The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-09-30

WlLnSIOOQ the attack or miles, soldiers. flndlAy
artillery was brought to bear upon their defenses
and on October Chief Joseph gave up the con-
test. In the meantime General Howard who had
pursued the fleeing Indians three states
arrived at the battle-ground One of his (Howard's)
officers, Col. @. E. S. Wood, has described the
dramatic scene of Josephs surrender as follows:
1T was nearly sunset when Joseph came to
deliver himself up. He rode from his camp in the
little hollow. His hands were casped over the
pommel Of his saddle and his rifle lay across his
knees his head was bowed down. Pressing around
him walked five of his warriors their faces were
upturned and earnest they murmured to him;
but he looked neither TO the right nor to ire left
yet seemed to listen intently. So the little group
came slowly up the hill to where General Howard,
with an aide-de-camp, and General Miles waited to
receive the surrender. AS he neared them, Joseph
sat erect in the saddle then gracefully and with
dignity swung himself down from his horse, and
with an mpulsive gesture threw his arm to its full
length and offered his rifle to General Howard.
The latter motioned him toward General Miles,
who received the token Of submission
At this surrender scene, too, Chief Joseph made
the speech which deserves place with Chief
Iopan's famous grafton These were his words:
II am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed.
Looking Glass is dead Too-hul-hul-sut (the medi-
cine man or dreamer" who had urged war upon
Joseph) is dead The old men are all dead. 1t
r. the Young men now who say "yes" and mo"
J.
(Olicut, Joseph's brother) is dead 1t is cold and
we have no blankets. The little children are freez-
ing to DEATH My people-some OF them-have
run away to the hills and have no blankets, no
food No one knows where they are-perhaps
freezing to death. want to have time to look for
my children and to see how many OF them ! can
find: maybe I shall find them among the dead.
Hear me my chiefs my heart is sick and sad.
From where the sun stands fight no more
against the white man."
AS he spoke those last words, the old chief
raised his hand to the sky and with this simple
gesture the career of the Indian Napoleon ended.
For he kept his promises he never fought again
After the surrender, General Miles promised
Joseph that he and his people should be returned
to Idaho AS for the way in which the United
States kept that promise-it repudiated If en-
tireIyi The captiyes were sent to Fort Leaven-
worth and kept there during the winter. The
next summer they were put on reservation in
Indian Territory. 1t was an unhealthy place for
anyone and for thessS1ndians, accustomed to the
high altitude of their mountain home, the hot
malarious climate OF the low lands was deadly.
They died by the score Chief Joseph protested
and protested in vain but the federal authorities
turned a deaf ear to his pleas to be allowed to
return to his old home before his people were ex-
terminated.
To the everlasting credit Of the soldier who
had conquered him, it must be said that General
Miles used his powerful influence to make the
government keep faith Finally in 1885 the Nez
Perces were allowed to return to the Northwest,
but not to the spot they loved most-the Waliowa
valley They were sent to the Colve reserva-
ton In washington and there they lived for the
next 20 years with Chief Joseph taking the lead
IN guiding his people in the white mans road.
There on September 81, 1904, the old chief mod
ding by the fire, dreaming perhaps of days OF
daring and deeds of valor, by which, savage
though he was, he had written his name on the
pages of history slipped quietly to the ground and
fell into his eternal sleep"