Gen. Miles said to Joseph, "Now, you go back across to your people and tell all your people to come over to me," and he advised me, Hill, to stay with him.... just the moment when Joseph and his other two men left and had gone a few steps an officer came up to Gen. Miles and told me to call Joseph back, to come alone, and Joseph returned. Joseph came. General told Joseph to stay and told me to go to the Indian trenches and tell my people to come. I looked at Joseph's face, and tears were dripping from his eyes. Joseph said, "Now you are going to throw me away' He was addressing me. I said, "I can not do that. You will not die alone. if you die today, I shall die for you also,' and I went across to my people. I told my people Chief Joseph was on the other side with the troop and we are going to quit fighting, and while I was making that announcement to the people, going from trench to trench.

Tom Hill

I saw Chief Joseph taken to the soldier camp a prisoner!

The white flag was pulled down!

The white flag was a lie!

Yellow Wolf

Three Nez Perce warriors, seeing that Chief Joseph was taken hostage, took advantage of a situation which presented itself to them immediately afterward.

Capt. Jerome

At that moment I saw Capt. Jerome on a brown horse coming along. Just then I saw two Indians meet Capt. Jerome, grabbed the horse's bridle. I noticed Yellow Bull was holding the reins of the bridle and another Indian. . . whose name is White Bull, seized Capt. Jerome and pulled him off the horse. Then some one holloed to me, 'They are going to kill that captain." Then I ran toward them and I grabbed Capt. Jerome by the arm and took him away from the Indian. I took Capt. Jerome to the trench and kept him there overnight. This capture of Capt. Jerome was in the evening. just then it got dark, the troops fired at us, and battle took place again. AII of this time the Indians wanted to kill Capt. Jerome, and I said, 'No,' and I protected him. I said to the Indians, "if Joseph should be killed across on the other side, then this captain shall die.'

Tom Hill

The Nez Perce treated the captive Lieutenant Jerome as a guest.

We fed him on buffalo meat, the best we had. We treated him well Letters passed between this officer and General Miles.

Yellow Bull

Yellow Wolf recalled the contents of those letters.

This is what the interpreter said the paper told. "I had good supper, good bed. I had plenty of blankets. This morning I had good breakfast I am treated like I was at home. I hope you officers are treating Chief Joseph as I am treated. I would like to see him treated as I am treated.'

But Chief Joseph was not treated right. Chief Joseph was hobbled hands and feet. They took a double blanket. Soldiers rolled him in it like you roll papoose on cradle board. Chief Joseph could not use arms, could not walk about. He was put where there were mules, and not in soldier tent. That was how Chief Joseph was treated all night.

Yellow Wolf

Timeline

Credits

The Nez Perce Flight to Canada - An Introduction

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