Chief Joseph is one of the greatest chiefs ever.  Had very unique ways of life.  He was a peaceful man that did not believing fighting unless for a reason.   He did  many things for his people to make all of them have a better way of life.
Chief Joseph was born ion the Walllowa Valley and Given the name Hin-man-too-yah-lat-kekt or  Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain.   Joseph was baptized at the Labwai Mission, which is how he got his christen name Joseph.  Joseph and his father were one of the Nez Perce to convert to Christianity.  The elder Chief Joseph died in 1871 and The only 23 year old Joseph became the chief Of the Nez Perce. Chief  Joseph's father told Joseph never to part with their homeland, assuring his  father that he had signed no papers.  Chief Joseph had many tough decisions  to make.  Chief Joseph and his people lived in the Grande Ronde Valley in Oregon, which was considered some of the most fertile land in that part of the country. 

Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph resisted all efforts to force his band on a small Idaho Reservation.  In 1873 a federal order to remove white settlers and let his people remain in the valley made it appear that they might be successful but federal government soon reversed itself.  In 1877 Oliver Otis Howard threatened A cavalry  charge to force Joseph's band and other hold-outs onto a small Idaho  reservation.  Believing military resistance futile Joseph led his people to the small Idaho reservation.  They never made it, About 20 Nez Perce warriors staged a raid on a nearby settlement and killed several whites.  Immediately the army led by Howard began to pursue Joseph's band.  Even though Chief Joseph opposed war he cast alot with the war leaders.     
  
   What followed was one of the most well though out  retreats in American History.  The Nez Perce fought with almost scientific skill using advance and rear guards.   700 Indians 200 of them warriors fought 2,000 U.S. soldiers in four major battles.  By October 5th he was known as the "Red Napoleon" but it is unlikely that he played a key roll in  the Nez Perce Military Feat.  He wasn't considered a war chief  by his people.  It was decided that the mah rear should meet  general Howard's commands in white Bird Canyon.  Perhaps no better ambush was ever planned than the one Chief Joseph set for General Howard.  Joseph made false trails to mislead them into think that they had crossed the Salmon River. Some tents teepee's were pitched in plain site while women and children were hidden inaccessible ridges.  The Nez Perce  men next concealed in the canyon with deadly effect and hardly any danger to themselves.   
The Nez Perce next crossed the salmon river and made a detour and took there book eastward.  Chief Joseph said it would take six or seven days to get a  sufficient force in the field to to take up there trail was correct. General Howard waited six days for the arrival of men from various forts then followed Joseph with 600 soldiers A large number of them citizen volunteers and Indian scouts. It was evident they had a long chase over trackless wilderness in prospect he discarded his wagons and took pack mules, by this time the Indians had a good head start.  General Howard sent dispatches to Colonel Gibbons with orders to head Joseph off, which he undertook at the Montana end of the Lolo Trail. There at big hole pass he meet colonel Gibbons with fresh troops. Joseph sent a party under his brother Ollicut to Harass Gibbons rear and route the pack throwing him on a defensive causing him to send for help while Joseph continued his masterly retreat toward Yellowstone park.  The two forces came together  under Howard, even though General Howard said the horses were worn out, it was decided to send a detachment of cavalry under bacon to Tash Pass the gateway to Yellowstone park, which Joseph would have to pass. Bacon had orders to detain him until  the rest of the cavalry could get there.  General Bacon did not have the heart to fire upon the Indians on account of the Indians numbers so he let the Indians by.
 Howard could not depend on the volunteers many of whom had joined him in the chase and were going to show the soldiers how to fight the Indians. The Successions of defeats did not discourage General Howard who kept on with as many men that were able to carry a gun.  sending dispatches to all the frontier posts with orders to cut of Joseph if possible. Sturgis tried to stop the Indians as the Indians entered the park but they did not meet until the Indians were  about to come out of the park.  There was another fight with Joseph again victorious. Howard came upon the battle field soon afterward and saw the Indians were off again and from here he sent a fresh message to General Miles asking for reinforcements.   
    Joseph had now turned eastward toward Missouri he said that when he got in that part of the country he knew he was close to  the Canada border and Sitting Bull which he desired to make an alliance with.  Some of Josephs best men had been wounded which was a great burden to Joseph, but not one person was left behind.  Another remarkable thing about this retreat was that Joseph's people stood behind him  and even the women and children did there part .
The Bittersweet Valley which Joseph and his people had now entered was full of game that the Indians hunted for food, while resting there horses.  One morning the Chiefs had a council to which Joseph took his daughter to.  they were discussing sending runners to Sitting Bull to discover his exact whereabouts and if it would be agreeable for him to join forces.  In the middle  of the council a troop of U.S. soldiers charged down a hill.  For once Joseph was surprised.  He had seen no trace of  soldiers and was somewhat relaxed.  He told his daughter to stay where she was and he cut right in the middle of the cavalry.  He rode up to his teepee where his wife was waiting for him with his gun.  She cried "Here is your gun husband."  The warriors quickly gathered and pressed the soldiers so hard that had to withdraw.  Meanwhile one set of people fled while Joseph's own band entered themselves in a very favorable position from which they could not be easily dislodged.  General Miles had received and acted on general Howard's message.  He now sent one of his officers with some Indian scouts into Joseph's camp to negate with Joseph.  In  the meantime Howard and Sturgis came up with the encampment, Howard had with him two friendly Nez Perce scouts who were supposed to talk to Joseph in his own language.  Joseph decided that there was nothing to do but surrender.  Joseph believed that his escape was all but secure then at the last minute he was surprised at caught at a disadvantage.  His army was shattered, he had lost most of his people including women,  children, and the wounded.  The Nez  Prece had traveled 1300 hundred miles in 50 days.  Himself a young man who had done nothing significant in his short life. Even then he was not concurred.  His people were willing to die fighting but the U.S. army offered peace with Joseph and Joseph agreed.  As he said for pity for his people  some of his warriors refused to surrender and slipped through the lines.    
When Joseph came to Washington in 1897 to the present his grievances. They made a strong story about Chief Joseph and took the document to General Miles  who was then stationed in Washington.  before presenting the document General Miles said that every word of that document was true. 
 In the first place his people were to be kept at Fort Keogh in Montana over the winter and the returned to there reservation.  Instead there were taken to Fort Leavenworth Kansas   and placed between A lagoon and the Missouri River, where the sanitary conditions made heroic of them.  Those who didn't die were taken to the Indian territory where the health and situation were worse.  Joseph appealed to the government again and again at last with the help of Bishops Whipple and  Hare he was moved to the Colville Reservation in Washington they land there was very poor and the Nez Perce were used to there very fertile land.  
The great Chief Joseph died of of a broken heart and broken spirit.  he did not hate the whites for there was nothing small about him.  When he laid down his weapons he would not fight on with his mind but he was profoundly disappointed in the claims of a Christian Civilization.  Chief Joseph was great because he was a very simple and honest man and without training he demonstrated his great leadership, he out genrealed the greatest and most skilled generals in the united states army.  He was also great because he never boasted of his remarkable feats that he did.  Chief Joseph is a True American Hero.

This simple monument the final resting place of Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph

 
Revised: .February 05, 2004
Duane Zlatnik

8th American History 

Rossville Jr. High 

Plains History 

Bibliography