Battle of the Clearwater

Part of the Nez Perce War

Date	July 11–12, 1877
Location	Idaho County, Idaho
Result	U.S. victory; successful Nez Perce withdrawal

Belligerents

United States of America

Nez Perce

Commanders and leaders

Oliver Otis Howard

Chief Joseph
Looking Glass
Toohoolhoolzote

Strength

440 soldiers, about 160 civilian volunteers and Indian scouts

200 warriors

Casualties and losses

15 dead, 25 wounded soldiers
2 dead, 1 wounded civilians

4 dead, 6 wounded

The Battle of the Clearwater (July 11–12, 1877) was a battle between the Nez Perce under Chief Joseph and the United States army. The army under General O. O. Howard surprised a Nez Perce village. The Nez Perce counter-attacked and inflicted significant casualties on the soldiers, but they were forced to abandon the village. After the battle, the Nez Perce retreated and crossed the Bitterroot Mountains via Lolo Pass with General Howard in pursuit.

After the defeat of the U.S. Army by the Nez Perce at the Battle of White Bird Canyon, General Oliver Otis Howard took personal command of the army. Howard dispatched a small force to capture the neutral Looking Glass, but Looking Glass and his followers escaped and joined Joseph.

With Howard in pursuit, but several days behind, Joseph, 600 Nez Perce, and their more than 2,000 livestock brushed aside a small U.S. military force at the Battle of Cottonwood July 3–5, 1877 and continued eastward for another 25 miles. Along their route they burned 30 ranches and farms. The proprietors had fled to nearby Mt. Idaho. The ranches and farms were on the Nez Perce Reservation and illegal in the view of the Nez Perce. They established a camp in the steep-walled valley of the South Fork of the Clearwater River north of the present day town of Stites. There, on July 7, they were joined by Looking Glass and other Nez Perce bringing their total strength up to about 800 persons and 200 fighting men.

On July 8, a company of 75 civilian volunteers under Edward McConville, found the Nez Perce camp and reported its location to General Howard. The Nez Perce discovered the volunteers the next morning and attacked them, forcing them to take refuge on a hilltop and exchanging long distance fire with them. Out of water and their horses stolen by the Indians, the volunteers dubbed their hilltop “Fort Misery.” One Nez Perce was wounded. About noon on June 11 the volunteers withdrew from their hill to Mount Idaho without opposition.

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Wikipedia