6 "The last farewells are said. The last mule pack is adjusted. The last red-shirted artilleryman takes his stand by his gun. There is a moment of quiet. Suddenly the commanding officer shouts, Attention!' and then a moment later, 'Column, march!' Every man steps off with his right foot. The cavalry are in front. The proud bell-mare, with her cavalcade of mules, stubborn to all else, but to her yielding the most perfect obedience,* follow, and behind them, in column of fours, come the infantry." On July 11, General Howard and his little army of four hundred fighting men, besides teamsters and train men, came in sight of the enemy. Joseph, at the head of about three hundred warriors, had crossed the country to the Lapwai reservation and taken a position on the Clearwater, and was waiting to give battle, having erected breast works of the most approved pattern. This was done with the assistance of the squaws, who fought as hard as the men, and, as usual, worked harder. The soldiers advanced in line of battle, leaving the supply trains unguarded. From the high point of vantage he had taken, Joseph was quick to notice this and dispatched thirty warriors to attack them. An officer with his field glass caught this movement just in time to send a messenger to warn them to hurry into the lines. A company of cavalry also galloped to their protection. The Indians gained the smaller train, killed two packers and disabled their animals, but were driven off by the fire of the cavalry. The large train, however, gained the lines. uninjured. The battle raged all that afternoon, with its charges and countercharges, its feinting and fighting. During the night both parties kept up a desultory fire while strengthening their positions. The battle was renewed in the morning, and continued with no perceptible advantage to either side until the middle of the afternoon. At that time a fresh company of *The author's father has taken large droves of mules from Lexington, Kentucky, on foot to New Orleans, with no help but one assistant and an old white mare. If this queen of the drove was inclined to bite or kick her followers on the slightest provocation, her influence over them was wonderful. Without her no fence would hold them over night; with her in their midst no fence was necessary, for where she was there would they be also. cavalry reëenforced General Howard's command. The troops now redoubled their effort by charging the enemy's line on the left. For a short time the Indians fought desperately from behind their rocky breast works, but at length gave way and fled in all directions, bounding from rock to rock through the ravines, or plunging into the river out of sight only to reappear when its swift current had borne them out of range. The victorious troops pressed them so closely that the Indian camp, with its blankets, buffalo robes and cooking utensils fell into their hands. The Indians, however, made their escape with their herds and sufficient supplies for their purpose, and before the soldiers could cross the Clearwater, a large body of warriors was seen on the right front, apparently returning for an attack. While preparations were being made to meet this force, the remainder of the Indians continued their flight and escaped. The returning warriors, having accomplished their purpose by this feint, shortly disappeared. In the morning the troops continued to pursue the retreating Indians, only to fall into an ambush by the rear-guard of the Nez Perces, and be thrown into confusion. As Dunn says: "Night found the Indians safely encamped in an almost impregnable position, at the entrance of Lolo trail. Joseph had fought his second battle, against heavy odds, and though beaten, had brought off his forces most creditably." Finding they were largely outnumbered, the Indians retreated through the mountain pass to Bitter Root valley, over what General Sherman says "Is universally admitted by all who have traveled it-from Lewis and Clark to Captain Winters-as one of the worst trails for man and beast on this continent.” The Nez Perces came safely over this trail, encumbered with their women and children and herds. In the valley of the Lou-Lou they were confronted by a hastily built fort, held by Captain Rawn with a few regulars and some volunteers. Looking-Glass said to them, "We will not fight the settlers if they do not fight us. We are going by you to the buffalo country. Will you let us go in peace?" Rawn replied, "you can not go by us." To this the Indian answered, "We are going by you without fighting if you will let us, but we are going by you anyhow.' The volunteers now interfered, and told the commander the Nez Perces had always been "good Indians." The settlers on the Bitter Root had no grounds for complaint in their conduct, as they passed each year to and from the buffalo country. Besides, in the expressive frontier phrase, "they had not lost. any Indians," and consequently were not hunting for any. The Indians might pass, and God speed them out of the country. The Nez Perces not only passed by in peace, but they stopped at the villages of Stevensville and Corvallis and traded with the whites. They also left a spy at Corvallis, who stopped until Howard had come up and passed on, and then sped away to Joseph with full particulars. Meantime General Gibbon, with about two hundred cavalry, had hastened from Helena across to Fort Missoula, on the Bitter Root, but arrived too late to intercept Joseph. Gibbon followed the Indian trail, and overtook them August 8. Waiting through the night for "that dark still hour which is just before the dawn," he swept through the camp in a furious charge, completely surprising the Indians. It seems that Joseph and his men supposed the war was over, and having started to the buffalo country, were careless about posting sentinels. Though taken by surprise, General Joseph rallied his warriors and recaptured the camp. He also drove the soldiers back to a grove of timber, where they erected rude barricades, and made a stand. Joseph said of General Gibbon: "Finding that he was not able to capture us, he sent to his camp for his big guns (cannon), but my men had captured them and all the ammunition. We damaged the big guns all we could and carried away the powder and lead." At eleven o'clock that night the Indians withdrew, leaving Gibbon wounded and his command so crippled that it could not pursue. Joseph had fought and won his third battle. The Nez Perces remained long enough to bury their dead, but when General Howard joined Gibbon at this place, his |