This Blog is about Chief Joseph.He was born on March 3 1840 in Wallowa Valley Oregon Territory.Joseph was a leading figure in Nez Perce a tribe that lived in the Pacific Northwestern United States. Joseph is known mostly as being responsible for a strategic retreat that he carried out after the killing of a group of white settlers.Arguments suggests tensions erupted after the US government tried to force the Nez to relocate to a reservation of their choosing.Knowing that there would be serious repercussions for the attack which was actually carried out by White Bird another tribal chief Joseph and his band would embark on one of the largest military retreats ever recorded.
what followed was four months on a 1400 mile march that would take the Nez to Canada.On the journey there they won several victories against US forces. Us forces were around tow thousand men
and Joseph's band only consisted of around two hundred warriors.The retreat however took it's toll on the band after a while. With around forty miles left Joseph surrendered to American forces in 1877 citing starvation and a dramatic loss of men as their reasoning.He spoke in a speech reflecting their journey, the pain of his loyal followers,and of the deaths of fellow chiefs Looking Glass, and Toohoolhoolzote. It is interesting to note that Joseph achieved great fame after the retreat. He was one of the earlier natives to convert to Christianity,and he was nicknamed red napoleon.Following their retreat and surrender Joseph and his people would live in territory in Kansas and Oklahoma.They finally would return to the pacific northwest but not Wallowa Valley which Chief Joseph would never see again.He died in 1904
References
http://www.biography.com/people/chief-joseph-9358227
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/a_c/chiefjoseph.htm
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