The Battle of White Bird Canyon 1877 | Where the Nez Perce War Started

The Battle of White Bird Canyon 1877 | Where the Nez Perce War Started June 17, 1877. Captain David Perry leads 99 cavalry into White Bird Canyon hunting Nez Perce warriors who killed 15 settlers in 48 hours. What he doesn't know: 70 riflemen are already sighted in on the ridges above him, waiting. In 2 hours, 34 of his men are dead and the rest scattered 15 miles back to the fort. It remains one of the most lopsided defeats in the Indian Wars. Five weeks earlier, General Howard gave the non-treaty bands 30 days to move onto the reservation or be driven by force. Chief Joseph's people lost dozens of animals fording the Snake at flood stage, then camped 6 miles from the line, exhausted and angry. On June 13, three young warriors rode out and killed four settlers in revenge attacks. By June 14, the count was 15 dead. Perry got orders to arrest the hostiles and rode out the same afternoon. The Nez Perce chose their ground in a canyon that funneled Perry's column onto open benchland with high ridges on both sides. A truce party rode out with a white flag. Someone fired. Within seconds, 60 Winchesters opened up from cover. Perry's skirmish line collapsed. Lieutenant Theller died holding a rearguard with 8 men. Trumpeter John Jones sounded the charge alone and rode directly at two warriors before rifle fire knocked him down. By the time Perry reached Fort Lapwai that night, one third of his command was gone. Nez Perce casualties: zero dead, 3 wounded. The shock of that defeat turned a police action into a 1,170-mile running fight across four states that wouldn't end until snow fell at Bear Paw, 40 miles from Canada.