indian heroes & great chieftains-第25章

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Indians　had　a　good　start。



Meanwhile　General　Howard　had　sent　a　dispatch　to　Colonel

Gibbons；　with　orders　to　head　Joseph　off；　which　he　undertook　to　do

at　the　Montana　end　of　the　Lolo　Trail。　　The　wily　commander　had　no

knowledge　of　this　move；　but　he　was　not　to　be　surprised。　　He　was　too

brainy　for　his　pursuers；　whom　he　constantly　outwitted；　and　only

gave　battle　when　he　was　ready。　　There　at　the　Big　Hole　Pass　he　met

Colonel　Gibbons'　fresh　troops　and　pressed　them　close。　　He　sent　a

party　under　his　brother　Ollicut　to　harass　Gibbons'　rear　and　rout

the　pack　mules；　thus　throwing　him　on　the　defensive　and　causing　him

to　send　for　help；　while　Joseph　continued　his　masterly　retreat

toward　the　Yellowstone　Park；　then　a　wilderness。　　However；　this　was

but　little　advantage　to　him；　since　he　must　necessarily　leave　a

broad　trail；　and　the　army　was　augmenting　its　columns　day　by　day

with　celebrated　scouts；　both　white　and　Indian。　　The　two　commands

came　together；　and　although　General　Howard　says　their　horses　were

by　this　time　worn　out；　and　by　inference　the　men　as　well；　they

persisted　on　the　trail　of　a　party　encumbered　by　women　and　children；

the　old；　sick；　and　wounded。



It　was　decided　to　send　a　detachment　of　cavalry　under　Bacon；　to

Tash　Pass；　the　gateway　of　the　National　Park；　which　Joseph　would

have　to　pass；　with　orders　to　detain　him　there　until　the　rest　could

come　up　with　them。　　Here　is　what　General　Howard　says　of　the　affair。　

〃Bacon　got　into　position　soon　enough　but　he　did　not　have　the　heart

to　fight　the　Indians　on　account　of　their　number。〃　　Meanwhile

another　incident　had　occurred。　　Right　under　the　eyes　of　the　chosen

scouts　and　vigilant　sentinels；　Joseph's　warriors　fired　upon　the

army　camp　at　night　and　ran　off　their　mules。　　He　went　straight　on

toward　the　park；　where　Lieutenant　Bacon　let　him　get　by　and　pass

through　the　narrow　gateway　without　firing　a　shot。



Here　again　it　was　demonstrated　that　General　Howard　could　not

depend　upon　the　volunteers；　many　of　whom　had　joined　him　in　the

chase；　and　were　going　to　show　the　soldiers　how　to　fight　Indians。　

In　this　night　attack　at　Camas　Meadow；　they　were　demoralized；　and

while　crossing　the　river　next　day　many　lost　their　guns　in　the

water；　whereupon　all　packed　up　and　went　home；　leaving　the　army　to

be　guided　by　the　Indian　scouts。



However；　this　succession　of　defeats　did　not　discourage　General

Howard；　who　kept　on　with　as　many　of　his　men　as　were　able　to　carry

a　gun；　meanwhile　sending　dispatches　to　all　the　frontier　posts　with

orders　to　intercept　Joseph　if　possible。　　Sturgis　tried　to　stop　him

as　the　Indians　entered　the　Park；　but　they　did　not　meet　until　he　was

about　to　come　out；　when　there　was　another　fight；　with　Joseph　again

victorious。　　General　Howard　came　upon　the　battle　field　soon

afterward　and　saw　that　the　Indians　were　off　again；　and　from　here　he

sent　fresh　messages　to　General　Miles；　asking　for　reinforcements。



Joseph　had　now　turned　northeastward　toward　the　Upper　Missouri。　

He　told　me　that　when　he　got　into　that　part　of　the　country　he　knew

he　was　very　near　the　Canadian　line　and　could　not　be　far　from

Sitting　Bull；　with　whom　he　desired　to　form　an　alliance。　　He　also

believed　that　he　had　cleared　all　the　forts。　　Therefore　he　went　more

slowly　and　tried　to　give　his　people　some　rest。　　Some　of　their　best

men　had　been　killed　or　wounded　in　battle；　and　the　wounded　were　a

great　burden　to　him；　nevertheless　they　were　carried　and　tended

patiently　all　during　this　wonderful　flight。　　Not　one　was　ever　left

behind。



It　is　the　general　belief　that　Indians　are　cruel　and

revengeful；　and　surely　these　people　had　reason　to　hate　the　race　who

had　driven　them　from　their　homes　if　any　people　ever　had。　　Yet　it　is

a　fact　that　when　Joseph　met　visitors　and　travelers　in　the　Park；

some　of　whom　were　women；　he　allowed　them　to　pass　unharmed；　and　in

at　least　one　instance　let　them　have　horses。　　He　told　me　that　he

gave　strict　orders　to　his　men　not　to　kill　any　women　or　children。　

He　wished　to　meet　his　adversaries　according　to　their　own　standards

of　warfare；　but　he　afterward　learned　that　in　spite　of　professions

of　humanity；　white　soldiers　have　not　seldom　been　known　to　kill

women　and　children　indiscriminately。



Another　remarkable　thing　about　this　noted　retreat　is　that

Joseph's　people　stood　behind　him　to　a　man；　and　even　the　women　and

little　boys　did　each　his　part。　　The　latter　were　used　as　scouts　in

the　immediate　vicinity　of　the　camp。



The　Bittersweet　valley；　which　they　had　now　entered；　was　full

of　game；　and　the　Indians　hunted　for　food；　while　resting　their

worn…out　ponies。　　One　morning　they　had　a　council　to　which　Joseph

rode　over　bareback；　as　they　had　camped　in　two　divisions　a　little

apart。　　His　fifteen…year…old　daughter　went　with　him。　　They

discussed　sending　runners　to　Sitting　Bull　to　ascertain　his　exact

whereabouts　and　whether　it　would　be　agreeable　to　him　to　join　forces

with　the　Nez　Perces。　　In　the　midst　of　the　council；　a　force　of

United　States　cavalry　charged　down　the　hill　between　the　two　camps。　

This　once　Joseph　was　surprised。　　He　had　seen　no　trace　of　the

soldiers　and　had　somewhat　relaxed　his　vigilance。



He　told　his　little　daughter　to　stay　where　she　was；　and　himself

cut　right　through　the　cavalry　and　rode　up　to　his　own　teepee；　where

his　wife　met　him　at　the　door　with　his　rifle；　crying：　〃Here　is　your

gun；　husband！〃　　The　warriors　quickly　gathered　and　pressed　the

soldiers　so　hard　that　they　had　to　withdraw。　　Meanwhile　one　set　of

the　people　fled　while　Joseph's　own　band　entrenched　themselves　in　a

very　favorable　position　from　which　they　could　not　easily　be

dislodged。



General　Miles　had　received　and　acted　on　General　Howard's

message；　and　he　now　sent　one　of　his　officers　with　some　Indian

scouts　into　Joseph's　camp　to　negotiate　with　the　chief。　　Meantime

Howard　and　Sturgis　came　up　with　the　encampment；　and　Howard　had　with

him　two　friendly　Nez　Perce　scouts　who　were　directed　to　talk　to

Joseph　in　his　own　language。　　He　decided　that　there　was　nothing　to

do　but　surrender。



He　had　believed　that　his　escape　was　all　but　secure：　then　at

the　last　moment　he　was　surprised　and　caught　at　a　disadvantage。　　His

army　was　shattered；　he　had　lost　most　of　the　leaders　in　these

various　fights；　his　people；　including　children；　women；　and　the

wounded；　had　traveled　thirteen　hundred　miles　in　about　fifty　days；

and　he　himself　a　young　man　who　had　never　before　taken　any　important

responsibility！　　Even　now　he　was　not　actually　conquered。　　He　was

well　entrenched；　his　people　were　willing　to　die　fighting；　but　the

army　of　the　United　States　offered　peace　and　he　agreed；　as　he　said；

out　of　pity　for　his　suffering　people。　　Some　of　his　warriors　still

refused　to　surrender　and　slipped　out　of　the　camp　at　night　and

through　the　lines。　　Joseph　had；　as　he　told　me；　between　three　and

four　hundred　fighting　men　in　the　beginning；　which　means　over　one

thousand　persons；　and　of　these　several　hundred　surrendered　with

him。



His　own　story　of　the　conditions　he　made　was　prepared　by

himself　with　my　help　in　1897；　when　he　came　to　Washington　to　present

his　grievances。　　I　sat　up　with　him　nearly　all　of　one　night；　and　I

may　add　here　that　we　took　the　document　to　General　Miles　who　was

then　stationed　in　Washington；　before　presenting　it　to　the

Department。　　The　General　said　that　every　word　of　it　was　true。



In　the　first　place；　his　people　were　to　be　kept　at　Fort　Keogh；

Montana；　over　the　winter　and　then　returned　to　their　reservation。　

Instead　they　were　taken　to　Fort　Leavenworth；　Kansas；　and　placed

between　a　lagoon　and　the　Missouri　River；　where　the　sanitary

conditions　made　havoc　with　them。　　Those　who　did　not　die　were　then

taken　to　the　Indian　Territory；　where　the　health　situation　was　even

worse。　　Joseph　appealed　to　the　government　again　and　again；　and　at

last　by　the　help　of　Bishops　Whipple　and　Hare　he　was　moved　to　the

Colville　reservation　in　Washington。　　Here　the　land　was　very　poor；

unlike　their　own　fertile　valley。　　General　Miles　said　to　the　chief

that　he　had　r