Milford chronicle., 1885-04-03
NORTHWEST.
Defeated, with Loss, by
Hnll-Breeds.

HaIf-Breeds.
a from Winnipeg, Man, says
have been commenced In earnest,
.iing reports have been received from
.rlton. The substance Of these reports
olows:
ne rebel army, which numbers about fifteen
dndred men, surrounded Fort Carlton nearly
q week ago and besieged it. Major Crozer
and garrison Of 125 men held out as long as
possible, and when their supplies became ex-
hausted the major resolved to dash through
the enemy and make for Duck Lake, where a
supply post is located and which was held by
the rebels.
With fifty picked men the gallant Major sud
denly rode out of the fort and dashed south
ward toward Duck Lake. The enemy was
completely surprised, but quickly sprang to
arms and fired on tie police. The latter re-
turned the fire, and for some time, amid the
| widest confusion, the engagement was kept
up. The larger portion Of the police succeed
ed in breaking through the ranks of the enemy
and galloped off toward Duck Lake During
| the fight, according to the first report, eight
mounted police were killed and fifteen of the
| enemy. Captain Moore, who was among the
| police, is reported to have been shot, together
! with six Of his men.
! The military authorities received a dispatceh
| from Humboldt, sent from there by a runnr
/ from Duck Lake. It announced that an en-
and that thirteen mounted police and Prince
Albert volunteers had been killed, and that the
slaughter Of the rebels was very great. It
seems that provisions had given out at Fort
Carlton, and the police were afraid of starv-
ing. They therefore decided on another dash
upon the Duck Lake storehouses to procure
provisions
A detachment of thirty, including volun-
teers, were on their way down the trail which
is finged on either side with heavy scrub
sufficient to hide half a dozen armies. When
half way down the trail the rebels. who were
lying in ambush, opened fire on the police
from all directions in the bHsh, The police at
tempted to dash forward and get beyond the
fire, but the rebels appeared from the shelter
and closed with them. A desperate fight then
took place. The police finally retreated upon
Fort Carlton, taking some of their wounded
with them. They were compelled to leave
others behind, to be killed outright by The in
surgents or to die on the battle ground
a scout who arrived at B ittleiOrd from Carl
ton, and who witnessed the fight on Thursday /
and was afterward in Riels camp, teegraphs /
that forty rebels were killed in the engagement
aud twenty-three wounded. Among the killed |
were number Of Montana cowboys, who, it is |
believed, brought the cannon which the rebels !
possess to Duck Lake. Three Of Riel's trusted ,
emissaries are also reported among the killed. |
THE CAUSES OF THE OUTBREAK.
For nearly two hundred years the Hudsons /
Bay Company exercised supreme authority
over the Canadian Northwest. During that
time only one member of the staff of the COM
pany was killed by the Indians. The company
wanted nothing but furs from the Indians and
loud disputes were unknown. In 1869 how
ever, change came. In that year the Cana
dian Government bought the greater part of
the lands owned by the Hudson's Bay Com
pany for 81, 100000. With this purchase Of
the lands the Canadian Government acquired
all rights and privileges which the Hudson's
Bay Company had previously exercised. and
soon after the Northwest became part of the
Canadian confederation All that was left to
the company We're grants of land around each
trading post which amounted to about So 900
acres and One-tWentieth Of all the land in the
great fertile belt of the north and south Sas-
The Indians and half breeds Of the North
vest did not, at first, oppose the change At
hat time each half breeds farm fronted on
he river. The frontages were narrow. and
hey run long way back, often two miles, as
s the custom all over the French-Canadan
ettements along the st. Lawrence. the Ot- (
ava, or the Saguenay When the surveyors
we're sent TO the Northwest, by order of the ,,
'anadan Government, they commenced to !
urvey the country in square blocks paving
10 attention to the river frontage system This j
'as the first cause Of quarrel. By the new ar I
old associations and family ties ;
'ere threatened with disruption and the ten !
re OF land became uncertain.
one day, as the Government surveyor Col. ! '
'ennls, and his men were surveying a base '
ne through some property, Riel, followed by G
party of unarmed half breeds, put his foot /
q the chain the surveyors were using, and or
cred them to qpit work, which they did. Dur {
lg the fall of 1869 he took possession of Fort L
AIRY, now Winnipeg, and armed his followers b
18th the 800 Enfield rifles he found in the 4
ores OF the HudsOn's Bay Company. From =
nFa fhf.r rra.1A Ai,afr. I4.e II o
in the face Of this attitudeFs -lp0,000 q
mpted by the 'IioSl1AMATEP, tase was .ne
e{lsR II n GdPadl3Fto tBa e to kein nssqde moving II
5se hard timeyalistsi and one ne s5s,.:, Ia: !,
;cOunt On.,e leading English Canadians at
Fort Garry were taken prisoners Colonel,
low Lord Wolseley in the following spring
ook an army against Riel. He had about one
thousand men in tue expedition, and portion
Il them, the Sixtieth Rifles, were regulars
3iel and some of his followers crossed
% the United States, and an act Of Par
lament was passed banishing him for five
-ears. When his term Of Punishment expired
le returned to Manitoba, and was elected to
'epresent the elective district Of Provenchies
n Parliament. Threats were made by the
oyalists that if he took his seat he would be
,hot for numbering Scott. The day Rel entered
.he Hou~e of Commons a company Of soldiers
we're secreted in an anterOOm, and It was gen
srally feared that a riot would take place. Rel
.ook his seat. but when the opening prayer
was concluded he left and never returned.
THE LEADER OF THE REBELLION.
Riel, the leader of the insurrection, was
born within five miles of Fort Garry in 1874.
When quite a young lad he was sent by an
eminent ecclesiastic to be educated in Mon
Ireal. Although a half breed, he does not pos
sess the usual characteristics which distinguish
the half breed from other nationalltles.
Among those who do not know him he
would pass for a thoroughbred European,
having fair hair and light blue eyes. He
has much native shrewdness and craft, ana
mas a suavity of manner which has telling
effect on his cOpatriOts in the Northwest. lie
studied for the priesthood, but ordination was
refused him During the threatened Fenian
raid from Pembna Manitoba, he paid secret
visit to Gen. John O'Neil, and offered to JON
he invaders if they could bring sufficient
force into the province to overthrow the
Government and make the movement sue
,essful. Rel even going to the length of max
NC terms with O'Neil with regard to the dis
of the spoils and land, putting IN
strong obligatory clause III favor OF the haH
breeds. Archbishop Tache, whose protege he
vas since the rebellion OF lo69-1O, has ire
luently expressed regret that he was the means
II placing education within Reils reach, as 1t
gave him very great weight and Importance IN
The eyes of the half breeds.
AIYSTERIOUSLY POISONED.