St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-25
not. After the arrival of otters force TO-

SllOl. hlltT Gll6 arrival VI -OtlGI > lOIC6 W
day, Col. Herchmer, Maj. Short, Capt.
Neale, DR.. Leslie and thirty OF the mounted
police secured the valley but could not find
any one. The Indians and rebel half-breedS
have evidently
FLED AT THE APPROACH OF THE TROOPS.
A special from Battleford gives the fol-
! lowing account of the Fort Pitt and Frog
Lake affairs: Yesterday morning the Fort
/ Pitt garrison, under Inspector Dickens, ar
! rived, having had hard trip ON the scow
down the Saskatchewan river and the par
ticulars of the fight which occurred there
were obtained. On the 18th of
April, Chief Big Bear and
his band of Indians approached
the fort and, sending messenger, de-
manded that the arms and ammunition be
| given him by the police. Inspector Dickens
! answered that they would never be given.
The scouts returning from Frog lake were
at this time passing the fort and were fired
upon by the Indians, who were enraged by
the refusal of the police to give them their
arms.
AN EXCITING FIGHT FOLLOWED,
Policeman Cowan being killed and Leasby
wounded. The later was hotly pursued by
the Indians but reached the fort without
further injury, while the Indians were
brought to stop by the police opening fire
on them from the barracks. -Four Indians
were killed and several wounded, and the
rest were driven back. The Indians num-
bered about $500, but notwithstanding
their superior numbers could not stand
before the steady and well-directed fire
of the policemen. Just before the firing
commenced, Factor Mclean of the Hudson
pa boH q
who told him that it was intended to kill
only the police and if the civilians would
leave the fort they would be safe. Believ-
ing that the Indians so much outnumbered
the garrison that they would be able to
take the fort and anxious for the safety of
the women and children, Mclean deter
mined to accept Big Bears terms. He then
left the fort with all of the civilians. and
they are now with the Indians if they have
not been maSsacred through treachery.
They number about thirty, of all ages.
This reduced the garrison to twenty-five
men, and, being insufficient to defend the
fort for any length of time, they left the
same afternoon,
AFTER THE FIGHT,
on sc0w they had previously built, bring
ing all the ammunition and arms that were
in the barracks before leaving. The Fort
Pitt police received word from Mclean that
the Indians had coal oil and fire arrows
prepared, and they were ready to fire the
fort if the police remained. The conduct
of the police was most gallant in every re-
spect. On their arrival here Col. Morris
sent the police band to meet them,
and they marched into the barracks
amid the cheers of the whole
population. Mrs. Gowanlock and Mrs.
Delaney who were taken prisoners by the
Frog Lake Indians, are reported to be well
treated. Frank Smart was killed while
scouting three miles from Battleford. His
remains were inferred near the barracks
with military honOrs.
A CLARKE'S CROSSING SPECIAL SAYS
Middleton's forces advanced yesterday in
two divisions, one taking the east and the
other the west side of the river, and reached
point twenty miles south of Batoche,
which place they expect to make at noon
tomorrow. The columns camped in close
proximity to each other last night. Most
of the march yesterday was Of an easy
character, the first ten or twelve miles be-
ing through treeless prairie. The troops
are now i'll country full of bluffs and con-
sequently of danger. II is thought proba-
bic that Riel's forces will be met with on
the east side of the river some miles this
side of Batoche and that there may be an
engagement tomorrow. The men are all
i'll good spirits.