Posted inHistory, People

Emma Cowan captured by Indians in Yellowstone in 1877

Emma Cowan and her family visited Yellowstone National Park in 1877 — the year the U.S. Army pursued the Nez Perce Indians there. The Nez Perce generally had amicable relations with whites, but in what has become a familiar story, the peace was shattered when gold was discovered on their land. Some Nez Perce acquiesced to government demands that they move to a tiny reservation, but others decided to flee their homeland instead. After a battle, they fled though Yellowstone Park where they captured Emma’s party. Here’s her account of what happened later.