indian heroes & great chieftains-第24章

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no　papers。　　These　peaceful　non…treaty　Indians　did　not　even　know

what　land　had　been　ceded　until　the　agent　read　them　the　government

order　to　leave。　　Of　course　they　refused。　　You　and　I　would　have　done

the　same。



When　the　agent　failed　to　move　them；　he　and　the　would…be

settlers　called　upon　the　army　to　force　them　to　be　good；　namely；

without　a　murmur　to　leave　their　pleasant　inheritance　in　the　hands

of　a　crowd　of　greedy　grafters。　　General　O。　O。　Howard；　the　Christian

soldier；　was　sent　to　do　the　work。



He　had　a　long　council　with　Joseph　and　his　leading　men；　telling

them　they　must　obey　the　order　or　be　driven　out　by　force。　　We　may　be

sure　that　he　presented　this　hard　alternative　reluctantly。　　Joseph

was　a　mere　youth　without　experience　in　war　or　public　affairs。　　He

had　been　well　brought　up　in　obedience　to　parental　wisdom　and　with

his　brother　Ollicut　had　attended　Missionary　Spaulding's　school

where　they　had　listened　to　the　story　of　Christ　and　his　religion　of

brotherhood。　　He　now　replied　in　his　simple　way　that　neither　he　nor

his　father　had　ever　made　any　treaty　disposing　of　their　country；

that　no　other　band　of　the　Nez　Perces　was　authorized　to　speak　for

them；　and　it　would　seem　a　mighty　injustice　and　unkindness　to

dispossess　a　friendly　band。



General　Howard　told　them　in　effect　that　they　had　no　rights；　no

voice　in　the　matter：　they　had　only　to　obey。　　Although　some　of　the

lesser　chiefs　counseled　revolt　then　and　there；　Joseph　maintained

his　self…control；　seeking　to　calm　his　people；　and　still　groping　for

a　peaceful　settlement　of　their　difficulties。　　He　finally　asked　for

thirty　days'　time　in　which　to　find　and　dispose　of　their　stock；　and

this　was　granted。



Joseph　steadfastly　held　his　immediate　followers　to　their

promise；　but　the　land…grabbers　were　impatient；　and　did　everything

in　their　power　to　bring　about　an　immediate　crisis　so　as　to　hasten

the　eviction　of　the　Indians。　　Depredations　were　committed；　and

finally　the　Indians；　or　some　of　them；　retaliated；　which　was　just

what　their　enemies　had　been　looking　for。　　There　might　be　a　score　of

white　men　murdered　among　themselves　on　the　frontier　and　no　outsider

would　ever　hear　about　it；　but　if　one　were　injured　by　an　Indian　

〃Down　with　the　bloodthirsty　savages！〃　was　the　cry。



Joseph　told　me　himself　that　during　all　of　those　thirty　days　a

tremendous　pressure　was　brought　upon　him　by　his　own　people　to

resist　the　government　order。　　〃The　worst　of　it　was；〃　said　he；　〃that

everything　they　said　was　true；　besides〃　　he　paused　for　a　moment

　〃it　seemed　very　soon　for　me　to　forget　my　father's　dying　words；

'Do　not　give　up　our　home！'〃　　Knowing　as　I　do　just　what　this　would

mean　to　an　Indian；　I　felt　for　him　deeply。



Among　the　opposition　leaders　were　Too…hul…hul…sote；　White

Bird；　and　Looking　Glass；　all　of　them　strong　men　and　respected　by

the　Indians；　while　on　the　other　side　were　men　built　up　by

emissaries　of　the　government　for　their　own　purposes　and　advertised

as　〃great　friendly　chiefs。〃　　As　a　rule　such　men　are　unworthy；　and

this　is　so　well　known　to　the　Indians　that　it　makes　them　distrustful

of　the　government's　sincerity　at　the　start。　　Moreover；　while

Indians　unqualifiedly　say　what　they　mean；　the　whites　have　a　hundred

ways　of　saying　what　they　do　not　mean。



The　center　of　the　storm　was　this　simple　young　man；　who　so　far

as　I　can　learn　had　never　been　upon　the　warpath；　and　he　stood　firm

for　peace　and　obedience。　　As　for　his　father's　sacred　dying　charge；

he　told　himself　that　he　would　not　sign　any　papers；　he　would　not　go

of　his　free　will　but　from　compulsion；　and　this　was　his　excuse。



However；　the　whites　were　unduly　impatient　to　clear　the　coveted

valley；　and　by　their　insolence　they　aggravated　to　the　danger　point

an　already　strained　situation。　　The　murder　of　an　Indian　was　the

climax　and　this　happened　in　the　absence　of　the　young　chief。　　He

returned　to　find　the　leaders　determined　to　die　fighting。　　The

nature　of　the　country　was　in　their　favor　and　at　least　they　could

give　the　army　a　chase；　but　how　long　they　could　hold　out　they　did

not　know。　　Even　Joseph's　younger　brother　Ollicut　was　won　over。　

There　was　nothing　for　him　to　do　but　fight；　and　then　and　there　began

the　peaceful　Joseph's　career　as　a　general　of　unsurpassed　strategy

in　conducting　one　of　the　most　masterly　retreats　in　history。



This　is　not　my　judgment；　but　the　unbiased　opinion　of　men　whose

knowledge　and　experience　fit　them　to　render　it。　　Bear　in　mind　that

these　people　were　not　scalp　hunters　like　the　Sioux；　Cheyennes；　and

Utes；　but　peaceful　hunters　and　fishermen。　　The　first　council　of　war

was　a　strange　business　to　Joseph。　　He　had　only　this　to　say　to　his

people：



〃I　have　tried　to　save　you　from　suffering　and　sorrow。　

Resistance　means　all　of　that。　　We　are　few。　　They　are　many。　　You　can

see　all　we　have　at　a　glance。　　They　have　food　and　ammunition　in

abundance。　　We　must　suffer　great　hardship　and　loss。〃　　After　this

speech；　he　quietly　began　his　plans　for　the　defense。



The　main　plan　of　campaign　was　to　engineer　a　successful　retreat

into　Montana　and　there　form　a　junction　with　the　hostile　Sioux　and

Cheyennes　under　Sitting　Bull。　　There　was　a　relay　scouting　system；

one　set　of　scouts　leaving　the　main　body　at　evening　and　the　second

a　little　before　daybreak；　passing　the　first　set　on　some　commanding

hill　top。　　There　were　also　decoy　scouts　set　to　trap　Indian　scouts

of　the　army。　　I　notice　that　General　Howard　charges　his　Crow　scouts

with　being　unfaithful。



Their　greatest　difficulty　was　in　meeting　an　unencumbered　army；

while　carrying　their　women；　children；　and　old　men；　with　supplies

and　such　household　effects　as　were　absolutely　necessary。　　Joseph

formed　an　auxiliary　corps　that　was　to　effect　a　retreat　at　each

engagement；　upon　a　definite　plan　and　in　definite　order；　while　the

unencumbered　women　were　made　into　an　ambulance　corps　to　take　care

of　the　wounded。



It　was　decided　that　the　main　rear　guard　should　meet　General

Howard's　command　in　White　Bird　Canyon；　and　every　detail　was　planned

in　advance；　yet　left　flexible　according　to　Indian　custom；　giving

each　leader　freedom　to　act　according　to　circumstances。　　Perhaps　no

better　ambush　was　ever　planned　than　the　one　Chief　Joseph　set　for

the　shrewd　and　experienced　General　Howard。　　He　expected　to　be　hotly

pursued；　but　he　calculated　that　the　pursuing　force　would　consist　of

not　more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　soldiers。　　He　prepared　false

trails　to　mislead　them　into　thinking　that　he　was　about　to　cross　or

had　crossed　the　Salmon　River；　which　he　had　no　thought　of　doing　at

that　time。　　Some　of　the　tents　were　pitched　in　plain　sight；　while

the　women　and　children　were　hidden　on　the　inaccessible　ridges；　and

the　men　concealed　in　the　canyon　ready　to　fire　upon　the　soldiers

with　deadly　effect　with　scarcely　any　danger　to　themselves。　　They

could　even　roll　rocks　upon　them。



In　a　very　few　minutes　the　troops　had　learned　a　lesson。　　The

soldiers　showed　some　fight；　but　a　large　body　of　frontiersmen　who

accompanied　them　were　soon　in　disorder。　　The　warriors　chased　them

nearly　ten　miles；　securing　rifles　and　much　ammunition；　and　killing

and　wounding　many。



The　Nez　Perces　next　crossed　the　river；　made　a　detour　and

recrossed　it　at　another　point；　then　took　their　way　eastward。　　All

this　was　by　way　of　delaying　pursuit。　　Joseph　told　me　that　he

estimated　it　would　take　six　or　seven　days　to　get　a　sufficient　force

in　the　field　to　take　up　their　trail；　and　the　correctness　of　his

reasoning　is　apparent　from　the　facts　as　detailed　in　General

Howard's　book。　　He　tells　us　that　he　waited　six　days　for　the　arrival

of　men　from　various　forts　in　his　department；　then　followed　Joseph

with　six　hundred　soldiers；　beside　a　large　number　of　citizen

volunteers　and　his　Indian　scouts。　　As　it　was　evident　they　had　a

long　chase　over　trackless　wilderness　in　prospect；　he　discarded　his

supply　wagons　and　took　pack　mules　instead。　　But　by　this　time　the

Indians　had　a　good　start。



Meanwhile　General　Howard　had　sent　a　dispatch　to　Colonel