The Canadian Civil War...!


It is almost completely unknown in Europe that there was also a civil war in Canada in the 19th century. However, it was much shorter than the US Civil War.

The Canadian Civil War is now somewhat euphemistically called the "Northwest Rebellion". This "rebellion" lasted from March 6th to June 3rd, 1885.

On the side stood in particular the "Métis", descendants of fur hunters and fur traders originally from France - the so-called "Coureurs de bois" (trappers) ...





... who have long felt themselves to be Canadian natives. They were joined by many local tribes of the Cree and Assiniboin peoples in northwest Canada.

In general, the civil war took place exclusively in the north-west of the country - hence its current name.



The Métis and the indigenous people allied with them fought primarily against the colonial assimilation pressure that the majority of the English-Canadians exerted on them and which they also dominated economically.

Undisputed leaders of the Métis (or Franco-Canadians) were Gabriel Dupont ...



...and Louis Riel...



... who, along with the native leader, Mistahimaskwa ("Big Bear") ...



... formed a kind of triumvirate.

On the other side were armed forces of the "Royal Canadian Mounted Police" (RCMP) under Major General Sir Frederick Dobson Middleton ...:



The rebels won the first armed clash, the Battle of Lake Duck on March 26, 1885, but made - probably out of their own exhaustion - the mistake of not pursuing and rubbing off the fleeing enemy.

Meanwhile, General Middleton worked out a plan to divide the rebel forces and focus in particular on the annihilation of Riel and his people, widely believed to be the ideological and strategic head of the rebellion.

However, the so-called "Lake Frog massacre" followed when Mistahimaskwa and his people attacked a settlement of English Canadians on April 2nd, killing nine settlers who had fled to a church and the others being taken hostage. ..:





The retaliatory campaign launched by General Midleton culminated on April 24 in the Battle of Fish Creek with another defeat for RCMP troops, who suffered heavy losses; the Franco-Canadians, who had expected the force to be well entrenched, lost few men.



The insurgents also called the next clash, as a détachement of the RCMP under Colonel William Otter ...



... was ambushed by the indigenous people under Mistahimaskwa on May 2nd in the Cut Knife reserve and was almost completely wiped out ...:



Again, the rebels did not take advantage of the opportunities offered by pursuing the fleeing enemy!


**continued next post**

Part II


On May 12, 1885, the main battle at Batoche broke out. Middleton's troops were vastly outnumbered - and also in terms of weapons.



The place of Batoche, around which the rebels under Riel and Dumont had holed up ...




... was on the Saskatchewan River, so that the RCMP could also use steamboats with artillery and Gatling automatic cannons.












Ultimately, the besieged ran out of ammunition - they had to surrender after great losses. On the next picture you can see captured Métis ...:



Riel and Dumont both managed to escape.

While Dumont fled across the border to the USA with a few loyal followers, gave himself up to the US cavalry in Montana - and received political asylum in the USA - Riel tried to continue the fight.

However, he was caught on the run by the RCMP and surrendered on May 15.

The next picture shows Riel - as a prisoner - out of focus in the foreground in the British camp ...:



Riel tried for high treason (speaking at his trial in the centre of the next picture)...



... sentenced to hanging and finally executed on November 16, 1885...:



The natives under Mistahimaskwa also tried to escape to the USA. They were, however, by local forces of the Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP) under Colonel Sam Steele ...



... persecuted mercilessly.

In the following weeks, the Indians surrendered one after the other, most recently Mistahimaskwa on July 2, which finally ended the rebellion...:



The leader was sentenced to prison, but there was also a death sentence against one of his subordinates, a Cree named Kâ-pçpâmahchakwçw ("Wandering Spirit")...



... who the court found responsible for the "Lake Frog" massacre.

End of the civil war - although one have to add that the relationship between Francocanadians and the English-speaking majority has remained a highly sensitive one to this day ...

Interesting Martin, I didn't know any of this. The French and English must have had more wars and disputes than any other two nations in history. We only just tolerate each other even now.

Bill

Exactely 49 wars between 1066 (Hastings) to 1942 (Oran).

Fortunately, number 50 (the naval battle for the Channel Islands Jersey and Guernsey) did not take place a few days ago ...

Cheers

When the BEF went to France in 1914, many of them were convinced they were going to fight the French. As Bill says, no love lost, as recent political events have reinforced.

Good thread Martin. I had heard of Riel but not of the insurrection.

Phil