Chief Joseph's Family

1878

A correspondent of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, who has recently visited the Nes Perces, says: Joseph's squaw and papoose have a buffalo skin lodge, plentifully furnished with robes, blankets and the paraphernalia of camp and war.

Mrs. Joseph, sole squaw of the hero, is a pretty, little black-eyed beauty, with flashing teeth, fine arms and dainty feet. A smile and hand-shake was her greeting, and with native grace pointed to seats on the great robes. A cunning little brown papoose, strapped to a board, was brought forward for our admiration, and it was funny to see how calmly it continued its nap while strange tongues were chattering around it. It woke without clamor, and placidly yawned and blinked its black eyes at us, its arms pinioned to its sides, and its whole body bound tightly in its buckskin vest.

Around the hood of its board cradle was hung a bead chain, hung with ten cent silver pieces and little beaded bundles that we guessed to contain the medicines to avert evil spirits. Our conversation with Mrs. Joseph was confined to dumb show, but we learned that the papoose was nearly a year old, had gone through the summer's campaign without once crying at inopportune moments, and that it was its father's idol, his only consolation since the misfortunes of his people and the loss of his daughter, a young girl, who disappeared the morning of their last fight.

She went out with the other children to gather in the herd when the first attack was made on their camp, and it is not known whether she was shot, strayed off into the strange country, lost, or joined the renegades who made off in the night with Sitting Bull.