The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-05-13

they stood their ground in a tight with
white men, when their numbers were
anything near equal. Here, however, was
a band of Indians who stood up against
a force not much inferior to their own
and fought so stubbornly and bravely
that they turned the rout at h open
ing assault into hat was virtually a VIC
tory. They compelled the white men
who had driven them from their camp
to take refuge behind breastworks and
then they followed the whites, hemmed
them in and haraSSed them for "a hours,
only deSisting when scout brought them
news Of the approach OF strong rein
forcements for the soldiers.
1t was an unusual experience for the
veterans in the n Of the whites, many
of whom had fought the Sioux in east
ern Montana and in the Dakotas. Some
of these men afterward said that they
would rather fight five Sioux thai
Nez Perez; and yet this tribe had never
before been at war against the whites.
If the Nez Perces had been experienced
in this sort of fighting, there is no tell
ing what might nav been the outcome
of Chief JoSeph's famous march through
Montana in 1877. The reputation OF Sit
ting Bull and his Sioux would have been
forfeited. But, the Nez Perces were by
nature peaceable and their n clash
with whites arose from a AUS that
justified their actions in the eyes Of
those who believed that the United
States should play fair with u of The
! fEllaIS as were themselves nOIUOIdD1E.
Hen who served during the civil war
nd in the Indian wars in the middle
west and south have given testimony
that the battle of the Big Hole was the
most bitterly contested field upon which
thew ever fought. These veterans state
that they never witnessed such deter
mined fighting maintained for so long a
period of time n at u short range
by any Indians as was carried on by
these unSeaSoned warriors under Joseph.
1t was a brave body Of whites who
faced Chief Joseph hat hot day on the
bluffs hat overlook h Basin where the
waters of mountain streams mingle TO
form the main fork of Big Hole river.
They were worthy foes and worthily did
this Indian leader n his followers meet
them.
Among the men hemmed in by Joseph
in the earthWorks on the brow OF that
fatal hill, was one grizzled old surgeon
who had fought with that same regimen
in the defense of Little Round Top al
Gettysburg. In his story Of the fight
told in an interview a short time after
the battle of the Big Hole, the surgeon
said that there was no hotter place or
the Round Top than he found that Au-
gust day ten years or more later.
When his fight at the Big Hole was
ended, Chief Joseph took up his marcI
down the valley, numbered with womeI
and children and his wounded warriors
heading in the direction of the British
f possessions where he hoped to find
q home for his people and where the,
= might receive the just treatment that h
e telt had been denied them in this coun
T try.
e JOseph's Famous March
: The history Of the march of JOSEPH
and his Nez Perces is even more remark
able than the story Of the battle Of tn
Big Hole. The first reports reachin
t, Montana regarding Joseph's campaig-
IS were much exaggerated. h battle o
the Little Big Horn was fresh in tn
minds Of h people Of the state and !
IS was naturally expected that the Ne
o PerceS' trail through Montana would b
IS marked by murder and outrage. Blu
the people did not know Chief JOSEPH
= Joseph was a different type from Sittin
If Bull, and he was able to control his ag
gressive young men to a remarkable de
gree. lie left no trail Of blood and fl
across the state.
lie Viewed from a military standpoint tn
Of retreat was remarkable as the course, i
le its entirety, lay through an enemy
n country, and it was accomplished wit
RS less annoyance to the people of the stat
than would have resulted from a simili
march by a hostile white foe. Just
Z, long as it was possible for him so to d
Joseph paid for the horses n provision
he secured. When he could no longer {
Of this, he took them as any command
i'd would have done; but, no brutal11
rs marked the course of the Nez Perez n
as treat.
ID When, finally, Joseph surrendered
L General Miles, it was because Of the su
fering among the women and childrt
of the tribe, who, deprived of prop
lie food n exposed to the chill of whit
ry weather, were sick and dying. His su
a render was complete When he yielde
re it was with the promise that he wou
Id fight no more. He said: Hear me, n
chiefs. I am tired. My heart is sick al
as sad. From where the sun now stands
nd will fight no more foreverl"