Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1889-05-30

brave ana brilliant Genefal, ana, de-
spite incessant effort 10 head him off,
despite five times his numbers in fight
ing foemen, despite the fact that he
was burdened with all the women
and children of his tribe, this cool
headed vet daring Indian general,
this modern Moses, led his people
through the wilderness from the eastern
border of Washington Territory,
through the camas prairies of Idaho,
up the valley of the Salmon River,
across the Bitter Root Mountains,
Park, down Clark's Fork, across the
Yellowstone, then straightaway north
ward for the British possessions, and,
not until within days march of the
Big Missouri-not until two days more
would have landed him safely across
the line was he finally hemmed in and
captured; by which time just about
half the cavalry and one-fourth of the
infantry of the United States army
were in the field engaged in the chase.
Sherman's stored march to the sea
was completed in $50 miles, with little
to hinder. Chief Joseph's rush across
the continent carried him some $50
miles by the way he had to go, and it
was fight or dodge every inch of the
route. Behind him, close at his heels,
was Sherman's wing commander, How
ard, with strong array of cavalry and
nfantry-stronge far than Joseph's
fighting force.
Every now and then they overhauled
and made the Indian turn and fight
every time with disastrous results.
Lieutenant Theller was killed at White
Bird Greek. Lieutenant Rains was
killed in another tussle at Craig's
Mountain, Idaho. General John Glib
bon packed what men he had in wag-
ons, and made dash from Fort Shaw
to head them off at Big Hole Pass as
they crossed the Bitter Root range.
He hardly had one hundred and fifty
effective soldiers. He had not half
that number when forced to drop his
hold and let the fierce Nez Perez 60
Captain Logan and Lieutenants Brad
ley and English, with over q score of
soldiers, were killed. Gibbon himself,
his Adjutant, other officers, and two
score men, were wounded. Chief
Joseph went on his way and Howard
came up-just too late. Sturgis, with
the Seventh Cavalry, threw himself
across his path at Clark's Fork, and
Joseph tricked him into q wild-goose
chase down around Cedar Mountain.
After long stern chase, with worn
ont horses, the Seventh Cavalry flew
ut his heels again just after he had
crossed the Yellowstone, but it was an
unavailing fight. At last, on the 30th
of September, just three months from
the time of his start, the worn and
weary chieftain was halted at Battle
Eagle Greek, among the Bears Paws
Mountains. Snake Greek is the name
of the main stream. General Miles,
with his hard-fghting regiment, the
Fifth Infantry, mounted on Indian
ponies, and with detachments of the
Second and Seventh Cavalry, had
made one of his quick dashes-250
miles Gross country-and barred the
way. Even when they rode in to the
charge, Captain Owen Hale and Lieu
tenant J. Williams Biddle, of the
Seventh Cavalry, met their soldier
deaths, but Joseph could go no farther.
He and the little remnant of his band
surrendered, and the Nez Perez war of
III was at an end. Over three months
had he withstood the power of the
Government Over 700 miles had he
fought his way to freedom, as it looked
to him, and his exploit stands, to my
thinking, without parallel in modern
warfare.