Yellow Wolf: His Own Story

Here's a good one:

Yellow Wolf: His Own Story? narrated by Hemene Moxmox (Yellow Wolf) with contributions by other veterans of the 1877 war with the United States. Written down by Lucullus V. McWhorter between 1908 and 1935. Caldwell, ID: Caxton Press, 1940 with ten subsequent printings through 2017.

1877 was a horrendous year for the US, with financial panic, nationwide strikes, civil violence, and foreign investors looking for ways to jump ship. The war that broke out between the US and some bands of the Nez Perce was being watched by observers from other tribes, and came within a hairs breadth of triggering a general insurrection of all the Indian Nations. The Army in the West was stretched too thin already.

There is a lot of recorded history of the ?Indian Wars? and a lot of it is dead wrong, starting with the action reports sent in by COs. For example, at the Clearwater fight, General Howard had 440 cavalry, infantry and artillery, plus civilian volunteers and a supply train. Maybe 600 men in all, more or less. It was supposed to be a surprise, but it wasn?t. The first day fighting 24 Nez Perce stopped Howard?s force cold. Both sides dug in best they could on that rocky ridge above the river.

The next day the fighting started again, but most of the fighters went back to camp, leaving just five men to hold the line. After a while the soldiers started to move forward. Yellow Wolf was the last man to leave, firing as he did. The soldiers never caught up to the people in the Nez Perce camp, who packed up, moved out and crossed the Clearwater.

In his report Howard claimed he was facing 300 warriors. He claimed 23 warriors KIA, about 40 wounded and 40 prisoners. There were never more than 25 warriors fighting the soldiers. Yellow Wolf said that 4 men were killed and there were no prisoners taken. Howard may have rounded up some Indians who were in the area, but apparently the whole camp got away in good order.

My takeaway from this book is the Nez Perce were a lot more sophisticated in the ways of war, having many of the scouted for the Army in previous conflicts. This was a modern war fought by modern men and women. The book gives you a lot to think about.


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