DescriptionOn September 30, 1877, Col. Nelson Miles struck the Bears Paw Mountains camp of Chief Joseph, where more than 400 Nez Perces had stopped to rest on their 1,600-mile flight from Idaho to Canada. After a brief fight and a 6-day siege (during which many Nez Perces slipped over the border), the Nez Perce surrendered. Joseph was incarcerated in a military prison in the Dry Tortugas, while other Nez Perces were sent to Oklahoma Territory and Kansas, where hundreds died of malnutrition and starvation. “Chief Joseph Battleground of Bear’s Paw” was designated a NHL in 1988.Personal NamesMiles, NelsonChief JosephOther Name(s)Bear Paw Battlefield - Nez Perce National Historical ParkChief Joseph Battleground of Bear’s PawContributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and ArchivesGeolocation[1] Elevation3019 ft.CountyBlaine County
