June 11, 1855, that tribe of Indians relinquished
to the United States their title in and to the area of territory
described in said treaty, excepting the large reservation of
country defined, in which reservation was embraced the Wallowa
valley. Upon the 9th of June, 1863, Calvin H. Hale,
Superintendent of Indian Affairs of Washington Territory, and
Indian Agents Samuel D. Howe and Charles Hutchins, Commissioners
on the part of the United States, concluded a supplementary
treaty between the United States and the several bands of the
said Nez Percé nation, the
latter being represented by fifty-one chiefs, headmen and
delegates, all of whom subscribed said treaty. By the latter
treaty Wallowa valley was excluded from the reservation. In
other words, it was surrendered to the United States and the
Indian title thereto extinguished. Old Joseph subscribed the
treaty of 1855. His band had participated in the Walla Walla
Council.
By order of the general land-office, May 28, 1867,
Wallowa valley and vicinity were surveyed as public lands and
declared open for settlement. Under that order eleven townships
were surveyed, and the plats approved May 9, 1868. Eighty-seven
pre-emption and homestead claims were filed. The effects of the
treaty of 1863 was to divide the Nez Percé
nation. Those who agreed to that treaty were called "Treaty
Indians." Those who claimed that they had not been parties to
that treaty, and who refused to consent to the modified
reservation, or to the surrender of the territory, became known
as "Non-treaty Nez Percé."
Old Joseph had died in 1871, leaving two sons,
Joseph and Ollicott, who
claimed Wallowa valley as the home of their band, and repudiated
the treaty of 1863, by which the other bands of Nez Percé had
relinquished the territory.
Young Joseph, who succeeded his father as chief, became
the most prominent leader of the "non-treaties." During the year
1871, and the years immediately following, a number of white
settlers took claims in Wallowa valley. Joseph ordered them to
leave, but attempted no violent demonstration. The discontent of
the Indians continued to manifest itself. Their conduct became
more offensive, defiant and threatening. The disaffection became
more and more wide-spread, and has assumed the shape of
organized opposition to white occupancy.
In 1874 the settlers complained to General Davis,
commanding the Department of the Columbia, that the
"non-treaties" or malcontents had congregated in large numbers
in Paradise and other valleys, ostensibly for the purpose of
digging roots; but that they, however, were very defiant and
impudent to the settlers, and threatened mischief. General Davis
dispatched two companies of troops to the vicinity, who remained
till the Indians dispersed. In 1875 President Grant issued an
executive order proclaiming Wallowa valley public land of the
United States, and open to settlement. Two cavalry companies
were sent to the valley to see that the Indians remained quiet.
After General Howard, U.S. Army, had assumed the
command of the Department of the Columbia, being impressed with
the belief that he could solve the Indian problem peaceably, he
held several councils with the "non-treaties," but without
material result. He failed to convince them that they were under
obligation to live up to the treaty, or that they should go on
the Nez Percé Reservation.
Finally he and Indian Agent Monteith, as commissioners on behalf
of the government, informed them that the government would issue
an order directing them to go upon the reservation; and that,
upon their failure to comply, force would be employed to put
them there. In January, 1877, the orders were received by the
Indian agent at Lapwai to place the Nez Percé on the
reservation. The agent communicated notice of the order to all
the bands. Patiently he labored to persuade the "non-treaties"
to go upon the reservation. Failing, he obeyed the instruction
to call upon the United States forces to assist in the execution
of the order. General Howard spent much of April and May at
Wallula, Fort Walla Walla and Lapwai in interviews and talks
with the disaffected, urging very argument to have them
voluntarily go upon the reservation.
Finally, on the 19th of May, they pretended to assent,
but asked for thirty days in which to do so. General Howard
consented; but believing that the Indians had no intention to
comply with his orders, and that the delay was a ruse to gain
time to organize their forces and make preparations for open
hostilities, he at once concentrated all his available troops in
the vicinity of the disaffected country. Before the thirty days
had elapsed, White Bird appeared in Wallowa valley and murdered
a number of defenseless women and children. that war chief of
the "non-treaties" arrayed in his war paint, rode through the
country, defying the Whites and loudly proclaiming that they
would not go upon the reservation, that the country
belonged to them, and that they would kill soldiers or citizens
who opposed their keeping it.
About the same time an outbreak had occurred at Mount
Idaho, twenty white men and women having been murdered, and a
number of women brutally outraged. On hearing this, general
Howard sent, June 15th, two companies of United States cavalry,
Captains Perry and Trimble, to White Bird cañon, where White
Bird's band was found in force. The Indians opened fire on
Captain Perry's command, which he returned. After an hour's
severe fighting, Perry was compelled to fall back on
Grangeville, sixteen miles distant, the Indians pursuing and
fighting him all the way. He lost thirty men and one officer,
Lieutenant Theller. On June 21st, eight companies, or rather
fractions of companies, amounting in all to something over two
hundred effective men rank and file, were at Fort Lapwai with a
small company of volunteers under Captain Paige. General Howard
took the field in person.
The march commenced at noon on the twenty-second.
Detachments of troops were sent in several directions, all of
which were to concentrate at Johnson's Ranch, near Grangeville.
From there the column moved to the head of White Bird cañon.
Preparations were now made to cross the Salmon river. Joseph
with his Indians had avoided an engagement. Several skirmishes
had taken place, the little detachment commanded by Lieutenant
S. M. Rains having all been murdered on scouting service. On the
11th of July the Indians were discovered encamped on the South
fork of the Clearwater. In Joseph's camp were three hundred
warriors, perhaps an equal number of squaws, who rendered most
efficient assistance in providing spare horses and ammunition,
and many boys bearing arms. General Howard's fighting force was
four hundred men. The battle of Clearwater continued for two
days, when the Indians scattered and fled in every direction,
closely pursued by the troops. Joseph lost twenty-three killed,
forty wounded, many of whom subsequently died; and forty were
taken prisoners. General Howard's loss was thirteen killed and
twenty-two wounded.
The Indian camp was abandoned in haste; and the
lodges were left standing, filled with their effects, blankets,
buffalo robes, cooking utensils, food cooking on the fires,
flour, jerked beef and plunder of all descriptions
(1).
General Howard renewed the pursuit the next morning, in
the direction of Kamiah. The Indians crossed the Clearwater and
reconcentrated at We-ipe creek; and on the fifteenth Joseph
started for Montana and the buffalo country by the Lolo trail.
On having ascertained this, General Howard sent couriers to the
nearest telegraph station to advise General Sherman and the
posts east of the Bitter Root Mountains of the flight of Joseph
and the hostiles. He also sent notice to General John Gibbon,
commanding the District of Montana, reporting the situation,
that Joseph had started across the Lolo trail, and requested the
sending of troops to intercept the hostiles, if possible; while
he should follow them with such force as could be available.
General Gibbon at once sent orders to Captain Rawn,
commanding Fort Missoula, to watch the fugitives, head them off,
hold them if possible, or turn them back. Captain Rawn's command
consisted of his own and Captain William Logan's company of the
Seventh Infantry; and they were reinforced by a hundred Montana
citizens. Advised of the approach of the Indians, they took a
position at the mouth of a cañon on Lolo creek, which they
fortified. Joseph advanced the next day, and sent a flag of
truce, asking to pass quietly into the valley. Captain Rawn
demanded the surrender of the arms of the party, which
occasioned two days parley. Many of the citizens urged the
granting of Joseph's request. At the end of the second day,
Joseph notified Captain Rawn that he was going into the valley
the next morning. At daylight firing was heard along the
skirmish line, as though the Indians designed attack. While all
were intent on watching the front, it was ascertained that
Joseph had left a few men to skirmish with the pickets; while
the main body, through gulches, has passed the lines of works.
Captain Rawn pursued the fugitives as quickly as possible, but
failed to overtake them before they reached Bitter Root valley.
He found them encamped in a strong position on a ridge in a body
of timber. As it was the height of rashness with his force to
attack them, he returned to his post to await reinforcements.
On the 30th of July, General Howard, his force now
strengthened to seven hundred men, began the march across the
Lolo trail. General Gibbon, having received General Howard's
dispatch, with a force of one hundred and forty-six United
States troops and seventeen officers, and thirty-six citizen
volunteers, who joined him on the march, proceeded to Fort
Missoula. Joseph had been reinforced by eighteen lodges of
renegade Nez Percé under the chieftainship of Poker Joe. Joseph
had with him four hundred warriors and one hundred and fifty
squaws. General Gibbon came up with the enemy on the 8th of
August. At early daylight on the next morning he surprised the
hostile camp, charged it, and drove the Indians out. Throughout
the day the fight continued, and part of the next day; when
General Howard with a party, coming up, the Indians fled. The
loss of General Gibbon was thirty-one killed, among whom were
Captain William Logan, First Lieutenant James H. Bradley, First
Lieutenant William L. English and Second Lieutenant C.A.
Woodruff; thirty-six wounded, among whom were General John
Gibbon, Captain Constant Williams, First Lieutenant C.A.
Coolidge.
The Indian loss was eighty-nine buried. Joseph
subsequently admitted a loss of two hundred and eight. Among the
Indian slain were the war chief and diplomat Looking-glass, and
Tups-sis-il-pilp and Wallitze, two of the three Indian murderers
who precipitated the war. General Howard resumed the pursuit as
soon as practicable. He followed the hostiles through the
mountains. Having learned their intention to escape into the
British possessions, he sent a courier to General Miles at Fort
Keogh; and that efficient officer and brilliant Indian fighter
headed off the fugitives at Bear paw Mountain. Before reaching
that last battle-ground, Joseph had attacked General Howard on
the 19th and 20th of August, at camas Meadows, but had been
beaten off. General Sturgis had struck him on the 13th of
September. Desultory firing lasted four days. On the 4th of
October, he surrendered to General Miles. In that battle
Ollicott and old Too-hul-hul-sote were among the slain. White
Bird escaped with a small band, and crossed the British
boundary. The remainder, between three and four hundred men,
women and children, were transferred to the Indian Territory,
and located on the Salt Fork of the Arkansas river. Congress
passed an act March 3, 1885, authorizing the Secretary of the
Interior to send them to any Indian reservation which he might
choose, they have since been escorted by troops back to Idaho. A
portion has returned to the Nez Percé nation. Joseph and the
remainder are on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington.
(1) "Chief Joseph: His pursuit and Capture,"
by O. O. Howard, Brigadier-General, U.S. Army.
The books presented are for their
historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Handbook
of American Indians, 1906
Index of Tribes or Nations
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