Surrender Speech

I wonder what General Howard told Chief Joseph before that he now "has in his heart"? That you will be forever sad if you fight? That you have no chance of winning? That your people will diminish?
I always remembered Chief Joseph's speech ending "I will fight no more forever". Why does this speech end without the "forever"?
I did a quick research and found that the Nez Perce were 'given' quite a sizeable chunk of land but then gold was discovered in the area and their land allotment was reduce to one tenth the original size. Joseph unhappily began leading about 700 people to the small reservation but before they reached it 20 or so young warriors went on a rampage killing a lot of whites. The leader of the rebels was a younger brother to Joseph; and he chose to go with the rebels. Of the 700 only close to 200 were fighters but they held off, while moving, thousands of US soldiers.

My quick research showed that General Howard was a popular Union General. So my thought is he didn't want the blacks free, so he most likely felt the same towards Indians.

It is only early October when Joseph surrenders. It must have been an early winter to be freezing so bad. I realize they are in mountains. It is also probable they have only their summer outfits to wear, on the run as they were. I imagine all these Indians on foot, trying to stay away from a cavalry. Trying to eat as they go. All ages. How they got so far for so long seems impossible!

It is obvious in Joseph's speech just how tired he is. Not just physically from all the moving, but tired of the killing and dying. Tired of not knowing where his people are. So tired he is sick at heart. At 30 years old every past, everything he has lived and known, is changed and/or gone.

Joseph was never taken to the reservation or back to his people. What was left of the 700 were taken to Kansas where many more died from epidemics. After 3-4 years those remaining were taken somewhere in Washington state.

Still, I think this speech should have ended with "I will fight no more (against the white man) forever. The 'no more forever' is such an impact. I was young when I first read that and really had to think about its positive/negative opposite/synonym. There is a word for this, I just can't remember what it is besides a Yogi Berra-ism.