Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE FLIGHT OF THE NEZ PERCÉ
The discovery of gold in 1877 spurred the United States government (under army General Oliver Howard) to for-
cibly relocate the Nez Percé (Nimi'ipuu in their language) from Oregon's Wallowa Valley. After an initial skir-
mish, the Nez Percé (pronounced 'Nez Purse') set off on what would become an epic 1100-mile flight from the
US Army. The route of their journey is now a national historic trail. For more information about this, see
By August 23, 1877, 700 of the Nez Percé (of whom only 250 were braves), led by Chief Joseph, crossed the
Targhee Pass and entered Yellowstone Park along the Madison River, crossing the Firehole River at modern-day
Nez Percé Creek. At that time only 25 tourists were visiting the park, and the Nez Percé somehow managed to
bump into all of them, taking six hostage, killing one, and releasing the others near Mud Volcano. Just before
reaching Pelican Creek, a band of braves diverted General Howard's men up into the Hayden and Lamar Valleys
(at one point camping at Indian Pond) while the bulk of the tribe hurried up Pelican Creek and out of the park's
northeast corner. You can visit the spot of two of the group's river crossings at Nez Percé Creek (
Click here
)
and
the Nez Percé Ford (
Click here
).
In September they progressed through Crandall Creek into the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone, with US forces
pressing hard on their heels, and troops led by General Sturgis blocking routes ahead. Sturgis' son had been killed
by Native Americans the year before at the Battle of Little Bighorn, and one can only imagine that he was itching
for revenge. The Percé once again pulled off a brilliant escape. A group of braves diverted Sturgis' troops while
the Nez Percé slipped through the net, passing out of the valley through a gorge thought impassable by the US
Army.
Believing they were in Canada, the Nez Percé slowed down just 30 tragic miles before the border, where US
troops under General Nelson Miles finally caught up with them at the Battle of Bear Paw. After a 1500-mile, 3½-
month chase that included four battles, 87 men, 184 women and 47 children surrendered on October 5, 1877, with
Chief Joseph's words: 'From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.' It was the end of a fight they
had not sought. Joseph was never allowed to return to his homeland and died in 1904, allegedly of a broken heart.
The romantic image of the mountain man is an exaggeration. Rather than rugged indi-
vidualists selling their catch to the highest bidder, most of the trappers were salaried com-
pany men who were often advanced a year's supplies and ended the year in debt (many a
mountain main blew his entire year's income on women and liquor during a two-week-
long rendezvous binge). The lasting contribution of the mountain men was their local
knowledge of the terrain and the opening up of the routes across the mountains, which
paved the way for later immigrants and explorers. After the decline in the beaver trade,
many mountain men became army scouts or tourist guides.
MOUNTAIN MEN
