The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-05-16 00:00:00

THE RISING IN CANADA.

idge

A. neuter's telegram from Ottowa, May 10, says:
General Middleton, with a force of 1,000 men, left
the camp at Gabriel's crossing yesterday morning,
and marched a distance of seven miles, a gunboat
dropping down the river at the same time. When
near Batoche the gunboat was fired upon from both
sides of the river. The scouts with a Gatling gun
thereupon pushed forward, and came upon the
advance guard of the rebels. The 'Gatling then
opened fire upon them, when they retreated behind
a church and two houses. The artillery coming up
shelled the enemy and dislodged them from behind
the church, and also drove them from their rifle-pits.
While thus engaged a large force of rebels suddenly
emerged from the woods with the object of seizing the
guns, but the Gatling was pushed to the front, and
when the enemy got within 20 yards, literally mowed
them down. The rebels then broke their line and
fled. The casualties among General Middleton's
troops were unimportant.

A special correspondent of the Standard has at
length reached General Middleton's column. He was
in time to see the affray of Saturday. The following
is his despatch dated from Batoche, via Humboldt:
After a long ride of nearly two hundred miles across
the uninteresting country between Qu'Appelle and the
scene of operations, I reached the camp of General
Middleton just in time to take part in the march of
the column, which was upon the point of moving
forward again to attack the enemy at Batoche. At
Winnipeg it was generally believed that Fish Creek
was close to Batoche, but this is not the case, as
General Middleton's force fell back to it some dis-
tance after their first fight with the enemy at Batoche.
General Middleton left Fish Creek at seven
o'clock on Thursday morning, with a force of
five hundred men, and marched across an undulating
coup t-y, partially covered with wood, to Gabriel's
Crossing. Here he camped for the night. We were
now within three miles of the direct trail between
Humboldt and Batoche, and as it was reported that
the enemy had thrown up entrenchments and obstacles
on the trail between Gabriel's Crossing and Batoche,
we left that trail and crossed the Prairie until we
struck the Humboldt-Batoche road. The Column
now advanced with caution, as our information as to
the position and strength of the enemy was very
conflicting. Our scouts moved two miles ahead of
the main body, searching the woods, which were in
some places very thick. We camped at a spot ten
miles from Batoche, and in the afternoon General
Middleton made a reconnaissance to within Eve miles
of that place. Two vedettes of the enemy were cap-
tured, and a number of his ponies and his oxen, the
presence of the latter showing that the rebels had
not expected our advance by this line. On leaving
Fish Creek, General Middleton had ordered the
steamer Northcote, which is sheeted with thick
planking so as to be bullet proof, to move down the
stream and co-operate in the attack which was
arranged to take place on Saturday morning. It was
a lovely morning when the column moved
forward, and the troops were confident that
the check previously experienced here would
be reversed. As Batoche was approached
the bush became thicker, and the scouts moving
ahead advanced with caution. No enemy were, how-
ever, met with until we emerged from the wood near
the river, which runs through a deep valley some
2000 yards wide, with precipitous sides covered
thickly with bush. The village of Batoche stands
upon the opposite side of the river, but on our side is
the church, the priest's house, and some other build-
ings. In spite of the troubles the priest was still
resident there. Around this group of buildings some
of the enemy could be seen moving about. The
troops moved forward in skirmishing order, and
at eight o'clock the first shot was fired. The
rebels made but a feeble resistance to our advance,
and fie our artillery, which consisted of two field
pieces and a Gatling gun, opened fire upon them,
they cleared out from the intervening bush and
gathered round the church and buildings, where they
seemed disposed to make a stand. The Gatling fire
and the steady advance of our troops soon caused
them to abandon their intention, and they fell back to
the bush behind the village, while we advanced and
occupied the church and buildings. The rebels
had not gone far, for as our skirmishers advanced
towards the edge of the bush, three hundred
yards from the church, their fire broke out
sharply. Their plan of fighting had evidently
been arranged beforehand, for they had rifle
pits dug among the bushes. Our skirmishers
lay down, and the Gatling gun was brought round
and opened fire on the bushes, Suddenly there was
an alarm from behind. A large number of the rebels
had crept up through the bushes and made a sudden
rush towards the two guns, which had been left some-
what in rear, and were but weakly guarded. The
men with them, unable to withstand so strong an at-
tack, left the guns and made for shelter. It was
fortunate that they did so, for it left the guns open.
The Gatling was rapidly swung round by the artillery-
men working it, and it opened fire when the enemy,
rushing forward with yells of triumph, were within a
few yards of them. Then the long grating rattle broke
out, and a storm of balls swept across the open
_a
files away. This was too much for the Half-breeds,
who, with a yell of surprise and terror, as their com-
rades fell as if stricken by lightning, turned and
bounded away into the bush again. A scattering fire
was kept up until two o'clock, but the enemy main-
tained their positions in the bush around the village,
and our troops were unable to make any advance.
The enemy fired but seldom, but whenever a skir-
misher exposed himself for a moment the crack of a
rifle was heard, and the ball whistled in very close
proximity to him. Our loss was small, being
only one man killed and seven wounded, but
the work of driving the enemy from the bush has not
yet begun. At two o'clock orders were given to
cease firing, and the troops encamped round the
church, the enemy still keeping up an occasional fire.
Had the steamer arrived in time her fire would
no doubt have enabled us to drive the enemy
from the bush, but she has not yet come down.
She is not far off, for firing has been heard, and
her steam whistle has several times sounded ;
but we do not know what is her precise position,
or why she has not come down to take her part
in the attack. The fighting will probably be renewed
to-morrow, when we may hope the Northeote will be
able to lend us her aid. The events of to-day cannot
be regarded as a victory, much less having been
accomplished than was hoped for. It is clear,
indeed, that the enemy did not intend seriously to
oppose cur advance into the village, but to hem us in
from the surrounding bush. They fight coolly and
steadily. Their aim is accurate, and they do not
waste 'powder. I anticipate that we shall have a
troublesome task before we clear them out from the
wide-spreading bush which covers the country around
this place.

.11. telegram from Ottawa to New York on Tuesday
night states that reinforcements to the extent of 4000
men will be sent speedily to the scene of the dis-
turbances in the north-west of the Dominion, as a
general war is believed to be imminent. Lord
Melgund having been recalled, in order that the
authorities may have the benefit of his advice, it is
now further suggested that General Middleton should
be replaced by a man with Indian experience.