Even when the troops were traveling at top speed, the Nez Perce stayed well in front of them. Utterly worn out, with no hope of catching the elusive Nez Perce, General Howard resorted to strategy. He deliberately slowed down his march after contacting General Miles at Fort Keogh.

After Howard's and Sturgis' commands had come together at the Musselshell river, the chase was kept up through the alkali plains and Judith Basin at comparatively slow marches. The reason being that General Howard had sent couriers ahead to Colonel Miles to look out for the Indians making towards the Upper Missouri. Miles sent back word that if eight days could be given him he would succeed in getting beyond the hostiles, and would strike them. To bring about so favorable a result our marches were "slowed," so that the Indians not finding us within a dangerous proximity, would slacken their pace too.

Thomas Sutherland war correspondent

General Miles
Officers' quarters at Fort Keogh (Miles City, MT)

Timeline

Credits

The Nez Perce Flight to Canada - An Introduction

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