The Epic Saga of Survival: Understanding the Nez Perce Flight of 1877
The Nez Perce flight of 1877 stands as one of the most poignant and tragic sagas in American history, a testament to the indomitable spirit of a people fighting for their ancestral lands and way of life against overwhelming odds. This desperate, 1,170-mile odyssey across the American West, marked by courage, strategic brilliance, and immense suffering, remains an indelible chapter in the story of Native American resistance. It was a journey born of broken promises and escalating tensions, culminating in a dramatic pursuit that captivated the nation and cemented the legacy of Chief Joseph and his people as symbols of defiant integrity.
For centuries, the Nez Perce, or Nimiipuu as they called themselves, had inhabited a vast territory spanning parts of what is now Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Known for their horsemanship, peaceful disposition, and a unique relationship with their lands, particularly the Wallowa Valley in Oregon, they had largely maintained amicable relations with American settlers and the U.S. government. However, the relentless westward expansion, fueled by the doctrine of Manifest Destiny and the discovery of gold in Nez Perce territory, began to erode this fragile peace.
The first major blow came with the Treaty of 1855, which established a large Nez Perce reservation covering much of their traditional lands. But within eight years, the discovery of gold near Lapwai triggered a massive influx of miners and settlers, leading to intense pressure for more land. The U.S. government, eager to appease the settlers, negotiated the Treaty of 1863, drastically shrinking the reservation to less than one-tenth of its original size. While some bands, known as the "treaty Nez Perce," signed this agreement, several others, including Chief Joseph’s Wallowa band, Chief Looking Glass’s band, White Bird’s band, and Too-hul-hul-sote’s band, refused to acknowledge its legitimacy, as their leaders had not signed it. They became known as the "non-treaty Nez Perce" and steadfastly maintained their right to their ancestral lands, particularly the cherished Wallowa Valley, which held profound spiritual and cultural significance for Joseph’s people.
For over a decade, a precarious stalemate existed. The non-treaty bands continued to live on their traditional lands, resisting repeated demands to move onto the smaller reservation. Chief Joseph, whose father, Old Joseph, had made him promise never to sell their land, became the eloquent voice of his people’s refusal. He argued that the land could not be owned or sold, and that his people had never ceded their rights to it.
By 1877, the U.S. government, under intense pressure from settlers and politicians, decided to resolve the "Nez Perce problem" once and for all. General Oliver O. Howard, a one-armed Civil War veteran known as the "Christian General," was tasked with forcing the non-treaty bands onto the reservation. In May 1877, at a council at Fort Lapwai, Howard delivered an ultimatum: the Nez Perce had 30 days to gather their people and livestock and move to the reservation, or face military action.
This order presented an impossible dilemma. Moving meant abandoning their homes, their ancestors’ graves, and their way of life. Refusing meant war. Despite Chief Joseph’s attempts to negotiate, the deadline remained firm. As the deadline approached, tensions escalated. A small group of young Nez Perce warriors, fueled by grief and anger over past injustices and the murder of a tribal member, retaliated by killing several white settlers. This act of violence, though condemned by the Nez Perce chiefs, sealed their fate. The flight was no longer a choice but a desperate necessity for survival.
Thus began the Nez Perce flight of 1877. On June 14, 1877, about 750 Nez Perce, including men, women, children, and elders, along with their vast herds of horses, began their arduous journey. Their initial goal was to reach the Crow Nation in Montana, hoping for refuge and assistance. General Howard immediately mobilized his troops, initiating one of the most remarkable military pursuits in American history.
The first major engagement occurred on June 17, 1877, at White Bird Canyon, Idaho. A detachment of U.S. cavalry, numbering 110 men, rode into an ambush by the Nez Perce warriors. Despite being outnumbered, the Nez Perce, under the tactical leadership of warriors like Ollokot (Chief Joseph’s brother) and White Bird, inflicted a stunning defeat on the soldiers, killing 34 without a single Nez Perce casualty. This decisive victory boosted the Nez Perce’s confidence but also confirmed the military’s determination to pursue them relentlessly.
Following White Bird Canyon, the Nez Perce skillfully evaded Howard’s forces for weeks, demonstrating exceptional knowledge of the terrain and employing brilliant evasive tactics. However, on July 11-12, they were caught by Howard’s main force at the Battle of the Clearwater. This was a more prolonged and costly engagement, but the Nez Perce, despite being outgunned, managed to hold their ground, inflict casualties, and ultimately disengage, continuing their eastward trek.
Realizing the Crow were unlikely to offer sanctuary, the Nez Perce decided on an even more audacious plan: to cross the Bitterroot Mountains, enter Montana, and eventually seek asylum with Sitting Bull’s Lakota people in Canada, who had fled there after the Battle of Little Bighorn. This meant traversing some of the most rugged and unforgiving terrain in North America.
Their journey through the Bitterroot Valley was surprisingly peaceful, as settlers, initially wary, were impressed by the Nez Perce’s discipline and willingness to trade. But this brief respite was shattered on August 9, 1877, at the Battle of the Big Hole in Montana. Colonel John Gibbon, with a force of over 200 soldiers and volunteers, launched a surprise dawn attack on the sleeping Nez Perce camp. The assault was devastating, particularly for the non-combatants. Many women, children, and elderly were killed in the initial onslaught. However, the Nez Perce warriors, despite the chaos and heavy losses, quickly rallied. Led by Looking Glass, they counter-attacked fiercely, driving Gibbon’s forces back and eventually forcing them to entrench. After a day-long siege and the arrival of Nez Perce reinforcements, Gibbon was forced to retreat. While the Nez Perce won a tactical victory, preventing their annihilation, the human cost was immense, with an estimated 90 dead, primarily women and children. This battle left an indelible scar on the Nez Perce psyche and further hardened their resolve to reach Canada.
The remainder of the Nez Perce flight of 1877 became an increasingly desperate race against time, exhaustion, and the relentless pursuit of multiple U.S. Army columns. They passed through Yellowstone National Park, startling tourists and further solidifying their legend as elusive and formidable adversaries. They endured freezing temperatures, starvation, and the constant threat of attack. Leadership shifted, with Looking Glass often taking the lead in military strategy, while Chief Joseph, though not a war chief, was the diplomatic and spiritual anchor, always prioritizing the safety of his people.
By late September, after traveling nearly 1,200 miles, the Nez Perce believed they were close to safety. They had eluded General Howard’s main force and thought they had outdistanced all pursuers. They stopped to rest and hunt buffalo in the Bear Paw Mountains of northern Montana, just 40 miles from the Canadian border. But on September 30, they were ambushed by fresh troops under Colonel Nelson A. Miles, who had marched rapidly north from Fort Keogh.
The Battle of Bear Paw Mountains was the final, tragic chapter of the flight. Miles’s cavalry attacked the unsuspecting camp, aiming to capture the Nez Perce before they could cross the border. The Nez Perce warriors, though exhausted and outnumbered, once again fought with incredible bravery, digging defensive positions and repelling several assaults. A siege ensued, lasting five brutal days in freezing weather, with snow, hunger, and dwindling ammunition taking their toll. Many more Nez Perce, including Chief Joseph’s brother Ollokot, were killed.
With his people starving, freezing, and facing certain annihilation, and with many of his fellow chiefs either dead or having slipped away, Chief Joseph made the agonizing decision to surrender on October 5, 1877. It was here that he delivered his famous speech, a moving plea for peace and justice that has echoed through history:
"Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Too-hul-hul-sote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food; no one knows where they are—perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."
This poignant surrender marked the end of the Nez Perce flight of 1877. Though Chief Joseph had been promised that his people would be returned to their homeland in Oregon, this promise was broken. Instead, the surviving Nez Perce were exiled first to Kansas, then to the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), where many succumbed to disease and despair in the unfamiliar climate. It was only after years of advocacy and public outcry that some were eventually allowed to return to the Pacific Northwest, though never to their beloved Wallowa Valley. Chief Joseph himself died in 1904 on the Colville Reservation in Washington, a "broken-hearted" man, never having seen his true homeland again.
The Nez Perce flight of 1877 remains a powerful testament to the human cost of westward expansion and the resilience of indigenous peoples. It is studied by military historians for the Nez Perce’s remarkable tactical prowess and evasive maneuvers. More importantly, it serves as a enduring symbol of the fight for self-determination, the tragedy of broken treaties, and the enduring legacy of a people who fought with honor and courage for their sacred lands and identity.
