606:
discharged his gun in the midst of the camp. Thus, an alarm was sounded from two places before many horses had been released from their picket lines. However, two hundred mules were free and the
Indians concentrated upon stampeding them northward. This enabled the raiders to control the loose stock. In spite of all the shouting, several men thought they heard "the great voice of Looking Glass" booming out orders. Bullets were flying about and some of them struck the wagons, but only one soldier was hit, and his wound was slight. Darkness, noise, and surprise compounded the confusion, but the cavalry officers and men quickly dressed and mounted.
639:, while others had been creeping forward on both flanks to enfilade the troops. Hence, Sanford ordered a bugler to call a retreat. The retreat of the cavalrymen whose horses had been taken to the rear was an occasion of excitement and confusion. Captain Randolph Norwood with fifty men, however, declined to obey immediately the order to retreat, but instead backtracked slowly to a strong position where he was forced by the encircling Nez Perce to halt, establish defensive positions, and fight it out. The other two companies had abandoned him, and for the next two to four hours, the two sides sniped at each other.
474:
274:
238:
34:
1204:
654:
671:
feathers" and wearing buckskin and brightly colored blankets. They had been promised all the Nez Perce horses they could capture." An unusually talented White scout, Stanton G. Fisher, and the
Bannocks explored ahead. Howard followed slowly, so slowly that Buffalo Head and many of the Bannocks quit the army in disgust and went home and Fisher commented, "Uncle Sam's boys are too slow for this business."
584:
281:
245:
666:
The Nez Perce were disappointed that the spoils of their raid had been mostly mules, but the loss crippled Howard's mobility. Howard had failed to defeat the Nez Perce on several occasions and now, after the battle, he failed to pursue them aggressively. A journalist thought that was for the best.
591:
The exceptional precautions Howard had taken for the protection of Camp
Callaway were observed by Nez Perce scouts. Upon returning to their own camp, they reported what they had seen to the chiefs. They decided to carry out a raid with the objective of putting Howard's cavalry on foot. The numbers of
600:
We traveled slowly. No talking loud, no smoking. The match must not be seen. We went a good distance and then divided into two parties - one on each side of the creek... Before reaching the soldier camp, all stopped, and the leaders held council. How make the attack? The older men did this planning.
631:
trees and sagebrush. A few Nez Perce deployed in a thin skirmish line in a grassy meadow about a half-mile (0.8 km) wide. The meadow was bordered on the opposite side by a lava ridge 18 feet (5.5 m) high and 500 to 600 feet (150 to 180 m) long. Sanford and his three companies took
563:
That same day, Captain
Randolph Norwood and fifty fresh cavalry men, designated as Company 4 of the Second Infantry, also overtook Howard's command. Howard expended all energy to intercept the Nez Perce near Camas Creek. He was a day late. Bannock Indian scouts, ahead of Howard's cavalry, observed
682:. Howard's troops were tired, having marched for 26 days averaging twenty miles (32 km) a day. The Nez Perce, burdened with wounded, women, children, and elderly had gone faster and further but, in the words of a journalist, they had the "faculty of stealing fresh horses from the settlers."
527:
Two days later, the Nez Perce on Birch Creek encountered a caravan of eight covered wagons and eight men. The initial contact was friendly, but after the
Indians demanded and were served whiskey the situation became ugly and five of the Whites were killed. One White escaped and two Chinese were
626:
Under the command of Major
Sanford, the cavalry companies of Captains Carr, Jackson, and Norwood, numbering about 150 men, set off at dawn in pursuit of the Nez Perce and the stolen mules. The rear guard of the Nez Perce detected them and set up an ambush eight miles (13 km) north of Camp
609:
General Howard ordered a strong force organized in order to pursue the raiders and recover the stock. Within minutes, three companies of cavalry were assembled. By dawn, nearly 150 horsemen were galloping northward in pursuit of the raiders, who had several miles' head start. In addition to the
670:
On the evening after the battle, Howard was reinforced by 280 infantry under
Captain Marcus Miller. Two days later on August 22, fifty Bannocks, under the leadership of Buffalo Horn, rode into the camp. They were a "gorgeous set of warriors, hair dyed...decorated with...sleigh bells and
642:
Meanwhile, Howard received word via messenger that the cavalry companies were in trouble and sallied forth from Camp
Callaway with reinforcements. He found the two retreating cavalry companies. Captain Sandford professed ignorance as to the location and fate of Captain Norwood. Howard pushed
605:
About 4:00 a.m., several Nez Perce dismounted and crept among the picketed horses to cut them loose. Then two things happened simultaneously. As the mounted column approached the soldier's camp, a sentry shouted, "Who goes there?" At the same moment, a foot scout named Otskai accidentally
575:, meaning "camas meadows". Howard marched to Camas Meadows on August 19. The Nez Perce had departed earlier that day, continuing eastward. Howard set up camp there that night, calling it Camp Callaway, and took "great pains" to "cover the camp with pickets in every direction."
643:
forward and, mid-afternoon, came upon
Norwood and his men crouching in their lava rock rifle pits located a few rods apart along the top and on the edges of a series of ridges that enclosed a protected area for their horses. The Indians melted away and the battle was over.
511:
On August 12, the Nez Perce killed five ranchers on Horse
Prairie, Montana. On August 13, after crossing into Idaho over Bannock Pass, the Nez Perce encountered a stockade full of White settlers at
497:, thus hoping to catch the Nez Perce between his and Bacon's soldiers. Howard was coming under severe criticism for his failure to defeat the Nez Perce during a campaign that had now lasted two months.
601:
Some wanted to leave the horses and enter the camp on foot. Chief Looking Glass and others thought the horses must not be left out. This last plan was chosen - to go mounted. Chief Joseph was not along.
610:
mules, about 20 horses belonging to the Virginia City volunteers were missing. It was reported that the volunteers received $ 150 per head from the government in compensation for their lost mounts.
635:
The distance between these lines was too great for effective marksmanship, but when a shot struck Lt. Benson in the hip the soldiers discovered that the Indians in the meadow were serving as a
508:
The death of many Nez Perce women and children at the Big Hole Battle caused a thirst for revenge among the young warriors of the Nez Perce and their leaders were not able to restrain them.
571:
On August 18, the Nez Perce camped at Camas Meadows fifteen miles (24 km) to Howard's east in a meadow bisected by Spring and Camas creeks. The Nez Perce name for their camp was
331:
528:
released. One Nez Perce was killed, apparently in a drunken brawl with another warrior. The leaders poured the remainder of the whiskey on the ground and burned the wagons.
458:. The Nez Perce were aware that the U.S. Army was in pursuit; to confound them, they took a circuitous route less familiar than their usual direct route to the Montana
462:. During this section of their retreat, their guide and the leader of their march was a half-Nez Perce, half-French man of several names, the most common being
713:. The sites are undeveloped, except for a grave marker at the site of the encampment. Rifle pits dug by Captain Norwood's men survive at the siege location.
106:
74:
324:
237:
689:
was collecting more than one thousand experienced soldiers and Indian scouts from many tribes to defeat the Nez Perce when they emerged from Yellowstone.
627:
Callaway. Several warriors continued driving the mules on to camp, and others deployed among hillocks of black lava and broken terrain dotted with
730:
1103:
650:
stated that "no Indian was badly hurt, only one or two just grazed by bullets". Wottolen was wounded in the side, and Tholekt's head was creased.
493:, but also some Nez Perce friendly to the U.S. Howard detached 50 men, including Indian scouts, under Lt. George R. Bacon to rush ahead and guard
317:
273:
466:. The White settlers in the Lemhi Valley had been warned that the Nez Perce might be coming their way and most of them had fled to the town of
517:
289:
184:
500:
The Nez Perce pursued by Howard probably numbered, after their losses at the Big Hole battle, about 700 persons with fewer than 200 warriors.
1261:
617:
Oh, I am one of the volunteers, who marched right home on the tramp, tramp, When Joseph set the boys afoot, at the battle of Callaway's camp.
253:
521:
188:
1256:
1235:
706:
541:
1215:
898:
710:
851:
489:. Howard had 310 soldiers plus a varying number of civilian volunteers, usually several dozen, and Indian scouts, primarily
485:, did not follow them directly, but rather took a shorter route to the east across southern Montana to intercept them near
1174:
945:
383:
1266:
1144:
949:
398:
1276:
1132:
353:
592:
the raiders is disputed, although it was at least 28 and possibly many more. The chiefs did not envision a battle.
702:
698:
434:. The Nez Perce defeated three companies of U.S. cavalry and continued their fighting retreat to escape the army.
1281:
1096:
675:
486:
473:
1271:
1150:
549:
363:
1225:
667:"I candidly think Joseph could whip our cavalry and cannot blame General Howard for not giving him battle."
647:
593:
1180:
1162:
1089:
557:
443:
388:
373:
1156:
841:
734:
565:
368:
1138:
358:
1186:
697:
The sites of Howard's encampment, where the incident began, and the later siege, were designated a
393:
59:
1192:
1021:, written on Upper Madison River, August 24, 1877." Document No. 3754 DD 1877, National Archives.
482:
423:
403:
173:
155:
1203:
33:
653:
894:
847:
632:
up positions behind the ridge and dismounted to return long-distance fire from the Nez Perce.
447:
1230:
477:
The route of the Nez Perce (red) and General Howard (purple) to the Battle of Camas Meadows.
1081:
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587:
The Nez Perce warriors were travel-weary and worn-down during their long fighting retreat.
513:
427:
294:
196:
63:
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1250:
1113:
887:
553:
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431:
341:
258:
67:
25:
1220:
467:
459:
451:
180:
540:. Howard's route paralleled them to the north in Montana on the other side of the
1018:
679:
560:
volunteers under the command of James E. Callaway, who joined Howard's cavalry.
545:
537:
455:
121:
108:
89:
76:
463:
419:
160:
583:
646:
Norwood had one man dead, two mortally wounded and six to nine wounded.
524:
met with the settlers and expressed their friendship for the settlers.
192:
760:. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. pp. 156, 159–160.
674:
After learning that the Nez Perce had crossed into the wilderness of
678:, Howard called a halt to the chase and rested for several days at
758:"I Will Fight no More Forever." Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce War
652:
636:
628:
536:
From Birch Creek the Nez Perce turned eastward and headed toward
309:
1085:
313:
843:
Nez Perce Summer 1877: The U.S. Army and the Nee-Me-Poo Crisis
564:
the Nez Perce rear guard cross the road toward Camas Meadows.
784:. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. pp. 575, 590.
568:, one of Howard's scouts, obtained a view of their camp.
446:
on August 9–10, the Nez Perce proceeded southward though
782:
The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest
886:
552:) and intercept the Nez Perce at Camas Creek near
846:. Helena, MT: Montana Historical Society Press.
556:. On August 17, Howard was overtaken by 39
481:The pursuer of the Nez Perce, Brigadier General
615:
598:
18:
826:
824:
1122:Flight of the Nez Perce and key battle sites.
1097:
799:. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 268.
325:
280:
244:
8:
889:Children of Grace: The Nez Perce War of 1877
544:. Howard's plan was to cross into Idaho at
731:"The August 20, 1877 Battle of Camas Creek"
1104:
1090:
1082:
332:
318:
310:
15:
613:A newspaper reporter described the raid:
442:After sustaining heavy casualties at the
912:
910:
582:
472:
450:, crossed into Idaho Territory again at
1013:
1011:
1009:
722:
454:, and descended into the valley of the
1017:Norwood, Randolph. "Report to Colonel
685:Meanwhile, Howard's superior General
596:described the movements of the band:
418:, August 20, 1877, was a raid by the
7:
893:. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
733:. Anishinabe History. Archived from
430:and a subsequent battle during the
1236:Nez Perce National Historical Park
944:McWorter, Lucullus Virgil (1940).
707:Nez Perce National Historical Park
14:
1216:Nez Perce National Historic Trail
711:Nez Perce National Historic Trail
1202:
279:
272:
243:
236:
32:
780:Josephy, Jr., Alvin M. (1965).
657:Plaque at the Battlefield site.
1:
1175:Nez Perce in Yellowstone Park
263:Show map of the United States
1262:Battles of the Nez Perce War
1145:Attack on Looking Glass camp
946:"Yellow Wolf: His Own Story"
399:Attack on Looking Glass camp
1133:Battle of White Bird Canyon
797:The Flight of the Nez Perce
622:The Battle of Camas Meadows
1298:
1112:Battles and Events of the
840:Greene, Jerome A. (2000).
703:Camas Meadows Battle Sites
699:National Historic Landmark
1257:1877 in the United States
1211:
1200:
1128:
1120:
756:Beal, Merrill D. (1963).
705:in 1989, are part of the
676:Yellowstone National Park
487:Yellowstone National Park
416:The Battle of Camas Creek
349:
230:
215:
202:
166:
149:
42:
31:
23:
1151:Battle of the Clearwater
974:Helena Daily Independent
885:Hampton, Bruce (1994).
795:Brown, Mark H. (1967).
226:probably only 2 wounded
1187:Nez Perce at Cow Creek
1181:Battle of Canyon Creek
1177:(August 20 and Sept 7)
1163:Battle of the Big Hole
658:
619:
603:
588:
478:
444:Battle of the Big Hole
177:Capt. Randolph Norwood
167:Commanders and leaders
122:44.41250°N 111.79472°W
90:44.35306°N 111.88500°W
1169:Battle of Camas Creek
1057:Hampton, pp. 216, 243
1048:Hampton, pp. 214, 217
950:Caxton Printers, Ltd.
656:
586:
532:Race to Camas Meadows
476:
216:Casualties and losses
19:Battle of Camas Creek
1139:Battle of Cottonwood
290:class=notpageimage|
254:class=notpageimage|
127:44.41250; -111.79472
95:44.35306; -111.88500
1267:Clark County, Idaho
964:, September 3, 1941
118: /
86: /
38:Camas Meadows, 2003
1277:August 1877 events
1193:Battle of Bear Paw
1030:Brown, pp. 292-297
659:
589:
566:Chief Buffalo Horn
542:continental divide
479:
424:United States Army
156:United States Army
1244:
1243:
1003:Brown, p. 293-295
916:Beal, pp. 565-560
448:Montana Territory
412:
411:
354:White Bird Canyon
308:
307:
299:Show map of Idaho
211:<200 warriors
145:
144:
141:Nez Perce victory
1289:
1282:Battles in Idaho
1231:Nez Perce people
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977:
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948:. Caldwell, ID:
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483:Oliver O. Howard
384:Yellowstone Park
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257:Location in the
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44:
43:
36:
16:
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1272:Idaho Territory
1247:
1246:
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1240:
1207:
1198:
1124:
1123:
1116:
1110:
1080:
1079:
1075:Hampton, p. 221
1074:
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1066:Hampton, p. 217
1065:
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1039:Hampton, p. 213
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976:, June 15, 1896
972:
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962:Dillon Examiner
960:
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942:
938:
934:Hampton, p. 208
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737:on July 5, 2020
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687:Philip Sheridan
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428:Idaho Territory
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64:Idaho Territory
50:August 20, 1877
37:
12:
11:
5:
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1189:(September 25)
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985:Hampton p. 209
978:
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573:Kamisnim Takin
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426:encampment in
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1165:(August 9–10)
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1149:
1146:
1143:
1140:
1137:
1134:
1131:
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1127:
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1114:Nez Perce War
1107:
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548:(present-day
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136:
131:
99:
69:
65:
61:
57:
54:
53:
49:
46:
45:
41:
35:
30:
27:
26:Nez Perce War
22:
17:
1221:Chief Joseph
1168:
1153:(July 11–12)
1071:
1062:
1053:
1044:
1035:
1026:
999:
994:Beal, p. 157
990:
981:
973:
969:
961:
957:
939:
930:
921:
888:
880:
871:
862:
842:
835:
814:
809:Beal, p. 146
805:
796:
790:
781:
775:
770:Beal, p. 159
766:
757:
751:
739:. Retrieved
735:the original
725:
696:
684:
673:
669:
665:
645:
641:
634:
625:
616:
612:
608:
604:
599:
590:
572:
570:
562:
535:
526:
510:
507:
499:
480:
460:Great Plains
452:Bannock Pass
441:
422:people on a
415:
414:
389:Canyon Creek
378:
293:Location in
181:Chief Joseph
150:Belligerents
60:Clark County
24:Part of the
1226:Yellow Wolf
1171:(August 20)
1157:Fort Fizzle
1019:John Gibbon
680:Henrys Lake
648:Yellow Wolf
594:Yellow Wolf
546:Monida Pass
538:Henrys Lake
504:Birch Creek
456:Lemhi River
379:Camas Creek
369:Fort Fizzle
125: /
113:111°47′41″W
93: /
1251:Categories
1141:(July 3–5)
853:0917298683
717:References
522:White Bird
516:. Leaders
438:Background
364:Clearwater
359:Cottonwood
189:White Bird
110:44°24′45″N
81:111°53′6″W
78:44°21′11″N
1159:(July 28)
1135:(June 17)
741:April 17,
662:Aftermath
464:Poker Joe
420:Nez Perce
394:Cow Creek
223:6 wounded
161:Nez Perce
1147:(July 1)
709:and the
579:The Raid
514:Junction
491:Bannocks
404:Bear Paw
374:Big Hole
221:3 killed
203:Strength
172:General
55:Location
701:as the
208:300 men
193:Ollokot
103:Siege:
897:
850:
693:Legacy
554:Dubois
138:Result
71:Camp:
637:decoy
629:Aspen
468:Lemhi
895:ISBN
848:ISBN
743:2012
520:and
68:U.S.
47:Date
1253::
1008:^
909:^
823:^
470:.
66:,
62:,
1105:e
1098:t
1091:v
903:.
856:.
745:.
333:e
326:t
319:v
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