The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-11-24
The Nez Perces .

Lieut.. Lowell A. Jerome, son of Law
renee Jerome, of New York City, com.
mands company Of the Second United
States Cavalry. and his attack on the
flank Of Chief Joseph aud his Nez Per-
ces Indians. in the recent battle in
Northern Montana, is credited with
saving the Seventh Cavalry from aoso-
lutte annihilstion. The fusilade kept
up by his command alone prevented the
seventh from sharing the fate of Custer
and his men. Jerome is the man who.
after Joseph came into Miles camp and
made bis first proposition to surrender
was ordered or rather permitted, by the
General, to 60 into the stronghold Of
the Nez Perces aud reconnoiter. Lieut..
Jerome suggested Joseph's presence and
the temporary truce which then occur
red as good opportunity to recover the
bodies of Capt. Hale and Lieut.. Biddle,
both of whom were killed during the
charge of the Seventh Cevalry at the
opening Of the fight jerome proceeded
into Joseph's camp. confident that he
would be well received there, knowing
personally, as be aid. 50 many of the
Nez Perces warriors. 1t was not until
he had fairly entered it that he per
ceived he was q prisoner. Since Miles
hsd determined to hold Joseph the In.
dams determined to hold Jerome They
did not. how ever, treat him in the least
like an enemy. In the most friendly
way they insisted upon his staying
with them They SLOWED him to wan
dor thrncnh THAR nv,1
their strange fort,fcstions and places Of
concealment. AT last" said he, 'they
put me into pit where there were
about fifteen Of them. The weather
was bitterly cold. and was glad I was
sheltered. / had q pair of blankets
that night ami slept little" Jerome
says the Nez Perces wsrriors confident
" expected reintorcements from Sitting
Bull.
"For q long time after reached their
camp the white flag floated over both
eucampments. But suddenly, while
was sitting in the pit spoke OF, bull
let came singing overhead. 1t was fol-
lowed by others. These shots were from
our own men, and was alarmed and
disgustcd. In the first place l didn't
want to be killed by friend; in the
next instance it struck me the Indians
suspected treachery. That they did
suspect it l found soon sfterward. A
couple of warriors, who had been espe-
cially friendly to me. took me out of
that pit into another one. warning me
that the other Indians were talking
about my .fSrked tongue aud of the
propriety OF killing men then and there.
During the day General Miles de.
cided to surrender Joseph. So he was
brought down under cover of q white
flag to . space halfway between the
Nez Perces' and our own. The General
himself went with Joseph, and was ac-
companied by one of bis staff officers.
There were three Indians along with
me. / suppose that was an interesting
position. With the suspicion of treach-
cry on both sides. thirteen of our men
lay in their trenches not forty rods of.
with the rifles held at dead rest on
Joseph and my three Indian guards.
More than twenty Indians had an
equally sure sight over their Winches-
ter's and Heury's straight at General
Miles and me. l have since learned
that Miles staf officer had cooked re-
volver in his bosom ready to fix Joseph
If l should be harmed. The transfer
passed without trouble, and | was re-
stored to the command of my COM
pany."
"Whlle was in their pits" says
Lieutenant jerome, 1.-The Indians be
havsd as never saw Indians behave be-
fore. Some of their dead were brought
iu, but they paid no special attention
TO them. and did not mnch grieve over
them. One Of the Indiana would call
out when dead body arrived. Hello !!
that fellow was shot yesterday,' and
that was about all. Neither did the
Indians appear to care much whether
they were lighting or not. 1t was the
inconvenience Of lighting or not fight
ing. as the case might be, that dis
turbed them. On tine morning when l
left Que of them approached me. saying
in good English. which most Of them
spoke, If it don't get warmer than this,
we'll have to 90 to fighting again. ="
Lieutenant Jerome gives several vi
vacious incidents of the battle. From
the fret general Miles had ordered all
the troops to push forward the intrench.
ments that night in order to get nearer
and nearer the enemy. When Lieuten-
Ant Jerome's line was within forty or
fifty yards from that Of the Nez Perces
il was so arranged between the soldiers
and Indians that either side being over
fstigued FROM lying At full length on
their bellies in the rifle pits might, by
showing . white flag. arrest the firing
and arise and stretch their limbs aud
walk to and fro within full sight of each
at that deadly distance. Such truce
with white men ON both sides hss been
frequent in American warfare; never
before had American soldiers such con-
6dencc in Indian msgnanimity as they
were justified in exhibiting on this &C.
cAsion.
.Why," said Lieutenant jerome.
"those Indians arc the bravest on the
continent. There. in the first night.
when our men lay wounded after the
charge when we lost so many. they
wouldn't kill Q wounded mar. All
they wanted was his guu and his cart.
ridge belt Seversl times the wounded
would rise up in sitting posture and
strrtch themselves. The Nex P-rces
never fred at them; yet If one Of our
men in the trenches showed his head.
from FIVE to ten bullets came whiszins
at il on the instant"
.Oncc." said Lieutenant Jerome.
"when General Miles was riding along