Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-09-24
CHAPTER "

made mischief in 1871, was again in
the field, and was again Matching rebel
lion, not this time in his old quarters,
bpt far away in those regions I knew
too well. There his countrymen, the
"Metis, :" had taken it into their heads
that "les Anglais" would interfere
with their possessions, which We're usu-
ally, as In French Canada, elongated
slips of land, having a frontage on the
Saskatchewan and stretching back into
the country behind. The English, they
said, would "square" these lands and
interfere with their tenure 1t was a
false idea and could easily have been
removed. But they were not reassured
in time. They had arms and got more
with some ammunition. Riel came at
their invitation from the States, and it
was evident that mischief was meant.
Already some Of the Indians had Joined
their half breed kinsmen.
had been for some time an enthusi-
estic member of one of the Toronto
militia regiments. We were ordered up
to 1.-THE front, - as we already called the
scene of impending trouble. But how
different was this journey from that
had last undertaken to the northwest.
Now we were regularly entrained" in
the splendid cars Of the Canadian Pacific
railway, and we reached without much
trouble the city of Winnipeg, now grown
into fine town and very different
from the tumble down village ! remem.
bered. The greatest heartiness was
shown by the troops. At that time there
were some breaks in the line north of
Lake Superior, and we had to march u
bit through disagreeable slushy snow
and ice, for the spring was coming.
Nothing could discourage for moment
the high spirits of our men. This was
made very apparent when we left the
rail and began very tedious and toll
some march over the trail had years
before passed over in midwinter with
my dog team. The food was often in
sufficient and the hardship from cold
and wet great But onward we went,
all longing to be doing what we could
to justify the proud name of the Cana
dian militia.
While the main body, after arriving
in the neighborhood of the south branch
of the Saskatchewan, were turned to-
ward Batoche, a name soon to become
only too famous for the desperate fight
which took place there between our men
and the enemy, who were in numbers
not inferior and had all the advantages
of position, I was one of smaller force
which was directed farther to the west
to prevent a number of Crees and others
from joining the rebels
Carlton fort was again reached, but
we found it in ruins 1t had been burned
by the enemy. How strange it seemed
to me to be here again. with number
of redcoats, and with strength great
enough, as we believed, to carry all be-
fore us. But want Of regular supplies
of food told to some extent on the men,
and we marched on, grumbling but reso-
lutte, until another stockaded fort on the
river, named Battleford, was reached.
Here we were comfortable enough. The
long swelling lines of the bare prairie
looked cheerless enough, but there was
the great shallow stream still rolling
past us in the vast hollow it had scooped
for itself during the course of ages in
the gravels and alluvial sands of the
plains. A river always makes land
scape more intresting, Here, too, on the
Battle river, which joins at this place
the Saskatchewan. was village among
poplar groves. This had been looted by
Indians, who, we are assured, had taken
the warpath. Well, they should have
taste of our lead and steel We had with
us men Of the Mounted police-a gal
liant corps-well mounted and accus-
toned to Indian manners, whether hos.
tile OF friendly. We had the brave
Short, the bean ideal Of an artillery
officer, who would have been an orna-
ment and credit to any service and was
the pride and darling Of our owp.
We heard that Poundmaker, Cree,
who had but lately acted as a guide to
the governor general when he travelled
hence. to the Blackfeet, at the foot of
the distant Rocky mountains. had Joined
the rebels. This seemed to show that
the hostile movement must be pretty
general, for this man was an intelligent
Indian, who had been much among the
Blackfeet natives, as we'll as q leader
among the Crees Our leader determined
to prevent these men under Poundmaker
from joining Riel to the westward, and
as we had good information from our
scouts, we left Battleford with gatling
gun, two 2 pound guns 45 wagons and
CA9ToRrA.
The iao- n
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