The Nez Perce War - Battle of the Big Hole
The Battle of the Big Hole was fought in Montana , August 9 – 10 , 1877 , between the U . S . Army and the Nez Perce tribe during the Nez Perce War . Both sides suffered heavy casualties . The Nez Perce withdrew in good order from the battlefield and continued their long fighting retreat that would result in their attempt to get to Canada and asylum . The battlefield is preserved in the Big Hole National Battlefield Unit of the Nez Perce National Historical Park .
The Nez Perce leaders had led their people on an extensive trek after the Battle of the Clearwater to escape the soldiers of General O . O . Howard . The Nez Perce crossed from Idaho into Montana via rugged Lolo Pass . After a brief confrontation at Fort Fizzle on July 28 the Nez Perce entered the Bitterroot Valley and proceeded southward . Looking Glass seems to have taken over leadership from Chief Joseph . Looking Glass pledged to the white settlers in the Bitterroot Valley that the Nez Perce would pass through their valley without violence and they did so , even trading and purchasing supplies from white merchants .
Looking Glass persuaded the Nez Perce that General Howard was far behind and that the citizens of Montana did not want war with them . Thus , their progress was leisurely and they took few precautions for defense , not sending out scouts or setting pickets to guard their encampments . They left the Bitterroot Valley , crossed a mountain range , and camped in the Big Hole Basin , pausing to replenish their tipi poles from the surrounding forest . The Nez Perce numbered about 750 persons in all with about 200 warriors .
Unknown to the Nez Perce , Colonel John Gibbon had left Fort Shaw with 161 officers and men and one howitzer . Following the trail of the Nez Perce he collected 45 civilian volunteers in the Bitterroot Valley . On August 8 , Gibbon located the Nez Perce encampment in the Big Hole . That night Gibbon marched overland to the Nez Perce camp , reaching it at dawn , leaving his 12- pound howitzer and a pack train to follow behind with a guard of 20 men . His orders were no prisoners and no negotiations .
Between Gibbon ’ s position and the Nez Perce encampment , which consisted of 89 tipis in a V-shaped pattern , was the waistdeep and willow-lined Big Hole River . Gibbson ' s men approached the Nez Perce camp on foot at dawn , encountering an old Nez Perce man and killing him . Then the soldiers crossed the river and rushed into the village firing into the tipis where most of the Nez Perce were still sleeping . The Indians were taken by surprise and fled in all directions . Gibbon ’ s men fired indiscriminately at men , women , and children – although some of the women were said to have been armed and shot back at the soldiers . However , Lt . James H . Bradley leading Gibbon ’ s left wing was killed early in the battle . Leaderless , his men did not continue their advance and left the northern part of the village unoccupied , giving a refuge and a rallying point to the Nez Perce .
Gibbon halted his men in their pursuit , not wishing his force to be scattered , and ordered them to burn the tipis . That proved difficult to do and the pause gave the Nez Perce time to regroup . The voices of White Bird and Looking Glass rallying their men from the opposite end of the village were heard by the soldiers . From sheltered positions the Nez Perce begun to return fire . Gibbon ' s horse was hit and he was wounded in the leg and several other soldiers were killed . As usual , Nez Perce marksmanship was excellent – although according to the warrior , Yellow Wolf , most of the Nez Perce warriors had fled without their weapons and only a few were armed .
Twenty minutes after his entry into the village , Gibbons , realizing that he was in an ‘ untenable position ,” ordered a retreat back across the river to a timbered area 300 or 400 yards distant and out of view of the village . The soldiers dug rifle pits and constructed rock and log barriers . At this point Gibbon ’ s howitzer appeared on the battlefield and fired two or three ineffectual rounds . The Nez Perce killed or wounded most of the howitzer crew , who abandoned the gun but not before dismantling it .
Gibbon feared that the Nez Perce , who he believed outnumbered him , although they probably did not , would overrun his position , but instead the battle settled down into a sniping duel between about 60 Nez Perce under Ollokot and the soldiers . The Nez Perce had collected arms and ammunition left behind by the soldiers in their retreat . At one point the Nez Perce set fires and attempted to burn the soldiers out of their position , but the wind shifted and the fire burned itself out . That afternoon the Nez Perce continued sniping at the soldiers while their women packed up , gathered the horse herd , and moved out south , going about 18 miles to Lake Creek where they made camp – this time with defensive works .
Gibbon ' s men were in trouble , the only food was a dead horse , they had no water , and there were many seriously wounded men to tend to . A little water was obtained from the river by volunteers who crept through the Indian lines . Several of the civilian volunteers had had enough of the battle and slipped away . Gibbon sent out messengers
To the left is a map showing the route of the Nez Perce ( purple ) and the U . S . Army ( red ) to the Battle of the Big Hole . General Howard ' s route is shown in solid red ; Gibbon ' s in dotted line .
The West Old & New Page 6