Many of the citizen voluteers accepted the Nez Perce promise. Sharing
the fears of destructive retaliation on families and property, they abandoned
the "fort" and trickled home. Soon Captain Rawn had insufficient forces
to fulfill his orders-orders from the Army still embarrassed by the Little
Big Horn disaster of 1876 and now stung by Nez Perce victories in Idaho. On the morning of July 28, the Nez Perce, the Nez Perce bypassed the breastworks by climbing up the low bridge to your left and traveling just out of sight behind the ridge in front of you. They descended east of here and entered. the Bitterroot Valley. The "fort" had "fizzled." But it was a successful failure.
The battle few participents wanted was avoided. The Nez Perce proceeded south through the Bitterroot Valley, confident that they had a non-aggression pact.. |