Four Months Under Arms

              Paqe

16

The Battle
'.,

of Batochc
'~----------"'--,.,----

When the troops attacked Batoche, the women and children were taken across the river all the cable ferry at night. Riel also crossed the river, and was making his way to the Catholic Mission house at St. Laurent, when he was captured by three volunteer scouts from Prince Albert-Thos. Horrie, Robert Armstrong and Wm. Deihl. lIe WaS turned over to General Middleton, who sent him to Regina at once. The artillery soon destroyed the sad barricade, and the rebels fought a rearguGrd action from house to house, and when they saw they could not hold back thc attack, most of them crossed the river on the cable ferry at night, then loosed it from its moorings at both ends and the ferry drifted down the river several miles before it was caught and moored at the bank. Lack of ammunitie;l and no source of supply was onc of the f8ctors that forced the rear guard of 34 rebels to surrender on the 12th of May. The others had crossed the river 2nd dispersed to different camps farthel' north. The men who had been imprisoned since the 18th of March were released. The steamer, Northeote, had been repClired and went down and then up the South river salvaged to th" forks of Ihe river, the ferry and ton/ed it up to Batoche. 'where it was used to transport the troops across the rivEr, and then went on up the river to Clark's Crossing to traJ"pDj'l the Queen's Own Rifles acroso. who were marching to Battleford, undel' command of General Sirange. MIDDLETON'S TROOPS ENTRY TO PRINCE ALBERT A campsite had beer; prepared west of the town. and at noon on the 20th of May the troops marched in. They were led by the pipe band of the 90th Wknipeg BattaliOn. Then General Middleton (riding," beautiful \Vhit~ stallion which he had conLscated from a Frenchman named De Chambeau) and his staff, the 90th BattaLon, Colonel Bou!tcn',. Scouts and two batter:es of artillery. The Prince Albert b,-ass band he,d gone out to the camp site to welcome the troops in. It was as good as any band west of Winnipeg. When the 90th had fiYlished, we played a couple of our best and when the first papers reaclled town two weeks later, the Winnipeg Telegr8m had an account of the entry, written by their correspondent, a man named Ham. He described it thus: The band of the 90th played, the Prince Albat asses brayed, and all was hilarity. It w~s well for him, he had gone up the river to BattleforrJ with the troops, for th"t our E and B flat Basso's, both big men, would have deviJled his hams for him. A few days dter the troops came in, a very pleasing ceremony took place al General Middleton's headquarters, when he presented Chief MistClwassis uf the Siurgeorl Lake reserve with a medallion of Queen Victoria, for remaini'"g loyal. This medallion is cherished by his decendents who have always been loyal subjects. Some of them fought in the first Great War. The Chief was also shown how the Gatling gun was operated and he was very much impressed with the speed of firing the shells. A few d2Ys "fter the troops went to Battleford by steamers and Co!. Boulton's scouts by trail along the south side of North Saskatchewan River.