The Battle of Frenchman's Butte, fought on May 28, 1885, occurred when a force of Cree, dug in on a hillside near Frenchman's Butte, was unsuccessfully attacked by the Alberta Field Force. The Battle of Batoche begins The North-West Rebellion (or North-West Resistance or the Saskatchewan Rebellion) of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful attempt by the Métis people of Saskatchewan to establish their own sovereign nation independent of the Dominion of Canada. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Cree camp near Vermilion, Alberta A native american tribe of the Algonquian nation, the Cree form an aboriginal nation who once lived in the Northern Plains of North America. ... Canada is the second largest and the northern-most country in the world, occupying most of the North American land mass. ... Thomas Bland Strange in 1871 Thomas Bland Strange (15 September 1831 – 9 July 1925) was a British soldier noted for his service with the Canadian militia during the North-West Rebellion of 1885. ... The Battle of Batoche begins The North-West Rebellion (or North-West Resistance or the Saskatchewan Rebellion) of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful attempt by the Métis people of Saskatchewan to establish their own sovereign nation independent of the Dominion of Canada. ... The Battle of Duck Lake is the name given to the skirmish between Métis warriors of Saskatchewan and Canadian government forces that signaled the beginning of the North-West Rebellion on March 26, 1885. ... The Battle of Fort Pitt was part of a Cree uprising coinciding with the Métis revolt that started the North-West Rebellion in 1885. ... The Battle of Fish Creek, fought April 24, 1885, was a major Saskatchewanian victory over the government forces attempting to quell Louis Riels North-West Rebellion. ... The Battle of Cut Knife, fought on May 2nd, 1885, occurred when a small force of Cree and Assiniboine warriors were attacked by a flying column of mounted police, militia, and Canadian army regulars. ... The Battle of Batoche was the decisive Canadian victory over Métis rebels that led to the surrender of Louis Riel on May 15 and the collapse of his provisional governments resistance in the North-West Rebellion (the Cree, however, would continue to successfully engage Canadian authorities in the weeks... The Battle of Loon Lake concluded the North-West Rebellion on June 3, 1885. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Cree camp near Vermilion, Alberta A native american tribe of the Algonquian nation, the Cree form an aboriginal nation who once lived in the Northern Plains of North America. ... Alberta (Provisional District) was the name of a federal electoral district in the Northwest Territories, Canada. ...

Background

A band of Cree led by Chief Big Bear, living in what is now central Alberta and Saskatchewan joined the North-West Rebellion of 1885 after the Métis success at the Battle of Duck Lake. The starving band seized food and supplies from several white settlements and captured Fort Pitt, taking prisoners. Major-General Thomas Bland Strange, a retired British officer living near Calgary, raised a force of cowboys and other white settlers, added to them two units of North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), and headed north. He was reinforced by three infantry units from the east, bringing his forces to some 1,000 men. While he left some of his force to provide protection for the isolated white settlements in the area, he led several hundred troops east to Fort Pitt. The Cree burnt the fort ahead of him and retreated to the nearby hills. Over the next few days, Strange's scouts fought skirmishes with small groups of Cree and marched over Frenchman's Butte. On the night of May 27, the Cree dug in at the top of a hill east of the Butte and waited. Big Bear was born in the Canadian Northwest in 1825. ... Motto: Fortis et Liber (Strong and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Area 661,848 km² (6th)  - Land 642,317 km²  - Water 19,531 km² (2. ... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (From many peoples, strength) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Lieutenant Governor Lynda M. Haverstock Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Area 651,036 km² (7th)  - Land 591,670 km²  - Water 59,366 km² (9. ... The Battle of Batoche begins The North-West Rebellion (or North-West Resistance or the Saskatchewan Rebellion) of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful attempt by the Métis people of Saskatchewan to establish their own sovereign nation independent of the Dominion of Canada. ... The Métis (pronounced MAY tee, IPA: , in French: or ) are one of three recognized Canadian aboriginal groups whose homeland consists of the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories. ... The Battle of Duck Lake is the name given to the skirmish between Métis warriors of Saskatchewan and Canadian government forces that signaled the beginning of the North-West Rebellion on March 26, 1885. ... The Battle of Fort Pitt was part of a Cree uprising coinciding with the Métis revolt that started the North-West Rebellion in 1885. ... Thomas Bland Strange in 1871 Thomas Bland Strange (15 September 1831 – 9 July 1925) was a British soldier noted for his service with the Canadian militia during the North-West Rebellion of 1885. ... Motto: Heart of the new west Area: 712. ... The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP or Mounties; French, Gendarmerie royale du Canada, GRC) is both the federal police force and the national police of Canada. ... May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ...

The Battle

Early on the morning of May 28, the Cree warriors divided into two groups. Wandering Spirit, the Cree war chief, led some 200 warriors to positions in the trenches and rifle pits, while Little Poplar remained with a second group to protect the camp, some two miles away. General Strange arrived opposite the Cree position at six in the morning and opened fire with a piece of artillery. The Cree responded, opening fire on Strange's units. Some Canadian troops tried to cross the valley, but they found the bottom covered in muskeg. On top of this, there was a steep, open hillside in front of the Cree, making any frontal assault suicidal. Strange pulled his forces back and deployed them along the bottom of the valley. The two units of NWMP formed the left flank. To their right was the 65th battalion of Montreal, with the Winnipeg Light Infantry in the centre, while the right flank was formed by the Alberta Mounted Rifles. Main article: History of Montreal Algonquin, Huron, and Iroquois have inhabited the Montreal area for some eight thousand years. ... Motto: Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Area: 465. ...

The two sides exchanged fire for three hours. Cree rifle fire wounded some of the Canadian troops in the valley, while the Canadian artillery put holes in the hillside, damaging the trenches. Eventually, General Strange ordered Major Sam Steele to lead the NWMP north and outflank the Cree. The Cree saw this, and Wandering Spirit led a group of warriors along the tops of the hills, parallel to Steele, and occasionally opened fire. This caused the NWMP to believe that the Cree's lines were much longer than they actually were, so Steele turned back. Around the same time, some Cree warriors managed to outflank the Alberta Mounted Rifles and almost captured the supply train. Afraid of being attacked from behind, General Strange ordered his force to retreat. The Canadians withrew to Fort Pitt after three hours of fighting. The Cree slipped away later that day, initiating the final stage of the rebellion, as more than 1,000 men searched the woods for Big Bear's band. Sir Samuel Benfield Steele Major General Sir Samuel Benfield Steele, CB, KCMG, MVO (January 5, 1849 - January 30, 1919) was a famous member of the North West Mounted Police. ...

On May 29th, near Frenchman's Butte Inspector S.B. Steele made contact with an Indian scouting party. Steeles scouts called out to the party and was fired upon. Steeles troups returned fire and killed the first Indian casulaty of the war. "Upon hearing that Steel's scouts had killed an Indian from Saddle Lake on the banks of the pipestone creek (some two miles from Fort Pitt) I rode down with a friend to view the remains and found his body on top the hill where he evidently had been dragged by the scout. His body was stripped of all clothing with the rope (cut short to about one yard in length) still around his neck, which had cut into his jaw. He was a huge fine looking Indian , 'Ma-me-nook'by name. The scout who had captured his mount(a swift-footed black stallion belonging to the HBCo) had galloped around the prairie with the rope attached to his saddle pommel, trailing the body in the grass in circles, the trails of which were still visible. He had thus been left exposed for days before being buried; and his body from the intense heat , was hugh in size when I saw him. I requested to have him buried. " H.A. MacKay, Memoires, HBCo archives and Glenbow Archives.

Conclusion

The battle was a victory for the Cree, albeit a hollow one. It bought them time to escape from Strange, but the rebellion was hopeless. The Métis had been defeated at the Battle of Batoche three weeks earlier, and Poundmaker's joint Cree-Assiniboine force had been forced to surrender. The Big Bear band fell apart during the retreat to the north. The Battle of Loon Lake on June 3 demoralised them further, and by early July the rebellion was over. Big Bear was captured and imprisoned. Wandering Spirit was executed along with seven others. General Strange retired back to his ranch and the Alberta Field Force disbanded. The Battle of Batoche was the decisive Canadian victory over Métis rebels that led to the surrender of Louis Riel on May 15 and the collapse of his provisional governments resistance in the North-West Rebellion (the Cree, however, would continue to successfully engage Canadian authorities in the weeks... Pitikwahanapiwiyin (or Poundmaker) (1842-1886) was a visionary Plains Cree chief known as a peacemaker and defender of his people. ... The Assiniboine, also known as the Assnipwan or sometimes the Stone Sioux, are a Native American people, originally from the Northern Great Plains area of North America, specifically in present-day Montana and parts of Canada around the US/Canadian border. ... The Battle of Loon Lake concluded the North-West Rebellion on June 3, 1885. ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...