Battle of the Big Hole

Battle of the Big Hole
Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · source
Name	Battle of the Big Hole
Conflict	Nez Perce War
Date	August 9–10, 1877
Place	Big Hole Basin, Beaverhead County, Montana Territory
Result	Strategic retreat of Nez Perce; tactical consequences contested
Combatant1	United States Army
Combatant2	Nez Perce
Commander1	Oliver O. Howard
Commander2	Chief Looking Glass
Strength1	~200 cavalry and infantry
Strength2	~800 including noncombatants
Casualties1	~29 killed, 40 wounded
Casualties2	estimates 70–90 killed, many women and children

Battle of the Big Hole was a major engagement in the Nez Perce War fought on August 9–10, 1877, in the Big Hole National Battlefield area of what was then Montana Territory. The action involved elements of the United States Army under Oliver O. Howard and a band of the Nez Perce led by leaders including Chief Joseph, Looking Glass, and White Bird. The battle produced significant casualties, extensive controversy over conduct, and had far-reaching effects on the Nez Perce flight toward Canada and subsequent events such as the Battle of the Clearwater and Bear Paw Mountains engagement.

Background

In 1877 tensions stemming from treaties such as the Treaty of Walla Walla (1855) and the Treaty of 1863—often called the "Steal Treaty"—and pressure from settlers following the Montana gold rush and Idaho gold rush set the stage for the Nez Perce War. Federal policy under the United States Indian policy and actions by officials in the Territory of Washington and Idaho Territory strained relations with bands led by Chief Joseph, White Bird (Peo Peo Tholekt), Looking Glass (Allalimya Takanin), Toohoolhoolzote, and Hallalhotsoot (Lawyer) of the Nez Perce tribe. The U.S. Army garrison at posts such as Fort Shaw, Fort Lapwai, and Fort Missoula mobilized under commanders including General O. O. Howard, prompting the Nez Perce to undertake a fighting retreat across Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

Opposing Forces

The U.S. column at Big Hole comprised companies from the 7th Infantry Regiment (United States), detachments of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States), volunteer units from Montana Volunteers, and scouts including American Indian Scouts such as Pocatello Band allies. Command elements featured Colonel John Gibbon's contemporaries in operations against Indigenous resistance including references to General Philip Sheridan's broader campaigns in the Great Plains. Nez Perce forces included warriors from bands associated with leaders like Chief Joseph, White Bird, Looking Glass, Ollokot, and Toohoolhoolzote, with participation by families, elders, and noncombatants. The Ngasgul, Lamátta, and other kinship groups contributed horse mounts, firearms acquired via trade with Hudson's Bay Company and settlers from Walla Walla and Lewiston, Idaho.

Prelude and Movements

After initial engagements at White Bird Canyon and Cottonwood Creek and an evasive march following skirmishes near Salmon River, the Nez Perce sought refuge in the Big Hole Basin. News of General Howard's campaign and reports from civilian settlers and stagecoach lines reached Fort Benton and Old Fort Hall, prompting a column under Colonel John Gibbon and detachments ordered by General Howard to intercept. The Nez Perce encampment at Big Hole was organized with tipis and lodges near the Big Hole River, with women and children engaged in camp tasks while warriors scouted. Intelligence failures, messenger routes through Hell Gate country, and the use of scouts such as Tibert's Scouts influenced the timing of the U.S. assault.

The Battle

On August 9, 1877, troops under Lieutenant Colonel John Gibbon executed a dawn surprise attack on the Nez Perce camp, triggering close-quarters fighting around lodges, driftwood, and ravines along the Big Hole River. Fierce resistance from Nez Perce warriors including Ollokot and responsive leadership by Looking Glass and Chief Joseph organized counterattacks and attempts to rescue noncombatants, drawing the action into protracted firefights near landmarks such as the Big Hole Battlefield ridge and adjacent meadows. U.S. forces, utilizing formations and volley fire characteristic of the 7th Infantry Regiment (United States), faced ambushes, flanking maneuvers, and mounted charges by Nez Perce horsemen. The fighting extended into the next day after the Nez Perce temporarily withdrew to tend to casualties and regroup, culminating in a contested assessment of tactical outcomes as both sides claimed aspects of victory.

Aftermath and Casualties

Casualty estimates vary: official Army reports listed roughly 29 U.S. soldiers killed and about 40 wounded, while Nez Perce losses are estimated between 70 and 90 killed, many of whom were women and children, with additional wounded and missing. Survivors from the Nez Perce encampment, including prominent figures such as Chief Joseph and Looking Glass, continued the retreat toward freedom in Canada, engaging later at the Battle of the Big Hole, Battle of the Clearwater, Battle of the Camas Creek, and ultimately at the Battle of Bear Paw Mountains where Chief Joseph surrendered. The engagement at Big Hole precipitated reprisals by volunteer militias from Montana Volunteers and influenced public opinion in Washington, D.C., prompting communications with President Rutherford B. Hayes and War Department officials.

Legacy and Historiography

The battle's commemoration at Big Hole National Battlefield preserves artifacts, archeological findings, and interpreted accounts shaping public memory linked to the National Park Service and cultural heritage institutions such as the Nez Perce National Historical Park. Historians have debated narratives offered by participants including Oliver O. Howard and John Gibbon against oral histories from Nez Perce elders, with scholarship published in works referencing authors like Elliott West, Paul C. Rhodes, Josephy Jr. Alvin M., and Robert Marshall. Interpretations consider themes of treaty violation, asymmetrical warfare, and frontier media coverage in newspapers such as the Helena Independent and St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Legal and ethical examinations draw on documents from the United States Congress inquiries and reassessments in Indigenous studies and public history, informing contemporary discussions on commemoration, reconciliation, and the role of sites like Big Hole National Battlefield within United States historical memory.

Category:Nez Perce War