1877 — July 11-12, Battle of the Clearwater, US Army attacks Nez Perce, Idaho Co., ID– 21

lornajarrettblanchard July 11, 1877

–21 American-history.net. “Battle of the Clearwater 1877.” Accessed 1-18-2023.
–17 American side
— 4 Nez Perce side
–21 Wikipedia. “Battle of the Clearwater.” 6-24-2022 edit.
–15 US soldiers
— 2 civilian volunteers
— 4 Nez Perce

Narrative Information

American-history.net: “….Background of the Battle of Clearwater

“The Nez Perce journey began in June 1877. They encountered a small American army in early July and successfully defeated it, continuing their journey eastwards. However, a larger army under General O. O. Howard was still pursuing them. The Nez Perce thought that Howard’s army was still at some distance. On July 11, the Nez Perce had set up camp in Idaho County and were resting when Howard’s army suddenly reached near them and took them by surprise. This led to the Battle of the Clearwater….

“The American army was commanded by General Oliver Otis Howard. He commanded a force which included 440 soldiers and around 160 civilian volunteers.

“The main leaders on the Nez Perce side were Chief Joseph, Looking Glass and Toohoolhoolzote. The Nez Perce strength comprised of around 200 warriors….

“The fighting started on July 11, 1877, when Howard’s army took the Nez Perce camp by surprise. The American army started firing on the village. At this point, a small group of Nez Perce warriors under Toohoolhoolzote came forward and creating a makeshift stone fort, started firing at the American army.

“This delayed the advance of the American soldiers and gave the rest of the Nez Perce enough time to retreat from the camp safely. When the Americans finally forced Toohoolhoolzote to retreat, nearly 100 Nez Perce warriors had taken defensive positions and with their firing, stopped the advance of the U.S. army. On July 12, 1877, the American army was finally able to launch a strong assault and forced the Nez Perce warriors to give up their positions….

“The Battle of Clearwater was a victory for the U.S. army. However, the army was not able to take any prisoners or to stop the retreat of the Nez Perce. During the fighting, the American side suffered around 45 casualties including 17 dead. The Nez Perce suffered around 10 casualties including 4 dead. General Howard and his army continued to pursue the Nez Perce on July 13 but the Nez Perce were able to escape with most of their numbers intact….”

National Park Service: “In the weeks following the Battle at White Bird, General Oliver O. Howard pursued the Nez Perce across the Reservation. After crossing two rivers, the Salmon and the South fork of the Clearwater, the General caught up with them. On July 11, 1877, Howard crossed the South Fork of the Clearwater above the Nez Perce camp hoping to take it by surprise. Alert Nez Perce, however, foiled his plan and the first day’s fighting came to a draw.

“On July 12, Howard used infantry, cavalry, and artillery to gain the upper hand. In the face of this force, the Nez Perce began to slowly withdraw towards Kamiah. While Howard captured their camp and a great deal of supplies, he did not aggressively pursue the Nez Perce. They went north to Kamiah and began to head east, over the Lolo Trail to western Montana.”

Sources

American-history.net. “Battle of the Clearwater 1877.” Accessed 1-18-2023 at: https://american-history.net/19th-century-america/19th-century-wars-overview/nez-perce-war-1877/battle-of-the-clearwater-1877/

National Park Service. Nez Perce. “Clearwater Battlefield History.” Lapwai, ID: Nez Perce National Historical Park, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. 2-4-2018. Accessed 1-18-2023 at: https://www.nps.gov/nepe/learn/historyculture/cottonwood-skirmish-site-history.htm

Wikipedia. “Battle of the Clearwater.” 6-24-2022 edit. Accessed 1-18-2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Clearwater