The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-10
The True Story.

painstaking study, the Standard
carries to its readers this morn
ing, on pages fourteen and fifteen, the
story of the memorabl fight known in
history as the battle of the Big Hole.
The engagement has figured generous
ly in war literature.
General Gibbon has been censured by
some writer's and praised by others for
his attack upon the village of Chief
Joseph, whose warriors outnumbered
the white forces nearly four to one. At
the time of the battle the correspond
ent of the New York Herald criticised
the attack in harsh terms, but this Sc
verify does not seem to have been mpr-
tied The attack was we'll planned and
splendidly executed and, had it been
followed with the same good Judgment
that had characterized the previous
movements of Gibbon, there would have
been no succeeding chapters in the his
tory of the Nez Perez war. But Gjbbo,
undoubtedly erred in Judgment in the
subsequent maneuvers OF the battle.
Had he taken the advice of the old In.
portion OF his command, or had he lis
tened to the arguments in support of
this advice given by some of his own
veteran officers, his triumph over the
band Of Chief Joseph would have been
complete. His weakness was that he
had a military disregard for civilian
suggestions; and he was led into YER
liable death trap.
In assigning Mr.. A. L. Stone to the
preparation of the story of the Big Hole
battle, the Standard was prompted by
a wish to set right certain matters of
significance which hitherto have been
presented in a manner that unaues-
tlonably is unjust to Montana yeomen
All former accounts of this battle have
failed signally to give any credit to the
volunteer civilians who formed an i'm
portant part of Gibbons force. Even
the official report of the battle made
by General Gibbon himself practically
ignores the important part that the
farmer soldiers of the Bitter Root
played in the pursuit and the attack.
The elaborate story of the battle which
has been published in book form lauds
the military for brilliant fighting on
the banks of Ruby creek, but makes
slight mention of the splendid services
rendered by the volunteers.
1t is high time that these civilians re-
ceived the credit that is due them.
They had left their homes voluntarily
to aid in administering the punishment
which the murderous deeds of the Nez
Perces, across the Bitter Root range in
Idaho, so richly merited They knew
the country thoroughly and their valor
and sagacity contributed much toward
saving the day. 1t was, at best, a
more than questionable victory for Glib
bon, yet the battle did cripple Joseph
sufficiently to render his subsequent
movements difficult. To call 1t a vic
tory for the whites is stretching the
imagination. Had it not been for the
report of the proximity of General How
ard with his superior force, the Indians
would certainly have exterminated the
little band of whites
The Standard asserts that its story of
'iiN pa''it 10 Lie u ut anu Cndt
corrects errors and makes good the in
justice done to the citizen soldiers in
the accounts which formerly have been
accepted as official or that are contribu-
tons to general literature. Mr.. Stones
recital will be found to be accurate, ad-
mirable and instructive; it is made the
more attractive by Mr.. Trowbridge's
excellent sketches in portraiture of the
principal people in the fight. The birds
eye view of the battle-ground, which ac-
companies the story of the battle, is
from a sketch that was made shortly
after the struggle by Hon. Granville
Stuart. 1t shows the battle-ground as it
was then and is valuable contribution
to the historical matter bearing upon
this subject.
The story of the battle, as thus given
is compiled from official reports, from
interviews with participants and from
personal inspection and observation.
No attempt has been made to belittle
the valor and pluck of the soldiers, but
the effort has been to present in its
true light the part that the civilians
played in this the last significant In
dian battle fought on Montana soil.