Its purpose was to intercept the Nez Perce in their flight from north central Idaho Territory over Lolo Pass into the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana.

Pursued by General O. O. Howard the Nez Perce, numbering about 200 warriors and 750 persons in total along with more than 2,000 horses, decided to flee across Lolo Pass into the Bitterroot Valley and onward to the Great Plains.

The barricade where Rawn and his men were entrenched was in a constricted 200-yard (180 m) wide passage in the Lolo Creek canyon, enclosed on both sides by precipitous ridges where "a goat could not pass."

[7] The soldiers retired to Missoula, the civilian volunteers disbanded, and the Nez Perce continued on their way south through the Bitterroot Valley, buying fresh horses, food, and supplies from local ranchers and farmers.

Many Montanans, including the governor and fire-breathing journalists, began to comment favorably on the "bravery" and "audacity" of the Nez Perce and the wisdom of the citizens in avoiding an armed encounter.

Lulled into complacency by their peaceful passage through the Bitterroot Valley, they were attacked on August 9 by Colonel John Gibbon and 200 men in the bloody Battle of the Big Hole.

At an approximate elevation of 3,350 feet (1,020 m) above sea level, the site parallels the historic Lolo trail once used by the Nez Perce, Salish, and Kootenai tribes and Lewis and Clark.