The Battle of Big Hole

On August 9, 1877, a detachment of the U.S. 7th Infantry attacked a sleeping camp of Nez Perce Indians in the remote mountains of southwestern Montana. The attack was well planned and brutal in it's sudden intensity, with women and children taking the brunt of the assault. However, by day's end, the 144-strong infantry was under siege, pinned down by a small group of warriors in a clump of trees. They were desperate for rescue and terrified that they would share the fate of their comrades who, just one year earlier, had perished with General Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. In this revealing program, forensic archaeologists, geologists, and cultural historians bring their knowledge and technical skills together to uncover exactly what happened on that tragic day, and how the cunning of so few was able to conquer the force of so many. Featuring archival footage, high-tech computer graphics, and never-before-seen evidence from the site of the conflict, History presents the powerful story of the Battle of Big Hole.