Early in the morning, soldiers attacked the encampment. It was a horrible battle, and the Nez Perce were too weak to beat off their attackers, nor could they escape. About half of them died before they surrendered to the U.S. Army. Joseph and the remaining Nez Perce were sent to a reservation in Oklahoma. They were never allowed to return to their homeland. Later, the government gave them lands closer to their old home. Chief Joseph continued to speak out about the injustices against his tribe, and worked for the next 20 years to stop further encroachments on the land his people now occupied.