Fort Fizzle (historical) (Missoula County, near Lolo, Montana)
Missoula County, near Lolo · Montana · Nez Perce War
History & Significance
After defeating but failing to demoralize the Nez Perce at the Battle of the Clearwater in July 1877, General O. O. Howard pursued approximately 200 warriors and 750 persons in total along with more than 2,000 horses as they fled toward Montana. Captain Charles Rawn and 34 men from the 7th Infantry were dispatched from Fort Shaw to intercept the Nez Perce as they emerged from the Lolo Trail into the Bitterroot Valley.
On July 25, Rawn, his 35 soldiers and 50 civilian volunteers constructed a wooden barricade of logs and earth two or three miles below where the Nez Perce were camped and about five miles west of Lolo. On July 26, Rawn met with Looking Glass who requested to traverse the Bitterroot Valley without violence; Rawn demanded that the Nez Perce surrender their arms and ammunition and the meeting terminated without agreement.
When Rawn returned to the fort and said he anticipated a battle, most volunteers left, declaring that "no act of hostility on their part should provoke the Indians," and the next morning less than 100 men remained to man the fort. On July 28 the Nez Perce climbed the ridges to the north and bypassed the barricade, leaving the defenders in their rear. However, the respite from war was brief—lulled into complacency by their peaceful passage through the Bitterroot Valley, they were attacked on August 9 by Colonel John Gibbon and 200 men in the bloody Battle of the Big Hole.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Reconstructed military barricade from 1877 Nez Perce War engagement
- Interpretive displays explaining the ineffective defensive strategy and Nez Perce escape
- Rugged ridge-lined valley landscape that enabled the Nez Perce to bypass the fort
- Historic site adjacent to U.S. Route 12 in scenic Lolo Pass area
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Fizzle_(Montana)
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/lolo/recreation/fort-fizzle-historic-site-picnic-area
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=123125
- https://nativeamericannetroots.net/diary/1485
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nez_Perce_War