New-York tribune., 1877-10-26
An OBITUARY MEMOIR.
GENERAL MILES'S BRILLIANT FIGHT.


INCIDENTS.
FRoM An oCC AsIoNAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNE.
FoRT ELLIS, NJ. T., Oct. IL" surrender"
cried the lameuted Hail. as Mlles's gallant command
rushed in desperate charge upon the Nez Perce nneps
at Bear Paw.
Never :" replied giant brave in good English rising
behind his gun. Never! Come on. you Id squa"
You're not ngntng Sioax now" Aud poor Han leit Ills
body a sacrifice to his country.
Ihave written OF Mless start TO intercept the retreat
ng Nez Perc6s and have report his success, and
chronicle his losses. As started he left without orders,
a. an official letter here states.
Yesterday l-eptember ~ the General started the
battalion 2t cavalry Tor Cow isand, amt We supposed
we ruou secure some rest; out an hoar ago the
Npt moved him. ami ne VITA every avaa3le mo1h'ya "a
man. uas moved pOst-hase toward the Muscle slcl lie
bad blood IN MS eye. and We believe he VIII capture the
NcZ PcI,es.
And the following from General Gibbon proves the
Truth Of the prediction
FORT SHAW. NJ T.. oct. e, 1877.
General Miles surprised the Nez PcT'e camp near
Bear law Mountain on the som ull'' HliinE 'G,,nt'rn
three other chiefs aud woundn+ forty. ne al,o cal-
t. ,..,.. i,,..,..r'.to ov than AM le eyer met.
JNo. GUBBOS Colonel 7tn Infantry.
We had imagined il poss ble for Niles to ovcrt"Ee
the rapidly living nostes as he had march OF over 300
miles 10 make aud it known they were making for
the British Possessions with an advantage upon their
side. Bu, with his column Of cavalry and mounted in
flutrr probably 200 sIong. he pushed rapidly for tire
Muscle Shell hoping TO cooperate with Howard and SUR
c.s: and. well supplied with artillery and one or two
eating guns De followed his Cheyenne and white scouts
10 that pout. only 10 find himself too late Nothing
daunted. however, be pushed on to tIe Missouri
which hc crossed or about the 25th uit'
same four or Eve days after tie indians hid
clucd TO the north side. But Mics dd NOT
oy,r, i,e Greer. ami ai last struck hi, foe Tae In
iaus had evidently conc uded The pursuit was ~ led;
anJ tle coiu nm, ov,rtaaus them at Bear Paw Noun
f4. cam IL,
ala RIVER the 3D,h and ne nel discovered nor wa
sc1yercd until S. thin Two miles oi the h9stIe camp
T t farther pun sit bat got nautcpted Is evident
as the surprise made m section o. country o l.A-
outs tie aVp 0ach to which is over h't 'Apnsc' Nut-
could conceal lhe approach al troops. D.seo',I"s
thc camp the tled column was orler,u 10 IS rot i
Clr-a Ais made ciore the lndaus coui trcoN ltoH
t,er .urU>r. The onset savage aud the reception
desperate the Pcrces k ng 10 .heif are dy ptPae ca
death ana wounds followed 10 both sides Finding they
- not ne c'1ly a. G''itg 'l',' fr " % and bin .5
Two ia ulecs iuio play such results iotoWeI thht
truce ami followed himself 10 Miles, position cessi-
tu of Do,iiiics resulted lasting during le nolng o.
Jrrsn, second Cavalry aud small party bang cent To
.xlmmc ,Lc Ncz Pe.ce camp
Di,covcrn. that the Indians were taking advantage OF
te fce to place themselves 4 defensioe posi-
,, Mics we'll arranged f,r the comfort OF his wounded
.t tue disposal OF ls dead During the entire march
and retreat of these remarkable Indians their camps
have been regularly protected by hepits' and the
u,rol between the Both and the lst was not
ory occ1 cd by them u enlarans and adding 70 these
meau. of defence bui DID uR~i- connexions lro,h one
Uf ID t., other tuey having evidently determined upon
70 icspcrate rt sissucc Bar wnen jerome attempted 10
IctIru, uc was h.ll az "e.iAr l'I jos p. ~
tle liv oi the lst. the lnimus renewing the hclt
fuine and Joseph weir eActl-' "iI tu' o"o, WIN In
continued lur.n- thr -d Iast ac.ouh' '.t camp n
.rirrcud.r-i-l total OF about $50 men, women and
,,rrl Iyth subsequent escape Of from ffy to sixty
warriors. TITO courier cpris tlat cannon "ins vas
unable to uu o. Ihs was eNidonil, on, ot the hard
~ ln1'n lights. AID while It has added 10 iAe cas-
r. ff.Ls Ia le fY N rtI
on. ., i h KS and ,ythaut dolhf DISCOURAGE Sitting
BuI.. The toGl casualties are as follows; kllled-o
s.'i' ',a,, .'' Ii,,rs n"r.iom,a.sioied officers
/ l.: men. - Indian scouts. >; total. a.
twill Dee seen from She ath and wounded list tnat
desperate nshuug was done, the proportion ~ OIL
Gers and non-comuis,oned officers being unusually
/ llr-c. Tie Sez Perez loss. though not fully known.
counts at least seventeen sicd aud many wounded
thc killed including Looking Glass Ire" Other cies.
aud Juseh- brother The cdpiute oi TIE canp ptoh by
cud. thc war proper though % - me escape gi Tie sNiv
,f seyen hundred rour~ enables les 20 rcmount his
eutrc commaud " nc essaty ana Dtihs me loW'r ",
IN hc I'fic Nuad, hf o. May last As write, word
come. tnat General Terrs Escort OF DE Ruhos COM
rsfv I'm Cavalry mad been ordered 10 CONVOY supplies.
etr Nilcs. hgs delaying the progress Of the conins-
i SION 20 sitting Bull
Nothing ha. been clearer during the entire campaign
th,n that beginning with Howard and including stur-ls,
the Nrz Percc. have merely desired go reach The buffalo
country. Aud even during the Yellowstone affair was
ths apparent: IL being n proof that the hothlooded
reucgadts who had joined White Bird and Joseph were
riirg r.suors h.e for the Oufrtgcs there commit d,
Wif, Bird him self threatening L. shoot any Indian at
tcupfiuc 90 pursue the released women N"t wounded
Paw while tlc destruction ~ property ~ canon CIcrh
and ,roprft,'s was almost necessity Of Oac can
.lfcelr fi,.e Them fvnratny in their disgust the
Crows: nor cln They be blamed for tLcr late stated at
enr fo secure tlc assistance OF tbe ASS snabonts Just
,iof a. Mics. attack True flcj ard these rclcAer
ous savarcs killed tire NtL Pcccs sent 10 tnouf iu
that was done for effect and not IN friendship Tor the
/ whites.
For the first time In my experience find the frontier
pitvin au udau and. considering the prejudice Of the
West it, change 10 sentiment regarding his particular
ease Is suggestive Tor 10 arises from the conviction that
the Nez Perce wsr was the result OF wrong snd inca
u4clfy on tie part Of the Government and from natural
feeling II admiration Of band of Indians who, Oy,r
/ an unknown country and through an unprecedented
march, bd defiance 20 tFo armc- aud ONLY at last
succumbed when nearly succeeding in their onltci.