The Battle of the Big Hole A History of General Gibbon's Engagement with Nez Percés Indians in the Big Hole Valley, Montana, August 9th, 1877.

A detailed, first‑hand chronicle of the 1877 clash in Montana’s Big Hole Valley, this work weaves together the long‑standing tensions between the Nez Percé and the expanding United States. Beginning with the tribe’s centuries‑old connection to the Snake, Salmon and Clearwater valleys, it explains how a series of treaties—often misunderstood or disregarded—set the stage for conflict. The narrative follows Chief Joseph’s fierce opposition to the 1868 agreement that surrendered the sacred Wallowa Valley, illuminating the political and personal stakes that drove both the Nez Percé leaders and the Army’s commanders.

The author, a participant in the engagements, brings a vivid, on‑the‑ground perspective to the early maneuvers and skirmishes that culminated in the battle. Readers gain insight into the motivations of soldiers and warriors alike, as well as the broader pressures of settlement and government policy that shaped this turbulent chapter of the Indian Wars.