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About The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973 | View This Issue
The Hardin Tribune-Herald (Hardin, Mont.), 11 Sept. 1925, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn86075229/1925-09-11/ed-1/seq-5/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
Friday, Sept. 11, 1926. THE HARDIN TRIBUNE -HERALD Page Five it 0=3C=3111111110 3 I. • t Jr • • • 'I NORTH MONTANA URGES MARKING OF THE SNAKE CREEK BATTLEFIELD, THE SCENE OF BATTLE OF THE BEAR PAWS II I I N BLAINE COUNTY, 15 miles south of Chinook, is the spot where was fought for four days. beginning September 30, 1877, one of the most important battles in Am- erican Indian warfare. The battle was important not only because it brought together, in combat, General Nelson A. Miles (tren a colonel) who became America's greatest Indian fighter, and Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces, who was undoubtedly the Indians' greatest military strategist, but also because it was the climar of a series of maneuvers on the part of both General Miles and Chief Joseph, which are now recognized as the greatest military feats in American history. This historic battlefield now lies almost forgotten, except among the ,people of Northern Montana and those interested in Northwest his- tory. It is situated in the ravines that line the high bluffs of Snake creek, near its junction with Milk river, in the Bear Paw mountains. Its trenches and earthworks have gradually fallen into decay and the wild flowers and tall prairie grass have nearly obliterated other traces of the conflict. Events Recalled. Here on July 19, 1925, nearly 60 years afterwards, a party of histor- ians and important Americans from all parts of the United States, among them General Hugh L. Scott, him- self a great Indian fighter and friend of Chief Joseph, paid high tribute to the military genius of General Miles and to the excellent character of Chief Joseph. Among the speakers, was L. K. Devlin of Havre, who urged support for the movement started by L. V. Bogy of Chinook, which seeks recognition of the spot by the feder- al government and the establishment there of a national monument. The government already has withdrawn the land from public entry. Undoubtedly this battlefield will some day become a national monu- ment, and there will be monuments there to honor General Miles and his soldiers, many of whom lost their lives, as well as Chief Joseph and his braves, many of whom also died in the battle. Joseph Was Retreating. Chief Joseph 'and his band of Nez Perce warriors had successfully de- feated General Howard's men on the Lob o trail, fought a drawn battle with General Gibbon at the Big Hole and were rapidly retreating by a cir- cuitous trail to join Sitting Bull in Canada, but the telegraph of the white man was working against him. Unknown to this Indian chieftain, to the northwest to intercepa. him be- fore he could reach the border. Had General Miles was rapidly marching Chief Joseph known of this he could have easily escaped with all his people as he crossed the Missouri a full day ahead of Miles, but the Three Daughters of the Night de- creed otherwise and the opposing forces met at this spot September 30, 1877. Three days later General Howard arrived on the scene and on October 4 Joseph surrendered with 87 war- riors of whom 40 were wounded, 184 squaws and 147 children. This remarkable Indian had ac- complished a feat that will be long remembered as a military exploit of the first magnitude. His small force, which was at no time number- ed more than 360 warriors, had re- treated for nearly 2,000 miles through an enemy country, carrying with them their squaws and children. They had met United States troops 11 different times and had fought five pitched. battles with them, of which they had_w_e_n three, drew one and lost one, a feat that is more re- markable when it is known that the total force opposing them was nearly 2,000 men. But greatest of all is the fact that this campaign was con- ducthd without destruction of prop- erty and the murdering of soldiers that usually was a part of Indian warfare. Of Chief Joseph's early life not much is known save that he was born in easprn Oregon abqut 1840. He was the eldest. of Old Joseph's two sons and the hereditary chief of the Lower Nez Perce 'Indians. His early childhood was most likely de- voted to learning the usual war and hunting arts common to his people though he did spend some time at the Rev. Spaulding's school—tlie Rev. Spaulding was a missionary who spent many years among the Nez Perce Indians. From his father he learned to be careful when dealing with whites AFTER EVERY MEAL affords benefit as well as pleasure. Healthful exercise for the teeth and a spur to digestion. A long- lasting refreshment, soothing to nerves and stomach. The Great American Sweetmeat, untouched by hands, full of flavor. It II It IL It It and to never sell or sign away the ands of his people. This he never did and it was the cause of his tak- ing charge of the \non -treaty\ In- dians and consummating his mar- yellous retreat through the fastness of the Rockies sad over the Montana plains nearly to the Canadian bor- der; although he took no part in the massacres that were the imme- diate cause of the outbreak. Master Strategist. Thin retreat was a masterpiece of military strategy, his men often hold- ing superior forces at bay while a small detachment of them slipped around one side and cut off the en- emies' supplies. His warriors—al- though the Nez Perces had been at peace for years—were perfectly trained in all the arts of war; in fact at one time he formed 40 of his men in columns of four and in the dusk of early night pulled a surprise at- tack on Howard's troops—the sen- try thinking by their orderly forma- tion, that they were part of General Howard's cavalry. General 0. 0. Howard in his book about the Nez Perces and Chief Jo- seph's retreat says of this particular instance that . \at the Camas Mea- dows, n6t far from Henry lake, Jo- seph's night march, his surprise of my camp and capture of over 100 animals, and after a slight battle, making a successful escape, showed an ability to plan and execute equal to that of many a partisan leader whose deeds have entered into class- ic story.\ Even in his last battle he held out for four days against a force that outnumbered his two to one and his quiet dignity and forbearance at the time of his surrender won him the re- spect and friendship of General Miles. They Fought Nobly. \Thus says General Sherman, speaking of Joseph's surrender to General Miles, \has terminated one of the most extraordinary Indian wars of which there is any record. The Indians throughout displayed a courage and skill that elicited uni- versal praise; they abstained from scalping, let captive women go - free, did not commit indiscriminate mur- der of peaceful families, which is us- ual, and fought with almost scienti- fic skill, using advance and rear guards, skirmish lines and field for- tifications.\ After his surrender, te and his people were sent to Fort Leaven- worth and later to Baxter Springs, Kansaa—hl-Alleee places many of the Indians died but it wasn't until 1886 that the sorry remnant of this au- dacious band was sent to spend the remainder of their lives on the Col- ville reservation, in northern Wash- ington; a country similar to their beloved Valley of the Winding Wa- ters and a place where they could live in peace in a climate that they were accustomed to. For 12 years Chief Joseph lived quietly on his reservation but in 1897 becoming alarmed by the en- croachments of the whites in their whether it could be accomplished in °s nn . i ( d >th brothers and wives s hadb s een h ad kill b e e d e : n th d e is ir_ that ttme. Chief's Own Story. grated; they had been driven to mad - Chief Joseph tells the story in the ness by whiskey sold to them by the following words: white men; they had been told by General Howard that all their horses and cattle which they had been un- able to drive out of Wallowu county were to fall into the hands of white \When I returned to Wallowa I found my people very much excited upon discovering that the soldiers were already in the Wallowa valley. THE RED NAPOLEON OF THE WEST—Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces, who led his tribe over 2,000 miles of territory, fighting five battles with -the American soldiers, because \he could not sell his father's grave.\ We held a council and decided to men; and added to all this, they were move immediately to avoid blood- homeless and desperate. shed. Howard had put upon him. It re - reservation, he again took up the de- quired a strong heart to stand up tense of his people, this time by go- against such talk. but I urged my ing to Washington and pleading with people to be quiet and not to begin the president. Again it was Gener- a war. al Miles—the only white man that he believed and trusted—who prom- ised him that his people would be unmolested in the lands that they now occupied. Returning to the reservation, - he again settled down to enjoy the peace and quiet of old age, making only one more trip, this time a friendly visit to the president and his old friend, General Miles—for a part of the time during this trip he took part in Cummin's \Indian Con- gress and Life on the Plain\ during that show's exhibition at the famous Madison Square Garden—and a year after this trip he dropped dead in front of his tepee on September 22, 1904. In speaking of his death, C. T. \Again I counseled peace, and I a war. We moved to White Bird Brady, in his book about the Nez thought the danger was past. We creek, 16 miles away, and there en- Perce war says: \The other day a had not complied with General How - gray -haired old chief, nodding by the ard's order because we could not, fire, dreamed perhaps of days of but we intended to do so as soon as daring and deeds of valor, by which, possible. I was leaving 04 council savage though he was, he had writ- to kill beef for my family when news 60 men and the soldiers 100. The ten his name on the pages of - his- came that the young man whose fight lasted but a few minutes, when tory, slipped quietly to the ground and fell into his eternal sleep. Peace- ful ending for the Indian Xenophon, the Red Napoleon of the West.\ Made Great Address. When Chief Joseph went to Wash- ington in 1897, to plead the mese of his people, he made an address through an interpreter that has since been called one of the greatest ad- dresses ever delivered by an Ameri- can Indian. He spoke frankly, and undoubtedly expressed his honest convictions. He reviewed the his- tory of his tribe, the life of his fa- ther and his (Mr lire\trp - ter- that time. One cannot read that speech without the feeling that Chief Jo- seph was an honorable, peace -loving Indian and that the American gov- ernment failed to properly recognize his viewpoint and his rights and that the government itself was respons- ible for the war which Chief Joseph later waged against it. According to Chief Joseph's own story, he preferred peace to war and did everything he could to help to maintain peace. But it seemed to him that the American government was determined to take his land, which he had promised his father he would never sell or give to the whites and finally the situation got beyond his control. Chief Joseph says that after General Howard had promised him that he and his tribe could stay in the Wallowa valley, the general revoked his promise and insisted that the Nez Perces move to the Lapwal reservation. Chief Joseph and his men objected to this at first, but finally agreed on condition that they be given .time to get their stock and other possessions together. General Howard insisted that they could have but 30 days to do this, though Chief Joseph doubted \I would have given my own life \Too-hul-hul-sote who felt out- if I could have undone the killing raged by his imprisonment by Gen- of white men by my people. I blame eral Howard, talked for war and my young men and I blame the white made many of my young men willing men. I blame General Howard for to fight rather than to be driven like not giving my people time to get dogs from the land where they were their stock away from Wallowa. I born. He declared that blood alone do not acknowledge that he had the would wash out the disgrace General right to order me to leave WAllowa at any time. I deny that either my father or myself ever sold that land. It is still our land. It may never again be our home, but my father sleeps there and I love it as I love \We gathered all the stock we my mother. I left there hoping to could find, and made an attempt to avoid bloodshed. move. We left many of our horses \If General Howard had given me and cattle in Wallowa, and we lost plenty of time to gather up my stock, several hundred in crossing the river, and treated Too-hul-hul-sote as a All my people succeeded in getting man should be treated, there would across in safety. Many of the Nez have been no war. My friends Perces came together in Rocky can- among white men have blamed me yon to hold a grand council. I went for the war. I am not to blame. with all my people. This council When my young men began killing lasted 10 days. There was a great my heart was hurt. Although I did deal of war talk and a great deal of not justify them, I remembered all excitment. There was a young brave - Me Insults - 2 - bad endured, and - My present whose father had been killed blood was on fire. Still I would by a white man five years before. have taken my people to the buffalo This man's blood was bad against country without fighting, if possible. white men and he left the council Shoots to Kill. calling for revenge. \I could see no other way to avoid father had been killed, had gone out with several, hot-blooded young braves and killed four white men. He rode up to the council and shout- ed: 'Why do you sit here like wo- men? the war has begun already.' \I knew that we were too weak to fight the United States. We had many grievances, but I knew that war would bring more. We had good white friends who advised us against taking the war path. \We hoped the white settlers would not join the soldiers. Before the war commenced we had discus- sed this matter all over, and many .ofmy people were in favor of warn- ing them that if they took no part against us they would not be molest- ed in the event of war being begun by General Howard. This plan was voted down in the war council. , Had Bad Hearts. \There were bad Men among my people who had quarreled with white men, and they talked of their wrongs until they roused all the bad hearts in the council. Still I could not' be- lieve that they would begin the.war. I know that my young men did a great wrong; tint I ask, Who was first to blame? They had been insult- ed a thousand times; their fathers camped intending to collect our stock before leaving; but the soldiers attacked us and the first battle was fought. We numbered in that battle the soldiers retreated before us for 12 miles. They lost 33 killed and seven wounded. \Seven days after the first bat- tle General Howard arrived in the Nez Perces country, bringiftg 700 \I was deeply grieved. All the more soldiers. It was now war in lodges were moved except my broth- earnest. We crossed over Salmon er's and my own. I saw clearly that river, hoping General Howard would the war was upon us when I learned follow. We were not disappointed. that my young men had been secret- He did follow us and we got between ly buying ammunition. I heard then him and his supplies, and cut him off that Too-hul-hul-sote, who had been for three days. He sent out two imprisoned by General Howard. had companies to open the way. We at - succeeded in organizing a war party. tacked them, killing one officer, two inteivthat their -acts niltt3 vnlve.f guides and --10 ,•• - all my people. I saw -the war could \We withdrew.. hoping the' sot' not be prevented. The time had diers would follow, but they had got passed. I had counseled peace. from fighting enough for that day. They the beginning. intrenched themselves, and next day we attacked them again. The . ..pall tle lasted all day, and was renewed next morning. We killed four and wounded seven or eight. \About this time, General Howard found out that we were in his rear. Five days later he attacked us with 350 soldiers and settlers. We had 250 warriors. The fight lasted 27 Mike Up Your Mind to Mike MIra M3ney ! One of the fittest way we know of ix to raise pore bred. registered pedigreed Roosevelt Strain Silver foxes. If :roll want prof of the prof- its mend for FREE LITERA- TI:ICE- The lonnon elates Met Fox Farms 214 tiotIon Bldg.. Spokane, Wn. It :inches at Spokane, Mittnettpu- nil and Shasta , Springs. , hours. We lost four killed and sev- eral wounded. General Howard's loss was 29 men killed and 60 men wounded. \The following day the soldiers charged upon us, and we retreated with our families and. stock a few miles, leaving 80 lodges to fall into the hands of General Howard. In Bitter Root. \Finding that we were outnum- bered, we retreated to Bitter Root valley. Here another body of sol- diers came upon us and demanded our surrender. We refused. They said, 'You cannot get by us.' We an- swered, 'We are going by you with- out fighting if you will let us, but we are going by you anyhow.' We then made a treaty with these sol- diers. We agreed not to molest any- one and they agreed to let us pass through the 81tter Root country in peace. We bought provisions and traded stock with white men there. \We understood that there was to be no war. We intended to go peaceably to the buffalo country, and leave the question of returning to our country to be settled afterward. \With this understanding we tra- veled on for four days, and thinking that the trouble was all over we stopped and prepared tent -poles to take with us. We started again and at the end of two days we saw three white men passing our camp. Think- ing that peace had been made, we did not molest them. We could have killed, or taken them prisoners, but we -- dtd not suspect them of being spies, which they were. \That night the soldiers surround- ed our camp. About daybreak one of my men went out to look after his horses. The soldiers saw him and shot him down like a coyote. I have since learned that the' e soldiers were not those we had left behind. They ha\ come upon us from anoth- er direction. The new white war chief's name was Gibbon. He charged upon us while my people were still asleep. Some of my men crept around and attacked the sol- diers from the rear. In the battle we lost nearly all of our lodges but we finally drove General Gibbon back. \Finding that he was not able to capture us, he sent to his camp a few miles away for his big guns (can- nons) but my men had captured them and all the amunition. We damaged the big guns all we could and car- ried away the powder and lead. In the fight with General Gibbon, we lost 50 women and children and 30 fighting men. We remained long enough to bury our dead. The Nez Perces never make war on women and children; we could have killed a great many women and children while the war lasted, but we would feel ashamed to do so cowardly an act. Kind to Captives. \We never scalp our enemies, but when General Howard came up and joined General Gibbon, their Indian scouts dug up our dead and scalped them. I have been told that Gener- al Howard did not order this great shame to be done. \We retreated as rapidly as we could toward the buffalo country. After six days General Howard came close to us, and we went out and at- tacked him and captured nearly all his horses and mules (about 250 head). We then marched to the Yellowstone basin. • \On the way we captured one white man and two white women. We released them at the end of three days. They were treated kindly. The women were not insulted. Can the white soldiers tell me one time when Indian women wei_*.e_taken prisoners and held for three days and then re- leased without being insulted. Were the Nez Perces women who fell into the hands of General Howard's sol- diers treated with as much respect. I deny that a Nee, Perce was ever guilty of such a crime. \A few days' march brought us to the mouth of Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone. We did not know what had become of General Howard, but we supposed that he had sent for more horses and mules. He did not come up, but another new war chief (General Sturgis) attacked us. We held him in check while we moved all our women and children and our stock out of dang er, leaving a few men to cover our retreat. \Several days past, and we heard nothing of General Howard or Gib- bon or Sturgis. We had repulsed each in turn and began to feel secure, I when another army, under General Miles. struck us. This was the fourth army, each of which outnum- bered our fighting force, that we had encountered within 60 days. Miles Entei right. We hadW ridikreafe of eneral Miles' army until a short time before he made a charge upon us, cutting our camp in two, and capturing near- ly all of our horses. About 70 men. myself among them, were cut off. My little daughter, 12 years of age, was with me. I gave her a rope, and told her to catch a horse and join the others who weer cut off from the camp. I have not seen her since, but I have learned that she is alive and well. \I thought of my wife and child- ren, who were now surrounded by the soldiers. and I resolved to go to them Or die. With a prayer in my mouth to the Great Spirit Chief who rules above, I dashed unarmed through the line of soldiers. It seemed to me that there were guns on 'every side of me, before and be- hind me.., My clothes were cut to pieces and my horse was wounded, hut I was not hurt. As I reached the door of my lodge, my wife handed me my rifle, saying: 'here's your gun, Fight\ \The soldiers kept up a continuous fire. Six of- my men were killed in one spot near me. Ten or 12 sol- diers charged into our camp and got possession of two lodges, killing three Nez Perces and losing three of their men, who weer well made our lines. I called my men to drive them back. \We fought at close range, not more than 20 steps apart, and drove the soldiers back upon their maim line, leaving their dead in our hands. We secured their arms and ammuni- tion. We lost the first day and night. 18 men and three women. Gen- eral Miles lost 26 killed and 40 wounded. The following day Gen- eral Miles sent a messenger into my camp under protection of a white flag. I sent my friend Yellow Bull to meet him. \Yellow Bull understood the mes- senger to say that General Miles wished me to consider the situation; that he did not want to kill my peo- ple unnecessarily. Yellow Bull un- derstood this to be a demand for me to surrender and save bloodshed. Up- on reporting this message to me, Yel- low Bull said he wondered whether General Miles was in earnest. I sent him back with my answer that I had not made up my mind, but would -think about it and would send word soon. A little later he sent some Cheyenne scouts with another mes- sage. I went out to meet them. They said they believed General Miles was sincere and really wanted peace. \I walked on to General Miles' tent. He met me; we shook hands. He said, 'Come, let us sit down by the fire and talk this matter over.' I remained with him all night; next morning Yellow Bull came over to see if I was alive, and why I did not return. \General Miles would not let me leave the tent to see my friend alone. Had a Hostage. \Yellow Bun said to me: 'They have got you in their power, and I am afraid they will never let you go again. I have an officer in our camp and I will hold him until they let you go free.' \I said: 'I do not know what they mean to do with me, but if they kill me you must not kill the officer. It will do no good to avenge my death by killing him.' \Yellow Bull returned to my camp. I did not make any agreement that day with General Miles. The battle was renexed while I was with him. I was veir anxious about my people. I knew that we were near Sitting Bull's camp in King George's land, and I thought maybe the Nez Perces who had escaped would re- turn with assistance. No great dam- age was done to either party during the night. \On tha following morning I re- turned toloay camp by agreement, meeting the officer who had been held a prisoner in my camp at the flag of truce. My people were divid- ed about surrendering. We could have escaped from Bear Paw moun- tains if we had left oer wounded, old women and children behind. We were unwilling to do this. We had never heard of a wounded Indian recover- ing while in the hands of white men. \On the evening of the fourth day General Howard came in with a small escort, together with my friend, Chapman. We could talk now under- standingly. General Miles now said to me in plain words, 'If you will come out and give up your arms I will spare your lives and send you back to the reservation. I do not know what passed between General Miles and General Howard. • Joseph Confident. \I could not bear to see my wound- ed men and women suffer any long- er; we had lost enough already. Gen- eral Miles had promised that we might return to our country with hat-streek we -had- left. I- th•aught we could start again. I believed Gen- eral Miles or I never would have surrendered. I have heard that he has been censured for making the promise that he would return us to Lapwai. He could not have made any other terms with me at that time. I would have held him in check until my friends came to my assistance, and then neither of the generals nor their soldiers would have ever left the Bear Paw moun- tains alive. \On the fifth day I went to Gen- eral Miles and gave up my gun and said. 'From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more.' My people needed rest—we wanted peace. \I was told we could go with Gen- eral Miles to Tongue river and stay there until spring, when we would be sent back to our country. Finally it was decided that we were to be ta- ken to Tongue river. We had noth- (continued on agrieuttural Page) Say \Bayer\ - Insist! 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