Connecticut western news., 1885-05-20
FIGHTING THE INDIANS.

Gen. Middleton had another engagement with the rebels on Saturday in which it is claimed that the rebels were beaten with se- we're loss. Tho troops lost 8 number of men killed and wounded.
 William Bruce, lately prisoner of Riel but who escaped on Tuesday, was brought in by scouts. He says that Riers force is little over four hundred, half of whom were on the other side of the river when he left. He also says that when the ammunition was served to the rebels only one keg of powder remained. Bullets are also scarce. The women and ohil- dren had been sent to the other side of the river and the prisoners are safe as far as he knows. Beardy is not with Riel, but has been sent for. Riel, Dumont, Garneau and other leaders are in the camp.
 WINNIPEG, Manitoba, May 11.-Additional particulars of the fight have just come to hand. The killed are placed at thirteen and the wounded at twenty-three. The rebel loss is variously estimated at from fifty to eighty five. Two of RieTs counselors were shot. General Middleton captured several rebels in the ravine. They were driven out of the rife pit and were hemmed in before they knew it. They were taken to camp and guard placed over them. They state that the night before the battle Riel addressed his men, haranguing them on the manner in which the half breeds were oppressed. He said he knew the troops were coming, but with God on their side the half-breedE must and would prevail.
 The reports received by the Canadian gov ernment say:-The fighting was renewed on Saturday. A steady fire continued all day and | night. During the night the rebels made a dash to capture field gun, but were driven back under heavy fire from 6 Gatling gun. All day Sunday the firing continued, both sides keeping well under cover, and firing only on opportune occasions. The rebels followed their old method of warfare, having | intrenched themselves in rife pits. Gen. Mid | dleton intrenched his force near O church, | within 300 yards of the rebel stronghold. The | battery shelled the houses along the river and | set them on fire, and but for the priests being | in the church building it would have also been shelled. On Monday Gen. Middleton formed zereba of transport wagons, and kept mp | desultory fire all day upon the rebels, killing | number of them. On Tuesday afternoon | the troops made rapid advance toward | Batouche, capturing the rifle pits and ravine, and driving the rebels before them, capturing | the houses and releasing all the prisoners, | seven ill number.
 Gen. Middleton's report says.--tHave made | general attack and carried the whole settle i ment. Men behaved splendidly. Rebels in full | flight. Sorry to say have not got Riel While I was sreconnoittering, William Ashley, one of | the prisoners, galloped up with flag of truce, and handed me 8 letter from Rel, saying; If | you massacre our families, l shall massacre prisoners.' l sent answer that if he would put his women and children ill one place and let me know where it was, no shot should be | fired on them.
 q then returned to camp and pushed on my advance parties, who were heavily fired on. I 80 pressed on until I saw my chance, and or | dered general advance. Tho men responded nobly. SpIendidly led by their officers and Col Straubenzie, they drove the enemy out | of rifle pits after rifle pits, forced their way across tho plain and seized houses, and we arc now masters of the place, and most of my force | will bivouac there. Right in the heat of the | Acl,l han Hvif
 missive from Riel, as follows:
 | "'GENERAL: Your prompt answer to my note l shows that I was right in mentioning the cause of humanity. We will gather our fami- lies in one place, and as soon as it is done we will let you know. l have. etc.
 l "'LoUIs DAVID REEL
 'On the envelope he had written as fol- | lows
 "'I do not like war, and if you do not re- treat and refuse an interview, the question re- mains the same concerning the prisoners.' "Uur loss, 1 am afraid, Is heavy, but not so | heavy as might be expected. AS yet, find it is five killed and ten wounded. The prisoners have all been released, and are safe in my camp. Among them is Jackson White, the man who WAS Riefs secretary, but who is now mad and rather dangerous.
 Authentic intelligence has reached Winni- peg that Indians have captured 8 train of thirty-one teams with supplies, and twenty one teamsters. Ton teamsters escaped. The train left Swift Current week ago, aud was within thirteen miles of BAttleford when the Indians swooped down upon it. The attack ing party was Poundmaker and his band. A desperate fight took place, in which several were wounded and two killed, one of them 8 mounted policeman.
 The troops captured many trophies at Ba- touche and large number of the rebels, in. cluding Monkman, Fisher, and several im- portant half breeds, Riel and Dumont escaped down the river. It is expected that they will fall into the hands of the mounted police at Prince Albert if the latter are not asleep. The rebel strength was $50. Batouche was only taken by charge at the point of tho boyOnet, it being strongly fortified and having plenty of proYirions. The rebel loss is heavy.
 A dispatch from Clarks Crossing says "A half bl eed courier named Lent arrived from Prince Albert Thursday night. He reports everything quiet there. Capt. Moore, who was wounded in the Duck Lake fight, had his leg amputated few days ago. He is in a critical condition, and fears are entertained that he may not recover"
 A dispatch from Battleford says: "A party of seven mounted police, while patroling near the entrance to the Eagle Hills, ten mile from here, at noon Friday, were surprised by 8 large band of mounted Indians and fired on. Con- stable Elliott was instantly killed, dropping out of his saddle, and Constable Spencer was wounded in the body, but succeeded in riding away. A courier came through the hills at about the same time. He came up with a | train of OK teams, carrying provisions up the l Swift Current trail to this point. They were waiting for an escort from here to take them | through the hills. He also saw number of wagons in the hills, the horses and contents of which had been carried off. It is sup posed that about twenty OK and ten horse teams were captured by the Indians. They carried general supplies. Constable Elliott who was killed, was the son of British off, cer. Constable Spencer comes from West Troy, N. Y. The patrol was under Sergeant | Gordon"
 A dispatch from Batouche says: "Father Moulin, the Parish priest, was asked as to | the losses of the rebels in the fighting at Ba- touche. He gave them as 51 killed and 173 wounded. His statement may be relied upon as accurate. The steamer Northcote left there early Friday morning for Saskatoon with the wounded"
 Sir John Macdonald has received private telegram from the Queen, requesting him to use every means in his power to bring the Northwest troubles to an immediate and, if possible, peaceful conclusion, and that the de- mands of the disaffected half breeds and h. dians be conceded to the utmost limit con- sistent with justice.