Of the
Fort itself he took possession as Bourgeois or master and laid his plans
in August, 1814, for the destruction of the Selkirk Colony. Cameron then
began a systematic course of ingratiating himself with the Colonists.
Speaking, as he did the Gaelic language, he appealed with much success
to his countrymen. He represented himself as their friend and stirred up
the people of Red River against Selkirk tyranny. He pictured to them
their wrongs, the broken promises of the founder, and the undesirability
of remaining in the Colony. He brought the settlers freely to his table,
treating them openly to the beverage of their native country, and
completely captured the hearts of a number of them. Those, friends of
his, he made use of to carry out his deep plans. On the very day of the
issue of the rations, he induced some of the Colonists to demand the
nine small cannon in the Colony store houses. The request was refused by
Archibald Macdonald, the acting Governor. The settlers then went
forward, broke open the store houses and removed the cannon. Macdonald
now arrested the leading settler, who had taken the field pieces,
whereupon Cameron, like a small Napoleon, incited his clerks and men, to
invade the Governor's house and release the prisoner.
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