The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-10-26

duu MS pTlhcipal supporters decI0eu tnat
the entire band should formally surrender,
Joseph came into General Miles's camp, all
alone, and announced the decision he and
| his warriors had come to. By that time
! General Howard had arrived on the scene
! with his slender escort, consisting of only
/ seventeen men. Will n spirit that became
a Christian soldier General Howard went
! up to General Miles and said to him:
! General. come here and find that iu is
| all right. This is your fight. l want to
say amen to everything you have done"
! When Joseph entered the lines estab-
lished by General Miles he passed by Gen
/ eral Howard in surly silence. paying no
! heed to the presence Of the ''Bible chief"
and walked up deliberately to the spot
where General Miles was standing. When
he found himself in front of General Miles
the willy chieftain drew himself up haugbt-
! lily aud said
| 81 want to surrender to you.'
! As the Indian chief thus stood before his
! captor self acknowledged prisoner he
presented the figure and mien of as gallant
warrior chieftain as ever confessed him
self fairly beaten at the game of war.
About ihiriy-fve years of age, five feet ten
inches i'll height, and clad in a pair of
blanket trousers, leggins aud moccasins, he
wore none of the war paint or savage brave
ry of headdress and feathers which usually
adorn an Indian warrior on the warpath
His features, regula: an0 handsome i'm their
outline, were covered by hardly a wrinkle
His eyes black, brilliant, and as piercing
as eagles, rested on those of General
Miles with an expression at once melan-
choly and reserved. His long black hair
was gathered into a loose auele at the back
of his head, and ornamented with a 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 a time had bade defiance
to his puisueis, and who had almost gained
the refuge he aimed for
As Joseph uttered the brief salutation 70
General Miles already recorded he handed
that brave officer his rifle, with the barrel
pointing toward the ground. When the
weapon had rhus changed hands the chief
passed quietly 20 side with cultural
GLOW y as he gave place to his followers.
The other chiefs and their companions who
had followed Joseph into the camp per-
formed the same cei emonv. To those who
witnessed the remarkable scene it seemed
as though the captives were not savage
hosties, but rude knights of the plains and
mountains, who, finding themselves fairly
beaten, handed up their weapons in true
chivairic fashion. Instead of bright lances
and heavy shields these Indians surrender
ed death dealing rifles, and in reversing
their weapons gave Il significance to the
act easily appreciated by the veterans who
were silent witnesses OF 1t.
This ceremony of surrender on the part
of Chief Joseph and his principal warriors
began at Gwo oclock p. M, on the 5th inst
l. was kept up in a desultoiy sort of fash
ion all through the afternoon. From time
to time the Indians foisook their rifle pits
individually and in groups of two or three
to come across the debatabe line and de
liver themselves up prisoners Of war
The fact that these warriors failed to come
up in body was peculiarly characteristic
: of ia md m M G,,r hare for
J them to voluntarily acknowledge them
selves wOrSted. But as their leaders had
} taken the initiative in the matter they
slowly followed the example
Even at nightfall the entire band had not
surrendered and the lines of sentinels had
to be maintained all that night. After the
sun rose The morning of The 9th the re-
maiuder OF the braves came in, in the same
! irregular manner observed the previous
day. On the first day about sixty
warriors and their families, including
young bucks, came in, and when the re-
mairder were all i'm land it was found that
240 men, women and children had surren-
dered.
Forty wounded Indians were discovered
by the troops as they lay in their burrows,
5 many Of them being badly hurt. These
wounded braves were being nursed by their
| faithful squaws when found. If the cour-
iers who come to us from General Miles are
AZ
not a single dead Indian found i'm the ca D.
tured camp, at the time of their de-
parture had the troops discovered the bui ial
places of the Indians who were undoubted
ly killed during :he desperate fight.
, 1t must not be supposed that there were
none killed in the Indian ranks, for j. is
t almost certain that the band lost nearly
thirty killed in the first assault upon them
by our troops and they must have lost
more killed during the progress of the
: engagement.
{ White Bird, one Of Joseph's Chiefs failed
S to come i'm with the o her leaders. and de-
3 clined TO give himself up on the morning
of the 9Th Finding that he would not ap-
! pear, General Miles and General Howard,
S accompanied by Mr.. John lIealy, the scout
: latest here from the scene of the surrender,
went down into the camp and explored the
| Neg Perces' intrenchments, but found that
3 White Bird was missing.
f One of the Indians then s'epped forward
g and intimated that if General Miles would
s give him a mule he would 60 out and find
4 White Bird General Miles turned to Gen
. eral Howard, saying:
e Il haven't got any use for White Bird
0 I've got all his traps, and don't think he il
: worth NUE."
General Howard agreed with this view
e of the value of The missing chief, and they
4 continued at some personal risk their tour
s together through the line of Indian III
4 trenchments.
q These iutrenchments consisted mainly al
t a series of rifle pits dug deep into the earrl
$ and they were arranged in some respect.
e with a skill which would have done credit
e to an educa ed military engineer. Some %
4 the pits were five and half fee, deep. IL
them whole families were ensconced. b,
S an ingenious disposition Of the upthrowi
i breastworks they were made to ovcrhans
o the pits in snch wise that the papoose'
s could be safely disposed of under them.
e The pits contrived for the shelter of fam
; lilies and clusters of warriors were connect
II ed, in many instances, by trenches which
It admitted of safe communication with eacl
) other beneath the line of musketry fiji,
z brought to bear on the pits
II As organized and conducted this last bat