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Chief Joseph vigorously resisted all efforts to force his band onto the small Idaho reservation, and in 1873 a federal order to remove white settlers and let his people remain in the Wallowa Valley made it appear that he might be successful. But the federal government soon reversed itself, and in 1877 General Oliver Otis Howard threatened a cavalry attack to force Joseph's band and other holdouts onto the reservation. Believing military resistance futile, Joseph reluctantly prepared to lead 200 to 300 warriors and their families toward Idaho. But a raid by several enraged Nez Percé warriors that resulted in the deaths of white settlers caused the federal troops to pursue Joseph's band.
For more than three months in the summer of 1877 Joseph led his followers on a retreat of more than 1,000 miles across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The band out manoeuvred the pursuing
troops, which outnumbered Joseph's warriors by at least a ten to one ratio. Joseph's warriors defeated the troops in several battles during the flight. He was admired by many whites for his humane treatment of prisoners, his concern for women, children, and the aged, and because he purchased supplies from ranchers and storekeepers rather than stealing them. The Nez Percé were finally surrounded in the Bear Paw mountains of Montana, within 40 miles of the Canadian border. On October 5 Joseph surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles and delivered an eloquent speech: "Hear me, my chiefs; my heart is sick and sad. From where the Sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."
Nez Perce Reservation -