The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-03-05

wives ana little ones. than did the Nel
Perez war chieftain. Joseph, who led a
chase of 1900 miles along the valleys,
across the foothills and through the blind
passes Of the Rocky mountains, with hos
tile armies superbly equipped and of
dauntless valor in front of him, behind
him, to the right and to the Left Of him,
while almost certain defeat was his single
prospect, and death stared him in the face
at every turn.
Every advantage Of the situation was
with the army Of the government from first
TO last, 1t was led by experienced soldiers
of the plains and the civil war. Years of
preparation had established forts and
camps in places the best suited to quell In.
dian uprisings. The Nez Perces were, on
the contrary. a peaceful tribe who had kept
aloof from all wars. They had been early
Christianized and were engaged in farming
on their Idaho reservation, granted in 1865.
Their love of peace was such that M to
1866 they had not slain single whitepcrson.
The quarrel Of 1871 was put upon them
by the revocation of a treaty grant and the
murder of a brother Of Joseph by a white,
whom the Indians demanded should be
tried. Notwithstanding these provocatious
the tribe submitted to settleon the grounds
allotted by the government, and Il simple
dian war. In private quarrel four whites
b were killed by Nez Perces. The indians
assumed that the tribe would have to suffer
for the deed, and one of the war chiefs,
White Bird, declared that he would not 90
on the reservation. The whole tribe was
at that time upon its lands in western Ida
no or on the borders of them, and General
Howard, commanding the Department of
the Columbia, at once sent two cavalry
companies, under Captain David Perry. to
the scene.
Already agents of the Indian bureau
had investigated the murders charged upon
the Nez Perces, and the appearance of Per
rvs column was taken 10y the excited
Indians as a signal of war. White Bird
mounted his horse, called his braves around
him and started on the warpath. Chief
Joseph was drawn in by the impulse of his
fighting men, and the two bands united at
White Bird canyon on Salmon river. There
Perry attacked on June II and lost 80 men
killed out of 90. The soldiers of course re-
treated, and the victory heartened up the
braves, who until then had stood for peace,
In fact, they believed that the entire tribe
was compromised by these acts and that
there was nothing left to do but take IN
war in self defense.
General Howard instantly set the tele-
graph and special scouts and couriers at
work TO alarm the posts and garrisons
surrounding the Nez Perces' lands. and
the passes of mountains and rivers were
filled with armed soldiery before the chiefs
could get their families and ponies togeth-
er for campaign. Every year the Nez
Perces went on a buffalo hunt along the
Missouri, and Chief Joseph, whether truth
fully or as ruse, announced that to be his
intention, but General Howard 5 action cut
it short, for he ordered his cavalry, with
gatliug guns and hOwitzers, to seize that
route and hedge the Indians in.
Joseph then directed his march south
and westward across Salmon river, then on
a circuit north and eastward to the Clear,ya-
ter, where Howard fought him on July II
and Il. The Indians numb ered 400 braves.
but were encountered with their women,
children and baggage, also an extra herd
of about LOCO ponies for reserves. Theirvil.
Iage was in the shelter of a ravine com
manded by bluffs, where the mountain
howltzers and gatling guns of tue army
could get range. They brought into action
about 500 males, but the soldiers assert
that the squaws acted as reserves and
fought like men.
Howard had 400 fighting men in the
field, besides rear guard, scouts, etc. Chief
Joseph made use of every form of tactics
to foil the enemy. His sharpshooters kept
well to the front, his warriors charged
mounted and dismouuted, aud they barri-
caded the ravines and gullies where the
troops were expected TO attack. The gat-
thing guns and cannons played upon them
at long range, but they kept the pursuers
at bay two days and finally cut their way
through TO the mountains. Chief Joseph
lost % warriors killed and % captured. |
Howard lost IS killed and a wounded.
Valorous as he had been in battle and
able in strategems to battle and elude the
armies following his pathway the sava ,e
Chief Joseph had only entered upon his
dazzling career as war leader Eastward,
IN front OF him and between his people and