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they stood their ground in a fight with white men, when their numbers werePeaceable to the Last In his later years, Joseph was not aanything near equal. Here, however, was disturber; he remembered his promise a band of Indians who stood up against and he kept it. He kept it indeed better a force not much inferior to their own than many a paroled white would haveand fought so stubbornly and bravely done; it was lived up to in spirit as well that they turned the rout at the open- as in letter. Not only did he refrain froming assault into what was virtually a vie- making any trouble himself, but his tory. They compelled the white men councils were always for peace He real-who had driven them from their camp lzed the hopelessness of a struggle to take refuge behind breastworks and aagtnst the white invasion and he adopt-then they followed the whites, hemmed ed the course that seemed to him wisest.them in and harassed them for 24 hours, only desisting when scouts brought them( harlot a Malcontent The case of tne Nez Perces was almostnews of the approach of strong rein- an exact parallel with the treatmentforcements for the soldiers.which Chief Chariot and his Saleeshes ofIt was an unusual experience for the the Bitter Root valley received from the veterans in the ranks of the whites, many government. Chariot, however, refrainedof whom had fought the Sioux in east- from any act of violence against the ern Montana and in the Dakotas. Some | whites. When Joseph sent Chariot anof these men afterward said that they Invitation to participate in the march would rather fight five Sioux than one out of the country, the latter refused.Nez Perce; and yet this tribe had never But Chariot remained sullen and morose, before been at war against the whites, a perpetual trouble breeder on the res-If the Nez Perces had been experienced ervation; a chronic malcontent. Joseph, in this sort of fighting, there is no tell- on the other hand, became a model In-ing what might have been the outcome dian after his brief struggle against the of Chief Joseph's famous march through inevitable had been decided.Montana lr. 1877. The reputation of Sitting Bull and his Sioux would have been('harlot a Malcontent When Chariot had his famous confer-rorfeited. But. the Nez Perces were by ence wjth Senator Vest. Major Martin nature peaceable and their one clash Maginnis and others regarding his pro-with whites arose from a cause that posed departure from the Bitter Root val-Justified their actions in the eyes of iey, he referred to this incident. Hethose who believed that the United said that his father. Victor, had wel-Stotes should play fair with such of the corned Lewis and Clark and helped themT-dlans as were themselves honorable. Qn their Journey; that during the inter-St of non Blt-vere heir the reivedJen who served during the Civil war I vening years no white man had been jd in the Indian wars in the middle killed by the Flathead Indians in nny-west and south have given testimony thing that looked like hostility; that re-that the battle of the Big Hole was the cently when his kinsman Joseph of themost bitterly contested field upon which Ne7, perces had come over the mountains they ever fought. These veterans state and asked him to Join with him in histhat they never witnessed such deter- war upon the whites, he told him that mined fighting maintained for so long a he would not do so. He said that heperiod of time and at such short range told Joseph he would not Join the whites, by any Indians as was carried on by and that so far as the Saleeshes werethese unseasoned warriors under Joseph. I concerned, Joseph might march through It was a brave body of whites who the valley if he would do so peaceably;faced Chief bluffs that overlookJoseph that hot day on the but that if he took anything belonging verlook the Basin where the to the white men. or even killed a calf.waters of mountain streams mingle to I then he (Chariot) would Join forces with form the main fork of Big Hole river. I the white men.They were worthy foes and worthily did this Indian leader and his followers meet them.Was Greatest of Indian Leaders Joseph's resentment against the whites was of the same nature as that of Char-Arnong the men hemmed in by Joseph. loti but lt founti vent tn a different man-in the earthworks on the brow of thatner. Instead of remaining sullenly infatal hill was one grilled old surgeon the Wallowa valley. Joseph determined who had fought with that same regiment to leave the country entirely. None^ the defense of Little Round Top at famlUar wlth the circumstances and Gettysburg. In his story of the fig*11 events believes that Joseph at any timetold in an interview a short time after I intended to wage war against the whites. P.. battle of the Big Hole, the surgeon Ha£j be been on the warpath, it wouldsaid that there was no hotter place on bave been a very simple mntter for him the Round Top than he found that Au- to sjay tbe soldiers and volunteers whogust day ten years or more later.opposed him in Lolo pass. Much rather,When his fight at the Big Hole was however, he left the members of this ended, Chief Joseph took up his march \ force sleeping and marched quietlydown the valley, cumbered with women around them.and children and his wounded warriors. Whatever may be the general opinionheading in the direction of the British held as to the Justice of the course pur-possessions where he hoped to find a sued by Chief Joseph and as to thehome for his people and where they righteousness of the cause he tried to might receive the Just treatment that he uphold, there can be but one opinion re-lelt had been denied them in this coun- gardlng the man himself—he was thetry-Joseph's Famous Marchgreatest Indian leader of all times.The history of the march of Joseph nnrl ViIr Np? Pprr#»«; 1r pvpti mnrp remark -Board Members Re-appointedHnvprnnr F.rirksnn har rpannointad one
Newspaper Details
Bozeman Courier
Bozeman, Montana, US
Fri, May 13, 1927
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Geri L.
NA, 10 Jul 2024
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