Morris tribune., 1885-04-01
ONE BLOW STRUCK.
FIRST BLOOD SHED IN THE MANI
TOBA DIFFICULTY.
A Detachment of Police and Volunteers
Defeated with Twelve Killed
and Eleven Wounded.
Riel Said To Be Backed by 1900 Men,
Well ArIned-The March to the Front
OF Canadian Troops-Nothing Sem
sational From Europe.

! WINNIPEG, Manitoba, March 30.-The
first shedding of blood has taken pla CO be
kwo,n tie half-breedS and the mounted
police, an1 the exsitenlent over the matter
IS consequently greatly intensified. On
Wednesday Maj Croz;er, with q body CT
! 100 men composed OF mounted police and
volunteers left Fort Carleton for Duck
lake. While crossing the reserve Of q Cree
:hief named Beaudry, they found the half
breeds had taken up strong position to bar
their way. The rebels are sail to have num-
| oercd over 200. When Croziers force ad-
! vanced, the rebels attempted to surround
them, probably with the intent to take them
prisoners. Not succeeding, they fired volley,
which was responded t. by Cr0zier'S men.
The firing lasted some time, when Croziel',
| 6nding his men far outnumbered, retreated
| IN good order to Fort Carleton. The result
Of the firing was the death of twelve Of
| Crozier's force-two constables and ten vol
nnteers-and the wounding of eleven. It is
| not known how many were lost on the half
| breed side.
| The half-breeds showed great skill with
the rife, as shown by the proportion killed
10 the wounded. 1t is further stated that
| [rvine's forces reached Carleton shortly
after Crozier left, and the two forces are
now occupying the fort, which is monacad by
the rebels. 1t is believed no Indians joined
IN tho fight The news of the skrmi:h
caused preparations to be hurried for the
advance of the remainder Of the forces, and
they finally left at o'clock Friday evening.
Rumors of further fighting are mot con-
frmed. Immense quantities Of stores are
being sent forward, and 2t0 teams are en-
gagged as transports from the railway to the
scene of action
OTTAWA, March 30.-There was q great
sensation in parliament when the dispatch
announcing the defeat OF Maj. CrozieI's
force was read, and the government officials
were busy until late at night giving orders
| Tor troops to move.
The government is understood to have in
formation connecting the Fenan brother
hood with the northwe rebellion and will
make it a subject of international CORES
pondence with the United States authorities.
A rumor is current that they supplied the
Metis with arms and ammunition and money
10 carry on warlike operations. Twenty
two private detectives have been dispatched
10 various American cities and points on the
American border in the immediate vicinity
blythe trouble.
Canadians in the United States Offering their
services in the event of any further trouble
and militia organization in various prov
inces have telegraphed their willingness to
proceed to Carleton on moments notice
The feeling is general that the Metis should
be wiped out They have been treated with
avery consideration by the government in
the past, and by their action have destroyed
all sympathy. A message was received from
the imperial war authorities Friday evening
! inquiring about the extent Of the rebellion.
TORONTO, March, 30.-Excitement here
| continues unabate1. From an early Satur-
lay morning the approaches to the drill
shed was crowded with people waiting in ex-
| pectation of seeing the departure of the
troops. The Royal Grenadiers mustered at
y O'clock and, Notwithstanding tie early
hour, and the fact that the sergeants could
not find time Friday night to notify
| al all members of their companies,
shey turned out 300 strong. After they
| we're dismissed the Queens Own mustered
and showed creditable turnout of 543
There is the widest excitement among them,
| and many who had left the regiment, when
they heard Col Otter was to take command,
| begged to be enrolled. Both regiments are
now in the drill-shed and anxiously awaiting
orders when to start The selection Of 259
mon from each regiment won't be made till
definite orders have arrived The city will
look after the wives and families of any
married men who go to the front.
The Mail government organ,) in an ar
ticlo on the northwest troubles, says: ''Fri-
days encounter, moro particularly since it
resulted in victory for the half-breeds, is
no doubt the beginning of a serious cam
paign. Reil is reported to have 1900 ad-
herents armed with Remington rifles, OBJ
tanned from American traders, with six
American field guns. The graver danger,
however, Is to be feared from the Indians.
It is evident that Beaudrys band, who are
Piegans, must have sided with the rebels
against Maj. Crozier, and should
the disaffection spread to tho other Indians
| in the Carleton agency, and to the large
bands in the Battleford and Edmonton dis
tricts, the task of stamping it out will be
a formidable one. The government has
taken vigorous means to meet the emer-
gency. The Winnipeg battalion Of militia,
300 strong, with half a battery of artillery,
Is now on its way to Qu'appelle Station 323
miles west Of Winnipeg, where several
trails run north to the scene of the insur-
rection, Carleton being 205 miles from
Qu'appelle."
@Much depends upon the Indians. If they
remain true, short work will be made of the
haIf-breeds, but should any considerable
number of them go over to Riel, and
there are about 10000 OF them
in the whole Saskatchawan country, the re-
sources Of Canada will be taxed in earnest.
| There is good ground, for saying that up to
the present moment none of the bands ex-
cept perhaps Beardy's, have shown signs Of
wavering"
ST. PAUL, March 30.-The Dispatcll's
| Winnipeg special says: Further exciting
rumors come from Fort Carleton, stating
there was another slirInish, and eleven
more men were killed, but this is not con-
| frmed.
Gen. Middleton, Col Houghton and
| twenty-five officers and $50 men Of the Ninth
battalion left here, Friday night, and
reached Qu' appelle Saturday morning,
where they were joined by the first detach-
ment of field battery of fifty and fifteen
cavalry. They left this morning for the
| west. It is understood in military circles
that Middleton will not advance immedi-
ately with troops, but will await further
| developments. He was heard to remark,
that il the rebels mean to fight he would
| not advance without stronger force.
THE AFGHAN BOUNDARY