| Living History - Lt. Col. David Perry My name is Lt. Col. David Perry. I was born in Connecticut, learned to soldier during the Civil War, and was the commander of Ft. Lapwai. In 1863, the US imposed a new treaty, one most NezPerce never signed, which seized 90 percent of the land that had been guaranteed to the Tribe just eight years earlier. Miners and settlers began encroaching on Nez Perce lands in Idaho and Oregon outside the new Reservation. The non-treaty Nez Perce managed to remain on their ancestral lands until 1877, when the Army ordered them to move onto the Reservation along the Clearwater River. The non-treaty bands gathered at a traditional meeting place around Tolo Lake. While there, a group of young warriors sought revenge for previous murders of Nez Perce by whites. They attacked nearby settlers (some who were innocent bystanders), killing 18. Alarmed settlers of the Camas Prairie sent to Fort Lapwai for help, and I was sent to confront the Nez Perce. In June 1877, I led a group of 98 soldiers and 11 volunteers into WhiteBird canyon. When six Nez Perce appeared with a white flag to negotiate, one of the volunteers fired two shots. This was the beginning of the NezPerce War. NezPerce warriors, aware of our movements, had concealed themselves in the canyon and counterattacked. The first man shot was my trumpeter. We were spread out over a large area and there was no way to command my troops without the trumpet. Many of my men had trouble controlling their horses amid the gunfire while the NezPerce’s horses stood quietly. My men were not good shots. Ammunition was in short supply so shooting practice had been limited. My biggest command error, though, was allowing the untrained and unknown volunteers to ride near the front of the column. Although we outnumbered the NezPerce 109 to 70, we suffered a crushing defeat. I lost 34 men. No NezPerce were killed. After the battle, the NezPerce, knowing the Army would avenge the loss, broke camp and began their long flight to find sanctuary. The war continued over the next four months and 1,170 miles as the Army chased and fought the 250 warriors who were protecting the 700 member tribe, catching up with some of them at Big Hole in Montana. Few NezPerce made it to Canada, but Chief White Bird successfully led about 90 people there, where he lived the rest of his life. **Thanks to Jasper and his humans, Jerry & Rosalie Jessup for helping with this living history story.**   A couple of photos of Jasper as Lt. Col. David Perry.  A photo of the White bird Battlefield that hangs in the Museum by Mary Jahn.
|
 |