River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-04-30
THE RIEL REBELLION.
Thirty Whites Probably Butchered at the
Fort-A Sdrmish at BattIeford, and an
EarIy Attack Expected.

Early AJtack expected
Winnipeg, Special Telegram, April %
AT Battleford, yesterday, five mounted
policemen arrived from Fort Pitt, bearing
intelligence that in an attack by the Indians
one Of tho policemen was killed and one
wounded. All the other occupants of the
fort. including the Hudson Bay factor, Nc
Lean, and family, have taken refuge In q
camp of friendly Indians near the post The
police, who escaped upon raft, tell the story
of the fight and give details of the position.
For two weeks the fort was surrounded by In
dams, who constantly menaced the place, and
an attack constantly expected. The In
dams demanded the surrender of the fort, but
Inspector Dickens, of the police, resolutely re-
fused There were about fifty men in the bar
racks, including the police, and as they We're
well armed they could have kept the Indians
away, but Chief Big Bear sent to have parley
with Mclean, the chief factor The chief told
him if the civilians and police would lay down
their arms and surrender he would protect
them Mclean is tirnid, and accepted the offer
for himself and the civilians. Insp ector
Dickens even after the civilians had left him,
refused to surrender; and with his men, he
was embarking on raft for Battleford when a
band of hundred Indians under Big Bear
attacked him. The police fought desperately
and killed a considerable number of redskins
The band was finally forced to retreat and the
ponce escaped William 1OWAu, one OF ll6 /
number, was killed, and another named Ions |
by fatally wounded. Others were wounded, |
but not seriously. The timidity of Mclean |
embarrassed the police and proved ia |
tai to the liberty of thirty whites |
men, women and children-who are believed |
to have fallen victims to the tFeach- |
cry of the Indians before this. The police who |
escaped brought intelligence regarding the |
Frog Lake massacre which was reported a few |
days ago to have been a canard The Indians |
about Frog Lake had been acting in a strange |
manner for some time, and one Sunday they |
invited the whites to attend church The |
frightened people complied There in the sane |
tuary for hours sat the trembling women and |
children and much scared men, side by side |
with their dusky enemies. When the service |
was over the Indians retired first and as the |
whites left the edifce ten of them were shot
instantly. The two priests, Fathers Fatard |
and Marchaud, who had OBLIGATED at the |
service, were then seized by the bloodthirsty /
Indians, and after being beaten to DEATH the /
bodies were burned. The redskins subse- t
quenty raided houses in the vicinity and /
committed many depredations Battleford |
dispatches states that Frank Smart store |
keeper there, while on duty at the barracks, |
was killed by bullet from a rifle in the hands |
of an Indian sharpshooter The guards then |
fired upon band of Indians at Battle river |
crossing with what result is not known. |
Moosimin's band is in communication with |
Poundmaker's and trouble is feared. An early |
attack on Battleford is expected. The gar |
rison is thoroughly alarmed Word has been |
sent to Col Otter to make all haste with his |
column to the relief of the besieged. 1t is
now expected that he will reach there Satur- |
day There seems little doubt he will have
some fighting to do, as the entire country |
about Battlefordis supposed to be swarmlng [
with hostile Indians sufficient amount of |
supplies has at last reached Middleton to en-
able him to proceed forward. A dispatch re- |
ceived this morning said;
MIDDLETON WOULD ADVANCE TO-DAY
Melgund and his scouts encountered several /
of Riels scouts yesterday and exchanged shots i
with them but as Riels men retired into am
bush, whore it was probable that half breed |
reinforcenients lay. Melgund retired. Middleton |
telegraphed instructions to have the steamer /
Northcotte bring on supplies with all haste. The |
steamer is now on the way to Prince Albert, heav {
lily freighted with provisions. Middleton says he I
will meet her in Prince Albert in three days, /
by which time he expects to have cleaned out /
the rebels Arrangements have been made for |
Irvine to Iceet him near Batoche's Crossing, |
where it is expected fight will take place |
Irvine will prevent the escape Of the rebels IN |
the event of an engagement. 1t is quite evil
dent that the military authorities are I
in possession of facts not known TO
the public, for peremptory orders |
were received from Middleton to have all |
troops stationed here to go to the front atonce. |
The london fusileers and French battalion, |
each 300 strong, left in two special trains
for Swift Current from which point |
they Will be forwarded by river TO join /
Middleton. The governor generals body |
guard the Winnipeg troop of cavalry and /
Quebec school of cavalry go TO Fort Gu APP |
pelle The obj ctl IS to reinforce Middleton from /
the rear should it be necessary for him to fall /
back They will also be used to guard supply |
depots along the line. 1t is believed here that |
Middleton has information regarding Rlels /
intention and his forces which led him to ash |
reinforcements late dispatch from Middle I
ton tonight announces that he has postponed |
his forward movement till to morrow morn |
ing Prince Albert intelligence indicates all |
well, but anxiously awaiting relief Charles /
hewitt, who was reported killed at Duck Lake, |
is alive Nolln, one of kiels councillors, is a /
prisoner at Prince Albert
AS telegraphed, Riel Is at Batoche's, the |
greater part OF his force being in rifle pits and
(t is alleged ntrenched on the south side of
the river According to the best information |
attainable by Gen. Middleton, the insurgent I
chief has $50 half-breeds armed with forty I
Winchesters, twenty oniders Captured at the |
Crozier fight, together with 400 to 500 rounds I
of ammunition and $50 to 200 shot guns, the |
latter effective at 100 yards when loaded with I
slugs and buckshot It is now positively as |
serted that he has two brass field pieces Seven
poundeIs) with a few rounds of solid |
shot for each Ii he has, the guns are relics
of those formerly owned by the Hudson Bay |
company and not regarded as very dangerous |
in these modern days Estimates of Riels In |
dian allies vary from three hundred 10 hve |
hundred and the former is likely to be nearer
the truth. The Indians have arms o. all sorts
very similar in effectiveness and copdltlon to /
those of our own Sioux and with the same lack
of first-class ammunition. Rels men have
made up their minds that if caught they Will /
be hanged-ergo, s''Tis better TO have fought I
and died than never TO have fought at all, and /
die anyhow. They will fight on the Indian
STYLE each man on his own hook, and using
every tree trunk and inequality of ground as
cOion of vantage