St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-06-12
CHIEF JOSEPH'S UHRFRRE.
THE WONDERFUL CAMPAIGN OF THE
y %55 NEZ PERCE IN 1877.
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esque Nez Perez visitor passed in the
line of parade at the Grant celebration.
Il got my nickname sScar-faced jack
in that affair, and ~as / shall carry a
souvenir Of it to The grave there is sat
isfaction in knowing that it was given
me by foeInen of nettle and in dignified
warfare. a soldier dislikes to be man
gfetfaIfd niarred in commonplace bor-
der rumpus. =g az .-
mo man whose exploits aresrecortled
in history ever made more glorious
fight in defense of freedom, lands,
homes, wives and children, than did this
same savage general when he led our
armies chase of 1900 miles along q
bloody trail stretched from he Salmon
river to the Missouri, through the blind
passes of the Rocky mountains, along
vale exposed valleys and across their
foothills, with enemies thoroughly
equipped and Of tried courage in front
of him, behind him, to the right and to
the left of him. Defeat was his certain
fate, and the ann1hilation of his tribe
probable.
"Josephs people were not turbulent
Indians, nor was hea hot-headed leader.
The quarrel came about through the
revocation of treaty grant, followed
by the murder, at the hands of white
man, of brother CT Joseph. The In
dams demanded that the murderer be
tried. It was not done, and yet the
peacefully disposed Nez Perees settled
upon lands allotted them by the gov
ernment. Then one of those unfortu-
nate border episode stirred up war.
Duringa common brawl Between whites
and Indians, four of the former were
killed, and their slayers were. known to
be Nezs Perces. Past experience taught
the tribe that it would have to suffer
for the guilt OF few, and under the
leadership of one of the war chiefs
known as. White Bird, the discontented
young bucks declared that they would
not stay upon the reservation which
had been allotted them in western
Idaho, between the Salmon and Clear
water rivers. Unfortunately, at that
jnncture, Gen. Howard sent Capt. David
Perry TO the scene with two companies
of cavalry. This act was interpreted
by the excited Indians as declaration
Of war on the part of the government.
White Bird called upon his braves to
take to the warpath, and Chief Joseph
was dragged in by the enthusiasm Of his
fighting men. Capt. Perry attacked
the two bands at White Bird canyon
and was repulsed after the slaughter
of 33 of his troopers. This bloody vic
tory was turned to account by5 5tke war.
party of the Nez Perces, who m4ae the
people believe that their tribe would be
punished for the death of so many sol
diers, and the only thing left to do
was to go to war in. seG-defense. 1 (
''The government had the best Of the
situation from the start. The regular
troops on the plains were led by expe-
rienced soldiers of the civil war. Streng
forts and camps had been established
throughout the region and weregstrong
ly garrisoned.S On the other hand, THE
Nez Perces, having been Christianized
and having learned farming, were not
ready for a. campaign. ..4.agF4, ss
'tGen. Howard's troops were alert at
once. Scouts and couriers alarmed the
posts along the Nez Perces' reservation,
and every avenue Of escape was filled
with armed 3soldiery before the Indians
had timeto get their families and ponies
together. Chief Joseph announced it
as the intention ofsthe tribe to go upon
their annual buffalo hunt along the
Missouri. but Gen. Howard's cavalry,
armed with Gatling guns and howit-
Zers, seized and closed that route.
Joseph then made a circuitous
march south and west across Salmon
river, then north and eastward to the
Clearwater, where Howard headed him
off and gave him battle on July II and
12. The Indiangiliage was in the shell
ter of rayine, but not out of reach of
The howitzers and Gatling guns, which
the soldiers planted on the surrounding
bluffs. Howard's force was about 400,
besides rear guards, scouts, etc, and the
Indians also numbered 400 fighting
men, but their movements We're han-
pered by the presence of women, chill
dren, baggage, and herd of extra po-
nies. About 800 braves took part in
the fight. Our men claimed that the
squaws acted as reserves and fought rs
well as The male warriorsa
''The savage general made use--.!of
every foEin OF ftactics possible.at the bat
lie of Clearwater. His warriors some
times charged on their ponies and again
charged on foot. They erected bar
ricades of stones and timber at every
point exposed to gattaclo., Their sharp
shooters were always at the trout, act
ing as skirnfishers, and although the
GatIing guns and howitzers kept up a
deadly fire, they held the position two
days, and finally cut their way out.
The losses were about equal. Howard
captured 90 Indians and found % dead
warriors on the field His own lass
was 13 killed and % wounded. The
wounded Indians were, of course, ear
ried off with the tribe.
Clearwater was only the beginning.
The Rockies lay between Chief oseph
and the promised land of his people, the
buffalo trails of the upper Missouri.
Every pass through that great har=
rier was guarded by soldiers, and be-
vond it, insthe valleys and at the cross
ings of the streams and in the gaps in
the monntains were armed posts, some
Of which could he called forts. and all
of them were connected BY telegraph.
Not alone were the soldiefy in arms
ngainst the Indians, but also The citi-