The daily gazette., 1877-10-18

amply sufficient for "a long siege. . : oi :.
On ascertaining the fact that provis-
ions were plenty in the Indian camp.
General Miles next endeavor, therefore,
was to stop their supply of water. 10 His
approaches by a sefies Of new rife pits,
dug during the following night, promis-,
ed to do this effectnally, and Joseph was
not slow to discover the utter hopeless
ness Of his holding out against the gov
ernmsnt troops, for the supply Of water
once cut off entalled suffering on his an
imsls, as well as his braves, their squawsl
and children.@dt n. '',' q. -, n,'i III
q I need not repeat the tale already told
to the readers ofthe Hercld of Joseph's
propositions and fiaal preparations for
surrender, but now send some further de-
tails OF the scene, which will he found
Interesting. a'' - d ''i1f ~ - Wy "
|F,yWhen at last the Nez Perces chieftain
and his principal supporters decided that
the entire band should formally surrend-
81, Joseph came into General Miles,
camp, all alone aud announced the de-
|cision-he and bis warriors had come to.
By that time General Howard had ar
rived on the scene with, his slender es-
cort, consisting Of only seventeen men.
With spirit that became Christian
soldier General Howard went up to Gen.
eral Miles and said to him:
sv eGeneral, come here and find that it
is all right. This is your fight. 1 want
to Say amen to everything you have
done" H
when Joseph entered the lines estab-
lished by General Miles he passed by
General Howard in surly silence, paying
no heed to the presence of the "Bible
chief and walked deliberately to the
spot where General Miles was standing.
When he found himself in front of Gen
eral Miles the willy chieftain drew him =
self up haughtily and said: D..
81 want to surrender to YOU"
As the Indian chief thus stood before
his captor a selfacknowledged prisoner,
he presented the figure and mien of as
gallant warrior chieftain as ever con-,
fessed himself fairly beaten at the game
of war. About thirLy-five years of age,
five feet ten inches in height, and clad in
pair of blanket trousers, leggins and
N occasins, he wore none OF the war
paint or savage bravery of beaddress anu
feathers which usual adorn an Indian
warrior on the war path. His features,
regular and handsome in their outline,
were covered by hardly wrinkle. His
eyes, black, brilliant and as piercing as
an eagles, rested on those of General
Miles with an expression at once melan-
choly and reserved, His lOng black hair
was gathered into loose queue at the
back of his head, and ornamented with
simple cluster of green feathers. Two
long braids descended from his temples
and hung down in front of his ears. Such
was the, man who for so long time
had bade definance to his pursuers, and
who had almost gained the refuge he
aimed for. ,o..-,..
As Joseph uttered the brief salutation
to General Miles already recorded he
handed that brave officer his rife, with
the barrel pointing toward the ground.
When the weapon had thus changed
hands the chief passed quietly to one
side with cultural "How!" as he gave
place to his followers. The other chiefs
and their companions who had followed
Joseph into the camp performed the same
ceremony. To those who witnessed the
remarkable scene 1t seemed as though
the capaJives were not savage hostiles,
but rude knights Of the plains and noun
tains, who, finding themselves fairly bea-
ten, handed up their weapons in true
chivalric fashion. Instead Of bright lances
and heavy shields these Indians surren-
dered death dealing rifles, and in reyers-
ing their weapons gave significance to
the act easily appreciated by the veterans
who were sitent witnesses of it.
This ceremony of surrender on the part
Of Chief Joseph and his principal war
riors began at two o'clock p. M. on the
9th inst, 1t was kept up In a desultory
sort of fashion all through the afternoon.
From time to time the Indians forsook
their rifles pits, individually and in groups
of two or three, to come across the de-
batable line and deliver themselves up
as prisoners of war. The fact that these
warriors failed to come up in body was
peculiarly characteristic of the Indian
nature, for it was hard for them to volun-
tarily acknowledged themselves wrosted.
But as their leaders had taken the inita-
tive in the matter they slowly followed
the example. -'a
Even at nlghtfall the entire baud had
not surrendered, and the lines of senti-
nels had to be maintained all that night.
alter the sun rose on the morning of the
9th the remainder Of the braves came 10,
in the same irregular manner observed
the previons day. On the first, day about
sixty seven warriors and their families.
including young bucks, came in,and when
the remainder were all in hand it was
found 240 men, women and children had
surrendered. 40 i'. s.... awe.
Forty wounded Indians were discover
ed by the troops as they lay in their bull
rows, many of them being badly hurt
These braves were being nursed by their
faithful squaws when found. If the
couriers who come 10 us from General
Miles are not mistaken in their informa-
ton there was not single dead Indian
found in the captured camp, nor at the
time of their departure had the troop dis
covered the burial places of the Indians
who were undoubtedly killed during the
desperate fight. ... .....
1t must not he supposed that there were
none killed in the Indian ranks, for is
almost certain that the band lost nearly
thirty killed in the first assault uponthem
by our troops, and they must have lost
more killed during the progress of the en-
gagement. ...i r5 ..I. t
White Bird, one of Joseph's chiefs,
failed to come in with the other leaders,