| OCR Text |
Show .'1 ' The first step toward dispossessing the Nez Perces was made by General Howard of the U. ai Army, by jailing the chief priest of the Dreamers. iith this leader gone, and perhaps with a strong desire for peace, Joseph thought it best to yie l.d ; and as a place of temporary confinement of his band, chose a place in the Lapwai Valley of western Idaho. While te for to stok removal this their white men attacked gathering location, and animals the an Indian them. killing them; scattering handling Chief Joseph, with about 100 warriors,. and with perhaps 350 women and children on teir 'ianda, see.ned to throw off all religious restraints, and went to war.' In 3 weeks they killed some 58 w!1ite soldiers. Three white armies surrounded him; but detachments of these he cut dcwn as he met them on a flight northward toward Canada. Finally, when within 50 border, .1e vas intercepted by General Nelson A. with fast-riding cavalrj@en, had corne from Arizona. Joseph stiLl had 50 of his. 100 warriors, a:1d he also had the women It appears that he fought gloriously until he had and children. miles of the Canadian Miles, Who Perhaps 40 wounded warriors left. but influence Niles. on actions; his at any rate the vo men Joseph and chi Ldr en had some capitulated to General The surrender to General Miles was made upon the express agreement that the remaining Nez Perces wou Ld be placed in the Tongue river country in to be returned to Ldaho when were until Hontana The Indians, Spr i.ng, they in hands of the General Sheridan---if I remember cor were placed however, rectly, Hiles returned to his post in Arizona----but that officer broke the - . , Hiles; and the Indians wer-e sent to Indian Territory. hardship, hunger and disease---generally the fate of disposs made by Gener-al, pledge Here cecause of essed Indians---the band was reduced from 450 to 280 in about 7 years. The Nez Perces were "dd.spcseessed", and the Dreamer religious society destroyed; but army reinforcements, perhaps nQbering several times the number of Joseph IS war-r-Lor-a, and without the "women and children" had to be used. We might write almost indefinitely upon other aspects of the case. The Paiute "Prophet II Wovoka Tis Indian perhaps could ranch of a. whiteman, and hardly be cal.Led spoke perhaps no a chieftain. language He worked on the other than his native It appears that he was never outside the Nevada Territory. the Paiute. his pecu l.ar- experiences and the "r-e Li.gf.ous" ideas he taught that made him popular among the Plains Indians, who came great distances to see and hear t.orieue , It was him. 1856, Paiute "prophet". His great experience eclipse of the sun and during a very severe January 1, 1889, during As the story goes, he fell into a trance, ser:med to be illness for imself. dead, went to heaven wher-e he saw God, or t he Great Spirit. He also saw there the Indians who had lived earlier, under te bad conditions imposed upon them by the w!1ites; but in heaven they were happy snd per pet.ua l.Iy young, and were He was came living came born in the son of a as tlley an on their own possessions into the picture. had on eearth before the white man God, e says, told him he could not come to heaven at that time; but must return to earth and tell the Indians all to be gocd , to work, to te peaceable and have no war not even with the whitemen. He said Cd did not promise him that the Indians would ever come into their own on the earth; but would lat;r |
