Mike Town Playing At Chief Joseph’s Surrendering Location in Montana

This is Mike Town, accompanying on the violin, in freezing temperatures, the heart felt song written and sung by Terry and Darlene Wildman of Rain Ministries, called "Chief Joseph's Lament."
The song is taken from Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe's surrender speach, which took place in northern Montana, 40 miles (a one day journey) short of their freedom, which was the Canadian border. In 1877, after being ordered by the U.S. government to give up their native homelands and move to a small resevation, they fled in hopes of eventually making it to Canada where they would not be restricted.
After traveling in haste for over four months and covering over 1160 miles with little children, babies, and the aged, about 850 of the Nez Perce came under attack by the Colonel Nelson Miles of the U.S. military, in a suprise attack in the early morning hours of Sept.,29,1877. Being trapped in a five day siege with snow on the ground and in freezing temperatures, Chief Joseph finally surrendered with these words below.
"I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Tulhuulhulsuit is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say “Yes” or “No”. He who led the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are, perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."