07/24/2025
๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐรฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฃ๐ (the younger), 1877, posed for his first known solo portrait with John H. Fouch of Fort Keogh, adjacent to Miles City, Montana. Damage from recent frostbike might be visible in Joseph's hands. Chief Joseph had surrendered on October 5 to Col. Nelson A. Miles after one of the most publicized conflicts since the defeat of Custer in June 1876. This was an epic tale...
For four months in 1877, Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Percรฉ of the Wallowa Valley in Oregon gained continuous press coverage. Newspapers nationally gave largely sympathetic coverage of the flight of the Nez Percรฉ to Canada.
Gen. Oliver Howard, with little advanced notice, had threatened a cavalry attack to force Joseph's band out of Oregon to a reservation in Idaho that was only one tenth (1/10th) the size of land earlier granted by treaty. Joseph reluctantly led his people toward Idaho. However, 20 young Nez Percรฉ, outraged by their forced exile, killed several Whites in raids on nearby settlements. The Army pursued Joseph's band of about 700, including elders, women, and children.
The Nez Percรฉ, led by Joseph and war chiefs Looking Glass and White Bird, nearly completed a tactically brilliant escape to Canada. Gen. Sherman, never sympathetic to the plight of American Indians, lauded the 1,400 mile march, noting that "the Indians throughout displayed a courage and skill that elicited universal praise... [They] fought with almost scientific skill, using advance and rear guards, skirmish lines, and field fortifications." The band, with fewer than 200 warriors, fought 2,000 Army soldiers and Indian employees in four major battles and numerous skirmishes.
The Nez Percรฉ surrendered to Col. Nelson A. Miles on Oct. 5, 1877, a mere 40 miles from the Canadian border. Chief Josephโs reported surrender speech was dramatically eloquent, although the speech was likely fiction. Joseph allegedly stated: โI am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass [a key war chief] is dead. Toohoolhoolzote [another prominent chief] is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say Yes or No. He who led the young men [Olikut] 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.โ
Joseph surrendered with the understanding that he would be allowed to return home. His people were instead taken to eastern Kansas and later to a reservation in Oklahoma, where many died of epidemic diseases. (Diseases brought by White immigrants killed more Native Americans than any other cause.)
In 1879, Chief Joseph met with Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes to seek a return to his Oregon homeland. In 1885, Chief Joseph and some other refugees were taken to a non-Nez Percรฉ reservation in northern Washington, separated from the rest of their people in Idaho and from their homeland in Oregon.
Chief Joseph lived an exemplary life and died in 1904. He and his Nez Percรฉ were never allowed to return to their Oregon home. His doctor reported that he died "of a broken heart." Text and Photoshop restoration by Gary Coffrin.
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