Battle of Bear Paw

Overview

The Battle of Bear Paw was the final engagement of the Nez Perce War of 1877. Following a 1,200-mile (1,900 km) running fight from north central Idaho Territory over the previous four months, the U.S. Army managed to corner most of the Nez Perce led by Chief Joseph in early October 1877 in northern Montana Territory, just 42 miles (68 km) south of the border with Canada, where the Nez Perce intended to seek refuge from persecution by the U.S. government.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Bear Paw was the final engagement of the Nez Perce War of 1877, ending a running fight of approximately 1,200 miles conducted over four months across Idaho Territory and into northern Montana Territory. U.S. Army forces under Nelson A. Miles and Oliver Otis Howard cornered the Nez Perce band led by Chief Joseph just 42 miles south of the Canadian border, cutting off the group's intended escape to seek refuge from U.S. government persecution. The proximity to Canada made the outcome particularly consequential: the Nez Perce had sustained a months-long withdrawal across extraordinarily difficult distances, and the interception at Bear Paw foreclosed the sanctuary they had sought. The battle marked the end of organized Nez Perce armed resistance and closed the broader 1877 war.

Commanders (7)