Editing Nez Perce War (section)

==War==
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===White Bird Canyon===
{{main|Battle of White Bird Canyon}}
By June&nbsp;16, the bands had moved to the southern end of [[White Bird, Idaho|White Bird]] Canyon, about {{convert|5|mi|0|spell=in}} long, {{convert|1|mi|spell=in}} wide at its maximum, and bounded by steep mountain ridges. That night, sentinels reported the approach of U.S. soldiers from the north. After much deliberation, the Nez Perce decided that they would stay at White Bird and make an effort to avoid war, but fight if they were forced to do&nbsp;so. The soldiers included Company F and Company H of the [[1st Cavalry Regiment (United States)|1st Cavalry Regiment]], commanded by Captain David Perry and Captain Joel Graham Trimble, respectively. The officers and men of the two companies totaled 106.

Awaiting the soldiers, 50 warriors under [[Ollokot]] deployed to a butte on the western side of the canyon and 15 warriors under Two Moons on a butte to the east, thus placing themselves on both sides of the cavalry's route down the canyon.<ref>{{cite book |last=McDermott |first=John D. |year=1978 |title=Forlorn Hope: The Battle of White Bird Canyon and the Beginning of the Nez Perce War |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r5wO7aOMIikC&q=Forlorn+Hope:+The+Battle+of+White+Bird+Canyon+and+the+Beginning+of+the+Nez+Perce+War |publisher=Idaho State Historical Society |location=Boise, ID |pages=83|isbn=978-0870044359 }}</ref> Six Nez Perce warriors waited with a white flag to discuss a truce with the approaching soldiers. An advance party, consisting of Lieutenant Edward Theller, Trumpeter John Jones, a few Nez Perce scouts employed by the Lapwai Agency, seven soldiers from Company F and civilian volunteer Arthur "Ad" Chapman made first contact with the truce party. For reasons never fully explained, Chapman fired at the truce party. The truce party took cover and the Nez Perce returned fire.<ref>McDermott, p. 84</ref>

Captain Perry, riding back and forth between the two companies, saw the volunteers retreating up the canyon. Perry's left flank and Trimble's right flank were compromised. Seeing further collapse of his flank, Perry tried to rally his men to advance to McCarthy's position and make a stand on the high ground about {{convert|300|yd}} to the south. But Company F, confused and having suffering numerous casualties, misinterpreted Perry's order as a general retreat. Company H, seeing the urgent retreat of Company F, joined the flight and left McCarthy and his men stranded. Sensing victory, Ollokot's mounted warriors chased the retreating soldiers.

Lieutenant Parnell and Lieutenant Theller led squads in an attempt to retrace their approach towards the White Bird camp. Under fire, Theller became trapped in a steep rocky ravine and ran out of ammunition, and he and his seven men were killed by the Nez Perce. Captain Perry and Captain Trimble fled to the northwest up steep ridges. They reached the [[Camas Prairie]] on top of the ridge line and were able to regroup at Johnson's Ranch. Within minutes, Nez Perce warriors pressed the attack and the survivors continued their retreat for several miles toward [[Mount Idaho, Idaho|Mount Idaho]], where they were rescued by fresh volunteers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hampton |first=Bruce|title=Children of Grace: The Nez Perce War of 1877|url=https://archive.org/details/childrenofgracen00hamp |url-access=registration |publisher=Henry Holt and Company|location=New York|year=1994|pages=[https://archive.org/details/childrenofgracen00hamp/page/77–78]|isbn=9780805019919 }}</ref>

By midmorning, 34 U.S. Cavalry soldiers had been killed and two had been wounded, while two volunteers had also been wounded in the opening of the battle. In contrast, only three Nez Perce warriors had been wounded. Some 63 carbines, many pistols, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were picked up off the battlefield by Nez Perce warriors. These weapons greatly enhanced the Nez Perce arsenal for the remaining months of the war.

===Looking Glass camp===
{{main|Attack on Looking Glass camp}}
In response to the defeat at White Bird Canyon, General Howard mobilized his forces. Though [[Chief Looking Glass]] had not previously been hostile to the army, a company was sent to arrest Looking Glass and his followers. The camp was destroyed, but Looking Glass escaped and subsequently joined Joseph and White Bird.

===Cottonwood===
{{main|Cottonwood Skirmishes}}
After crossing and recrossing the [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]], the warriors rebuffed the army in a series of skirmishes near [[Cottonwood, Idaho]], July 3–5, 1877.

===Clearwater===
{{main|Battle of the Clearwater}}
Howard's main force caught up to the Nez Perce at their camp in the valley of the [[Clearwater River (Idaho)|Clearwater River]] and attacked; the Nez Perce were able to escape toward [[Montana Territory]].

Approximately 250 Nez Perce warriors, and 500 women and children, along with more than 2000 head of horses and other livestock, began a remarkable fighting retreat. They crossed from [[Idaho]] over [[Lolo Pass (Idaho–Montana)|Lolo Pass]] into Montana Territory. Forces attempted to halt the Nez Perce at [[Fort Fizzle (Montana)|Fort Fizzle]], but the Nez Perce simply bypassed the barricade.

===Big Hole===
{{main|Battle of the Big Hole}}
A small number of Nez Perce fighters, probably fewer than 200,<ref name=PBS/> defeated or held off larger forces of the U.S. Army in several battles. The most notable was the two-day [[Battle of the Big Hole]] in southwestern Montana territory, a battle with heavy casualties on both sides, including many women and children on the Nez Perce side. Until the Big Hole the Nez Perce had the naive view that they could end the war with the U.S. on terms favorable, or at least acceptable, to themselves.<ref>Josephy, pp. 587–88</ref> Afterwards, the war "increased in ferocity and tempo. From then on all white men were bound to be their enemies and yet their own fighting power had been severely reduced."<ref>Beal, Merrill D. ''I Will Fight No More Forever: Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce War.''  Seattle: U of WA Press, 1963, p. 130</ref> They attempted to seek refuge with the [[Crow Nation]], but, rejected by the Crow, ultimately decided to try to reach safety in Canada.<ref name=Malone135/>

===Camas Creek===
{{main|Battle of Camas Creek}}
With Howard's men camped at Camas Meadows, the Nez Perce conducted a nighttime raid in the early hours of August 20 and stole horses and mules. Howard's cavalry pursued the raiders, who were able to hold off the soldiers and continue their retreat into [[Yellowstone National Park]].

===Yellowstone===
{{main|Nez Perce flight through Yellowstone}}
The Nez Perce fled through Yellowstone, travelling along what was later named Nez Perce Creek across the [[Central Plateau (United States)|Central Plateau]] and [[Hayden Valley]], crossing the [[Yellowstone River]] at Nez Perce Ford and exiting via a difficult route across the [[Absaroka Mountains]].

===Canyon Creek===
{{main|Battle of Canyon Creek}}
The army next caught up with the Nez Perce on September 13 in the canyon of Canyon Creek, west of [[Billings]]. The warriors took up positions in the hills overlooking the approach to the canyon and fought a delaying action before escaping over the hills.

===Bear Paw===
{{main|Battle of Bear Paw}}
The war came to an end when the Nez Perce stopped to make camp and rest on the prairie adjacent to Snake Creek in the foothills of the north slope of the [[Bears Paw Mountains|Bear's Paw Mountains]] in Montana Territory, only {{convert|40|mi|km}} from the [[Canada–United States border]].

They believed that they had shaken off Howard and their pursuers, but they were unaware that the recently promoted Brigadier General [[Nelson A. Miles]] in command of the newly created District of the Yellowstone had been dispatched from the [[Fort Keogh|Tongue River Cantonment]] to find and intercept them. Miles led a combined force made up of units of the Fifth Infantry, and Second Cavalry and the [[7th Cavalry Regiment|Seventh Cavalry]]. Accompanying the troops were [[Lakota people|Lakota]] and [[Cheyenne people|Cheyenne]] [[United States Army Indian Scouts|Indian Scouts]], many of whom had fought against the Army only a year prior during the [[Sioux War]].

They made a surprise attack upon the Nez Perce camp on the morning of September 30.  After a three-day standoff, Howard arrived with his command, on October 3 and the stalemate was broken. Chief Joseph surrendered on October 5, 1877,<ref name=Malone138>Malone, et al. ''Montana'', p. 138</ref> and declared in his famous surrender speech that he would "fight no more forever."<ref name=Malone138/>