Through the Valley: Carlton Creek to Stevensville
The Nez Perces were by far the finest looking tribe of Indians I have ever seen
– Henry Buck, Stevensville shopkeeper
The Nez Perce moved up the Bitterroot Valley in western Montana on July 29, 1877, in “a cavalcade about five miles long” to the Stevensville area. The main body of Nez Perce spent two of the three days camped along Silverthorn Creek west of Stevensville, Montana, near the home of Chief Charlo, leader of the Bitterroot Salish in an area known today as Indian Prairie.
“I sat on top of the fort where I had a plain view of the caravan and watched their passing. As was always customary with Indians traveling on horseback, they jogged their ponies along on a little dog trot. Being curious enough to gain some idea of their number, [I] took out my watch and timed their passing a given point. It took just one hour and a quarter for all to move by and there were no gaps in the continuous train. There was no unusual confusion or disorder and none came over on our side of the river.”
– Henry Buck
General Howard, whom the Nez Perce Indians nicknamed “General Two-Day Behind,” was back in Idaho. The few soldiers the Nez Perce had encountered on the Lolo Trail had retreated to Fort Missoula. Chief Charlo found himself in an awkward position. He was friendly with both whites and Nez Perce, and he wanted peace. Frequent intermarriage, ongoing trading, shared buffalo hunting and mutual defense had cemented good relationships between the Nez Perce and the Bitterroot Salish. Chief Charlo’s people had lived among the settlers in the Bitterroot Valley in western Montana for many years.
Many of the white settlers were friends of the Salish. How could Chief Charlo join one side against the other? When asked to support the Army, he said, “We are friendly to the whites, but in your war with the Nez Perce [we] could not take sides.” He remained neutral.
It was my father’s boast that his hand had never in seventy years been bloodied with the white man’s blood, and I am the son of my father. We could not fight against the Nez Perce because they helped me several years ago against my enemy the Blackfeet, but we will not fight with them against the whites.
– Chief Charlo
Crossing the Lolo Trail with their remaining possessions and approximately 2,000 hungry horses was a major achievement. The Nez Perce and their stock needed rest.
The Indians … are moving very slowly, in fact, they have not moved at all since reaching their present camping ground.
– C. P. Higgins, Missoula banker, July 31, 1877
The Nez Perce had no idea that Colonel John Gibbon and the 7th Infantry were coming from the newly formed Fort Missoula to join the chase. During their stay across from Stevensville, groups of Indians visited the town for supplies.
