The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-14

Brave Warrior Who 70 This Day De-
splses the Arts Of Peace.

splses the Arts Of Peace.
Chief Joseph. OF the Nex Perces. now In
Spokane. will take . place in history
with Black Hawk Pontiac and Tecumseh
In the Judgment Of many army officers.
Joseph IL the greatest Of all Indian war
riore. His compatriot. Lawyer, was great
er in the impassioned oratory Of the coun-
Gil, but IN diplomacy. strategy, quick
marches, elusive power and dashing cour-
age. Joseph has no superior IN the record
Of Indian warfare.
BY nature he was proud. defiant and
warilke. His summer homo was In the
Wallowa valley. Of Eastern Oregon. but
when not engaged there at hunting and
fishing. he roamed At will from the Cali
forniA line to the Canadian boundary, and
from the Blue mountains to the SUBMITS
OF the Rocky mountains.
The invasion Of his broad realm by min
ers and settlers forced upon the govern
ment It's policy Of framing a new treaty
with the Indians, for the purpose OF con-
flnins them to two or three reservations.
At conference held at Lapwai. in 1873,
between the various Indian chiefs anc rep
resentatives OF the government, Joseph re-
fused to 90 upon either the NeE Perce
reservation In Idaho or the Umatiila res
ervation. In Oregon. This being reported
to the secretary Of the interior, an order
was issued that Joseph's band should be
permitted to remain In the WailowA valley
during the summer and autumn. and later
the president set aside the Wallowa and
Imnaha valleys FOR Joseph and his nom
treaty Indians.
Thus matters drifted until 1876. when.
under pressure from the settlers, the pres-
ident rescinded his order, and another
commission was appointed to negotiate
with Joseph and his band. Joseph haugh-
tily replied that be had not como to talk
about land the Maker of the earth had
not partitioned It on. and man should not
the earth was his mother, sacred to hin
affections. and too precious to be sold. He
did not wish to learn farming, but to tive
upon such fruits az the earth produced for
him without effort From these principles
Joseph has never departed. To this day he
and his little band on tho Coaville reser-
walton refuse to take up the arts Of peace.
They hunt and fish, and dwell In tepees.
The government replied that unless in a
reasonable time Joseph consented to be re-
moved he should be forcihly taken with his
people and given lands on the reservation.
He answered this by taking to the war
path. Joseph whitebird and Looking
Glass gathered their forces on Cottonwood
creek. sixty-five miles from Lewiston, os-
tensihly to comply with the governments
command but really In preparation for tho
fierce war that followed.
The first victims were four white men.
killed on White Bird creek. On June H.
1877. while playing cards. they were sur
priscd by a hand OF hosfiles.
Gen. Howard, In command OF the de-
partment OF the Columbia, took to the field.
The war lasted three months, and for ten
weeks Joseph fought a running battle. in
which he displayed high qualities of gen.
eraiship He had in the beginning only
80 warriors, and these were encountered
with their families and stock Surround
ed again and again by the forces Of How
ard. he eluded capture. resumed his mas
terly retreat. and repeatedly doubled his
tracks and struck a stinRing blow against
the enemy. Against him Howard had near
iy forty companies OF United States troops
ard large force of volunteers and Indian
scouts
After hard lighting around Salmon and
near Camas prairie. Idaho Joseph escaped
over tho Toio trail. eluded The forces sta
tened AZ the mouth OF the canyon In Mon
tana, and pursued hts way toward the Ca
madam border. He was finally captured by
Gen. Miles near the north end Of the Bear
Paw ouneains. The distance marched
by Howzsd's army In this fierce running
campaign was nearly i.5co miles. The
United states lost jos officers ard men kill
ed and 40 wounded Thirteen volunteers
Yves killed and fifty settlers were rnassa-
cred--Spokane Spokesman Review.