Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-08-05

and wounded braves. The trail has long
been known as the hardest ever trod
by man or beast. The order of march
was that of an advanced guard we'll to
the front, and a rear guard following up
and blocking the trail by cutting down
trees and rolling rocks from the noun
tain side to choke up the narrow pas
sages. The last was so successful that
Howard was baffled and gave up the
pursuit.
''The first obstacle met with was an
army post near Missoula pass, where
Capt. Rawn was stationed with a small
company. The post was as defensible
as Thermopylae, and Capt. Rawn
thought that he could bring the Indians
to terms. lie refused to allow them to
pass unless they surrendered their
arms. This they refused TO do, and the
captain adopted ruse to dctain them
until Gen. Towards troops or another
force under Col. Gibbon, which was
moving from the east, should arrive
But Chief Joseph was equally willy, and
he flanked the barrier by having his peo-
pie climb the hills and scatter in all di-
rections, meeting in a rendezvous in
Bitter Root valley. Meanwhile Glib
bon's forces reached Missoula to find
the Indians gone eastward, and after
five days of terrible climbing over the
rugged broken country, they came up
to the Indian village at Big Hole Basin
in Montana. The soldiers made their
way in the darkness through the herds
of ponies without alarming the sayages.
and lay down close to the village. and
in sight of the tepees, 10 watch for the
dawn of day. At daybreak the line
moved forward in silence, and at a sig
nal opened fire upon the tepees where
the Indians were sleeping. The startled
braves rushed from their lodges in every
direction, and finding cover in the brush
as well as behind the bank of a creek,
poured a terrible fire into the troops
the moment the soldiers got out into
open ground. In 20 minutes Gibbons
men were in possession of the camp and
had set fire to the lodges, but the officers
and soldiers fell rapidly. and Gibbons
gave orders to retire for shelter in the
timber. The fight continued all day,
and soon after nightfall the Indians
gave the troops a parting volley and dis
appeared.
From the battle of Big Horn basin
Joseph marched on across the main di-
vide of the Rockies. He left behind him
SO dead Indians, while Gibbons loss was
only 60 killed and wounded. The In
dams crossed the Rockies, then turned
and recrossed, closely pursued all the
way by Towards troops and detach
ment of Gibbons command. Howard
had telegraphed eastward. and called
into the field the command of Col. Stur-
gis. Sturgis set out, first sending cour-
iers to Col. Niles on Tongue river, no
tifying him Ci the course the Nez Per-
ces were following, in the belief that
he might, by a rapid and direct march,
intercept the hostiles further to the
north. .StGrgis marched so miles the
first day, and came up with the Indians
at Canyon creek. The Indians occupied
both the canyon and the high ground
on each side of it, but they were steadily
braves killed and about 900 ponies cap
tured. Then followed running fight
of 100 miles, but the soldiers were with
out rations, and the limit of endurance
of both men and animals had been
reached. Sturgis gave it up and wait
ed for Howard to join him.
"Col. Miles first learned of the trouble |
afoot on the night of September II, and |
rapidly northwest. His COM
mand consisted of portions of the Sec
ond and Seventh cavalry, five companies |
Of the Fifth infantry (mounted), two |
pieces of artillery and detachment of |
white and Indian scouts. / was placed |
in command of the scouts. We struck |
the trail of the Nez Perces on Septem-
Der 80, and the whole column advanced |
1t a rapid gait. The Second cavalry |
made a detour to the rear of the In
dams, and in gallant attack cut off
nerd of 500 ponies. The Seventh cavalry |
and Fifth infantry charged, mounted,
lirect upon the village. The Indians
fought as savages will when cornered.
but we soon secured command of their
whole position, excepting the beds of
The ravines where some of the war
-iors took shelter. In order to dis
odge them a detachment dismounted
md charged on foot. ] was wounded
n that charge, and nearly every other
nan, that is, about one in every two
Who went forward, was hit. The re-
all was then sounded and Col. Miles de
,ided that, as he had the Indians sur
il was best to let well enough
lone. Next day parley began under
flag of truce. The Indians appeared
Wiling to surrender, but were suspi-
.ious about the future. That night
errible snowstorm set in, and the In
Iians, being without food or blankets
II ponies. had no course left but TO
surrender. Outof the 400 warriors who
lad started from the reservation to
ollow Joseph on this wonderful cam
,aign, only 81 survived.
"And what is still more to the credit
# Chief Joseph, his warriors on all that
march were not guilty of single act
f scalping or other form of savagery,