Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-19


gives the following interesting history Of
the career Of Riel, the half-breed leader,
who vas hanged at Regina, n. w. T.,
Monday for treason:
The first trouble the Canadian govern
ment had with the Indians and half
breeds in the Northwest was in 1868
when the British Parliament passed 'the
Rupert land act" under the provisions of
which the Hudson Bay Company sold to
the Dominion the territory known az the
the Northwest. The company received
t3OOOOO IN cash and immense tracts of
land. At first the Indians and halt
breeds did not oppose the change.
Each OF their farms, as they had
themselves laid them out, had q
river frontage, and they were salts
tied; but when the government sur
yeyors came and commenced to set the
country of into square blocks, paying no
attention to the river frontage system, the
quarrel began. Louis Riel at the head Of
a number Of half-breeds, ordered the sur
veyOrs TO stop work, and this they did
10 the fall Of 1859 Riel, with a small fol-
lowing, took possession OF Fort Garry,
now Winnipeg, the capital OF Manitoba,
his men being armed with Enfield rifles
from the stores Of the Hudson Bay Com
pany, and bill of rights was issued de-
handing the right to elect a Legislature
which should pass upon acts of Parlia-
ment affecting the Northwest; that exec
utive and judicial officers were to be
elected by the people, and the military be
composed of inhabitants of the Northwest;
that the Northwest have full and fair rep
| resentatlOn III Parliament, and satisfac-
tory treaties be made with the various
tribes of Indians in the Territory.
A counter instruction by the lovaists
was stamped out by Riel, who ordered its
I lf.l, No, al a
Scott, to be shot. In the following spring
Col Wolseley, now Lord and the hero of
the Egyptian and SOudan campaigns, at
the head Of about 600 men, went to
Manitoba and chased Riel and many OF
his followers into the United States. By
an act OF Parliament Riel was banisned
for five years, at the end of which time he
returned to Manitoba and was elected to
sit in Parliament, but never took his seat
but once, remaining in the House but half
an hour. His fear OF being mobbed, the
feeling in Ottawa against him being
great, was the cause.
In 1870 the government gave 240 acres
Of land to each of the half-bTeeds living in
Manitoba. The latter, however, is only a
small portion of the Northwest, and the
tribes outside of this favored province
claimed that they had been Disseminated
against. The land was given as cOmpen-
frontage system. There are half-breed
settlements along the Saskatchewan, at
Prairie Albert, which is 900 miles from
Manitoba, and settlements also all along
the shores Of Lake Winnipeg. These are
the people at whose head Riel put himself
during the rebellion of March
May, 1885, which was brought to an
end by the Canadian forces under
the leadership of Gen. Middleton. The
rebels had every advantage, knowing the
country so well-perfectly, in tact-and
fighting in territory with which they were
familiar. The vast extent of the uprising,
hampered the Canadian government, but
fortunately for Middleton he was enabled
to attack and defeat the rebels in their
stronghold and capture their leaders; and
the malcOntents, becoming discouraged,
surrendered at discretion. RiePs be-
naviOr after capture was in strange con-
trast 10 his bold bearing previously. He
grOveled and abused himself, and at
tempted to lay the blame on others,
though later claiming Divine inspiration.
The Indian population of the North
west, nearly all OF which either engaged
in the late rebellion or were in sympathy
with it, is comprised as follows: Chippe-
was and Crees, stationed at Portage La
Prairie, st. Peters Broken Head, Fort
Alexandria and Lake Manitoba. 4, 200;
Chippewas and Gautesux. in the district
OF Keewatin, 1905; Chippewas, Gauteaux
and Crees, at Brittle and Indian Head,
7,097 some tribes at Lake Winnipeg,
8, 100; Plain and Wood Crees. at Battle
ford, Fort Pitt and Carleton, S,l57; Black
feet, at Fort Mcleod, 6,673; resident
Sioux, 1900. The total Indian popu-
latiOn is nearly 10000. Riel made
his headquarters at Fort Carleton,
on the outskirts of Prince Albert
settlement, and soon gathered around
him motley crowd of Indians and
halEbreeds, all well armed, however. I'M
mediately upon RiePs declaration OF war
the Dominion government took the most
active and decisive measures, and nearly
1900 volunteers and militia were sent 70
the front. The spirit OF the people was
inhame0 because of the outrageous pro-
ceedings Of Riel and his followers. They
attacked and burned the town OF Battle
| ford. killing Indian instructors Payne and
| Apologize and several citizens; in the vi
cinIty OF BattlefOrd fully 600 hOmesteads
were looted, many houses burned and sew
eral settlers killed. Hundreds OF women
and children took refuge in the barracks
at BattleiOrd, and fears of a general mas
sacre were rife.
There was some sharp fighting between
the rebels and volunteers, though no bat
ties of any particular consequence, the
nature OF the ground being such as 10
preclude the possibility Of this. At Fort
Carleton, in the latter part OF March, the
dominion troops met Riel and were
whipped, being compelled to retreat with
a loss Of twelve killed. Not long after
that Gen. Middleton was repulsed at Fish
creek, his loss, however, not being very
severe. In the meantime the Dominion
! troops were receiving reinforcements, and
it became very apparent that the rebels,
in time, would be worn out. The weather
was intensely cold and the vol
unteers suffered severely. May the Do
miniOn troops met the rebels at Batoche's
! Crossing, where, after some warm fight
ing, Riel was put 10 flight. II was here
that Capt. Howard, an American. agent
for firm Of manufacturers OF Calling
guns, was a greater aid to Middleton with
! his Calling gun than the volunteers with
/ their rifles. There was also another fight
| at Calgary, but it WAS small action.
/ One OF the most sensational features OF
/ the campaign was the Frog Lake massa-
| Gre in Which fourteen settlers were muir
dered.
Riel was captured Thursday afternoon,
| May Ia. by three scouts, four miles north
OF Bat0che. He SAID he had intended 10
| give himself up. and was coming into
/ Gen. Middeton's camp for that purpose.
A sHOENIAKER CLAIMANT.
| Ivory w NJ. PeIrce Claims "A Deceased