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Site of a battle between bands of the Nez Perce and a U.S. command of soldiers and volunteers. Five bands of the Nez Perce were encamped along the Big Hole River and resting after two months of fighting and flight from their homelands in Northeast Oregon when they were attacked before dawn on August 8, 1877 by a command of 162 soldiers and volunteers led by Col. John Gibbon. The Battlefield and Historical Park features a visitor center and museum overlooking the Nez Perce encampment and battlefield. The museum displays photographs and personal belongings of some of the participants. A video offers insight into the Nez Perce War of 1877 and describes the events. Visitors may take a self-guided walking tour of the encampment and battlefield, and also the siege area where the soldiers were pinned down by warrior sharpshooters until the Nez Perce women, children and elders could escape to safety. The Battlefield and Historical Park is located on the north side of Montana State Highway 43 between Chief Joseph Pass, elevation 7,264, and the town of Wisdom in Southwest Montana. Related Sites Big Hole National Battlefield - Nez Perce National Historical Park. P.O. Box 237, Wisdom, MT 59761. Phone: 406-689-3155; Fax: 406-689-3151. E-mail |
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