Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-01
DISPOSING OF THE CAPTIVES
General Miles. Story of the Followers of
Chief Joseph.
A GARRISON IN PAINFUL SUSPENSE
What to Do with the Captured Nez
Perces IL Problem AS Trying as
Their Pursuft-"Bad Indians"
soEf All Sides.

Copyright, 1895, by General Nelson A. Miles:
All rights reserved. This paper will form part OF
a book about to be published by General Miles
| entitled From New England to the Golden
Gate" In O PREVIOUS. paper General Miles de
| scribed the subjusation, by him and his COM
mand, of the fNez Rerces' under Chief Joseph.
The present paper, relates what Immediately fol-
lowed Chief JosepA's surrender)
During the siege Lieutenant Maus had
been sent north with a detachment to over
take, if possible, White Bird and any other
Indians who had been able to escape. In
this he was to some extent successful and
brought back several Indians. He also
brought back the information that when the
Indians who had escaped reached the AS
sinebo.n camp, the friendly Assineboins, in
stead of coming to the assistance of their
beleagured brethren, killed the two Nez
Perces and left their bodies on the prairie.
On our return march we met Colonel
| Sturgis' command coming in our direction.
Their services were not required, and they
| were turned back toward the Missouri river.
Several Of our wounded died on the way be-
fore reaching the Missouri and had to be
buried beside the trail. We did the same for
the Indian wounded who expired on the way.
The exquisite satisfaction resulting from a
complete and valuable victory thrills the
heart of the soldier and fills his soul with
the most delightful sensations that man can
enjoy, but his spirit is saddened to the deep
est gloom as he witnesses the terrible sacri-
fees of his comrades. In a weird and lonely
land, skirting the base of cold and cherries
mountains, with no arm to save, far from his
cherished and loved ones, far from home, the
wounded soldier, enduring intense pain and
agony, finally offers up his precious life, a
sacrifice to his devotion to duty and the
honor of his country. Equally melancholy
were the scenes around the burial place of
some Indian warrior, a pillar Of his tribe and
race, the entire camp enumerating his Vir-
tues. praising his prOwess, chanting his re-
QUEEN and bewailing his loss.
On reaching the Missouri river, as many
of the wounded as possible were sent down
on the steamer that had brought up an
abundance of supplies for all of the COM
mands, in response 10 my dispatches, sent
on the night Of September II. Crossing the
Missouri the march was continued for sew
eral days over the trail which we had made
in coming up, until we reached the Yellow
stone. AS the force moved across the rolling
prairie it appeared like a great caravan.
There were three battalions of well equipped,
hardy, resolute soldiers, with artillery. be-
sides upwards Of 400 prisoners, and on the
opposite flank, some distance away, wsre
driven over 600 captured stock, while travel
ing In the rear were the travels and am
bulance, bearing the wounded, and tollowed
by the pack trains and wagon trains, all
covered by advance guards, lankers, and rear
guards.
At the cantonment, now Fort Keogh, on the
south bank of the Yellowstone, the news
Of our movement and successes had preceded
lis by several days. AS soon as the Me-
Perces had surrendered. l called up the
dniefs of our friendly Cheyennes and Sioux
and oomplimented them on their loyalty and
courage. They %erer thirty in number, under
the command Of Hump, White Bull and
coon s~ERyICEsoF THE INDIAN ALLIES.
| have previeuslN mentioned their trans
formation from ~llstIess bankers to a spirited
and brave advance guard as we approached
the enemy, and they had throughout the
engagement rerd;red the most valuable sery-
ices. On their swift ponies they dashed down
the valleys and aided the soldiers I'm stamped
ing the Me- Perces, herd, chasing them and
rounding them up at convenient points, and
then returning TO the left of the line en-
circling the camp where the desperate night
ing was going On. Hump klilsd two Nee
Perces with HIS, own hand and was severely
wounded himself, They maintained thsir po-
sition with remarkable fortitude and dis
charged all duties, rrequired OF them during
the five days siege. At Its clos ] directed
the officer in charge Of the Nee Perces herd TO
give each Of them Ave poni, 5 as a reward
for their gallant service. In selecting these
$50 animals 1t is fair to presume they did
not choose any of the second class,
AS an illustration of the endurance OF the
Indians whsn in full strer 9Th and condition
for the field or the chase II may be said that
these Indians with their wounded dump
being shot through the body and another In
dian, White Wolf, having part Of his skull
carried away, SO that the surgeon, looking
into the wound, could SEQ a portion OF his
BRAIN and their captured herd OF horses.
made a rapid march OF 200 miles, swimming
both the Missouri and the Yellowstone, and
arrived at the cantnnment some four days in
advance OF tha
AN ANXIOUS GARRISON.
The arrival OF this body OF Indians at the
cantonment uadar ihs circumstances created
the greatest c,nSt"rs,ion y the families Of
the officers aud so! era 2al the other people