Chief Joseph and Our General Howard

[W. Gray]

The Nez Perce were defeated in October 1877 and then taken to Fort Leavenworth where they stayed two years.

In 1879, the Army marched them through Elk County south into Indian Territory.

Believe it or not General Howard and Chief Joseph became lifelong friends and corresponded with each other.

Gen Howard died in 1909, Chief Joseph died in 1904.

Chief Joseph Speech the night before surrending:

"Tell General Howard that I know his heart. What he told me before I have in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead, Tu-hul-hil-sote is dead. the old men are all dead. It is the young men who now say yes or no. He who led the young men [Joseph's brother Alikut] is dead. It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people -- some of them have run away to the hills and have no blankets and no food. No one knows where they are -- perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs, my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more against the white man."

Ten years after Howard County came into existence, General Howard pursued Nez Perce Chief Joseph for five-months and 1,400 miles before capturing him only one day before the beleaguered leader, and his band of 500 women and children and 200 warriors, could make it to freedom in Canada.

The Nez Perce, who helped the Lewis and Clark expedition survive earlier in the century, refused to go from their home in Oregon to a reservation in Indian Territory immediately south of Howard County. The chief turned his band to armed flight to get out of the United States and away from the Army trying to force their removal. News dispatches from reporters with the military enabled the entire country to follow the subsequent battle action in the newspapers.

August 16, 1877 Winfield Courier
The Nez Perce Indians in Montana Territory were attacked August 9th by Col. Gibbon, U. S. A., and about 180 men. The Indians were victorious, killing and wounding more than half of the command and capturing all their horses

September 13, 1877 Winfield Courier
Gen. Howard has got Joseph in the valley of the Yellowstone, Gen. Miles is hunting him from the east, and it begins to look very scaly for the Nez Perces

Also September 13, 1877 Winfield Courier
Gen. Howard has been severely criticized, particularly by the Democratic press, because he has not succeeded in overtaking and destroying Chief Joe and his Nez Perces. The criticism has probably been inspired partly by his staunch Union, Republican, and Christian record. Gen. Howard is an accomplished officer and enjoys the respect of the whole corps of army officers. There is no doubt that he has done all that could be done under the circumstances toward the suppression of the hostiles.

September 20, 1877 Winfield Courier
Gen. Sturgis is pursuing the Nez Perces down Clark's ford, overtook them and fought them a whole day, killing or capturing several hundred Indians and taking 150 horses.

September 27, 1877
Gen. Sheridan has received an official account of the battle of Big Hole, of August 8th, from Col. Gibbons, who says that the white inhabitants of Montana sustained and helped the Nez Perces by supplying them with provisions. The Indians Numbered 200. Gibbon by forced marches with 144 men and officers and 34 citizens, overtook them and made the attack late at night. The Indians sought shelter in the bushes and poured volleys into the troops who were on open ground. In a few minutes the whole camp was in possession of the troops, but the Indians continued the firing at long range; but were finally so much cut up that they withdrew. Gibbon's loss was 29 killed and 40 wounded. The Indians left 89 dead on the field.

October 4, 1877
Chicago, September 29. A telegram from Benton, Montana, says the Nez Perces attacked the rifle pits at Cow island, at sundown on the 23rd inst., making seven charges, and fighting until ten o'clock the next morning, when they left, probably for Mill river. Sunday night they burned the freight pile, containing thirty tons of government and twenty tons of private freight. Citizens Weymore and Walker were seriously wounded in the fight. It is believed the hostiles are making their way to the British possessions.

November 8, 1877
A law of the Nez Perces is that a widower shall not marry within a year after the death of his wife. But polygamy is allowed, and when a man thinks his sick wife is about to die, he marries another woman, and so escapes the weary year of waiting.

November 15, 1877
Gen. Sherman says that Gen. Howard's wonderful march after the Nez Perces is one of the greatest on record.

Dec 20, 1877
Chief Joseph gets complimentary tickets to the shows of Leavenworth.
The Nez Perces at Fort Leavenworth one Sunday had three thousand visitors.

December 27, 1877
The little Indians of the Nez Perces tribe spend the greater portion of their time in spinning tops. They can discount city boys. They start a top and keep it going by lashing it with a whip until they are tired and the last one who strikes it wins the game. Leavenworth Times.

[W. Gray]

Geronimo has been the subject of some reverence on the forum.

He once said "If there is any pure, honest white man in the United States Army, that man is General Howard."

[Catwoman]

Wish they would have at least made it over the border.

[W. Gray]

When one reads about Chief Joseph for the first time it is very disheartening to have to realize these people were so close but so far.

His speech adds to that sadness.

After the Little Big Horn, the Sioux and some others crossed the border into Canada and stayed there for several years.

When Sitting Bull came back he went to work for Buffalo Bill, but he was eventually killed in the 1890s by Indian police.

Crazy Horse was from a different tribe, I don't think they went north but he was killed by Indian police within a couple years of the battle.