The excitement was especially high in the Qu'Appelle
district, some three hundred miles west of Red River.
As the spring of 1815 opened, all eyes were looking to the action of the
"New Nation" on the Qu'Appelle River as the Bois-brules under Cuthbert
Grant called themselves. As the whole of these events were afterwards
investigated by the law courts of Upper Canada, there is substantial
agreement about the facts. The first violence of the season is described
by Lieutenant Pambrun, a most accurate writer. He had served in the war
of 1812 and gained distinction. On entering the Hudson's Bay Company
service he was sent to Qu'Appelle district. In order to supply food at
Fort Douglas Pambrun started down the river to reach the Fort by
descending the Assiniboine with five boat loads of pemmican and furs. At
a landing place in the river Pambrun's convoy was surrounded and his
goods seized by Cuthbert Grant, Pambrun himself being kept for five days
as a prisoner. While in custody Pambrun saw every evidence of war-like
intentions on the part of the half-breeds. Cuthbert Grant frequently
announced their determination to destroy the Selkirk Settlement; in
boastful language it was declared that the Bois-brules would bow to no
authority in Rupert's Land; in their gatherings they sang French
war-songs to keep up the spirit of their corps.
Pages:
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120