The council being over the chiefs arose and ... joined the crowd that had surrounded us during the exciting proceedings of the council. Joe (Poker Joe) came to us and said:

"Send home now. Send'm your sisters home now. You three go home now.". . .

"Your sisters ride, you walk," to which I assented....

Frank Carpenter

The women were given horses, the man was made to go afoot. They must not travel too fast. Food was given for their living while going to some town or wherever they lived.

We did not want to kill those women. Ten of our women had been killed at the Big Hole, and many others wounded. But the Indians did not think of that at all. We let them go without hurt to find their own people.

Yellow Wolf

We were now ready to depart and ... the girls mounted their horses. Joe now led his horse ... and taking his gun bade me get on behind him. I did so and we started for the river...

Having reached Mud Spring we stopped and Joe asked me if I had matches. I told him that we had not, and he gave me some. I dismounted and Emma and Ida joining us, Joe turned and said:

"Now my friends, good-bye. You go down river, way down. No stop. Go all night. No stop. You go three days, get'm Bozeman. You go all night....

"You no get'm Bozeman three days, injun catchm you....

"Me want you to tell'm people in Bozeman me no fight no more now. Me no want to fight Montana citizens. Me no want to fight Montana soldiers. Me want peace. Me no want to fight no more now. You tell'm Bozeman people.

Frank Carpenter

It would appear that Poker Joe droned on and on about peace to Emma, Frank, and Ida

I thought he never would quit talking.

Emma Cowan


Timeline

Credits

The Nez Perce Flight to Canada - An Introduction

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