At the age of five, Josiah Red Wolf’s entire life changed because of the Nez Perce War. He was the last survivor of that war, passing at age 99 in 1971.
Chief Red Wolf ruled with Chief Timothy over the Alpowa band of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce). They spent their winters in a wide meadow by the Snake River where Asotin, Washington is now located. Josiah, Chief Red Wolf’s grandson, was born at that winter camp on December 28, 1872, in the tepee of Redwolf II and his wife, Ta-Mah-Utah-Likt.
When his grandfather, Chief Red Wolf died, Josiah’s family joined the band of Chief Looking Glass. Their permanent village was located on Clear Creek at the site of the present day Kooskia Fish Hatchery.
At Lapwai, Idaho, on May 14, 1877, General Oliver O. Howard delivered an ultimatum to the Nez Perce that all bands must resettle on the Lapwai Reservation in 30 days. This was not a logistical problem for the local bands, but proved an unreasonable demand for those bands living on the lower Snake River. The need to gather their ranging stock and travel through difficult terrain caused incredible hardship. Most of their stock was lost in the icy-cold, swift, spring-fed rivers, fueling more bitterness. One day short of the deadline – June 13 – many of the bands gathered at their ancient campground meeting place near Tolo Lake, west of Grangeville. This was their last stop before heading to the Lapwai reservation.
Unfortunately, three young braves from Chief White Bird’s band, fueled by resentment, killed some white settlers. Josiah would later recount, “That War of 1877 was Chief White Bird’s war. Those three who started it were in White Bird’s band. It was not Chief Joseph’s war. He wasn’t even there when it happened.”
Looking Glass wanted no part in the hostilities and took his band of 140 to their permanent village site along the Clearwater River, which was within the reservation’s
boundaries. Four days after the killings, on June 17th, the first battle of the Nez Perce war took place on the White Bird Battlefield. The Nez Perce defeated the Army and a 126-day, 1,170 mile running war began.
Red Wolf II and his wife were relieved to be away from any trouble, but two weeks later, General Howard dispatched troops to arrest Chief Looking Glass, believing hewas planning to join Chief Joseph. When Looking Glass refused to surrender, the army opened fire on the village with Gatling guns, destroying the structures and capturing 700 horses. Looking Glass and his band escaped and joined Chief Joseph’s band on their flight to Canada, raising the group’s numbers to about 800 men, women, and children.
At the Battle of Big Hole in Montana, the army surprised the assembly in the early morning hours. Josiah’s mother and infant sister were killed. After the battle, the remainder of Josiah’s family, along with the other survivors, continued their flight to Canada.
Forty miles from the Canadian Border, at Bear Paw Mountain, the band fought their last battle. Chief Looking Glass was the last casualty of the Nez Perce War, andChief Joseph surrendered. Chief White Bird successfully slipped out of the camp and led about 90 people to Canada, where he lived the rest of his life. Over the course of the four month war, more than 200 Nez Perce were able to escape to Canada. Nearly 100 were killed.
Red Wolf II, Josiah and his brother survived, transported with 400-plus Nez Perce captives to Kansas. Then, two years later, they were again moved to a reservationin Oklahoma. After another six years – 1885 – they were allowed to return to the Pacific Northwest, with some settling on the Colville Reservation and others in Lapwai.
What Red Wolf II and Josiah’s brother did after they returned to the West is unknown.Josiah attended the Carlisle Institute for Indians in Pennsylvania from 1890 to 1893,where he learned the cobbler’s trade. He worked as a cobbler for the North IdahoIndian Agency at Lapwai. A talented musician, he performed at local dances. He and Frances Roboin married at Harpster in 1896 and farmed near Stites. Of their seven children, only a daughter, Mazie Ramsey, survived beyond infancy. Red Wolf Bridge and Golf Course in Asotin County are named after his family.
In 1968, 91 years after the battle that took his mother and sister, the National ParkService invited Josiah to attend dedication ceremonies for the new Visitors Center at Big Hole National Battlefield. Josiah had not been back since the war. He refused to speak at the ceremony, but reluctantly returned to cut the ribbon for the new facility. He passed three years later.