Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-10-20
CHIEF JOSEPH's SURRENDER.


The Nez Perces hostilities, under the
command of Chief Joseph, have surren-
dered Internationally to the United
States forces under General Miles at
Snake creek, near the Bear Paw noun
tains, Montana. The surrender was
made after q desperate battle lasting
over two days. The camp contained $50
men, women and children, of which 160
were fighting warriors. The Indians be-
trayed none of the brutality usually
manifested to wounded prisoners in their
hands prior to the surrender, and, while
fighting stubbornly as long as they
could, acted in a surprisingly civilized
manner. The following is a graphic
description of the battle so successfully
waged by General Miles, and that of the
surrender, forwarded by the New York
Herald correspondent in the field:
At dawn two of the numerous scouts
which General Miles always keeps in
front of him on marches through the
Indian country, reported the position of
the Nez Perces and their herd. The
general urged everything forward. The
cavalry, his own infantry mounted on
Indian ponies. the pack train and all
moved briskly on. His approach lay
across the open, looking toward hill.
The herd of Indian horses, guarded by
the youngest boys of the tribe, first
came in view. A single dash of the Sc
cond cavalry secured 700 ponies, almost
before the warriors, concealed beyond
the herders, knew of the proximity of
the troops. The Indian boys in charge
of the herd broke away with the rest of
the horses in wild gallop to the right.
They were followed by all the three
companies of the Second cavalry, which
were ordered by General Miles not only
to capture as many animals as possible,
| but to work around to the rear of
Joseph's encampment.
Then the general directed the opening
charge upon the Indians themselves.
Mounted on his horse, which he rode
from first to last of the battle, he guided
the engagement. He looked the leader
that he was-rougn, tough and ready.
Weighing nearly two hundred pounds,
he sat on his charger like centaur, his
brown mustache and side whiskers,
slightly mixed with gray, adorned fea-
lures that are heavy but pleasing, and
were overshadowed by broad brimmed,
slouched drab hat. A wide blue ribbon
encircled it's crown, with blue streamers
behind. He wore red blanket, frontier
shirt and black necktie, its ends float
ing over his shoulders outside the shirt
q buckskin coat, short at the hips and
carelessly buttoned; the light blue
trousers of a private soldier, with stripes
down the seams, and coarse boots COM
pleted his attire. This bronzed general
of the frontier trotted forward to the
head of the Seventh cavalry troop at
nine o'clock, and shouted "Charge
them !"
Their way seemed clear, but suddenly
their horses halted in the midst of a
gallop. At the edge Of steep bank
overlooking the ravine, at the bottom of
which stood the lodges of the Nez
Perces, the officers of the three COM
panies called to their men to dis
mount. They flung their brides and
lariats to the winds, and plucking their
rifles from their saddle pommels dis
charged them at the lodges below.
Their volley was met by fierce return.
Major Hale's voice then sounded a:
"Charge, boys" The major at the
same instant received his first wound,
but like the others he leaped over the
edge of the embankment down among
the tepees. As he alighted on his feet a
bullet pierced him MORALLY in the throat.
He stopped, staggered and, raising his
right hand to his head, again shouted
feebly "Charge them p He fell for
ward upon his face, dead. His lieuten-
ant, Biddle, MORALLY hurt at almost the
same moment, reeled backward and fell
across his body Thus these two heroes
persisted in the midst of wild outcries
from their comrades, who were firing
into and sacking the Nez Perces' lodges.
For few minutes there was wild ex
hibition OF hardihood. Lieutenant Eek
erson, raising himself from the gully af-
ter his leap, called out to his men
"Fire wherever you see headp Then,
filing his pipe with tobacco, he said
} aside "This is fine camp, where you
cannot find fire to get light to smoke
by" Meantime the bullets were sing
} ing and Captain Godfrey and Captain
Moylan, affectionately known as Mick
ey" Moylan, were wounded. The firing
lIOIl ullc VII blltlI uISU ItCUNeFy
! after the retreat is described as terrific.
General Miles speaks of it as the most
desperate discharge of magazine guns he
had ever heard. The men of the Seventh
} were cut down like straws. Many of
: them fell far beyond the lodges and were
left dying and wounded when their COM
rades were forced to fall back. So criti-
cal during few moments was the posi-
ton of the three companies of the
Seventh that they were probably only
t saved from wholesale slaughter by de.
r tachment of the Fifth infantry, whose
, commanders name neither of the scouts
who bring these tidings recalls. He il
said to have brought his men up to the
8 verge of the bank on their ponies, t.
g have dismounted them in line and t.
n have ordered most effective volley from
= all their pieces at the Indians, lust be
J fore they leaped, with swelling cry
8 into the bottom. Then, coolly reloadins
their rifles, they received volley from
the Nez Perces. Their commando,
=. yelled to the cavalry to come back, ant
in the next instant his men gave the In
;, dians salute which caused them to re
u treat precipitately to their holes. TIL
: Indians fighting thereafter from thei
: entertainments fired more warily at thei
a foes, for General Miles having klle,
nearly thirty Of them and discovere,
a their position, made an immediate SUI
q round of their encampment. He poste
: his companies of infantry and cavalry s
n as to command them on all sides an
o compel them to stick to their burrows
/ The squaws and children were seclude
!, i'll the deepest pits, out of sight an
J range of the soldiers.