The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-07-01

! wives and little ones, than did the Npz
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
danntlcss yalor in front Of him, behind
him, to the right and to the lef5 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 soldier,
Of the plains and the civil war. Years Of
preparation had established forts and
camps in places the best suited to qucl 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 up to
1866 they had not slain a single white person.
The quarrel Of 1877 was put upOn them
by the revocation Of a treaty grant and the
murder Of a brother Of Joseph by white,
whom the Indians demanded should be
tried. Notwithstanding these pruvocations
the tribe submitted to settle on he grounds
allotted by the government, and II simple
buIhtT lllClutlI SluTltu lut names oil In
dian war In "A private quarrel four whites
were killed by Nez Perces. The InGiaus
assumed that the tribe would have to suffer
for the deed, and one of the war chiefs,
White Bird, declared that he would not 20
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, aud the appearance OF Per-
rvs column was taken by 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 ol his
lighting men, and the two bands united at
White Bird canyon on Salmon river There
Perry attacked on June IL and lost 80 men
killed out OF 80. 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 up
war in self defense
General Howard instantly set the tele
graph and special scouts and couriers at
work to alarm the posts and garrsons
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 II buffalo hunt along the
Missouri and Chief Joseph, whether truth.
tully or as ruse, announced that to be his
intention, but General Howard action cut
it short, for he ordered his cavalry, with
gatling guns and howitzcrs, to seize that
route and hedge the Indians in.
Joseph chen directed his march south
and westward across Salmon river, then ON
circuit north and eastward to the Clpar,ya-
ter, where Howard fought him ON July II
and IL. The Indians numbered 400 braves,
but were encountered with their women,
children and baggage, also an extra herd
OF about 1000 ponies for reserves. Theirvil. |
lage was in the shelter of ravine com.
mauded by bluffs, where the mountain
howltzers and gatling guns of tue army
could g range. They brought into action
about 300 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 tao, les [
to foil the enemy. His sharpshooters kept |
well to the front, his warriors charged |
mounted and dismounted, and they barr- .
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 aud finally cut their way
through to the mountains. Chief Joseph
lost 23 warriors killed and % captured.
Howard lost 10 killed and "a wounded.
Valorous as he had been in battl and
able in strategems to babe and eluds the
armies following his pathway the sava
Chief Joseph had only entered upua lis
dazzling career as a war leader. Eastward.
in front of him and between his people and