[Illustration: LORD STRATHCONA AND MOUNT ROYAL. Governor of the Hudson's
Bay Company]
Among the earliest acts of the new provisional government was on
February 11th, the confiscation of Dr. Schultz's property, and of the
office of The Norwester newspaper. The type of The Norwester was said to
have been melted into bar lead and bullets. Judge Black, Father Richot,
and A.H. Scott were chosen as delegates to Ottawa, though the
appointment of the last of these, the "American delegate," was very
distasteful to the English-speaking people. The success of Riel led him
to dismiss about a quarter of the prisoners in Fort Garry. The fact that
he seemed to hold the remainder as hostages stirred up the English
people living along the Assiniboine.
What is usually called the "Portage la Prairie" Expedition was now
organized, to secure the release of the remaining prisoners. A body,
varying from sixty to one hundred, marched down to Headingly, and were
there joined by a number of English-speaking Canadians and others. They
then pushed on to Kildonan Church, where they were increased by a number
of English half-breeds from St. Andrew's and adjoining parishes. The
proposal was to attack the fort and set free the prisoners.
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