The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-05-21
DEPICT SURRENDER
OLD CHIEF JOSEPH
NEZ PIERCE WAR PROVIDES
THREE SCENES IN UNIVERSITY
PAGEANT TO BE GIVEN JUNE 8


The famous Nez Perce war, in which
Chief Joseph and his braves defied
the troops of General Howard for
three months in the Businesses of
north Idaho, provides three dramatic
scenes for the University of Idaho
pageant, The Light on the Noun
tains, which will be presented on
the evening of June as part of the
commencement exercises.
First are shown General Howard
and the Indian agent ordering the
Indians out of the Wallowa country,
under instructions from the govern
ment.
"The old chief, Lawyer, sold it,"
says the agent.
Joseph shakes his head.
Suppose white man should come
to me- he replies, and say, Joseph,
l like your horses and l want to buy
them. I say to him, No, my horses
suit me; I will not sell them Then
he goes to my neighbor and says to
him, Joseph has some good horses;
want to buy them but he refuses
to SELL My neighbor answers, Pay
me the money and I wfA sell you
Joseph's horses The white man re-
turns to me and says, Joseph, have
bought your horses and you must let
me have them If we sold our lands
to the government this is the way
they We're bought
However, Joseph councils his braves
to peace, but they force him into
war.
Tolo an Indian woman, in the Sec
ond scene, sacrifices her life to save
a group of white settlers.
Joseph, in the closing scene, sur
renders to Generals Howard and
Miles,
Peace Loving Tribe
The Nez Perce Indians were
peace loving tribe and very friendly
to the whites, says a report from one
of the university classes. They
boasted that no white mans scalp
ever had hung in their wigwams. In
1855 Governor Stevens in treaty pro-
missed Joseph's father, Old Joseph"
that he might always occupy the Wal
Iowa valley, but the treaty lands were
inviting and encroachments soon be-
gan. Old Joseph refused to leave,
however, and in 1872 on his death
bed he counciled Young Joseph never
to give up the land which held his
fathers bones.
In 1875 government authorities de-
cided to force Joseph to go upon the
Nez Perce reservation east of Lewis
ton. Joseph refused and the matter
was turned over General o. o. Ho-
ward. A council was called, at which
Joseph, Ollicut, Looking Glass, White
Bird, Dreamer Priest, and others were
in attendance. This is the council
depicted in the pageant.
The Nez Perces were given until
A -
pared for war, and on June II the
first slSirmish occurred. On July %
Joseph began his famous flight over
the Lolo trail, with General Gibbon
and General Howard following After
almost three months of constant war
fare, Joseph was attacked in a rag
ing snowstorm at Bear Paw noun
tain, just one days march from the
British Columbia line. The fight con-
Iinued for four days, and Joseph's
people were practically without food
and blankets
Refuses Surrender
Disheartened as he was, he refused
LII offers of surrender until the
ourth day, when Captain john" the
I'D Nez Perce interpreter in Miles
service, rode into Joseph's camp and
begged him with tears in his eyes to
surrender, telling him that General
Howard was there with promises of
rood treatment
At sunset on October 5, Joseph
ode slowly into the camp to deliver
himself up. He sat with his hands
o1ded on the pommel of his saddle,
lis rifle across his knees, his head
,owed down AS he reached the
group waiting to receive him he
wung gracefully down from his
addle and offered his rifle to General
Toward. Howard waved him to Gen
raj Miles, who received the token of
And thus the war of the
TeZ PerceS ended