The Nez Perce Reach the Madison River
After spending one day at Henry_s Lake, the Nez Perce departed on August 22. They crossed the 7,072 foot Targhee Pass and descended to the Madison River. They then began a journey through the Yellowstone wilderness, an area revered by the Nez Perce for its spiritual power. This area was designated as Yellowstone National Park in 1872.
The Final Weeks
By the time General Howard entered Yellowstone National Park the Nez Perce were deep within the Park. They captured and later released a group of tourists and eventually made their way to the Park’s eastern border, where they exited through Hoodoo Pass. After leaving Yellowstone Park, the Nez Perce continued on toward the buffalo country of the Upper Missouri River. When they learned their Crow allies could not offer them refuge, the Nez Perce turned north toward Canada. There, they hoped to gain asylum among Cheif Sitting Bull’s Lakota Tribe, already exiled from the United States following their defeat of Colonel George A. Custer at the Little Big Horn the year before.
Sadly, the Nez Perce flight ended just 40 miles south of the Canadian border. Along Snake Creek, Montana, just north of the Bear Paw Mountains, the Nez Perce engaged the combined forces of Colonel Miles and General Howard. During a six-day siege, many prominent Nez Perce leaders died, including Chief Looking Glass, Lean Elk and Ollikut. Chief White Bird led a group of nearly 300 to safety in Canada, where they joined Sitting Bull.
“It was in the night when I escaped with Chief White Bird and his band all afoot. The fight was over and nothing to stay for. ... We left that night before Joseph had given his gun to General Miles. We walked out, leaving many of our friends. Some were too bad wounded to travel and had to stay. Only about forty unwounded men stayed with Joseph and there were many women and children. Many more of them than men, both wounded and unhurt. ... It was lonesome, the leaving. Husband dead, friends buried or held prisoners. I felt that I was leaving all that I had but I did not cry.”
–Watátonmay
On October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph, believing the remaining Nez Perce would be sent to the reservation in Lapwai, Idaho, agreed to surrender. The war was over. Following their surrender, the Nez Perce faced eight years of exile in Kansas and Oklahoma enduring sickness, starvation and death before they were allowed to return to the Pacific Northwest.
