Show AMERICANS UNDER FIRE F I IBy 1 II By ar Albert Pay Payson son Terhune I THE THE RUNNING WITH THE NEZ PERCES t c Because the dandies of an Indian tribe ranging through Idaho and Washington used to wear nose rings the the French trappers nicknamed nicknamed nick nick- named the whole tribe Nez Perces Forces Pierced Noses And the name stuck The Nez Perces had been herded into auto the Lapwai in to northern Idaho Idaho Then golf gold was discovered there and thousands of lawless white men poured into the reservation in the mad mud hunt for treasure Of course there was a clash with the Indians In fact there was a series of clashes Joseph the I Nez Iez ez Perces chief sought nought in vain to keep keel the the peace At last he and the rest of th the tribe left a looted reservation and defied d the government government gov- gov to put them back Joseph was a genius genius genius-a s-a s a copper colored Napoleon Napo Napo- leon the leon the greatest Indian general of all history After Arter months of negotiations General O. O 0 O Howard with United States cavalrymen attacked Chief Josephs Joseph's red warriors in a ravine ravin on the Clear- Clear water This was on July 11 11 1877 For six days day the Indians defended the ra ravine ravine ravine ra- ra vine fighting like wildcats But on the seventh day they could hold their position no nd longer lonzer and under mider mi- mi der Josephs Joseph's orders they slipped p past st th the surrounding fled into a tract of country which was supposed to be impassable to white men Howard Howard How How- ard ard gave gave chase This became a running fight that l lasted sted for fol more than two months and anti whose details were followed with breathless excitement b by the whole w world General Phil Sheridan was a abril brilliant bril- bril strategist He had fought with and against the best generals alive yet Chief Josephs Joseph's management managerI-ent of the campaign wrung from him the follow- follow Ine in high t praise J It It was was one of the most extraordinary extraordinary nary ary Indian wars of which there is any record writes Sheridan The Indians throughout displayed a courage and skill that elicited universal universal- praise They The abstained from scalping They l let t captive women go fr free c free fre t r They did not commit indiscriminate murder of peaceful families They fought ought with almost scientific skill using advance and rear rear guard skirmish lines andfield and andfield andfield field fortifications Into the trackless wilderness Howard pursued the fleeing Nez Perces Perces- His f Cavalrymen suffered suffered- fearful f fearful arl hips but they were men f tho thoy r kept ept dogg doggedly on General G n r r Gibbon n 1 commanded Howard's Howards vanguard He aught up with Joseph at Wisdom iveron on August 9 and rushed the rushed the Nez Perces as they turned at bay But speedily his attack was changed to a 1 desperate defense and then to a re re- re treat Gibbon had met more than his I match in generalship Under cover of night Chief Joseph continued his retreat Howard came up with reinforcements for for Gibbon and the chase began again On August 20 Joseph turned anew on his pursuers I who had no idea he would dare clare to halt haIt haltIn haltin In his flight He destroyed the government food 1 and train inflicted other I heavy damage and escaped in safety I before the unprepared soldiers could 1 I rally rall for a return blow Choosing always the most difficult routes for a white man to follow the the- Nez Perces at Yellowstone park the exhausted cavalrymen close behind them Near Clarks Clark's fork on the Yellowstone Yellowstone Yellowstone Yellow Yellow- stone they came upon their foes There Thereon on September 13 a fierce battle was fought The Nez Perces lost heavily I I In this fight What was worse they i lost the greater part of their herd of I ponies on which the success of their II retreat depended Josephs Joseph's first idea had been to shake shale off pursuit and to settle In some wild I region where the Nez Perces could live I unmolested Now finding he could not noti I i j tire out the cavalrymen he headed for fori i Canada G General ner l. l Howard wired to Colonel I Miles MUes to head lead off Josephs Joseph's northward I I dash and on September 30 the tired f Nez Perces Forces found themselves facing a I fresh force of United States cavalry at Eagle creek It was Chief Josephs Joseph's last I fight the Nez ez Perces' Perces last stand Long and hotly hot hot- IY ly the battle raged until raged until Howard I coming up hemmed In th the Indians I fl from m the rear Then Joseph and his I men were captured and were herded back to their I reservation The most brilliant campaign in the annals of In InI Indian In- In I dian dlan warfare was ended j I Copyright 1917 1911 by the I Press e Co Ca Th The New York Evening Eating World |