Another location the Americans singled out to attack
the Iron Confederation of northern Idaho, was just to the north of present day Grangeville, Idaho, which was not too far
from the location of the earlier June 17 battle. The location of the Battle of the Clearwater obviously had a large
Indian population, which had probably increased after the June 17 battle. In fact, around 300 Iron Confederation warriors
were located there waiting for an anticipated American assault to come. On July 10, around 350 American soldiers showed
up in their vicinity, and a battle soon erupted after the warriors from the Iron Confederation surrounded a white village
located in a ravine. The Americans charged into the ravine to give battle to the warriors from the Iron Confederation,
who would have killed the white settlers if the American soldiers didn’t charge in to defend them.
In the battled that followed, the Americans may have used a means of forcing the brave warriors of the Iron Confederation out of the ravine and canyons, onto the nearby prairie, where they stood better odds at defeating the Iron Confederation. However, the American soldiers would pay for it. After several long hours of fighting on the open prairie, the warriors from the Iron Confederation were ordered by their commanders to retreat from the American military force which was using their howitzers and machine guns against them. American casualties were 40 with 15 killed, while casualties of the Indians was evidently only ten, with four killed. The Indians may have attempted to take out the American howitzers and machine guns, but it didn’t work out very well for them.
After this battle, most of the Iron Confederation of northern Idaho bravely surrendered to the United States, but many probably fled into the mountains of western Montana to merge with their fellow tribesmen there. Afterwards, the Americans rounded up as many of the remaining Anishinabe, Assiniboine, Cree and Delaware who lived in northern Idaho, northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington, and relocated them to Oklahoma. However, at least some of the Anishinabe, Assiniboine, Cree and Delaware continued to live in the mountains of Idaho, Oregon and Washington, but they probably eventually moved to live in white communities later on.
In the battled that followed, the Americans may have used a means of forcing the brave warriors of the Iron Confederation out of the ravine and canyons, onto the nearby prairie, where they stood better odds at defeating the Iron Confederation. However, the American soldiers would pay for it. After several long hours of fighting on the open prairie, the warriors from the Iron Confederation were ordered by their commanders to retreat from the American military force which was using their howitzers and machine guns against them. American casualties were 40 with 15 killed, while casualties of the Indians was evidently only ten, with four killed. The Indians may have attempted to take out the American howitzers and machine guns, but it didn’t work out very well for them.
After this battle, most of the Iron Confederation of northern Idaho bravely surrendered to the United States, but many probably fled into the mountains of western Montana to merge with their fellow tribesmen there. Afterwards, the Americans rounded up as many of the remaining Anishinabe, Assiniboine, Cree and Delaware who lived in northern Idaho, northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington, and relocated them to Oklahoma. However, at least some of the Anishinabe, Assiniboine, Cree and Delaware continued to live in the mountains of Idaho, Oregon and Washington, but they probably eventually moved to live in white communities later on.
