When the violence broke out and the nimíipuu flight began, Howard’s column was consistently behind the nimíipuu — outmarched, outmaneuvered, and often frustrated by the terrain and by his own supply problems.

The engagement that Howard could claim some credit for — in terms of forcing the nimíipuu into the specific position where Miles could intercept them — was the sustained pressure of the pursuit over months.

Howard’s column kept the nimíipuu from settling anywhere or seeking too long a rest, which contributed to the exhaustion that was a significant factor at Bear Paw.

But it was Miles’s rapid march that actually produced the Bear Paw interception.