The US National Park Service administers the Nez Perce National Historical Park, which consists of 38 sites spread across the states of Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming and Montana. Flying into Boise, Idaho, I headed north along routes 55 and 95 to the Salmon River area where the Nez Perce Campaign started. The White Bird Canyon battlefield is right off Route 95 but virtually untouched by any development from the nearby town. There is no visitor center here or park rangers, but visitors can acquire a brochure at the gated entrance for a self-guided tour along the 1½-mile-long (2km) walking trail that terminates at McCarthy Point. There are also six colored historical panels along the trail to highlight key moments in the battle. After years of walking ‘touristy’ battlefields like Gettysburg, Waterloo and Normandy, it’s interesting to walk across the battlefield at White Bird Canyon since so little has changed since 1877 and there is not a gift shop in sight. Instead, on the windy ridgeline, you get a great feel for what both Capt. Perry and the Nez Perce leaders could see from their respective viewpoints. Visitors should be prepared for a taxing uphill climb to the cliff at McCarthy’s Point and mindful of the rattlesnake threat in summer months. Visiting the site of Lt. Theller’s last stand, it is disappointing to see that the Park Service has failed to erect any marker for his troops or any of the 34 soldiers killed in the battle. Along Route 95 and the Salmon River, there are a number of historical markers related to the Nez Perce campaign, but none that mentions the 18 citizens murdered here in June 1877.
Bear Paw battlefield at dawn. There are a number of markers erected to honor both sides, but the fallen soldiers are buried at the military cemetery at Little Bighorn. Despite the fact that five Medals of Honor were awarded for heroism at this action, Bear Paw has become one of America’s forgotten battlefields. (Author’s collection)
Grave of Corporal John Haddoo, Company B, 5th Infantry, who was killed in action at Bear Paw on September 30, 1877. (Author’s collection)
Driving northward, you can head toward either the Cottonwood (of which the battlefield is now covered up by modern housing) and the Lapwai Agency or toward the Clearwater River. At Lapwai, which is still the center of the Nez Perce Reservation, there are a number of sites related to the original missionaries, but of less relevance to the 1877 campaign. The Clearwater battlefield is located on a ridgeline just east of modern Stites, Idaho. Unlike the other major battlefields of the Nez Perce campaign, Clearwater is primarily on private land and inaccessible. There is a single historical marker for the battle, but otherwise negligible help from the Park Service. The site of the Nez Perce village on the Clearwater is accessible, as is the site of Looking Glass’s camp, a few miles north. At Stites, the Clearwater River is quite shallow and it’s hard to see why Howard had such difficulty fording this obstacle. It is possible to drive up part of Battle Ridge where Howard maneuvered his forces and it is clear that this was virtually “no-go” terrain for his artillery and Gatling guns. When I visited I proceeded northeastward up Route 12, paralleling the Lolo Trail, for about 100 miles (160km). This is rough but breathtaking terrain even today and it makes one wonder what would have happened if either side had been ambushed in this chokepoint.
After crossing the Lolo Pass, I stopped at Fort Fizzle, not far from Missoula, Montana. The Park Service has a few historical panels here and a reconstruction of one of the rifle pits. The actual rifle pits disappeared decades ago but it is still possible to appreciate Capt. Rawn’s predicament in trying to hold this pathetic effort at fieldworks. After Missoula, I headed south into the Bitterroot Valley toward the Big Hole, which is a proper historical site, complete with visitor center and Park Service guides wearing Smokey the Bear hats. The visitor center has a 12-pdr mountain howitzer on display, as well as a number or artifacts dug up on the battlefield. Visitors should be advised that the history presented at this site is biased toward the Nez Perce perspective. Interestingly, there is no mention of the Dreamer movement and how this contributed to the war. I headed over to the actual battlefield, which is extremely well preserved. Pamphlets are available for a self-guided 1¼-mile-long (2km) walking tour of the “Siege Area,” where there is a monument listing US casualties, the area from which Gibbon’s attack was launched and the 12-pdr howitzer site. The Nez Perce village is marked by a series of “ghostly” tepees with lodge poles but no covering.
Although the Nez Perce Trail dips down into Wyoming, there is relatively little to see at Camas Meadows, other than some rocky rifle pits erected by Captain Norwood’s men, and it may not be worth the additional mileage. There are a few markers along these parts of the trail, including one at Canyon Creek, but the main final site is Bear Paw, near modern Chinook, Montana. The Park Service administers the Bear Paw battlefield and provides pamphlets for a self-guided walking tour on the 1¼-mile-long (2km) trail, but there is no visitor center there. Several organizations have erected markers at Bear Paw, including one listing US Army casualties, most of whom are buried in the cemetery at the Little Bighorn battlefield. The Nez Perce have placed markers where specific warriors such as Ollokot were killed, as well as the location of Joseph’s lodge. As I was there on the 132nd anniversary of the surrender, a park ranger was present but the commemoration consisted entirely of a speech given by a Nez Perce delegation.