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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre fllmAs A dee taux de rAductlon diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul cllchA, 11 est f limA A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en baa. en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 il 11 i^ / 7th Fuslliera; Trip FBOM LOJfDUJ^, ONTARIO, TO CLABICS CROSSIM, ^IW.T. iiiiiH'tiiii;n;niiiiiiiiiliiiiiiii Biiiiijintiiiiiimiitiiiiiliil CONTAINING A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE •-^ ^ ABOV£ TRIP; ALSO, ©HB OphTgIAL ;RePOF?IPS ^^fmmmmmtemmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm^tmmmmmmmm OF THE OFFICERS IN CHABGE OF BOATS. -*• IP^tOum, 4Dni: Prke Pir"*? |*INTINC Company. ■WWi "■■(M i ! i t 3 A^J f~ .' \ THE LOG. CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OK The jtm ^Vsit.ib^s* Xmi FKUM LONDON, ONT, TO CLARK'S CROSSING, N.W.T. i ' ALSO, THE OFFICIAL REPORTS OF THE OFFICERS /A' j CHARGE OF BOATS. Jtonhon, (8)nt.: Free Press Printing Company. ISSS. I2030fi I .*> i i t k v f) ;<.••/•. ,1 I I I K PREFACE. The writer's only object in publishing an account of the " Trip " at this time, is with some hopes of reviving the martial spirit of the "Boys of '85," by bringing to their recollection what they were able to accomplish during a few months of that stirring year. The writer would also remind them that, as patriotic citizens, it is their dutv to keep the good old corps from perishing. To Capt. C. F. Cox the writer's thanks are especially due, for kindly placing his diary at my disposal. London, Ontario, ist October, 1888. . H. A. STEVENSON, M. a UONDONiONT. » • ■It 4 ■>.^r THE LOG. ir> i; The call to arms was not altogether unexpected by the 7th Fusiliers, so that when awakened from a sound sleep, alx>ut 3 o'clock on the morn- ing of the 1st April, 1885, by several vigorous blasts from a bugle, I was not greatly surprised, but tried to distinguish some familar note amongst the medley of sound. I failed. The performer on the bugle subsequently informed me that he had sounded the "assemble,"- and he ought to know. No sooner had the bugler betaken himself to some other quarter of the city than a rig, containing Capt. Frank Peters and his Sub. (2nd-Lieut. Cleghorn), halted opposite my door, and again were my jieaceful slumbers disturbed —this time by a loud knock, and a request that I would immediately report myself at the drill-shed. I did so— by immediately "returning to l)ed, well knowing that nothing would be done at that unearthly hour. The appearance of those assembled in the drill-shed alwut 8 a. m. was not particularly inspiriting, as, to judge from their looks, the war fever had considerably ?' -^ed, leaving them limp and sleepy. Not a single officer was present Al)out 10 a. m. most of the officers had shown u;>, and orders were issued for a " heavy marching-order parade " (whatever that was), at 2 p. m. It would take an abler pen than mine to describe the scenes that were now of daily occurrence,— the parading, tKe equipping, the in- spections, and the noisy, crowded drill-shed,— so I shall skip all that. The first regular guard was mounted on the morning of the 3rd, Sergt. Beecroft being the first N. C. officer detailed for this duty, and Sergt. Neilson the last (at Moose Jaw, on the return trip), * Privates Tom Carey and W. Blackburn were the first prisoners, and Joseph Deiorme, a rel>ei half-breed, the last. * Fifteen minutes late for Guard-mounting Parade. The 7th Fusiliers le^i London about 3 p. m., on the 7th April, 1885, ha„ke,l „, al,use,i, o, whether .he " VoIHgcur " was saying his prayer, or svear.ng a, .hem, a. las. 1„,„ pa.ience an.l ,„rne>•■" h^l »l'eaefore me was dressed in a neat-fitting uniform of grey cloth, with sword, helmet, and long boots, but wearing none of those badges by which I c M ascertain his rank. The man in grey asked me where the Comu>ar. > . • ffic^-r was. I jerked my thumb over my shoulder and purpos. :; <. tt: ;^, the word "sir," said, "In the car, I suppose." The tone oi vo. -e in which .he grey man said, "What?" convinced me that the grey uniform contained an old soldier ; so I came _-„_.„. .{, ....,n..v.n, jiuvc my bcsi saiutt-, and said, "In the car sir. This appeared to satisfy him, for he walked off, leaving me lost /»^ 31 in wonder as to wh(, the deuce he couhl 1,^.. The grey uniform I.K.ked neat, an so as to form three sides of a scjuare, with the Bishop and big drum in he centre. General Laurie, attended by Major Rickards, of the G n- missanat Department, and Capt. Hudson, Acting Brigade A.ijutar t also attending ; while a number of teamsters, and about ten or t we! I noble red men," squatted themselves on the ground about fifty yan . ^AT and looked on. The Bishop's address over the big drum was ver^ On arriving at Swift Current we found two Companies of the Midland Battalion in camp, under the command of Brevet Lt.-CoT Deacon ; I also dro,>ped across another old looth man, in the person of I^li Bowen. who was serving in one of the Midland Companies Our bill of fare at Swift Current was fairly good. I had man/ time who hTr ^^^^"^S."- ^^^J-ty - other climes ; and for those who had long purses provisions were plentiful. A chronic cause of complaint amongst the boys was the absence of shot guns, as wild duck and geese could have been knocked over in 22 great numbers, the river and sloughs, a few miles from camp, being covered u^ith them ; while, as it happened, we could only sit and watch them floating about in peace and contentment. We were well supplied with mail matter, the Free Press and Advertiser being sent to us in liberal quantities. Sport was also attended to every evening, foot-ball, quoits and boxing being indulged in. The Halifax Battalion arrived at 9.30 p.m. on the 30th April, but did not de-train until next morning. This was also the date of an in- spection by General Laurie. After the regiment had been put through a number of movements, he was pleased to inform us that, "from what he had seen, he had no doubt but every man of the 7th was a soldier ; while the good behaviour of the boys gave him great pleasure ;— that the 7th was one of the best n^ilitia corps he had ever seen," etc. The remarks of the General were highly appreciated by the boys, and at the conclusion, Pte. Tom Carey pulled off his cap and called for three cheers ; but the cheers did not come, being nipped in the bud by the Sergeant-Major, who was greatly scandalized at this slight breach of his beloved discipline. I may as well record here the result of two foot-ball matches played against a team of Halifax men. The first match came off on Saturday, the 2nd May— Association Rules— and after an exciting contest, the '* Fusiliers" were victorious, with a score of three games to nothing. The second match was played on Monday evening — Rugby Rules — the result being another victory for the " Fusilier " kickers ; 26 points to nothing. Capt. Tracy, assisted by Lt. Hesketh, L. F. B. , constructed a broad- arrow kitchen, as well as a field oven, which added greatly to the com- fort of the regiment, and reflected great credit on those officers, the work being highly commended by General Laurie. On Tuesday night, 5th May, orders were received from General Middleton (it was said) for the 7th to proceed at once to Clark's Crossing ; but we did not go just then, for the morning light saw the order cancelled (it was said). On Wednesday, the 6th, the Rev. W. S. Ball, our lonp-exnected Chaplain, arrived, well loaded with goodly parcels for various members of the regiment. The weather had now turned cold, especially on the 2Z early morning parade. Snow fell on the 7th, and during the afternoon parade a heavy hail storm came up. Sometime during the last week of our stay, a prisoner of the " Midland " was handed over to us, until such time as he could be for- warded to Regina Jail. I had his kit searched on arrival, and took possession of a sheath-knife, after some altercation. The prisoner in- formed me that he had served in and been discharged from the 2nd Batt. Liverpool Regiment, a corps that I was pretty well acquainted with in old times. He had been sentenced to 42 days' imprisonn^ent for mutiny, and to be dismissed the service with ignominy (not the first time, I suspected). Previous to this I was not aware that a regimental court-martial had power to discharge a man with ignominy ; anyhow, whether a regirtiental or a field-general, I would give a trifle to see the proceedings of that court. A considerable amount of trouble was still caused by the guards and sentries not doing their duty properly ; but as these duties were not thoroughly understood, no fault could be found ; so no more on that head (the boys did better before leaving Clark's Crossing). In dismiss- ing the subject of guards and sentries, as well as other little matters connected with discipline, I do not mean to insinuate that the 7th was in any way behind any other corps in military knowledge, for I have reason to believe that all were pretty much alike in this respect. That the men composing the expedition were brave, and by day or night ready to encounter any danger, I freely admit ; but that they were dis- ciplined, or able to cope with disciplined troops well in hand, permit me to doubt. * So far as my observations went, the officers were the weak point. , Nothwithstanding the good times they were having, the boys were getting impatient at the long stay ;— they did not know that they were being detained until certain flat-bottomed boats were built on the south Saskatchewan. I had almost forgotten to mention that the " Sod Brigade " continued to get in its work with fiendish glee. The long expected order arrived at last, and on Saturday morning we marched out of Swift Current, en route to the landing, headed by a piper of the Halifax Batt., who played us almost a mile from the village, then drew un to one side of the trail, and got three hearty cheers from the boys as they passed. Capt. McKenzie's Company' 24 formed the advance guard ; 2nd Lt. Bapty with the leading file ; while Capt. Peters with his Company brought up the rear. Just before starting, General Laurie came over to say "good-bye :" he got three cheers this time. The Halifax men also turned out and cheered ; and thus, well loaded with cheers and good wishes, we took our departure. The trail was good, but dusty ; and after covering some 12 miles, we halted beside a large slough for refreshments. The rear guard came in ahead of the baggage. At 2 p.m. the l)oys responded to the "fall in," and the march was resumed until 5 p.m., when we halted for the night near another slough, having completed 22 miles in five and a-half hours, actual marching time. Of course, the time was too fast ; and marching at the head of the leading Company, I several times tried to check the pace, but I had either to get on or get walked over ; so I got on. The tents were soon pitched, the quarter and rear guards mounted, tea made, hard tack served out and quickly disposed of; and now came my satisfaction, for the boys were tired out and were soon fast asleep, guards and all. As for myself, thanks to a ride on the Colonel's horse, and a long apprenticeship to the trade, I did not feel extra tired,— but had enough. The next day (Sunday) " reveille " sounded at 6 a. m., breakfast 6.30, tents struck at 7, " fall in " at 8, and on again; but not nearly so briskly as on the previous day. Until within a few miles of the landing marchirtgwas easy ; but after that it was down hill of the worst kind,— rough, wild, and awfully dusty.' The river was reached at last, and with thankful hearts and tired feet we pitched our tend^ by the banks of the classic Saskatchewan. I dont't know whether the river is " classic " or not, but I do happen to know that' it is very muddy ! As soon as the camp was pitched a rush was made for the water by the majority of the regiment, while a few contented themselves with sporting in a creek that ran near the camp. We found Col. Deacon's detachment of the Midland Batt. still here. We had church parade at 6 p. m., the Rev. Mr. Ball officiating. Just before dark some of our officers got excited over the appear- ance of two figures, seemingly watching us from the ton of a hiVh hill some httle distance from camp. It was generally supposed that the figures were two rebel scouts or spies. At last a party started out to ^ I \, IS i I i ! i I ). 25 enquire into the identity of the strangers, when after a tiresome climb they discovered two men of the " Midland," who had gone up there to view the country. After christening the hill "Fusilier Point," the party returned to camp, sad and weary. It was intended that two companies of the 7th should remain at the landing, bat after a little wire-pulling this arrangement was " knocked on the head," and we all set off together. Midland detachment includ- ed, the whole undsr command of Lt.-Col. Deacon, the senior officer. My account of the voyage must necessarily be confined to the ship that carried Caesar and his fortunes (the Sir John A. Macdonald). We left the landing about 8.30 a. m., on Monday, nth May, on flat-bottomed boats, oat-laden, and outward bound for Clark's Crossing on the North Saskatchewan. On starting, four boats were fastened together, with Nos. i and 3 Companies on board— or rather on oats. After half an hour's sailing we passed a " flotilla," with Majors Smith and Gartshore on board, stranded on a sandbank. Their appeal to us for help was disregarded, as that would only involve us in a like trouble ; so we let them severely alone, and continued on the even tenor of our way. We made first-rate sailing until about i p. m,, when we calculated that we had run between twenty and twenty-five miles, the river being in military parlance " very rapid." About 2 p. m. we passed two boats vainly trying to sail over a sand- bar, and soon after took the ground ourselves. Officers and men strip- ped, and took the water, before getting off. It was very good fun at first, but after a bit the water felt dreadfully cold, and all were glad enough to get into their clothes when the job was completed. The compact formation was broken up after this, each boat keeping its own course.— I believe Col. Deacon issued an order, for the leading boat to halt— no ; " snub up "—at dark, the others keeping on, until the whole " fleet " had assembled ; but, as the boats had become scattered, we could not tell which one was leading ; so this order, like scores of others, was not carried out. Before dressing, after getting the boat off, the Adjt. thought she was going to stick again ; so, accompanied by Sergt. Leslie and Pte. Carey, jumped over the side, to give her a final push, expecting to drop about knee deep in the water ; but, owing to the boat having changed its position, they plumped into about ten feet of water, and of course disappeared. The expression of their faces 26 when they came to the surface again would have made their fortunes in the undertaking line, and afforded amusement for an hour afterwards. We tried to approach the bank about dark, for the purpose of " anchoring" ; but the united efforts of our crew proved unavaiHng ; so we just let her go until she came to anchor of her own accord on top of a sand-bar, where we rested very solidly till morning. Pte. Garnett went ashore in a small boat to make us some tea ; but after making it could not paddle his way back against the current in the darkness, so had to sleep on land without great coat or blanket ;— but he had the tea. Sergt. Mills shied some biscuits to him in the morning. About 4.30 a.m. all hands were called by the commander of the "ship" (Capt. Tracy) to a good, warm breakfast— Here ! hold on ; " wat are you givin' us?"~iNot at all— but to jump into the icy cold water and shove the "schooner" off the sand-bar. Little did the good citizens of London think that their sons and relations were about to enjoy a bath at that "uncanny" hour of the morning ; — however, when nearly all were undressed, the gallant Captain led the way by leaping overboard into that awful water, soon followed by the bolder spirits of our crew. A few of the more timid still held back, but on being assured that the water was not cold (what a whopper !) tried it with one foot, then with the other, finally concluded to chance it, and "flopped "in. We were now in a bad part of the river ; most of the time being spent in the water until noon. During the afternoon we got along first rate, only getting " wrecked " once before " snubbing-up " for the night. It was a pretty bad stick, though, and took us a good long hour before getting afloat again. Two other boats close to us were also stuck fast, so we were not without company. My boat and one of the others got off all right. We anchored for the night in company with the other boat in a good place, and making a fire, partook of our first square meal for two days. The meal consisted of biscuit, soaked in water until soft, then fried in pork fat, some canned beef and boiled tea. Sentries were posted this nipfht. it bpincT rnmnrpd nmnnrrcf thf hrwc thnt n Inrrro fr^r'^o rsf " ini'Ts" " were on the lookout for Fusilier scalps. They did not come ; so we slept soundly until roused at 4 a.m. to continue the voyage. 27 After a favorable run of half an hour, we discovered the '* flag- ship " of Rear- Admiral Deacon snugly lying at anchor in a sheltered cove, and having on board our own Commanding Officer (Lieut. -Col. Williams). The lookout having reported a sail on the starboard bow, steering north, the Admiral came on deck and ordered us to "lie to." There is no truth in the report that the officers were invited on board the Admiral's ship to '^ splice the main brace." We were now set to work to erect a rampart of oat sacks around the sides of our craft, as a protection against any stray bullets-that might be flying in our direction. About ii a.rn, the Admiral gave the signal to weigh the anchor ; but the ship wouldn't budge ; and, before getting oft we had to carry about 400 sacks on shore, and then carry them back again ; besides rendering all our elaborate preparations for the reception of stray bullets useless. At this time the good ship " Sir John " carried three officers, Capt. Tracy (Commander), Lt. Cox (Regimental Poet and Artist), and 2nd Lt. Payne, who was nothing in particular, but took a hand in anything that was going on at the time. It will thus be seen that the Adjutant had deserted the "Sir John." The last I saw of him he was splashing through the river, with a box of sugar on his head. The "flag-ship" got off all vight and left us, but did not go far, being compelled to run ashore for the purpose of repairing a broken sweep. We passed the Admiral about i p.m., and had the good fortune to run the remainder of the day without a mishap. Ducks and geese were very plentiful ; but they had a tantalizing way of just keeping out of the reach of a stick, that was trying to one's temper. I made a desperate attempt to capture a fine fat goose or gander, but lost my balance, and tumbled " kerslap " into the river, clothes and all. The last thing I remember before reaching the water was a per- fect roar of laughter from the crew. I felt pretty mad, but dared not show it, as that would only increase the merriment. On clambering on board again, I was greeted with yells of " Goose !" "Where's the goose?" " Look at the goose ! " etc. Of course, I immediately decended to my "state room," and changed my clothes ; that is I levied a contribut- ion on all the blankets within my reach, and wrapped myself up until old Sol chose to dry my wet clothes. 28 About 6 p. m. we "snubbed up" for the night, the wind blowing very hard, and the crew very tired from working the sweeps, trying to keep the ship from damaging the banks of the river. Ofificers and men took their turn at this work, the crew being divided into three watches, or reliefs ; and by the time a fellow finished his hour, he felt as if he had sawed at least six cords of wood. At 4 ?.. m. on Thursday we unmoored again, and apparently in a mighty bad part of the river, as the sticks were frequent and hard. By 8 a. m. the crew was obliged to take the water four times ; and at nine happened the worst stick of the trip, the boys l^eing over four hours in the water before getting off. To make matters worse, the weather was cold and cloudy, with a strong, raw wind. The crew was about half dead, when a boat passed and loaned us a pump, or we would have been obliged t^ throw off our whole cargo, or be there yet ! While the boys were taking a rest, a flock of geese settled on a sand- bar a short distance off, and, by their cackling, seemed to enquire what we wanted on their domain. Capt. Tracy and Pte. Blackburn started out to answer the enquiry. They advanced in extended order— twenty paces interval ; dress, rifles and undershirts. The advance upon the confiding geese was conducted upon the most approved methods, the instructions contained in the " red book " regarding " cover " being well attended to (about the only time). Could Big Bear or Pound- maker have witnessed that stealthy advance, he would have gone straight to his " tepee," calkd for his Winchester, and blown his brains out— through jealousy. The geese at last, beginning to suspect hostile intentions on the part of our overdressed friends, with a sunny smile and a friendly cackle, spread out their white wings and sailed far away, followed by two bullets which did them no harm. We had only one more stick of any account this day. Dinner was cooked on board, the boys having rigged up a "galley " in a corner of the boat ; beans boiled with fat pork, biscuit fried, and strong boiled tea, without sugar, formed the bill of fare ; and a very good one, too. We " snubbed up " for the night about 8 p. m., when we were shortly joined by Capt. Dillon's barge— the first time we had seen him since the start. He was very short of provisions, his crew subsisting on one biscuit each, and working seventeen hours a day, in order to catch up, his boat having got badly stuck early on the first day of starting. * I • 29 At the usual hour on Friday morning we started again, accompanied by Capt. Dillon's boat, and had a very good run all day, "snubbing up" at dark with five other boats in a narrow side channel. About mid- night a sentry of the " Midland " was awakened from a doze by hear- ."ng a rustling in the bushes on the river bank, and thinking of nothing but "injuns," fired off his rifle. Of course, every one sprang up, seized his "shooting iron," and prepared for an immediate attack from the lurking foe. The sides of the boats nearest the enemy fairly brist- led with rifles. However, after waiting about twenty minutes, the foe thought better of it, and our grim warriors returned to rest again. I was sleeping alongside of Mr. Mclntyre, the '''■Free Press'" re- porter, and resolved not to get up until I heard the "war whoop." Mac did not wake up at all ; or, if he did, played " possum." Our commander and first "luff" also displayed a considerable amount of "gumption," by remaining quietly in their " little beds." 2nd Lt. Payne went on deck. (The regimental poet recorded the events of the night in verse. — See Appendix). On Saturday morning the fleet started together and had a pleasant run, until about 1 1 a.m., when the " Sir John" got a bad stick, being compelled to sacrifice \QO sacks of oats before getting off. Shortly after starting we overtook Capt. Dillon again, he having re- ceived an addition to his crew of Capts. Butler and Beattie, Lieuts. Chisholm and Hesketh, and being in the vicinity of " White Cap's " reserve, the boats were fastented together as a measure of precaution. I -^"rticularly noticed that Capt. Beaitie's nose had the skin nicely peeled off, and the seat of Capt. Butler's unmentionables did not appear to give any great amount of protection against the weather. After running together until 5 p.m., the channel narrowed, compelling us to separate, Capt. Dillon going ahead. In about half an hour Dillon was once more wrecked on a bar. We bid him good-bye, and five minutes later were in the same predicament. The crews stripped and took the water ; but neither craft would move. The crews then combined, and worked one boat at a time ; even then they could not be induced to float, and it v^fas not until nearly all the cargo was carried on shore that they were shoved into deep water. The boats had now to be reloaded, and being about 9 p.m., all hands quitted work for -that day. 30 Our bivouac was on the edge of a small island, composed entirely of sand— nothing green on it -Yes ! there was ;— but I won't tell tales out of school. Our crew had been altogether about seven hours in the water ; so no wonder that all hands were soon sound asleep. The next day, Sunday, we did not start until 9 a.m., although haymg breakfast at 5.30. The day was lovely, and we had nice, easy sailmg— stoppmg at noon, and having dinner on land. Durin- the afternoon Capt. Dillon bagged two fine gee.se, using a Fletcher ^rifle. V\ e only ran until 5.30, when we " snubbed up " for the night, and, in addition to hard-tack, had "goose" for supper. At 4 a.m. on Monday, we let go the anchor ; running with a smooth sea and a flowing sheet until 8.30, when we again tried to sail over a sand-bar. The boats had to be separated before getting off, Dillon again taking the lead. AlJout noon we passed the flag-ship of Rear- Admiral Deacon, wrestling with a sand-bar. Dillon also got wrecked on the same sand-bar. We gave the stranded vessels a wide berth, keeping steadily on for an hour, when, the wind blowing a gale, making It very difficult to keep the channel, we ran ashore and "snubbed up, ' soon joined by Capt. Dillon. During the night a storm arose, wetting our blankets, and otherwise making it very disagreeable for the boys. I slept most of the time, so don t know how long it lasted, a few others being equally indifferent. Tuesday morning we up anchor and started at 3.15 a.m. (an en- croachment on the liberty of the subject). Four o'clock was bad enough, but 3. 15, -ugh ! I began to consider it my duty to keep an eye on our Captain, being doubtful as to the state of the poor fellow's mind • but after watching him for at least five minutes, and seeing no sign of insanity, I-but never mind. We started at 3. 15 a.m., the boats lashed together until about ii a.m., when Dillon's boat came to grief on a large stone. We separated for the last time from our " consort," coming together no more. About three miles from Saskatoon we passed a man standing on the bank overlooking the river ; we yelled at him as long as he could be heard. He was understood to say that a battle had been fought, the rebels licked, and Batoche occupied by General Middleton's troops. It was all true, but nobody believed it. We soon passed another man, accompanied by two children ; this man gave us the same information as the first, with the addition that Kiel had been captured. \ , 31 I was not the least bit disappointed to hear that all the fighting was over— (who's afraid?)— then and there proposing a vote of thanks and three cheers to the gallant men who had won Batoche. Saskatoon is, or was then, a collection of about twenty frame houses, mostly built on the same plan, and nearly all occupied by wounded men. We stopped for a short time to allow the boys to see the sights ; then, with the anchor apeak, bore away for Clark's Crossing. Shortly after leaving Saskatoon a river steamer passed, having on board Louis Kiel and his escort ; but we did not know it at that time. Our Chaplain was also on board. How he got there, I don't know. One more night was spent on board the Sir John A. Macdonald, when starting about 6 a. m, on the following morning, we reached the Crossing about 9.30 a. m., completing the voyage of 320 miles in nine days and five hours. And now, after bringing the 7th Fusiliers from London to Clark's Crossing, let some other chronicler record the the boys' doings while there, and bring them home again. I shall leave them speculating on the voyage, and in considerable doubt as to their being soldiers or sail- ors ; but, without any doubt, perfectly willing and ready to serve their country again in either capacity. I APPENDIX. -j^bS*^^* Extract from Brigade Orders, Headquartkrs, Moose Jaw, 9th May, 1885. Brigade Morning Order by Major-General Laurie, Commanding Lines of Communication : — No. 4._Referring to Brigade Order No. 3 of yesterday's date, the 7th Fusihers on arrival at Saskatchewan Landing, the headquarters, and these companies, will embark in Mr. Boyd's barges for conveyance to Clark's Crossing. Two companies and Major Smith, will remain on duty at the Landing until further orders. The detachment (Midland Battalion), under Lt.-Col. Deacon, will also embark on board the barges lor Clark's Crossing, the Senior Officer assuming charge of the whole lorce embarked, and the men will be distributed under arrangements with Capt. Boyd, but will proceed with the utmost expedition to their destination, and on arrival he will report to the Major-CJeneral Commanding. By order, Wm. Hudson, Capt., Staff-Adjutant. Extract from Brigade Order Book by Lt.-Col. Deacon, Commanding Saskatchewan Brigade, en route Saskatchewan River. May i6th, 1885. No. I.— Officers commanding barges are requested to send in for the information of the Officer Commanding, immediately on arrival at Clark's Crossing, a detailed report showing their daily progress as far as can be ascertained, and particularly as to the amount of government stores unloaded or abandoned by them, and giving their reasons for such unloading or abandonment. They will also endeavor to report as ac- curately as possible the circumstances attending, together with the number of times that their men were obliged to take to the water to facilitate the progress and insure the safety of their barges. No. 2.— The officer in charge of the barge in which the rations of the 7th -Fusiliers were embarked, will send a separate statement in " 34 writing explaining the reasons why he left that Hattalion for the greater part of the time i4K)n short rations. As these statements will l)e sent to the (ieneral commanding the North-West field forces, it is requested that the same \k prepared with the greatest accuracy and promptitude. No. 3.— Reveille will sound at 4 o'clock to-morrow (Sunday); breakfast at 4.30 a.m., and the advance at 5 a.m. By order, Edward Harrison, Capt., Brigade Orderly Officer. Reports of thi ,eveml Officers in c/iari^e of boats. River Bar(;e, Lt. Nki.les, May 20th, 1885. .Sir :— I have the honor as senior officer on this boat (having on board Major Gartshore, .Surgeon Fraser, Acting- Asst. Surgeon Camj)- bell, myself, and 28 N. C. Officers and men of No. 4 Company, 7th rusiliers), to report, that when we started from Saskatchewan Landing on the morning of the nth inst., the barge " Capt. Leonard " (having on Iward Capt. Dillon, with the remainder of No. 4 Company, and Capt. Butler, with a section of No. 2 Company,) was tied to this barge. We stranded on a sand-bar within sight ot the landing, and were obliged to separate. The " Capt. Leonard " got off first, but this barge did not get off until 12.30 p. m., after great exertions, shifting cargo from one side to the other, men out in the water using levers, etc. This was now the last Ixtat, all the others having been a long time out of sight ; it is the smallest, and was the heaviest loaded in i)roportion. We were stranded three other times during the day. About dusk, we sighted the Capt. Leonard stranded in an exceedingly bad place. We put into shore as soon as possible, alx)ut three miles further down, to see if they could get ou,, but could not succeed in communicating with them. Not thinking it wise to leave the last boat behind, especially as I knew that they were short of provisions, (as we were ourselves ; nor, had we any tools, lumber or nails, for repairs,) we waited for them next morning until 11.30, when they came up, having found it necessary to discharge part of their load. We again tied together, but were obliged to separate the first time we struck a sand-bar ; the Capt. Leonard getting away first, ours was again the last boat. We got off . . ** I > 35 this san(l-l)ar with great difficulty, but stranded again several other wc were a day's run lichind je a very had spot, times the same day. I now estimated that the main body. On approaching wn.;i a|)peared to I I pulled into shore, and sent the small lM)at forward to examine it, and found it would be impossible to take the barge through with its load. So after consulting the officers on board, decided to put some of the cargo on shore, in preference to throwing it overlx)ard when stuck in the sand. We therefore piled 138 bags of oats on the left bank, say 35 miles from the landing. After starting again, we got badly stuck in the sand, and got off with the greatest difficulty ; even with the lighten- ed barge nearly all hands having to get into the water. We had the same experience every day since, the men having to get out several times a day, but we got on faster, and my anxiety was relieved by hav- ing come up with the main body. We had no one on l)oard who bad any experience in river navigation. Major Gartshore proved to be the "navigator," and he was invaluable, assisted by .Sergt. Jacobs, whose services are worthy of special mention. I have the honor to Ix;, Sir, Vour obedient servant, A. M. Smith, Major 7th Fusiliers. Clark's Crossing, N. W. T., 20th May, 1885. Sir :— I have the honor to report, that on the loth inst. I left the Saskatchewan Landing in charge of barge "Capt. Leonard"; having on board 30 Officers, N. C. Officers and men, as follows :— 5 Officers, 4 N. C. Officers, 21 men, being part of Companies 2 and 4, 7th Fusiliers; also their necessaries and a large cargo of oats. At 9 a. m. we got stranded, our men having to take to the water, and after two hours hard work succeeded in floating her. At 3 p. m. we again grounded, and labored until 6.30 p. m. in the water without any effect ; we then rested for the night, and tried it again early in the morning, without any hope of success. About 6 p. m. a small boat arrived from Major Smith, 7th Fusiliers, asking the trouble. I informed him by letter, stating that unless he sent help to take me off, I would have to unload on the following morning. I received a message to save the cargo, if possible ; but if I could not, to unload. After working until 10 a.m., I de- • 36 cided to unload, and, in order to save the oats as much as possible, I made a base of hay bales, and piled the oat bags on top, leaving them high and dry, about 20 miles from the landing on the right side. We continued getting stranded four to six times each day, our men having in most cases to strip and remain from a-half to two hours each time until Saturday. On that day, about 10 a. m. , I noticed the Capt. J. A. McDonald stuck fast, with all the men in the water ; although far in advance, I thought it proper to "snub-up" and wait, on account of her being the last boat. She got loose about 2 p. m. , and we sailed in company until 5 p. m., when both got stranded. The men of both boats got out and worked on my boat, but could not free her until we unloaded, which we did ; and cleaned her out. When cleaning her out, we found a quantity of oats and water (eight inches) in the hold. It took us until 9 a. m. Sunday t^ get her loaded and floating again. During the entire time we were separated from the flotilla ; the reveille was sounded at 3.30 a. m., and we ran till dark, making every efibrt to counteract our difficulty. Before closing this report, I beg leave to draw your attention to the helpless condition my boat was left in. Our rations were so limited that I had to limit my men to three, and afterwards to two hard tacks per day, while I understand some of the flotilla had plenty and to spare. And I assure you, if it had not been for the timely aid rendered us by your boat, our men might have suffered from hunger. I beg leave also to state the absence of any medical assistance. A number came from the water attacked with cramps, and we were per- fectly helpless. We met with several accidents to the boat, and found no tools for repairs on board, which also caused delay. I have the honor to remain. Sir, Your obedient servant, R. Dillon, Captain. Clark's Crossing, 20th May, 1885. Sir : — I have the honor to report, that I was in command of the barge "General Middleton ;" left the landing at 9 a.m. on Monday, May nth, arrived here at 10 a.m. W^ednesday, May 20th. The third day out, on account of high winds and swift current, we ran into a long creek (about 4 miles in length), coming into shallow 37 water, where we found it totally impossible to get out ; and after trying every means in our power— digging in the water with spades, etc., men being in the water from 3 p.m. .to 9 p.m., and from daylight to 9 a.m.— we were under the necessity of dumping out 60 bags of oats. The sixth day we took over from Col. Deacon's barge 25 bags. Our men were in the water repeatedly every day, and acted splendidly, their con- duct being worthy of the highest praise ; arriving here without further loss of cargo. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, -^' Edward McKenzie, Captain 7th Fusiliers. Clark's Crossing, 19th May, 1885, Sir :— I beg to report, that on the morning of the second day out I took command of barge " Boyd and Crowe." That on the third day, late in the afternoon, after having all the men in the water for from 5 to 6 hours, I was compelled to throw from 40 to 50 bags of oats in the river, in order to float the barge. That, thereafter we found the barge floated all right, although it was repeatedly necessary for the men to get out and work the boat off" sand-bars. Arrived at Clark's Crossing about 4 p.m. Sunday, without further loss of cargo. I have, etc., George M. Reid, Lt. and Adjt. 7th Fusiliers. Camp, Clark's Crossing, 20th May, 1885. Sir : — I have the honor to report, that I was in charge of the barge "General Laurie," which left Saskatchewan Landing at about 8 a.m. on the nth inst, and arrived here at i p.m. on the i8th, having on board Sections i, 3 and 4 of No. 2 Company, 7th Fusiliers, making a. total, including myself, of 32 souls. We experienced considerable diffi- culty in navigating the river, and each day frequently run aground on shoals, the men at such times having to undress and jump into the river m order to push the barge n to the proper channel, which the men in- variably did willingly and with great energy. We succeeded in bring- ing in our full cargo, with the exception of two bags of oats, which burst 38 . in several places owing to the inferior quality of the canvas. From the same cause a small quantity of oats were spilled, and are now lying in a loose state amongst the bags. Our oars were broken several times, and having no tools on board with which to repair them, we were put to great inconvenience and delay, and were finally obliged to put ashore and construct new oars as best we could, lashing the several timbers to- gether with ropes. Had it not been for these mishaps, we should have arrived much earlier. I have, etc., W. R. Greig, Lieut. No. 2 Co., 7th Fusiliers. Camp, Clark's Crossing, May 20th, 1885. Sir :— I have the honor to teport, that I was on board the barge "Capt. Kerr," which left the landing about 9-15 a.m., nth May, being attached to three others. After a few hours, however, we were dis- connected, to release us from a sand-bar, and continued the trip alone. On the second day out Capt. Kerr and Mr. Boyd came on board, the clerk and cook being already there. This made a total of 35 souls on board. We had considerable trouble in navigating the river, men having to strip and jump into the water many times, in order to get back into the proper channel, in many cases which looked hopeless. After working hard for hours we invariably succeeded, the men working cheerfully and with energy ; we had trouble also from the oars breaking often at critical times. We succeeded in bringing in our cargo entire, with the exception of one bale of hay which slipped overboard as Capt' Kerr was endeavoring to move it to another part of the boat. We should have arrived sooner at our destination, if we had not waited for stragglers. I have, etc. , Harry Bapty, Lieut. 7th Fusiliers. Camp, Clark's Crossing, 19th May, 1885. Sir :— I have the honor to report with reference to the trip of ^he double barge " Major Smith and Capt. Evans," as follows :— We left Saskatchewan Landing on Monday morning, nth inst., at about 8 39 o'clock, and arrived here on Sunday following at about 6 p.m. On the second day after leaving we stranded, and after working vainly for four hours, I ordered the oats to be carried ashore. Accordingly, about 250 sacks were left on the north shore, I should think about sixty or seventy miles from the place of embarkation. About fifty miles as near as I can judge from here, having become "very badly stranded again, and being too far from shore to land the oats, I ordered sacks to be thrown overboard, and about 51 were dumped into the river. We stranded on the average two or three times a day. The oars on the barges were very weakly constructed, and after the second day out had to be con- stantly repaired, and as we had not the proper appliances, great diffi- culty was experienced in doing so. We had strong head winds for about three days, and the constant battling with wind and waves was all the more unfortunate on account of the defective oars. I consider it would have been almost impossible to have taken the barges through with the heavy cargo on board, — and the oats were not removed until every effort had been made to move the barges without doing so. I have, etc., S. Frank Peters, Capt., No. 5 Co. 7th Fusiliers. Report of run down the Saskatcheivan River from Saskatche^van Landing to Clark's Crossings by Capt. T. Tracy, Commanding part of '' C" Co., on board *' Sir John McD." Sir : — Left the Landing on Monday, nth May, four boats being in company, containing "A" and "C" Companies. During the after- noon all struck a sand-bar, and the boats had to be separated before getting off, the men and officers having to jump into the water and work very hard to do so. The trip from that out was a succession of good runs, and bad sticks on sunken sand-bars, and our boats being very heavily loaded, it sometimes took us hours to work into deep water again, some of the men suffering rather severely from being forced to work so long in the water. We managed to keep all our load on till about the south end of the "White Cap" Indian Reserve, where we siuCK very bacily, and if v^apt. xjinovi s boat havt not nappcncM lO be fast in the same place, so that we could unite our forces in getting the boats off separately, we could not possibly have got away. We 40 labored for over six and one-half hours in the water, attempting to move the boat, and at last were forced to leave part of our cargo piled on the beach, and place some more in Capt. Dillon's boat after we got his free. I was sorry to have to do this, but as we were getting short of provisions, it could not be avoided. All the men worked very hard throughout, and deserve great praise, as our day's work lasted from four a.m. to eight p.m. But owing to the shifting nature of the channel and the great number of sand-bars, we were unable to reach Clark's Crossing till Wednesday, the 20th inst., being in all nearly ten days on the way. I have, etc., Thos. H. Tracy, Capt., "C" Co., 7th Fusiliers. A MIDI^IGHT ALARM. By Lieut. Charles F. Cox, 7th Fusiliers. O'er a high bank, the rising moon Had shed its first faint ray ; And 'neath the shadow of the hills The " Sir John Macdonald " lay. A good flat-bottomed lx»at v/as she, Composed of planks and nails ; A good long sweep at either end. But ne'er a sign of sails. Her weather-beaten hull had braved The wash of cross-grained waves ; Her hold was filled with oats withal, And some Ontario braves. Without the ship a chosen brave Paced up and down the land, And through the night this sentry bold Watched o'er our little band. His eagle eye scanned every bush Vic vOuiu u lOciiiuu nuvcr ; And eagerly he strained each ear For sounds from hidden cover. ^ t j •ii « » \ t 41 to ed [Ot )rt rd ur lel c's ys t t « t The orders strict, no doubt, had filled His mind with anxious fear, Lest some base-minded Indian Should scalp his comrades dear. So up and down he paced the beach Till nearly twelve o'clock, When suddenly his high-strung nerves Received a dreadful shock. Some poor misguided rabbit had — No doubt, in search of food — Stepped heavier than intended On a small dead bit of wood. Of course it broke, the rabbit squeaked, And on the midnight sky, Our chosen vigilant was shocked To hear the dreadful cry. " Halt ! Who comes there ?" he cried aloud ;- Poor bunnie answered not. And so throughout the stillness rang A wild, alarming shot. Awake ! awake ! stand by your guns — Gird all your armor on ! And soon we stood in battled front On board the good ** Sir John." But still no foe swooped down the hill ; No bullet pierced the air ; No painted warrior sought to twist His fingers in our hair. And thus we fought a glorious fight,— One shot, and it was won ; And thus we scared a rabbit brave, And made the varmint run. c. •• Vv; .'%: 4» No men could more courageous be, Nor clothes more quickly don, Than did Ontario's braves that night On board the good " Sir John." SEVENTH FUSILIERS. Air: "British Grenadiers." We fight beneath the Union Jack, That floats around the world ; '}. In every land beneath the sun Our banner is unfurled. ':• - And step Jjy step, and side by side, With the British Grenadiers, ■ Will march the pets of Canada, — The Seventh Fusiliers, Chorus : — Then step by step, and side by side, With the British Grenadiers, — Will march the pets of Canada, The Seventh Fusiliers. Our packs upon our sturdy backs, Our rifles in our hands ; Our Willing feet kept steady beat Behind the best of bands ; And every eye emits a beam. And every voice it cheers, For those paragons of soldiers. The Seventh Fusiliers. Chorus :— Then step by step, etc. When Bonaparte in days of old Attacked the boys in red, TLey quickly knocked him off his pins. And stood him on his head. 'I v> ■'» ^°' 80« ^'^cl'ri'r- ^"" ''^•''^' -" '^-*. -^ Chisholm, and "Tp wttgi:!'""^^' ^"" ''"'^'^"J°--'»-»'"ays iceep While we are marching through the " gaps." Chorus :- -Then hurrah, etc. ^"' bU fester"' '''"^' ""^''^ ""'' "°' '"^ ^' '°"^' "'"'' "'^^'^ ^^ «""g ^ "^tZ^Slc^T" ^''"' ^^ '""^'^^ ^^^' assisted by Ca.pl>.,, We will all charge— gallantly charge across the "gaps ! " > ^0. ^ > The following Staff-Sergeants accompanied the regiment :— Sergeant- Major, R. J. Byrne ; Quartermaster Sergeant, J. Jury ; Orderly Room Clerk, J. Conroy ; Paymaster Sergeant, Smythe ; Hospital Sergeant, A. Campljell Bugler- Major, J. Page. The following reporters accompanied the regiment :— Mr. Mclntyre, Free Press ; Mr. Hutchinson, Advertiser. The followmg are the names of a few places passed through en route to Winnipeg. The spelling is all right, but the pronunciation— oh !— Walniapitae, Sudbury, Vermillion, Onaping River, Pogamasing, Spanish River, Eureka, Biscotasing, Woman River, Wakamagamsing, Nemogosenda River, Lake Otowagama, Lake Kebsquashesing, Lake Kawnemeksewska, Lake Maquestigwnda, Nipissi River, Lake Oganuisigiw.