The Battle of the Big Hole was a costly battle between the Nez Percé and United States army during the Nez Percé War of 1877.

Background

Chief Joseph had lead his people on an amazing trek from the Clearwater Valley in Oregon to the Big Hole River in Montana. General Oliver Otis Howard had set out after the Nez Percé on July 30. He had telegraphed ahead for forces to intercept Joseph's warriors. The Nez Percé had gone without shelter since the Battle of the Clearwater one month earlier. So Chief Looking Glass finally persuaded Joseph to let the weary Nez Percé rest in the Big Hole Basin, believing they were far enough away from Howard's army. The talking wire — the Nez Percé term for the telegraph — was still an unknown concept to them, so they were unaware of a force of about 200 soldiers marching to their camp under Colonel John Gibbon, who had received Howard's telegraph.

The Battle

Colonel Gibbon, who was known to the Indians as "he who limps" due to an old Civil War wound, reached the Nez Percé camp on August 9 and in the early dawn he attacked. Joseph, believing that as he was far enough away from Howard to be out of harm's way, had not bothered to post sentries around his camp. Gibbon's attack took the Nez Percé by complete surprise and threw the camp into complete confusion. Caught in their tipis, the women and children suffered greatly. Joseph was routed and lost his camp in just 20 minutes. Gibbon attempeted to pursue the warriors across the river, but Looking Glass and Joseph regrouped the warriors and in hand-to-hand fighting managed to bring Gibbon to a stand still. Nez Percé sharpshooters inflicted heavy losses on the soldiers and Gibbon withdrew from his position and became pinned down in a wooded area near the camp. Gibbon sent messages out to Howard for reinforcements. The next morning, August 10, a mountain howitzer was brought up but Gibbon's men were only able to fire one shot before the warriors captured and dismantled it. They also captured Gibbon's supply train but the soldiers were able to recover it before long. The battle continued with neither side gaining an advantage. Joseph lit the prairie grass on fire to cover an attack but the fire burned out before his warriors could make an advance. Gibbon himself was wounded in the leg and the Nez Percé changed Gibbon's nickame to "he who limps twice". Howard's forces began arriving on the battlefield and drove off the remainder of Joseph's sharpshooters. Joseph withdrew from the battle carrying his dead and wounded.

Aftermath

The Battle of the Big Hole was a costly battle for both sides. Gibbon's force who suffered almost 70 casualties was unfit to pursue the Nez Percé. Joseph had also suffered greatly, he lost 87 men, women and children during the battle. Many of the losses were indeed warriors, but Joseph could hardly afford to lose them. The Nez Percé crossed the mountains into Idaho and soon into Wyoming. Howard's forces, which had just arrived on the battlefield, immediately took up the pursuit and followed Joseph towards Yellowstone.

The battlefield is preserved in the Big Hole National Battlefield unit of the Nez Percé National Historical Park

See Also

• Chief Joseph
• Nez Percé Wars
• Nez Percé National Historical Park

Sources

• Dillon, Richard H. North American Indian Wars (1983)
• Greene, Jerome A. Nez Perce Summer, 1877 (2000)
• http://www.friendsnezpercebattlefields.org/The-nez-perce-battles.htm