Nez Perce Forlorn Hope: The Battle of White Bird Canyon

1. McWhorter, Hear Me, pp. 236-37.

2. O. O. Howard, Nez Perce, p. 6; Perry, CI, p. 117; Perry, "The Battle of White Bird Canõn," in Northwestern Fights, p. 114; Parnell, "The Battle of White Bird Canõn," in Northwestern Fights, p. 101; Joel G. Trimble, Report of the Nez Perce Campaign, c. December, 1877, Fort Walla Walla, letter no. 131, Letter Received, DC, 1878, p. 6. Hereafter cited as Trimble Report.

3. Perry, CI, p. 116; Trimble Report, pp. 5-6; Schorr In Hear Me, p. 235; McCarthy, "Army Sketches," pp. 10-11.

4. Parnell in Northwestern Fights, p. 101.

5. Perry, CI, p. 117; Parnell, CI, p. 58; Trimble, CI, p. 26; Trimble Report, p. 6; Testimony of Frank Husush in Nez Perce claims, Sen. Ex. Doc. 257, p. 94.

6. For Perry's description of the terrain see CI, p. 118 and Northwestern Fights, p. 115.

7. McWhorter, Yellow Wolf, p. 51.

8. According to Indian sources, there were 55 warriors in Joseph's band (Wallowas), 50 In White Bird's band, (Lamtamas), and 30 in Sound's band (Pikunans). However, apparently some of the Wallowa had stayed with Looking Glass on the Clearwater, so that the figure may be somewhat smaller. Account of Three Eagle. in North American Indian, 8, fn. 1, p. 25; Josephy, Nez Perce, p. 525; Hear Me, fn. 28, p. 251, p. 177 ff.

9. Hand in Hand, Vicious Weasel, Red Raven, and No Feet had been located on the summit of a butte that stood on the east side of Grasshopper Spring, a little more than four miles north of the battleground. Many Wounds showed Lucullus McWhorter the spot in 1932. No Feet had been a slave to the Yakima chief Kamiakin. The chief had purchased him from some tribe farther west, and his tribal origin has never been determined. No Feet had lost both feet and one of his hands when Kamiakin left him outdoors, shackled with traps, one sub-zero night to punish him for stealing. Later Kamiakin gave the Indian his freedom, and he settled among the Nez Perce. Because of his condition, he spent a great deal of time on horseback and became an excellent rider. Hear Me, pp. 236-37; Yellow Wolf, pp. 52-53; Yellow Bull in North American Indian, 8, p. 165; Account of First Red Feather on the Wing, n.d. packet 211-b, McWhorter Collection.

10. Josephy, Nez Perce p. 524; Three Eagles in North American Indian, 8, fn. 1, p. 26.

11. Account of About Asleep, n.d. packet 168, item 49, McWhorter Collection; Yellow Wolf, p. 51; Wounded Head and Black Feather in Hear Me, pp. 239, 241.

12. Participants give varying estimates concerning the number of warriors in the battle. Joseph reported that about 60 Nez Perce fought in the engagement and Yellow Wolf put the number at about 70. Most white estimates were surprisingly close to Indian figures. Trimble believed that there were about 100 warriors, although he noted that he had not seen more than 30 or 40 at one time. McCarthy, Richard Powers, and George Shearer estimated that there were about 60 Nez Perce. Perry believed that he had encountered about 125. Joseph, "Chief Joseph's Own Story," in Northwestern Fights, p. 64; Yellow Wolf, pp. 51, 55; Trimble CI, p. 87; Shearer, CI, p. 93; Letter from Perry to Howard, June 17, 1877, Camp near Idaho, letter no. 1450 Letters Received, DC; Stephen Perry Jocelyn, Mostly Alkali (Caldwell, 1953), p. 225.

13. McWhorter believed that about 45 of the warriors carried firearms. Three Eagles estimated about 50 guns. Hear Me, fn. 28, p. 251; Three Eagles in North American Indian, fn. 1, p. 26. See also Wounded Head and George Comedown in Hear Me, pp. 239, 250-51; Robert H. Ruby, "First Account of Nez Perce War by Man who Went: Josiah Red Wolf," Inland Empire Magazine November 17, 1963, p. 3.

14. Yellow Wolf, pp. 51-55. Three Eagles claimed that Joseph was in charge of one group of warriors. John Miles reported that while Joseph did some fighting, "he did no leading." Yellow Bull agreed when he stated that Joseph fought like any other warrior. Bow and Arrow Case also confirmed the presence of Joseph in the battle. See Three Eagles and Yellow Bull in North American Indian, 8, fn. 1, p. 26, p. 165; John Miles and Bow and Arrow Case in Hear Me, pp. 249, 254.

15. John Miles in Hear Me, p. 249

16. Perry, CI, p. 118; Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 114.

17. Husush in Nez Perce Claims, p. 94; Yellow Wolf, pp. 55-56; Three Eagles in North American Indian, 8, fn. 1, p. 26; Floyd Laird, ed., "Reminiscences of Francis M. Redfield, Chief Joseph's War," Pacific Northwest Quarterly 28 (1936), p. 72.

18. Two Moon and Bow and Arrow Case in Hear Me, pp. 246-254; Yellow Wolf, pp. 55-56.

19. Perry, CI, p. 118

20. Shearer, CI, p. 89.

21. Perry CI, p. 118; Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 119.

22. Powers, CI, p. 85; Charles Luman, CI, pp. 97-98, 103; Bartholomew Coughlin, CI, pp. 104-5; Perry, CI, p. 118.

23. Perry, CI, p. 119.

24. Trimble, CI, pp. 26, 38, 51; Trimble Report, p. 7; Parnell, CI, pp. 58, 64, 70; Parnell in Northwestern Fights, p. 102; McCarthy, CI, pp.75, 84; Powers, CI, p. 85; Coughlin, CI, p. 104; Yellow Wolf, fn. 4, p. 57; Two Moons and John Miles in Hear Me, pp. 247, 249.

25. Reman Lee was about 26 years old. Born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, he had worked as a laborer before enlisting on October 21, 1873. He was five feet five inches in height and had blue eyes and brown hair. Registry of Enlistments, 1873.

26. Trimble, CI, p. 27; Trimble Report, p. 8; Letter from Trimble to the Adjutant General, April 14, 1897, Berkely, California, McCarthy Medal of Honor File; McCarthy, CI, pp. 76-83; McCarthy, "Diary," June 17, 1877; McCarthy, "Army Sketches," p.6.

27. Perry, CI, p. 119.

28. Shearer, CI, pp. 89, 93; Perry CI, p. 119; Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 115; Yellow Wolf, p. 57; Two Moons in Hear Me, p. 247.

29. McWhorter Notes, "Old Timers," packet 150, item 29 McWhorter Collection.

30. Perry, CI, p. 119; Perry in Northwestern Fights, pp. 114-15; Shearer, CI, p. 89; Trimble, CI, pp. 38-51; Coughlin, CI, p. 103; Parnell, CI, p. 61; C. A. Sears, "Letter from Mount Idaho, "Idaho Tri-Weekly Statesman, July 7, 1877, p. 3; Letter from L. P. Brown to Commanding Officer of Fort Lapwai, June 17, 1877, Mount Idaho, The Daily Oregonian, (Portland), June 21, 1877, p. 3; "Theodore Swarts," North Idaho, p. 474; Letter from T. D. Swarts to Alonzo Stanzo Leland, July 21, 1877, Mount Idaho, Lewiston Teller, July 28, 1877, p. 4.

31. Perry CI, pp. 119-20; Perry in Northwestern Fights, pp. 114-15; Parnell, CI, p. 64, Trimble CI, p. 38; Trimble Report, p. 8; McCarthy, CI, p. 84.

32. Perry, CI, p. 120; Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 116; Parnell, CI, pp. 59, 62, 73; Leeman, CI, pp. 98-100; Coughlin, CI, pp. 104-105.

33. Perry, I, p. 120; Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 116; Trimble, I, p. 27; Trimble Report, p. 8; Parnell, I, p. 64.

34, Trimble, CI, pp. 26-27; Trimble Report, pp. 9-10; Parnell, CI, pp. 61, 64; Parnell, "The Nez Perce Indian War-1877: Battle of White-Bird Canõn", The United Service n.s. 2 (1889), p. 370.

35. McCarthy, "Diary," June 17; McCarthy CI, pp. 76, 79; Letter from McCarthy to General Howard, September 20, 1897, San Francisco, McCarthy Medal of Honor File; McCarthy, "Army Sketches," p. 10.

36. Trimble, CI, pp. 28-29; Trimble Report, pp. 9-10; Letter from Trimble to the Adjutant General, April 14, 1897; McCarthy, "Diary," June 17; McCarthy CI, p. 76.

37. Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 116; Parnell, CI, p. 59. Parnell in Northwestern Fights, p. 103; Leeman, CI, p. 99.

38. McCarthy, Diary, June 17; McCarthy, CI, pp. 76-81; Letter from McCarthy to Howard, September 20, 1897; McCarthy, "Journal," p. 80.

39. Michael Curran was born in Ireland and had previously worked as a laborer before entering the army on April 12, 1875. About 27 years old, he was almost five feet seven inches in height and had brown hair and brown eyes. Frank Powers was a native of Connecticut. A shoemaker before enlisting in the service, he was five feet seven and one-half inches in height, blond-haired and blue-eyed. He was about 26 years old. Registry of Enlistments, 1875, 1876.

40. Parnell, CI, pp. 59, 67; Parnell in Northwestern Fights, pp. 104-5; McCarthy, "Diary," June 17; McCarthy, CI, pp. 79-80; Letters from McCarthy to Howard, September 20, 1897. For what McCarthy referred to as a "glowing account" of his part in the battle see W. F. Beyer and O. F. Keydel, eds., Deeds of Valor (2 vols., Detroit, 1903), 2, pp. 239-43.

41. Perry, C I, p. 120; Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 116; Shearer, CI, pp. 91-92; Coughlin, CI, p. 104; Idaho Tri-Weekly Statesman, June 28, 1877, p, 3.

42. Perry CI, p. 119-120; Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 116-17; Trimble, CI, pp. 29-30; Trimble Report, p. 11.

43. William Havens was born in Lynde, Connecticut, in about 1839. At the time of his first enlistment in 1873. he had given his profession as a "bodymaker." He had dark hair and hazel eyes and was a little over five feet eight inches in height. Registry of Enlistments, 1873.

44. Perry CI, pp. 121-22; Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 117; Letter from Perry to Lt. Col. James W. Forsyth, c. October 22, 1878, pp. 3-4; Trimble CI, 30-32; Trimble Report, pp. 11-12; Shearer, CI, pp. 90-91.

45, Perry, CI, p. 122. According to Bartholomew Coughlin, the horse belonged to Trumpeter Jones, Coughlin, CI, p. 105.

46. Perry, CI, p. 122; Letter from Perry to Forsyth, c. October 22, 1878, pp. 3-4.

47. In his report of the battle written on June 17, Perry gave the number as 22. Later he said there were 26. Parnell reported the figure as 27 or 28. Letter from Perry to Howard, June 17, Camp near Mount Idaho, Letter Received, DC; Letter from Perry to Forsyth, c. October 22, 1878; Parnell, CI, p. 61.

48. The account of the retreat by Perry and Parnell, unless otherwise noted, is based on Perry, CI, pp. 122-23; Perry in Northwestern Fights, p. 18; Parnell, CI, pp. 59-61, 67-68, 71; Parnell in Northwestern Fights, pp. 105-8; Parnell, "The Nez Perce Indian War," pp. 371-2.

49. Affidavit of Aman Hartman, May 24, 1897, Parnell Medal of Honor File.

50. Trimble, CI, pp. 32-36.