To the right is a photograph taken of Chief Joseph and Col. John Gibbon when they met again on the Big Hole Battlefield site in 1889.
to search for the much larger force of General Howard requesting immediate relief. The next day, August 10, 20 or 30 Nez Perce sharpshooters kept the soldiers holed up in their fortifications all day. The Nez Perce warriors left that night, leaving Gibbon and his soldiers alone but immobile on the battlefield. General Howard and an advance party of 29 cavalrymen and 17 Bannock scouts, found Gibbon the next morning after a 71-mile ride in a day and a night. The battle was costly for both sides. Gibbon’ s force was unfit to pursue the Nez Perce. Gibbon suffered 29 dead( 23 soldiers and six civilian volunteers) and 40 wounded( 36 soldiers and four civilians) of whom two later died. His casualties amounted to more than 30 percent of his force. No precise estimate of Nez Perce casualties exists although their total dead probably amounted to between 70 and 90, of whom less than 33 were warriors. Yellow Wolf claimed that only 12“ real fighters, but our best” died in the battle. Chief Joseph and his brother Ollokot’ s wives were wounded.
Howard’ s forces, newly arrived on the battlefield, took up the pursuit and followed Joseph toward Yellowstone National Park.
The Nez Perce would again clash with the army on August 20 at the Battle of Camas Meadows.( Information garnered from Wikipedia. com)
Above a photograph of modern day camping vintage style during the annual Homesteaders Days in Hot Springs, Montana summer of 2013.
The West Old & New Page 7
Photograph by S. F. Roberts