Battle of White Bird Canyon
June 17, 1877
White Bird Canyon - NPS photo - Wikipedia
The Battle of White Bird Canyon was fought on June 17, 1877, in Idaho Territory. White Bird Canyon was the opening battle of the Nez Perce War, in which the non-treaty faction of Nez Perce as well as some allied non-treaty Palouse resisted forced imprisonment on reservations. Best known among the non-treaty faction was Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt or Chief Joseph, but multiple bands all resisted removal to the Nez Perce reservation.
In May of 1877, General O.O. Howard ordered all non-treaty Native people to remove to the reservation or be forced there by troops. He insisted on only giving the people 30 days to remove at the time of year when river crossing is most dangerous. At the final camp before reaching the reservation, multiple bands met up at a camas prairie near Grangeville, Idaho. From this camp, a young Nez Perce man sought revenge for the killing of father by a white settler a few years earlier which he had never seen justice for. Troops were dispatched and although a war still could have been avoided, and Nez Perce sent out a peace party with a white flag, settlers whipped up in an anti-Native frenzy and Brigadier General David Perry shot at the white flag holding Nez Perce and the battle began.
A resounding defeat for the United States, 34 enlisted men were killed including a Lieutenant, amounting to 1/3 of the command. Importantly the Nez Perce also were able to capture 63 rifles and many pistols from the battlefield. No Native warriors were lost and only three wounded. Thus began the fight of a people forced from their homelands by a government unwilling to stand up to its own promises (Nez Perce Treaty of 1855).
In May of 1877, General O.O. Howard ordered all non-treaty Native people to remove to the reservation or be forced there by troops. He insisted on only giving the people 30 days to remove at the time of year when river crossing is most dangerous. At the final camp before reaching the reservation, multiple bands met up at a camas prairie near Grangeville, Idaho. From this camp, a young Nez Perce man sought revenge for the killing of father by a white settler a few years earlier which he had never seen justice for. Troops were dispatched and although a war still could have been avoided, and Nez Perce sent out a peace party with a white flag, settlers whipped up in an anti-Native frenzy and Brigadier General David Perry shot at the white flag holding Nez Perce and the battle began.
A resounding defeat for the United States, 34 enlisted men were killed including a Lieutenant, amounting to 1/3 of the command. Importantly the Nez Perce also were able to capture 63 rifles and many pistols from the battlefield. No Native warriors were lost and only three wounded. Thus began the fight of a people forced from their homelands by a government unwilling to stand up to its own promises (Nez Perce Treaty of 1855).