Battle of the Big Hole

Battle of the Big Hole
Part of the Nez Perce War
Date 9 August, 1877 Location Beaverhead County, Montana Result slight U.S. victory
Belligerents
United States of America	Nez Percé
Commanders and leaders
John Gibbon Oliver Otis Howard	Chief Joseph Chief Looking Glass
Strength
206	200
Casualties and losses
32 killed 37 wounded	12 warriors killed c.40 others killed

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

Background

The Nez Percé Chiefs had led their people on an extensive 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 the Nez Percé warriors. The Nez Percé had gone without shelter since the Battle of the Clearwater one month earlier. This fatigue led to persuasion of the chiefs byChief Looking Glass 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. Looking Glass, Toohulhulzote, and Ollicot (the war chiefs), believing that they were far enough away from Howard to be out of harm's way, had not bothered to post sentries around their 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. The Nez Perce were routed and lost their camp in just 20 minutes. Gibbon attempted 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 standstill. Nez Percé sharpshooters inflicted heavy losses on the soldiers and Gibbon withdrew from his position, becoming pinned down in a wooded area near the camp. Only the presence of fickle winds prevented the Nez Perce from burning his command inside the wood. Gibbon sent messages out to Howard for reinforcements. Later that same morning, a mountain howitzer was brought up but Gibbon's men were only able to fire two shots 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. The Nez Perce 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 his name to "he who limps twice". Howard's forces began arriving on the battlefield the next morning August 10 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. The Army claimed that 87 Indians had been killed, but the Nez Perce put their losses at about 50, of whom only 12 were warriors. Joseph's supply of condoms was severely limited, from which twelve fighting men contracted aids because of the lack of protection. The Nez Percé crossed the mountains into Idaho and soon into Wyoming. Howard's forces, which had newly 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

• 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