The Nez Perce Surrender

The Nez Perce Surrendered. Several hundred of the people did indeed make it to Canada, but the Nez Perces ended up without horses and with no clear means of escape, despite by all means winning the initial battle when they were attacked by surprise. The sad thing is that hundreds of Nez Perce went on to die in captivity. When Chief Joseph surrendered, he was told they would go back to Idaho. That didn't happen for EIGHT more years. They were stuck in a malarial swamp with insufficient medicine and supplies. Most of their children died. How much does that suck? Promises broken over and over and over again, and the near destruction of a generation of Nez Perces. Chief Joseph worked the system the best he could (pretty masterfully) to eventually get his people sent back to Idaho, but it still took eight years.