WOLSELEY'S WELCOME.
Canada's military experience, ever since the excitement of the "Trent
Affair," had been in dealing with a persistent band of Irishmen, posing
as Fenians, and egged on by sympathizers in the United States. Now there
was trouble, as we have seen, in her own borders, and though here again,
American influence of a hostile nature played its part, yet it was those
connected with one of the two races in Canada who were now giving
trouble in the Northwestern prairies. Such an outbreak was more
dangerous than Fenianism, for to the credit of the Irish in Canada, it
should be said that they gave no countenance to the Fenian intruders.
The French people in Quebec, however, had strong sympathies for their
race in the Red River Settlement. No one in Canada believed that any
injustice could be done to either the English or French elements on the
banks of Red River, but Sir George Cartier fought strongly for his own,
and was very unwilling to allow an expedition to go out to Manitoba with
hostile intent. Of the two battalions of volunteers that went out to Red
River, one was from Quebec, but one military authority states that there
were not fifty French-Canadians all told in the Quebec battalion. It had
been proposed that Col. Wolseley, who was to command the Red River
Expedition, should be appointed Governor of the new province of
Manitoba, but this was sturdily opposed by the French-Canadian section
of the Cabinet, and Hon. Adams G. Archibald, a Nova Scotian, was
appointed to the post of Governor. Hampered thus, in so far as exercising
any civil functions wereconcerned, Col. Garnet Wolseley was chosen by the
British officer in command in Canada--General Lindsay--to organize this
expedition. Wolseley was very popular, having served in Burmah, India,
the Crimea and China. The Ontario battalion soon had to refuse
applications, and from Ontario the complement of the Quebec battalion was
filled up. It was decided also that a battalion of regulars, with small
bodies of artillery and engineers should take the lead in the expedition.
Thus, a force of 1,200 men was speedily gathered together and put at the
disposal of Colonel Wolseley. Two hundred boats, each some 25 to 30 feet
long, carrying four tons as well as fourteen men as a crew, were built;
the voyageurs numbered some four hundred men. No sooner did the Fenians
in the United States hear of this expedition than they threatened Lower
Canada, and spoke of interrupting the troops as they passed Sault Ste.
Marie. The United States also refused to allow soldiers or munitions of
war to pass up their Sault Canal. The rallying began in May, and though
the troops were compelled to debark themselves and their stores at Sault
Ste. Marie, portage them around the Sault and replace them in the
steamers again, yet all the troops were landed at Port Arthur on Lake
Superior by the 21st of June, their officers declaring "our mission is
one of peace, and the sole object of it is to secure Her Majesty's
Sovereign authority." Some time was lost in endeavoring to use land
carriage up from Port Arthur as far as Lake Shebandowan. The
difficulties were so great that the scouts were led to find another
route for the boats up the Kaministiquia River. In this they were
successful; in all this worry from mosquitoes, black flies and deer
flies in millions, the troops preserved their good temper, and Col.
Wolseley said, "I have never been with any body of men in the field so
well fed as this has been." (July 10th.) The real start of the
expedition was from Lake Shebandowan. The three brigades of boats--A. B.
and C.--seventeen in all, got off from Shebandowan shore on the evening
of July 16th; by the 4th of August Rainy River was reached, and at Fort
Frances Colonel Wolseley met Captain Butler, who had acted as
intelligence officer, having adroitly passed under Riel's shadow, and
being able now to give the news required. It was still the statement and
belief of Riel that "Wolseley would never reach Fort Garry." Crossing
Lake of the Woods the regular troops were pushed ahead, and on
descending Winnipeg River they reached Fort Alexander and Lake Winnipeg
on August 20th. Here Commissioner Donald A. Smith, having come through
in a light canoe, met Colonel Wolseley. After a short delay Colonel
Wolseley's command hastened to the Red River, ascended it, and
cautiously approached Fort Garry. It was still uncertain whether Riel
was to oppose the expedition or not. The troops formed for what
emergency might arise, and two small guns were in readiness should they
be required. When Fort Garry was sighted, its guns were mounted, and
everything seemed ready for defence. The officers of the expedition, as
they approached it were quite ready for a shot to be fired from the
battlements, but there was no movement, Riel, Lepine, and O'Donoghue
alone, were left of the Metis levy, and as the 60th Rifles drew near the
Fort the three were seen to escape from the river gate and to flee
across the bridge of boats on the Assiniboine River. Capt. Huyshe states
that the troops took possession of the fort with a bloodless victory,
the Union Jack was hoisted, three cheers were given for the Queen and
the Riel regime was at an end. The militia regiments arrived on the 27th
of August, and two days afterwards the Imperial troops started back to
their headquarters in Ontario. Captain Buller, who afterward became so
celebrated in South Africa, took his company down the Dawson road to the
northwest angle of the Lake of the Woods, and thus returned eastward,
while Colonel McNeil left the country by way of Red River, through the
United States. Shortly afterward, on September 2nd, Lieutenant-Governor
Archibald arrived by the Winnipeg River route, and began his work.
[Illustration: WINNIPEG IN 1871]
[Illustration: WINNIPEG IN 1870]
The joy of all classes of the people was unbounded. The English
halfbreeds had been loyal through the whole of the disturbances.
Kildonan Church had been the headquarters of the Loyalists in their
attempted rally, and after the execution of Scott, the French
half-breeds had gradually dropped off from Riel, until he and his two
companions formed a helpless trio shorn of all power.