The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-10-20
OAKLAND. MD, sA1fRDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1871

that she regarded the war as practi-
caly ended" coward was soon af-
terward reinforced by the arrival of
Col. Green with four companies of
cavalry +; f a
But Joseph was not yet ready to
surrender. Itmust be bornein mind
that these fights and skirmishes oc-
Cured in the western borders of ida
no, near the Oregon line. After the
battle on the South Fork of the Clear
Water, Joseph began his retreat. He
took a northeasterly direction, no
doubt intending to make his way to
the British Possessions. He crossed
idaho, and about the first Of August
struck the Bitter Root Mountains,
which divide Idaho from Montana.
Ifawefsl fullon,sdssin his tFail: bnt
never close enough to deifVer an
effective blow. In fact, his small
force was so much exhausted by the
long march when he came to the Bit
ter Root Mountains that he asked to
be allowed to return to his own de-
partment, while the commander of
the Montana Department should take
Joseph in hand. General Sherman
would not consent to this arrange
ment, and ordered General Howard
to follow on and fight Joseph when
ever he got chance. ~ ....
Up to this time the accounts of the
Nez Perces war reached us by way
of Portland and San Francisco, but
early in August Joseph got through
the mountains into Montana, and
then we began to hear of him by
way of Helena, in that Territory.
General GibbOn started with two
hundred men from Missoula, expect
ing to head off Joseph as he came
out of the mountains. He supposed
that General Howard was following
close after Joseph, and that with an
army in front of him and an army
behind him the destruction of the
willy Indian was inevitable. Gibbon
marched rapidly westward, and on
the 9th of August encountered Joseph
at Big Hole Pass. The Indians were
taken by surprise, but they repulse d
the attack and had decidedly the
best of the fight. Gibbon lost three
officers and twenty-five enlisted men
hkilled, and four officers and thirty
six enlisted men wounded. His en-
tire force consisted of one hundred
and thirty-three regulars and thirty
| two volunteer citizens, so that he
lost nearly one-half of his command
Forty dead Indians were left on the
field. General Howard was four
days march in the rear. Couriers
were despatched to inform him of
the situation of affairs, and he hurried
forward with his staff, but before his
weary soldiers came up Joseph was
hundred miles away, heading for
the North. Gibbon and Howard
joined their forces, and after some
delay resumed the chase.
Another small army under Gen
eral Sturgis was started across the
country to intercept Joseph before
he got to the British line. Sturgis
set out from the Crow Agency, on
the Upper MISSOURI, and marching
rapidly westward struck the Indians
on the 18th of September on Clark's
Fork. Howar DIS cavalry came up,
and there was running fight for
three days during which some twenty
or thirty Indians were killed and a
large number of their horses were
captured. Joseph however, made
good his escape for the time being,
and continued his march to the
north. In the meantime General
Miles, who had been sent from Da-
kota by Gen. Terry to watch Sitting
Bull, was ordeted to march across
the country and head off Joseph
before he got out of the juris-
d;ction of the United States. Miles
had seven companies of the Fifth
Infantry, three companies of the
Seventh Cavalry and three COM
panies of the Second Cavalry. He
encountered Joseph's band just as
they came out of the Bear Paw
Mountains, and a furious battle
ensued. In the first days fight Miles
lost siXty-seven men. The Indians
also suffered severely. Joseph's
brother was killed, and two or three
other chiefs. On the next day (Oc-
tober 9TH Joseph concluded to sur.
render. Baltimore american.
A subject which was before the
railroad conference at New York last
week, and which still remains unset
=. 1. .