"Chief Joseph" by Bill Dugan (War Chiefs series)

The Nez Perce had always been friendly to the white men. But then gold was discovered on their land, and miners, gamblers, and settlers flooded the Columbia Basin. Gradually, the Nez Perce reservation was whittled away by corrupt officials with the backing of the military might of the United States Army.

Rather than fight, Chief Joseph, celebrated by military historians as "The Indian Napoleon," led his people north to Canada where they could live in freedom. But the United States had other plans for the Nez Perce. General Oliver Otis Howard was ordered to stop the flight of the Nez Perce at all costs. Literally running for their lives, the Nez Perce were forced to battle the U.S. Army at Bear Paw.

Their loss brings to light the pain, wastefulness, and ultimate tragedy of the Indian Wars--in which a general who did not want to fight battled a great War Chief who had no other choice.

Impeccably researched, rich with real-life characters and period detail, this powerful historical novel vividly recounts the story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce War--a history marked by harsh reality and inconsolable heartbreak.