Battle of Cottonwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Cottonwood |
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| Part of the Nez Perce War | |||||||
 Chief Joseph and his Nez Perce warriors defeated the U.S. Army at the Battle of Cottonwood |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| United States Army Civilian volunteers |
Nez Perce Native American Tribe |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Captain David Perry Captain Stephen Whipple |
Chief Joseph Ollokot White Bird |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 85 soldiers About 30 civilian volunteers |
About 150 warriors | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 11 soldiers killed 6 civilian volunteers killed |
1 killed 1 wounded |
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The Battle of Cottonwood was a series of fights that happened from July 3 to 5, 1877. It was part of the Nez Perce War. This battle was fought between the Nez Perce people, a Native American tribe, and soldiers from the U.S. Army along with civilian helpers.
Near Cottonwood, Idaho Territory, the Nez Perce, led by Chief Joseph, managed to get past the soldiers. They continued their long journey, trying to cross the Rocky Mountains to find safety in Canada. They traveled about 1,170 miles (1,880 km) during this fighting retreat.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
After White Bird Canyon
After winning the Battle of White Bird Canyon on June 17, the Nez Perce crossed the Salmon River. They wanted to escape General O. O. Howard, who was coming after them with 400 soldiers.
General Howard had trouble crossing the river to catch them. But the Nez Perce, who were fewer in number, then crossed the Salmon River again. This left the U.S. soldiers stuck on the other side for several days.
Nez Perce Strength and Goals
The Nez Perce group had about 600 people in total. Around 150 of these were warriors. They also had more than 2,000 animals, mostly horses.
The Nez Perce were well-armed because they had captured guns and ammunition at White Bird Canyon. Their main goal at Cottonwood was to fight just long enough. This would allow their families to pass safely and continue their journey.
The Battle of Cottonwood
Nez Perce Movement and First Clash
After crossing the Salmon River and leaving General Howard behind, the Nez Perce headed east. They moved across the Camas Prairie. They had decided to escape into the Bitterroot Mountains.
Captain Stephen Whipple was stationed at Norton's Ranch, which is where Cottonwood would later be. He had 65 soldiers and some civilian helpers. On July 3, two of Whipple's civilian scouts found the Nez Perce horse herd by accident. The Nez Perce killed one scout, but the other escaped. He reported that the Nez Perce were close by.
Captain Whipple sent Lieutenant Sevier Rains with ten soldiers and two civilians to check. The Nez Perce set up a surprise attack on Rains' group. They killed everyone in the group.
Soldiers Dig In
After this, Captain Whipple and his remaining soldiers dug defensive positions around Norton's ranch. On July 4, Captain David Perry arrived with twenty soldiers and six civilian helpers. Perry had led the soldiers in the White Bird Canyon battle two weeks earlier.
He took command of the soldiers and volunteers, who now numbered about 85. For the rest of that day, the soldiers stayed in their dug-in positions. The Nez Perce shot at them from a distance.
Nez Perce Bypass the Soldiers
The next day, July 5, the Nez Perce decided to go around the soldiers. They sent fourteen young warriors to keep the soldiers busy in their defensive spots. Meanwhile, the rest of the Nez Perce and their animals, protected by other warriors, passed by about a mile away, heading east. The soldiers did not try to stop them.
At this time, a group of seventeen civilian volunteers appeared near Cottonwood. They tried to reach the soldiers by breaking through the Nez Perce warriors. But they had to take a defensive spot on a hilltop. This hill was about one and a half miles (2.4 km) west of Cottonwood. Three of these volunteers were killed, and two were wounded. One older Nez Perce warrior was killed, which was the first Nez Perce death in the war. One other Nez Perce was wounded.
Captain Perry could see the volunteers' difficult situation from his fortifications. However, he chose not to send help until the Nez Perce had moved away.
Battle Ends
That evening, fifty more civilian volunteers arrived to help Perry. But by then, the Nez Perce were gone. In total, eleven soldiers and six civilian volunteers died in these fights. Several others were wounded. The Nez Perce had one person killed and one wounded.
What Happened Next
Captain Perry's Actions
Captain Perry was strongly criticized for being slow to rescue the civilian volunteers. He asked for an official investigation, called a Court of Inquiry. This investigation decided that his delay was not "too long given the situation." The civilian volunteers became known in Idaho history as the "Brave Seventeen."
Nez Perce Continue Their Journey
The Nez Perce continued their journey east without being bothered for about 25 miles (40 km). Then, they stopped to rest at the Clearwater River. The group led by Looking Glass and other Nez Perce joined the main group there. This brought their total strength to about 800 people, with around 200 fighting men.
A few days later, General Howard and his force of more than 500 men caught up with the Nez Perce. This led to the Battle of the Clearwater.
Burials
Ten members of Company E and L of the 1st Cavalry who died in this battle are buried at the Fort Walla Walla Cemetery.
Images for kids
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Chief Joseph, leader of the Nez Perce.
