Battle of Batoche The Battle of Batoche was the decisive battle of the North - West Rebellion . Fought from May 9 to May 12 , 1885 at the ad hoc Provisional Government of Saskatchewan capital of Batoche , the greater numbers and superior firepower of Middleton ' s force could not be successfully countered by the Métis ( as had happened at Fish Creek ) , and the town was eventually captured . The defeat of the Métis led to the surrender of Louis Riel on May 15 and the collapse of the Provisional Government . In the weeks that followed , Poundmaker would surrender and only the Cree under Big Bear would continue to engage Canadian authorities – see Battle of Frenchman ' s Butte and Battle of Loon Lake . Early advances and the crippling of the " Northcote " . Conscious of the numerous reverses that had been suffered by government forces in previous clashes with the rebels ( see the battles of Duck Lake , Fish Creek , and Cut Knife ) , Middleton approached Batoche with caution , reaching Gabriel ' s Crossing on 7 May and advancing within eight miles ( 13 km ) of the town the following day . Middleton ' s plan rested on an encirclement strategy : as his main contingent advanced directly against Métis defensive lines , the steamboat " Northcote , " carrying some of Middleton ' s troops , would steam past the distracted defenders and unload fifty men at the rear of the town , effectively closing the pincer . However , due to the difficulty of the terrain and Middleton ' s penchant for prudence , his force lagged behind schedule , and when the " Northcote " appeared adjacent to the town on 9 May it was spotted by Métis who had not yet come under artillery fire . Although their small arms fire did little damage to the armoured ship , the Métis were able to lower Batoche ' s ferry cable , into which the " Northcote " steamed unsuspectingly . Its masts and smokestacks sliced clean off , the crippled ship drifted harmlessly down the South Saskatchewan River and out of the battle . Mission Ridge . Ignorant of the " Northcote " ' s fate , Middleton approached the church at Mission Ridge on the morning of 9 May in order to bring his plan into effect . Finding the mission occupied only by priests and civilians , Middleton brought his artillery out onto the ridge and began shelling the town . There his Gatling gun was used to good effect , providing covering fire for the withdrawal of cannon that had come under sniper fire and dispersing an attempt by Gabriel Dumont to capture the guns . Canadian advances saw less success but were carefully conducted , keeping casualties to a minimum . A Métis attempt to surround the Canadian lines failed when the brushfires meant to screen the sortie failed to spread , and at the end of the day , both sides held their positions at Mission Ridge , Canadian soldiers retiring to sleep behind their network of improvised barricades . Probing attacks of 10 May to 11 . On May 10 , Middleton established heavily defended gunpits and conducted a devastating , day - long shelling of the town . Attempted advances , however , were turned back by Métis fire , and no ground was gained . The next day , Middleton gauged the strength of the defenders by dispatching a contingent of men north along the enemy ' s flank while simultaneously conducting a general advance along the front . Having redirected a portion of their strength to hold the northward flank , the Métis lacked the manpower to oppose the Canadian thrust , ceding ground with little resistance . Canadian soldiers ventured as far as the Batoche cemetery before turning back . Satisfied with his enemies ' weakness , Middleton retired to sleep and contended to take the town in the morning . The storming of Batoche . By 12 May , Métis defences were in poor shape . Of the original defenders , three - quarters had either been wounded by artillery fire or scattered and divided in the many clashes with the Canadians on the outskirts of the town . Those that still held their positions were fatigued and desperately short of ammunition . To this effect , some Métis were forced to fire nails and rocks out of their rifles , from their remaining gunpowder supplies . They also used forks and knives . Middleton ' s attack plan was designed to mirror the success of the previous day ' s flanking feint , with one column drawing defenders away to the north and a second , under Colonel Bowen van Straubenzee , assaulting the town directly . Straubenzee ' s soldiers performed brilliantly , charging into Batoche in the face of heavy fire and driving the remaining Métis clear of the town . Aftermath . The Métis defeat at Batoche virtually ended the North - West Rebellion . Louis Riel surrendered and was hanged for treason in Regina on 16 November while Gabriel Dumont fled to the United States , returning to Batoche only in 1893 . Middleton ' s forces proceeded north to Prince Albert , Saskatchewan . Following the battle , several Canadian soldiers from Millbrook , Ontario , took the bell from the Batoche church back to Ontario as a prize . The fate of the bell became an issue of longstanding controversy , involving several Métis organizations and the provincial governments of Ontario , Manitoba , and Saskatchewan . Legacy . In the spring of 2008 , Tourism , Parks , Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell proclaimed in Duck lake , that " the 125th commemoration , in 2010 , of the 1885 Northwest Resistance is an excellent opportunity to tell the story of the prairie Métis and First Nations peoples ' struggle with Government forces and how it has shaped Canada today . " Batoche , where the Métis Provisional Government had been formed , has been declared a national historic site . Batoche marks the site of Gabriel Dumont ' s grave site , Albert Caron ' s House , Batoche school , Batoche cemetery , Letendre store , Gabriel ' s river crossing , Gardepy ' s crossing , Batoche crossing , St . Antoine de Padoue Church , Métis rifle pits , and Canadian militia ' s battle camp .