Four Months Under Arms

              Indians
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Looting

Post

Page 15
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trench. Logs were cut in the nearby woods and hauled in as soon as cut and stood on end in the deep trench, and by night of 7th of May it was almost complete. Morning of the 6th, Angus McKay and two others had started for the post about 25 miles north, and taken the two light horses to ride, and they reached the post at dark, and found that the Indians were looting it. They were made prisoners and placed in one of two cabins that stood close together. They were securely bound, but no guards were placed as every Indian wanted to get his share of the loot. A French half-breed who Angus had befriended, lived in the other cabin, and during the day he dug a hole through from his cellar to the one where the captives were. As soon as it got dark they started for the depot, and reached there about 10 o'clock the forenoon of the 8th. We left Green Lake depot in the late afternoon of the 8th, and marched till dark and camped. Garson riding a couple of miles in the rear came in after dark and reported no one following. We placed guards around the camp and tethered Garson's horse and figured we were all safe. There was a heavy hoar frost during the night, and the next morning an old Hudson Bay man showed us where two Indians had circled the camp, their footprints were clear on the frosted grass. We got back to the Big Grass river crossing on the afternoon of the 11th. No canoe this time. I was a strong swimmer in my young days, and was the youngest of the party, and tied a light rope about my shoulders and swam across. The rope was longer than twice the width of the river. I stood close to the bank, and they tied a breeches buoy in the rope, and I would run back pulling across one man at a time till several had crossed. Then we fastened a rope to the end of the tongue, and another to the rear, .and lashed the box and bedding securely, then pulling on the Tope the teamster made the approach safely. We reached the north bank of the Saskatchewan river on the afternoon of the 15th of May, and were ferried across by the Eteamer Northwest. We were all taken up to the Hudson's Bay Company store, and our bed rolls searched and some valuable furs were found in one of the helper's bed roll. He lost his pay and was threatened with a trial for theft. It had been reported in Prince Albert that the entire party had been killed, and it was a great relief to the folks we were back safely. It was then we learned that Middleton's forces had ~aptured Batoche. BATTLES OF FISH CREEK AND BATOCHE

Middleton's first contact with the rebels was at Fish Creek. The rebels had dug a line of rifle pits along the top of the steep bank of the creek, about half a mile on each side of the bridge, .and camouflaged them with brush, and then destroyed the bridge across the creek, the troops had to advance across open level prairie to the attack. The rebels held this for two days and reiired to Batoche, where they had built a long barricade of sad six feet high.