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FROM
ftjVi^
'The St.
i<if
TO
The North Shskhtchewjin.
- afiiNo
fZ '^^^^T, "'"'T'^'^ "^''^ ^^^ Detachment
or A Battery. Regt. Canadian Artillery
who compcsed part of the North West '
Field Force, in the Hehellion of 1885
.ijii
By ALEXR. LAIDLAW,
Ute . ,„embT of "A" Battery Regt. Canadian Artillery.
"A cliiers oiiiang you takin notes,
An' faith he'll prent them. "—£„„„.
PREFACE.
The following stray notes, when taken, were not inteiidiil for
publication, therefore can hardly be called a book, but are only iw
they profess to be, a few incidents which came under the personal
notice of the writer. It is expected that they will not be criticized
minutely, as far as literary abilities are concerned, as the haiwlspikp
and parbuckle rope are more familiar in the writer's hands than the
pen. They were taken on the march, after the fight, on the
" flat cars " of the C. P. R., and in the Saskatchewan steamers, and
it is hoped that they will be a fairly accurate account of the "days' I
doings" of "A" Battery, Regt. Canadian Artillery, in their journey I
from the St. Lawrence to the North Saskatchewan.
DEDICATION.
To his o!d comrades of all ranks of the Regiment of Canadian I
Artillery who marched and fought in the North West campaign ofl
1885, the following papers are respectfully dedicated by the author.
Halifax, N. S., 9th January, 1885.
&'^im&-^j:'m
*>K*m.,^ ,,,.
-„e>^
{X^o—
CHAPTER I.
FMOM QUEBEC TO WINNIPEG.
, Seldom, if ever, in the annals of "A" Pn**« u
ken so great as it was on the 26th of March 1887' J.^ ^^^'^'"«"*
from the M itia Deoartinenf „/ n^f ' . ' ^'**'" * *elegram
It « needless to say, were flying Xut and ..f'^ '^ """^ '"'"""«'
scanned. Next day ^27thi tJ^L^l^i . ^® ,P'"®^ °«'^s eagerly
Urns in marching order for 1^ P*.™^^ '" *'>«''• ^^^^rack
«as to have the ilLofto lead us to tlfetZt' ^ S'^Jf'" ^«*«'^' -'^-
as to the packing of valises and thl u" ' ^^' "^^^ * *«^ ^^t^ils
ll.e latter to each four men Thev h^, ^^'''Sf squad bags, one of
csed the coming campS^ iCt InT'^'^ the libmry and dis-
fmm Ottawa which orcE thf 5!f ? ^ ." " ^'"^^^ telegram came ■
ov.r 100 of all rank^ wl :« tp'r m"l R '" -g-entto,.
I drivers. All was now hurrv3 k li " ■ ' ^"ns, horses and
Jeverything bein^ done wS,^ oo f ^"'"F ^'^^"g^ *° "gJ'i«;
tepLhedtothStrthShJrstatiofr '"^ '*"'"^« ^^'^8
1 12 midnight, in marchinir Sr t ' T uP^'-ade waa ordered foJ
|«.d wivef, sVeetEs "aidtmrad^Thfs7^'V"r^
Jdulged in, and some of us alwTnJr^/f '*^^^ 'f ''"^d. ^as in-
JFve. Exactly at n.?dn?«ht tl rrld„ f^n'- ''' "i" *^'' '^'^' °^ ^'^^
died, it was Lnd that we t'^^f p^^^^^^^^^^
Imandant-Col. Cotton-made a frrfiwll|Po!iT .^"'" »*"*"* <=on»-
Iwuld keep up the credit^??!,! 5 ! ^t^\^ *° "«• t'-usting we
Is to unde^staVd IhaTt were notTn^ "^^"^ "' >^°"^«^' ^^^'"8
Ithe credit of the regimint wS kent^m^'.- °" * P'"-"^"- "°^^ ^"^^
^.«I can -ch V?rC'r Tri^Clfa-pL^^ri:^ -
8
PROM THE ST. LAWnKKCK
means. As the most of our band accompanied us to tlic X,)rt
West, and were in the ranks, only a small portion was left (o.
us down to the North Shore station, whereaspeci;! train \viiii.,|
us. At lost the band struck up, " fours rij?ht " was given. :m
marched through the portals of the " Canadian Gibraltar ' lo i
btrains of "The Girl I Left Behind Me," and we left nuinv 14iiJ
with sad hearts and gloomy forelHxlings for the future.
|ir On reaching the depot, the men were told off to their cars with
noise or confusion. A great many of our civilian friends, lute an
liour was, gathered at the station, and hand-shaking with goml wis]J
met us on every side. I must here mention that, to her ortilit. MH
Cotton, our commandant's lady, came on the cars to wish iis ;jx)
bye, and this kindly act on that estimable liuly's part was the sul J
of favourable comment among the rank and tile time an I
Several of the gallant 8th Royals were also at the depot, in luufon
to see us off. At last, about 1.30 on the morning of tlic
March, we steamed out into the darkness of a winter moniin;;,
good wishes, " Rule Britannia" and *' Auld Lang Syne" bl.iulf
one wild confusion, to tight for our country, and bound for
"great lone land." About daybreak we found oui-selveb ut Tim
Rivers. Shortly after that we attempted breakfast, and Imd i
first introfiuction to "haijd tack." Stopping at a roadside statio.
Captain Peters tried to negotiate for a supply of tea, but tiic se^
land pirate whom we tried to bargain with, aske<l such an cxoil.itj
price (four dollars per gallon) that we hatl to go without it.
reaching St. Martin's we transferred ourselves and our bel()ii;ri.ip|
the emigrant cars of the C. P. R. These cars are fittofl up iu|
special manner and, to slightly alter the poet's words, "CoiitrivJ
double rent to pay ; a l)ed by night a seat by day," Tluy havj
sort of a shelf which comes down to a horizontal position, kiy iii|
place by jointed iron bands, the seat in the night time lieinu' unfol
ed, so to speak, and meeting in the middle forms a kind ot' ;i pla
mattress, upon which is laid the article of liedding on wliich I
occupant's sleep, and in this manner the four persons who (uiupvtl
seat in the day time sleep, two on the top shelf and two on tlicsJ
The cars are arranged to carry about sixty persons, are well suppli
with light and properly ventilated. Reaching Ottawa, we uwk (
lot of stores and ammunition, and were visited by Col. Iiwin, (
manding the regiment, who passed through the cars Itiddingi
good-bye, with kind wishes for our safe return. Many of the (
" A" and " B" Battery who had retired into citizens lite," btic visit
us and wished us a safe journey. And while on this subjttt 1 1
say that old "A" and "B" Battery men were continual 1\ tun
up, and in the most unexpected places, all along the line ot" i
they were to be found in Winnipeg, among the settlers of tlie.N'oi
West, among the North-West Mounted Police, in Boultou'-i hoi
and among the employes of the Saskatchewan river boats. fJffa
RtSCP.
impanitnl us to the N'on
ill portion was left to
reasp«»ci;l train wiiii.iij
I rijjht" Wtt8 given, iim
unudiau Oihraltiir' to
and we left mun,v liflii^
'or the future,
old off to their cnrs witlic
civilian friends, lute ii,«t
i<l-shaking with jjooil wisji
ion that, to her credit, .Mij
I the cars to wisli lis jj^
» liuly's part was the suhjfl
c and tile time an I ii;;
so at the depot, in imifon
the morning of tlie iji
of a winter uiorniru', *il
uld Lang Syne" hliiuledf
luntry, and bound fnr
found ouraelveu at
3d breakfast, and luul
ping at a roadside statk
pply of tea, but tlic wni
1, asked such an cxorliitj
lad to go without it.
elves and our beloiijji.ipj
le cars are fitted up iul
poet's words, "CoiiiriTef
)at by day," They hava
izontal position, kept in |
le night time beinu iiiifol
le forms a kind ot' u pla
of l)edding on whioh
mr persons who dci'iipylj
shelf and two on tlie:
f persons, are well siipplil
:bing Ottawa, we tnok '
isited by Col. Ivwin, (
)ugh the cars l>i(l(liiig|
return. Many of the (
to citizens life, here visit
hilo on this subjeot 1 1
I were continually tun
along the line of uiurcH
[f tlie settlers of tlieSa
*olice, in Boulton''
mn river boats. Otfi
to TttE SOJiTll SAaKATOIlEWAX.
Ki;:;.^.3t^;J!^ -'-!-; ^P'-^d sniper in
at. place, and Carleton Ju.Su"^:^ 1 yV^f "„, "r*"'^ '"'
fth "B" Battery who W rni f i^-""' *'*" '"'^''^ '' ^•"''•»'«t*"»
U-West, Nvepuirthedifferrt "' ^"•^"'*"V ^« ''^"'" ^•"- ^'''•
fiti-ne,. NextC-Ihg^^^TreakfrtedirvT;' '"''^ 't "'''
»«nile." Running on all Iv J ''"*.' ^"'J^ " ''^'^°" ^''" '"^^ -
' we had a run of 160 nK f ^ ^"^ ''"""' ^'•'""'fe' ^'"^
uition lim that ?! Ih f ^ T^^ "P°" ^■''•''t '-^ ^"^ll^I a eon-
?»i the hard show th"s sSe ^f * . *'^ ""''"^ '""P^^^' ^^''^ '•"«•"
.veiling, and, Tl'nnose S h / 1 ' '""'"'"' "^''^^^'tated slow
Ut^ the en.p,o?J Cs' of ^ a T VaVSh ^TVH'
■e,tlof thrrails at DorLZ '"T r"' "^ ?■■«"-'«' *«
fperior. I willnow endefvrJ^l ' ""*'" »^''.«,^«'-tJ' Shore of Lake
fVhe regiment a^dlowtrs div?de7up"^' '^^'^' ""' '''' ^^^-^^'^
j: Batter;r-2 Capg. 2 Subalterns, 107 xX. C. O's and ,nen.
and men! '''"■' ^^*'-' ^ ^"'^'•' ^^^ ''^'- <
C. O's
Ht. Cf'C'^^'V'Hinfr. Lieut. Col M„„,ta„,b«.l.
I The batteries were divided as follows •
il ^'
10
PROM THE 8T. LAWHETNCIT
Hjwn the grading from the right side, expecting to have a {;o«l i
In this expection we were however disappointed, as the tnu k hiv
in Hohlier's phrase "skew-whiff," and we had to make frequBJ
detours to pass bridge work, which was in an unfinishefl loiiditid
About 1 o'clock on tlie morning of the Slst March, we halted at i
construction shanties of the C, P. R^ a, distance of 28 !iiili>s fn
Dog Lake, to feed the horses ; at the same time sending back i
fatigue party to assist the teams with the guns and other storj
which were found to be in a very ba^i plight, due to the liad r<»
and severe jolting. It had been so far a fine nighty the nifon 1
near the full, and lighting our way through the trees. Here fori
first time in my life I saw the inside of a lumberman's shanty, ana
gloomy enough place it looked to me.
The occupants, who were mostly asleep, were in bunks, one aim
the other, like a huge cupboard, while a few late spirits were playl
"poker" with a pack of very dirty looking cards. It must be a hi
life, the poor fellows are away in the woods for months at a tiiii(|
away from newspapers and all other things which make life m
living for, and yet I suppose some of them would not cliaiige statiJ
with us. But off again we jogged and jolted, sometimes walkil
sometimes riding, (sleeping being out of the question), until we pj
ed up lit a canvas dining tent about six &'clock in the morning,
accommodation not being enough to admit all of i» at once, we
to take our breakfast in turns, and in waiting for their turn
of our fellows lay down among the snow, and wrapping a llaii|
around them fell asleep, so tired and fagged out were they. In
dining tent we were attended to by some young men, among wlj
was an excitable young Celt from the " Emerald Isle," and the i
he abused the poor "sodgers " was a caution. He threatened sevJ
times to turn us out " neck and crop "—these were his exact vrof
As there was not enough of him to accomplish that feat, I supj
he must have thought better of it, as he did not resort to
extreme measure. After getting three blankets apiece, we took!
brognns and sailed off to Magpie River, where we arrived safef
sound, a few tumbles in the snow excepted, at 9 a. m. on thef
March. On getting out of my sleigh, I wa« accosted by name, I
looking round among a wilderness of " toques," I saw a face faraj
to me in days gone by, and the owner of the face said " would T
like something to eat?" Saying that "Barkis was willin'," l|
directed to a dining car, and had a good breakfast. My friend tj
ed out to be an officer attached to St, John's Infantry SchoolJ
went through the trouble, getting an ugly wound at "Cut
Hill ;" he is all right again, and " may his shadow ne'er be the 1
We had now covered one of the "gaps," and were 54 miles |
Dog Lake. We had again struck the railroad, ard were toj
to our cars, (modified Pullman's we called them). The consf
tion was simple, being boarded up the side* anni ends with an op
L
.Xh'V
TO THE NORTn BAOKATCIIIEWAN.
11
the latter part of the car for the train men to paas through, and
M roof we had the wdo world. I was fortunate'enonRh ,o I,p1ou„
i!i7iSJJ' """. ""•" "•"St-ioJO'-, and he1,ein« an a.l.pt
tha kind of thnig, set us to work to cover in ours nit I. an oi.I
-.urn which was lymg arr,und, and hy using some old h.n.l.er w.
/n ^^!'n^^ tolerable. Getting a big fire kindlo.l by the
of the track. Cap am Peters showing himself nearly as g,oat ,tn
rp with an axe as the "grand .d man," we warmed ou.ilves at
! to, and took It m turns V load up the train with sto.rs. A-c
ich the sleighs were bringing up, and, getting the battny horse;
biid the tram were despatched to Port Munroe, Lak». Sup,.rior
,ard8 10 o clock some of us tried to forget our misery in sleep,
111 most coses this was a failure, owing to the cold. At last our
'nZt 7 ") r^l r""' °* *''** *^"* °^ April (not much of
all-fools day for us), and from 2 a.nu, until 4 a.m.. it was "heave
J haul," two of "A" Battery officers. Captain Peters and Mr
'mnk7;5'l <lJ K .K^ '..''"•• '^'''r'^^ winning the admiration of
rank and file of both batteries. It was a fearful nigl.t, the ther-
„eter down to 22 beow zero, and the only wonder was that it
not the last nigl.t of our earthly existence, and the condition of
leof our brave fellows was pitiable to see. During the time we
been oadmg the guns up some of their blankets had got mislaid,
.ir boots were frozen on their feet, their faces and han.ls were
King, and they were tn-ed and in thorough despair. Some tried
walk about, but getting tired would sit down and doze c¥ to
tp. Our 8ergt.-major. who was a Canadian, knowing the ..fleets
sleeping m the cold used mmt praiseworthy efTorts to keep them
«. sleeping and perhaps falling off the train. At 10 a. m., Is"
pr. we arrived at Barriville, where it was found that with the
leption of a few frozen faces and toes, we were all " 0-K.' Here
Nhad breakfast, and hunting up a store, bloomed out into "toques,"
Sn T T vH °"?* ^'"'"^'y "^ ^ commended; it possesses
.important qualities of neatness, cheapness, and is so handy that
ill ^ Pa '" " *'r«'?*«'^> o-- J-o" can sleep in it at night, using
l?sa head-dresa. By the way, the toque was the T -ad-dress of tlie
B1^^K '^\^'"''^' •""'^ '^^y '«>^«'» "«" ■■ ■ •■ Inviting at
Vriville three hours we proceeded on to Port Munroe, where the
»ncl gap commenced. On our arrival we were marched and depo-
2h wi i • ^f^T''• *^" "^ ^ ^'^^'^ fro™ Kingston,
ttZ .'S, uZ '" f^^^"" Depositingour valises and accoutre^
Bitein the hdd, a fatigue party was marched off to the train *a
jstm unloading our guns and stores. Having completed this
Itmn ^l °tl P't^^^l^ ^^^"^ *''^^" "P '^y '**« 'arrivals, and
straps all oyer the ship. To add to our joy, the order was riven
»«.uud revetlk at 4 a. m., breakfast at 5. and how on earth w"
■^to hnd our thmgs at that hour was more than we could telL
12
fBOM THE ST. LAWRKNCK
VVraiipiii^ inysj'lf up in my liliiiikctH ami picking out tlic M.ftwf]
piirt of tli(! kcelHoii of the Hc-hooiicr, 1 hooii, aloiij; with tho rt'iiiiiiii(|,.rl
of the boys, (Mitt'U'd tho " land of no<l," and was awakmcii l.v tlij
trumpets souiidiu^' tho rfvillf. Ueiiig ready dressed goiiiy tn
Muvcs troulth^ ill the mr>niiiig, bo rolling up our hhuiketa aud liiiiitii,r.|
up our hric-a-)uiic we omorgMl from our den. After a hasty Ijimk [
fast we Htarted for McKeihir's Harl)or, across tho lake, a di-.tiiii..i,f|
-■') miles, our next louneftin;^ link of mil. Here we again l iliill
up our stores and guns, and started oti' for Jack Fisli Bay. It.
on our arrival, we met our eonirades of the Field Division, v.hu 1
gone from Port Munro«! the previous night, and had had a fiiitiill
experience on tho ice, the guide having Wwt his way, and l>ut tm t||J
almost sup«!rhuman exertions of Captain Drury, the otticer in (ijiiil
numd. some of them nuist have lost tncir lives. Again, after ;,'i'tti:i7|
something to eat, we started off over tho lake in sleighs, and iiftcrf
a 1. ■.■,,'li ai\d crtid journey arrived at McKay's ViUago at 1 ii 'i ., oiJ
the thirfl of April. It was a dreadful ride. Only fancy si\ iiii>q|
cramped up in a "l>ol>" sleigh, with valises, arms, accouticn.intJ
and blankets, the night bitter cold, and the worst of it was, tlu.t ilJ
snow on the side of the track was so bad that our men could notl
walk upon it, as it was beginning to got slushy. However, we i.ijt
along without accident, and kfter a warm supper we were tfdd otl' tol
some wrx)den buifdings, and throwing our blankets down on tlittloorl
were s(jon far iM-yond the reach of care. At six o'clock next iininijii"
r> fi'ilh' sounded, but njany of us did not care, although we Inst n^
bn'akfast by not getting up. What was lost in footl was nmd.' iiJ
in sleep. Alwut 8 a. m., we got on the cars again and startnl oil
for our last gap, a distance of 53 miles. Over this SS miles nt' nJ
the scenery was gnind, high rocks overhanging the track, wliiolJ
seemed as if they would feiU and crush us, wliile far down licluvij
us was the great inland sea, Lake Superior. Here I saw the Kr
cuttings, or tunnels, through the rock, which in some places wire i
groat length. I noticed that no attempt had been made to 1
a brick arch under the tunnel, as I have seen in some of my travelsJ
howevi'r, the road being in an unfinished condition, miglit lucdunl
for it. On arriving at our next halting piece, Mazood-Keriiili Bayl
we again went through our old routine of unloading, and leaving' oul
valises to be carrietl by the teams, we started across the last jfip iJ
light Hiarclung order. From, here to Re<l Rock was said tn I* i
distance of 10 miles (f think it i»ust haxe been 20), and so
plodded off in " Indian file," looking like a long corkscrew, n itii (
Indian guide awajr on ahead, looking like a huge crow in the simwl
I was soon very hungry, and the only thing that prevented uie fn^ir
accosting tlie gentleman who carrietl tho commissariat in his hava
sack was military discipline. Passing the huge promontory cnl
Cape Thunder, we dragged slowly along, sometimes pausing for I
moment to get a mouthf.ul of Ifike water from, the air-holfis along til
pickiii>{ out tlic sciffMt
iloiif} with the rfinuiiKlfr
(I wuH ttwaketifi! I,y thf
idy (IrcHtted goiii:; to \»i\\
tur IdiiiiketB luid lim 'ii.J
1. After a hasty liMifc.
SH tho lake, a di.^tituoM.fl
Hero we uj;aiii I ddl
• Jack Fisli Bay. II.,,,
Field Division, ttlm
, and had had a I'lMrtiill
his way, and Jiut t'nnbl
I'ury, the ofUctT in nnu-
fs. A/^aiii, aftf-r :,"tiiiigj
iikn in sleighs, and at'trr
(•'s ViUa^i! at 1 ii m ^
B. Only fancy si\ incui
les, arms, accouticii.intsj
worst of it was, tli;,t the
that our men could not
ushy. Howerer, we aii
ipper we were told nfl' to
ankets down on tlictlnor
six o'clock next iiininir.j
re, ulthoagh we hist mui
>st in fooil was nmili'up
rs again and started oil
*fer this 53 miles ot' mad
inging the track, whiol
s, while far down lidm
r. Here I saw the tit
ih in some places were
lad heen made to liuil
n in some of my tnivelsj
condition, miglit aeiounj
ice, Mazood-Keriidi I
iloading, and leaving' ou^
ed across the last jpip ij
Rock was said to lie
«e been 20), and so
long corkscrew, with
, huge crow in the sikh
that prevented me iwi
mmissariat in his haveij
huge promontory cnl
iometimes pausing for
tp. the air-holes alouK tli
TO TUB NORTH 8A8KAT(IIKWAN.
13
U.. the track, h.cky it we co„ld get that. When within two
hi^nuu the oars we left the iH.aten track, an.l spreadin-, ours dvea
lover tie snosv, got along the U-st way we could' It w^s a hard
fe.'; K. ^"7 "■'"«-" "•»' ^'"^I'.V we nuule little hea.lwav.
IH.».;vc, l,y ,|,at, of pers, veran.e, wo got on the railway cars. whiJh
bth... stance were the regular emigrant ones, the railway Leing
-n tor passenger traUic from Ked Itock to a long distanco-heyonj
After g,.t,i,.g H slight refreshment in the shape of hard tack and
■J >, n port teams were connng up with o„r hlankets, and, getting
IW.I ot them, we were soon soun.l a,slee,,. At this place ocvurre.l
|c«rtnst .tnd only de ici-ncy of transport since we had cnne it.to
.,.u„un.cat,o.. w.th the C. P. R. The j.oor fc||„ws whom we Id
t Ht cur place o d,sen;»mrk«tion in th,- n.orning not returning u "
ioiv.M,>„. ,-s t.'.. tvr-.„;i,.
!mii in a fearful ..t.ite
f^^rou,. exposure : snow Id.nd, with faces puffed up an.l swollen out
1\ ' ?''*' "f *'""^ ;^<-»' J-anlly recogni/.al.le, probably the «orst
^h fSu •V'rV"-^''';^''" «t-ter>vards ,lied of wounds receiyed
I the iMsh Hrook hgl.t. As soon as the guns and the stores came
p, .t wa.s decule.l to send them oH; accompanied with the n.ount ed
l.»Ls,.m, to Port Arthur, the garrison men renu.ining until the re
»..n.ler of the stores were brought oyer the lake and put on the
m. In the meantime we hunted up a Hudson Bay store and
.«le purchase.sof p.pes, tobacco, writing paper, .tc. During our
«y here the Mayor of Port Arthur. Rithllrd Vigors, teleg^ ^l3
»Lt..Col Montezambert askn.g him to allow the officers and n.en
Jto. and partake of the citizens hospitality, but this kind .tiW
«k, and the Col. w.is anxious to push on and join Gen Middleton
Jho w.th the 90th Battalion, th.> Winnipeg"' Field Batte J ami
i . p"l ' ^"f-"' *'•" ^''■•""'y °^ P^"-' Q"'Appelle. Eyen-
nallv the Col gave his consent to the good people of Port Arthur
emng us with coffee and eatables on id the Ls duHng the ew
utesor so that we would be delayed in changing engiLs. At
W 7'i rT '"'''?« ?' ^'^"'' "^^ '«^^ ^^^ Rook about 4 p. m
hre we had 60 rounds of ammunition per man served out to L in
^ ot accidents. Some of our musical friends of both batteries
»ve a concert on the cars between Port Arthur and Retl Rock
rh.cl, It IS needless to say, was attended by a select and fashionable
r l," ^Tu"'^ ''''"•'''•■* ''«"^« ^'^••e »«t admitted. The
mgors Mr. Wallifi and Mr. Slater, of "A" Battery band par!
Cf ^ "'st^'gu'shiiig themsehes l>oth vocally and instrumentally
Zl,ri l*^""*r V'" "^"'8 '^••*'«*' «""'^^'-. who gave a
ndul solo on the tin whistle. Mr. Kennedy also appeared in his
Sr » Tb " r"'- " T''? 2"l^ Clrey Mare and I," and Wng encored
^ sang The Gunner's Ljfe as not a happy one," iu splendid style
14
ntOM THE ST. LAWRENCE
Part I. of the concert being finished it was decided to give us a
few minutes interval, but before we could resume the second pai t'we
steamed into Port Arthur. Such a crowd a» was gathered wt> had
not seen on all our journey, and the people shouted and hurralicdas
if they would pull down the building. In a few seconds tlic cars
were boarded by gentlemen carrying large cans of coffee and soup, legs
of mutton, and all kinds of good things, and there was enou^'h and
to spare for every one of U(?. The good people were exceediuglv
kind, and their hospitality was appreciated by all ranks. But " tiin'e
and tide" — inexorable tyrants — waits for none, and so, about 9 p.m.,
we again emerged into darkness, bound for Winnipeg, a distance of
400 odd miles. The Port Arthur people having been kind enough to
supply us with reading material, we read wai news, talked war
news, until one by one we dropped off to sleep, and on awaking next
morning found ourselves on the open prairies of Manitoba. The
scene was changed for the better, the snow haWng disappeaml or
nearly so. About 8 a. m., April 5th, we reached Rat Portage,
where a large crowd of people came to the station to see the
"regulars." Off again tovards the west, and arrived in Winnipes;
at 2 p.m. Hete the scene beggars description; as we steamed along-
side the platform cheer after cheer went up from thousands of
throats. Disembarking from the cars we deposited our arms and
accoutrements in the large waiting room of the C. P. R., and iiad a
look round. The citizens brought us refreshments in the sha[ie of
coffee, sandwiches, lager beer, and so on. Some of the press repre-
sentatives intervieweid us for news, and in return we were supplied
with newspapers. Tobacco was also supplied to us from one of the
Winnipeg firmr, and in fact one and all vied with each other who
should show us the greatest kindness. Some of our fellows found
out former comrades who had served in the different batteries, some I
of us wrote and posted letters for home, and otherwise amusetl our-
selves. We had now travelled a distance of over 1800 miles from
Quebec, and this being our ninth day out, showed an average of 200
miles per day. During our journey we had met with many obstacles, |
but had overcome them all, our men were in good healtli and,
although showing marks of our journey on our accoutrements and
clothing, were nothing the worse for it. All classes of people with I
whom we came in contact had shown us the utmost kindness and
courtesy in all their dealings with us. The oificials and employes of
the C. P. R. had done everything that lay in their power to keep |
things working smoothly, and but for the inclemency of the weather,
the past nine days would have been looked upon as only something I
to talk about. Luckily soldiers, as a rule, soon forget hardships,!
and so, by the time we had our dinner in the dining rooms of the I
C. P. R., we had forgotten all or most of our late difficulties on ourj
journey from Quebee to Winnipeg.
TO THE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN.
15
CHAPTER II.
>' \m
I i ]
FROM WINNIPEG TO FISH CREEK.
oncfLt £' Ou'Wn"'«-T°^ ^""•^^y- ^'^ AP">. -« started off
te,Le of 320 m?i« J^'^ l*"" ^^"7 ^ ^* '« sometimes called; a dis-
tance ot d JO miles from here. Leaving the "Keystone Citv»w„
Steamed slowly out of the depot amidst the cheersTnd 'd Jishes
all-we soon found ourselves on the prairies again A^This sta^e
IZiCrL'thT p""""°"^ r^' *^^- - - s aS
^ot rr4S.-3er:. rieitr^irpeH rtS:
i^^f<^^" ;?V'"f!?*.^"'' *°^'^ °f Manitoba and the Nort^West and
as the "Scott Act " is pretty solid in the latter province thirstv and
convivial souls had to bid farewell to double headerird he flLb«
a^ En.Hsh T"^ '^. Tf ^'''' '' '•'^«' ""''^ a tine black sS whkh
! a^ ^""rTr."'" P""""^ *^^ g'-^^* "B«» ^ann," whichT worked bv
gte^r;s-:^.i^tz^^rdHli
£; E? Collr-t" r/"' '^"'^PP^"^ " join General
Oueen?o:nSr;ith^.C'S^^^ "* J^^^^ ""*" *•»«
^ put Pol nff«l ^ ^^ ^ Infantry under command of
. .ut.-Col. Otter came up from Toronto, when they would proceS
16
PBOM THE ST. LAWRENCE
by rail to Swift Current, thence by trail to relieve Battleford, wliit'h
had for some time been suiToundod, and part of the town soutli nf
the Battle River burned and looted by the Indians under the ( Vee
Chief, Poundmaker. At 5 o'clock on the afternoon of the 6th A|iii!.
"i^" Battery started across the prairie for Fort Qu'Appelle, n dis-
tance of 20 miles. It was a bitter cold night, and as we had t'our
men with accoutrements in a small cart it was truly miserable. Tlip
teams wont on, sometimes walking, sometimes trotting, our Iol'r i;nt
cramped with cold, and sitting in a doubled up position, with cdk]
showers of sleet blowing in our faces, our position was not exiv tly
comfortable. On our arrival at the Fort we were lodged in a soliool
room and after some tea, and some of the much abused " hard-tiuk,'
we dropped off to sleep. After breakfast ne.xt morning Ca})taiii
Peters paid ud, and we made purchases of such articles as we wanted.
Here for the first time we found out that the five cent piece was the
lowest legal money tender in the North West. Getting our t aps
on the waggons we commenced our journey again, passing tiie
mounted police barracks, and going up a pretty steep ascent, we
found ourselves on the top of the Qu'Appelle valley, and at a depot
of a large quantity of stores and provisions. Our battery luirses
which up to this time had been ridden by the mounted men, were put
to the guns and we started acrosh the prairie. Stopping almut mifl-
day we cooked some tea, reaching Houghton 24 miles from Qu'Apjjelie
about 8 o'clock. Here a scramble iu the dark ensued, pitching touts,
(fee. After an extra blanket being served out wo were told oH" to
our tents, twelve men to each, and we tried to sleep, but in most
cases it was a failure. Starting off again about 8 o'clock on the
morning of the 8th we reached General Middleton's company aliout
10 a. m., where we found the following troops encamped : OOtli
Battalion, Winnipeg Field Battery, and part of French's Scouts-
some of the latter accompanied us from Qu'Appelle. We now num-
bered about four hundred of all ranks. Pitching our camp we
remained here until next morning.
Exactly at 4.30 on the morning of the 9th reveille sounded, we
turned out, rolled up blankets, struck tents, and after breakfast, till
of us with the exception of the cooks, old and new guard, pre{);ire(l
for our first day's tramp, as up to this time we had been carried in
the waggons. We started off, the guns following up the advanced
guard, which was furnished by the 90th, then came the escort of
dismounted garrison artillery, next the remainder of the 90th, and
behind them our waggons, French's Scouts riding ahead, and on eiich
flank of the column, so as to prevent us being taken by surprise by
the enemy. Halting at mid-day we had dinner and then after
another three hours pitched our camp on the Touch Wood Hills in
the same order as on the previous night. After this 21 miles tramp,
some of us felt tired and the most of us had wet feet, and no means
of getting them dried. At 4.30 next morning, after the usufil
1
TO TFTE NORTn SASKATCnEWA.V, Jf
to read and admire FenimorP fW T^^ ''''\^ '''''^ "^ '^"^^ I "«ed
Indian. Now I think rreal 3 ^'i''"'",'' '^'^ ""'''' "'>• •''^'^J
looks as if he was tSy urauS«; I H ".1 '"^' " '^".™^"- ^^'^''^
and seen, to glory u'h^ST^r^'^J: ^T^:' %?'
speakins, the poor peop7e "i ?n f ' '^^'^^I'T^f '«» «f ^'>t- Seriously
doubt if th^y Ce worth tL.v^ .F'*'!^'' ^"* *^" *''« °*''^'- '^"^"^ T
people extend to tl7em Th 'e? ^^ *''"* T ".'""^ ^^^" »'^'""ng
Ld%hichtrckledrhosI?dthar"h°'?.^^^^^^ *'^'' ^'^' •^^'•'f
for the Queeu (WMteMoiLTVt^X^^^^^
soklic.. t. light then! (P 4, ,*tl'1.*^^ Indians than to .end
road.) TVni^ht we en;ai^t' th^ S^^?!; Alkafi RaLV " ', .i;!^
across^the P^inr^hieh^Ltbor^^^^^^ ««
formed wl.en nTdL^ .^SIeis.5 TC P'l^ ,"\*>' *"^"«^^«' ^^-'•« i*
tempest tossed sea The e t>s,,t' "trti/"^";^ *' "" ^^^ ''^' ^
the trail at various olaces nnri „! , "^ "'*° "^''"■«' ''"» '^'-'''oss
had sinmly towade them wl w"^' ™* ^^''^ '''^""^ ^^o"* ^e
them on^our firsTdayl raWri^^^^^^ ''*'''''^ ^T^^'^ '^'^'^ *''''-t^ of
the water was over our knS " £" """ ""'''' ^^''^'^^ *'^'^™ ^^^^^'^
the thing, it was twentv .Wv^;« f '^ "''^'' ^'^ *''^''" ^^« "«*
the wateT was unfit frrl^aTut'T- ^° "^^'f to our discomfort
- by eating snow.td SaT^ noratccera\tlf& T *'''^*
her that we were at f hi« h-tt,^ i, • *,' 'i'^ »" times. Remem-
arm amunitilnanl that confluSf "^ ''"'"*^ ''""'^^'^ '^^ ^"^'I
our side in addition to ouTltldoZr"; "/"''t^y?^* ^<^
fi.-st time we had a whisoer of R?.lt k t *"^.*'^- ^ere for the
addition that he mrant to llf^l « ^''^•"^'^^°»*« !^itJ> ^^e comforting
ins of the 12th 'CS" were "% w' reception. On the morn*
«s^for the way we had J TJ^ f -'"'' ^'"''"^ *^""'^^"^
Albert was rLrted 1 T ff . , •' u "1 *''"'*«'^ *^^* •^« P"ncS
only toap^al t7usts Br^ii^S^^' "'? ^'^^ ^'*^*^'«^ *hat he had
on for their reHef T]^H.f ^^'^ ^"^ 'P^*"^ "*^ ^^^''t^ ^^ pushing
road, and the ^ounJ ii^/ruT £7 ".^^'^'^ ^°""^ *«^ ^^1
aloiur first-rate <^H.;t; Ii? ™i , "^'' *'''^» yesterday we got
1,'oinl on lSv%niKVlet'::1St^ the bush about 2 p.^m., afS
us forever, I hope the So^^p,!;^*H/°'''''^'^'g*'*' ^^^ left behind
self included, tlTeblef br^t, ib 'i; u*!f"/ "^ "^ ^""^ '°'' f^^*' '"7-
proving a fai ure h7re th^v S. ^"^. been good upon the snow
f S a xaiiure here, they became Sfttur^ted with water, and it
18
FROM THE ST. LATFRSNCE
1^.
poured through them like a sieve, and we could obtain no footing nn
the dry parts of the prairie with them, moreover, being thin in tlie
soles, walking over a rough surface hurt the feet, and I must say
that they were not at all comfortable. I had a pair of regimeuttil
boots in my valise, but as my feet had become swollen, the boots
soon became too small for me. Some absurd order was in effect whidi
prohibited us from wearing ankle boots, to which I must plead guilty
in disobeying, for I had to take mine into wear. I may state as an
excuse for my disobedience, 1 had tried to put my " beefs " on tluit
morning by hammering them with a tent mallet, and failing in that
attempt, had to get them on by thawing them out at Jack Cossey's
fire.
This camping place (Wise) was alwut 21 miles from Humboldt,-
here Matt Coyne met one of his old friends, and while speaking of
Matt, I think he was the best known man in the North West.
Lots of his old Red River friends turning up all along the line of
inarch. About 8 o'clock on the morning of the 8th April we starteci
off again for Humboldt, and reached it that evening about 5 o'clock,
camping for the night, and made a raid upon the only store in tlie
place, capturing the stores of preserves and biscuits, which cost us.
I suppose, exactly cent per cent more than their original value. I
have never been in New York bulj I think it must be a larger town
than Humboldt — Humboldt coatains a store and a police station,
that is the town. We saw in camp to-night two mounted messengers
who had ridden from Battleford with despatches, they report tlie
place as being closely invested with Indians, the white women and
children in the police barracks for safety, and all on short rations.
Next day, 14th April, we enjoyed a day's rest straightening up our
things, washing socks and shirts, with Kit Inspection for the com-
manding officers. In the afternoon all the men of the battery par-
aded in "fighting order," viz., rifle, side-arms, and three pouchu.s ;
had company drill and manual exercise, and as a lot of spectators
from other corps were looking on we put en our best style. Tlie
mail coming in this afternoon brought us lots of newspapers and the
war news was read with interest One of my tent chums Bombadier
Miller went out rabbit shooting to-day and talked us all to sleep
with his exploits. Striking off across the prairie in the morning we
reduced the length of our convoy by travelling two teams abreast.
We were now striking for C'ark's Crossing on the South Saskatelie-
wan 91 miles from Humboldt and 198 miles from Troy, going tliis
route we intended to reach Prince Albert about the 25th of the
present month, when we did get there time will show. Reaching!
our next camping place, Vermillion Lake, the Winnipeg Field Bat-
tery and " A" Battery both mounted picquet On the picquet
being paraded Col. Montezambert addressed us, saying, in effect,
that as we were near the enemy, extra precautions were to be used,
so as to prevent a surprise, and for that reason double sentries were
'^*-*«iWi««P«»"
TO THE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN. jg
in the rain con,mS?aniSrti°LTf. ^^^^^/t^^ darkness set
and all, vivid lightninK deamed aT f, . ' *';^'^"S,'^ ^ drenching one
more intense, and Jto^Se^^Jt '"*^'^''^' T^'^'S t^e darkness
of the question. SiK wTofd?Tthe^T'';r^ '''' r* ^' ^^ ""^
Bky line could the outLos of th'e wtnnn f '^''"""'^ *''" «^« "^"^ the
the rain ceased and a sharoLst sit S wHm''"'' ' ,*°^'^''''^ "«^»i»«
our boots froze on our Zt and r.,.1 '} completed our miserv.
Next to the misery of cri^i^. Tlk.S. ^'- * "^'l *° «^««*« «* ^^^
the outlaying picq^uots Tvefmfc ffi?' °" 5^ ^"^^ '^"^ ^ ^^^"^
the cami^ign. filtrly on the mo Sg ^ theie'th th T'* "l^*-* '^^
Captain Drury, and a field gun t e "C" t-hl *''«, ^^^n^'-a'. with
connnand of Maior SmifK „^„ ? ®°"°°^ °^ Infantry under
tending to LwTaXt ^hl^^n'n v"i/ h?at "^^5^ ^rosJ-g. t
the north side of thfsaskatchewar Th. . """^*'^ *° *"■««« ^'^"^
marching off at 7 a m the d„v v Tl '^«5"a»»der of the column
our midfday mil we'Cere S„I7k'°S '^"^ ^'"^y- Stopping fo^
fa^try, or the (S .)^ hrmr^sed f/'Jr;-^"'*"^ ^ouMln-
around Butte and Shefl ^vvr J^ 1 «^" ''™- ^^^y ^^^^ raised
fellows, armed with Winchester rir^^ '*'^^^^^^
or Montana horses ^tmZ^t'''^l^^^^
from 45 to 50 years of Lnid hi 1 ?. '^l''. ^°°^'"8- "^". ''^ont
prisoner under Biel in thfR^ Rh' T' ^ ^T'^' '^^^^"g ^«*'" »
with his men, who wild hav^dS I anvthfn' ^A ^"^ ''''y P^P"'*-"
him. AH his troops were frvoriJes S S k".^. ^°"' '^"^^^^''^ ^"'^
turned out, were to be theTconLdl * ^"^'^ "'^"^ ^^o, as it
And now as Bolton^ Hor^!^. r u ' ^'T "^^^ » day to come,
me to say that it wi, be 7o J ereihe Z^ T'' "•'^* ^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^
comrades are forgotten by tTeVuler^of 1" TTff ' """Vt"' ''"'''^
of theirthwastithoutanviSSpnf, ! ^^^^T The march
they were worth. oHL iStT^^^^^^ ?"«'""§ "'^ ^r all
went on again aiming at the pJ^c^ the 18th we struck camp and
katchewanf at H f ^ clmnTnT^ ""V^^ '°l^^ ''^^ °* *he Sa«-
hundred yards from the river '^Thl" *?' '""V'' *"^^ ^^out five
to this tfme, had'been corparaUvdy "btj Zlll^F^''' T^' "P
Touchwood Hills and the Sni^ p • ^ • x *" the exception of ■
Bcrubby brush near the bant n?fu"'i interspersed with a kind of
thickl/ strewn' wfth a^e Sull'So^^^^^^^^^ *^« ^°""d was
been either the river bTor the bed 0?^/ ^'^1^^ Wared to have
The Saskatchewan at tL place is about fn f '1! *^' T^ ^°"« P-^*'
with sloping banks on the south sWehS' **""?"/ yards wide,
trees; the banks on the nortT side tw^ wooded with poplar
timber. After launching a scow ft.r^^ ''?^ ''^'^^^^' ^^*h no
back to camp and had :U,ZlX 'S^ZTJS^'.Z LTn!
<H
so
S'RdSf TttE M. LA\*RfiNCfi
r ^ ^
the Tel^aph Station and clerk's house being about all tho buiVl-
ings. Saskatoon (afterwards an hospital station) is about 15 miliiM
from this place. The day turned out bad with showers of nun uml
snow. Shortly after 2 p. m., the 10th Boyal Grenadiers niaii hcd
into camp— thej having followed us up from Troy— ^and were re-
ceived by all of our fellows with the greatest enthusiasm. As IdtM
of our fellows knew Toronto they were soon hand and glove with
them, and a jolly lot of fellows the "Royals" turned out to be, niosf
T)f them were big, strapping fellows, who looked fit for nnytliin;.'
Among them I saw Statf-Sergt. Mitchell, the crack Wimbledon i itlo
shot, whose arm was covered with shooting badges. Lieut. -Col,
Lord Melgunde, with Captain French, Major Bolton and a paity ni
mounted men went out scouting around this afternoon, eaptiiiid
a party of three Indians, spies from Batoche, who, on being sur-
prised about twelve miles from our camp, said they were hunters,
but upon finding that some of our scouts understood "Cree" tlicy
quickly changed their conversation into the Sioux language. Tlnir
arms consisted of one Winchester repeating rifle, and two shot guns,
and in their possession were found a small pocket mirror, such as in
used by the Indians for signalling purposes, and a fairly accurate
tnap of our camp, showing where our guns were placed. On l|t'in^
brought into camp they were viewed with great curiosity— being the
tirst hostiles we had yet seen. ^ After being interviewed by ilif
General they were kept prisoners and handed over to Boltdu's
Horse for safe keeping. One of them turned out to be "Wliite
Cap's" son, and was afterwards found killed at Batochei
Our force now consisted of the following corps : —
"A" Battery, R C. A., 106 Officers, Nv C. Officers and Men.
Winnipeg Field Battery, 65 " " "
" C" School of Infantry, 40 " " «
90th Battalion, 296 " " *«
10th Royal Grenadiei-s, 250 " " "
Bolton's Mounted Inf'try 60 " " "
French's Scouts, 25 " " "
In all 842 of all ranks, staff not included.
If the above figures are wrong I hope that the mistake will bf
pardoned. At any rate they are fairly correct. Snow fell hea\ily
to-night. Next day (Sunday) turned out a fine day. General orders
of the day complimented all ranks on their good behaviour, and
issued in detail a set of signals which would enable our forces to
distinguish friends from foes in case of a brush with the enemy.
Late this evening an order was issued to break the column up into
two divisions, one division going up the north side, and another
division to advance up the south bank in the direction of Prince
Albert. On Monday a lot of the battery men went out firing and
had a great time and lots of fun skirmishing about the prairie. Tlie
budges. Lieut. -Ci)l.
TO TUB V6MTII SASKATCHfiWAy, 21
'^^Z!^:£:::^^jv;^^ ^-r''^ *.. s„„ shone, .«
pay was $0.50 per <lien, V^e If tt T'^'^'r"^' *'"^'^ ^ I^"^'^*«'«
ready for transportu.y purposef Here Tf^r-' "?.*« ^^e cable
"townies"fron. The "LvndTci«»„ . u ]'",'" ^'•*'' " ^«* "^
of the surroundings to ii^e £* t w '^?'A'^ *" '^''''-'' "'y^*^'*
,4fain. I was, i„ foot, amonl No P ""^ ^^.°"'"*' '^'^"•''^'' «"'«"
ac-ou.pany composed of ZtVTv""th two" eZ ? *'" ''*.'' ''''"'^''""-
them were Lowlanders we 1. J I. .. ^ '\°"''' ''"'' ">" '""'^t ««
Nothing further of a";* i^'rtlc' t^l> 7"" ?^"^''' ^'°"»*''3'-"
t^nng we were looking forward o was H.^n? "f^^^' 1""' *''« ""'^
Prince Albert as we were I.,«r ! T .. '*" °'"^'"' *° ""^I^" '^ >"ove to
Halfbreeds, of ^l^se skU" - >- '"^* "^ ^''^ ''"'""''^ '^"^
accounts. NLrSaT TuesJ' SeT'" ".' ^'^ ^'""^'^ ^"^'' «'«-i»g
river were sent oveT^nrit^LrS W-*'" "«>■£ bank'of the
strengthened from "a" wSroloffl IS"^.'?*^ ^•"''' ^'^"ery,
the 10th Royals, and part of F^l K^ '^' ^- ^' ^'«'''*"-« '"^^I "'«"
were flying around anmlLf' '''°"*'- ^^ «0'-t« "* reports
out to see it 'JtoZ^^TZZTt^'^^''^''''' '"^ °" «"'»«
poles. After a long spell of wait.W 1 M n " "''? ""'^ °* ^^^^
welcome order was givSi and on S A ^ * ^r'"!"^'' ''"^«^'^'-' t^e
moved oft; and on the • 'g^t of th^a^J^^^^ *r ^"^'^^''^
command of General Middle?-^ found Jh F"' *'**' ""'"'"" ""^«^
Kinto3h's farn,, eighteen miTerfromcLk'T''''' """TP"' '^^ ^'■
miles fron. Fish Creek. Abt t ni e^'l I ?rT'"« *"^' '^'^""* ^^'^^
we had battery orders retd ouf IL *'''' ^u*'"'"'^ ^'^^'^ P'^'-'^ded,
ordered to have'^someWscu' t in our bavrrsSs^^'H' -^'^^ T ^^^'"^
extraordinary looks of thin.^ all of .? ''"•*"'*' ^'""^ "'«
would find something to do fSnnI q ^e^-e convinced that we
twenty-four hoursn)ne by one '17* T^ '' ^'^°'' *''^ "«-^*
and smoke, and soon were i^umlaTllf '"*o«"r tents after a chat
breakfast we started off Xi i ?" ''^ 24th of April after
making short halts. At la!t ab„„f ?^ ''T^^ "P *^« "^^'^ ««le.
heard ahead of us our sJ.^« M , 1"*''*^'* P^«* »•«« «"»« was
tight was begun ' ''"™^ *^^ *^''' "^"^ *he Fish Creek
C^=i^^e)-
'=:;i;^^
22
rROM THE ST. LAWRENCK
CHAPTER III.
FROM FISH CREEK TO PRINCE ALBERT.
Farewell Fish Creek, thy memories gory
Shall aye live in Canadian story 1
Our country's wives and babes are weeping
For loved ones in thy prairies sleeping.
In the last chapter I mentioned that the rebels opened flic from
a bluff upon our advanced men who were instantly ordered to dis-
mount and loose their horses, which being done they returned the
fire with interest and held them gallantly in check. Orders were
then seni. to hurry up the advanced guard and the main body which
on arrival extended and took cover in the bluffs, the enemy coming
out of tlie ravine and firing until forced back by our fire into tiie
creek. Meanwhile "A" Battery guns under command of Captain
Drury got the order to come into "action ft'ont" and they com-
menced shelling the ravine where the rebels had their stronghold,
owing to the intervening bush we could not see the full effect of our
shell fire, but were afterwards told that our gunners had calculated
the range correctly, and the shells fell among the enemy as if they had
been fired from a mortar. Here at this point, might I not offer a sug-
gestion as to the use of hand grenades in this kind of warfare ; both
at " Fish Creek" and " Batoche," the enemy had taken up positions
below us in places where the judicious use of hand grenades would
have had great effect — as there are lots of that ammunition lying
rusting around the diflferent shot yards and stores in the Dotninion,
the cost would be nearly nil,— and as the hand grenade fulfils
nearly all the conditions of common shell it could be used with great
effect. To resume, afler firing a few rounds fix>m this position our
guns were limbered up and emerging from behind a clump of bushes
we came out upon an open prairie ground, where away in our front
could be seen the log houses of a Half-breed settlement. Being at
this stage of the proceedings sent to the i-ear to assist in filling shell,
I did not have a chance of appearing on the scene for some time I
again. Shell filling under fire was a new thing for me, and as there
was no funnel for the powder or any key or screw-driver to extract
the plugs from the barrels of Hamilton powder, a paper ftiniiel had
to be extemporised and our sword bayonet used for unscrewing the
plugs ; filling shell is not a desirable occupation at any lime, but
5- «
td TBE WORTH 8A9KATCHEWAV.
is
^/VtA^yfiVlVKlu
I s^r;t;^ s;sni^"r fi '-^r -^- ** ™-
•• tins way ' A' Battery" haf wH LlZ r'k "'" ^ f *T. ^'""'^ °"*
twtMity men of the batierv down ini; /hi" r "'''' ^'l"''"^ ''^^^ "''«"»
a party of the aoth tried fods^JdTf h5 ''"'' ""'' «"PPorte.l by
this ru8h Mjiuuxci' o ,r W vT ®"^'^^' '^"^ °^ ^heir pits, in
being struckKlSrS^^^^^ V'^'^y wounded,
bunib shattered by he 8eco„S Sf S '* "''."V. ""'' ^"""g »^i« "ght
»it..in eight or ten vardrnf ,' ^ T«' •*'"«•»' ^eing at the time
bis hand to his he«rrexclafnSt'"Sr ''i^rP?'' '■•-'"°'^' ''<^ P"'
the next Instant. xLlor rSd 1% ?" ^ "' f '°'" <"""'"§ ^'e«<«
ll^en for his canteen Sh rSve^ ?he «r,t7n"r'' ""'' ''"^' '^ "^^^
it no„Id probably have gone Imrrf^-H •'^"" '^'■'='' ^^ ^^'^ ^^""et
%Hion got severely wounded r! n'*'' ''""• Armsworth and r
Peters, cooly insisted „po„ iu tlilvL /"" 'u '^'' '''' ^3' ^^I'tain
hevenge before he went aJ thr ,i -^ "* '''"^ "^ ^^^ «"e»'v for
jfound with a piece of rlit-n^ "^u?*™"^^*''"^
^ligLtiy wounded a bMe? 'rlL^ri )V^r'""^' ^'«"°'- ^^^
struck on tlie shoulder and K."„^ -^ forearm; Ouiilet got
Itherefore be seen hat'it w„« H ?^ '" *^« «*™« P'«ce. It wiU
the whole of tS fo ego ng'TaSL^-^^^^ *'h ^'^^'"^"«'•^• ""^» >*""
lbs taken me to write tls rTt T-'"^'' '" '*''« ^""p "'«« it
U wo,,ld have enSied a heaves "fTf. 1"^™^' /'•-" ^"eir
[of men were not considered suffloln? „ ! ^' ^°'^ ^^ *''« ""'n''^'"
fens run op to the brink of the^aliS^ l^""" T °''^«'^^' «"^' ^'>«
pie i,,en while retiring heiedHtprT' ''^P'"f,f' ^ and fired to cover
Ke former slightrtWatte;!^^^ '^"^ ^"««" '^ere woun.led,
lakingamputLornec it; ^*?hf™bi:'d "''■'' "'^'^ " '^""^^
fj-our fellows was of course not wmS?„ ^P'^" '"to the ravine
liot knowing theground sor^P nf ^r f°?^ 'aughable incidents;
U soon found tliemseVes fe^f ,? ™^^^^^^^^ '''' '^' ^°«ded crest
Itlie ravine, among the Ser was fhe 3 hf •*,",' %V' '*•" ^<*t^'» ^f
JfLingcd into the brook S^runsthrih^h'''? ^^^" ^«>^-"«' ^^o
in Ins scramble to get uSis fee. loTf t' ^°"°'" '^^ ''^« P^^^^'
[nd upon seeing whchTome of 2?. ' "l''"^ ^'1"=''* '"« " ^^^''e"
fsiiade. Matt on teUinrthe s°orv oamft!. .'J!*''''"? °'^'^"'^'' «
|«s well his head was not in he ^'. touue - ^^r'i.T p'?''"" '^'' '*
|n(i.ng the side of the ravine finding that hi« - ' ' "*" '''•
m to the bushes mnU- nh. . i ? , • "'* ^^°'"d was anchorino-
ftoasting fork" amonrtLS^^^^ /L" T'^* ^«'* ''"^ left tEe
h I caA teU, if nat^i Sm Se U t.fh'' ''' °°' *' ^'^'"^ «^'''" <>'
W relio h«nte;s, as hav nTbeen L the u'^..f P*r ^ ^•>- ««™« of
e».^hutwas P^utb^r t=te^;r rteTe^^^^^^^^^^^^^
H
u
MtOM THE BT. LAWRENCC
henvy fire while doing so. Our force In the meftntlnie hiwT (liawn
graclimlly around tl>e crest of the ravine, and were watcliinir
eagerly for a chance at the enemy In their pits, who on the other
hand were layiig low for us, aod who on seeing the least movcmont
of a head saluted It with a shower of lead. Here poor d.Maiidlly
was killed, being shot through the head dying Instantly without a
word or struggle. Down In the rav'ne was a lot of Indian iK)nio»
tied np to the trees and our chaps not being able to see then- owners
were eager to revenge thenwelves on the ijoor animals by shootinij
them instead. As 80on*as the order came to shoot tlie pwr
brutes, ye gods ! what a Asllade comn»enced, I think some of our
fellows must have enjoyed the ftin of making a noise more than any-
thing else, as they did not appear to Are at anything In porticnlar
but kept at it until their ammunition was expended. There were
about fifty ponies killed, and lead enoMgli fired to have killed fifty
hundred. About 2. p. m., a loll took place In the enemy's firo, and
Captain Drnry made some practkje from his 9-prs ; obsei-ving a
house being made a shelter for the rebels, be pitched a shell into
it, and soon the dusky crowd was seen to crawl off on their hands
and knees up the furrows of a ptoughed fteld, and make off in the
direction of the bush, Itaving their comrades in the ravine to do
the fighting by themselves. At this stage of the days fighting it
was determined to make an6tlier effort to drive the enemy from
their pits and with that end in view, the ten 9-pr guns with about
tv.enty dismounted gunnere, headed by the energetic Peters made
a dash over the small creek on the outside of the ravine, and
galloping up the opposite bank, and after unllmberiug and running
the guns up by hand on to the brow of the bill, loaded up with case
shot and reversed aharpnell, and fired round after round point blanii
against the rebels, but with little perceptible effect, for as soon as
the iron shower passed over their heads they kept up a heavy fire on
us fortunately without doing a great amount of damage, our only
casualty being the wounding of Driver Harrison in the neck after
the guns where limbered up. Here I might say a few words about
what I think of the abilities of the Half-breeds and Indians as
marksmen. When coming west to take part in the campaign ouil
ears were assailed by their wonderflil skill, such as shooting at fi»ej
cent pieces when thrown up in che air, hitting the mark every lime I
and a great many wonderfVil and highly colored improbabilities. I
No wonder that the " Bold Militiaman" was a little scared to taciclel
this army of crack shots, but what did it amount to ? Nothing sol
great after all, for instance, had our men had the advantages pos-J
sessed by the enemy in the matter of rifle pita knowing the 'May'ofl
the country and so on, I think It would be safe to assert thati
more of them would have come to grief. Luckily for us at FisM
Creek, at anyrate, they did not shoot any of our gun horses asaT
wounded horae is pot a dewrable companion in the shafts of a lim-j
•MMM
TO TRI NORTH «ABKATCI!EWA».
85
f " X'!,ife t;^:-™ *- -lit r^'""," '^ °«»'"«'
the seen* and were a 4l(x> ne sS^ T"/*"* '■'^«'" appoarod on
invested the ravine and «Cd Lh o^.!^' '^''"' ' ^^^^ immodiatel^
d..nng the day to Wl back S get someJ.^^'''^ ^«" «"B"««5
row escapes had been made "phn r «!..'"« ^ **^- Some ifar-
his A.r cap while ridin^und the oZtT'"*'^.* ^""•"^ *'"-'>"i
be comfortable, he is .Iported to havTsaid wh?"?""' ^" "'^"^ *<>
Juekingat the sonnd of the biXts'W ..!'''" *"! T ^'"^ ■"«»
I been stooping that bullet woddhavTi^fr *•'!"*" ™*'»' ''"^
but I can hardly understand how that po^i,??* ^u""*** ™3- brain."
.fhc had stooped I think theXnSr^ou Id t'" ""^""f ^' ^'^'"'^
gather, however, he showed a sn onH J ''?^*^ '^^^ him nlto-
8lH)..t as cool and collected as iftt^ ®'"""P'« *<* «" "^ "«. "cli«K
had the lace on hisfor^e Ipdin^ra^ Captain' Pete !
8 horse shot under him and solne S n.^ ""^^ ^"P*"*" VVisehad
had bullet, passing thmnghltwee" X" 1^ *''''.' "^ *'*' ^'•°»
muzzle, and the spokes of the min .k i ^°*' working at the
which had been flr^l with de„dTinS ''""' """"'^''^ '''^'> ""»«»'
Jhe^followlng are the casualties of :. A" battery for the davs
ro«„rferf:-Sta/sgt. Mawhi^ev Somi'Tr'"' ^' Wilson.
Assellnl W(Sma?' Imr?« M*""' *''"°''' ^uns.
Harrison; Turner ' ^""'*'' ^«n«e" i D™.
£l/? -^'^'^^^^^^^^^^^ lVl:S b'^ ^''r^^'*' -
Lord Melguad and amid a fearful th,„,il,f '^ ^^^^ ^'''^^en by
I for the night, placing a strong outhW^"'" ^'^^'^ °"'' '^'""P
Grenadiers, and an inside gSL"/,- '"*'*^"^' °*' ^''^ ^"^"^
on, as Lord Melgund's (^STad !ft T- '' «""^ ""^ '*'"«»"'i-
, the north side of the river, we had 1 !f ^^" *"""P eq"ipage on
«)om in our tents: the WirnE fSm T.^"*'''^^' sleeping
guests of " A" and the 00*1^.^*^ u*'*' Battery Battery beini
The night Of the 24tb uS ouYtld't^ '*'k *^^ '"'"^ ««'""«
and as we were all on the iSk out ^l n u.* ''°'*^^ '"»" of snow
to saj, that very few of us had a ^JLd nffi* '"''*''' " " «^«^'«««
5th, the men who had fallen Uheflth /Si'***' .^"^ S-^t^rday
buried, the General reading the bmf^ of .the previous day were
"naking an address to the Assembled hvT'"'''?^ '*''"«•'''■' afterwards
to.avenge the death of thX cSmr^es Th'" ""''"'' *"« "^^'^ '^^
tills time a little settled d >wn a^d^tS *'""«' ''«™ getting by
Nehave another fiUt ? As we ter! -f' '^"I"^' '''«' ^^'^ ^oZ
co.:mence,nent of the work Tu7niSr inX S*' '!*'? ""^ «"'^ »»««
f ourselves for a sleep but in th?s w^il^ I- """ "'S^' ''^ ^i^Posed
I I.
a«
rnOM tIfF tT. LAWRENOR
to lii(! on a convoy of teams cuiniiig into camp, who on licin!,'
challongi'u v the outlying aentricH mudu no answer and an n cuiiKt:.
qucnco Imd a Hhowcr of bulletM about their cors, Instantly the
ramp wus in an uproar, the clmps in the teuts making gratis for
rilliiM, pouclies, boots ana on. Soon however, wo were all nwk
glad l)y the ''all's well" whicit ran rapidly along the line and we tinnd
in again to sleep. During the turn out, Dorcy Ilakcr of lioulton's
Moimted Infantry who had l>eeii mortally wounded on the 24tii, unl
villi) was delirious in the hospital tout, hearing the tiring start nl up
ealliug for his horse, dying soon afterwards. About 7 o'clock next
morning (Sunday) poor Charlie Armsworth, whom I liave mcntioiu'l
as being seriously wounded, died. We wen; paraded forChuich m
10 a. m., in flghting order and had the Churcii of England Service
read by the General. After dinnei' the 90th Hattalion, the dis-
iiiounted gunners of the Winnipeg Field Battery, lionlton's Miiiuiict)
Infantry, French's Scouts and " A" Battery par.ided for the \m--
jwse of searching the ravine, and to get the bodies of Cook of •> A'
Battery and Wheeler of the 90th, who were killed on the 2ltli, and
we were also prepared to have a brush with the enemy, who uiiglit
have been holding on to the position. On our arrival in the riivine
we found everything quiet and after getting our two dead comrades
who were lying exactly where tl'.ey fell, and with the exception of
Wheeler, who had been stripped of his tunic, no indignity had been
offered to their dead bodies. Wc then proceeded to have a looii
around the place ; the enemy had shown great skill in the construc-
tion of their rifle-pits, selecting the thick wooded parts, their mode
of operation had been sometliing like the following: digging a round
hole behind a tree and cutting the tree nearly through at aliouta
height of three or four feet from the ground, had dragged it over
with the branches pointing towards the direction in which the
attacking force would be likely to come, this forming a kind of
abatis with the branches. From the evidences of croikery,
lamps, pipes and cooking utensils &c., it was plain that the place
had been occupied for some days previous to the flght and looked
as if it had been intended to make a stand, some of the of lice rs ami
mounted men rode through the place and picked up memos of the
fight, among which were, a chiefs head-dress with feathers, shot
guns, moccasins, badger gauntlets, lamps, and crockery. One of
Boulton's men picked up a plug hat, and rode into camp with it on
his head, thereby causing great amusement. Th - dflv was a red
letter one for many of us ns the mail arrived in inmn innging
letters and bundles of newspapers, the latter 'o •"'ne.' y our
esteemed friend at head-quarters Mr. Gunner 2d'jh.^r wuo never
failed during the campaign to keep us well supplied with the press
news. Next morning the 27th some of us had a walk down to the
river and in doing so had a look at the graves of our late
comrades, they baa been made to look as nice as they could be
s furtning a Iviiu) of
TO TIIR NORTH HAHKATTnEWytV. 27
Armswort 1 wore limiPfl In n,„ n ^"""^'"''^—^ook, W i.ct'lcr and
torv for .ho a tc^an^l a tin n^^^^^^ " '^'" "'^"'^'"^ '" " ^''«-
on tl,o r-o it had the mo it ';",'''?''"g S"'"- '^'i^ munuCaoturcd
F. Smith. Kot a « idUea e ^ and Vo"""'"^ ^"'' '^^ •!'• ■"«^-
o.r Mvo battorv cook' made I Sd ij ttZ.S'iri?! '""' "''"V
' UJ13 diange afler our " hani t JL " ii • 'i ' ''"''' ""*" " ^^<^'-
come news that'^ Se - No Zl'- T ""^' ^ "u^ ^^ ^"^ '^^l"
"•iiiiiBSRs^
28
FBdM THE ST. LAWRENCE
While waiting here Col. Cotton 8ent a telegram of congratuliition
to "A" as follows: " Well done, ' A' Battery. My sympathy
with the wounded. Send details." Captain Howard got his .'au
ling gun detachment together and practiced drilling and firing at a
target, the remainder of the troops not on duty were exercised in
skirmishing and marching. It being decided that the stpuiner
♦' Northcote" was to run the gauntlet past tiie village of Batoclie,
thenue to proceed to Prince Albert, she was barricaded up with
boxes of canned beef, boxes of biscuits, and bags of oats. "C
Company I. S., under the command of Major Smith, was put
on board to defend her. Lieut.-Col. Williams having disembari<ecl
and camped beside us, thus augmenting our force by two companies.
At last about 7 a. m. on the 7th May after striking our camp, and
loading up our ammunition, camp equipments, we marched off io
the direction of Batoche. Marching past the scene of our late fi»ht
we struck out for the open prairie to avoid falling into an amijiish,
calculating that the enemy would not attack us in the open, and
after marching all day encamped for the night, throwing out a
strong outlaying picquet and sleeping all night with our accoutre.
ments on and with rifles by our side. Early on the morning of the
8th we were on the road again, and plodding on until night, we en-
camped on the open prairie about eight miles from Batoche.
During this day's march we wei-fe joined by a special correspondent
of the " Standard" (Eng.) who had hurried out from England via
New York to report for his paper. Soon after camping a Half breed
deserter ftom Kiel's force surrendered himself and gave us a pretty
fair idea of the force we would have to contend with on the mor-
row. This deserter, who was a Scotch Half breed, in a conversation
I afterwards had with him, told me how he managed to escape.
He was put down by the rebel council as a "doubtftil," that is, he
was not to be trusted, and when on scouting duty the " doul)tfur
cases were accompanied at all times by men whom the rebels could
depend upon, who would either raise an alarm or shoot the
'* doubtfUls" in case they attempted to bolt On this day my in-
formant's ohum fell asleep and watching his chance he mounted and
rode off. He a'so told me that lots of the so-called rebels were
simply through force of circumstances mixed up in the affiiir, and
knew that it would end in disaster for all concerned. I am happy
to be able to add that my informant came out all right, and I saw
him late, in the summer employed on board of a Saskatchewan
steamer and doing well. The mail came in to-night and we got
letters and papers from home, and after the news had been dis-
cussed, ihe most of us dropped off to sleep, knowing that we had a
hard row next day.
About 3 30 on the morning of the 9th, we, leaving our camp
standing, and with a guard of about one hundred men including
some of our " light duty" men to look after the place, the remainder
TO THB WORTH BA8KATCHEWAN, 39
of the force marched off in the dirp^tinn «p «i, •
through "One Arrow's" rLrvt o^^ ^^^ ^'^^""^ •'*'»ssing
houses, near wh-^JJ ^ ZrZ J \^°"'\^''^'''^^^ half-breed
river. Ab^ JTi&7l^ hit J'T^' '^^ ''^*^«d towards the
Captain DrmVs guns as" J «S f^'f^ TJ''^ f™'» «"« of
which was »..n,^i^ ! u ^""' '^'" ^''® Northeote" stoamer
.ndlL^'edgydown^tow^rd ^'r^^^' «^ «»*-™«
river in about a S-ewteivror J ^«"»^«' then following the
houses which unfoSatelfwe h«rl J^ ^f "^ Sil'*^'*"'' """^ '^^ of
«ia,ple, some Hgirwrd L L'k „ 1 S • '° "''"■"''"" ""^
tbinkaposSe ThU^hurrrwt" *''•":?''' ««^o' housed and I
and was the Parish Church o?sT? "'^ St Antoiae de Padree,
near the edge of the bush wa^ fiL]^ '"'"'1 ^^™* ^'''^''*» tepees
told us that the "No?thcotP"«fr "k^ '"terviewed by the General
fate. They VJTd tirt DLonf K "l'^ the women suffer a worse
wii laeas ol a^ood time were dispelled bj the war whoop
30
FRpM THE ST. LAWRBNCB
of the IiKliaiis which once heard is not forgotten in a hitrry, and
soo» a storm of bullets and buckshot was whistling arouiid' our
cars, however, as they fired high no danaage was done. Here one
of our &.pr. gons missed fire for a few times through some defects
in the friction tubes and the fire slacked a little ; a party of ludians
and Breeds jumped out from the edge of the bush raising a w lioor,
and firing a volley among the gunners which had the effect of
startling the horses in the linpbcrs and creating a Httle confi;,ion
Captain Peters hurried up tlie GatUng gun and on Lieut. Howard
taking charge of ii he turned it full in the direction of the enemy at
the edge of the bush and made things lively for them, and no niore
was seen of tbem. The 90th Sharpshooters i»«re sent to support
the Galling gun, while French's scouts and " A" Battery were ex-
tended down the ravine to the left of the guns, supported in ronrbv
the 'JOtii. The 10th Royals in skirmishing order on the right front of
the Church, with tiie Winnipeg Field Battery and Bou'ton's
Mounted Infantry on the extreme right, the two companies of the
Midland Battalion being reserve. Taking our cover in the coulee
as well as circnmstances would allow we commenced popping away
here again we were he.avily handicapped, the enemy from^fiftyto
sixty yards in front of us having rifle pits which they had stren<'th-
ed with logs, leaving loop-holes to fire out of, while we had to" be
contended with the cover aflft^rded by a scrubby bush. Other
devices were used by them to tempt us to expose ourselves to their
fire, as for instance, putting a hat on a stick, and putting a coat
on the edge of the pits to represent the top part of a man, one of
those coats was picked up afterwards and oh examining it four or
five bullet holes were found in it ; one of these decoys evidently
lurred poor Philips to his fate for in his excitement he got upon his
knee crying out "there lie is" and after he had fired, some of his
opponents in the pits who were doubtless watching for a chance like
this shot him. Some of the enemy's people on the opposite side of
the river had also got the bulge on us and were firing pretty lively.
Here while lying around and watching for a chance wad to be seen
the ditferent characteristics of men, some lit their pipes, one Irish-
man observing thai if had to be shot " he might as well have a
comfortable smoke ony way," while one of our old soldiers exclaim-
ing that it was not like English soldiers to lie behind bushes, but to
charge the enemy at once and to give weight to his words went
away down as near as he could get to the rifle pits in company
pany with one of French's Scouts, meantime French's men on our
were banging away. Captain French being up in the front alonff
with them, at this part of the fight Cook of the Scouts got struck
and his leg was broken, he shouted out *' boys I'm hit come and
help me out," then in a second or two afterward he called out
•* never mind, I'll crawl out some way or other, vou'U get shot if
yon come near mei" in less tit»e than it takes toteUtbis, Frenc^i
TO IHE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN. 3I
ordfrertofalf Sinn's whirdliT /°^< ^^%'°"' ^^^ ^ --
Twohyand FairbanL grwou„7ed ;. ^ • *^ "A" Battery men,
fihuich we fell into line a,S Cautnin Pp l! "'"^ ^° *'i' ^"'^ ^^ ^^e
charge the rifle pits, StheGoIlT^¥''^^''^^^^^^^'^^to
Lieut..Col. Williams ULcIeLcftrs^'/^^^^ not sanction this,
of the Midlanders (whom I menHnnJ /"'''" '"^ ^^'^ companies
tho ravine and draw Ihe enemv's Ir Ir''' '^ir^L"^ ^''^ '■"^^^'•^«) *"»«>
were ordered to advanor,?ixtfZ ^''^*^" ^'^^^^^ "'^"^'ho
Lieut..Col. Williams begged hard to h.°«n ' ^ f *. ^''""''P' •^"*-
but was told to send Ws sSor l^.^ • "•"'''^f *° ^^"^ '"« '"^n.
stretcher bearers wo"p ?ofd offL' •" '° ^''^''ge- After our
ravine, the brave M dlandt^ L •°"'" ■'^'^^■"»^«'l towards the
iirc and, after getting over ?he oflTu^ '^l^ ^''^'''S «P a rapid
: 'Ugh, Coyne^nd^Beaudn oT I^r' ,\''"^ ^«"»
Phillips and 'carried him oiif h.?f oi , ''*^^''^' ^"''' *^o'<^ of poor
r.8 stilled forever t bel d cSd tiST ''"r',i"'« '''"^^^ ''^^'^
to the scene of the davs fishfin.^ Si. - « '''°"'^ ^"««™P ^'o^e
despatched off to o«?last^St's ""^^ ' *^°""^"^ ^''^^'^^'•y ''^^^
camp equipment and sSL^^CharronTlP'"^ *^^^'=°'-* '" °"
men, was shot in the leff rlxW ^^ > n"^ ""^ *""'" gating gun-
bospital afterwards Dull- thJ^n'r"' ^^"^'^'J" the Saskatoon
fimself up to us and -a" S ewX'he" otrra?^ ^^^^
ticulars corroboratino- in ™o./ .. S ® General, he gave par-
who™ I have nrta"„s"gK^inr£r ?'-^
pur camp equipment arriving, the^-V'Ifnf? "^ °'^''* Previous,
bury Phillips, all his old oc^^Jri .V" ,?""ery men proceeded to
MrrOordo^n ;eading t' e burTal servW ""."^ ''' '"?''''^'' *•»« ^-^^
it seemed to all of us beSe fim Hml -"^ ^ "°..' ^P^e^sive one
us had seen a comrade hm-FJ^ /if u "^ '" ""•■ "^^^ ^^at many of
battle was still rTgfng.s"a„S^ ^^ ^^"'^'^^W: ««d that while the
crack of the WinflSrLd Snider riSS thi'h ^f ?^ ^""' ^''^
drowned the reverend ba«h1^ . .""''®' ^"'ch at times nearly
bis lonely gravrneJer Sn to" ' T'"' ^1^"''P^ ^«« »««^ ^^^^ »
shall sound ° ^° *''''''® """^ t^^ last great reveiUo
I Jj' '''■'' "''"'^"'^ '•'•• " ^" ^"-y were as follows :-^
Merf.—Gunr. Phillips.
Smously Wounded.-.Ganr. Charpontier
82
FitOH THE ST. LAWKENCB
as
retired in splendid order to the zareba followed by the enemy, who
evidently thought that we were retiring from them as beaten, ai
they followed us up firing ; they were quickly undeceived, however
receiving a heavy ftisilade from us. Some of them got into the
bush and fired a few stray shots, wounding one man and two horses,
retiring as darkness fell. The picquets were posted around the
four faces of the zareba, each face in charge of a field officer, and
after we got some blankets we lay down in the trenches ami the
night passed over quietly. On the morning of the 10th the infantry
advanced and commenced firing, it was found that the enem3- '^ere
in stronger force than on the previous day, they had also thrown
up some fresh rifle pits during the night, and had otherwise
strengthened their position. Our two 9-pr8. went out in tlie fore-
noon and shelled a house and some blufib on the opposite side of the
river where the enemy had been seen, and in the afternoon the tfims
of the Winnipeg Field Battery shelled the cemetery which had been
taken possession of by the enemy in the night time. Some of the
90th sharpshooters took a position in shelter trenches, which had
been thrown up in front of our camp and as the infantry retired at
night, followed up by the rebels, the sharpshooters opened a heavy
fire which drove the enemy back again. All day long the men who
had been in the zareba had been strengthening their position by
throwing Jup entrenchments, ^he teamsters cutting deep trenches
underneath their wagons The Land Surveyors scouts, about fifty
strong, under Captain Dennis, came into camp this afternoon and
were received with hearty cheers by all of ns. On the morning of
the 11th, after sending out the infantry, the General started" off
with Boulton's Mounted Infantry and the gatling to reconnoitre.
One of the priests, Father Moulin, was brought into our camp on a
stretcher, having been wounded by a Winchester bullet from the
rebels. Some of the Midlanders, led by the brave Col. Williams,
drove the Indians out of the rifle pits 'l»eyond the cemetery, cap-
turing a lot of blankets and a dummy, which had been doubtless
used to draw our fire, and one of our guns slwlled the cemetery and
rifle pits near the church. In the afternoon the two guns of the Winni-
peg Field Battery went out accompanied by an escort of dismounted
gunners, and took up a position behind a clump of bushes. In this
expedition we were accompanied by the General and the Reverend
Mr. Gordon (" The Fighting Chaplain" we called him.) Bringing
the guns to bear on Kiel's Council bouse, which was conspicuous by
its having a white flag flying on it, we soon got the range and
blazed away ; the people around the houses taking to the woods.
The common shells fired with the Royal Laboratory Percussion
Fuzes burst nearly every time in the building, but failed to set it on
fire. During this operation only a few stray bullets were fired
among us, and these from the opposite side of the river.
TO THE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN. 33
o/e good da«h i;thrrr!,its tht^^^^ '' *^ T?' ^«*
with one gun of " A " BaSrv and thl '"^^' °^ *^' """"^^^ ™«"'
General, left camplnd stS ?ff J 5,^*'"'^' ^^P^^'P^'^ied by the
pits with the gatling and the 9 n?' n ?**«"^«d, firing on the rifle-
was sent in to the General carrtd K a"/J*^ '^^ ^""8 a flag of truce
I^is gentleman haJri^grC'^tf ^^ 1^^^ tttV" ""^"-
trnued fir ng on the houBes tili;„„Tk ' . *"** " ^® ^on-
Lswer that if the JeSs would nl^' ^^'"P*'^ ««"* ''^^'^ ^"^
Lome building anS stete wK it t tha't Tk^T ""** '^'V^'"^'^ ^"^
fired upon. Astley returiTed with 7^' ^^l P'f ^ "^""'^ "°* ^
he would try to Zilt h^ flir**' *^^ ™^''"^ *° ^^^ ^^^h saying
dark cellar wiVhr^n^J^J'^ri'""^'''' '^^'^ ^^''^ «°"fined in a
door toTeepTSown fti^r^^^^^^^^ ^ ^°* />^. «*-- - the
the Surveyor's Sco^^ wt killed anS tt' f^^ ' %hting Kippen, of
IthasbeensaidtWfl!!^ 1. J "^^ *°''*^® returned to camp.
.isundersti^d and the orSr wSTo? ZmZI Zt /'''''' ""?
onder Col WiTlH*^' ° '^ 5''!.'*'*^"' ^^'^ «o™Panies of the Midland^
lel^ an^ ftra^:^^^^^^^ -ved up to the
line to the right the ftmh R„ff r ^"^'- 9'''^«««", prolonged the
bm the opposite bJnl^f fl? • ,' ^"'■"*8 **>'" *»"'« *l»e enemy
J- ana r rench s Scouts prolongmg the line to the left. Lieut.
' fl
84
VROM THE ST. LAWRENCE
Rivers was ordered to bring the gatliiig gun up in the front (,f the
90th regt., which he did in gallant style, firing a few vollfvs, aftpp
which a general advance was made. While storming one < f tho
houses the gallant Captain French was shot through tlic hfart
exclaiming as he fell, "remember, boys, I led you"; and I ,iiiiv' '
I think, echo the sentiments of all my comrades when I suv tlmt
amongst the brave fellows who shed their blood for Canada in th,.
North-Wcst rebellion, none was more sincerely mournw! f. r tluin
gallant "Jack French." Kiel's prisoners, whom I have niinrioiipd
as being confined in a cellar, on hearing the cheers of our men. ,nm.
menced hammering for the troops to let them out, and soon the
trap-door was smashed open and the poor fellows emerged from theif
prison more dead than alive, shaking every one by the hand witl: w lioin
they came in contiict with. One of them afterwards told us (!i;,t on
heaving the noise outside they thought it was the war-whooji ,,f the
Sioux Indians, and that their la.st hour had come. Tw(-;i<'\ i.oof
the rebels were found dead on the ground around the hous( s and
two more on the river bank below the graveyard. Among tin killed
were two of Kiel's Council; Kiel and Dumont had escap.d. a
company of the 90th, a company of the 10th Royals and the t;at!iiur
gun detachment bivouacked for the night around the biiiKlin^rs"
The dismounted men of " A " battery having to form part oi' the
reserve force on the afternodn, were excluded from taking pait in
the closing part of the fight, did the only thing that could hi' done.
cheered their brave comrades on their return to camp ; and so after
four days' fighting ended the battle of Batoche, and all of us knew
that the campaign, as far as the half-breeds were concerned, was
finislied. Our foemen were at least worthy of our steel, liglitiiii' I
bravely, and doubtless had they been supplied as we wei-o with
artillery and gatling guns, they would have held out much longer
and many more of us would have come to grief. Next day, I3th
May, was taken up by the General interviewing the prisoners who I
had either been taken or voluntarily surrendered themsehes to
our force, and by some of our fellows who paid a visit to the .scene
of the late conflict. With the exception of a few crazy old shot" uns [
not worth a few cents each, I did not see any of the much-tiilked-ofl
"loot" that such a howl of indignation was raised over. Perhaps the I
guns I have mentioned might have been used at some bygone date,
but at the time when I saw them must have been more danj,'erous I
for the party firing them than for the party fired at.
Taking a walk round the camp I saw Captain French's body with I
a bullet mark through his buckskin jacket, through which oozed his
hearts blood, near him was poor Kippen and Fitch — all alas 1 gone j
forever. — Several wounded Indian prisoners were lying on st. etchers I
around the hospital tent, our Medical Officer doing everything for j
their comfort. The principal talk amongst all of us now was the]
capture of Riel and ])umont, and there was among lots of our fellows j
TO tUB UOHTI! SASKATCHEWAJJ. 30
J lurking unexpreasecl hope that Gabriel wonlrl rr„f
it was the soldiers feeliug for a brave nmni' f "T."^ ' ^ '"PJ'^^"
we hoped to be able to ipture o t^.l .f l. "' "" ^'''^ "^'•*''- '''''"d
this bloodshed and niiser^we Isv arol^ ""'' responsible for all
^abie to hand hi„, ore7toTe Lv of our off TT ''''"' ^^" ^^""^'^
uoniing 14th we marched out of "'-" * '^ '"'""*''^* ^''''^
dupoys" Crossing on tt Saskatchowl T'l""f "^^ ^'^^^'^''''^ '^^^^'
-kirted the edges'of the thS^ ^oo J' 'r?"e ba''f "^"" T" P'*^'"
W (lug rifle pits all n.ade to b« r o„ h?, '^^' '"'''^'''^ ^''^ "*^«J«
as that these pits ha.l been builT 1 i ''P'" P^"'^' ^^ ^^emed to
fron, llumbolclt on t Xtolltra ^bu uT^'^'^PV";^ ^"^^ ^^ -'»«
that direction or it might h^ve been f^^ Tl,''"' ""' '^"""^ i"
Marching through a half breed It ? . ™"''^ *''^ ^°'"«« ^o'' "s.
Iwa.sumtble to^fii^d the name of T'" -T'^ ^^ Batoche, which
kous,., barns. {^■l'iZZeL"''i '''""'' '^""*'""«^' «°'"'' «ood
and pitched our tent>fonheT,sH.' V """'^^ *"'' *''« '%'ht
the entrenchments with our blanL '" ^T '''/'''' '^'^^'''^ 1'^'" in
A heavy rain fell to-night the fir '^ rhld T "' '''^ ''^^^ '^^^^ '''^y«'
Creek. Next day the fsth tht nSun^d In ^nd^r S^tr '' ^'^'
det^ichiuent went out on the hunt after R.V T ! n Outhng gun
Wn^' captured and brought into ca,n about f m'T*'- "'" *""'"»^''
noon by Howie and Armstrong ^ P f^*/"""- o'clock in the after-
.hereabouts before huTtt itin t <loubtless had an idea of his
simply said, "take me to^our GenJ^^Ji~''\f ^^'K"" ''''''■''''' ^"*
General xAIiddleton he was 0^^ :• '"'"^ interviewed by
ioverhim, Lepine his LieutsS renda^id Sr If?* ""1 "" ^"'"•^' P"^
llhe Midland Battalion crosserl mw ll 'V'"^«l^.to "^ about 7 o'clock-
their tents. Prince Albert t to?, n '"T '^'' ■''^^^'^^oon, pitching
days. The mai amtin o- ay atl wef'',* '^'^P^' P''^^^ f""' '^ *«^
1.11(1 newspapers. NoxidlZ ' ^u "'^ *' ^°°'' *™« ^'f' letters
night nea^r 'wLe ^he SaTd ZtaHo'"''' *'^%''^"'''^^ ^"'^"'P^d at
tenid to-day for the Arsftt^of STak^r^alT'^li:^- ^«
going to Battleford, but did not beU^eve^ftlt). \^°" *^' *''''™^
.true after all. Next day beinl ^, H ' ''^*''°"«'^ '^ tn^ed out
[teard the Revd. Mr. Sdor^rea ^ tL "43 b" '''"r'^' '^^^
prairie, and for seats we had tKe;„ swa^J^'t ^Tf 't °P^"
the battery men who wanted cash i^t ? • 1 1" ,^''* "'''^ Monday
we marched off toward Prince Se^t ^O ""'' ''^"* ''^^^" °'^'»°'=k
»P to this amounted to rk^edl''Srei'^'"'^''''i"'^'^^'"'»»
action, and about 80 woimded while ;).« "^T""^^ '■^^^'^«' ^n
and 190 wounded. To day we were h ^"f'"^ ' '"'' ^^^ «<> ^'^^^'^
our comrades of the W^Lrpe/Seld p'tf "^ °" *^" "'^^^''^^ ^y
Jfavourite being "We In't St ^^^^'K ''""^^S songs, the
.ding in ago'od Irut in :hth we'^llToutro"^^"^^' '^'^^
ICaiiiped to-night at "Beaver Ore J" ^\«f «»*«'> ourselves hoarse.
K Befo^ ,^,i„, 5™ j>^, r.S'';™ ■* .'Tia^™:
36
»ROM THB ST. LAWRENOB
the following telegram from Lord Wolesley, commanding tl... troon,
m Egypt, was read out to the different corps on parade :_ ^
"To General Mid.lleton. Batoohe, "^"'''''"' ^^"^ """•• ^^'''■
Best congratulations to you and my old gallant comrades of Canadian Militi.
8gd. Wolesley" "'
The following telegrams were also received from His E.vr.-lloncv
the Governor-General, Lord . Lansdowne, and from Sir A P (C.
Minister of Militia and Defence. """'
"Accept ray hearty congratulations on your success, you have had i tu- t
exceptional difficulty, please tell your gallant soldiers that as the Que',! 'sL^
seutativo here. I congratulate them on their hehaviour, not only in i^ fit
but during the toils and hardships of the advance. Th- list of cL ii 'i
fear heavy, we can ill aflbrd to lose such officers as Captain i" nch n , '
. Sgd. Lansdowne."
The Major-General has much pleasure in communicatintr to th«
troops, the following message from the Minister of Militia to Z
force as well as himself. "*
"Accept for yourself, your officers and men our congratulations for the brilliant
victory you have achieved, I mourn the loss of so many brave men, falL i
held of honor in defence of law and order. Do every thinir that ci , i
for the wounded and let me kno,, as soon as po7ib fh^w ther« r iS";
With regard to the above message the M^or-General has alreadv- W wpjff
.r^ i9"/r™^''*^A°°P'-f ^'' appreciation and thanks for tie,^,,l„
.^. *S ^^i^ i"f ■ ^"* h^ J"".^** *" P"' ''»«"' >n "«ord in general ordo s « dl
add that ho feels very little if any thanks are due to him. as he cons In th
he owes all the success of that , fay to the, duck and dai^of tiro' .■ rs an
men." Extract from Division Order 14th May 1885." "■""'"'" ""'""and
So much for telegrams— now for the road, starting off we soon
came into a different country from that we had just left. Settlers houses
and ploughed fie ds, giving everything a more home like look than
we had been used to for some time past. Some of tlie settlors hod
ventured out of Prince Albert on to their farms, but in most cases
their houijs were empty and the land lying uncultivated. Soon we
got covered with the black dust which rose from the trail in a cloud
and made us look like a lot af coal heavers; it was nfext to impossible
to get a drink of water, and all of us were nearly choked with thirst the
battery men being worse off in this respect, as we were walking in
the clouds of dust raised by our horses and guns. At last about
eleven a. m., we entered into a long irregular street of houses skirt-
ing the river, the 90th Battalion band playing music, relieved bvthe
drum and fife band of the 10th Royals, passing the Mounted Police
and Prmce Albert Rifles, who, under command of Col. Irvine were
drawn up to welcome us in, we got the command to "halt," "front"
and after an eighteen mile march we were in Prince Albert. '
TO THE NOBTH SASKATCHEWAN.
37
;im, May 15th., 1885.
from Sir A. P. C.iron,
CHAPTER IV.
rnOM PRINCE ALBERT TO FORT PITT
tne nuason Bay Company have a store in the town. The DODuktinn
Ui. btack d^ttrom our countenances, th, votatT^Tiated SI?
.hf=], the Commnd,„,t atLr SS/a tew w^! L"" P?'"»l i°
3S
PnoM THE ST. LAWKfiNCB
away Ins " reaty >' medals from him. About 6 p.m., the, Iti-lu
Divis.oa of "A." Battery with one tield gun and a giutlin^ C
ordered to parade for embarkation on the «toamer "North-W.st •
for transport to Battleford, after marchinK a distance of thre.' .i,il,.
we embarked, and taking ott' our accoutrenumtB commenced to t.kc
in au.l stovf away Kua and small-arm ammunition, which k.'pt u.
going uatd eleven o'clock at night, after which we had tea and w,,it
to sleep on our oat sacks. Next morning Boultons troop can,,. „
board with their horses, ami the M;dland Battalion, numbering auJt
three hundred of all ranks, with their stores; so we were n.vt
tightly packed, over four hundred men in thehold, the horses ,,,, tl,;,
treight deck playing a tattoo over our heads, making it anyOiin-
but pleasant at night, especially when we wanted to sleep I,"
acldi ion to the before mentioned troops we had with us c/.-nrnd
Middleton and his stafl. About 10.30 a. m., we steered awuy
the river towards Battleford, which is a distance of about cAn!
dred and seventy miles from Prince Albert. The descripcou of
boat used on the Saskatchewan is the stern wheel pattevn, v.l.icl,
draws a light draught of water, about four feet, with a hold for
treight, freight deck saloon or passenger deck, and a hurricane .Ink-
on which IS built the wheel-house. The shifting sandy bed of th.
river makes the navigation difficult, and it is no uncommon tiii„„
poled off. All of the boats barry with them what for want of „
better word I should call a navigating lieutenant, whose duty it is to
make soundings with a pole marked in feet, and shouting out every
now and then to the steersman something liL, ^he following,-" five
feet, live feet scant, no bottom » and so on ; some of our fellows soon
caught up the cry, and soon "six fee^, scant, no bottom,*' was hrim
sung all over the steamer. Wood is burned for fuel, and large depots
of It are placed at intervals along the river banks. As night travel
on account of the sand bars is impracticable the steamer is hitelid
up to a tree from dark to daylight ; as the nights are comparatively
short in this higher latitude, this makes but a small delay Al'
along the river banks is a dense bush which comes right down to the
wa ers edge. On Saturdao^ 23rd we had a messenger from Pound-
maker, who boarded us under a flag of truce, Poundmaker offerin- to
give up his prisoners and plunder, but as the General wants hint to
give up his arms no proper understanding was come to. A lieavv
ram fell, we fixed the gattling on the saloon deck, and fixed tlma^
upon the freight deck so as to be well under cover in case we got
fared upon from the banks. "
^ext day, Sunday, 24th, we had divine service, which was con-
duqted by General Middleton, and was concluded by us singin.r the
National Anthem in honor of Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queeu
; "il^^Sr"',!*'"'! ^''*^^^y '* ^•^- Aften^ards we were visited by
some Halfbreeds who came on board, and at sundown we reached
i>out 6 p. m., tlu) Hijriii
gun ttiid a gattliii;^ wim
stoamtT " Nortli-W. .St '
I distance of three luilcs
ents commenced to take
nunition, which k<'|]t un
cli we had tea and wim
Boulton's troop ciiiiic nn
itaiion, numbering aliuut
res ; so we were picttv
3 hold, the horses oi, din
wis, making it anytlijn.-
wanted to sleep. In
3 had with us Gcncriil
1., we steered ftwiiy up
tance of about cu > lum.
t. The deacripfidii of
1 wheel pattevji, v. Iiid,
' feet, with a h'/ld f,ir
t, nnd a hurricane deck
fting sandy bed of the
is no uncommon thinf;
md then she has to lie
lem what for want of a
ant, whose duty it is to
md shouting out every
1 *he following, — " five
):ne of our fellows snon
no bottom,*' was heing
T fuel, and large di-jiots
nks. As night travel
the steamer is hitched
fhts are comparatively
; a small delay. Al!
lines right down to the
lessenger from Pouiid-
"oundmaker offering to
General wants him to
as come to. A heavy
leek, and fixed tliiiiip
: cover in cose we irot
rvice, which was con-
led bj' us singing the
cious Majesty, Queen
i we were visited by
sundown we reached
TO TIP NORTH SASKATCHEWAK.
M
our camping ^o„^,;'Jj;*J;;'-';]||'.w^ <li«en, barked an.l n.areh.nl to
«"^ tor a fiehl day, «nng ^T'l ^n^w .''r '* ' '^''^'''"""'^ ♦"-•■«
''"■^•'' P"Ht in quarter column T £ ait''^' ."?. *'^^' tJ>e usual
Horse, afounted Police Dis,.,n ..V ,""'"'"'' «» ^"llows : - H„iton'H
an.! Midland Hattal r Sltut' '""" '^^ ^^- ^^- A., Queen's w,
of the loveliest «pots"whicrwf , i'Tt's"' *"• "^ f ''"'^ ^"- " «
The set lement is built on a pen "sulf. f . ■ T *''" ^^'-^J'-West.
Smjkatchewan an.l Battle riw-r „" ,,1J'""' '•*'*^^^" *''« North
Baltleford, which place the rnr;„.' ,"''f « ""•■ """"P was "old"
of the troubles ; ^Lis '^^^ " "'^ X, :??' ''' ^'^ -"""encent t
House, the seat of the North- wl^ tiement contained Governn.ent
ferml to Regina. Poundmtl^r's pS"?"* '"'"''.^ '' ^^ *••--
an.l we expect that to-morrow w/I^-.?' T '^""""g "'*" camp
como n.to Battleford. Gm' u "' '''" *'"»* mioubtable tS
o,onth would see us honre £"thS":: w/ n'«"'^ Y'^^' ''"^* -«^ -
haute m Que|,ec, how far tl is tde "? V '''" ^''•' ^°'""'i«" '''^y
afternoon Poundmaker sent i the Ba Tl . I""" ^ '^" '^"°^'- This
tanuHl s.nce April. On Tue ay 4Sf ^^r^' T^ ^'''•'''' '"^ l^ad de-
fro... Poundnuiker were sen? ff'n"^ ' ^ '°' ''^ H'Ufbreed prisoners
L;mtleman, with about twe^Si;^^^^ '^^-^ -«" S
"pow wow " ensued. After thin ,^! councilors, came in and a great
With two of his chiefs were mo ^-''^'"S ^'ft^f* out Poundnmker
terracks for safe keeSnr''Trt P7°»^rs and sent into trj pol.ce
kthe Stony Indian^ favem"selfurr' ^''''''' ''^^'" '-^rSor
K"i"It; hepleodedinexcuseLZn.^.P .*?."'• acknowledging his
oNt anything to eat, he "e^,! Lp ''"* *'?*'»« '-'"W being sick with
refused with an intima^ tlLt^^h: Sn'^^^'",' '°^^°°'^' «"«' »^ "8
J would shoot bin., he said tha he shot " . "^'^' °"* ^' (^''y^
|«<ltl."g, when he acknowledged his illt T^'^'^i''' >" self-defence
oe, "do with me as you wfh but^I l.?""? .*^'^"*' ^'"^^^^^ "P ^ jus!
hot course, do not vouch for' the Wh Vf."^r^'^^ and family."
lean vouch for being present at fh '' °^ ^^^ Indian's story but
'-■slated to the gZ7T tZSlZ t^' bearing his la^Ju';*
htmk of arms were brought in/' f pnsoners, about 250
Fl.ee. As it was well Cwn that t?/ '"^ ^'^"^^'^ ^^^^ *« the
Fs^essjon of his braves PounLake/on b """'" "^''^ *™« i« the
J hereabouts, replied that about one b.T^.'^"''*'°"'^ •"*« t^^ir
Jfou..g men had kept them and\ i ""'''^^ '^"^ twenty of his
|.nother rooster whom we expe tl t ^""' °^ *° J°'" "4 Bear ''
If **7'ewhere in these notes that ^l-TT^!"'^'" ^'*'^- I have
f 'a"s, but I make an excentTon • 5 '^ "°* ''^'"'^ ni"ch of the In
leaker, being the n.ost noble ll" ^°',°^ '"^^ ^''^ C^ie^. Pound
tn on the plains; Sh^tsJ^^":^ ^"^ ^'S^^^^^ ""ed man I ha^
l« councillors seemS ?he^!^ ^^ ™«^« ^m, and he sat amtntj
H. Having some curiosity^ to ?r°"-''"''l°^*" *he dusky
3 s oottie years ago, wlien the
'-■■•"ttTiSS"™'^
ko
PnOM THE HT. LAWRHNCK
1 *
liiifTiilo wero plentiful on tJio pliiiim of tlio North-west, tlu'v wore
Htiipio iirticlcs of usn ami coiiiincree for tlio IixliuuH, PouiKlninkfi-,
thou II young man, had aL'<|uiro(l ^'reat Hkill an a huiit(>r, and as pDw
der and sliot wero not to l>e easily had, he contrived a pinij uf n
"pound," and, driving tho animals into this placo, Hliot, or otlni wise
killwl them ; hence tlic name, " Maker of the Pound, or I'uuiid
maker." Heveral peo|)le having ask(!d me tlie origin of tho, to tlum,
strange name, I have ventured to give thiH explanation in hoptnthat
it may Im new to Kome.
Next day we wen^ visited by lots of Indians, and our felldws rlid
a great trade with them in tlw^way of buying "curios." Tin DOtli
Battalion camo in yesterday from Prince Albert; a ff)ot-bull imudi
was played to-day between the 90th IJattalion and the Queen , (iwii
Rifles, resulting in a victory for tlie latt«'r corps. On Tlnirsduv,
28th, the remainder of " A" Hattery joined us, having come up
from Carleton by boat. Orders were issued to-night culliu;.' l,r
volunteers to serve in the North-West for a short term ; — nun from
the pennam lit corps not eligible. As our clothing was nearly played
out we got fitted up with a kind of canvas suit and blooiiiiii out
Into prairie dudes. On Saturday night, 30th May, a mounted iiihs-
senger arrived from General Strange asking for re-inforcenicnts, und
soon we were all in hurry and bustle again, l>eing ordered to cmlMrk
at midnight, but this order was changed to embarkation in tlin
morning, and a good thing it tlirned out to be morning, as the niijlit
set in wet souie of our fellows who went on fatigue getting ilniichcd
to the skin. On Sunday morning, therefore, we embarked on IkwkI
the steamers " North- West," and " Marquis," the " Alberta' lieing |
loaded up with supplies.
Our forces consisted of about the following number of trooj)s. On I
board the "North-West," General and Staff, Midland Battalion, 35
men of "A" Battery, 35 men of "B" Battery with two gatlinjiguusl
and about two hundred thousand rounds of small arm ball caiuid^'c,
and gatling gun ammunition. On board the "Marquis" wore]
the 90th Battalion, 10th Royals, Teamsters and their teams,!
Boulton's Horse, Surveyor's Corps, Mounted Police, and Freiah'sj
Scouts, proceeding to Fort; Pitt by the trail. Fort Pitt is distautj
from Battleford about one hundred and thirty miles by liver, audj
ninety odd miles by trail, and tho country looks from the riverl
firetty mubh as it did in the iourney from Prince Albert to Buttle-I
ord. On our Sunday journey, we had a messenger from OencraU
Strange, who gave us a pretty good idea how things were lookiug in
that quarter. Next morning we got under way, and going on
little way picked up a barge containing ammunition, and in which
was a p^rty of 65th (Montreal) and some half-breeds. On arriviud
pearly opposite General Strange's oosition, the news came on board
that " Big Bear" had cleared out, leaving his camp " all standing,]
and heire was a nice state of affairs, as instead of having to fight hiq
SB-
TO TIIK NORTH 8A8KA1CUKWAN.
41
U
lit French mail's KnoJI wi. wniii,i »,„. » i
.;"..l P^...u,>H ,ott.. altuL:."' etrp"r "oT !''" ^" ^''^ ^^^^
tins uftcriKKJii Uorienil Ht.,., ""''*'"' P'"' of tlio suiiiiii..r. Mvlv
akingwith hi,,, the whit,,, and J f T' '^ ^^^^
ut ahout four hu„tlnl yards f ..Tth" ,?or , , "'' ? '■'.""'""« y*-""'"!
.in.l awaited further orders S^^s 1 ^ "r" "^ *'"' '■'^■'"' l"'""*
k>uin.,ey a,.d Mrs. Qui„„ey wh bof T" \ "7 *''" R"^''' ^I"--
^iH^ndia,. Chief^sl.; \S^^^^^^ --I- fnuu
rner to Hattleford for provU s O " ') "''''^ '''•opiH'.l ,low„ tho
<i-"eral Htra..«e's force a thT Lp " ''"'"" ""•"•'"'"'I i..eludi,.«
Hll ranks. O.Nh. ...on.i,.; o? tt 3 Ju'rVr*''''' ''"'"'••«•'"••" <'
n.lun,.. started off to hu,.t up t 1 m Lv l ""■"."*?'' """' "^ ^''«
I-ovisions for nmn and horse nroS^' , •"« ^"*'' *''«'" «''' ''"y«
0" pack saddles. The nZld . ' ''•'"'«'"'•■'•!"• principally
'"■'ulml and eighty 1 P^^^^^^^ T' r'"^'"'''^ "^ *'"•««
-P-S Surveyor's CVps B u Ln'sA. ''r ,'T'. *'"' f"^""^^"*
N.outs. Major Steel's SwfK ys 1, .1 M ""'r', ^"^^."^'•>'' ^''«'"^1'?
of each Battalion, IGatUr/Tun r.V n^f' ^"'''^^' "% 'ne.i
an.l Mr. Rivers went o?t„^ oi.^K?'" ff' ^'^P^*^'" "'"^•^'•d
f..r the mounted men. Early oC hi "^^ ^''"'^J'^? "' " ''^'^'^^
up -steam on the ''NoSw'' wVT'''"*^. °^ *'"' '^*''' Sottmg
M<Ie the river bank. opp<;t'J, ^ rui,ro;1^orL"t'';r'f'« '^•°''«
wore e,icampe<l, marching up the r v^, lil , "' *''''. *''°"P^ ^''«
"" « of it. Steel's n.en had a brush w tl. l' "''"^"'8 ^^*'"'^ *
thirteen or fourteen of then The r^ ' /'" "'?"^ ^^'^^Y' killing
soMors were to be killed Tut thf« ? 'w """^ ''^""^ t^*^' t^e prf
intervention of the " Rai'n'' Crees '^ ^"' P™^'*'"*"' »^y *»•«
prisonettme i!, fr^m 61^^*^ ^'"" >'''"* °"*' '' ^''°'« '«* «'
Deianey and Go>vanlock the iSet w 'I' '""/ '""?"« *''^"' ^^^e Mrs.
the others campin.^ ODDosite lh« i ' r "^ °'[''°'^'"^' *'"^ "North-West '
oa the third. reZ-iJZt,u\tu::ir'i''''^'''' """ ^^'' --"^ -*
been found impracticable A ot of tfr '''T'"""*^^' '"*'"' '''^^'"S
wereunloadingLmuaition on board t^^So^^w'^^^" ^^'^^
J>«her pay being at ti.>e time in recSt of ir 0-^''* r "'"'^^°''
Sunday 7th the Midland' R„ff r receipt ot igri.OO per diem. On
Creek^>y s^'aS Xfc^V.y °LKt to^ the^i,.r to " Fr^g
miles inland, to the scene of the Tf. 1 ^ ^''^' ''" "■• «^'en
of the enemy making th s place a base of"'''''.?'' *'"^' '" *''« «^«nt
made lively for him^ A Wort rtoh^H °P^7*'«"« things would be
Queen's Own Rifles and tKouXl i"' *'"' 'Z*''"''^" *''''*■ *»>«
T-.Alberta'> eaL-rS.r£i-^3r--£^
I
■'-■^"'i^gliT^^
^
FnOM THE ST. tAWRBNCB
ne:
x^ay for Edmington.
noon that our column
1*^ *
News came in from the front this aftir-
had come across a lot of the enemy's caiiip
equipage, waggons, buck-boards, &c., which they had left bcliinrj
them in their Hight. Our column left all their tents, &c., bcliiud
them, only taking with them a single blanket so as to get over the
ground quickly. The river rose about six feet during the ni^tht
bringing down everything with it in the shape of lumber. Depots
for provisions had now been made all along the line of mar< li ut
intervals of about eighteen miles, and our fellows were about eii;lity
miles from the Head-Quarter camp of Fort Pitt. Newspaper ami
other reading material being scarce at this place some of the fellows
fell back upon their natural gifts and invented a few good lies, dipss
ing up old ones and serving them up as new. On Thursday 11 th
news came into camp that the General finding the forest impnutic-
able had retraced his steps, this report was verified by the return of
the troops to camp on the following day. On Monday, June l.")tli,
a company of the 10th Royals went up the river to Frog Luke oii
the steamer " Alberta " returning at night ; a party of the !)Oth
Battalion going out to Big Bear's late encampnient, accompanied by
teams, brought in three waggon loads of provisions which that j^eii-
tleman had left in his hun-y. A report came into camp this after-
noon that over two hundred of the Chipawayan Indians had
surrendered themselves to General Middleton. I6th Jnne- The
steamer " Baroness " with two cdmpanies of the Midland Battalion
and a lot of boxes containing articles from the friends of the Volun-
teers came up from Battleford, as a lot of the boxes and other tliin;^
had been "gone through " there was no end of a row, but for all tlmt
the fellows in camp had a good time at night.
17th. The companies of the Midland battalion who arrived liere
yesterday went on to Frog Lake by steamer.
18th. Some of General Strange's men in camp to-day, their
headquarters are at " Hen" Lake. More provisions sent away to
General Middleton's camp. A fearful thunder storm set in to-night,
the rain falling in torrencs and drenching us all to the skin.
19th. The "North-West" went up the river to-day having pro-
visions for the troops on hoard, taking in addition twenty thousand
rounds of Snider and about five thousand rounds of other ammuni-
tion with her. News reached camp this afternoon of the release of
Big Bear's prisoners. The General arrived in camp to-night.
20th. Release of Big Bear's prisoners confirmed, the General
and a party of mounted men going out to meet them, taking with
them boxes of clothing for the use of those who stood in need of
these articles.
22nd. Big Bear's prisoners 'arrived in caTip this morning (the
McLean family being among the number) and went on board the
" Marquis."
W's '
«^
wm
lion who arrived liere
TO THE NORTH SASKATCHEWAN. ^,.
different homes, it havhf' £ dZ ^'f !"*''• "^'"^ ^^'"''"S tor their
well known Bi« Bear wa- o^nf ^ .^ \^''^ "P *'>« «''ase; as is
Police at CarllnTn tie be£n. / r'f ^"^^l^-West Mounted
Batteries of Artillery, w th t£ C" S > l^^ V'! "^" "^"^ "»"
Pitt for Battleford ok the forenoon o1 7 l/"^"*''^' ^^^^^ ^^^t
their destination on the 30th and T. ^^^^ '^""^' ''''"^''^g '^O
rades of the mounted divli'^ohLle™' r^'l"^^ *'"'• •^«'"-
and compared notes about our kstirSh-';' •""* ^'*'^ ^°^- <^"«'-'
us, commenced a long spell of iarrjJn , .' '^""W'" ^'"' "«^. f«r
only by an occasional dTy' sLSLLTr ^ ^ 'l f^^^^^^^d, relieved
our annual course of rifle nrao nf ''""''f * ™^**^''- We had
police barracks, and drills aEwd^""^P-r*''"' ^'^^'^''^^ ^^ *''«
called home, but that comfort wald • J'^S ^''P^^^^tio" of being
for on Saturday, the lihoS.l^*'^ *''" ™"" °* ^''^ batteries!
General, at OttJ;a,:aite?;etderin:^^?^^^^^^^^ *^ ^- ^•
government house for the winter, and ''c^ Sclnln/?'-!^ *"• °'""P^
JjJ^^been our comrade for the "wlnte", Itrol^^Jt^^rt
ihotx^inSvtto'tVot^t^arv"^^^^^^^^^ -^'^^^ -
accurate idea of our trin frnLn V^° f^^^^ ^ read them a fairly
many details. tLnkirXuhetSS.^ ^T ^'"^ ^ ^"^^^ °"i««^'
interest to be read 1 hone I haTeTAlli^i ^« P««««««ed of sufficient^
of things, believing tKthiSTlh^r ""/"." *^«S'°°"y«ide
worse. FormyolLomradesof " V'R .*. x* T^** ^* ™'g'»* be
the hail fello^ well met feeliL of ^^^fl^^ \ ?^" '^'^^J'* have
remembering the living to the rfl "i'^if ^ *>"?«• ^^^ ^^ile
who lost thJr lives in t^alfof =5? feet fhtls't^o'^r ^"
"Their good swords i-ust,
1 heir bones are dust, ,
rJieif Souls are with the Lord we trust." ^
THB END.
,:!)