IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ■- IIIIIM M |||M IM 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" - ► v] <^ /}. m. A /i o 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ) ■€tr ..-r lluflaio llisturical Sctcicty, Chii::iL;o Academy nf SciciiCf, ll.iir.ilton A>snciaiii'n, Scoltisli (Jeo!.;ra])hical .Society, i.\;c. WINMPKC;: I'KINTKD IIV The CA1.[. I'KINTINf. COMI'A.XY. 1887. i'^iia:- SOME RED urn SETTLEMENT A paper read before the Manitoba Historical and Scientific Society, April 28th, 1887, by Charles N. Bell, F.R.G.S. During a visit to Ottawa last year I spent some time in the i^rchives Department, searching among the files of correspondence obtained by the Canadian Government from the Imperial authorities, for information re- lating to the history of the Red River settle ment, With the kmd assistance of Mr. D. Brymner, the archivist, 1 succeeded in find- ing the original correspondence, or part of it at any rate, that passed between the Hudson's Bay company and the British Government, resulting in the . despatch of regular troops to Fort Garry in 1857. The Hudson's Bay company, at that date, governed the inhabitants of the Red River settlement, and claimed, over a vast extent of country, the privilege of exclusive trade, etc. ; but Canada contested the right of the company to these privileges, and was mov- ing to gain possession of the Northwest, having sent representaiiv is to London for that purpose, and to press on the Imperial Government the claims of Canada as against those of the Company. The occasion was opportune, as the license for the exclusive trading privileges for 20 years in what was termed the Indian territory, granted by the Imperial authorities to the company in 1838, was aoout expiring. On the 5th February, 1857, the British House of Commons ordered "That a select committee be appointed to consider the state of those British possessions m North America which are under the administration of the Hudson's Bay company, or over which they possess a License of Trade." The committee included amongst its mem- bers such prominent persons as Mr. Glad- stone, Mr. Labouchere, Lord John Russell and Lord Stanley. As the meetings of this committee were held at a date when some of the correspond- ence which I have obtained was being car- ried on, it is thus possible, and very interesting, to compare the different views advanced by interested persons as to why ! troops ought to have been sent, and why j they were sent, to the Red River settle- j ment. j British troops had already been stationed 1 at Fort Garry from 1846 to 1848 on account j of public demonstrations against the j administration of justice by the council of ! Assiniboia, and of the trouble brewing at the time of the Oregon Treaty. A body of pensioners succeeded the regular troops in 1848. As will be seen by the evidence presented later on, the people of Assiniboia were very much discontented, and anxious to attach the colony to Canada. This was the state of affairs at the date when the following letter was written : [Extract of a letter from Sir George i^impeon to the secretary of the Hu'lson's Hay Com- pany, London, Kng.. dated at L- chine, 20th October, 18S6,] "The chief topic of intorest in the Red river letters is the arrival at Pembina of a de- tachment of one hundred United States troops, with the view of making prepa- rations for forminn a permanent garrison at St. Joseph's (Pembins) next year, to whica entl contracts have been made for timber, grain, ere. After having completed these proliminary arrangemsnte, the troc s aro to go into winter quarters at Fort Snelling, returning to Pembina early next spring '* he militar.' occupation of the frontier by the United States in a matter which affects British interests at lirge, and I trust, that a representa- tion on the subjo 't to her ^IMsjesty's Govern- ment may go far towards induc'ng them to form Ht Red riv<-r settlement the nucleus of a military force (regulars), which may serve ps a counterpoise to the growing influence of the United Sta'es in the Northwest Territory." We see by this letter that Sir George Simpson took the ground that British in- terests in general were threatened by the presence of American troops at the inter- national line; but we will see further on lihat while he advanced this view, he the same time held others in reserve, use when the occasion offered. This letter, addressed to the secretary at to of the Hudson's Bay Company, in London, was forwarded to Mr. Labouchere, then Colonial Secretary. Nex^. in order is the following extract from a letter of John SwauHon, to the secretary of the H. B. Co. at London, dated Fort Garry, Oth Oct., 185(5, which was forwarde/ by John Shepherd, Governor of the com n^ny, to the Rt. Hon. H Ltbouohere on the 27th Nov., 1856 : "In the early part of lantniontU a party of " Aniei'lraii troops, conaistii Kof tiliont 200 men. ' arrive 1 at Pembina under the ooiiiniand of " Col. t-mith. who for^vanled ine a notiof, cojiy " of whichIh('re\TitlibeKfilroa(ly iloparted forthorfal hunt which " they intend to make wherever they fall in " witti the buffalo, whether on Brlil'h orAm- "cricwi territory. I have not boon able to " learn the object the Americ in Government " bad in view in sending iu this ex odition to " Pembina, bnt I rather suspect it was for the " purpose of examining the localities for the " (roction at no dis ant period of a perniauont " garrison oither at Grahame's Point, the head " water 1 of the river, or at Pembina." Following is the notice referred to in Mr. Swanson's letter. "NOTICB. " To all whom It may concern t— " Headquarters, Battalion 10th Infantry, " Pembinu expedition, camp at St. Joseph e, " Minnesota Territory, Sept. 3rd, 1856. " The undersigned, tho com-i and «g officer " of a u^ilitary expedition which arrived to-duy " from Fort Sne'ling vi ' Lake Minniewatkin. " hoB the Instructions of the Prebident of the " United States to notify such of the inhabi- " tants of the British Poseessiond as are in the " habit of crobbing the boundary line between " th» United States and Great Britain (49th " parallel of north latitude) for the purpose of ' hur.ting.icd trappine, etc.. on American soil " that such depredations will no longer be per- " mitted, iho U'.idersigned accordingly hereby " warns all such pprsons not to enter the torri- " t- ry of the United States for the above men- " tlonei purpose. "(S gneil) C. F. Smith, "Col. in the U. 9. Army, "Commanding." That a number of traders and others in Minnesota were anxione that the United States should obtain possession of the Hud- son Biy Territories, ia well known, and this proclamation may have been issued with the idea that the people of the settlement would ligitato for annexation if they found them- themsolves cut off from acoesa to the buffalo country, stretching across the line towards the Missouris, which was a locality annu- ally resorted to by the Red River settlers to procure skins and provisions. A petition had already gone from acme of the inhabitants of Assiniboia to the Ameri- can Gov( rnment, as is seen by the recorded evidence of Mr. labister before the House of Commons committee in London, on March 5th, 1857, in these questioQa and answers: Q.— Is It within your knowledge that any ap- plication or coniplaint was ever made to the Governmert rf America on the subject ? .A.— There was a petition addressed by the Ued lUvcr Heitlora to tho American Govern- mont, I believe. Q.— What is the date of the petition? A —It was about 1S4H. at the time of tho ex- citement connected with tho Oregon boutidary question. Q -What V as tho f encral purport of the pe- tition ? A — I believe that they desired the A merlcan Government to annex the Red river territory to the United States, and promised their assist- ance against tho Hudson's Hay C'ompany.in tho eve^it of a war. I believe that was the object of tt. Sir George Simpson probably had thia pe- tition in hia mind's eye when advising the quartering of British troops at Fort Garry, The complaints of the people of Assiniboia were embodied in various petitions to the Governments of the United States, Great Britain and Canada. The general form of the petition sent to the Legislative Assembly ot Canada, dated in April, 1857, was aa follows : — After reciting dissatisfaction with the rule of the Hudson's Bay Co^ the trouble of procuring deeds for their lands except on such terms as would by their construo- tion reduce them to a state of absolute sla- very; the aearch of their houaea for furs by armed police; the breaking open of their trunks by armed constables when on their an nual commercial journeys into Minnesota; all fura being confiscated ; the interference with persons of aboriginal descent to an ex- tent endangering the peace of the settle ment; the people having no voice in the selootionof the members of the Legislature; the exclusive system of the company which prevented the inhabitants from devoting their energies to tilling the soil, and other industrial parsuita, the petition closes in these words: "As British subjects, we desire that the same liberty and freedom of commerce, aa well as security of property, may be granted to us as is enjoyed in all other possessions of the British Crown, which liberty 'm become eBsentiall} necessary to our prosperity and to the tran- quility of this oolony. "Wo believe that the colony In which wo live is a portion of that territory which bo- came attached to the Crown of Engla' d by the Treaty of 1763. and that the dominion hereto- fore exercised by the Hudson's Bay Company Is an iiburpation antagonistic to olvilization and to the best Interests of the Canadian peo- ple, whose laws boing extended to us, will guarantee tho enjoyment of those rights and liberties which would leave us' nothing to en- joy In the institutions of the neighboring terrl- ory. "When we contemplate the mlfchty tide of emigration which hna flowed towards the north these six years past and has already filled the valley of the Upper Mississippi with settlers, and which will this year flow over the height of land and fill up the valley of the Red river. Is there no danger of being carried away by that flood, and that we may thereby lose our nationality ) We love the British n name ! Wo arc rrou I of thai kIofIoub fubric, the HriiiHh constitution, niiHcil i>) tht- wIhIoui, cemented and liallowud by ho blood of our forefHthtra. "VV(! Imvo reprcisen'ed our RrlovanccH to tho Imi'oriul Uovernnierit, but t rouKb the chU^an- Rry of the o )nii)any and It* fiUno reprehontiv- tlons we liavo not bcou hoard, much Ichh havo ourKi'levHncea ben rcdreBucd. It would hooui, therefort', that wo havo no othiir make tho chase tlieiroeeupa Ion, living .Hniont eniirely on tho iirodueo of then- hunts. Belling any «iir- pliis ' ()lio( tion of buH'iili) me t or robes, oillior to tho company at tho lied River flottlemc.il or to tho American traders settled at or near Foniblna. The American traders complained that the British hunters crossed the international line and carriud hack m ith them tiie pro duce of their hunts, while the liuduon's iSiy Co. secured the furs and provisions, b'.canse the traders wero not allowed to come in from the American side to barter. In other words the company had entrance to an ex- tensive fur country in the United States, without giving in exchange to the Ameri- cans the privilege of tiiuling on British s il. Then comes the following correspondence: War Department, 12th Dec 1856, from Lord I'anmuro, secretary, for information of Secr.v tary Lab')Uchoro. Lord I'anmuro had great reluctance in smil- ing troops to isolated posts like Red river, nnd he suggests that further particulars b" obtained from fcsir George .Simpson as to cause of move- ment of United States troops. War Department. 6th March, 1857. Lord PanmuretoSir Wni. Eyre, Camid., i cknow- ledging receipt of report on state of allalrs at Red river, ami "iheapplicatirn which has been made by the Hudson's Ray conip my fcr a dc- tnchment of troops to be again stationeil at Fort Garry." So anxious was the Hudsnn's Bay Co, to have troops sent to Fort Gar-y that their governor in London ofifered, on behalf of the company, to pay for their transport both ways, and maintenance, "on account of the existing state of affairs at Fort Garry and its neighborhood." The American troops having departed from Pembina, after a stay of a month, it could no longer be advanced that "British interests at large" wore imperilled by their presence, but it seems that other agencies were supposed to be at work, impeiilling the company's interests, for we find from other sources that the Canadian Government had despatched an exploring expedition to the Red River settlement that year. Hudson's Bay House 23rd Marc J, 1857. To Rt. Ho*. H. Laboucliore, &c., &c. Sir,— As thepriod for the departure of Sir George Simpson for Canada approaches, I am naturally anxious to obtain your decision on the subject of our application for the assistanco of a detachment of military at tho Red River . settlement. I have ventured to wait upon the secretary for war, on the subject, and his lordship has given mo reason to expect that If 1 applie' on behalf of the Hudsoi's Bay Co. for a hundred or a hundred and twenty rank and file of the Canadian Rifle corps with a Held ofiicer, and the other necessary commissioned ofllcers that he was of the opinion that His Royal Highness the commander in chief would give his consent. It being understood that the Hudson's Bay Co. should defray the expense of the transport of those troops and also atford them free tf ex- ponoo the iianal dully rations of Rood whole- 1 Binno provi»ionn durlny Ihoir Hurvico at Ittil ' Ulvor. ao anxioiH iitn 1 toobtiiin (lii^ important (i8- siwtaiK-o iiuilcr thi) oxlHtiiiK ninU'. ol ihiii^H at Fori Harry, Hurt Ita nuiKliI) ihoiid, iliat i am , prepiirc 1 on tlio P'lrt o' t'>u MiulHon'ti Itny Co. | to accedo to ihu ti-rmi nioMtiom I. | I heu loavo tlmreforc to rciiucHt tliut you will have Uic KoodnenH to conimiiniculo your ap- i proval of Jiiri iirranKomDUt to Lord i'aiMnmo and thus o'n«l)l« us to f iirnl h sir (JoorKO rtiinp- Bou witii ln8tru(!tli)nH to tulcn tlio noces.iary { ineanurns for prepariuR tnuisport for the troopH inimudiatoly on liis arnvul in Canada, i I havo, d:o., John Siikimieuii, I (iov. of H, B, Co. I The war department still hesitated about i granting the troops, and it is evident that the general crimmanding in Canada objicted ■ to uuch a disposal of his force, but the fol- lowing correspondence shows that his ob- jections were overruled. DOWNINO Stuket, aatli March, 1857. Sir B. Hawes, K.C.n., fiom llornian IMeriviile, Under Cnlouial Secretary. Directed by Secretary liabouchi-rB to ac- knowlod(?a r, ceipt of letters of lith inst. Oenorai Hyre iLpi)>irontiy. 'n tiiose Ict'ers, ob- jects to stationing troops a' Hud lUver, Seore- tary Lal)ii ichoro wiiile admitiMiK the force of thy ohjections conttiiiers tiiom "ovorlml need tiy the uecebsity for I lie prcicnco of a niihtary force of 80'ne description." "I am to reiiucst that you will state to Hla Royal iliyhneas ihal Lor I I'anniur'; cai siders ^he tibovc to form ih best airanKcment which can bo odoptid for atrordin« that protection to the livea abd pro- perty of the company's servants, and the sot- tlerti reai lent within the ter.it'Ty, which is th'is oirnestly pressed on Her Majesty's Gov- ernment," Horse Guards, 3rd Apri., l8o7. His Royal ntRhneos decides to Hend 120 men of the Koyal (;an«dian Hifl-8 a'd regreta that the tfarrison will hare to be with'irawn from St. John's. "But His Royal Highness can only recom- mend this as a temporary measure and con- siderinf,' that It .-ill be r-xpcdiont in con- Bccpie ce of ihe ritcorous and novere climate at Fort Garry, periodically, namely ov ry two or three yeas, iialf of tha regiment rr its present establishment will be absent at one time." He recommends that the regime t be in- croa art to eight companies or eight hundred rank and fj le. The troops were sent, going byf he Great Britain, a sailing vessel, from Canada to York Faocory, (where, on the 2r)th Septem- ber, 1857, they presented an address to the ship captain for his attention to there wants, and skill in navigation) and thenoe in open boats to Fort Garry, where they remained for four years, returning to Quebec in 1861. Notwithstanding the fears of His Royal Highness the commander in chief, "that the rigorous and severe climate would in- jure the health of the men," the death roll of the regiment showed no great additions, as may easily be imagined by the present inhabitants of the country. In the light of the fact that the Canadian Governinniit ti ted out exploring parties un- der 8. J. Dawson and I'ruf. il, Y. Hind in I8r)7, to examine the country between Lake Superior and the Red River, so that a re- port would be available on the uharacter of the country, with the state and condition of the Red River settlement lands and people, it is now highly amusing and interesting to read the reasons given by a prominent shareholder of the company as to why troops were recjuired at Fort Garry that year. In the report from the select committee of the lintish House of Commons on the Hudson's Bay Co. in IH.'iT, ia the foUcwing answer given by the Rt. Hon. £. Kllice, M. I*., a large shareholder in the company and who was formerly a shareholder in the old Northwest Co., which, mainly through big etlorts, was consolidated with the H. IB, Co. in 18'J01821. The answer was given in reply to whether a military force would be required at Red River, in the event of a Grown colony bein^ established there, "There has been a military force once or twice Hcnt there at the desire of the Hud- sou's Bay Co., and latterly they have ap- plied to the (Government again. They were threatened with the invasion from Canada of some gentlemen coming in to look after the fur trade. They thought that might excite some disturbances among the half- breeds, and that it might easily extend across the line. There was further danger from disputes and threatened hostilities be- tween the Americans and Indians. It would not be very desirable to leave that part of Her Majesty's dominions without protection under such circumstances. They have therefore lately applied to the Gov- ernment to send out some troops, which the Government pay, and the H. B. Go. feed." On the same day (June 2.Srd, 1857), when asked if the troops then going to the Red River were to be utilized for the preserva- tion of peace, he answered— "Yes, to pre- vent any alarm about the half-breeds; there have been disturbances in the adjoining territory between the Americann and the Indians; there have been such disturbances in Minnesota; the country has been threat- ened with war there lately, and we were alarmed that it might extend; the Indiana when once engaged, get to war with one ariti er, and they are not even scrupulous as >.. whom they attack, and it nas sup- posed to be better to be in a state of pre- paration against any emergency." Again he answered in reply to the question : "When the Queen's troops were stationed there in the first instance (1846) were not they sent there for the purpose of in some degree allaying the disturbance or excitement which prevailed in the colony in consequence of the half-breeds entering into I \ trade Jn fur« ?"— "No, I thluk not eaptiuially for that ; whonovcr any excitement takea plaoo, immediately upon that frontier, it extends beyond it ; aome (tentlemeu are goioK in from Canada now, I believe, to endeavor tu re open the trade in fura; the tirat meana which they will have recourae to in order to promote that trade will be to ({et aome of those half- breeda with them; the halfbreeda will again enlist aome of the Indiana; that may lead to disturbances upon the frontier which it is very desirable to have security against," "Was it to guard against any apprehen- sion of that aort that this proviaion of troopa waa made ?' — "Not on that account, but from the danger which there alwaya is on the frontier from any atute of dieturb anoe, from whatever reason, among the In- dians." During 1S57-5S, when the Canadian ex ploring parties were working in the North west, an expedition under Captain Palliser was sent out by the Imperial Government to explore the country as far west as the Rocky Mountains, and as well, to ascertain the character of the passes through the mountains to British Columbia, and lui ex haustive report was presented to the Royal Geographical Society in 1858 by SirBulwer Lytton, Colonial Secretary, who was very anxious to have this country opened up to settlers, either under the care of the Cana- dian Government, or as a Crown Colony, self ocntained. Neither of the reports made by these ex- plorirg parties refer to any disturbances in the Kid River country, but the Canadian report deals extensively with the discontent prevailing amongst the inhabitants of the settlement, on account of the management of public affairs by the Hudson's Bay Co. Both parties received every assistance from the Company in the prosecution of their work. That the Canadian people had formed an idea as to the Company's object in desir- ing to have Imperial troops in the Red River settlement, is seen by the evidence given by Mr. McD. Dawson before a committee of the Legislative Assembly of Canada, on the 8th of June, 1857. He said that the troops about to be sent to Red River should not "carry with them the erroneous views which of late years have been with some success imposed upon the public by the assiduous promulgation of the company, or they may unfortunately be placed in a posi- tion of antagonism to the civil power. Better that military rule prevailed entirely, for then the officers would know their duties and their responsibilities. If they go under the impression that they are to be subject to the supposed civil officers of a self con- atituted government which has no legal exiatenco, they may find themaelvea oallod upon to enforce beheats which are not law, which are infractions of law; they may be called upon to subdue resistance to illegal acta, to whiuh resistance is a duty and a right; and if for acting on theae be- heata they are ultimately brought before the courts of justici', they will find that they have acted under those whose ordera will bu treated aa a nullity, whoae civil offi- ces will be hold a mockery. This has been 80 before; it may be so again, if due pre- caution be not observed.' "If proper civil officers, magistratea, etc., were appointed by his excellency the Gov- ernor Cieneral, for the Red river country, to whom alone the troops could look in case of emergencies, as vested with authority, the danger and difficulty would be obviated." He then referred to the case of Lord Sel- kirk, who applied, in ISIU, to the commander the forces in Canada for a military guard for his personal protection against assassina- tion while journeying from Lake Superior to Red River. The commander in ohief granted a guard of an officer and 12 soldiers, under the express condition that they were in no way to engage in any disputes between Lord Selkirk and his people, and the em- ployes of the Northwest company, with whom Lord Selkirk was at variance. And yet these soldiers became parties to grave offences by being led with Selkirk and his corps of disbanded soldiers from the same regiment to make arrests of people in the service of the Northwest company. This was a specimen of the feeling that had been aroused in Canada over the nego- tiations between that Government and the home authorities. The troops having spent one winter at Fort Garry, we learn in the next letter on file in the Archives Department, the opin- ion held by the commanding officer, as to the utility of their being stationed there, and the purposes for which the company desired them to be used, while willing to be at the great expense of supplying them with food, and providing for their transport, free of cost, to the Imperial Government, Fort Garry, 14th March, 1858. Malor Seton to officer commtrnding Royal Canadian ritles, Toronto, writes that he should now offlcially write what he has already pri- vately done. " The subjects are first, the expediency in a " military point of view of stationing any por- " lion of Her Majesty's troops at this p'ace. " And second (if aucb a step should be deter- "miued on> the neceRsity or otherwise of the " presence of a field officer to command the de " tachment selected for the service. " The first point neces-sarlly involves consid- " erations nf nolitical as well as of a purely " n-ilitary Iciud. and which it is very dlfflrult " to separate.for though upon the latter ground " alono, tne conclusion appears to me inevit- " able that H.M. iroops ought natto be quarter- " ed in this locality, yet thegeneral circumstan- " ces of the country may fairly be taken Into \ ' "fcccoiint. In OHtlmatlnB the nnrrwlty for no an " extroine unci InoonvtMili-nt >' iiioamiro. Ir luiv- "ertholonH un-l iimlnirjr to my iintlilMillo h " It mIioiiUI Iki roHolvivl on. '•Till' tllMtiuut* mid Ifol itloii of thoBpot pre- "ho t inllKMiiDclviHdilllciiltliH un(l liicdiivun- " loncoH, MO nuMierouH, ho «'<"'. '*'>'' "" obvioua, "that It «oi.l(l 1)0 H(!iiic! ly n> cci-iiry, or "even poMiiblo to onumoruto tlioiii nil, liui " whun to tlieHo l» inKtud ilt>i liiiid' iut<) in 'iuih "of trimuiiort iiiiil uci^omh po«Hc-hOcl hyllio Hud- •• Bon'H Hiiy Co , oltluir ovor tlm loutd from " York Kiictory, iir tint ficim C-'iinml '. luul " whii;li havi) ttinnuly rcMulti-d in ivn oniir ■ fitil ' uce on tludr part, to lirlnK up llio n«'ce«Hiiry " clotkinu;nnd HtiircH for tjvoii tlio Hniiill f()r(!n " that la hero, <.nd would. Ill case of ii' olde t " In any of tho purilouB nipidH or port k « on " tho way, have left iw without oveu uiuniuni- "tlon until the month of AuKiH' iioxt, It can "hardl) h'tddtiirublo to ont.r Into Diinute detail "toHhow that nothiuK Hhort (if tho most o\ i-r- ■ whi'lnilnK nocusHity coul cattoiod also " along tho banks of the AHsinlboin^ to an ex- " tent of 20 miles. These people, the residonts " BO called, of tho settlement, are in reslity " more than one half ot them abisont at Kreat "dixtanoos in tho interior coarly tho whole year "those that remain buhlnd belnB tho .ve long since " abandoned in practice, their vretonslon of " exclusive tride in thisdistrict andfarb'iyo'd " it; or even if there was any chance of a col- " lision bet -v! en tho natives of the country " ani the people of tho oompany in compoiinu " for furs with the Indians, the nearest point " wheve sQch a thing could occur is at so great " a distance as to preclude tho intorventiou of " troops even If it were considered (which I " hardly venture to think would be the case) " that armed intorfercnce botw^'en rival traders " In the skins of animals were a proper service " for any portion of the British army. " The United states have no troops nearer " than Fort Ripley V :row Wing), a diHtauce of " about 400 miles beyond the'f rentier (ami there ' only about 130 men ) A small force of about "40 men, lam Informed, came to the frontlr " nearly two years aaro t-i a (placB cal ed Fem- " bina (a few small cottages) but an encamp- " raent of less than one month's duration at 'that place, resulted In their return to Fort " Ripley. " As reg-rds tho second point which I dosirt* " to brins; under notice, namely, the necessity "for the presence of a fl'^ld off cer with the " (letnrhment, I hare placed brforn you aa " huo'inctly as i run olDMimstanceM that will " oniiMe you to form a |uHtience ' of my <'ut/ however uilnful v hloh Iter " Msju-ity's sarvloo niav iihikxio, but hf-ci.uso " I tlil< k Itdui* to my r'lipurlors and >iiya*df to " b Hove that when tlu'so t'lroumstaiKes art "ollli'iiilU miiilo known, and rightly uiiilo''- i' st'iod, tlii^iielachiueiit of the troops now hura "Will be withdrawn, and that ifanyrepra- " sontiiilonH for the necessity of their remain- " !■ g oven for u time, were to provail, tho pre- " acneo of a Held olucer is wtiolly Buperlluoui " and uniU'roHHury." I liiv.i the to be, nir, Your most 'ibidlnet and humble servant, Ukohoi; Hkton, Major It. C. R. This letter was sent to Uorsu (jruarda and War Otliuo. Thia epistle from Mujor Sotou waa the basil lit tho remaining letters, which were the last I could lind in the archives bearing directly on tho suhjeut. It would seem that the Imperial (>overn- mout, to some extent, ut least, held the views adv.inced by Mr. Dawson in Ju'y, 18.'>7,''y the caution givnn to "the Governor and Council of the Hudson's Hay oompany as to tiio necessity of using great disoretioo in calling on the military for their assist- ance, and confiniog such application to oaaei of actual disturbance of the peace." Wah Office, 'mh Feb., 18S8. Sir,— I am directed by Lord Hanmuro to request that yon will arqunlnt Mr. Secy. Lab- ouchoro that from a report which has recently been received fr in tho olllcer commanding the dotachmcni of the Canadiun Rifles, now stationed in the Rod River Hettloiiionc, His Lordship has been led to believe that tho duties for which a force is re(|ulred there are not of a character which should bo performed by regular troops. This opinion is shared by tho General Coiunnanding-in-Chief, who, In a letter of which I am to enclose an extract, haa further stated his belief that from the unpopu- larity of tho service tho continuauce of the de- tachment at Kort Garry is likely to iniluence prejudicially tho recruiting fortho Canadian Rifle Itegiment. It would seem that the principal grounds of disturbances in the Territory arise out of infringements of tho monopoly of the IIudROn's Hay Co., sometimo-i by Americans, sometimes by Half Breeds, and occasionnlly, his Lordship understands, by Americans (tiio). Were regular troops to Interfere in cases of this kind, and blood bo shed. His Lordship conceives thit complications might arise which would be difScult to cet at re-;t. His Lord hip would therefore suggest for tho consideration of Mr. Hei retaty La- bouchere whether armed police under the control of the Hudson's Bay Co., would not be a more appropriate force for such a settlement. His tjordship is of tho opinion that about 80 men would vrobably bo sufllcio'^t to preserve order and aid the < ivic power, and ha does not doubt that wore a proper rate of pay offered, voluntee^^ might bo ootained from the consta- bles in Ireland. I have etc., (Signed) H. K. Storks, H. Mkkivale, Esq., (Co\. Storks, K.C.B.) Etc., eto> While BgreeInK with Col. Storks, Mr. Murivalu, undur datu of Oth Miiroh, IM.'iH, Rtatei th;tt it woiil'l bu unfair to the Hu(i ■uii'h Hay uoinpaiiy to withdraw the troop*, and callNuttontion to a ri'(|ucit of Sir(>eorgo Simpnon th;it troops wuio rP(|uirod nn uc oonnt of "diHturl)anoo and diDcoutimt" ami the "iMrriog up of tho peopio of tho Red '* River tnttlunient In oppottitlon to thtt •• civic authoritiea." "Tho OMent of L»r oourso of "iustico bavins been resisted by force, while " lives and property were at th" mercy of 'i " somi-barbarouH population— tlict contunt and disturbance at Red river," "the stirring up of tho people in opposition to tho civil authorities, "per- sona from Canada were ndauhievoualy em ployed at Red River inciting resistance to the established rule of the territories." "Neiiossity for the protection uf the livoa and property of the conipany's servauta and the settlers," "an invaninn from Canada of fur traders." "dinputes between the Americans and Indiana," and "disturbancea arising out of the infring<)monta of the oorr- pany'a monopoly." A review of the oorreapondcnce, and the evidence given before the select committee iu Loudoti, together nith an acquaintance of tho steps token by the Canadian govern- ment, impresses mo with the idea, that Sir George Simpson fearing an inllux of settlers from Canada following the exploring parties sent out, and of an immigration from Minnesota, seized on the pretext that a small reconnoitering party of American troops had, for the first time, visited the frontier, made a requisi- tion for British troops to support the rule of the Council of Assiuiboia (which was the creation of the company) against all comers. As negotiations were pending between tho Imprrial Government and that of Can- ada regarding the future possession and government of the country west of Lake Superior, the company found considerable ditiiculty in inducing the Imperial atUhorities to send out the troops to Fort Garry; but at last the application was so cleverly made, with references to American designs and the likelihood of an Indian war with a general massacre of the white population, together with an offer to provide transport and sustenance for the force, free of all oost to the Government, they consented, and the troops went out. The population of Assiniboia had got beyond the control of the company, and the presence of troops waa necessary to keep them within bounds until the company, if finally compelled to hand ovcv tho country to Canada, could attain a sub- stantial award for their claimed rights under the charter of 1670. A perusal of the documents published In connection with the transfer, and Ontario boundary disputes, will, I think, convince people that the company saw that the "day and hour had arrived" when they must give up possession, at least of the best agricul- 8 tural districts, of the Northwest, and it had become after 1857 sitnpl]) a question with them of securinp; a good bargain. No person can blame the Governor and council for doing the best possible in the interests of the shareholders. There is no doubt but that there was a strong feeling among some of the Red river settlers, in favor of annexation to the United States, as being their only hope of escaping from the rule of the company, as wit- ness the petition of 1864 mentioned above. Later, in 1861, at the time of the Trent afi'air, when a war seemed possible, and even probable, between Great Britain and the United States, it is within my own knowledge, from official documentary evid- ence, that a proposal was made to the Ameri- can Government, by a then prominent citi- zen of St, Paul, Minn,, to send, in the event of war, a force of 1,000 Minnesota troops to Fort Garry, to secure possession to the whole of British North America west 01 Lake Superior to the Rocky Mountains which, of course, under the circumstances, would have been a perfectly legitimate act. Accompanying this proposal was a detailed statement concerning tbe route to be taken by the troops, with a full descrip- tion of the country aad its population, re- sources and future prospects, while the in- diflforence of the British authorities to the complaints of the Assiniboia settlers was dwelt on as a reason why the inhabitants, "French, American and Metis," would wel- come annexation. Influential men in Minnesota were fully of the opinion that a chaj^e was about to occur in the Governmental system of Assiniboia. They knew it was to be either for Canada or the Uuited Slated, and they hoped it was for the lat- ter, and were fully prepared to take advan- tage of any opportunity occurring to seize on what is now the Canadian Northwest. The Hudson's Bay Company, as a fur trading corporation, had made a fatal error in first placing settlers on the Red river, and after the retirement of Lord Selkirk, they endeavored to isolate the settlement as far as was possible, but the flood of emigration into Minnesota from 1850 to 1870 rendered this impossible, even with- out the action taken by the Canadian Government in seekim^ to obtain possession of the country. The settlers, virtually without a market, contrasted their position with that of their fellows who had abandoned the colony and ifone to Canada, and with the new settlers in Minnesota; so that only time was necessary to ripen a movement that would end all control held over them by a close corporation like the Hudson's Bay company.