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BLOODSHED
IN the attack made on
the colonists' quarters by the Bois-brules a worthy gentleman, John
Warren, of the Hudson's Bay Company service, had been killed. Blood
had been shed, and it was the general expectation that other victims
would follow. The total removal of the colonists, by deportation or
expulsion, for a time gave an ominous peace. But the news of
expected trouble had found its way down the fur-traders' route, and
Colin Robertson, formerly a Nor'-Wester officer, came to the rescue
under engagement to watch over Lord Selkirk's interests, and brought
with him twenty Canadians. Finding the settlers had one to Lake
Winnipeg he followed them, and succeeded in leading them back to
their deserted homesteads.
About ninety new
settlers from Scotland, mostly from Helmsdale in Sutherlandshire,
came in a single season, as we have seen, and Governor Semple's
control gave hope of better things. Several of the demolished
buildings were rebuilt, the governor's house was improved, others
were erected beside it, and Fort Douglas began to assume a more
military appearance.
The Hudson's Bay
Company and colony under the leadership of Governor Semple, a
military man, and Colin Robertson, an experienced officer, became
more aggressive. Fort Gibraltar, in its turn was captured by
Robertson, and the field-pieces and other booty taken by the Nor'-Westers
were restored to their rightful owners. Duncan Cameron was likewise
seized as a reprisal for the arrest of Miles Macdonell, but he was
given his liberty again.
The greatest anxiety
now prevailed on both sides. For a few months Governor Semple had,
with the colonists, made the usual winter visit to Fort Daer to hunt
buffaloes, which this year were very abundant. Shortly after the New
Year (1810) Governor Semple returned to the Forks, and he and
Robertson now determined to tact with decision on account of the
threatenings of the boil-brines as to their purposes in the spring.
Fort Gibraltar was captured, and Cameron, the commandant, was
arrested, and taken by Colin Robertson to York Factory. On account
of the ship from the bay not departing as usual, Cameron did not
reach England for seventeen months.
Governor Semple now
determined to dismantle Fort Gibraltar and take the material down to
strengthen Fort Douglas. Before Colin Robertson's departure with
Cameron in charge the destruction of Fort Gibraltar had been
discussed with the governor, and Robertson had disapproved of it.
However, on the departure of Cameron the fort was dismantled, its
stockades made into a raft, the remaining material piled upon it,
and the whole floated down the Red River to Fort Douglas. Following
out the same policy the officer commanding Fort Daer seized the
North-West Company's fort at Pembina.
The new policy of
"thorough" adopted by Governor Semple was, as events proved, a
dangerous one. The Indians and "free-traders," the latter being
French-Canadians with Indian wives, not attached to either company,
were both inflammable elements. Fearing trouble the free-traders
betook themselves to the plains. The Indians hearing the threats
coming from the west, strange to say, offered the colonists their
assistance. Governor Semple seems to have been living in a fool's
paradise, not suspecting the danger by which he was surrounded. His
late arrival in the country probably explains his want of prudent
preparation. The cloud rising in the west grew darker and darker.
From the east, too, came a rumour that a Nor'-Wester force was
coming from Fort William to attack the settlement.
Cuthbert Grant wrote
from the west to one of the Canadian officers that as soon as spring
came the Bois-brules, the "new nation," as he now called them, would
drive out the settlers, and would remain at Red River for the summer
to ensure that the settlers did not return. His words were loud and
boastful. Efforts were made to induce the Indians to join the
western levies, but the redman was too astute to commit himself.
Nitchtie, as the Indian is called in the west, always -wagers on the
winning horse.
Coining down from
Qu'Appelle and gathering his forces at Brandon and Portage la
Prairie, Cuthbert Grant, with great spirit and bravery, swept down
to overwhelm the English company and the helpless colonists. Mounted
on fleet Indian ponies the party moved with great rapidity. Some
four miles -vest of the Forks, the Nor'-Wester and half-breed
contingent left the banks of the Assiniboine and crossed the
prairie, probably to avoid Fort Douglas and to join forces with the
eastern contingent.
It was on June 19tli,
1816—a sad and bloody day commemorated by a stone monument three
miles north of the city of Winnipeg, at the side of the king's
highway—that Cuthbert Grant's party was seen from the watch tower of
Fort Douglas, and the governor with a party of twenty sallied out to
meet them, largely unprotected and no doubt entirely underestimating
the danger which lay before them. Frill of bravery, that all now see
to have been the most fatal rashness, Governor Semple went on,
sending back for a cannon which was in the fort.
The half-breeds on
their horses approached Governor Semple's party in the form of a
half moon at a point near the Red River called Seven
Oaks, and made a
dashing and threatening display as they swept forward.
The colonists had
betaken themselves to Fort Douglas, and in the accents of their
mournful Gaelic tongue made sad complaint. A daring fellow named
Boucher came from the ranks of the attacking party and approached
the governor. Gesticulating wildly, he called out in broken English,
"What do you want? What do you want?" Governor Semple answered,
"What do you want?" To this Boucher replied, "We want our fort." The
governor said, "Well, go to your fort." At this juncture the
governor unwisely placed his hand on Boucher's gun. Immediately a
shot was fired, probably by accident, and at once the firing became
general. It has generally been believed that the first shot,
intentional or unintentional, was fired from the bois-brules line.
In a few minutes the work was done. Semple, his staff, as well as
others of the party to the number of twenty-two, fell—killed and
wounded.
Governor Semple had
his thigh bone broken by a shot, but was not killed. A kind
French-Canadian undertook to care for the governor, but in the fury
of the fight an Indian—the greatest rascal of the company—shot the
wounded officer in the breast and killed him instantly. There were
few Indians in the attacking party, but the half-breeds were many of
them disguised in Indian dress and painted for the war dance.
Rarely does so
complete a slaughter take place, and the plains of Rupert's Land had
seen nothing approaching it in horror since the coming of the white
man. Cuthbert Grant was full of. excitement. Before the skirmish was
fairly over he declared that unless the fort were given up
immediately, it would be taken by force and every man, woman and
child would be put to death. This policy, seemingly as determined as
that of "Old Noll," was effective, and led to a bloodless surrender
of Fort Douglas. On the evening of the third day after the fight,
after an inventory had been taken of the effects, the band of
colonists mournfully filed out of their fort, again to betake
themselves to Lake Winnipeg, their haven of rest in trouble.
The other party which
had come from Fort William was to meet that of Cuthbert Grant before
the attack was made. It was perhaps this feet that led the western
leader to conduct his men across the prairie in the rear of Fort
Douglas. The eastern contingent was under the command of A. McLeod
and two Swiss mercenaries engaged by the Nor'Westers in Montreal.
The length of the journey from Fort William-more than four hundred
miles —is sufficient cause for their failure to reach the rendezvous
promptly. the party was coming up Red River when they met the seven
or eight boats loaded with colonists whom Cuthbert Grant had allowed
to depart under the command of the sheriff of the Red River
Settlement.
A very clear account
of the latter part of this sanguinary episode in the fur traders'
history is given by Sergeant Huerter, one of the Swiss mercenaries
who had accompanied McLeod. After McLeod had challenged the
retreating settlers he ordered them ashore, examined all the papers
in their effects, took possession of all letters, account books, and
documents of every kind, broke open Governor Semple's trunks, and
indeed treated the poor colonists with needless severity.
Seven days after the
fight McLeod's party arrived at Fort Douglas, and was received with
volleys of artillery arid small arms. As senior officer on his
arrival McLeod took command of the fort, and occupied the quarters
lately used by Governor Semple. Huerter visited the field of Seven
Oaks shortly after his arrival and saw a miserable sight. A number
of human bodies lay scattered about the plains, and were nearly
reduced to skeletons, very little flesh adhering to the bones. It
was said that many of the bodies had been partly devoured by dogs
and wolves.
The savage Indian
blood did not fail to assert itself in the rejoicings and revelry
that took place after the victory. The Bois-bules were painted, and
danced naked after the Indian fashion. Riotous scenes took place day
after day. Violent threats were freely made against the Hudson's Bay
Company, Lord Selkirk—the founder—and even against the poor
colonists themselves.
The poet of the
French half-breeds—a rhymster named Pierre Falcon—celebrated the
victory in his irregular numbers. The first stanza ran:—
"Do you wish to listen
to celebrate a song of truth?
The nineteenth of June the boia-bules have arrived
As brave warriors,
They have arrived at the Frog Plain."
The last stanza has
been versified:—
Who has sung this song
of triumph?
The good Pierre Falcon has composed it
That his praise of these bois-brules
Alight be ever more recorded."
Alexander Ross, the
historian of the early Red River days, has given a curious sequel to
this deed of blood on the part of the bois-brules under their Nor'-Wester
leaders. Of the sixty-five persons who composed Cuthbert Grant's
party, he points out that no less than twenty-six met a violent or
sudden death, and he gives the names and fate of the twenty-six in
his work on Red River Settlement. Equally curious is the answer
given by Joseph Tasse in his "Canadians of the West." "Ross would
see in the miserable death of these men almost a chastisement of
Providence, as if it was not unfortunately too often the lot
reserved for these intrepid men, who pass their life in the chase,
on the plains, or in the game forests of the North-rest, who are
constantly exposed to the greatest dangers and to accidents of every
kind." |
