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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning In the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre film6s A des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul ciichA, il est filmA A partir de I'angie supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant Ie nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammas suivants illustrent la mAthode. errata tJ to t B peiure, on A 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^m Major Gknkkai. V. D. MiDDMcroN, ('. B , Couunander of tlie ('ur.u NORTH-WEST REBELLION OE" 1885. OOMPniSINa A VVVt. and IMPARXUUi ACCOUNT OP TOE ORIGIN AND PR0GUE88 OF THE WAlt, OF THF, VAIUOUH ENGAGE- MENTH WITH THE INDIANS AND HALF-HUEED.-;, OF THE UEUOIC DEEDS PERFORMED HY OFFICERS AND MEN, AND OF TOUCHING SCENES IN THK Field, the camp, and the cabin; INCLUDINO A HISTORY OF THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH WESTERN CANADA, THEIR WlMBEKa, MODEM OV LIVING, nAIUTH, CI 8TOM8, KBLIGI0U8 KITES AND CBREMONIES, WITH THRILLING NAURATIVE8 OK OAPTURKH, IMPKIfiON- MBNT, MASS HAIU-BRKADTH ESCAPES OF WHITl SETTLKRH, ETC. BY CHARLES PELDAM MULVANEY, A.M., M.D., Formerly of !fo. l Company, Queen's Own liifiea, author of " Hiatory of th« County of Brant" " History of Liberalism," etc., aaaUled by a well-kiiow7i journalist. EIGHTH THOUSAND. Illustrated WITH JP0ETBAIT8 OF DISTINGUISHED OFFICERS AND MEN, MAPS, DIAGRAMS AND KNQRAVINGB. TORONTO, ONT.: PUBLISHED BY A. H. HOVEY & CO.. 10 KING STREET EAST. ima. Entered nooordint; to tbo Act of tho rtirliamout of Canada, in tho year One TliouKimd lOigLt numlred uad Kiglity-ftvo, by ALiiBttT lliCNUX HovaY, In tbo OlUoe of tbo Miolster of A;;>icuituro. re ( (!> H\A 8ri|i-j*i'*t • -=^-.,.-^^ - iDcMcatton. TO THE OFFICERS AND MEN OK THE .CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED 3Y THK AUTHOR AND PUBLISHERS. / '. - - ill LIST OF no IT -LUSTRATIONS. r*«a • ••#•• •••••• •••» Frontlnj' • ■ « • • • • • • • • « M*j<>r-Oon«ral F. P. Mi.l.llr^tnn, C.B I,j.'Ut..Cnl. A. A. Mill.T, 1.^0 It lioiiin HiA Fort Carleton Major I,. II. X. Crozier Lieut.Cnl. A. (J. Irvine, N. W.Nr.P... Ijuni Mnlj^iind Major I.rtiirAiico Hticlian l.lcut.Cnl. W. J). Ottor ; Map of Hattlefitnl.. . . '. Francis J. Dickenn, N.-W.Af.P Plan of Fort I'itt Hon. Ktlxar Dowdney Pia|K)t, Clii.'f of the S.mth Croei Capt. Charles Swinford . ... Col. W, M. Mcrchiner, N.W.M.P (Jeo. F;1. Coopor. ('ol<)u-S< r.,'i'unt Horl)ert FoulktM (Hri^frtdo I'mgler) ; The Tn-Han ffuntor 170, PiMuidniaker . ■ • Map of " Hiitoche," " l>uck Lalce " and " FLth Creok." Capt. .IiiniOf* .MuHon (( trunudie/g) vit.-Cul. Van Straubenzie leut. W. C. Fitch ..'hitrnafi Moor.. BuKltT (lauL'han Alexaiidor Watson Franklin . J aokea Lieut. A. Tj. Howard, in Coininan«l of (jatlinjf Gun l^ient. A. M. Irvinff Lieut.-C'ol. A. T. H. Williain.% M.P ljieut.-('ol. U. J. GraHett Mi.jorl). H. Allan, Q.O.R AHtini(>H of a country. ^)Ut wh*»n tho fnonts which conntitute tlni Haliont points in the history of that country come to be viowod from the Homowhat elevaUul ntandpoint svhich he who would writ(» a history must ncccHHarily occupy in order that his viHion may have scope surtiiuent to include everything bcariiiyf on the situ- ation, those aotorH who in tl •> bustle of ''history-making" tower in magnitude and importance us primary causew, suddenly dwindle into "temporary agents," "creatures of circumstance," " mere puppets," moved and controlled by some unseen and unknown power, be it Providence, Destiny or Fate. Hut while the acts of one agent tit into those of another in making a history which so ristjs in importance and far-reaching effects as to dwarf the men who made its integral parts, wo must not forget to hold each man morally responsible for his acts. An overruling Power may so control the acts of individuals as to cause good to result where only greed or selfish ambition proin[)ted, but this must not blind us to the moral responsi- bility of the actors, who must be judged only by the motives which actuated them. To-day Canada has just shaken herself free from the clutches of Rebellion, which at oue time threatened to bring with her her sisters Anarchy and llevolution. Somebody is to blame for all this, and if the reader after scanning the evidence as to the causes of the rebellion chooses to call prominent men by hard names, we cannot help it. It is not our business to call harsh names nor to judge our neighbours. It is ours to state the vi. PIIEKACR. faota ftM tJiey urti to bo fouii«l, ftu»l lnuve to tlm p««opl»i of CanaiU tho HX<*roiM»> of jiKlicial fuiKtioiiH in thin inattor. Wo ghall toll tho truth ro^unlN'HH an to whom wo nhull hit and wholly indif- forrnt hh to hoth tho great politicjal parti»!« who jointly control ' tho doHtinioon raiHod and loyal oitij^oni and Mounted Folii^oHhot down foiHtrivin^ t'j vindicate Canadian authority, it wan not for um an Ouna»liai»H to ank whethor the iflitlH hud uny rifj[ht on their Hido or not. Our National intog- rity hud hm^w aHHailod, our Natioiiui honour Imd be<'n thnMitencd, and it only roinriinod for oiir ci(izon-Holdif Battloford— The Murder of i'ay no- Flight of .ludge Uonlt^au and Ap[)h!garth--Major Wrtlah gives liia Views 80 XII Tho Frog Lak«^ Masgacre 80 XIII. Otter's March io Battleford— Relief of the Beftieged Town — U(jupeh Burned and Sacked — Tlie Finding of Paynt's Body 100 XIV. General Middleton's Advance — Waiting for Supplies and Beuifoiceinents 114 XV. Tlio Fall of Fort Pitt- Oallant Defence by Inspector Dickena—Fort Pitt befjio ita Fall — Big Bear— LX'wdney — Pi-a-pot- llig Bear's Prisoners 115 XVI. The Battle of Fish Creek— The Killed and Wounded— After the Battle— General Middleton's Letter — In Meiuoriain 126 (.'lurTRii. finm, X\ U. Bntilt of Out Knift Or««1i-Orii{in of tho IVam«— Who tuok Pnrt in it- Ooloii«1 Hi rrhinur-Th* Killf.l mud VVMumliMl 1A6 XV III. Pouii(lniikt Ouo (.'!iit f nounly Hiol Cupturod "lliH Woiulcr/ul rnf'.ufiico -OurVolun- toiTB .307 XXIV. Priiico AUiort-Coh.md Irvine K.xphiins — A Tribute to tho iSIounti.l Polico--'*Tho llidori of the riaiiis" - A lH)tter from ri»undiiiakor — .Journey to HattKiford 834 XXV. At Battluf(»rd with Middleton— Lifo in tint Town during Ilebollioii --Indian Ciiimin;.^ and War Craft-Ho is not Urav(j 301 XXVI. Poundni.ikor and Middloton .\n Tnterosting Tntcr- viow 384 XXVII. (Jential Strang»/8 Column— Cohniol McT^ood Father Lecombo Hig Boar Surrcndors-- '^'lio IStorius of Mrs. Dtd.moy and Mth. (5iiwanU)ck 304 XXVIH. Martial Ardour in the Muritinio Provinoos— Roturn of the Troops 403 XXIX. Kiel's Trial Those Engairod in it, etc 415 Tho Truupa in tho Fiuld 421 I THE History of the North -West Rebellion. CTTAPTEIl T. "TO A It M 8 1 " AT eleven o'clock on the ui^'lit of Maivu the 27th tho citizens ot* every city in (Jana«la, from Flalitiix to Victoria, wore .startle and ter\ Prince Albert Volun- t(;erH had been killed, while eleven more of the loyaliats halo verses received that niirht a new illustration : — 8o ni'ar is grandeur to our dust, So c.loae 18 (»od to man, Wlwa duty wins, ered low "thou muat," The youth replied ** 1 can." Early on tho next morninyi ■«■ « n i •*f"f"f-.'i**r*»*t_'**'^-%*w,i#» .yM'*'Mkrred population had boon in process of (growth over since the Iludsou's Bay Company received its cli alter. This nominally Euj^lish company was, to a t^'reat ox- tent, served by French coureurs de ho la, ortirered by Scotchmen. The solitary life of the trading-post in the wilderness, with its sure provision for subsislt iico, its pension from the Hudson's Bay Company for old age, and its many casual opportunities for gain, were attraction enough to many a canny Scot. The French conreur de hois, already half- Indian in blood and ten\perament, was the best servant the Company could possibly have secured for the fiir trade of the sub-Arctic forests. The S[>aniards made the Indians slaves, the British made them freemen, not as yet allowed the fraiK^hise, for which savage races are unfit, but protected b}' law ; but the French have intermarried with them and adopted their customs. The result has been a curious intermix- ture of races. Captain Butler mentions as a case in point his Half- breed friend Batoche : "His grandfather had been a French- Canadian, his grandmother a Crow squaw ; English and Crse had contributed to his descent on the mother's side." —(Butler's Wild North Land,^A().) The Half-breeds by a very " natural " process of selection chose the hand- somest and most vigorous squaws, they also escaped the curse of tribal intermarriage, which more than one factor of a Hudson Bay Company's fort has assured the writer is destined to cause the extinction of the North-West Indian. With the Half-breeds, even with many of Scotch descent, the language, manners and methods of surveying laud for farms are French. So long as the Hudson Bay Company only had to do with the Indians of the Canadian North-West, thev were not seriously demoralized. It is quite true that the Com- pany made no attempt to civilize, enlighten or christian- ize them ; while, on the other hand, they were rather inclined to encourage feuds between the Crees and Black- feet, as both bought ammunition at ruinous prices during 22 CANADA S NOTITII-WEST REBKI.IJON. tliosc wars, while th«se dissensioiiH among the tribes remlcnMl anything liko asuccesslul attack upon tin- (Jofu- pany'ft stores out of tlie (jue-stion. ShoiiM the Black feet throaterj, tlie ofHcer.sof th(^ HiKlson'a Bay (Jomj)any would call to their assistance the Crees ; thus it was easy I'or the ^n-cat fur traders to retain the balance of power and the friendship of the tribes with aconij^aratiNely small force. As Dakota and Montana began tc be opened up for settlement, American traders, who make it their business to keep "on the frontier," pushed their way into British territory and soon began to sell whiskey to the Cree and Biackfeet tribes. Thousands of gallons are estimated to have been sold to tlie Blackfct hunters at a price of a pint of whiskey for a buffalo robe 1 VVhen the Yankee snuiggler arrived in a Biackfeet camp the scene of grotesque horror, and damage to life, probably surpassed any spectacle of human degrado,tion brought about by Man's greatest enemy, the " enemy put in the mouth to take away the reason " 1 The sinuggler's appearance with his gaudy canteen gave the signal for the liquor feast. The smuggler roamed triumphant through the camp, selecting everywhere the finest robes at will, and after getting rid of his stock of liquid devilry would im- mediately drive away to escape the danger of the scene certain to follow. Then began the liquor feast. It lasted sometimes for daj'-s. The braves, old and young, drank greedily the undihited firewater. The women and the young girls drank as eagerly as the men. The young bucks, the vanity and ferocity of their savage natures excited by the strong drink, stalked through camp bran- dishing hunting knives or parading with careless osten- tation revolvers and guns ready to challenge, shoot or stab their best friends. The horrors of this whiskey traffic rendered it necessary that its originators should be driven out of the country as speedily as possible, and for this purpose the North- West Mounted Police force was or- ganized and sent into the country. Of course settlement followed the advent of the police, and with the advance of the settlers the buffalo, the mainstay of the Indian, THE PHKLUDE OF INSUURKfTION. 00 his .strength and hin wraltli, HU«lihMily left tlie teriit(iry; and thou the conditioji ut* tho Half-hreod and the Indian wa8 changtMl for the worse. In the ohl tinuvs mi I lions of buffalo roamed the great plains, not only between the North Saskatchewan and the 4!)th parallel but away north of the great river. In those times it wa.s not a matter of unusual occurrence for an outfit of carts to be compdhul to camp for fioni half-a- day to a day and a-half to allow a herd of butl'alo to troop past. At such limits one might stand on an emin- ence and for a belt many miles wide and as far in the direction whence the herd was advancing as the eye couhl reach, the prairie would bo hidden by the vast, black, moving mass. And when such a herd liad passed no running fire would leave tlie prairie more atlMcIu'tl to Ills priKMits. Otiro a lu»y, who lwiI witli liiiii, clmil<'n;,'o«l him to fi^hl. Iliol ioI'unimI uiih-isH his I'litlior woiiM sjUM'lion it. Ilo was oi^ht ytMirs old wlioii ho litst ftttoiultMl Hflu»ol at St. honil'iK'o (\>lh>p\now St. MonilMCo Town IliiM. aiwl at olovon wiim ti'auNl'rrnMJ to tho .hvsiiii Colio'jfo, Mdotrt'al. \\i> l>or»» tho r««|Mitation of JHMHf^ an Apt Moholar. «ni (./anada and tho Diiitod States, Ilo spont much time in Washinjjjtofj, nnd at Woonsockot, Rhode Island, at ti»e house of his aunt, Mrs. Joyce, mother of Mr. Joyce, formoily chief of police at St. I^«tnifaco. In 1879 he settled for a time in Montana, in the Sun River settlement, where ho manifMl a l^'rench Half-breed named Marguerite Bellinieure, of Fort Kllice. Riel at this time acted as teacher in an Industrial School. He was very poor, and eked out his moans by buttalo- hunting, at wddch he was export. When the North- West Ualf-breeds asked liini to load them as ^ ^ had led them in Manitoba, he at tirst refused, ga}'ing that he was aii American citizen, and wished to HKKTril oK I.oniH lllKL. 27 fmv« no mnrw to flo with ('aiiu«li/m troiil)l«vt. Kut tluir (•iititvH i«>r« |)irvail<«nt.. Hirl iM a iotul alinlat,iin>M of ^iratMi' nioliililyy uidI < \|in)H- Kioii t.liaii iikihI. hall' lii rviiir,i'H of tlw Nt;rth- * \\. iiiity ititi'i'ONl, till* rou)l<'r to (!oiiM>Ar<> willi iliiM tlio Hiilflirood Hill of lllKlit-. >.l IS/O. I. riu' r\n\\\ t.'i ole iH>o|(li. until mvtn tinmil liy tloMr r«'|iit'M»'ntutivf(4. 4. All MlionlfH, HiawUtrivtiiM, (Oil i(,iil)l«M, «tc. , otd. , to \<(i nlHuttvl liy the pooph" ; 'i frpo hoiii«iMt»'Hi| iirn-ninption Imw. r>. A portion of the pultlic IiiicIh to li«> np|iro|)rlatfv| to th<4 Ix'nclit ot aohoolH, tho I'lilldinK <*f n»ft(lH, liri(l^»»4, moI pnriHh l>iiiMiritCH, (5. A x>ia'""l'''* to contiprt Winnipt'K by iiiil vviUi tlif> nfiiroHt lim« of railroad- thn lanjt)i:t to th« Ii*!t{iMla turo of tlje TorriLory. 7. For four yoarH thw |)uMiti •>,\|it'ni«oun(^il, and all pililio ntH and Ai^tH of the Itixinlaiwn) to be piiMiHhed in both lan;{iiat/«)H. 10. That tliH jiiclj^n ot tlin Miipnrlor Court Kp«!ftk Frnrich nnd Knj^li-h. II. Troati^H to 1k> (!on';b»(hMl and ratifiiwl b»»tw(«\n tho (iovernmont and H(>veral triben of IndiunH of thiH Territory, culculatt'd to inHuro peace in th*- future. 12. That all prlvile^eH, cuatomH and una^'OH exintiui; at the time of the traUHfor bti roHpfotcd. 13. That tnoMi! riKditH he guarantood by Mr. Macdouj,'aIl before ho he adtnitteil into thn Territory. 11. If ho have not tlie power hiniHolf to ^rant th*'rn, he nniHt uet an Act of Parliament piwsec' exproKHly Hecnrinj.,' uh thene rights ; and until wuidi Af:t bo obtained he uiUHt stay outHide the Territory. in. That we have a full aud fair repretteDtatiun la the Dominion Guverument. Canada's north-wkst iiKBKr.uoN. Sorond, tlio lIulf-ltnuMlM to rwoeivo tlK» same jjrautH utul other AilvantA^CH a.s t)ui MuiiituLa HnH'-bruiulH. Thinl, patents to ho iMHiu'd at oiu-e to the Colonists in pOHscMsion. Fourth, tlie sain of lialf-a niilHon acres of Doniinidn land.s, tho jiroc(3t>il.s to l)o ajiplitul to tho <».stahliHhiiu'nt in the HaUhreed sotthMiicnts of schools, hospitals annts. tspitals at the t»o'>rt' r Half. like institutions, and to tlio i'<|itipui('nt of the } u\ iinp!onK>n Fifth, tho roMcrvation of a huiiilicd townships of swamp land foi- distribution ajuon;;^ tho children of Half- breeds during the next 120 y<'ar8. Sixth, a grant of at least !?l.()00 for tlie maintonanee of an inntitution to be conducted by tlie nuns in oach Half- breed Kottleinent. Seventh, better provision for tho aui»|»()rt of tho Tinlians. It was forwarded to Ottawa, and contoumtuously throw n aside. This was a fatal t-rror in policy, which was yet to cost our country a heavy [)rice in blood and treasure. The Half-breeds were doubtless justilied in demanding patents frjr their farms, and it was ini(piitous, as well as impolitic, to refuse this simple act of justice. Had the Half-breeds hut felt secure that the farms they had by hard work reclaimed from the wilderness would be safe from the clutches of the land-grabber, there would have been no rebellion. The otlier demands were purely political, and were introduced by Riel himself in order to found an exclusively French Province in the North-West. To grant this would have been to re[)eafc tlie lamentable error by whicli England at the C(>n(juest perpetuated tho French langiuige, law, and religion, and eHtal>lis}iofl an island of median-alisn) and of alien race in the midst of the spread of English Canadian civilization. ' ^v,^" iir;'?nr> CHAPTER TV. THK DircK LAKK DISAKIKR. ALTi tlir(>u;;h the llr.st w«M'k of March, in.siirroctionary inovonionts took plae«\ StoroH brloiij^iii^' to tho Hutlsoii Ray C«)n»|uuiy and to the (ioverimu'tit wvvu HoizocI, loyal settlors were compelled to Huncndcr their arms and aminunition. The Indians were tampered with, and were observed to ii-ave their reserves. Kiel heLjtiu tiio insinri'ction on Mareh 17. He seized arms and aniniunition at the store of John Keer, a mer- chant Scuttled at " Hatoche's Crossing," a small villa,!^'e on the South Saskatchewan, a short distance from Kort ('arlton. He also imprisoned Trees, a magistrate, and several loyal C^anadians ; Kecley, a miller ; Nash, Tom- kins, Ross, a fn^ghter, and otliers, in the house of one Cavan, at Datocho. He usetl tho village church of IJatoche as a store-house, and afterwards as a prison. Till' Half-breeds witli Hiel formed a Council of Twelve, of which Jackson, iormerly a druggist from near Wingham, w&a the only member ol r)ure white race. This man be- came a convert to Catholicism just before the rising. The Council appointed ca])tains of the Half-breed force, and placed guanls on the trail from Clark'u Crossing to iiatoche, so as to intercept supplies. The first reports of tne insurrection were hardly cred- ited in Ontario and Quebec. So entirely was this the case that, when the Globft published an account of Kiel's first movements of rebellion, the story was openly ridi- culed as a device of party tactics ' But on the afternoon of March 28, Sir John Macdonald, in his place in Parlia- ment, confirmed the news of the insurrection, and on Wednesday, March 25, tho 90th Regiment of RiHes, under ('olonel Nauii^hton, with a portion of the Winnipeg Field Battery, left Winnipeg fur Qu'Appello, e?i route for the 10 cawada'h nortii-wkst itrnri.MoK. wt»r«' litpl win rt' tlH»<'i. .• ri>Nrrvi>, utiil<*i' n chui htuii«*<| Moiinl), wiui nf iloiil.tliil li'h'lily. Ho WIW4 ri smiill hi/.nl limn. Imt rrafty, ftii«l I>h.| j;iveu much troublo ulremly to tint Hiitli(»riti(»«. Hut on riiursday, tlu» 2r»th of Mnroli, Major Oozior, with H liiinihi'l iiuMi. m«l out I'mui l*'ort I'mh'ton to ix vil- Ifk^o nofU' Piu-U Lalio, in onlt^r t<» siMMin* houw |>roviHii)n!f nii«l Miip|»Ii»'s which hiv at thni pliUM*. aii<) in •hm^t^r, hrinj( nn.s m.'hNT. Twiko, whoso name has attainod Huch a Hini.stor import ns that of the 8]>ot whciT HowimI tho tirst l)h)oil 8ho(l in tho rehellion, in situated thirtoon and a-lialf miles south- cast of Fort Carh'ton, and twelve niiloH from Gabriel's Croasinpj, on the South Hianch of tho Saskatchowan. The villa Eden, of Winnipeg. It consists of nine long one-storey log buihiings. It is fronted by an oinamental fence, antain Morton, a farmer from Biuce, Ontario, and an efficient volunteer officer; \Vm. Napier, a law student of Prince Albert, late of Edinburgh, Scotland, nephew of Sir Charles Napier (strange that the kinsman of the victor of Meeanee should fall in an obscure skirmish 'n the wilderness) ; A. W. R. Merkley, formerly of Ottawa; S, C. Elliott, son of Judge Elliott, of London, Ont.; R. Middleton and D. McKenzie, both natives of Prince Edward Island; Charles Hewitt, of Portage la Prairie ; Daniel McPhail, of Prince Albert ; Alex. Fisher, a young Englishman ; \Vm. Baikie, an old Hudson Bay employe ; and Joseph Anderson, a loyal Half-breed. The wounded Prince Albert volunteers were Captain Moore, whose leg was broken ; Sergeant A. McNabb ; and Alex. S. Stewart. But two of the Mounted Police were killed, viz. : Constables T. G. Gibson and Geo. P. Arnold. The wounded Policemen were Inspector Joseph Howe, of St. John, N.B., of the gun detachment, nephew of the once all-powerful Hon. Joseph Howe, the Nova Scotia statesman; Corporal Gilchrist; and Con- stables M. K. Garrett, J. J. Wood, Sidney F. Gordon, A. M. Smith and A. Miller. This melancholy list con- tains the names of young men from almost every })art of the Dominion: the Maritime Provinces, London, Kings- ton, Ottawa, and the North- West settlements are repre- sented as well as England, Scotland and Ireland. At this engagement the reltel force numbered two hundred, and their loss was six killed and three wounded. THE DUCK LAKE DISASTER. 33 Tho party of 11 nif breeds which foufijht at Du'jk Lake was ill reality tlie a ; and unknown to the English-speaking part of the connnunity a .secret conihination was iormed to attempt to enforce their deman«ls l>y illegal aad violent moans. Some say that Kiel be^an to use stronger language only with the hope that ho might be arrested on insiitficienfc grounds, and thus excite public sympathy on behalf of himself and the movement of which he was the leader. The language used by him at some meetings came to tlie knowledge of the police and others. The Ministcis of the Dominion were informed, it is said, that therf) was imminent danger of an outbreak, that the Indians — starv- ing, mutinous, and some of them almost desperate — would fall in with Kiel and the Half-breeds, and that the plunder and massacre of many of the white settlers at this remote point miglit be accomplished before assistance could be obtained from below. Prince Albert is separated from the C. P. R. by an almost unbroken and unsettled prairie 250 miles wide. The journey cannot ea.ily be made in less than a w^eek, and an armed force carrying its own supplies would of course take longer time. Kiel could in a tew hours raise a force of several hundrcMl Ilalf-breeds and an unknown quantity of Indians. The Police force in the district was not very strong and stationed at a most inconvenient point. The white settlers were therefore, if he had preparations made for a rising, really at his mercy. Major Crozier, commanding the force at Carleton, sent w^ord to Prince Albert that in the case of an actual out- break he would like to be assured of assistance. A meeting was consequently held on Wednesda3^ the 18th of March, when, though most felt that the gravity of the situation had been exaggerated, it was determined that a company of volunteers should be formed to be ready I'or ijorvice when called on by the authorities. During the very time when this meeting was held, Riel, at a point some 40 miles off, was provifig that the situation was T"*,^'» 86 CANADA'S NOIITH-WEST IIEBEI.UON. quite as grave as any one could desire. Ho, followed by a crowd of H ilt'-breeds, seized the store of Walters h Bak'T, at Hatoche, and launehed out on that insane and reckless course wliicli has alicsadv brou-dit terrible disas- ter to some, and niuiit brin<^ still more terrible disaster to many nioi'e. It may be well at this point, before sketching the Huccectlini,^ eourso of events, to give an idea of the country and th(5 localities afterwards to be referred to in the narrative. The North and South Branches of the Saskatchewan unite at a point about thirty miles east of Prince Albert, called the Forks of the lliver. The North Branch from the west approaches the South Branch flowinirfrom the south at a point called "the Elbow," some loO miles west of the Forks ; then the rivers run ])arallel to each other, but some twenty or thirty miles apart, first in a northerly and then in an easterly direction, to their j)oint of union. About fifty miles from the Elbow, Carleton Fort is situ- ated on the southern bank of the I^orth Brarjch, and almost opposite to it, on the South Branch, there is a village called Batoche, which is the centre of the French Half-breed settlement. On the road from Batoche to Carleton, about four miles from the former and tifteen from the latter, is another small village, near an Indian reserve, called Duck Lake. The town of Prince Albert, the centre of the English-speaking population, is fifty miles east from Carleton and about forty miles north-east from Batoche, the roads from these two places converging at a point twenty miles from Prince Albert. At Carleton there are a few Half-breed settlers and only one or two white families. The fort, facing the river to the north but distant from it almost half-a-mile, is enclosed on the south by a semi-circle of hills, w^iich are about two hundred feet high, and less than one hundred yards distant from the ^fort, and covered on the sides with brush and small trees. It is hardly possible to conceive a worse situation on which to locate a fort, and station a body of armed men. In case of an attack THK DUCK T.AKE DTR ASTER. in force not a man would be allowod fco hIiow bis bead outside of tbe cni'losure ; and oven inside tbe wbole Hquaro couUl be conniianine, on the following day. No terms could be nuide, as the insurgents demanded tho siurend(T of Carleton ;md of all Crozier's forces, and McKay and Moore deujanded the dispersal of the French and that their hmders .should bo given up. On Thursday morning, when Col. Irvine was on tho way from Prince Albert to Carleton, it was thf)Ught advisable to .send a party of sixteen police and volunteers with teams to Duck Lake to get su})plies from the store, which, as far as known, liad not yet been seized by Riel. Mr. McKay again led this party. On approaching a point about two miles from Duck Lake ho was met by a Force of twenty-five or thirty armed horsemen. Having told for what purpose he had come, he was insolently chal- lenged to go and take the .stores if he dared. Prudently" declining this, he was asked to surrender his arms and party to the rebels. This, he firmly said, would never be done while tliey were alive. Then he was challenged to commence firing, his teams were knocked about, and TIIK DUCK LAKF niSASTRR. 41 pcvoral phots fired over thoir heay pursuit. On >^'''tlin«Tf clear of the rebels ho sent Word l»y a patn^l to ('arlcton of what had o(rcurred and followed IcMsurely with his teams. When the news reaehed < /arlcton tlnu'e was ;(roat excitonnmt and indig- nation. Tt wa.s nof supposed that a very laroje number of Kiel's party C(nild 1)0 at J)uek liake. it would even seem that some of the Prinee Albert party brouj^ht pressure to bear upon the counuandint^ ofPicer not to bear the indiii:nity put upon them. Perhaps some tbouglit that thti insurj^^ents mij^^fht be erushed at onco, or at least the stores secured with ease. Major Orozier, as v/e need not wonder, seems to have hesitated to incur the respon- 8il)ilitv of attack inj:^, when his commandint^ oiii'-cr was, as he well knew, approachinjL; and within a few hours' march. Volunteers, however, were called for, and on the point of startinjT, when McKay and the teams reached the forh. Agai*" there was a sliglit hesitation, but finally sixty police and twenty-five volunteers were commanded to start. They took with them the only field-piece in their })ossession — a seven-pounder of brass, which had seen service with Napier at Magdala. On arriving at the place where the teams had been stopped in the morning the scouts were again chased in by twenty or thirty horsemen, followed by a body of nu'n on foot constantly increasing in numbers as others came from Duck Lake. Major (/Vozier halted liis troops, and the police spread out to the left and the volunteei-s to the right of the road. One ol" the rebels was waving a blanket, and Major Crozier, with the interpreter, went forward to meet Jiim and a few others who were advanc- ing along the road. A short and unsatisfactory conver- sation took place as to what was wanted by our men and where they were going. At the same time the reftels kept advancing and scattering across the front of our 4S canada'b yonrn-wrsT nrnKLuoTf, mon. Tlio ofRniT and intrrpn^tor iiwistod thfit ihey Hhoiild \n> ki'|it, Imck, Imt no h('«»/i»'r tlwri r»^tinnt in the sleii^hs, and the force retreated, leaving nine men deid or dying on tlie field. Five horses, some of them shot, had also to be al>andoned. Had our men remained but a little lonf^er the wliole force would have been sacrificed, [t was almost a miracle that the j^unnors and their horse.s were not destroyed and the ^nn cap- tured. It wouM seem t') ordinary persons a fatal mistake to have taken it so far to the front, where it was under close rifle fire. About a (]uartor of a mile farther ba(5k th(^rc was rising ground, from which the gun could liave poured its shot on the enemy, while our men could have ailvanced under the cover of its fire. It does not scorn eithei' to hrve occurred to the commanding officer after retiring out of rifle range to ren(!W the iire from his cannon, and treat the rebels to a few shells to cover his retreat, even if lie did not return to recover the dead. Of incidents during the skirmish there is not now time or space to write. Captain Morton, of the volunteers, a mail much respected and loved, was shot ia the breast. TUK DUCK I,AKF niRASTEFl. 43 !r«> tolil tlioHo Im»sii]o him who ofT.»rc(l IjIiii aixt nmu he Haid, " 1 am Hhot. Tfil my father and motlier f .»r - CHAITKU V. ATTRU Tin; iiA'irr.R. TT wft.s plain ihtii tho dnfj^ncoH of F^)rt Tarleton wf»r« nof sih'li lis to iimko th<» pbico ttMwildtt di^uitist the llalt-brec'ls now Wfll snpplic.l with provisiorjM artn and i hildn^n might olitain shrltor. Almost cv^ry man in town, inoludinj^' tlm** of tho ininiMtotM, woik«Ml wii)> a will, and in Uihh tinio than conid havo ht>t>ii Nup- |)OH(>d, a Mti'ung .stv)cku«lu wu.-^ i*oui()lctu'd, in niont placoM LIKUT.-COL. lUVlNB, N.-W. MOUNTED POLIOB. eight feot high, and lined within by anotlier pile of wood on which the nion could .stand. Stores and ice cut from the river were rapidly diiven in. A lar^^e shed was run up in the enclosure, and a two-storey house across the street, which coiiiinanded the square, and would have given protection to the enemy advancing, was pulled down and lovoUed with the ground. All tlirough Friday 46 CANADA'S NOUTH-WEST UEDELLION. no courier name from Colonel Irvine. In the afternoon ono of the scouts who had been as tar as Carleton the previ- ous night, and held fomniunioation with those in tho fort, tiiough not with the officers, reported seven nuns from the convent had tho novel experience of spendinj^ two nights under the roof of a Pre.shyterian cler;;yman ; that sixteen men were dead and the seventeenth was dying, and that J^ig Bear, one of the most dangerous of tho Indian Chiefs, had crossed the prairie from Battleford with 100 braves on snowshoes, and was then witli Kiel at Duck Lak(5. This news confirmed the fears of a large Indian rising with all its attendant horrors. The sus- pense on that night was very painful. It was expected that the savages would either at once attack Prince Albert or lie in wait for Colonel Irvine and his troops in "Tho Pines," where the Carleton trail passes for several mibs through thick woods, from which the Indians could easily pick off our rnen as they passed. Not a little vexation and amazement were felt that Irvine had sent no despatch on which reliance could be placed. The manse, church, and shed were filled with the peo- ple of the town. Three women with little babes only two or three days old were carrie.ni. on Saturday was intelligence received of Irvine's march from (varlet(jn. Two hours after the wounded were driven in. It was with thaidcfulness learned that onlv twelve were dead and that the wounded had borne the journey very well. Captain Moore, thou^'h the splints had been removed from his shattered ley sat on the floor, and receiving as well as could be expected the assurance that there was n ) sufficient cause for the alarm. Meanwhiu; the stock- ade was lined with police and volunteers in arms rea^awS, s of nore uage ter- The Swampios, who ocoupy the country ahont the mouth of Red River, and bord«'nng on Lake Winnipeg, are also of this same nation. In the event of any hctious trouhlo.s among the Indiann, it was not probable tliat the Ojibewas wuuhi take any very active y)art, as most of their bands were located so as to be nearly or quite surrounded by white settlements of confli(hMal)le ir»agnitnde. They are, as a rule, very peaceably inclined, and poorly armed, most of thera using old-fashioned Hudson Bay Company shot guns, which, however, will throw bullets of heavy calibre with considerable accuracy. There are very few of the Ojibewaa proper to be found west of the Red River Valley, and most of them occupy the bush country east of Red Ris^er, though some bands might be found in portions of Northern Manitoba. There were {»rol>ably of the Ojibewas proper in Manitoba and tlie extreme west of Ontario about 4,000. The Saul teux (pronounced "Sotos") were so inter- mingled with tlie Crees in the eastern portion of the North-West Territory and the west of Manitoba that it was not easy to ascertain their number.^}. There were, however, not less than 2,500 of them. They are for the most part to be found in the regions of Fort Pelly, Fort Ellice, Moose Mountain, Qu'Appelle, and Crooked Lakes. Among the more well-inclined Cree Half-breeds these Saulteux have the reputation of being rather clever, and often very plausible mischief-makers. Some of them are remarkably well off for Indians, and not a few of them are exceedingly ambitious. They are, as a rule, rather intelligent and extremely active and energetic. Their reserves are for the most part well located. The Crees largely outnumber any other tribe of the North-West, and it is in a great measure owing to the thoroughly pacific disposition of these people that Cana- dian supremacy has been so easily maintained thus far. It has long been the boast of the Crees that as a nation they have never shed the blood of tlie white man. In times past they proved themselves capable fighting men, however, in their struggles with the Sioux and Blackleet, 52 CANADA n NORTH-WEST REUKIXION. and tliey think thoy aro hHU as capable of fit^htinj:; iw* tlioy ever were. Theie is no doubt, how(?ver, tluit tlit-y aro not nearly so warlike a people as the Hlackfeet, and nothing but a real sense of wr()n<^ would ever induce them to take u|) anns against British authority. Of course it is not sayjn<^ that they are wroiiiifed to say that th»^y liavo experienced a s(?nse of wronij, aiid it is just hert; that the great dan<^er lies so far as they aio concerned. They were for many generations accustomed to meeting no wlute men except the agents of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany, and whatever may be said against that great cor})oration the otfencc of lying to the Indians can nt.'ver be laid to their charge. Aside from the moral aspect of the case altogether, it was a part of tlu>ir business })oliey to conduct their traffic with the Indians in such a way tliat the latter would never bn.vc the shadow of a cause for doubting the word of any ofHccr or agent of the Com- pany. If an indiscreet trader made a pron\ise to tlie huml)lest member of a tribe, that piom'.ae was invariably fulfilled, no matter what the cost might be. In the old times an insignificant order of the v^alue of two or three shillings has been sent all the way to the Old Country, via York Factory, merely because soTnething not in stock had been promised to an Indian. As the shipments of goods to York Factory were not very frequent, the dark- skinned customer would sometimes have long to wait before receiving what was promised him, but he rested safe in the assurance that it would not be forgotten, and that however long in coming it was sure to come at last, and so he was satisfied. Accustomed to this sort of treatment, it is not surprising that the Cree became the firm friend of the white man. He could rely implicitly on all tl.at was told him, and he came to look upon the white man as well-nigh all-powerful. In this way the Crees were brought up for many generations in a good school, and it is only a pity that they have not always had such an example of thorough truthfulness before them. Inexperienced men, who knew notlung of Indian character, have been brought in contact with them thi pf'( d., TIIK INDIANS OF MANIK.IIA AND MJUTJI-WIST. 5.*} tliiou;^!! ihf a^^'ricy of tlie Imlian Departinent, and tluso people, too often pressed by tlio cxi^^oncics of ^vlult tliey deemed a trying' situation, have made pi.)n\ises to them Aviuch liavo not boon fultillcd, Promise- had bton made which could not with propriety be carritul out, «'inil too oftiin pr(»misc:s had boon made which l»iid beej wholly forgotten. These broken pi'omises ndi^lit seem little things to the men who made and broke them, but they were big things to theao Hini[)lc-miiided children of the wilds. Truthfulness was the one virtue whieh thev prized above all others, and knowin'4 notlung of the nature of the resources u[)on which the Indian Agent or Fj)»'m Instructor had to fall bac k, they supposed them to be unlimited, and therefore regarded thoi)leaof inability no excuse for tho non-fulfilment of any promise. Big Bear, with a band of about five hmidred, had always been a troublesome and dangerous man, niorefond of hunting buffaloes, wheth«'r north or south of the lino, than of tilling the soil, His reserve was not definitely located, and it w^as not known just where he was at that time to be found. He was of the South Crees, but in common with the rest of that branch of the Oreo nation, he had been induced to go north. The policy of the Government in taking the South Crees as far as possible from the international boundary, and i'rom the line of railway, was doubtless a good one. In the South they were frequently getting into difficulty with the Indians and Ilalf-breods south of tho line, as well as with the Bloods and Blackfeet of the South-Weit, and had they remained there tho danger of a collision with the railway navvies was always to be feared. Had the insurgents had the opportunity of clioosing their own time for an outbreak, they could not have selected a season more thoroughly opportune for their own purposes. The winter had been a severe one, and, in any event, these improvident Red-men w^ere always worse off in the spring than at any other season of the year. This was the season at which tho Agency supplies were most apt to fall short, and the advent of spring --*•■-•(•■ H CANADA S NOHTII-WEST HKllKLLION. weather would soon rcuvlor transportatiou ji matter of very grave diliicnlty. Ill the inimediato vicinity of tlie outhn^ak it was to h(» presumed tlwit there was more to be feanul iVdin t]jc Ifalf-breeds than from the Indians, as the majority of tlie latter had always had tlie name of heinjtj peaceable and well-inclined. Mis-ta-was-sis (h\^ Child) was the most powerful chij.f in the CJarloton Aj;ency, and his band only nuinbored two liundred and twenty-six. Ho hiiuself was a (hn'oiit Pres- byterian, as were many of his band, and while it was easy to understand that they wovdd not feel inclined to rise in arms against people of their own race, and peihaps in some instances their own relatives, it was not at all probable they wouhl take any ))art in the outbreak. Ahtah-ka-koop had a band of one lumdred and ninety- six, and what has been said of the band of Mis-ta-was-sis was mainly true of his followers. They were not at all likely to take action for or against the insurgents. Boardy, on whose reserve the first battle had ttiken place, was not by any means an amial)le Indian. His oand numbered something over one hundred and fifty, and, like their chief, they had small respect for the white man or his institutions. Unlike many of the Indians in theCarleton Agency, they were pagans and had no religious instruction of any Kind. They managed to raise some grain and roots, but not nearly enough to supply them with the necessaries of life. It was extremely ]>robable, therefore, that Bjardy would cast his fortunes in with the rebels, if he had not already done so. Altogether, however, it was not probable tha . many of the Indians of the Carleton Agency would take any part in the insurrection, and those who would do so would very probably be actuated more by a desire to obtain food ana clothing, than that of avenging real or fancied wrongs. The condition of these unfortunate people was dt\plorable. Their staple food, muskrats, had become scarce, their crops even on the very limited acreage broken on their reserves wei-e bad, and as early as July, 1884, it THE INDIANS ()K MAMTOUA AND NOUTIl-WEST. 55 was [)n)|)liesi(Ml tlwit tlicir piiTi('i|»al (l<'pentleiic*> for food the following' winter would li»5 upon ral)l)itM. The Cn^cH in the Carleton Atjoncy numlu red nhoiit one thousand six hundred, and as they hid^istid cliitHy on the pKnlucts of the chase, they were douhth'ss fairly aruied. They are divided into al)outa(h)zenHnui.ll hands, and were Hcattered over a very considerahh* cxttMit of country. Thert! were at tlie Batth^t'ord Agency, which lies west of the ('arleton Agency, upwards of two thonsand (-rets and some tluee hundred Stoneys or Assinihoines, and these were divided into ahont a dozen Hcparato hands. There was none of them in a particuhirly prosperous condition, tliough most of tlieir reservea were well kicateth The most influential cluef in ihis Atjfency, and perhaps the most influential chief in the Northern Territory, was Poundinaker, a Cree chief, whose individual following was about one hundred and fifty. His reserve was on Battle Kivei', a shtrt distance west of liattleford. lie is a particularly fine -looking- s|)ecimen of his race, being considerably over six feet hi'^U, of ratlier slight bulla, and singularly erect. He has an intellitjenti and i'atlier refined looking face, a high, prominent forehead, and a nose of the purely Grecian ty})e, while there is nothing coarse or sensual about the lower portion of his face. His hands are small and delicaie in appearar:ce, his fingers being long and tapered. He is accounted an orator among his own people, but has none of the noise and bluster chat too often characterize Indian oratory. He speaks slowly and distinctly and in a manner that gives the hearer the idea of suppressed power. His gestures are invariably very graceful, and his mtinncr thoroughly dig- nified, without the faintest suspicion of pomposity or self-consciousness. He is always solemn and earnest in his utterances, and generally bears himself after the manner of a religious entlmsiast who was oppressed with the idea that he had some great mission to accomplish. Though a pagan, he has more than once betrayed a strong inclination to embrace Catholici.sm, His father was a Cree and his mother a half-sister to the great Blackfoot 66 CANADA S NORTH WKST HKUtLMON (!hief, Crowfoot. His (^rAinlmothor on the Hidt* of lii.i rnotluT wiih Hui'l to Iwivo In'on a Sto!j«'y.arnl Miis is cor- rulK)ratc(i hy tl»»" ^'n;at cliicfH pocMliiir cast of count<'ruiii('«'. l'oiinject wa.s acjomplished, and peace was made between the two great nations of the ])lains. As the friend of Crowfoot, the great chief of tho Bhickfeet, and as one of the most intelligent and inllu- ential of tho Cree chiefs, Poundinaker could, if ho chose, beci)me the most danjjerous In Uan in tin' North- We-.t. His inHuence with Crowfoot liad always been excraordi- nary, and he was universally looked up to and respected by all the Crces of tlie North, He had trouble with the Indian Department in the winter of i8S.'3-84, and he was not a man to quiiikly forgot an indignity offered to himself or his people. There was not an Indian in the North- West who knew tho country better than Poundmaker. In 1881, when Lord Lome went acro.ss the plains, Poundmaker jjiued the party for the purpose of inter|)ret- ing the languige of the Blackfeet into Oee, aa the Cree interpreter accompanying the party did not understand Blackfoot. Johnny Saskatchewan Wiis taken along to act an guide, but between Battleford and the crossing of the lied Deer the Half-breed lost himself, and for the la.st two daj^s Poundmaker waH "guiding tho guide." After crossing the Red Doer, Poundmaker took the lead, and r*> hr th fo. on Up( P: TIIK INDIANS or MANITOUA AND NORTn-WflHT. ft? travelled in alnioNt an air-lino to tlx iilackt'oot CioHMin^. tljou^'h tlu^ro wa.H no trail, an«l wl.at was «'Vi'ii niori* roinarkablii, ainui^Til Iuh tiii>'« tahlo ho that hv hit tlie Jm'hI ^rasM and wati-r to be had juyt about tainpinj,' tinio on evurv oc .ahion. LittU' Pino hail tlie lar{j;«» t following' of any chief in the Butthd'ord ' ^n one of the South (JrooH, and one of th«5 lawt to nettlu ou a Northorn resorvf. }\\h inon woro wn«'ral. Tho only clii««k' in Uuh tn-aty who was at all liktly to bticoino trouliliviouiM wiu* Piapot, who with his hand of Hve hnndioil and fifty was looat«'d iit Indian Ih'jid, narMfuljirly towaiil.s Li»Mjt4'nant-(iov»»rnor l)t5wdnnv. He was so near tho railway, and as it wt»ro alinoHt in the heart of a fairly Hottlotl district, it was thoOLrht that Im would havf .soino difliculty in ^t'ttin^ away uni)l»Ht'rvod. If theni should hav«» c(tino anything,' iik • a ^^'n♦>ral uprinini^ ajuonif tho Indians, howtnrr. INaput would without douht hav«' taken an activM part on thu.sid«'of tho (■rces.Rnd unfortuiiattdy should I «• havo dono ho, and niadoanythinj^ likea .succe.sH- ful Htand.it was ordy too prohahlu that a lar;;n portion of theH«won thousauti in Treaty Tour woidd have; joined hiui TlioHo who know any thin J' of Indian aflairs in tho North- We.st wore now w^atching, with a ^neat deal of anxifty, the attitude of tho Hla(^kfeet nation iti any future tTisis. Tfiough not so numerous as the C VeeN. th»»so people, if roused, could not fail to become far n»orti dan- gerous. They numbered nearly six tliousand, and in tead of being acattt^red about in snmll bands over a la>j.;e extent of country, they wi.'re compactly placed as follows, accordini^ to tlwnr tribal distinctions: Of the Blackfeet propiT there were nearly two thou- sand two hundred at Blaekfoot Oossin^', on Bow River, some sixty ini'js from (Jal«,^ary. Of the Bloods there were nearly two thousand three hundred on the Blood reserve, near Fort McLeod. Of the Piegans (another branch of the Blackfeet family) there wer(j over nine hundred on the Piegan reserve, on Old Man's River, a few miles west of Fort McLeod. Of the Sarcoes there were over four hundred on their reserve near Calgary. These people were not of tho Blackfeet tribe, but they ha^i for years been under the protection of and had foiined a portion of the Blackfeet nation. The legend concerning them is that they were fori poll diH| l.y • ex is the the sine cus to n Bla. port niK INDIANS or MANITOBA KVU NOllTII-WKHT. A9 foriiHirly a p<»woilfiil liiul vrry warlike trilx', oociipvinK a portion of tho Vvnni llivi»r rotiMtry. Tlwir turbuN'nt (iinponition involviMl them in ono war lil'ti-r another, till l»y tli(>ircoiiHtaiit ti^^'htiri)^, ottcii u^uiiiMt .Nup«-ri()r iiuintMMii, they bociiiim ho rt'«l their own cUHtoiiiH, hmj^ua^^u. aixl trailitinns, anti thoii^^h ihry have to a ^n«at extent ai)8taint;y a Blood Indian. In fa'>*i, thin tribe ha crossinn^ from Battleford to Blackfoot Cros.sini:j, Commis- sioner Dewdney was fondly hoping that the Blackfeet at the Crossing would hcwe made a grand showing from an agricultural point of vie.v, as it was known that they had broken, fenced, and seeded a considerable tract of land ; but alas, before the Governor-General arrived the Black- feet had received the news that a tew buffaloes had crossed the line and were coming northward ! This news sealed the fate of the growing crops which t.e Commissioner had hoped to show Lord Lome with so miich pride, for in order to get their ponies into condition for running buffaloes as rapidly as pos3ible, they had thrown down their fences and turned the animals into the fields, and the highly-prized crops ])resented a sorry picture by the time His Excellency pitclied his first camp on the banks of the crystal Bow. Crowfoot was an Indian of more than ordinary intelli- gence, and the comparatively good behaviour of the Blackfeet tribe, and indeed that of the whole Blackfeet nation, was largely due to his rational counsel. He had sense enough to see that there was nothing for it but that the Blackfeet should bow to the inevitable, as the Red- men have always been compelled to do in the long run on the advent of the white man. There was no longer game enough in the country to support his people, and the neighbouring tribes were so poor that they were not worth robbing. Shoidd his people have risen against the whites they would always have felt that besides the white men they would have had their old-time enemies, the Crees, to fiirht; and, taking all these thinijs into consid- eration, Crowfoot had evidently come to the conclusion that, as there was nothing else for him to do, it only 1- Miained for the Blackfeet to settle down and become oaceable farmers. What influence the news of an 02 CANADA S NOTITH-WEST REBELLION. outhreak in the North-West nnj.^ht have upon him it was hard to tf 11. It wa ; not improbable that ho and his people n\j(rht wrvnt to take part in it, and not iiupossilde that through Poundinaker's influence they might have been inclined to Join the insurgents. And in this connection there was another circumstance worth considering. Crow- foot was getting old, and his younger brother-in-law, Yellow Horse, has a great deal of influence with the more youthful members of the tribe, who had as yet no scalps with which to fringe their deer-skin shirts, and. no "Coo to count." Yellow Horse, though an active and intelligent Indian of some means, and a particularly tine apjiearance, had nothiug like the intellectual ballast possessed by Crovvioot. Should Crowfoot have heeded nis coun,?el, there could be little doubt that the Blackfeet would have got into trouble in a very short time. Like One Spot of the Bloods, Yellow Horse bore no very choice reputation among the white men who knew him. Ho was particularly fond of talking of the good old days when the B]ackfe*.'t were nearly always on the warpath. The Sarcees, though few in point of numbers^ would have (■ -nted for a good deal in case the Blackfeet had gone t> Aar. They were savages of the most degraded and vicious type. They hated farming, were thoroughly warlike, and, like all the Blackfeet nations, had arms, ammunition, and ponies. Though a formi-iable tribe in the more recent histories of American wars, it was thought im|)robable that eitlier the Sioux proper or their near relatives, the Stoneys, would have taken any part against the whites should there have been an Indian uprising in the Canadian North-West. They were scattered about in small bards all the way fruui Fort Ellice to the Rocky Mountains. There were some few of them in nearly every agency, and they w^ere, as a rule, active and ind trious. They had little to do with either the Crees or the Blackfeet, and were perhaps more remarkable for minding their ow^n business than any other Indians of the North-West. White Cap, the Sioux chief, occupied a reserve at Moose *« •■?*» ■-> • }'••,■, THE INDIANS OF MANITOBA AND NORTH-WKST. 63 Woods, only a short distance south of Duck Lake. His band consisted of about two hundred and fifty, and it was not loni,^ before h? allied liitnself to the rebel cause, though such a oourse was not expected of him. Ho and the elder members of his band had fled to Canada from the United States after the Minnesota massacre, and knew quite well that should they become involved in a second war upon the whites they would have nowhere to go for rest and pi'otection in the event of defeat. CHAPTER VTT. GENERAL MIDDLETON AND STAFF ON THE SCENE. IT has been mentioned that the 00th RiHes had been ordered from Winnipeg to Qu' Appeal le, together with the Winnipeg artillery. They arrived on Sunday, •29th of March, and were established in comfortable barracks at the immigrant quarters, the division which arrived earliest being placed in Fort Qn'A]>pelle, eighteen miles to the north. General Middleton, Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Militia, on his arrival at Qu'Appelle, de- cided that it would be unwise to proceed to the scene of the rebellion w^ith the force on hand, and resolved to await the reinforcements on the point of arrival from the East. This distinguished officer began his military career in 1842, his commission as ensign bearing date December 30 of that year. His hrst ex|)eriences of active service were in South New Zealand, wheethe insurgent Maoris carried on n fierce guerilla warfare much the same as that of the Indians and Half-breeds in the North-West. He took part, in the successful attack which carried the strongly intrenched " pah " of Wauganui. He was next engaged in the suppression of the Santhal rebellion in India, and took a leading part in the desperate, but u'lorious, struoftjfle of the few British soldiers who faced llie terrible storm of the Hindoo Mutiny in 1857-58. 64 CJANADA8 NOIITH-WKST IIEMELLION. Captain Mi'Mlciton served as orderly officer to GoiKiraT Fratiks at tin* battle of 8ultan|>ore, and took part in the aflvai'.ce on Lucknow. While thus enira«xod he was A. 1). C to (loneral fiUard. He to )k part in the .storming' of Bank-i-Hoiin and the Martiniere ; Major MiddUston was reconunendod hy the general otlicer under whom ho served to Lord (/lyde tor the Victoria Cross on account ot" two sij^nal acts ol* valor in the field. At the Battle of Azenighiir, on April 15, 1858, ho was ordered to take coniinand of a troo}) of the Military Train and to charge a dense cuhnnn of the rel)els. Just as the troop, led by Captain iMiddleton, had swept sword in han«l into tho midst of the Sepi)ys, one of the otHceis, Lieut. Hamilton, fell wounded tVom his horse. The wound had completely , wIh'm .10 MorviMl us a v«)lunt«M>r on th«>, stnll' ol' Linil. < Jonrnil Sir Kn-.U-riclv KoImmI.m, who is coiisiJricil on«' ol' tlu) hvM, Uo- tioinuM in tlu' liritisli uruiy. In l-SSI !).« iHMM)in|»iini»Ml Sir Kro«itMiok Ki^ImmMh to NIiImI in Si.mIIj AlViniHM j.rivjitc MiMM'cUry. Il«> snl)S(M|iuM»My touji nn !irliv<« jMirl in iUr Iv'vplian wiir, an<| wns Wi)Mn^M ho'iu.'uriiHl Mary ( 'arolintv «i in"_M\t(M >A' tlin lato JIun. CharKvs tlrcy, ami nieco to Kjvrl i.irry, K.(i. MAJOK I,A\VRKNOR Hl'C'HAN. Major Lawronoo l^ucluin in (loscu'Tnled from an anricnt Scottisij I'amily. He was born in Paris, County of Ik'aut, (Ontario, and receivod liis education at Upper Canada CJolleire. wliere lie evinced a taste for matlK^niatioH and the study of nulitary tactics; ho studied then at the Military C'ollege, wliere he received acertiticate. lie then spent several years in New York city, where he enga^'cd in the conunission business. Then retnrnini]^ to Toronto, he became a partner in the stock-broking tirui of Blake OFN. MIPDMCroN AND MIH HTAFK ON THB SCllNK. W7 ami AloximdiT. KorHix yrai-H lio lu'M tin* |;<»Mition (jf n'si- »l<'iit wicntniv in r'U.MM.»la lor Mm- ScoIUhIi ( 'oiniiifnMul lnHurivfirr ('(unpimy VVIion lio hiul carrir.! out tin* win'l- iii;4-up of thi.s ( 'orniniiyM aflairM in ( 'ana«la, In; w«nt t«» r»ian'l bii.inosH talont ill |»rt»m«)tifi^ lli.i jiro^MtviM ami I;iuiNmI <;sl8i»^ irii'TJ^sts of (lint city and llin MuiinuTulinij^ 'listrict VVIicri tin- Mani- t<»l>a Muniiripalitios Act. was inl ((xlni'cd, li»^ was nppoinUMl Srcri'tary 'l'n«aMnrnr oF th« Wostorn Judicial JJiutrict, wliirli |K»Mit.i«'ii lio ,st,ill n'iain«. Majo^ ir.linri was conrmcttMl with Uir Qmocmi'm Own HiHivs for a |h riod of Irn yojirs , ho cntcnMl it eh cnHi^n, and Inft witli tin) nird^ ol' captain. Ilo was inucli lik« d iti the n^^im(»nt, l>cin^ ctpialiy n, favoarit*' with hoth oHici'TH and nion ; of tlio colonel ho lias always ficcn a cloHO I'l'iond. Wh«'n tli«i prcMrnt llaU' hrood rc.hfdiion broke out, Major liuchan t<;h^^(raplnd to Ottawa for h'-avo to ctilist threw coiaj>aiii()H in Ihandon ; ho j^rococdcd to Wimiip*'^ whoro h« was ^a/iCtty the uMurgents. At Uattleford 200 vohintoerM were enlisted, and a lioine- guard at Medicine flat and Calgary, botli of which liad to i't'PA the Blackfeot Indians in case Kiel .should succeed in calling them to the war-path by the intlu«Mico of their chief Crowfoot who, as has been mentioned, was a rela- tion of the Cree chief Poundmaker. Qu'Appelle, which was in the neighbourhood of some Oree lodges, was well defended by both divisions of the 90th Battalion of Wiu- nipeg Riiles and by the Winnipog Artillery. The Canadian Paoiric Railway Ooinpany resolved on organizing a regiment iVoni among their employes for the defence of the property of the railway against at- tempts of the rebels, and Captain Gaulter, of the Purchasing Department, an experienced volunteer officer, undertook the work of directing this force which waa likely to form a valuable ai the de()arture of the troops was attended with cnthuaiustic excitement of wliieh tlie city has had no experience for the last peaccahl'j and easy-goin^ half- century. On Friday night (March 27) the orderly serj^cants V)eIonginroii;jrht with it were preached in all the chwrchos. In manv a lioiiin liili-lit eves irrcw (iirn, an-l anxious pray«Ms weru l>r«*al!ier the soldiers. To that iijreat national railway thanks are <]ue from everyone who is loyal to Canada, since it is only owin<^ to the exertions nride by that Company and its othcers that sure, rapid and healthful means of transit werw y-jrovided for the troops. On boai'l the cars all was merry as a raarriaj^f bell. P;icks and heavy accouti'ements were stowtjd away, lunch was partaken of from the twetity Four hours' supply of cooked pi-ovisions which each man had been directed to provide. 'J'hon came the singing of patriotic songs and such hymns as " Only an Armoui'-boarur," jokes from the regimental wit wlio had been practising sleight- of-hand all the week so as to juggle the rebel bullets. The time pa.ssed meicily and they reached Mattawa in time for a hearty breakfast next morning (March 31) at the Pacific Railway's dining hall. Much exposure to cold r,nd liardship had to be under- f;ine by the Toronto contingent during the journey, espe- cially over the gaps or uncompleted sections of the railway. Every pains was taken by the officials of the OLD CANADA HTUIPS FOH THK FIUIIT. 71 railway to pr.»vM<' uianm to cnrry tlie Holiliors over the f^apM witli iiH littlo (h'liiyfts possihlo, ami tlut cttrn l)<>a?'; ft'ct ov *nor<' m« in whi«'h I'vcry coiidort al»'mnd<'d. Their oHicing accommodation was pn)vided. Although it was not feasible to do all tliat was wished to spaic the brave l)oys from exposure and discomfort, Colonel Otter and hia otficers were indefati- gable in seeing after the wants of the men, and it was shown that they fared in every respect no better than the private soldiers. The boys bore eveiything with cheerful en«lurance. The wise counsel of their (Jolone! here prevailed on them to avoid the materials lor " Dutch "ourage," strong drink forming no part of their equipment. Or.D TANAIU HTUIIV FOR THK THWIT. 73 SongR hranl (Urn in the ontrVte at iho Toronto OrAnd Opt^ra Houso ro-iM'ho -fl ilh tliry Im'1<1 thoir inaroh uwi tli« wiiitor-Htrick«Mi lotrMt tnul.o?- th»> ors the Globe, and tho World j^avo accurate and unsensational intelli^'cnce, and the ^reat nia.ssof our poople waitctl in calm reliance on Provitlonce, not without fear of loss of beloved lives, not vvithoiit hope that the brave youths of (^anada wotdd be victorious. The following' poem, publishn«l in tho Glnhe of May 24, describes a scene witnessed by the writer in a Toronto church on one of those anxious Sundays: — OUR BOYS IN THE NORTH WEST AWAY. 1 Haw thd sudden tear drop rise In sweefoHt, purest of blue eyes, Wlien kneeling in tho houHo of prayer She heard good words of comfort th»^re, 1 knew the angels heard her pray For one in the Nort^ ^Ventaway. It was but noon of yesterday Ho bade farewell, he marched away I The rifle bright and bayonet seen Above the Queen's Own gar}» of gn-en, With our five hundred's bold array He marched for the North- West away. 74 CANADA S NORTH- WEST RK BELT. I ON. As farther then, and farther still, The dim march sounded down the hill, Ab file on file, with sceady paco, Within the cars our boys took place, Ah rose our farewell cheer to say " God bless you," as they passed awav. They bore the foodleas, dreary march. The nights, that chill, the days tliat parch, Through drifted wilds their way they take, Their pathway is the frozen lake, Yet buoyant, brifjht, and bold are they, Our boys in the North-West away 1 They did not fear that dark ravine Where Ifalf-breed hell-hou-uls yelped unseen, W'ith uiigiit predestined to prevail Trod down the gusts of leaden hail, Victorious in the fight are they, Our boys in the North- West away. They could not fail, they knew not feaf When Otter led the charging cheer. They charged the open, they laid low With Gatling fire the Iv* id skin foe, They felt the rapture of the fray, Cur boys in the North- West away. God send them safe, and send them soon. Each Sabbath hour we ask the boon, Once more to march; once more to meet The cheering from each singing street, While proud resolve and daring high Blend with their notes of victory I How sweet to grasp each strong right hand And greet the saviours of the land. How good to hear the news at last Of danger gone and peril past, How proudly prized will then be they. Our boys from the North- West away ! C. Pelham Mulvaney, M.D., Formerly Na 1 Company, Q.O.R. PTI AFTER IX. THE WAR CLOUD BQUSTS ON BATTLEFORD. 0T*5 the last day of March Winnii eg wa8 horrified by ^ the news that the most dreaded calamity to be cearod as an accompaniment of the Half-breed rebellion had fallen upon Battleford. The Indians had risen in large numbers and had taken possession of a portion of the town. The villagers had taken refuge in the Police Fort, but their houses and the greater portion of their effects were at the mercy of the savages. Worn out with want and suflVring, embittered with the recollections of their former {)rosperity, these misguided people were only too willing to listen to any achem^ however absurd and impossible, that promised to give them back the country and the homo wliich the.y had bartered away to the white man, but for which they had only received in return dependence, want, and shame. They thought they were on the eve of a restoration to the good old days of wealth, comfort, and happiness enjoyed by them before the advent of the white man, and to any one who has known their history for the past teu or fifteen years, it will not be very surprising that they were thus ready to insanely rush upon their own ruin. The Indians plundered the Hudson Bay Company's store, and when the agent, Mr. McKay, walked out of th« banacks and remonstrated with them, several shots were fired at him. An attempt was also made to intercept him on his return to the barracks. Fortunately this failed. The Bcittleford bari'acks were protected by a substan- tial stockade, and the Mounted Police force therein had arms and ammunition enough to stand a siege. Mr. Applegarth, one of the ten menaced Indian instructors, had for some time suspected that the Indian Department stores under his charge were being plundered. The immi- nent death of the Chief Red Pheasant served as a pretext 76 CANADA'S NORTH-WEST REBELLION. for the assembling of a lar^e body of armed men. Apple- garfcii, who had filled the dangerous post of instructor to Red Pheasant's band, narrowly escaped being murdered. So began the biege of Battletord, destined to be gallantly niaintaine 1 by the besieged and successfully relieved. All the civilians capable of bearing arms volnn- teered for service. The Home Guard were on daily (■rill. Sentries or scouts watclied the movements of the skulkinij foe with incessant vigilance. Meanwhile the Ottawa Government issued the following proclamation for the appointment of a Commission to settle the Half-breed grievances : — " His Excellency the Governor-General, on the recom- mendation of the Minister of the Interior, has been pleased to approve of the appointment of the following Commissioners for the purpose of making an enumeration of the Half-breeds resident in the North-West Territories outside of the limits of Manitoba previous to 15th of July, 1870, who would have been entitled to land had they resided in Manitoba previous to the transfer, with a view to an equitable settlement of their claims, viz., William Purvis, Rochefort Street, of the City of London, Esquire, Q.C., Chairman of the Commission; Roger Goulet, of the Town of St. Boniface, Manitoba, Esquire, Dominion Land Surveyor; and Amedee Edmond Forget, of the Town of Regina, N.-W.T., F^squire, Clerk of the North- West Council, barrister-at-law." CHAPTER X. ON GUARD AT PRINCE ALBERT. THE town, or fortified post, known as Prince Albert, is situated on the North Branch of the Saskatchewan along a low fertile reach of alluvial deposit. It is on the south bank of the river, along which it extends for ten miles, the lots being arranged according to the old French method of survey, with frontage to the river. It is tliirty miles from the Forks of the Saskatchewan, forty -nine ..Jbl ON GUARD AT PIUNCE ALBERT. 77 from Carleton, forty five from the scane of iho fight at Duck Lako. and about fitly by the shortest trail from Batoche's Crossing, on the South Saskatchewan. The peninsula between the branches of the river is at this point about fifteen miles wide from iiorth to south. The country in the north-eastern part of this peninsula, ex- tending from a point about twelve miles east of Prince Albei't, to a point about lifheen miles south-west of the same, and thence north to the Saskatchewan, is a vast sweep of rolling prairie, containing numerous bluffs or small groves of poplar, cotton wood and gray willow. The land is of unexampled fertility, and the country is one of the most thickly settled in the North-West. In many cases extensive agricultural labour-saving machinery is in use. Much capital has been invested, and the Eng- lish settler w^ho has learned to make his home in this wilderness of wild-flowera, has a residence, farm build- ings and a garden that would compare for elegance and comfort with any in the older-settled Provinces, which have outlived the dangers of Indian war. Twelve miles west of Princi^. Albert a belt of heavily wooded hills extends on either bank of the South Saskatchewan, which renders its pa,s3age dangerous in the presence of an ambushed foe. The population of the town of Prince Albert previous to the siege was seven hundred. Owing to tlio attempts of the ownei's of land to " boom" property for pur|)oses of settlement, Prince Albert has grown in three distinct centres or clusters of houses. The strongest of these for purposes of niilitary defence is that to the east, which contains the LLudson Bay Company's store, flour mill and fort, altogether about seventy buildings. There also are the Mounted Police barracks, a plain red brick building of two storeys, and a large saw-m^ll belonging to Messrs. Moore & Macdonald. In the central part of the town is situated the " Mission property," and a handsome brick built Presbyterian Church, work shops, dwelling houses, and ten or fifteen of those general stores peculiar to pioneer towns in Canada. ^f ■ yw «-l^ -■»■- 78 CANADA S NORTH-WEST REBET.LION. Half-a-inile west of this is the thiid and smallest por- tion of Prince Albert, coini»risin<,r McKay's mill, tlie post and land otHces, and several pri'/ate residences, includinc^ th* lately foimded Commercial College, and the dwelling house of the Anglican bishop of Saskatchewan. Tlie country around this town is sufficiently open to prevent an Indian attack. The Saskatcliuwan where it flows by Prince Albert has an average width of a liundred and fifty yards. There, since the retreat of Colonel livino from Fort Carleton. about three huiid red and fifty availal)le lighting men were on guard over a post more than any other likely to be made the object of Kiel's attack on account of its containing a large (quantity of valuable provisions and ammunition. The following letter will give a just idea of the state of public feeling at Prince Albert at the com- mencement of the war. It is from Wm, Miller, farmer, of Prince Albert, who has been residing there for up- wards of tea years, and has not yet receiv^ed the patent for his land. He writes as follows : — " The grievances of both whites and Half-breeds are neither few^ nor small. Money is very hard to get hold of. The Government is to blame for a large share of it. We have to depend on a local market, ^he Indian and police supplies have all been given by p :,te contract to the Hudson Bay Com- pany; that mean ;arly all the money goes out of tlie coun- try. It is put ii ' ' their power to pay us in trade, and they have taken advantage of it to the utmost. I will give an instance or two : — They let 500 cords of wood by private contract to the Hudson Kay Company at $3.50 per cord. I would have liked to have had the job at $2 per cord, and would have done well by it. It did not cost them SI per cord. Also a contract for hay at $:25 per ton, the Hudson Bay Company paying $7 for it, and paying both in trade. I attended a large meeting a few days ago that was held at the South Branch. Some had come there over thirty miles. In their remarks they threatened rebellion. I was asked an opinion. In a few words I asked them to confer with the Government before they went any ON GUAHI) AT PltlXCF. ALBERT. 79 further. If tht^y take up arms I don't know how they will (Mjuip and t'eed tho.se men. I suppose tlio most of thorn would have a jrun of some kind. It is said that Riel. could gailior up 10,000 Indians on this aide of the line. A great many here feel very much alarmed, already talking of building fortifications with cordwood. I can- not say I feel much alarmed yet, although there is a dan- ger with Indians. When they get started they don't know when to stop." Meanwhile at Prince Albert, as at Battleford, the available men were organized for armed defence. The position was made stronger by that best of f'xtemporized outworks, piles of rough cord wood ; but the wires were cut by the rebels and little eommuni';ation could be obtained from the base of Middleton's operations at Qu'Appelle. In the meantime, by the night of April 7, General Middleton, who had marched from Qu'Appelle that morning, had arrived at a halting place some thirty miles north. The Queen's Own were already camped at Qu'Appelle. The entire distance, by the route chosen by General Middleton, from Qu'Appelle to the Saskatchewan was about tvs^o hundred miles. The first thirty miles of it lay through open undulating stretches of prairie, amid which, at considerable intervals, were sparsely wooded bluffs, but no caves which foes could occupy in the face of the vigil- ance with which the General pushed forward his scouting part^ ^.s in front and on the flanks of his main advance. Beyond this was a succession of gravelly and more thickly wooded hills, known as the "Touchwood Hills. They bear this name for the reason that, unlike most wooded tracts, especially in the North -West, they have never had their timber cleared by a conHagration. Those versed in forestry are aware that when trees are suffered to decay by the slow process of dry rot, peculiar to densely wooded regions, the product is what used to bo known as toychwood or tinder. In days before the lucifer match was known, this hilly region was in great demand among 80 CANADVS NORTU CVEST UEUEL.MON. tho Indians for supplies of this tindor with w])ir;h, bottor than the dry leaves described by Viriril, they could catch the H parks latent iu the tlint-stone. Beyond the Touchwood Hills extends the great Salt Plain, stretching for thirty-tive miles of dreary saline or alkaline morass, where the melted snow was settling into clayey slush niixed with the alkaline mud into which a settler's waggon would sink hub-deep. Hero the only trees were willows, aspens, and the sad grey foliage of the poplar. Here there were many points at which it wouhl nave been ditlicult for the mast etfective scout to discover a skdfuUy ambushed enemy, who could have hidden behind cover in places remlered inaccessible to our men by the surrounding morass. But here the Gejieral and our Canadian army hold their march unopposed. CHAPTER XL THE SIEQE OF BATTLkFORD CONTrNlTES. GIVES HIS VIEWS. -MAJOH WALSH AS day after day passed the situati'jn at Battleford be- came more and more desperate. The town, by reason of its distance from the railway, was necessarily isolated from the outer world, while owing to the very imperfect state of the telegraph line only short despatches were received and that at i 'Tegular intervals. From these despatches it was evident that the rising in the district was no merely local affair, but that it was part of a very formidable system of insurrection, which even tljen threatened to sweep the country from the western boulid- ary of Manitoba to the foot of ^he Rocky Mountains. ' Half the sufferings and perils of the manj^ isolated settlers in the North Saskatchewan region during this Indian Rising will never be tolJ. but occasionally an experience comes to the surface, which serves as a sample of V/ »-v«^ they had to undergo. Here is one of them : ( he w ing t haserv»5s to iiKjiiire as to tlu! truth of a rinnonnd njirisinj; id' th«' Indians. M'0.i\ on very friendly terms with the Htoneys. many of whom had worked for hiiu from time to time, ft was further learned that, on the .same Monday morning before the party left tho reserve, some of the Stoneys had gone to the ( 'ree or Red Phoa.sant reserve to tell <;hcni to go down to Battleford, as the d.?y for action had come. Among the details of the plundering of Battleford, is the sttrtement that some of tho chief's squaws were cnabh^d to })resent quite a stylish appearance as they pronK^naded in the silk dresses tak(!n from the homes of Mrs. Rouleau, Mrs. Rae, and other ladies. The wife of Rev. Mr. Clarke, who was married last fall, lost her wed- ding presents of silver, tho savages smashing them in front of the house. Of course, as the news of the rising spread, greatly exaggerated reports got abroad. It was reported that D. TIIK SIKOK OF nATLIKFoKD rriNTrM'KS, H!S 'as ly tor on lie (Ml IS ere loy of of •d- in 0. L. Clink, iristnictor to Moo.soiiiin'n lmnc'tn iniir- (lored, iin«) at orio tiiii>' tint iuipi-cssion provdi 1 t)iat all tlic inNtnicfors, iuelmlinLj Mr. JeHVrson on PoiukIhuiIu r'n ivMorve, lia'l boon inuiree chief, the iau of pow«l«u. ( )uo of thoMo iM(!n was CJoloufl Mr, but a friend, ami that my treatment of tliem had proved this. The Oovernmcnt of Canada had decided that one set of laws (those I had read to them) should govern the v;];ole country. To allow each community to make its own law.s would destroy any State or country. I concluded by sayirjg that tlie law would have to bo enforced, even it force had to be used, and that while the Government of ( ^anada wished to be 38 CANADAS NUUTJI-VVEST Ili:iti;iJ.ION. their friciuls, if tlioy became enemies it woii]es wlio liave never learned to resp'-ct the usages of civilized warfare. The m\u'dcr of Payne on tlie Assiniboine reserve near Battleford and that of the ranehman Barney Tremont, were horrifying ; but the news of the Frog Lake massacre was Ity all oast writing he ever penned. Mr, Cameron lias preserved it. It read as follows : " D^ar Cameron, — Please give Miserable Man one blai,ket— Quinn." Mr. O.MiatiTon .aid, " I have no blankets." Miserable Man looked hprd at him but said nothinor. Yel^OvV Bbarvpoke "Don't you see he has no blan-iets. What .'V y( u i^oking at )'im for ?" " Well," said Miser- able Man 1 wili take S( mething else," and he took four or five doi/ai: . v^urth of odds and ends. Just as they THK FIIOG LAKE MARSACriF. 93 finished tradiiiL? tlioy licard the fivHt shot. Misrnihlc M;in turned and rusheil out. Cameron licard .soin<' one cnllin^ " Stop ! stop !" This was Bii,' Bear, wlio was in tlie Hudson's Bay (■oin{)any's liousc talking to Mrs. Sinip- son, the factor's wife. As Mr. Cameron went out * f the store he locked th.- door, and while he was doino- this an Indian ran up and said, " IF you s()eak twice you are a dead num. One man has spoken twice already, and lie is deaut they resisted. He was a wiry man and founrlit liacd. Travellini^' Spirit, however, rushed up and shot him in the chest and head, and he fell dead. In the rush that followed a moment after this Oowan- lock wjus killed by the Worm. Gilchrist and Dill were together, and Little Bear—who had previously killed WiMiscralV— fired on them. Gilclirist fell immediately, V>ut JJill Ava'> not liurt and started to run. The Indians cliawe'l him on horseback and he was finally killed by Man- Talking-to-Another. Mr. Cameron was horrified on seeing the killing of the priests and Delaney. Of course he oould do nothing to save them. He ^vent up and caught Mrs. Simpson by the arm, thinking she was going to fall from the shock. They walked on. She ke|)t saying " Go on faster," for the Indians wore all round ; but there was no use in try- ing to runaway. Tlvy afterwards learned that had tliis been tried Mr. Canieron would have been shot. After reaching the main camp, a Frog Lake chief named He- 8tands-U})- Before Him and some head man took Mr. Cameron into a lodge, where they told him they would see that no harm should befall him. They then went out and brought in Travelling Spirit, and told him that he and his band were to let Cameron alone. Travelling Spirit assured them all, and Cameron himself that he would. Mrs. Gowanlock was with Mrs. Delaney, having left her own house three miles away on the tirst news of the trouble. The two women were walking to camp with Mr. Gowanlock and Mr. Delaney, when tlie two latter weie sliot. Gowanlock fell dyinu' in his wife's arms. The Indians then brought the women to camp. By this time almost everything in the place had been taken. THE FIK (J LAKE MASSACUR. 96 Wh'^ ^i^. Oaineron left Uiey broke oprn the storr and raivn attack the pe)lico barracks, so the whole camp mo\ed towards Pitt, taking about ton days. PFowever, they pearance of our scouts. The majority of the Indians of Frog Lake, Long Lake, and Onion Lake, and other bands of Wood Crees, were compeil(^d to join Big Bear, thougli having no desire to take part in the troubles. They helped themselves to a share of the plunder, but they were in a manner obliged to do so in or tliry Llioii<;I)t thoy were not U'^od w<'ll ononujli. A party of (*rrt>,s took OanxM'on and otliors and witlnhow from \V\<^ iicai'^ hand jiHt prior to Stran^^^e's Hkiindsh of tho 27th of May, thinking tliat porliaps tlio Plain Ohm^s would kill tlic piisonor^ if any of their nnml»er wore wounded or killi'd. I^i^' Bear's b.-nul had Ixjon wishing to kill tho prisoners all alorii,', and were oidy prevented hy the watchfulness of tht^ Metis ami Wood Creos, while the women owe their nafety entirely to lUondin, Pritchard, and ot)ier Ifalf-ltreeds. The victims of tins fri-a::jent. Indian Deportment; Father Fafard, Father Marchand, John Delaney, Farm Tn.'^tructor ; J. A. Oowanloek, Charles ( Jf.min, William Gilchrist, John Williseraft, Joi.n J)dl. Besides these, Mrs. Gowanloek, Mis. Delaney, James K. Simpson, and sevet-al other settUjrs were made prisoners. It is, of course, impossible to describe tlie horror witli wldeh this mas.sacre inspiivd public sentintt nt throu^liout Canada. Mr T. T. Quinn, the lnN. bush or plain. An acconipliMluMl liorst'man and a skilled oanoenian, lio was tiiorDU^jhly at home «in snowshoes, an • xpcriciiccMl travcllor with do;; trains, jm-l an cxptMt with ux»', liMo, Jih<)t<,'un, or rijvolvur. Mr. Quiim, who wa.s a Catholi<', lahourod in a very rpiiot and niodost, hut rtlt'c- tivo way toward tho conversion of the IndiuiH U'oiu paganism to Chri.stianity, as from hi.s hoyliood lie had always taken u deep inteiust in anytliintr that was eaiiMi- late'tl to ameliorate tho condition ot' th« Indian, no matter to what tril)0 he nn';Ljht happ' n tn heh 'fjf. His death was sincerely mourned hy many an oleen engaged ir* trading with them for a long time, and always being on the most friendly terms with them, he had no fears. At the time the troubles broke out he, in partneislup with Mr. Laurie, son of the editor of the iSashitchevjan Ht'rald, was enffagcd in the construction of a >jrist-inill at Fros: Lake, where they had shortly before completed a saw-mill. The Rev. Father I'afard was born in Berthier, P.Q., where his parents are still living. His earlier education was carried on in Montreal, and completiid at L'A.ssou'p- tion College in 1874. Immediately on linishing his col- lege course he went to the North-West, where he was attached to the Battleford Mission included in the diocese THE FROO LAKK MASSACUK, 90 of Bishop Oran.liri, of St, AIl»ort. Hiw rlntioH werr* those of a Cntliiilic priest, ir» a-Mition tf> w))ich )»< »in.l»utook tho .Mltioatit)M of tilt* oliiMi.ri uf hi.s flock, which coUHi.sted of whih'M, Half hi rd.s nn.l In.lians. Of the H»'V. Father Murchuij is known ; ho wa.-«a yomi^ priest who came out iVoiii Kranco in iShM. un.l \s ^m at ouc«« atlach.Mi to Hisliop (iran.diou- arie« were Oblat Fathers. g;gag|,'3fosaa^;*s? IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 H^l^ 1^ I.I 1.25 ,» la SB.'- u. ..„ 111,1 2 1.4 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) 872-4503 s over a beautiful upland prairie wliieh brought the C(»lumn to a small sweet water lake wliich was the scene of the first camp north of the river. There was no wood north of this point, however, and in fact the whole plain up to a point on the line of march north of Eagle Creek, and j)robably ninety miles or more from the Saskatchewan, is destitute of anything in the shape of timber. AtYer leaving the lake already alluded to, the trail leads up along gradiial ascent made over gently undulat- ing prairie uplands. Here, as well iia in the short match already mentioned, the footing was reasonably dry and firm. Then comes a very sudden, but slight descent into a strange looking valley, with a smootn, level bottom about a mile wide, and covered with a rich loamy soil. This belt or valley, which appears to extend indefinitely on either side of the trail, looks as though it might have been the valley of some ancient river. On the farther, or what appears to have been the north bank, there is a lofty ridge which stands up out of the plain like a huge wall and up this ridge the trail winds through a rugged, rock-bordered, and somewhat tortuous pas.s. Above this ridge the ascent continues as the march leads still north- ward over slightly rolling prairie for some twenty miles, » t*t»"f' r--B»»»'i»T»>:r.'-'«*''*»'i-iri^f,ti 'i" !i ;' - iTi i i i,n»i ynnH i i 'i ""t' 'fltfj 102 CANADA 8 NORTH-WEST RKIIELI.ION. after which high rollinj^ hills are entered. Here the soil Ih dry and gravelly, an«l alkali lakes are numerous, but there are also pools and lakes of svvot^t water quite suf- fici(Mit to supply all possible requirements for cani[)ing. Though the trail through these hills is always iifni and dry, it is very tortuoua, while some of tlie hills rise well towards the dignity of mountains. 'J'his rough almost mountainous country continues for about twenty miles, and then the trail leads out into a smoother, though still undulating tract. After traversing about fifteen miles of this last nusntioned class (»1' conntr}', a big coulee is reached, which contains an abundant supply of sweet water of an excellent quality. Twelve miles further on there is a strongly saline creek forty or fifty feet wide, easily fordable, and having a fairly good bottom. This creek is not alkaline, but pronouncedly " salt " at all sea- sons of the year. A little farther on Eagle Hills Creek, which is about eighty-five miles from the South Sfiskatch- ewan, is reached. A long and rather steep hill leads down into the valley of this creek from the south, and a atrip of flat bottom land a mile in width intervenes between the foot of the hill and the edge of the creek. The creek itself is swift, deep, and narrow at this point. The ascent out of this valley is a comparatively easy one, and when the benches were reached once more the travelling was unembarrassed by anything formidable in the shape of hills or valleys. About twelve miles further on timber sufficient for fuel was reached, and from this spot until Eagle Hills were reached, the trail lay through clean, open prairie. Just at the point of the hill (twenty miles from Battleford) is the Stoney reserve, and it was here that the boys began to keep a sharp look out for trouble, and their vigilance was nowhere relaxed on the journey over the last twenty miles. The progress of Colonel Otter's command from the South Saskatchewan Crossing to Battleford was very rapid, the average being something more than thirty miles p3r day. It is not to be understood, however, that otteh'h mahcii to hattlkkord. 103 tho men marched at thnt rate, for the fact is that after Saskatchewan (-r()ssin(^' was reached part of the iiu'n were ahio to securo a ride on the waj^j^ons for portions of tho remainder of tl»o distance. Goiii^ over the prairie in this fashion was not at all disagrcoalde. The weather (hiring the day was conifortaldy warm, and at ni^ht, although the pools of water everywhore mot with on the prairie were fotmd each morning covered with a fresh surface of ice, the men got along very nicely under the canvas, and accommodating themselves to tluiir changed circum- stances really seemed to be beginning to enjoy the vicis- situdes of soldiering. The mo-st trying time was on picket or sentry. Those fandliar with the coiintry and the Indian method of warfare had no fear that the column would be attacked before rcaclung Battleford, except it might be that stragglers from the cainp miglit be picked off or that a picket or sentry would be chaiged at night. While the column was advancing Colonel Hevchmer's detachment of Mounted Police, numbering twenty-five. Logetiier with some scouts specially engaged, rode about a mile ahead and the same distance to the right and left, beating into every coulee or clump of poplar where an enemy might be ambushed, thus absolutely preventing the possibility of anything like a surprise. At night the pickets extended from a quarter to half-a-mile on all sides ot the camp. All felt, or should have felt, perfectly safe and rested as peacefully as need be. The camp was usually pitched between four and six in the afternoon, and struck about five in the morning. At the Eagle River, about half- way up the trail, the sprirtg waters had carried the bridire awav, but materials for the construction of a fjew one had been brought along, and sent on in advance to prepare a crossing for the coluir>r.,so that no delay was experienced on this account. Stations were made at dis- tances, in most cases of from thirty to forty miles. A couple of men were ]»laced in each. Colonel Otter started out with only about ten days' forage, and his provisions also were very much short of 104 CANADAS NOin'U-WKHT RKHErXION. Uio thirty d&yn ratiotiH lie had expected to take with him. Tluj didiculty was timt thuro wore not sutrn-icMit t«'ama to ;:(ct the wholo under way at onee. The method adopted was to send Imck thu ttmm.s i'oi" fresh loarls as Not»n as those they started out with were consunit'd. They exptH^ted to meet otlier k)ads comin<( on from the Crossifif;^, pick them up and return, while the teHuis, tlius reli(» veil, carried tlio empty wae^ons hmk totlm ('rossing. Colonel Otter's column presented a very fornddahio appenrance as it wcnind alonijf the cri)ok<'d trail o\er tlie |)rniries. Its two hundred tiMims stictelnMl .somi'time.s ovisr (wo or three miles, and looked at from any promin- ent position, was sueh assuredly as would put dread into the heart of th<' Indian. The Kaujle Hills, where it was e.xpected the enemy would Ik^ eneountered, if at any place along the line, w.ero reaeluMl on 'IMuirsday, the 2Jkd A}iril, ahout 11 a.m. A halt was made for ilinner, and among the men the prohaliilities of th(^ next few hours were dis- cussed with nmch intcicst. 'I'he day previous Charlie Ross, one of the best-known and most rlaring of the Mounted Police scouts, had come aero.«>s a hand of proha- hly a ilozen Indians in one of the prairie valleys, The.y had a buckhoard and cart, and were ai)pare!»tly engaged in the very peneeful occupation of slaughtering and dre.ssing a calf. They were certnirdy surprised by the appearance of the scout who advanced to speak to them. VVhen he was about twolnnidred yards distant they fired a couy)le of sliots in his directi(m. He replied, but his rifle burst, and the bullet failed to reach its mark. He thought the accident must have occurred by the muzzle of his rifle having got tilled with mud. The In lians madeolfas fast as they could, and Ross returned and reported the occurrence. A detachment was at once ordered to be ready for pursuit, but tlie Indians were not again seen. This occurrence aroused some apprehension of ^rouble when the Hills were reached, although it had been reported that the Indians Imd deserted their reserve a day or two previously. All through these Hills there '1 • '-i- - ^v*'r**'*» ^^f*"nr^ otteu'h maucii to hatti.kkord. 105 wa.s acon.sino of tlie te|)('eH a niost ^IwLstly spectacle met tlie nyo. A couple of hoxos, Kuch OH ai*»<:* musty hftvi' ' ^tftiniMl |)OHHeHMion of tlio tc^wn ati'l pro^aMjr tlui fort o-M well and, m 'ing tlu; advance of the forces over the hill wero setting Hn« to th« placo provjouH to (liVMcrtin;; it. No rU'WH from Battlofonl had Ix^'ii nHTiv»^d })y Coloiwd ( )tt<'r for Hom« days, and lie wits, th»'r«'foro, i^^norant of the position of aHairn. Thcro wa/n a ((uarter of an hour ofanxiouN HusnenHO till tlu; troops •^ain«d tho top of the intervening hill. It was tln-n H»;en at a dis- tfinco of probably five iuil»!8 that a lniildin<^ on {\\i\ south side of Battle River in the old town was on tire. That it was the wf)rk of the Indians was apparent , hut it was a relief to Hnd that the for^ and new towii were still hold- ing out. Th(! coUnnn wa.s halted on a plain about three mil»3H from the rivnr, the teams corralled, and thr tentn pitched i'<>r the ni^ht. Scarcely had the sun sot, sinking as it seemed into the jjjreat plain beyond Battleford, than the Hky wa.s lit up by another building ablaze in the oM town. From a prominence near the camp, with the aid of a o within a very short distance of them. Koss himself got into a dense undergrowth where he lay watching the Indians' antics. So far as he could determine there were about eighty of them, all with horses ready to mount. As Ross lay among the shrubbery he was startled by a cough within ■■'»m^mjo oiiu of his own poopio, and Uohh was not avnxo that he nhould holil t)>at o|»inioii iindi»r Huch rimiiiistiinfcH. Half a- doz«'M Iiidiaiis presently roso up all around him and went to tht'ir hor-(»N a shdi't diMtanoo away. Ross uIho tnovrd away, and pro.sontly came aoroMs his companions n«'ar tlio main trail. 'I'horo thoy HtationtMl thoutstdves tdl a do/.on nioiinti«(l Indians rodo slowly alon^'. Wlim tln-y wcru thirty yards pa«t Ross .spranj» up and called, " Halt." The Iiidiiins did not Imit, howt'vcr, hut put spurs to thoir poiii«\s, and tho sroutH opened tiro on them with thoir rovol\t>rs, tho ofdy tiroarnjs they carried. This was tlie firing tluiy licard from the camp. Tin^ Indians in a tew minutes all seemed to have disappeared, as if hy nm^ic. They wore doulitlew.s in amhush awaitin<^ the advance of those who had fired on thera. The Mounted Pt)li(i .sipuid ]iresently came up and thou;(ht it wise that all shovild return lo ean>ji. The pick(^t.s thrt ni^jht douhtleH.s put in an anxious time of it. It was tli«i general impression in camp that the Inilians would make an eflort to pick off some of the farthest out, hut it wius otherwise. Tne .iun ro.so bright ly over the scene of the Imlians' bonfire, but no lndia?i was then to be seen. The house timt had been biirneil the previoua evening was Judge Rouleau's handsome resi lence. Immediately after breakfist the tents were struck and the whole column advanced to the brow of the some- wiiat steep declivity running down to Battle River. Here the tents were again |)itched close beside the Indus- trial School and only a short distance ftom thcsmouhler- iiig ruins of Judge Rouleau's residence. The Imlians had made a complete wreck of the ohl town and had exercised almost devilisli ingenuity in their methods of destruction. The contents of the Industrial School were thrown about in shapeless confusion, the windows smashed, and the walls battered and polluted. The interior of every pi C^TKUa MAIK H TO llAITLKFOUl). 109 un^)(ini«>(1 hoime in tho old town proHHiitm) a Himilar Then' worn itliiit up in tht^ fort sdimthin^ ov»;r five liunri, coinpoMMd <»f townM- people and all tliH whit4» p«>om1u Hcttlt^d in t\u* dintrict. riio fort in iiliout two hund?i«d yardn ntpiaie, with a ntof'kado ton fcot hij^li. TIhto wiih an nl»nndance (d* pro- viHionH — enough, it was thougiit, to last thn'e niontliM. Thi.s coinpriHo(l l)oth th«' poiicn and li.dian HUpplioH. hi HO snuill a Hpacc it will ho roadily und»'rstoui| liavii iMM^ri a f^Hllin^^ sif^ht. AIkxU onu liuinlrc*! litxl fifty of ttio tnni In tlio fort n'poAttMlly nMiitiv^t*)*! < 'olorirl Morri.s to Ih< ailowril to m> out And ntt*'ii)))t to iliivi> tli(!riit*niy nf!'iiiMi M)curi» tlio provwionn. This n^mivit h<» r«'liMrr.HiN- tontly, and tho ttlnndoiin^ wt>nt on un<')i«M*ki*d, rxc«»|)t on two oooAsionM wImmi tlir ^un wam lnou^dit out ulMiut half way to tin* river, and a iniii))Mll.s tlirown at thi^ oneuiy. Four of tli«*ni worn kilN'd and tlx* rest disporMrd into tin* wood«. On tho Mocond day a dozen iiu-n o( the Tloine (hmrds croHs«»d the river, when the IridianH fled, And captured a horse and liuek hoard, tlie latter loaded wit)) looted i(o(mIh. It appears the horse was Imidky and wouM not move off with (he Indians. In etjnnei'tion with C«)lonel Morris' rotoMal to allow a reseiio party f^ leave the fort it nnist he kept in vitiw that the com- manding otHccr had ahout as L^reat dread of the enemy within the fort am that without. Many of them were HrJf-hreedH And their loyAlty, to say tlie least of it, (juen- tionable. Had tlu^y been allowed to jj;et out he did not know what their freedom mi^ht liave devel()|io4day, the day before the arrival of the relief column, one of the most lamentable events of the whole siege occurred in the shooting of poor Frank A. Smart, who was one of the moat popular men of the district, and one who seemed to possess the entire confi- dence of the Indiana. But it wa.s a most notable circum- stance during this uprising that those men who have Ol'IKKH MAKCil Ut IIATTLKrolll). Ill booit iitiMt kii)i>ii inurktMl I'or <|i'ut|i. Thf iitiintiori nil tliii>U({li tliiM diMtrittt wan tiumi (|(*|)li)riil»lo. TItt' st'ttli'i.s, <»f (*our*Nr, ltH«l Imm^ii roMxMl of nvuiytiiin^ Tlii'ir CHlttt) And liorHim IiaiI iM^n ti AWAV, llitMf lioiiHi'H rltliiT l>MrniMl or Muoko«l, and tItM.s tho hilioiir ol' yvtiVH Iiaii i'enil«in'(l vain. 'Dioho wito hml toiiiMl aiiiiM into poNJtionMot coinimrativi; riuto, wim*o Utft )H)in««l('HH an«i ttrnnilcNM, in an infinitely woi-mo condi- tion than when uwy tii«t n't toot in the rountry. 'I'hn N<*od for which thtt ground wiut juHt Indti^' {>ropar«)d wan never sow n. The lindin^ r>f tliu Itody of Payne, the Indian Instruct tor, on Mos<|uito'H reMervo cansod soniethin;^' like a Herisa- tion in the camp and liarrackM. It wam h(>lioved tliat tltu Indians had cut it to pieces and diHpoAed of it in that way. Ser^c^ant Lanj^try wan in charge of thn fati^tio jmrty that nmde the diHCovery. Tlu^ Tnuidrred man was lying apparently just an ho had t'alh'n, on his face, with hin anuH Htr(>t(-)ir of doup wounds on tlu^ hack oi his head told of the di adiy and cowanily nature of the attack. A (pjantitv of straw luid been h)oscly thrown over the corpse, and the wind hU»w- ing a portion of tins away disclosed the form. In the house which he occupied everything wan in confusifni. His diary, contuinin;,' entries up to the ni^ht before his death, was discovered. There wa.s no reference to an expect«Hl rising, excentin*:,' m an entry made three days previous to his inted and dissatisfied that an opportunity has so long be ^n denied them to show their merit in the field, and when it comes to that they may be depended on to do their duty. From most of their faces the sun has already removed the outer film of skin, and what remains "s tanned a glorious brown. Most of them have perforce d lowed their beards to grow, and as they were seen at cliurch parade to-day they presented an appearance vastly different from that they wore on a King Street parade last summer. Until the column arrived here the rations consisted of hard-tack, pork, canned meat, dried apples, beans, and tea, and there was abundance of it, notwithstanding that reports have gone ■I'. 'I GENERAL MIDDLETON's ADVANCE. 113 got forward to the contrary. Since pitching camp here, fresh beef has been occasionally served, and thin cliange has been hailed with great glee. Whenever a g()od I'at steer is found it is approi)riatod and slaughtered forthwith, and if the owner is not near by he is settled with as soon aa he happens to turn up. " Whde making the ahove remarks about the Queen's Own, the other bodies composing the brigade niust not be lost sight of. Company C, of the Toronto Infantry School, half of which are here under Ca|»tain Wadmore, are admired l)y all for their soldierly bearing and hand- some appearance in column. Captain Todd's Ottawa Foot Guards are a thoroughly disci [)lined body of men, and it is only necessary to mention B Battery to provoke plaudits among Canadian jnilitiamen." Thus the siege of Battlef'ord was raised, and it v;as thought that the work of Colonel Otter'a colunm was done. How little we know of what is before us. The tra'^edy of Cut Knife Hill was still to bo enacted. CHAPTER XIV gone GENERVL MIDDLETON's ADVANCE— WAITING FOR SUPPLIES AND REINFORCEMENTS. WHILE *-.heso events were taking place in the West, matters in the eastern portion of the disturbed district were by no meai.s at a stand-still. Recognizing tlie pressing necessity of doing his utmost to nip the rebellion in" the bud, General Middleton was hurrying forward with all possible speed. The provisions for transport service, having been hurriedly made, were of course not particularly ethcient nor satisfactory. It too often happens that in emergencies of this kind, people selected in a hurry to fill positions of responsibility and f. 114 Canada's north-west rebellion. tr\i«t, are selected on account of personal popularity, or in acknowledgment of poUticti) services rather than Ixjcause of anv especial fitness for the place. The conduct of the canipaif^m in the North- West was not altogether free from blunders of this kind, and it would be too much to expect that it should have been. At the season of the year when the jour'^ey from Qu'A|)j)elle to Clark's Crossing had to be undertaken, the grass was not in such a state as to furnish suitable forage for any but native or thoroughly acclimatized horses. In consequence of this supplies for man and beast had to bo freighted thro\igh. In this way it will be seen that a large proportion of the supplies hauled in were consumed by tlie horses engaged in the transport service, so that the amount of freighting necessary to keep the force in the field properly supplied was something enormous. With the trails in the worst possible condition, with both horses and teamsters all green at the business, and with, possibly, a very limited aptitude for the work himself, it is not surprising that Mr. Bedson should have made a very sorry job of the transport service. General Middleton was very consider- ably handicapped in his efforts to push forward by the lack of sup})lies ; his patience was sorely tried at having to wait day after day at Clark's Crossing, knowing well that every day of such inaction was equivalent to giving aid and comfvrt to the rebel cause. Every day Gabriel Dumont was strengthening his position at Batoche, and still General Middleton was powerless to advance against him. Every day Kiel's runners were carrying into Indian camps all over the Territory the news that the white men dared not attack them, and yet, well-knowing this, General Middleton was powerless to advance against him. Find- ing the transport service via Qu'Appelle would be nearly or quite inadequate to meet the demands of the situation General Middleton determined to open another route for bringing in supplies. The Midland Battalion and a Gatling gun in charge of Lieutenant How^ard, an ex- tensive store of supplies, and other necessities for the •, t w >r^)jr if»y^'»»'VT^''' •' m ,»»»«|.. IIG CANAIUH NOHTH Wi:ST UKHKLMON. |>r(\s<»nt, ussi.stau('«», a Httl(» hand of ro»l-<*()atO(l prairio troojxT.s, every ono of tliom witli as l)iav<» a lu'art aw twiir Invit lu'jH'at]i t,l»o H('arl(*t. Tlirir liMuier wa.s a wcll-t-ritMl Holdior wlioso inodost worMi, thouijh hlazorhHl by no bin> liiiLT I'liroiiic'.Iors, was woll-known to Holdior (!oiinaility,nuiuheitMl not lesH than . .. .. 1.. rr -r -t I-. »;■ ■>•.«._ ■-■>.. rr^:r—.^ . ■ ~— . - . ^^ . . — y PLAN OF '• KOnr PITT.'* thrco hundred. Fort Pitt Is sitiiafcd on the north hank of the North Saskatchewan, ninci y-eigl»t miles north- west from Battleford, and two hiii.cfred anil four miles ea.st from Ftlmonton, hy the trail ruiudng alonor ijie nor tli side of the river. It is situated on a hnv, rieh tlat, which lies from twelve to fifteen feet ahove the river level, and which runs back about half-a-mile to where it meets ■*sr n« CANADA H NOHTfl-WKST IIKHKI.I.FOM. th«» hijjh n)Iliiii? <*«nmtry I lint Mtrrtclu'M away on all .siH ill (ln> vrar of t\\v pest.. Tlic fort cotiMi.stnl of Hov^tal lo;^ buildings nrranj^M'd in a Ixtllow square, ari«l wan f<)rnn«rly oncloMi'd h\ a Ht()*ka«!»^ with liastioiis on the coriu^rH, Imt OS tluM l»as. Hi^ Hoar, who was Ix'sif^^in/j; Kort IMtt, had \>rvn indiu'od by nu'uns (»f nun'li coaxirj;^ and many pnsscnt.H to roniovo from tlio South, whero in Ins close vicinity to tho border line lie was continually a causo of anxiety to Fort Pitt, wlu'ro in tho midst of a numlxT of liithcrto (juiot and peaceful bands of his own nation, and henmicd in on tlie South by the North Sa.sk Mtche wan, it was sup- posed ]jc woulii settle down and ^ivc no further trouble. li'i^ Hoar was the last to take ticaty and when he did one of his strongest objections to doin^ so was that he dill not lik':. the idea of hanjjfing as a punishment for murder. It was late in I8}S2 when Hii^ Hear signed his adhesion to the treaty and exjuessod his willingness to go on a reserve near Kort Pitt. Whether or not Big Hear wtus sincere in hia j^rofessions of loyalty at that time riMuains to be seen. He had been down in Montana bunting buffaloes all summer in the same region where liiol was at that time said to be doing his best to how the seeds of discontent and rebellion among both Hal f-brecds and Indians from north of the border. Big Hear had originally come from Fort PiU, but in the autunni of 187li he went South hunting bu Haloes, and from that time till after he took treaty about the end of 1882 he reiiiained South making Fort Walsh headquarters for himself and his band. The buffalo hunting was bad even south of the boundary line where he spent the summer, and as early as the latter part of August or beginning of September he sent five of his young men North with a message to his particular friend Piapot. At this time he believed that Piapot was settled on a reserve at Indian Head, and the messengers were instructed to ask Piapot •^»v 'I TIIK VM.\, (»K Four IMTT, no if Tii(Mitonafit Oovrrrior Dowdnoy* )uul carriod out 1ii« ii'4nM'iii(>iits with tli(» Iatt(()rtion of the guld excitement. Like many othert* he made and iont more than one handHomo compHtcncy in that country, but wan fortunate enough to finally light on his fi-et financially. As a rfpresontative from liritinh Columbia in the Dominion Parliament he bei:anie a man of Home importance politically, and on, or soon after, the acceHwion of Sir .John Macdonald to power in 187f< he uiih appointed Indian romraiBBitmer, and on the expiry of Ex-Governor Laird'H term in 1881, he waa appointed Lieu- teuant-Governor of the Territory, still retaining his Indian CommiuHiouahip. •-'V- I •" i 120 CANADA 8 NOUTH-WKST limFI.LION. Crt'CM wns in no hiinidur to ropoifc favouMiMy to \l\fi lUnvH t'THjiiiry, a.s lui wns tlion fresh trom Ium famoiiM interview witli liion^onHnt-CJlovernor DewJtioy at Fort Qij'AppolIc, in wliich tho latter luul been held up by OUIKV FIAPOT or THB SOUTH 0RBR8. Piapot to contempt and scorn. This of course for the time put an end to Big Bear'3 negotiations with the Indian Department, but as the hunting continued bad Big Bear found his way to Fort Walsh late in the season, ^- - ---^ ^'^"^ THR FALL of FOUT IMTT. Ill ainl .^Ipfnifl<' riMativu strtMi^th ot tli<< otipoNin^ par Mr. M(*li(>i>n wrote to his family atid thr othrr whito wt'ttlorH wlio vvfKf unn(U)r thcinscivos to tho Irwlians, and como into tho Indian camp, as Hi^^ H(>ar coittfinplatod an almost iuimtMl. iatt) attack on tho fort. Yielding to th*- iin*lson Hay oHicor's pcr.suiision anfu«ed to surrt!ndt;r. Big Bear then otlbrcd to allow them to escape pro- vided they would leave their own arms and the arms and Hupplios under their ehar{.(e to fall into his hands. This they refused to do, and the attack wa« made. The i\^]it while it lasted was a hot one. Constable Cowan was killed, and l^ansby wountled, and for a time it looked as though the police must succumb, but indondtable British pluck and coolness at last prevailed, and tho Indians were driven off, leaving four dead upon the field. Dickens and his force then, destroying everything in the shape of arms, ammunition, and supplies, which they could not take TklL or rOKT IMTT. ISA 1. with th«»ra, rotroftti*'! to the rivpit iin«l IoA'IIhk what ihvy required iiiU) u Vuilc lH>at tiiAir wny dowu t)ie HtreAm to Hattlrfoi'l. No inon lu«r<>ic lly;lit or Miipri'ssful fl()f<*nco in tli<* hivr of overwlteiiiiin^ (xitiM illumitiDM titi! |>a^i*N of inoilt^rii liiniory Tho following is the lint of tho porsoni hiild priHontTM hy lii^ Ht'ur: Mr. MfI<«Min, Fiwtor, TTuiIsou'h Bay ('oniprtny; Mn«. MrFi<'an Miss Me Lean, Miss Mar^^un't Meli«'un ami Minn MfI,.'iiM, Mjistof ISij)oniaM MrLcan. Master Willir Mrf^'an, MfiHtur An^iis MclAaii, Miwstii Duncan Mciiruti Mitsii^i .J. ilo.s<^ Mi'Lraii ari'l infaitt, Mr. Stunluy SinipMiMi, Mu«l* moii'm Hay <'l»'rk ; Mr. Ilcxison, llu'lson Hay cook; llciny DufroMiui, Hudson H Bay Coujpany'M Norvant; HahiHCo Sinitli, n«nl.son Bay Horvartt, an»l fatiiily of nix ; Mr. Mann, Iristnurtoi. Onion Ijakt^, an»l family of fivo ; Kov. Mr. an.15 o'clock, they rode l)ack three miles to the main column. Captain Wise, General Middleton's adjutant, at once came up, and ordered the troops to advance. The men gave a loud cheer and then struck out, extendinT" Vneir formation as they neared the edge of the coulee, from which puffs of smoke were already curling up, twenty of Dumont's men, with Winchesters, tiring over a natural shelf or parapet protected by big boulders. The column was ast the tire of and D Companies to the bluff, and joined their comrades in a rattling fusilade on A. Fortunately only a few of them had Winchesters, A moved forward a little, and soon got the measure of the ravine. The shrapnel screeche(l in the air, and burst right in among the brush and boulders, smashing the scraggy trees, and tearing up the moss that covered the ground in patches. Tlie rebels at once saw that the game was up in this quarter, though they kept up a bold front and seldom stopped firing except when they were dodging back into new cover. In doing tliis they rarely exposed themselves, either creej>irig on all fours or else running a few yards in the shelter of the tliicket and then throwing themselves fiat on the ground again, bobbing up only when tliey raised their heads and elbows to fire. The shrapnel was too much for them, and they began to bolt towards the other side of the ravine, where our left wing was peppering them. This move was the first symptom of weakness they had exhibited, and General THE DATTLE OF FISH CREEK. 131 Mi*MM* ■•tM^t>r«PM^ 134 CANADA 8 NOUTH-WKST RKBELLIOTf. Old-style leadoii l»ailH wore alwo fired with considoraMo etfect. Had the rehols been aniiod with Siiidcrs tlu»y would havo wipt'd uh out in short order froui the Hhelter which tln»y occupied." The following is Ocaeral Middlcton's ollicial report oi the engajTfeinont .*— To the Hon. A. P. Car on : FaoM Fish Orekk, twentv-five miles \ north of Clarke's Croising, N.W.T., April 24. j T have had an affair with the rcd^els at this spot, or. the east hank of the river. My advanced scouts were fired upon from a hhiff, but we nianain)iriny, !H)(h, I'liviift' KoixiiMdn. No. I ('oini»unv. !M)t|i. I'rivaft' MiihIh, No. 4 (\itn|mhy, !K)th. <'Aivv niik(«r, MouMlod Iiit'Hntry, (linnirr Cook, A n»itlory, Wlj.'olrr. !M)Mi. Anisworth, A hftitory. WOUNUKD. Cuntnin riark.v !H)tlj, A.I).( ( nplani \\ isc. ; liitMitrnnnt I)(>u«M'lt, A.1>.0. lr Tnyli^r, A Hatlory. Soiyonnl. Major Mawliihiu'y, A Hattory. 1) nvcr Hi irnson. Vrivato 11. \\ Wilson. Tiivato K. Maunscll. I'rivatc WaUor Woodman. Trivato 1\. H. Dnnn, Soliool of Infantry. Private H. Jones, School of Inrantry. Piivftto 1\. .lonoa, Soliool of inranlry. Colour-SoriToant. (^nnniini^s, 8clu)ol of Infantry. Corporal Lotlilni»lge, DDth. Private luMup. (\)rpor.'il (\h1o. Private Hartop, "■*'w*-f TIIK HAITI, !•; l>K KIHII CIlllKK. m? Prlvafn IMiuK Wilful. I'riVHtt' ( 'aiimir riivHfr W W MiitlluwH. rriviltr liOVt'll. i'r ivAl<« \ihw\ lOlh KovhIm. I'rivftto VVIuM'Iiii|f, lOMi ItoyalM, kinr li .Kx'fttMl. IViviiln iliHl()|>, IMMli I'riviitc ( liaiiiliorM, !M)Ui. ( 'orponil 'I'lirrkor, ilOt.h. Privftt.' noiirlnMn, IKJth. Private Sw/ui, !K)(,li. 0(H|M»nil nrovvn. Snr»n RH \t was fi mi iiiH.r»y points of viow, tfi« Htory of tli(( hatili^ ol' Ki.sli (JnM'k ran ln«Mt l»o |jr()ii;;lit out \iy a patrhwork o\' l»'tt»>rH written l»y «?yo-witin'SM«M from titiM- to tiiin\ aftor tlm fij.jl>t. A corn^Hponfli-nt wlio, far niori than any othor ''ornvspondont witn oitlmr Mhi'llctori or Ottor, inuiiifoMtod an nltility to p«'rforni the functions of a war corrcHpundent, writes an follows : — HATTiKrfKt.n OK KiHM ^KKKK, twenty ?niU's north of ( 'laike's < 'ros.sin^, April 21. TImi t(fl« j^^rapli lias advised you of oiM' li^^lit Ihtc, Mfid witli I Ih' pnvscnt facilities and in tile coid'usion incident t<» tlic hattle, with twenty wounded men j^roanin;^' witliin twenty feet, and as many more too hadly hit to ;^roan a.s near hy, with a scatteiin;^ spray of iire two hundred yards in front, and tie- (Iree wai-whoopR risin;^ from the infernal ravim; in w)ii<'h the llalf-hreedn and lleds are hidden, one flrxls little opportunity for finislied ooiripoHition. The li;.;lit commcnccfl at 0. IT) a.m., and ill th(! settlement of only a few hou.s(!H within fivo miles of last Tn|,dit's camp, the Reds and IndiauH numher- in/?, by guesHwork, three liundred, opened firo on our scouts fnmi eluinps of trcc^s, the "rnattos" of the Southern lains. The ground is rolliiif^ down to the river hank. ho Htream is a mi 1(5 and u-lialf west, and here? and there are depressiotis, hut the lavinc! t}iroui in tin* valloy, two )iiini| yixnU wido, coriiptttcly roncoiiN tluMn. Aho^ii thi! vihrntionH of a wnr-wlioup, tin* llasli of u ^wu, or tlio quivoriti^ of a willow iiif tin- «»Mly ol»|«»<'t.Hfor tlu» iimiks- moil. Wo h(»po iimiiy njv kill^ni\A\ Htiition ('uptKin ni5rl«iy Hwilifonl, of (' (!oinjm»iy, Nirif5ti«'tli HAtUlion. Iium Im^oh iiiortAllv wotirKJcii.Mli )♦, tliic»ii;r|i th,. I.iftjn,* Tlif Fn-ncli Count I)oMiiriullv, Cook lor our ih»»>.h, had tho top of Win lu»ii(l Mown off l»y n rhar^^t^ of IxickMliot oarly in thi» engAguinoot. Wo aII tour that whoii the battle Ih oiiilud OArt. OIIAHLKH BWZKrORO. wo may find a good many more doail and wounded lying, a.s J)eManally doas, whore thoy foil, and in no good range •Captain Swlnford wa« » favotirite with all who knew him. He wftB thirty-four vearH of ape, and in lH7ti went to VVinniiieK from (iiulph, Ontario, where ne ruHidn*! witit Win parent* for ui>wanlH of twenty yearn. Hin hirtliplace wan at Greenwich, Kits'latirl. At tn'> titne '>f the hroakint^ out of ti)o Kuljollion lio wan A<er from wlu(il) tlio first slK^ts ha-t found, but beyond the destruction of property no h-ina was done the enemy. Infh,ntry companies sui)portinj^ the advance were rapidly deployed, and inasenii-cireului fashion .lurrounded the enemy. It soon became ev; lent to eveiy one that the Half- breeds and Indians 'General Iviiddleton niunljers them at one hundred and twenty-five), knowing their ad\'an- tage of position, were determined to make it very hot for us. Without any reckless display of bravery they were able to make their fire an exceedingly well-directed one. Our artillery fountl trouble in getting the range of the ravine, which is heavily wooded along the brink, and the caves which the enemy knew of, were ready to receive them. As I it natural with volunteer troops, a slight nervousness was displayed at first. This wore off as the shots increaseil in numbers, and li>'es were hazarded as recklessly as if they amounted to naught. Captain Peters, with a detachment of A 1 attery, started from the left centre by permission of General Middleton into the ravines and to the woods opposite the centre proper. Here they came within easy range of the enemy, who returned from the bluffs on tho edge of the hill ; and here the fighting was the hottest. Meantime our skirmishers advanced and the rebels shied into their covers. The nnie-pounders kept pegging away, and of their moral effect no one can complain. Finding it too hot for him, and losing a number of men (poor Cook still lies in the open, dead), Peters retired to his guns, the rebels by this time occupying the thick brush, rifle pits and blu If caves. From that time until four o'clock in the afternoon it was a case of pot siiots. You have seen and froii and effec bulh ■ •••■«,• THK.BATTLK OF FISH CREEK. 143 nion ahoofc at a turkey Half buiicMl in the j^rouiul, the killer to own th(3 bird. 1 can think of no ixjtter simile for our Hght. li* f^ood luck served, the marksmen could see til'! head.s and even the shoulders of tlieir opponents, but the best nine times out of ten a flash of the rifle or unoke of the powder was the mark at which they had to aim. Either through forgetfuhiess or because they had a voscvvo supply, the rebels h^ft a number of their ponies on the bank of the croek. The fire from the right centre ioon disposed of twenty-five or thirty of them. How ninny of the enemy were killed no one knows, probably a (hjzt'n. When th Royal Cjrr(!nadiers came up from the other si(k3 they took an advanced position on the right centre, and although rather too close for comfort, were rewarded by the killing of a couple of red (h^vils. The pair had evidently l^een sent out to see what chaDce of escape to the t^ast presented itself. Probably more were sent out than the two who were killed, as at five o'clock the llring from the enemy had almost entirely ceased and there was every indication thnt not more than a dozen remained in the ^avine, the larger part of the foi-ce having escajiedto the eastwai'd. One would naturftlly ask why they were not c N. fold. WliiM'o tho fori v-livo calihro Winchfvstor liftil ^oen unjmI tlio orilioo of t,lu» luirt,wii.scl<>aii «'nt. Al('l(>M(«(|iuMt<>rs tlit'ir shot ;^\iiis mn vovy ju;j;j4rn.ll. piiMuvs of l(>a«> followed till' truck of one hulirt, whiUt tho luoital wound lav in a totally diflcront direction. Almost ovcryl*»>dy as tho action procccilcd advancod to tho od^'n of th(» ravino, and took a pot shot at tiio nd)olM. and inanv of the •oimdiMJ havi^ i<) thank their t«Mnerity f<»r their Niitrerinj^M. (.-aptain Wise, Middleton'n aiile, after losing two horses, was struck by 'i hall, which ovideiitly ricoohotttMl from a sU^uo, thougli thoy say it was llattouod on tlic bono. A VOT.UNTKKIl's I.KTrKll. Oorporal Thos. McMulhMi, of No. 4 (■oinpany. Royal tlronadievs, s(Mit the followinuf letter from Fish C/rcek under iUiv action %(1 to IJJO ,lion No. ith tho V^hon wo already vsoon as nil Will Oonti, McMurmy, anlo poMJtion, Ono of tl M^ i;M,tt( i. was s licl; nl<)ii of n whole force retired four hundred yards ami <'ncamped with tlie ex(M'ption of ourselves, the lOth eov(uin^' the retieat for l(Jt) yards, when) we halted and hid w a swjuup, and had to lie (soakiiiL,' wet as we were, it havin;,' rainisl all tho time wo wero lie;ht in ,0 in throo inciiOH of water for one, hour, without oui- ovorcoatK. As soon as it was dark we. roHO up n,n out to relievo ns, and W(^ r(»tired into the ti'»d.s just vaeuted hy tliem. When WO retired I'rom tin; Mull' t.Iio llaH'-hreedH I'ollowecl us up, hut as soon as wo haltecl in the swamp tluiy stof)))!'*!, anavy loss. Tlio ti(jops iK-haved in ^n-and st} ie, ami F think, althou^di wo were late in notion, throu^di no fault of our own, that Toronto w?i,s not disgraced hy her " crowd of toughs." No. 4 ("ompany alone ollered to cliargo the position with fixed Iwiyom^ts, hut Oeneral Middloton said tJK^re were enounjh good men gone, and ho also said to «)ur Colotiel, "Well done, (Itasett, I did not expect you so soon." Wo cross(lonoI, who .siiicc we Htart hiins*>lf, and lie allow»nl MO (>lHc<'r to inipo.so npou any man. AU()^('ih«ir <»V(M'y man is prond to he nmlcr nuch a man. VV«; don't know whon the nt'xt fi. Inil I am hmw. Wi.) nhaU Hvv soiwo n\on\ Tlin !l()th and A Uadory w«'nl into tlio l>hifr on Sunday to roroviT tho bodies of two of their men. and found it desertcti l)y all l»ul the dead. Then" wore two dead Indians wliich tlu^ enemy 'ven; afraid to carry oil" on acco.int of their jiroxiniity to our pick(>ts. The hluM' is slopin;^ onall sides and the hidians we?e ah hidden in formioalde rille pits wliicli wereswim- noMg in l>lo(^d. tcdiini; us that many u Half' linked or Indinn lUid fallen. The pits rose one upon arjotliei- antl wero vory neatly contrivod. the Indians shovvin}^ much iti^'emiity in their construetion. We an* lyiujLj oneaniped at Fish Creek and will rem.'iin here prohahly houu! time. BACK TO TIIK FATAL HAVINK. Mr .lolinston, the eorrespondent already (pioted, fur- nishes the followin^';^raf>hie, [»ieture of a vi.sit to the ravine two days after tlie bjittle, and tinishes with some very sensihh' conclusions rejj^ardini^ tlie fight as seen in tho light of cool after thoughts, and sucli facts as had eonui to light sinc(^ tlie fatal dny. Il(> says :- Almost every one was pre]>ared to discover that the ravine was em]dy, but th(Me was ghastliness in its silence. It proved an almost impregnable stronghold. The bank nearest our centre and left and right centres is wooded very heavily (none the less, tlie Gatlingwe expect on the steamer from Swift Current wouM have let daylight tlu'ougli it), and is more precipitous than a gabh* roof. Our fellows shud- dered when tliey saw how near they had been to the very muzzles of the guns of their opponents .snugly lying in rifle-pits dug like steps all the way up the bank. The Half-breeds and Indians could see us unless when prone to earth, but even he who had the hardihood to peer over the brink could see nothing but perhaps the tlash of a, '''^''^T^^'f^^^ THK HA'lTLh: Ob I ISII CHKKK. 147 Fish hIio* jj;«in or rif!«v 'I'licir pits w«»n« tlirro nnd H(nn(«tiriicH fiv(3 iiuirow, rtiMiiiii;^' Uk' (IncstoF coverts. Tlifsi' Imstily cnstrucitMl .salViy trcuclM^s jiointcd np the IhIIm.mihI ovrr ilni ('(l^fo iln' llnll' l»r(^('<| or Iiiili)iii coulfl riist IiIm |^un juid tnk<^ .steady an < I .sun! nim. Our lire was always qtnul- niplc nn licavy as tlicirs, Imt we firiMl at a jMtint of tlio r,omj)HMS from which tliu killing luillcts carnti. They save*! powder, oxcopt at the very oporiiii^r f ♦' l,ho ti;^dit,and when thoy saw a white man tlwy tired, iK.t bcf'oro. 'I'he ri(h) pits W(»re all ahm^' the deelivity, and not a f(m were at the- bottom of tlie gully to tlu^ right. I''iirtli('r np tlio stream liorseH, and tiiu! ones, lay so thick that we could walk froin hody to body as if on stepping stonciH. I counted iit'ty-two dead animals in the ravine, souk^ of them (piite high upon the hill, others lying in tlio strciam, but a larger sliari! at a spot along the creek. Many of the aninuils had been tied to tre(\s by th<5 owners who charg(Ml on toot in the open ground \n tlie early morning of Friday. In the woods in the lear of this e(juiru! cem- etery was th(^ main camp of the Jndian allies, and here they had killed an ox; pieces of which, skewered and stuck in the ground before the fire, we found where thoir intended eaters had left them. On all sides th(u;o wore evidences of a liurried retreat, and it now seems probable that the tw<'nty-five jeering Half-biecds wlio showed themselves late in the ev(.'nir>g were not in the ravine at all, but among those who made so determined an attem{>t to turn our right. Like enough from four p.m. onward not a dozen of the enemy lay in the ravine, and these let't as soon as darkn(;ss had f vllen. Fortunately for them the rain fell heavily all that niglit, and the darkness was intense so tliat their escape was ( asily effected. Although their position as descril)ed wan almost impregnable, vot they nuist have pa.ssed several evil Ijours. TJicy took away all their wounded, and of their dead but four remain ; one Teton Sioux was shot. Before he could reach the shelter of the hollow, one Cree, Beardy's son-in-law, was shot through the heart, 148 CANADA'S NORTH WERT HKnKLMON. aiul hold by R tree trunk from fallin^j into the ravine, one Croo on fciio cxtnuno left, and a Half-breiMl on the up|M? Now, f d<y tiie DOth men, anion-^' whom vv<'i«> a dozen and a-half of sljarp.Mliootors armed with tin; MartiinH(!nry rille. I'ro- Hcntly a company ol' the lM)th cjimo up in Mi.pport, hut tho enemy H tire wa« so hot and eviih-ntly incrua.sinj^' in Htrength to tlic left, that the ofH<'ci" in command of tho advance Laiard at ono(j extended this c<'mpany to the rif^dit and }>r<)ujjfht them into the fi^litiuj^ line. Mean- while H and C l'om})anieH of the COth were extended in thr(Mi;^d) the hru>h on the left and eauie to the front, whilt! tho Iid'antry Scdiool was exteiuhsd in th(> nann) man- ner to tho riglit, linally appearin*; at the ed^e of tho plain on the ri;^ht of A ('ompany, and supported hy D Uom|)any and j)ait of E Comi)any. Tlu^ enemy had hy this time developed a very Htrong attack against our right at a point wlic^re tho edge of the ravine in which they were c^icealod and tlie blulfs in which the Infantry School were extending came witliin about sixty yards of each other. It became evident tliat tliey intended to get possession of the bluff if possible. Hy so doing thoy could readily enfihuhi our centre and completely outHank us. To checkmate this, (jouipany 1), and the portion of Company E which were in support, were at once brought up into the blurt' to reinforce the Infantry School, as was' also the left half of Company A, the remainder of which was extended further to th(5 right, thus niaking the bluff spoken of the centre of our right defence with flanking parties on either side, the whole covering a front of about three hundred and fifty yards. At this point a ve^ hot fire was directed by tho enemy for about two hours, while our men lay quietly in tho scrub, and as tho rebels, after a deal of ki-yi-ing and whooping, would rush to the top of the bank and deliver their fire, our men would return it with interest. The enemy failing to dislodge us by their M.nTLK OK KIHII « UKKK. 151 bullwU .s»*t the prairie ^rawH on firo at the bro hill, and u,> tli*^ wirnl was hlowin;^^ tuwanlM iim, the smoke lilled our umw'h oyt'H, wliilci the uiuiuy had rUnr sight. Pn!M<»ntly tlu' fini rcaclir I the Hcriih, ho that «)ur men Yuul tojump th«5 tianuiH and lie down a^ain on the burnt, and scorolung ^(round. Tlu) caHualtien in (mv force wer© very heavy at thin j)oint ; three of the (M)th were sliot dead and (/vor a «l()zen woiinded, as w» II an three men of the Infantry School. The enemy, tin«li!inr that the etfortn a;('iin.st UH were in vain, Hlaclo-ned their fire, when an advance was ortlered along the line and cree)»inj( forward to the brow of the ravine they were discovered in full retreat to the east. A few j)artinj^ volleys were sent after them, om our men followed theuj, ami their retreat being reported to the (leneral, he ordered the artillery to Hhell them, which was sliortly done, as they got behind a liouse about two tliousarxl yards distant. The house wvs firetl by the second shell, and the rebels scattered into the wood to the east. QENEUAL MIDDLETON ON THE SITLTA-TION, " I think you criticize mo wrongly when you say I exposed myself unwisely bust Friday," said ( leiu^ral Mid- dleton apropiH of numerous strictures by ahnost every one. "I couhln't (h) otherwise," he cofitinued, "I had green troops, and, worse still, green otHcers — green in the sense that they had never been under fire before. Thtjy did well and bravely, but while you can drill a man into a soldier in a few uonths, it takes years to e2 CANADA N NOKTH-WIMT RKItKM.IOIf. dod^e.' Hv t}>»j wfty," pointing to Kin A.HtriirliAn cap with a Ntnil(>, " if I lind hovn dii>'kiiku wlim tlwit t'«'llo\v hit me ttiM bullot would liuv(> i^orw into t)h> top of my Itond and my quietus laudo. If I lindn't (!Xpi»vd myHoit' you would all have ininn BcalpiMl. I am in an cnd'anahsin;;, 1*ut not a n(>v«l po.sitiori. VVo Iwivo tirivm oil' tlir •ni'iny, liut liy thin (»nfoict'd wait wo arts loMJnjr hI| tlio fruits of victory, whilo tlio unomy arc l)oastin;,' that wi« avo aft aid to movi», and an^ ^ivcn ample timn to mako furtlicr pirpiii-ations for OMcapo or defonco. 1 know tin' oU'rct (d' ad, yet what can I !n|>rnnii.s»? at thin nta^f ol" tli.- pioc.-rdinjfM, l)iit l"i'fliu^;s iw'jirly akin to Hynipathv tiiid li»«I^Mnrrit iti many «>f tin- hiuviMt hiraHts. lloHtility a^ninKt lli« I in (iiits|H)k«?n, iM'cauHo it is hdirvi'd Imm liavo Iicm'h the unvvist' and any thii wor.so for tliin Mym)»ath\ It woidd .so«(rn from ihc^ foil win^ oxtract that mon eompOHiitg the h-ft coltimn, wliich wa.H advancing down tliu west Hid« of th«' riv'«?r, wun) in no v»«ry umialtU) humour at havin||( b«><'n practically left out of th«( Finh (Veok flj^ht. ri will bo seen that it vva.s no fault of thuirH thoy worn not eaiiier on th<,» sr(»ne: — "Tlw left column luis probably uttered more oatlis thafi iv\y given body of mm of iMjual ntimbcr asHcunblcd in the last **'"^' '"^f^ — » " r'" 156 CANADA'S NORTH-WKST RKIJELLION. Growing to full manhood now, With tho caro lineH on our brow, We, the younj^est of the natiouH, With no childish lamentations, Weep, as only strong men weep, for the noblo hearta that sleep, Where the call of duty led, Where the lonely prairies 8prea[i(ldIeton was preparing to advance on the enemy's posi- tioii at Batoche, Colonel Otter was making ready for taking the aggressive with his column. Though there is no satisfactory evidence that Poundmaker had taken any active part in the rising at Battleford up to this time, it was known that there was a considerable body of Indians besides his own band camped on his reserve, that they had a large band of settlers' cattle feeding near their camp, and that they were living on the fat of the land generally, while Colonel Otter and his men were not faring particularly well at Battleford. What Colonel Otter expected to accomplish by attack- ing the great Oree chief on his own reserve is not now, and in all probability never will be, properly understood. Be this as it may the re it was far from being satisfac- tory. In spite of all the despatches to the contrary, when the wnole truth became known, it was found that with about three hundred men, one Gatling and two scven-pounders, Colouel Otter surprise,.:■ BATTLK OF CUT KNIFE CREEK. 157 who had about two hiindred and fifty poorly armed Indians and Halt'- breeds, and that after a sharp contest of some seven hours' duration lie was compiiUed to make a hurried retreat, and that it was mainly ow ing to Pound- maker's forbearance that the retreating; column was not cut to pieces. Ot course every one who saw the fi;,^ht, or thought he saw it, had a different story to toll ; but take all the accounts from both sides and weiyh them fairly, and the abov 3 will be found to be pretty nearly the only conclusion that can be arriv<3d at. It was not till after dinner on Friday, 1st May, that it became known in the police barracks that Colonel Otter intended moviuL^ out that day. The question as to when the expedition would start had been the engrossing subject of speculation ever since the arrival there on the 23rd April. On Tuesday the Colonel announced the corps that had been selected to form the column to proceed to Poundmaker's, but then it was not generally l)elieved that an early start would be made. Scouts had already bioiight in particulars of the position taken up by the Indians, and Bresaylor, a Haif-breed who came to the lines on Wednesday, and was arrested as a suspected spy, gave furtlier information. He said he had been taken prisoner by the Indians, and escaped. The force at Poundmaker's, he said, was not more than three hundred and fifty braves. On the following day, Thurs- day, Mr. McArthur, a surveyor, of Edmonton, came in to the camp and said that he too had just escaped from the Indians at Poundmaker's. He had left Edmonton unaware of the rising of the Indians, and had walked right into their hands. For the most part he corroborated the Half-breed's story, and the latter then gained more credence. This was the whole of the information that Colonel Otter possessed of the position and strength of the enemy, and as the stories of scouts. Half-breed, and surveyor agreed in the main, there was every reason to believe that it was as nearly correct as possible. \ 158 CANADA'S NOIITH-WEST REBKLT.ION. It was past three o'clock on Friflay afternoon when the lon tiros were kopt blazing brightly t'ur tho wanutli tlioy gave. At half-past cloven tho teams wore all harncHsod ajui shortly atterward.s strung out in a long column, winding at a quick wafk over tl»o trail to Pound niakiu-'s. The men maile themselves an comfortable as p>)ssible in the wag- gons, but the rugged nature of the trail made any attem])t at sleep futile. Tho scouts still k('j)t well to their work, for the moon, just beginning to wane in a clear sky, rendered it almost as bright as day. A large number of the men, in order to keep themselves warm, walked alongside the waggons during the night. The trail was running tt^rtjugh a more open country, at inter- vals tlujre l)eing some long stretches of Hat, gr..ss-coverod land with only here and there a clump of red willow. The glow in the east was observable long before the almanacs ascribed to the sun any intention ot* rising. At length it ro.s'^' redly, and just as it tipped the horizon the hollow was reached where the Indians had ])een encamped according to the reports of the scouts, three days pre- viously. The place gave every indication of having ))een very recently vacated, and it was thouglit by many that, learning ot our approach, they had hastily retreated. There was strong disappointment expressed, for the boys were anxious for a light. The column advanced through this hollow, and the trail then led them through a deep gully several hundred yards wide, densidy wooded with poplar and willow underl)rush, through which the (^Uit Knife Creek woinid its tortuous course. The creek is probably eight or ten yai'ds wide, two and a-half feet deep, with a swift cur- rent. Into this gully thecolumn passed without hesitation. The men knew they were in the heart of the enemy's stronghold, and might expect to come in view of them at any moment That was just what was wanted. There was not long to wait. Immediately that the column got into the gully the men could see to the left, on the slope B/VITr.K OF CUT KNIFE CREKK. 101 the I red low ound ten cur- ition. eiiiy's 111 at .'here n goG slope of ono of the liigh, rolling hills that led up from the gully, two or three dozen head of iMttle ealiuly grazing. The Indians wore known to havo driven away some huiwlieds of them from the .settlers, and it was oven thought that ill the haste of their flight they hawn tlitiy narrowly cscaptMl a hot volloy from tli« (tnctny, sent in m soon as thry ap^/fared. The main Itody of (v Company wen'. turn«;ii to the rijjfht, to cut off tho Hrt« of tho Indians, wliich wiIh l)ej,dnnin<^ to como in liotly from over a the incline. Most of them wen^ ealled back to protect the rear teams ^oini^ up to the sli<^dit hollow on the trail, when they were drawn up in a bunch. No sooner hud the teams g<.t up than the IndianH appeared on the trail in the gully below. 'J'hus, in tive minutes after tlie first shot was tired, Colonel Otters force was completely surrounded and being fired on from a" sides. It waH evident he had run i?ito a trap. The situ- ation began to look (les[)erate. On all sides the action was hot. The intention of the enemy was to cut olf his retreat, and if possible stampede the horses. The little hollow on the face of the hill into which the teams were drawn, afforded them some protection, but from the rear they could easily ]>c readied if the enemy were advanc(^d a little further than they were up the slope. The artillery occupied the top of the hill furthest advanced. The Oatling gun had opened fire on thf enemy first, at a range of about two hundred yards, on the left slope of the hill, intt) a cluster of brush. The Indians got out of that cover and beat a hasty retreat round to the hill on the other side of the hollow, where they again got an underbrush cover. After the Mr.st rush it was impossible to see more than two or three of the Indians at once, so that the Gatling was not so destruc- tive as it would have been under other circumstances. But it was kept going for a time almost continuously, and created a terrific din. The two seven-pounders were placed on either side of the Gatling, at a distance of 104 OAKi.DA'B NORfU^WF^r ALB£LLION. ueiliApH fifty yards lint first ihi ♦•<) ^\u>\\h w«r»> put Into the teepecH on the hill to the rii^ht trout They wt^r* a wa.s alrcaily theirs. About an hour after the engagement wan be;^un, tht order was passed from Colo- nel Otter to (.^a[>taln Nash, of ihv Hatlleford Ritlcs, that the rear must bo cleared. The mea of the ununi formed company did not wait to hear the order twice. With a loud cheer they dashed down the incline and into the wood of the deep gully, over which the column had crossed. The Indians under cover stood the attack a few moments and tlien began to fall back. The Battleford boys raced them up the gully to the right, firing whenever an Indian head ajtp<'ared. It took half an liour to clear the back, and then Lieutenant Alarigold turned his men to clear the gully on the other side of the trail. The Indians posted there also gave way and ran back to their former position. It was a grand charge, valorously oxeciited. The rear was entirely cleared of the enemy, and Colonel Otter remained in command of the position. But the Indians wore again coming down into the gully into the position on the right side of the trail, from which Captain Nash had previously dislodged them. Charlie Ross, the famous Mounted Police scout, who had been all over the field during the action, saw the position, and it«pped into the breach. Calling for volunteeis, some of the Queen's Own, C Company, and Ottawa Guards were BATTLR or riTT KNIFK rilKKK. 105 at his side ill an instant,, Ami thoy Mtftrto*! t^ intorc*»pt the IndiiitiH' advfinc"' TIm' ll«'ds cleared tMit at oneo up tho gully and into r. mviiio, from tl»<< oovctiii sides of wliich a nutninM' of thiMu luid licon tirinLj on ilio mm of (/ (Com- pany, who wort' P^pl viri'' across tlio ravine near \.'h«>r'» tin; tojnns wuro HtAti>>n«»«l. Iloss and lu« followerH purMUcd th'Mu liotiy. 'ill" (luards could not inuiiTstand why tho enemy tljoy iiad liem wat(duni:f nrross tin? ravino luui HiUniccd tlu'ir- tin* mo fludd<'nly. liut tin* Clunrds . in'jf tip ft cnnj^tnnt, tln^ nt a mrj^^r of from nix hiinu(Vh of MiiiokH vv.iuM t'nm*i out of tho uinii'iltrusli au«I ho liiul to drop n^niii iiiMiantly t<> got unrevent them again taking cover there. It was a hazai of the hill and dropjx^l into eov« r, five ot tluMu having felt the hull" ts of the entMny. It was a plucky charge. Lieutenant Brook and hiw bravo follow- ers, Colour-Sergeant Cooper * and Privates Varey and *Ool()\jr Serfifeant, Cteorgo K. rooju'r l« a nfttlvo i>f IMrmlnphain, Knpf- Ifttul, and JM iil»«ii ■ tliirty-HPven y»'arH »h\. llo caino to Caiiailn al><>ut four- t»!tMi yeaiH ai^'o, uud joiner! tho <^. O. f{. nbotit Hovon yeiir« a>ro. ll»! jm im eiiKiavor by trmlo. Me Ih of uiiiDinally tine phyHiquo and ia one of the most accompliHhed amateur leapnrH in (..'anuda.. c -.-^-: y -l-^' ~r:r: .- : 108 CANADA S NORTH-WERT REBELLION. Watts of the Queen's Own, and one of the Guards wero more or loss scriouslv wounded, and ('ol(»ur-Ser£rear)t McKiir.s foroliead was jri-a/od by a ball. Colonel Otter forwardetl orders that tho liill should be held, and they kept it until the final withdrawal, in order to [>rotect the teams on tiie way out. The Indinns were making a f^roat fiijht of it, and when chased out of one position resumed the fire in another. 'I'heir tenaeity is, ])erhaps, unexampled in Indian fighting. Their losses must have been severe. It looked as if they intended keeping it up all day, and it would have beer certain disaster to the force to have been left at night fall in the position into which they had been entrapped, without the assistance of the guns, one of which was now pcn'fectly uselos* anank forty or fifty feet high, and the scouts on the top of a high sandhill. The trail out of the gully passed right between these positions. The teams were the first to doscenwi^«» w »«^'^»— *-»- ^ " >» ■■«r'»*-,. 'r> BATTLE OF OUT KNIFE CTIEEK. 169 'i^^i, up over the ground they had just loft. The firing from both parties was liot, and appeared, from tlie position of the party who wero occupying the hills to protect the retreat, much more deadly than it afterwards turned out to be. But it was a moment of supreme danger. A large body of Indians poured down into the gully a con- siderable distance up, with the object no doubt of coming up with the men as they were crossing the gully, and ciitting them off from the teams and the party on the other side. If this could have been done, the chances would have been in favour of the whole brigade being slaughtered. But the foresight of Colonel Otter had pro- vided against such a chance. From the gun on the bank Captain Kutherford sent a couple of shells directly into the horde of Red-skins, who were coming down the hill over the field where the men had fought all day. When the smoke cleared aw again, the Indians were turned right about and going in the opposite direction. The Indians who had got down into the gully further up came on, but the scouts posted on the sand hill kept them in check. After all Otter's men had got down to the bottom land in the gully they were thoroughly covered by the men posted on the bank and came right through leisurely enough. The whole column immediately took to the waggons and returned to Battleford, arriving at 10 o'clock that night. The Indians did not attc mpt to follow. The Queen's Own Bifles ambulance corps worked heroically during the whole day. When there was a call for them to any ]^art of the field their courage carried them even under the enemy's fire to rescue a wounded man. No praise of their work is too great. One incident of the fight cannot be left unrecorded, rrivnte Acheson, of the Queen's Own, ran out from cover at the time the withdrawal was being made, to recover the body of Private Dodds, of the Battl- ford Rifles. Private Lloyd, of the Queen's Own, was near him at the time, and Acheson asked him to cover him while he went ''"V^'^i'"if^i' 'r'"f*i'7('i*.''' »■ f"'f "'. '?;'r.' "'ifi" -.■i'Ti"; ; 170 CANADA'S NORTH-WKST UKIHll.LroN. out. Lloy«l (lid so, anrl wc.nl out to assist AoVeson, who hau vviion striiok and tlie bullet, entt,»>«H»-^^i.-:»M»r.^^...^>^^.>..... ., ^ ,^,^ .^. „ i „ ».^^,,..^,^..^^^. BATTLK OF CUT KNIFE CRKEK. 171 It was a rcniarkalilci t^xhihition of lioroi.sin. The enemy Wf're at nioderato'y closr'. ran^'o, and fninjif incossaiitly. Poor Rodgers, of tlio Kooi. (Juai'ds, was killtsd instanUy wbilo lyinjjf in the skirinisluiig line on the side of the liill. Wo was speaking to (Japt. linghes, who was lying along- side of Idin, only a inonu^it l>ofore. Tlie hall penetrated his head, and he dirairie, ami men and horses received a feed —the last, alas ! for some of the brave boys who marched out with us. We waited for the moon to rise, and as soon as it was up the column was again in motion. We 'ravelled ^11 night, passing over some very rough ground, the cavalry ana scouts beating evt-ry bush for half-a-mile on each side of the trail. At last the grey streaks of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, and shortly afterwards the now deserted houses on the reserve. Directly in front were hills in which, if the reports of the scouts were to be relied on, were the Indians. But all was quiet, bright and beautiful. The wild fowl, frightened from their quiet morning nap, flew screech- ing across the prairie towards some quieter resting place. There was not the first sign of Indians. As we rounded a small bluff on the trail we came upon their deserted camp. The marks of a couple of hunired tepees could BATTLK OF CUT KWIFK ( RKKK. 173 ba seen on ono suie. Tlu>y appeared to have been hastily deaertc'l. as niari y of i\\v poles still stood as tlu-y had first been plactMl. Wo hurried on. 'Dk! lndlaii>j were no douht ifjnorant of our approach and did not ('X()ect us until the afternoon. To ^et as close to thenj as })OHsil)Ie without being discovered was our aim. Everyone was anxiouH for the fray, and Colon'■ (! day took place. TIh! teamsters, with their usual a. ;o i-of to hurry too much, lagged hehin*!, and some of thomvvoAi still in the creek when tho Indians opened upon them. Their fire, however, was so promptly met hy the liattleford boys that they wore more cautiouH, and only single shots were fired until after the teams were all well up the hill and under comparatively good cover. Still the rear was somewhat exposed. A resolute' body of men might have given an infinite amount of trouble from the bru^^h along the creek there. But Indians are not the best long-range shots in tho world, for beyond the point-blank range of their ritlea thoir tiring is all guess-work. Once more were the Battleford boys called upon to show what they could do. The brush had to be cleared and bravely they did it. "Remember Smait," someone shouted as they rose from their cover, and with a wild cheer dashed ir.to the scrub at the ambushed enemy. A volley was fired to " stir thfim up a bit,'' as one of tlie men remarked, then they pushed on, each man getting the best cover he could find. Tlie Indians did not wait. The Half-breedy who were with them did better. One or two turned to fire, but the boys in civilian clothes were pressing them so closely that they did not have time to diaw a bead. TJieir shots flew over the heads of our men, cutting the branches of the brush or flying as spent bullets info the front of our line. It was hot work while it lasted, but a few minutes sufficed to clear the Indians off from the neigliborhood of the crossing. Ross, the sc* whom I have already mentioned^ was there. He had a brother's death to avenge and anything with a red akin received no mercy from him. He dealt BAT\i.fl: OF CUT KNIFE (REEK. 177 was with them in thoir own fashion. As he waa mshing «l()vvn the ravine ho camo unon an Indian who seeing ht WJiM discovered ffiifned diUitli. But Rmhh'h quick eye saw tiiroiif^^h tliM dis;j;iii-.(». Anotlier man n>i;;ht have pjiHHod on and rcccivrd a sliot in the back. But he did nothing (>r the kind, and hh Im' ran past ho drew his revolver and lik(!a tla.sii a i)ullet spejl into the red-nkiiiH hrain. Down in the coulee and close to the heaviest part ol" the scrub till" came upon four Indian f)onifs wld(d\ their owners had loft in their ]iurry to get away from .'o " pale faces " whose cheer yet rang in tlieir ears. Ti»' so t'< v^ ca})tured, lloss recognizing one of them as b^t*. ^iiig to Little Poplar. They mounted and wen- al uL ♦. - ride back to the lines when a shower of bullet i w listled past in uncomfortable proximity to thoir hr h. It is unneces- sary to say they dismounteil. They (j.u it in a hurry and wer»} by no means partieular as to which si)ill(it ttn^re. Some liravu fellow oxpo,s<'(l liimwolf for an irmtunt, liiit that, instant wan st.tlici^'nt to allow »iri infliim to cover liiiii *vith liis s'lLjlit and t(ju<']» tlie tri;(;;er. " NVa.H lie iriojis (luostion t that rioj,") there only W(Mind a man if ho /j;ot his .sijjfhts on him? No, he didn't \v(Hind liim ; lie killed him. IIih conuadr, who was lyin;; alon^'hide, asked him a (jiichtiou. "What's tliat ? " lie ropiii'd, lai'^in;; his head, " WliJit's (hat you ?" lie nev\*r linished it. Tlio hullot struck him in th<< fore- head and jutssecl clean throu^^h his head, and Private John Koger.s, of tin; (iuards, had answen-d his last roll-eall. He died witlj ids face to the foe, as ilid every one of the nohle fellows who fell on that hillside. W»^ have reached th»^ rid;:^e I sjio'.e of. It is on the left flank, or rather on the left rear of tht^ ^nna tluit have Iteen ho st»!aut tin- ears of the team- sters. One horse was struck, mh] v/ent down like a log, only to plunijfe in the harness, however, and frighten the animals standing around. He was (jnickly unhooked and dragged out of the way. That ri Ige l»cyond was where the Indians made what I wouM call their greatest "blanket display." Every artifice WiXf; aaopted by thetn to draw our tiro, anman. liJK four companionM, how«)Ver, wero just waitinj^ for this. Th«< Indians wen? Hcarcwly ui» wlien tliey fired upon tlMMu. Q(hi!k «iM tho fndianM wire, tli»>y wore not (jiuck (UKm}j;h to escape the l«!adrn cM)mpiiiiM?nt.H tliat were sent over. Whi'tlui- they were klUed or not it is injpos,sihlo to say, hut for some ndn\it«s afU'i wards a man did not run much risk hy looking over the ridLi;e. This waH tried twice to !ny certain knowhvJi^'e, and how mneh oftenor of course 1 cannot .say. And now there were .si^is of the enemy ciawling down towards tlir creek again and on towards tlie gunH. Tliey had to be dislodf^'ed, and somebody had to do it. The work was particuhirly dangerous, for at tl»e tirst rush oiir men wouhl have to expose themselvoH on the ridge to the full firo of those in andtusli. " VVtw there any ditliculty in getting volunteers ( " you ask. " Had the men to bo ordered to go?" No, nothing of tlie kind. Ross, who had beiin through there before, and knew just where to go, shouted, " Come on boys," and with a bound he disappeared over the ridge. He had no need to look behind to see if they were following. The boys were there. The way some of C Company and the Mounted Police " went for" f'or that brush is deserving of every j)raise. "How many had fallen by this time V you ask. I cannot tell. Tliose who were dead had to He on the field. It made no diH'eience to the poor fellows themselves. Tliey wore then but clods of the valley, and it would have been unjust to risk the lives of others to carry them in. '• Did the wounded sutler much ? Were they allowed to lie where they fell until after the action, when it would be perfectly safe to carry them in ? " No, sir ! Veterans could not have done better than the ambulance corps of the Queen's Own. Fifteen minutes after the first shot was fired a call of " AmbiJance," came from the front. - ♦ -■— ~T ^-- IfiO C'ANAUAH NnUTIf-WKHT HKhtUAOV, 1 It (]h\ not nr»o(l to bo rcpcfttinl. Rer^nant Ward, of the MoiintiMl I'olifc, who waM hy tho j^uiim. was .stnn^k in tli« aImIokh'II. Ho whm th«j first on th« Ion;,' lint of ni>iii.illit»M, fiiil\<'try rattlo tlio stretcliorlmanMs iluNht'tl forwarti. In (loin;^ NO, ono of thcni got a bullet tlirou^h hin fora^u cap, and another hiillot cut his Nhoiildei'-strap in two. Tlify soon lia.slie liad i.'Htal»lish«Ml a field Inmpital. Kverythin^ that niediral hIvIU could do to alleviat*; hin HufFerin^'s was ros8 men doubling about, or slowly and cand'ully carrying a wounded com- rade down to the jjospital. The Hurgfons wore hard at work whib' the light lasted, and ho were the ntretcher- lM;art'iH. Tbt re w<>rt' some wondorful escapes. R(!mcmbor till' men h;id hud no ]>reakfast that nioniing. They Iiad their last ineal ubuut nine o'clock on Friday night, and went into action on an em()ty stomach. At 0.15 hard- tack wa.s passed t.long tlio line by a couple of police, but few took advantage of nuikiug a breakfast under lire. Their timci was too fully occu[ued in looking after the enemy, liy half- past nine the fire had slackened ort* con^-iderably, and for a time it looked as though tho enem> had (piietly slippe*! away. But we were mistaken. Up on the liill, away to the left front, was an Indian who had occui)ied the same position for hours. Ho was sur- rour\(k'(l i)y a few companions, and seemed to be acting as comma. :der-in-el\ief. On several occasions some of our men hail tried a long shot at hi»n, hut their bullets all dropped short. The fellow scorned to bo directing their •1^ tt fj mfm "* IIATTI.K or CUT KNirK rmi-K, 1»1 (!om- i\\ at cher- libor Iiad an«l mnl- , l)ub liro. • tlie d orif the inoviMiM^ntH \^y tin* aid of a snmll mirror, with whicli he Ihwshrd ttio Miiidiglit first on oiio pnrt of th<« (iid I nitd (h<*n on anotlii r. llfM'ould scf^ahiioMt tlu* whohMtfour |)u>ition, ulld nuidi' tlui moHtof it. Tlio lildiiilH fou;^'ht di spi it fly. lioyM of fourti"«ui your^ of am* wrro Ntu>n in ilu? hii^^li Ma/ing away with "trttdo" ^iins, while othi'rs umimI I».i\\s and arroWH In fact a ^reat many airows wwr timd, and Homu of our men vvfro 8li;^ditly wonrwl«'«l hy th'tn. At last it seemed a.s though Mio cmmiihitioii of the Iiiilian.s was hiding oxhau.sttjd, aiid Colonel ()tt»sr (hcided on maki:.j^ a nislj for tiio topeea and Ituinin;; the whole encampment. There were just two <'i»urse,s open to him, namely, either to withdraw hin tioop.s or maUt! a grand rush for their camp. Hut here fate s'ttled tho (piestion. The trail of one of tl»e stnrn-pounder.s hroke an the gun was discharged, rendering it, of cours*', UMcless. The other wa.s ('racked .som<" tiuio hofore, and had heen strengthened by a piece of two-inch oak, which was bolted on the lower Hide. JJut the con.stiint firing had loosened tliis, and every time the gun wasdiMcluuged it jumptMl o. ho box ? Wo were surroundtvl by thick scrub on every hand and tlio idea of crossing the creek under a cross-fire from the enemy could not be entertained. CohMxl Ott(!r theiefore ordered Captain Nash to clear the ^/o »iis in the rear, and this was beautifully accomplished by his oom- pany and some of the police scouts, the mI i'juitous 1? ».;.; l)oing, as usual, a prominent figure wheu'ver there w.'.s anything particularly dangerous to he accomplished. They did their work magnificently, cutting across tho 182 CANADA S NORTH-WEST UEBKLIJON. I'uhfii to the ri.'k on Saturday night wo reached Battleford, having within thii'ty-one hours marched eighty- miles and fought for seven hours on one meal and a " hard- tack." We did not succeed in destroying the Indian village or carrying oii' the stolen cattle. Instead of two hundred warriors we met between five and six hundred. There are those who say that Big Bear's band was in the fight. Ross claims that one of the ponies captured by him belonged to Little Poplar, and if so Big Bear must have been there. On the other hand, there are those who say that had Big Bear and his l>and been on hand we should not have g<^t away ; that, in fact, it would have been a repetition of the Custer Massacre, and 1 think this is too true. But, be this as it may, we certainly had our hands quite full. Shortly after the fight liegan a huge column of smoke rose above the woods across in the direction of the Saskatchewan, and some thought it was a signal from Big Bear to Foundmaker which meant " Hold out, old man, and I'll be along to help you." If so, he did not get in in time. On our wav back there were times when the V- ■ "' v- . 184 CANADA'S NORTH-WEST REKKLLTON. prairie sootncd on fire in every ilireotion. On the flats between tlio Saska(.rliow)y such a motive. WlicTi I learned of his connection with the present laro.-n- table outbreak in the North-West I was not at all sur- pris^^d, for I knew him to be a patriotic lover of his own POUNDMAKER. 187 raoe"'an(l people, reang in leatriing that, tlioiigh singularly solemn and dignified in his nuiniK^r, Pound- maker was very communicative in all matt<'rH pertaining to his own people. Knowing in a general way thitt my business was that oi' writing for the public, ho a[)pGared to think tliat nnieh was to bo gained by having the char- acteristics of the Indians in general, and those of the Croes in particuhir, discussed in my letters. Ho told stories of his people, of their traditional loy- alty to the Ihitish tlag ; their genth^ness to tiie poor, tho sutfering. and the unprotected ; and tlieirlove of the pur- suits of peace as opposed to thr>se of war and pillage. Like Piapot and other Oree chip's i*oundmaker was very proud to say that the Ciees harl ne\i.r shed the blood of the white man. He was never given to boasting or "count- ing coo," ail' I always spoko of war and of the old feuds between the Orees and Blaekfeet with a perceptible aver- sion, as though their ■-•ecolleetions made him shudder. Though Poundmaker's views regarding his own race and people were warped by superstition and Cree or Black foot legends and romances, they were surprisingly well balanced, an!'ath in battle appeared to him to be a matter of course, a danger always present, 190 CANADA'S Nr)I{TH-Wr:ST HKBKF.LION. but, thoui(h f^voit immiin'nt, novor to be conaiflored or rej^anlcd. Hilt talkiiij^ of wars and bloodshed was not what Poumhuakor likod best. He would nd'or to these blh things of the |>a.st which he earnestly h(>ped wouhl never be revived. He was j)roiid ofhavin;,' luinhj peace between the Croe8 and Black ft (»t, prouder of that than of the many incursions lie had made into the l>la(!kfoot country, killing their people and taking away their horses. In the latter, though he niight liave brought glory and wealth to his own people, he still brought misery and want to another people of his own race. Indians should all Ije as brothins, brothers with those of their own race, and brothers with their friends tlu' white men. War must bring misery and sorrow to some, while peace and industry nnist bring happiness and enjoyment to all. He would show a .sort of contempt for what h ; woidd term military greatness. Men who could fight the HIackfeet best in the old time> were not all of them " any good " except when at war. "They took no care of their families; they saved nothing, and did not care to work or do anything except tight and steal horses." For such men Pouudmakor entertained the greatest contempt. They wouKl never help the Crcjes to become a wealthy and p*'osperous people like the white men. Turning to another and to him a much more agreeable .subject Pound- maker would ratnble on in a soft, low voice, speaking very deliberately and often with closed or half-closed eyes, and pausing at regular intervals, often in the mid- dle of a sentence, to allow the interpreter to translate what he sait his people eould not wellaidopt the pursuits ol peace, as a treaty witli the whiros implied, and at the same time carry on a successful warfare against the l^lackfeet. He did not wish to see his own peojde turning to farming, when the i31ackfet;t ndght attach them and destroy their homes. He thought that u, ''whole peace" woidd be good for the Crees and goo«l for the Blackfeet, an hitter history, liord Lome, bavini; listr'ruMl with the closest jittenticn. anr nATOrflK'H rKllRY. lo;j wliil« till) firnt tt;lrj;nij)}.ic, loporiM I'Mtiiimtctl Poimdinakor'ft forco at six hiiii'ii'cl rogress. Tho journey was a lon^j one, the boat was leavily laden and the water was low. Day after day tho boys remained in the neighbourhood of Fish Creek, where, as they afte> wards learned, a, mere handful of one hundred and twenty-five badly armed rebels had wrought such havoc upon a vastly more numoroUwS force fully supplied with small arms audanunuintion,aa well ay a fair complement of artillery. During this tedious delay General Middlcton gave all sorts of excuses for his inaction. ( )ne day it was want of sup])lieH, then he had not a suflicient medical stall" to take with liim after leaving a suitable force to look after the wounded. Then the excuse was that the wounded could neither be left where they were nor removed up the 12 ^fT^^^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) J/ k 1.0 I.I 1.25 li^ 12B |2.5 u liii AO 12.0 — 6" 1.4 IIIIII.6 V] <^ -% /a /: /^ w^"w 7 Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.V. 14580 (716) 872-4503 194i CANADAS NOUTII-WKST HKUKf-LION. i river to Saskatoon. Tho trutli was that he was afraid to a niprht near one of the niiiiH'tous alk.*ilin«^ ponds, rtnd lu^t I'ar I'roni the? crosH trail leading' into tlu- (/'arrot llivor s.'ttN'inr'nt. Wo were tlu;u ei"lit miles cast aiul a liltKr s(Mitli of Batoc^c'.s. The ^\nfheofe, under (.aptain Shoots, had Iteen ordered to move slowly down the river. Our plan was to move on Hatoehe's from the east, while tlie hoat took care of tlie river to the south of the settlement. The reV)el pits he<;jm three hundred yards to the east of the ehureli and ran in zig-zag form east and north. There; were thirty or forty rows of them, one row^ partly covering the other and extending in a huge irregidar threo-(juarter ciri le, embracing in all probaldy five sections of land, or tlireo thousand two hundred acres, and running at least two miles north-east of Batoche's. The pits, placed from ten to fifty yards from one another, were five ieet long, two and a-half feet wide and eighteen inches deep, with a breastwork of earth, rock and boughs a foot high at each end. A man could scoop out one of them in a few minutes. There were from five to twenty- five pits in a row, according to the nature of the ground. Retreat or advance from one row to another was readily accomplished through the scrub and along the rivulet bottoms. The rebels had also prepared excellent cover in the innumer- able small blurts by throwing up breastworks of rock and poplar trees. A number of bluffs and ravines, lying far out, protected the main circle of pits, wdiich was also well guarded in the rear. One week's sojourn at Fish Creek had enabled General Middleton to procure a great deal of information regarding the lie of the land ; and it was a lucky thing, for the whole district was full of pits and ambuscades. Duniont had turned it into a perfect rabbit-warren. Friday night was fine but cold. Double pickets were posted, and the scouts were on the alert on every side. The men knew what was before them and few of them slept. We lay formed in a zareba. A Battery and the Gatling men under Lieutenant How^ard (of the State ■t.'. ^ 108 tanada's nouth-west rebellion. National Guard of Connecticut, and agent for the Oatling factory there), were at tl»oir postH all night K)ng. (Jenoral Middlcton insued a g«'neral order at H \>m\., instructin;^'^ the troDps to he on parade at 4 a.m., to break- fuHt at 4.15, and to ho ready to inarch at 5 sharp, each nian carrying' 100 rounds of annnunition. The ha/j^j^'age and the armed teamsters were to remain in the zarol>a camp, and also the few invalided and used-up men, most of then', sutlering from rheumatism, which of late had played the mischief with our entire force. At 4 am, in this northern latitude there is a good dawn. Tlie men fell in sharf) on time, the parade being oondiiett'd with as little noise as po.ssibhi. Ihe rebel scouts had kept track of us, however, from the time we left Fish Creek , and liad even fired at our men as we were leaving Dumont's. At 5. .SO we started, going two miles north and east, and then striking the old trail that runs to Batoche's, the junction of the two roads being about nine miles from the settlement. Captain Secretan, of the Transport Corps, was left in charge of the camp, which, as I have said, was left standing. Our march duo west was made in the following order : — Boulton's Scouts 75 Catling (Captain Howard) 4 Roval Grenadiers 202 90t*h Battalion 275 Midland Battalion ] IG A Battery (two guns) 1)5 Winnipeg Field Battery (2 guns) 00 French's Scouts (on flanks) 30 Hospital and ammunition waggons. Total 917 Nos. 1 and 2 Com]i{mies of the Royal Grena- diers headed that regiment. The country on the east Bide of Batoche's is broken and full of clumps, and THK RATI I. K OF HAlorUK's FKUUY. 199 jfreat cnntion was (ixcrnisod. NVlwii ultO'it four milea from })atoclM''s, at 7 am., wo heard the Snrthcote whistliiij^' a .si^^'nal tluit hn-l li»«oti au'nT.l iipfiti, hikI wli at onco atiswnvl h«'r with a hhmU sliot tVorii a iiim -nouruler. iJatiK'lio'.s li(;8 on hoth sides {>[' tlie river, and tmj niaiii villajjffi is in a basin shaiM'ii thprossion, with stores on the east side uf tho river. When ahout a mile {'vnu\ the east Uiuk, wo came in view of th" outskirts of Uio settle- ment, and the Oatlinj^' linMJ at the first hou.se, but there was nobody there. It was a briudit, clear n»orniii<:^, and we could watcli opei-ation.s quitti (listinctly at first; but later in the day dense clouds of smoke hunjr over the wliole basin. Our scouts now fell hack, and A IJattery, pushing on ahead, sent a sliell through the second house. Some rel>els immediately ran out of a ravine behind tho house into the bush. The two liouses took fire and were soon in a.shes. Threi; hundred yards further on stands the Church of St. Antoine do Padua. A snuiU school house stands near the church, both buildings being about two hundred yards from the higli l)ank of the river. In the rear is a thick wood of poplar, hazel and willow, tlirough which a deep ravine runs. The river makes a long fewet^p westwai'd and then eastward, leaving Batoche's in a broad peninsula. We moved slowly on, and soon heard heavy tiring along tho, liver, the report of the big gun on the IS'ortkcote being easily distinguishable. The Oatling advanced to within a hundred yards of the school house and church, when a priest opened the door of the latter and waved a handkerchief. General Middleton at once rode up and found five priests and six men who had taken shelter there. They were taken care of, an(J were extremely tliankful for their rescue. The Half-breeds had thn'atened to kill them all, and would have done so wiihout doubt liad not Garnot, one of the rebel leaders, insisted that the church shouhl not be desecrated l)y murder. No sooner had the priests been sav(id than the Gatling let fly at the .school hou.se from our high elevation, but there was no response. A 200 canada'b .V >|{th wist ukprlmom. 1 Battery now cnuw up. ami Ix'^'iui .shelling t)i« hoiisos on both siib's of l\n' rivrr. A «ln/i'ti W()im»n ami cliildn'ii wt«re mn'.n rnshitt;^' out, iunl our mm ci'usrd tiring' for an instant, Oenfnal Miildlrlon havirivf jjfivmHtrict injunctions to the force to sparo iion-coml»atants as far a.s possihle. While W(! were watching those r.eoplo run ofF, tho rebels suddenly rose from tho ravine n<^dit in front of us, and opened fire. Thf Lj'ins were c li'rtMl to tho rear, and the (iatlinj^, which Howard had I r »n wt>rkin^ so w»'ll, rained down a fusiladf, hut our position was too hiyh, and tho bullets Hiw over tho ravine, ami did no harm. This was a ticklish nioint'iit, and our iiwu were thrown into so!ny Hrrs frniii tlio sloughs, i)u^ Hrnoku of wliich mil*''! aion^' tlii) f^roiind like A deiisd fotf. It wan a ti^')»l pliico, Imt the troops n«vur for a moment Hinchod. Thoy simply looked to tl»eir officers, who in turn patiently Nviiit'd for ordrrs from the chief. At 1 1 '{0 M.m. the orro!»ht)it.nMl. At Mix «M'lock lln^ rolirln ln-i^'an a^Miin.and at. 7 p ni. (lio tirin.; was ^'oin^r on, imi it was at li»n^ ran^'t' iind ni> daniiif^o wms Itrinj^ il(>n(\ It wivn painliilly <'viili«nt thai w«' hail n(>tin(»n onoii^'h. (^win^ to 1 lirir position, one itIm'I wum jis j^nod as ton volun- tool's, just as it was at l''i.s|i Cicok. Tho tiring' on our pMit luid to bo dono at tlio pull's t»f suiokt* iVoin thoirguns, or lit tho spots wlion» wo supposed tlioonoiny to Uv 'I'ho toiril»ly l»n>kon jj^rouud rcndiTo*! it ditlicult IV.r tlu^ l»ijr ^uns to got into aclioti.und whon tlu^y did opon tlioy could do littlo with an onoiuy Ivinj^ in pits and protoctod hy troos aiui a hoavy undoil»iusli. (JoiuMal Middloton said tho inon had dono roinnrkahly woll timt day all things considorcd. Captain Howard was loudly cheorod that ovoning. His (Catling savo«| ns from s<'rious disastor. At .') p.m. our soouts capturod Wm. IJrush.a brood, who waslu)\oring noar our roar. Hi» said ho osoapod from Riol tliroe days boforo. Ho piacocl tho robol forco at four hundri'd inon, i>alf of whom wt»ro Indinns. Two IniiKliiid of thom wore on this side and two hundroriosts coulirmod tliis. They said the Nortlwntf ran down the i"i\or that morning under a heavy tire. At S.3() a.m. our men saw that her smok(5- stack had been knocked down. Bullets had probably smashed the wire bracing. We saw no more of her but ai>out noon she was heard whistling, and th(»n appeared to be troinj/ down tlw^ stream in the direction of Prince Albert. At () o'clock she began whistling as though from up the stream. Such is tlie account of the fii-st day's fighting at Batoche, written the same night and in the hurry and excitement of a camp, not only under a dropping fire at long range, but in momentary expectation ot an attack TIIK MAT 11. K MK IIAT«h||K'M KKHIlY. io:i froii) Alt <*xiilt;il)t f(M^ Tlic fiilliiwili^r iiiort) rlctHilf^t) aiMMUMit, wnltiii iinl vnliiiiMr: It in lUM'illcHs to Miiy i\\t) M'snlt ct" Satunlav's i\^])i Ijrh not Utm »y nix w<< wt^ro fin rouff ; i]\t^ ivMuMrvH, iiipltr'I'rim »j>ort OlTiror Sccrctan, U'iu^r left to ^Miarijo uxcrpt l»a\ rrsacks Itrliind. 'I'ln' road waw miry in niuny places, and several ufninnnition wa;^^ons Htickin^' funt diiayiMJ rapid ;idvancc. When >\itliin four niilcH of liatodic and witliin .site of t)ic opptt.sitc liank of the river, the whistle ot" the X»n-fk,;,(t' was }ieare first evidences of a rc;^ulai setthwiient, tliou^^'h isolatiMJ liousos and (Jrec cal>ins (our daily trail lay thn)ii).(]i oncj As.sori.s reserve) wore always in sitrht. All tlie liouses and harns alon;:j the road hut one were l»urnevh<»tn it w/im ifmrnMl tluit the oruMiiy ruuiilnnMl jihdiit t Ao-hiin«h-«Ml MnintnuMls uuti M many In<|uaily oat HaiUMl j)a.st hatoelio's b'rrry, the sFnoke-stack «lown , athi wliilo the talk |)rot(r fi'lvnnctMl mu\ |H)iiri5il in a withiTinj^ tlnv ihw of tlw ^tiayorj» of the rifle pits. The sharpshooft rs of tho !)Oth, armed with Martini- lleniys, wun^ sent forward to tho crest to support the datlin^', two companies (»f the DOth to the left flank and alonir the river hank, the dismoiint( A Hattery and French's seoiits heing Hcnt down tfie, small ravine into which wc retreated from the crest. Tlie rest of tho (ircnadiers forincd the (jentre. Tho Midlatuls woro in roserve near the church, near which the (ieneral and stall' took a position, while the remaining companieH of the lM)th, aided hy the Witmipej; Field Hattery anddi.smount<»d detachments, were deplo\ (hI on tho right centre, right, and ti;.(iit flank. Before vc/y long tho enemy cauKj around from tho mouth of the main ravine and attacked A Mattery an\v into proniineiico in ninny hearts. Wo liad not hfard anytliin^' tVom tlie Htcanicr for liourn, l>ut hotwcon one and two her whistlc! H()un(l by either party was f*- •4 TIIR BATTTE OP IUTOCIIK's FFRRV. 207 \c^ is tari^'f't for a Hcoro of ItiilN'ts. Al)()tit this t'wno Oonrral Middleton coiif'.liuUMl to r(itiii'. to our picHrut po.sition, wliich in iM'twtM'ii iivi; and six huiidrccl yards di.statit from tho clmrch.and iiiiiiKrdiatoly H^nt Iiuultf)ri's rnountcul men l)a(;k to thu camp t<» hrin^ u[» tlio transport. I To and Mel^und had a Inirriod coiiHidtation and tlic latter Htartod, aH w« HUpposrd, i'(jr tlu.* old camp, hut really for Ottawa v/Vt llnmholdt I'y O.MO all th(5 troops, except those actually enj^atr(;d, were in and about tlie ground, and an advance scout from f^oulton reported tlie transport Kal'c and en route on tlie trot. Iluriied breastworks witli «'Mrth and pojjjar trees W(!re tlirown upon our rear (th«>n thou^dit to be tlie most (!Xj)os(m1 portion) and as soon as tl»is was done fires were li^dited, and the [)reparation of suj)per — HU(^h sort as could b«! lnnii<'(lly prepared — started. The Gatlin;^' openeas(»nal)le explanations are poor ammunition, poor and liurriiul maiksmanship, greater caution on the part of our force -i, and a kind Providcmce. Athi«stthe men withdrew^ tii'ed,liun<3M-y and angry that the day's work liad not proved more successful, and hopeful of at least a short rest. Tlmy were doomed to disappoint- ment; the cartridge boxes had scarcely been laid down when they had to be refilled and donned. The rebels, well aware of our retirement, took advantage of tlieir safe route under the brow of the cliff, and rising over the brow tired into the zareba. The DOth and the Grena- diers were sent outside on the run and gallantly repelled the attack, but not before Moor had been killed (he wad in the zareba at the time) and five men wounded, J- 208 CANADA S NORTH -WKST IlEHMLrjON. NijLjht came at Iciiirth, hut tiivusy throwing up liasty entrencliments ; teamsters, nervouH and fri<;}iti!ned, were yell in»jj at equally nervous anirnals ; around th(! lnospital tents the doctors were husy in dressini,' wounds, }>i'ohiu{T forhullets, etc. Tlie bullets were whi/./ini^' and pin^Mnjj; overhead, and occasionally .sirikin;; inside. Pleasant prospect for the ni;^dit, esp«H'ially when one remembered that a favourite trick amon^jf the reds is to stampodii tho cattle and horses of the eneuiy. Hoofs wouhl bo apt to deal worse wounds tlian balls, and a^jainst alfVighted animals, cooped up within a small space, we had abso- lutely no defence. The anticipations of a mean ni<,dit were largely realized, though thus far we have escaped a stampede. Yew, if any, slept five hours consecutively, and the firing was kept up almost all night. At daylight on Sunday morning our lines woio again advanced beyond the night's position, and tho scattered sliooting recommenced. We had l)otter luck yesterday, and several dead enemies lay in sight of those who shot them. Martin was wounded early in the morning, but no one else nntil evening. By a.m. the usual question was, " What are we to do i Stay here, advance and take Batoche, or retreat to our cam]) of Friday last ? " Of course General Middlcton was the only one who could answer these questions, and he wouldn't for some time. He evidently hadn't made up his mind, and was at lirst in favour of retiring to the camp nine miles away. Afterwards, however, he decided to remain and fortify, remarking : " I can make this place impregnable, and we can keep pegging away at them. I haven't enough men to charge their position." Teamsters and everybody who could wield pick or shovel were put to work, and by evening the fortificaticms were in excellent shape. A plan was laid by wldch, when the Grenadiers retired THR BATTLF, OF BATOCHF/S FERRY. 209 from the front, they wero to do so in a seeming hurry ami eiit/i»'<; tlie cnoiny to show over tlio hank, whern thry wore to afford ^'ooiMit tvvolvo iuM'cH with vva^jjfoiiM on all .sidcH ox(M»pt oiio al>oiit oiio IhiiuIumI yartis oa^t of thoclmrrli. N(» tnit.swi'ro pilclu*! oxci'pt two rt)r hospital UNO. 'I'Ihm'miup was not foriiird wlion tliiMMiiMMY atiarkcil in (lir front and on hotli fliinltM Irll in tliooncloM- iiro. 'riioiMJis M«)or, (M\nMj)any, (Ji'<'Madiors, was shot throui:!! tl\o lioad and killod. I*riva(«» St(Mid, A (^)in- pany, lJivnadi(»rs, was shot tluoii^Ii the arm, hoth whilo in ho corral. During tlu^ r<'tirin;jj of tho advanco lin(> of skinnishors from tho ra\ iiu^ on Saturday ni;j;ht, Privates Soovol, A Company, and (vantwoll, M C^Jompany, tho lirst in tho arm, tho soc«>nd in tho thi;i;h and shonMor, woro sovoroly woiin» MAHm IIk'h KKKKY. flTi HU«'(Miinl»''«l U) liu'k of Mii|»|irhM. AlMiiit, 10 II III, lioWMV«ir, it lMi(*nni«^ «>^'ifl(*:)t tliai, suiiM-Miiii'f miup' tliaii a iiiHn' riM'onnaiHMHnrn wiin oti loot 'Du) artJIIfTv wi-n* oi«Iliver(!d a rakinj^'^ tin; upon tli<', pits, drivinfr the rebels hack. The moment tlieir line of .sharj)s}iootr;rH bo^an to waver, (Jeneral Middleton onlered Colon(d Van Straubcn/i<5 to lead tin; troops forward, and a rush was inade all alon^' th(3 line. The, rebels stoutly contested every pit, but ultimately broke and fled north-«!ast into tlieir other pits, where they now are. The buildings north of the church were at once occupie(l by the tror>p.s and the prisoners saved. The men behaved magnilicently, getting 2L0 CANAIU'k NOirni-WKMT IlKMKl.r.lnN. 1 ovor tho hrokcMi ^ronml aiiii. ('hi't'rin;^' ti< tliry clwiiyp'i. Tho following IN till ulliciul de.spatcli I'loui Uciioial Middleton : Ifon. A. l\ Carou,(HUtuu\ lUnn iik's IhnTsF. Muy 11, \ via Okaiik'h C'liossiNd, Nliiy 12. S Havt' just mjulo a p'tu'i il alt ick ninl raitiotl Urn wliolo Hottlciuont 'l'lu» iiK'ii l»('li;ivtMl .spli'ii.litlly. Tlio it'luLs hro in lull tli^^lit. Sniry to sny liavo ni>t ^Mt Kill. Wliiln ! WMH nM'oiinoitorin^ tilis mioiiiIiit, William Astlfy, oiio ot tho pristnuM-s, ^allopiMl with a lla;^ of truco ami haiuiod iiK* a hatiT from llirl, whiili lead - "If you massacre our lamilieH I shall iiiassatTo tlu» prisonorH." I sent answer p and pusheii on my a writorn )uid an oppor- tunity to put tho oventH to;(< tli«?r in soinrtliing likf; tho ()nh;i ill whirh tht»v orcnru'd. One (lornsponch'ut thus trlls tlio Htofy aftor rrarhinj^ Frinco Alhort:- Ahoiit five o'chick on tlio morning' i»t*th« !)th invit. th«' »»ntiro foro'- ui\di!r tho (hinTal l*'ft their camp of tho previous ni^dit and tnov«>d on hutoo^ie, about eight mih»N distant. The (;anip vvus hdt stamlifij^, that no im- pediments mi^dit interfere witli tlio h«'st Jij^d.tinj^ h«Mng doiHi hy every avaihihhi man. The trail led throu^di an open country until the Indiiin houses were leached, whm it became bluffy, witli fre<[»ient sloui^dis, and afforded a safe coverin;.^ for the eru'iiiy IVom which to pe[)p< r our men as tliey advanced to thfir four days' fi^lit. Major Houlton's scouts 1eyed at a gallop and with cheering. Howard, witli his "pet," as cool as a right-down-eastt.*.r, reached the onen at tho church and opened his rain-fall of lead upon the Indians with a "Take that, and that, and that, you devils, " as if he were sportingly tiring into a covey of birds. W^ith each 2!S CANAIMM NOUTM-WKHT KBiRI.Mosf. turn of t1n» rmnk ho wotiM r«»|)«»at Iuh «»•♦ phnwo. until Mir ioono l>(*rAhii« hiiiiiot'ons, unil tho ln*liAnM hrnftonMl Itrfoit^ tln» hailstorm of IuiIN'Im. Thr kfuns th«i» ciinic up iiixl (><^Miiiio«l fipohition upon tho plutoiiu oVKrlookin^ tlu* river luvl nii(o<*lu>, an huusrs to th«> front. 1*hcn it wn.M(h(Vt poor Mnmin wils sliot. u liltUt «list/inro to tlx* ri^ht of th(M*hurrh, (in«i Major hawson ruHhni luu'k fa«llv iniNHivo with lloward'H armnipriiiiinont tof^vory turn of thcHrank " Tako that, an«l a position somewhat irn'^nilar in shapo fron> its following' (Ih» lin«» of hush in front<»fthr (MUMuyM pits, and tlH» nioti lay down and opened lire. 'Vlw ri^ht of tho rolunin was sonu'what thrown hack, part of tin* !M)th ('ov(»rinjij it . ri^ht tlank. Tlu* (Ironadiors oecu- pi»Ml tlu» ctintro, with on<» compajiy of tho Midland on tluurloft. This was tho position tho foroos maintained for tho nMuaindiT of tho day. under a woll diroctod tiro from tho »Mioniy, with a more or loss irrojMilar tiro from our men. At tour oVK>ok Lord Mol^und loft tho ti(»Id, arriving' .at Ilumholdt uiiels. There is litth* question of the doubtful position of affairs in the General's mind bein^ the true reason, anil the entire matter possesses imj^ortant su«:^^estions of the alxsolute need of mutual knowled<:eaud confim|»lot«'ly hIioIij'umI in thi»lr |»itM. AlM»«it two o'dock tliM onier oaiho to rotire, hut tho inovniii(y th«» hrihk fiiMiliui«> o|m»ium| upon our uum, itKliriitiii^ fi;;iiifi tliat our oppoiHUitN worr tiuitn alivn to ovory luoviMiuMit of tlio (i(>i)i*rAl Am ipiicKly nw it wiim ^iv«'u,tliiHUiii«>ii, ami knpt up iitK'i'aHiri^'ly tiiitil dark It having luM'tt i'idi>d not to ahandoii our ponition, an «vsrort waMN«>nt Iwuk and a /jii« lia foruuMl about 700 or HOO yards to Mio i< ar «»!' nur lirm of iikiruiiNluMs, upon wlurli tlu« nun fill Imrk with thu niont p«»rf«M't ordor and j^rt»at st(5adin<^-..s worthy of thr !>oMt form of tlu' oldest <'ainpai|^ni'rH. harkiwMH overtook tin* uwn hcforo thoy w«^rc» tol«l oil' for their poHitioUM uf tho ni^ht, hut tho niotal was there, and though under enntinuous firo no tiuie wiiM lost in forininj^' an outer line of^let'encn with fenco railH, \ui^H of oatM, hales of hay, and wlwitovor othnr protection hands could lu) laid on. All tin* whilo njhel hulh^ts canio show«u'iti^ into tho /art-ha woimdin^ hotli mat) and boast, making the position most unplua.sant, tho in(»ro HO aH tho ^lunv ol '* tit for tat" was imposHihIo and u.sele.sH, for not a lolwd could ho HO«n. In thin dina'^reo- fthlo and dangerous state of allaiis our men had to Htuiteh their tea — not tea, for tiroH wore not permitted— of hard tack and potted mc^at, and tlu'n their sleep, and truly it wtu* the sleep of tho weary, for ever}' man wa.s to occupy the position of th(; pre.vious day. The attem[)t to do this was made, and nuide in a truly soldierly spirit, hut it failed, for we did not succeed in giitting within two hundred yards of our position of the (hiy before. From five in the early morning until sunset tlu* men f(;ug]it, and fought bravely, lying upon their faces and keeping up a desultory dropping tire upon the enemy's piLs, but nothing ,^^ jif"^**^; ►.M»l«-« ' -"^W 220 Canada's nohtii-west uebellion. was gained, and our nu»n wero brroniing diMpiritcl at tlic result and longing for the word to cliarge, wliioh did ncit come. The Midland copied tlio tactics of the entMuy, and on the left, overlooking the river, dug out ritle pits, aiul saved a succofisful Hank attack from the enemy in tliat direction. Thus t]\e day passed wearily enough iiuli ed, and hard-tack and potted meat was again eaten willi the relish of exhausted and hungry men. Sleep was less interrupted this night, for the enemy's fire cea'-ed with darkness coming on, perhaps because they faileil to come within the same range of our camp as that of the night before. Another day — the third day — and still tlie same; no advantage seemed to be gained, exce})t that the OOth forced their advance as far as the church, and the Mid- land, under Colonel Williams, advanced far enough along the river bank on the left side to allow two guns of the Winnipeg Battery to throw a few shells into Batoche, a mile or yo distant. Again the men lay down, and fought, being peppered at all the while, and presenting an open tarizet for the ;ebels. The coolness and inditfevence of our men was most praiseworthy. Their self-restraint under the unerring fire of the enemy is the surest evidence of the truest discipline in the men. Their one desire was to charge, and the word to charge would not come, so the^'' did their duty as it was givm them to do, but with a mental resentment at being made a target for bullets with no means of retaliation. Perhaps it was as well, for their passive submission to the state of affairs goaded the men into fierceness, and when the moment came each man was possessed with the ferocity of rage and revenge. Colonel Van Straubenzie, Colonel Williams, Colonel Grasett, and Captain Hague knew the pulse of the men, and saw that .something must be done, and decided upon a charge, weal or woe. Captain Hague pointed out the point of attack, and the next day was settled upon to end this dispiriting fight of three days. On Tuesday the General left the camp about nine in tlie morning with the Intelligence Corps under Captain '-■VJ'?^*""' r^'V 'V r*^"'fx''- THE UA'HLE OF [IATOCIIE'S FEURY. 221 Dennis, and one gun of A Battery and the Gatlinpr.proin bv tlu5 ()M ttail on to the open plateau. His instructions to (Jolunel Van Straulx-nzie won? that if ho en<,^ageStraubenzie, Williams, Grasett, and Hague. Theattack should be made on thci left if practicable, and the men lunl barely reached the position lield on the first day when the long-looked-for coramaTid : " Break into double, double," came, and was answered with thrilling cheers of satisfac- tion from the men. Th(ur turn had come — they knew it — they felt it, and with a rush and a cheer they were down on the rebels with the fierceness of Bashi- Bazouks, the Midland on the left, and the Grenadiers in the centre, and the DOth on the light. The advance came sweeping round until but a few minutes saw the line of direction at right angles to the original line of attack. The cheering was that of satisfied and contented men, and the enthusiasm was intense. Nothing could have withstood the pace, the force, and the dogged determination of the men. The cheering attracted the General, and, taking in tlie situation at a glance, he came on with the Winnipeg Artillery, Gatling, and three co»)ipanies of the 90th. The guns posted on the plateau shelled the houses, destroying them as if they had been houses of cards. The 90th joined the Grenadiers and prolonged their line of attack upon the right, while the Intelligence Corps and Boulton's scouts were on the extreme right of the 90th. Colonel Williams gained the rifle pits on the left, and took them, following up his success by pushing ahead, having to traverse the greater distance made by the course of the river. The Wix^aipeg Field Battery played upon the houses across the river, from whence an irregular fire, more or less damaging, had been kvjpt up upon our men (Hfftj^ll.V^'-^ftf^' i\>'>' -♦!«> H fl»iy,'**'»TMt:«ij»»---».«r»>f ■■ r^f-^»<^f>f-- 222 CANADA'S NORTH-WEST REBELLION. from first to last. Captain Ruttan, of the 90th, cam© »p witli two companies ami reinforced Williams in hi-s hot position, extending froui water's edge to plateau. Here two or three men were wounded, but the charge was irresistible, and a!iy resistaiice ineflectual. The tw(> Helliwells were badly hit when within about two hundred yards of the houses from which the enemy were firin«j^; but their iw^ seemed less stead}', as if tho) lelt the result LIKUT.-OOL. VAN 8TRAUBKNZIE. • of such an advance as was coming on them. Captain Stewart, No. 2 Company, 90th, was sent back by Colonel Williams to the General, to say that he was determined to charge the houses, and charge them he did. All the while Colonel Van Straubenzie was leading on the column, *No better otfioer than Colonel Straubenzie could have been chosen to fill 8o important a position. An olil soldier of much and varied experience, he entered the army at an early age, and was appointed to an ensigncy in ' t"?' '"*¥*?^"»fT THE BATTLE OF BATOCHES I'KRRY. 223 hat in hand, wavin*,' it and cheering as he went along. The excitement was intense, and notliing could have withstood the eutliusiasni of the men. On they eame, and in fifteen minutes aft-T tlio .Nfidland were reinforced they reached the top bank, and were down upon the houses. The first one to couk^ over to us was the small one on tho bardc, from wldeli the tiring v/as pretty hot, then the log stable opjwsite to the white store, in the latter of which were Kiel's prisoners, pal 3, srnny, and emaciated with eighteen daysot* darkness and starvation; then two other stores to the north, and away flew the rebels, fighting as they retreated. Major Hughes, the while, forced round the left fiard< of the rebels on the sloping bank of the river, and Captain V'oung. Captain French, and Captain Dennis, with a mixed body of men from the Midland, 90th, and (jrrenadiers.cliarged and took Batoclie's store and house. Here po(jr French was killed by a ball from a rebel rifle on the river slope, shot at him as ho looked through the upper window. Part of the 90th, Grenadiers, and Midland advanced with Captain Young on past the stores already taken past the prison- cellar, on to Kiel's Council House, at the extreme east of the famous old 32nd Light Infantry. Not long after his appointment he was called upon to Bee active service, and, in the ever-memorable Sikh campaign of Lord Gough, our well-known citizen highly diHtinguished him- self. J)uring those trying timeB for England, Lieutenant Van Strauhenzie led the forlorn hope at the seige of Mooltan, and for his nliick and gallantry was specially mentioned in the home despatches. At that time there was no .sucli thing as a Victoria Oross, but had there i)een the Colonel would no doubt have worn that much-coveted reward on his breast to-day. His woimds were serious, and he was obliged tc- return to England and serve with the dei)ot of his regiment, where he gradually recovered. Before very long, however, the " war-cry " again sounded, and as a Captain he pro- ceeded to the ('rimea on the staff of hia brother, Sir Charles Van Strau- benzie, who commanded the "Light Brigade." Again the subject of our illustration was favourably mentioned in home despatches. After peace was proclaimed with Russia, the Colonel was once more destined to smell powaer, and, from the knowledge the authorities had of his varied and useful services, ho was given an important position on the Staff of Sir Hope Grant when the Chinese War broke ov,t. He was at the taking of the Summer Palace, and on that occa.sion his name was again mentioned in despatches. Colonel Van Stvaubenzie is much respected, and, looking at his fine soldier-like bearing, there are not many who would imagine that even to-day he is still suffering from his severe wounds of 1849. *-*i'^«jri«'«r'ff!*f(r^ *%.f: Tf?' \> ■ '''"'^' 224 CANADA 8 NOKTH-WEST KEBBLLION. Hitoche, and Mcciirecl Riel'.s papers, and released Jackson, MoConnoll, and Monkman, who bad been imprisoned hy Kiel for inHubordination. The rebels in the meantime had been driven past the lino of houses, and pursued by part of the Grenadiers under Grasett, and their CiUitre was driven back wil^h tlie irresistible force of tlic Grenadiers, the 90th, and the Mounted Scouts. At four o'clock the charge had proved a grand success, the settle- ment was captured, and the end had come, the nihols belni^ completely routed. Tlie pursuit was kept up, how- ever, and at 7.30 the ]",st shot was fired. Thus ended a grand and successful charge, begun after dinner, and winning the day, and ending the rebellion at four o'clock in the afternoon. But during this three days' fighting, where was Gen- eral Middleton's " navy," the steamer ^ortheote. Let one who was on board tell the story of the "Middleton Navy" before we give any further particulars of the more etl'ee- tive operations of the army on shore. xiccording to General Mi<]dleton's preconcerted plan the Norlhcoie,yfiih. two heavy laden barges, left Gabriel's at 6 a.m. to-day, and after anchoring a short time so as not to anticipate the arranged time of arrival at Kiel's headquarters, reached within one and a-half miles of our destination, where we were to remain until the bombardment of the rebel stronghold by General Middletou was heard, he starting at daybreak, from the camping ground reached on the previous day, nine miles east of Batoche's. The rebels, however, materially inter- fer(!d with the carrying out of these plans by opening tire on the steamer at ten minutes past eight, just after she had got under headway. The lirst bidlet passed through the pilot house. The rebel spies had watched the steamer the previous night on the opposite bank from Gabriel's, and the sentry could hear them shouting, one boastfully singing out to us as he departed : " Now come on, you — !" This first shot was evidently the signal to the rebels of our boat's approach, and as we rounded the bend a THE BATTLR OF BATOCHK'.S FF.KllY. MM*' moment or so later we were raked foro ami aft by n fierce storm of bullets comin^j from both banks. From almost every l)U.sli rosc^ puMs of snidke, anhMl in this vuhiorahic point. HozofiM of ImlU^ts had pirrcod th«' vvh«M>M\ouse. St»a^»ir rocoivod ono in liin mat hIihwi', an I inlhocaliin in whicli I am writing a scont^ «»f wild di.s- onhir prevails. Thii skyhj^rhts ain .smashed, and tho IlimMy niatonal o( wdiich tho unpoi workn w<>ni constructed olForod no rcvsistanco to the t-ncmy ''t tin*, any seven balls, which ho returned with interest. Owen E. Hu^^hes and John Vineii were in a small barricade b«diind tho smoke stacks, whicli fell over thcMU. Jioth managed by the skin of their teeth to escape, but after Vinen had entered the cabin and was helpinsf to l)arricade it, ho received a bullet in the thigh. Major Smith, of C (yoni- pany, wjus in conunand oi" the military, having with him Lieutenant Scott, of the same corps, and Lieutenants Elliott and Gibson, of the Rcyal Grenadiers. The troops on board implicitly obeyed instructiou.s, while the few civilians rendered excellent service in replenishing cart- ritiges in boxes, and also in liandling rifles. Lieutenant Hugh J. Macdonald, although ill with erysipelas in the face, left his bed and took his place in the ranks ritie in hand. Tlie conduct of the men throughout was cool and gallant ; though they weie not exposed to such constant daniror as at Fish Creek, still the bullets whizzed about them in great style, coming through the interstices in the barricade and the openings forward. ^T . • Tf THE HATTI^K OF IIAHH IIKH KKllUY. 220 Tho rc?}>«I .strouj^th is not known, \)\\i fmrn tlif^ fury witli wliirli t)\vy lircd. iluMr fore*" nnist Iwivm rrarhrd |iroI)aMy four hunn^'i<'j^'a(«Ml. ()na>oth lefi[H ; Michael Twohey, tlii;;h ; W. FuirhaiikH, thigh ; Tln)n»iiH J. Sioiit, ri)>s broken, run ov(;r l»y a gun. French'H Scoiits — Cook, Id't leg hroken by ball bolow thokne(»; AIUmi, shot in tliekntx;. Greuaditjrs — Capt. AJa^son, flesh wound in the thigh. Kfl.LKD ON SUNDAY. (Grenadiers — Private Thonuts Mcxtr, «h<>t through the head. 90th Battalion — I'rivate llardisty, shot through the lungs. WOCNDKD ON SUNDAY. Grenadiers — Adjutant Manly, .solt; of foot; Private Roovell, No. li Company, tlorth wound; l^rivate Cantwell, No. 2 Company. 9()th Battalion — Private John Keinp, shot through the eye ; Private Eriekson, in the aim; l*rivate Ralph Banon, in the forearm; Private Stead, No. 2 Company, tle.^h wound. KILLED ON MONDAY. French's Scouts — Captain John French, shot dead while leading his men. Boulton's iScouts — Captnin Brown, shot through the heart. Grenadiers — Lieutenant Fitch. Dennis's (Surveyors) Corps — A. W. Kippen. ^,--?.-->.*ie-s-*-*^!^ . ^^i^-_ T^t. 2.12 CANADA'S NOUTII-W>;hT UKIIKILION. DOlh Battiilion— Private FuvNor, PiivAto Whoelcr. WoirNDKI) ON MONDAY. Ornnfidiorn — Mrijor D.iw.son, Nli^jlitly in the ankl»>; PrivAti) U. (y\)ok, in th»^ nrm ; Hii;^lor M. (Iaii;,'liftii, flt-nh woinvl Ifi Iho lmn»l; Piiviito ('. IJarlMMir, ^li^ilit woiiinl in t)n' Im'.kI ; PrIvntn -liiiMil.'nant (l 10 Lai<»niI lit lliwcll, faco and arm. 90th PattnJion Sri-grantMnjor WatMon, sH;,ditly in ihranklo; Siirg«'ant F. 11. .lakrs, in tin* hand; Piivato Ah^x. VoiiTig, tlosh vvoniid in tho thigli ; < 'i^rporal J. Oilli<'.H, in tht> l«\g. Dennis's S'onts Iii"utt'nant (iardon. Total kill.-d, {I, total \vonndi:d, ;K). Tho I'oUowirig .sketches cannot fail to ho ot* interest : — A. W. KII'PKN. Amontj tho arrivals in tlio citv from tho Nortli- West w"nt from thosfciio of tho recent tlistnrliauoc for a short time on leave. The party is composed of Messrs. Walter IJeatty, C. Wolll", J. Mi^ioan, B. J. Saundurs, of the Snrvpyors; Capt. ('hincs, Q\iartennnster of tlui Midland Battalion, and Assislant- Siirgeon Kinloch. Mr. P>. J. Saundeis was oidy a sliort distance from the s])ot where his eomra fatal hulN't fi)und its nuirk, and Mr. Kippon fell, shot t]irou<^V tho lu'ad. Death wan instantanootiH. Dr. Kalston, tho .sur>;oon, and Assist/mt Surgoon Kinloch, quickly Hocurod iho l»r)dy, hut tho hrave Rurvoyor wa.s hoyond the roach of thoir skill. Mr. Saun- doFH spoaks of Mr. Kippon as a man of groat energy, atul hrave almost to rashness W*' had from tl»o i>ut.sot mani- fested an intense desire to take an activ<; part in tho struggle, eager to servo his comitry, and had per- formed every duty dev(;lving upon him with a will undaunted in the fae<' of gravest dangers, Tho death- blow canui almost in the hour when victory crowned the eflorts of the loyal forces. A. W. Kippen, son of Mr. Kippon, of Perth, Ont., had been for many years ono of tho most trusted surveyors in tho employ of the Hudson Hay CVmipany, and great value was [>ut on his Her vices l>y Mr. C. J. Brydges, He came to Toronto this winter and entered upon a course of study at tho School of Practical Science for tho pur- pose of qualifying himself for a liigher position as (lov- crnment surveyor. While in this city his attractive social qualities and geniality of disposition won him numerous friends. Ho was extremely fond of athletics, 234 canadaVs north-west rebellion. and was one of the most popular members of the Toronto Fencing; Ohih. Shortly before the war broke out he went to Ottawa, and upon hearing of the rebellion volunteeied his services as a scout. His knowledge of the North- West was known to be so extensive that his ofl'er was gladly acr»epted and ho was enrolled among Dennis's scouts. It is said ho only reached Middleton's camp on Sunday, so that lie met his death in the lirst engagement in which he took part. In his native place, Perth, Mr. Kii)pen was a grt'at favourite and his loss will bo sin- creley mourned. LIEUTENANT FITCH. Lieut. W. 0. Filch was the only son of Mr. J. C. Fitcli, of Fit(;h &J Davidson, -wholesale giocers, Yongi Street, Toronto, of which firm deceased was the junior partner. He was born and educated in this city, receiving his primary military training in the Governor-Genernl's Body Guards, A little over a year ago he was appointed lieutenant in the Grenadiers. He immediately after- wards took a course in the Infantry School, obtaining a second-class certificate, upon which he received his com- mission. Since then he has taken a deep interest in everything' pertaining to the welfare of the regiment. He was a membei- of the Toronto Fencing Club, Royal Canadian Yacht Club, and other athletic organizations of the city, and universally populai- among all those who were acquainted with him. No greater tribute could be paid to him than that contained in a letter from Private Hatch, of No. 3 Company, Grenadiers : " Another whom I cannot help mentioning is our commanding officer, Lieutenant Fitch, who, with the amount of work, has a heavy task, but by his kindness and ready help to all members of his company he has the good will of all, and by this alone he has brought the company to what it is — and that is the one which is always there, with every- thing ready and in good order. I think if we ever return to Toronto he will be a man not soon forgotten by >*, n THE RATTI.E OF nATOCHE's FERRY. 235 a Hingle member of No. 3 Company." Lieut. Fitch was a (toiisin of .Mr. J. Scrivor, Mr. for Huutingdon, I'.'^., and a brother of Mrs. Senator Clomow, of Ottawa. Prin- cipal King, of Manitol)a College, writes of Lieutenant Fitcli : "It is twenty-two year.s since I first saw him, tlion a winning child of foiir years of age, the joy and ]>ride of his father and mother. He attended for many years the Gould Street Presbyterian Church; and was a LIRUTENANT FITOH. pupil in its Sabbath school. He was all through a gentle and affectionate youth, seldom meeting one with- out a smile. It is not singular that he was greatly beloved by a wide circle of friends, and that he was an object of sp<^.cial fondness to his parents, who saw in him not only an only son, but one in every way dutiful and affectionate. There have been already many mournful -••V-«j^i*J»i*^»r*» •<»«-^*« 236 CANAPAS NOnrn-WFST REBELLION. losses in this deplorable and, one can scarcely avoid say- in;jj, most unn(3ce.ssary conflict; there cannot have V)eori many, if indeed any, which will occasion wider and more ten,.,^ THK BATTLE OP BATOCHES FERRY. 239 tiikin^ up land near Qu'Appelle. When tho robt3lliou broktj out he organized a corps kiiuvviias French's Scouts, which he commanded, and whose services were of great l)unefit to General Middloton. He leaves a widow and several young children, the eldest being a girl of ten. Tht? ileceased was a bold and dashing oflicer, as evinced on Saturday, when amid a shower of bullets ho carried away a wounded soldier. His dash into the ravine at Batoche's and his daring attempt to relieve the prisoners when he was shot will keep his memory green. Tho nearest connection of the deceased in this country since Colonel French's removal to Australia is Mrs. Kenneth Mackenzie, widow of the late senior judge of York County, who is a sister of Colonel French's wife. H. A. FRASFilR. H. A. Eraser was a son of Contractor Fraser, of Winnipeg. He was about twenty-seven years old and married some six months to Miss Speirs, daughter of Alexander Speirs, of that city. A. o. whp:elek. A. 0. Wheeler was a brother of George Wheeler, killed in the Fish Creek battle, and son of C. H. Wheeler, archi- tect, of Winnipeg. The wounded are as follow : — MAJOR DAWSON. Major G. D. Dawson, of the 10th Royals, who w^as wounded at Batoche, is an old army officer and experienced soldier. He is an Irishman by birth, having been born in County Carlow, Ireland, in the year 1839. When only sixteen years of age he commenced his military career as an ensign of the 4*7 th Regiment. He was ordered to the Crimea with his regiment, but when his troopship reached Malta news of peace was received and the 47th returned home. Major Dawson continued with his regiment for thirteen years, but left it at Halifax, in 1807, retiring r:V'^VV''.|i';iif.,-IVi.. III., -■v|!tf«!i(''''li(tl'li'.'lv<,'lii v\. yiiij.'\;« .«.<»■ -h, ■ ^;w- 240 CANADA 8 NOUTM-WFST Rl^llFf.UOX. with tho lank of Lieutenant. Ht; Mettled down to luisi- ticHH in tl JH city and is now ch'u'.i' partner in the well. known firm of O, D. Dawson &l Co, 4.*J Colhomo Stivct, Toronto. When tlio lOtli lloyals were re-organizi;d by Col. Grasett, Lieutenant J)awH(m took an aetive part in assisting. He was ap}) Cas- well. Being fond of military life he took a thice months' course in the School of Infantry, at the same time retain- ing his connection with the 10th. His father is at present in Australia. BUGLER OAUGHAN. Bugler Gaughnn^ shoii in the hand at Batoche, is a native of Guelph, his parents residing there at present. He was a member of the Wellington Field Battery for some time, and holds a Schoo' of Gunnery certihcate. In Toronto he has been following his occupation as black- smith, and when tho 10th Royals were called out was one of the first to volunteer for active service. PRIVATE QUIGLEY. Private Quigley joined the Grenadiers three years ago, but some months before the outbreak of the rebellion ho handed his uniform in. He was among the first to turn up, however, when the call to arms was sounded. Quigley is a stout young fellow of twenty-four years of age. He was employed during the summer working on a farm. He is a single man, but is in reality the only support of his mother, his step-father being in wretched health. PRIVATE MARSHALL. Private John Marshall, who is reported as wounded in the calf, was a watch-case maker with R. J. Quigley, ..t^ ft TIJK BATTIK OF BATOCHE'h FEttRY, Ul iwn to Itiisi- n the wclU oino Street, ['guuiziMl by live part in mo, and Ims .alion. ■esided with n employed er'on ij Cas- ucc months' time retain- is at present iatoche, is a at present. Battery for rtiticate. In )n as ])lack- oiit was one }e years ago, rebellion lie first to turn ed. Quiglcy of age. He on a farm, y support of health. as wounded J. Quigley, 57 Adehiide Street, Toronto. Marshall has been about a yi'ar with the Grenadiers. Flis mother lives at 121 Jarvis Street. He in eighteen yeara of ajje, and a strong hardy youth. BUOLEB OAUaHAJf. LIEUTENANT LAIDLAW. Lieutenant George E. Laidlaw, attached to the Midland Battalion, who is reported slightly wounded, is a'son of Mr. George Laidlaw, of 26 Spadiiia Avenue, Toronto. He is about twenty 'ive years of age, having been b(Tn in Toronto, and educUed at Upper Canada College. He passed tWough the Royal Military College at Kingston, graduating in June, 1882. He ai'ter wards proceeded to British Columbia, where he spent some time on a survey- ing expedition. When the rebellion broke out he immediately tendered his services to the Government, which were accepted, and he was appointed to a Company under Col. Williams' command. 16 242 CANADA'S NORTH -WKST UEBELLIOM. PHIVATK WATSON. Private Alexander Watson, F. Co., i>Ot.h (VVinni^teff) Battalion, who was wounded on tho last day of the hgiit at Batoche, and died tho following Saturday, was born in Toronto in 18.')8, luit lived in St. Catlmrincs th»3 greater part of hiM life till about four years before the nibollion, when ho removed to Winnipeu. While in Winnipc;^' ho was in the employ of a contractor and builder, he having nilVATK WATSON. been b"ought up to that business in St. Catharines. He was the eldest son, but had an elder si.ster. Personally he was a generous, kind-hearted yourg man and a great favourite with every one. He was unmarried, but was shortly to have led to the altar a very estimable young lady of Winnipeg. THE UATTLK OF BATOCHEH FEUIIY. 243 IMUVATF COOK. Private Uichavd Cook is tho Hon of Mr. Win. Cook, 1,'J7 IIo|)« Str»'ot, Toronto. He isal>()ut nin«»to«>n yoars of Rirr, anu iH a Hlioomaktjr \>y trade. Ilu hati beeu a private in the Urouadiers lor aliout a year. STAFF SKIKiKANT MITCH FXL. Staff-SerjTpant Thouuis Mitcliell is woll-known in militia circles througlioiit Canada. He is perhaps tlio most famous shot in the Dominion. He has live times represented his country amon;^ the crack shots of tlie world on tlie Wiml)ledon C >in!non. Sergeant Mitchell was slighMv wounded in tlni left eye. He is a member of the firm of Dickie & Mitchell, 142J King Street West, Tor(»nto. He is a native of Dundee, Scotland. He joined the Grenadiers soon after his arrival in Toronto, live years ago. Hesides being a statl-sergeant he i^ also musketry instructor to the regiment. He has brothers who are also famous as marksmen. One of them, Coulson, is on the field with the DOth Battalion of Winnipeg. Mr. Mitchell is married, and is about thirty-two years of age. ADJUTANT MANLV, Adjutant Manly was injured on the sole of the foot. Captain Manly is mathematical master in the Collegiate Institute, Toronto. He is a graduate of Uni- versity College, and took high honors there. Ho is an enthusiastic soldier, and has devoted manv an hour to the advancement of the Grenadiers. No ofhcer has worked hanler or longer for the interests of his crops than has Frederick F. Manly. He is one of the most popular young men about town. LIEUTENANT HELLIWELL. Lieut. J. E. Helliwell, wounded at Batoche, belongs to the 15th Battalion, Argyle Light Infantry, of Belleville. His father is rector of Ameliasburg, Ont. Lieutenant Helliwell lives at Belleville, w^here he is employed in the 244 CANADA'S N(>UTH-WK»T UKMKLLION. law film of RoIm rUon & Thomas, lie ^ru

•lix'p, From whidt Mhall iiwak«Mr i^ytm W«rv MUiig hy tlio Uftttiiig guit. All honour'* dao and thf*y havu it, too-^ To thf (irHnii. anrH)d Hfar Th« ndxd crrw ; hut twixt in« aud you When all in Haid and don'*, A dirtV'font Miave huaits uro now cold aril Htill that boat bi^'h with valour, hope and noble ambition as tlio Northcote^H wliihtlo gavo the signal that tlie fight had '.tf^Min. Though the Indians un«li*r Big Hoar continiiod to offer ft. stubborn reHintanco for a timo, tho nalt'-brcod robollion as .sm;]i was crushed, and the liopo of the Half- broods was extinguishod when some of tlnir brav»5st and best lay in the rirte nits that fatal Mor.d.iy afternoon Hoake0 CANADA S NORTH- VVKST ttEnELI.ION". Who knowing that with them the breath Of captives failed, should tardy action b«, Chargi'd bayonets in the face of death — Into the pit of hell — and aet them free I While rebel hord<\s flew, as the dust Ih onward driven by the strong wind's will, Batoohe has fall'n, is ours ! Our trust, Our prayers are answered ! God is with us still I The great heart of the nation heaves With pride in work her sons have done so well, And with a smile and sigh sho weaves A wreath of bays and one of immortelle / Baptized with fire, they stood the test ; And earth, in turn, baptized with blood they shed ; Canada triumphs, but her best Are not all here — she mourns her gallant dead. A glorious death was theirs, a bright Unsullied ending to a cloudless day : They sank, as sinks the sun in sea of light ; And in their country's memory live for aye 1 But flush of victory pales in pain; Tears fall for darkened homes where glad tones ceas Whose loved that left, come not again — Heaven give the mourners and the nation — Peace 1 LDEUT. A. M. IRVINO. CHAPTER XX. RECOLLECTIONS OF BATOCHE S FERRY — AFTER THE RATTLE ONE of the surveyors thus gives his experiences at Batoche : — Here we are at Batoche, which has, as you know, fallen before us, and we all, from the General to the " grub-rustlers/' pose as conquering heroes decked out in our war paint, which in this instance is principally- composed of dirt, that has become so much part and parcel of our being that the idea of soap and water is as dis- tasteful as it would be to the dusky braves we have just been shooting at. If you will excuse the dirt, I will try to give you an idea of the movements of the Survey Corps to date. You will remember that our fifty men were strung out in a line of pickets from Swift Current Creek to Long Lake, a distance of one hundred and thirty miles, to inter- .-} -t,- r^*"** *^ -* -*•*? * ^iiM-^-f*-. * * ■ 252 CANTADA S NORril-WIlST REBKLLION. cept fugitives from Ricl's scnitored nrmy to more con- goiiial dimes. With ^n cat loretliouglit vvuh this disposition of our little forco madt by the General in command befori; the battle at Fish (hvek ; but alter that oncountor witi) the rebels we were ordered to the front, and on Sunday morning, 3rd May, the messenger reached our h<'ad- quarters at the Elbow of the South Branch of th*^ Saskat- chewan with orders to that eHect. To gather in our pickets and supplies was our next move. This being done on Wednesday at noon we " pulled out," as the saying is, and started for here. Our trip was a ra])id one, for the orders said " at once," and we reported to the General on Sunday, the 10th, at 'J p.m., having covcutd the intervening one hundred and ibrty miles in exactly four days, although encumbered with fifteen days' forage and provisions. We found the little army about haU'-a- mile east of the church, and rather more than twice that distance from Batoche's Ferry, entrenched within a few yards of the top of the hill which descends steeply to the Saskatchewan, and of all places for entrenchments -i ploughed field had been chosen, so you can imagine how nice and clean everything was and is. The entrenchment in which the troops were placed was made by throwing up sods about four or five feet high, and inside of this, about fifteen or sixteen feet from the breastwork, a second square was made of the transport waggons, placed in such a position that the tongue of one w^aggon was inside the next one to it, all the baggage and provisions being left in the waggons. Towards the centre of this square another earthwork was thrown up to })ro- tect the hospital tents. There were within the encamp- ment ohe 90th, the 10th Royals, the Midland Battalion, and four nine-poundeis, besides horses, mules, cayuses, and horned beasts of all ages, and lastly an instrument known as " Capt. Howard's hurdy-gurdy," otherwise the Gatling gun, which had already played its part and saved two of the nine-poundera from being captured by the enemy. What had been done before our arrival you will '-\'m s. U) more con- i«