609:. The Indigenous force had enormous advantages of terrain, virtually surrounding Otter's troops on an inclined, triangular plain. Cree war chief Fine Day deployed his soldiers successfully in wooded ravines. After about six hours of fighting, Otter retreated. Casualties would have been very high as the militia re-crossed the creek, had not Chief Poundmaker persuaded the Indigenous warriors not to pursue the government troops. Otter's force suffered 8 dead and 14 wounded while Poundmaker's force only suffered 5-6 killed and 3 wounded. The defeat at Cut Knife delayed the lifting of the siege and delayed Middleton's assault on Batoche. After the defeat of the Métis force at the
288:
126:
37:
466:
457:
448:
439:
148:
556:
them their looted provisions including cattle and horses then eventually returned to
Poundmaker's reserve. The New Town was protected due to its proximity to the Fort and its cannon. However, the Old Town was not. The occupants of the Fort could only watch as the Old Town, about a mile away, was plundered, looted and burned. Stolen vehicles and horses carried away the supplies of the
311:
359:
423:
375:
343:
327:
295:
391:
407:
866:
641:, the Siege of Battleford has remained a source of debate among historians. Historian Douglas Hill characterized the Cree in his book, The Opening of the Canadian West, as a "war party ... ready to take revenge for a winter of incalculable suffering" who "swooped on Battleford, killing six whites". Canadian historian
555:
were raided their horses and cattle rounded up by the Cree. On March 30, Poundmaker asked for a meeting with the Indian agent J. M. Rae. After Rae refused to meet with him, the Cree raided food and supplies from abandoned stores and houses. The next day, the Cree camped a few miles away bringing with
604:
north from a second railhead at Swift
Current to relieve Battleford and lift the siege. On 1 May, Colonel Otter moved west from Battleford with 300 men. In the early morning of the next day on 2 May, he was confronted by the Cree and Assiniboine force just west of Cut Knife Creek, 40 km from
645:
writing on the event indicated that the Cree were not murderous but more haphazard and bumbling stating "they did not appear to have in mind an attack upon the town but were content with prowling around the neighbourhood". In
October 2010,
629:. Just half a dozen buildings were left standing by the end of the siege. The amount of damage caused during the siege was reported to be upwards of $ 300,000. Which is equivalent to roughly $ 10 million in 2023.
681:
McPhillips' alphabetical and business directory of the district of
Saskatchewan, N.W.T.: Together with brief historical sketches of Prince Albert, Battleford and the other settlements in the district, 1888 (p.
596:
to end the rebellion as quickly as possible. Furthermore, the militiamen under his command were mostly untrained volunteers which
Middleton had to train as they marched to the front. However, the
650:
stated that they stop using the word "siege" in its posters and programming to describe the "sometimes violent, sometimes tragic events at the frontier community during the
Northwest Rebellion."
203:
551:
for protection against the Cree raids. Fort
Battleford was under the command of Colonel William Morris and had a small garrison of 25 police. During the night of March 29 nearby
625:
Casualties on both sides were relatively light. 3 militiamen, 7 Cree and 2-6 civilians were killed over the course of the siege. Most homes were burned, including the home of
474:
287:
986:
935:
196:
867:"Numbered key, drawn in pen and ink, to accompany the painting "The Surrender of Poundmaker to Major General Middleton at Battleford, on May 26th, 1885""
966:
189:
528:
798:
908:
976:
64:
996:
592:
as he predicted that capturing
Batoche would end the rebellion. Middleton was also under pressure from Canadian Prime Minister
413:
267:
961:
561:
482:
in 1885 (within the black diamonds) included the central section of
Saskatchewan and extended into Alberta and Manitoba.
527:
for arms, ammunition and food supplies. The raids caused civilians to flee to the larger settlements and forts of the
585:
991:
614:
155:
544:
600:
and the siege of
Battleford forced Middleton to change his plan. He sent a large group under Lieutenant-Colonel
569:
524:
479:
848:
504:
971:
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General Middleton's original plan was simple. He planned to march all his troops north from the railhead at
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540:
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763:
812:
830:
593:
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232:
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36:
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252:
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28:
909:
https://www.sasktoday.ca/highlights/rewriting-history-how-can-fort-battleford-tell-the-truth-7252243
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573:
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349:
272:
257:
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commanded Poundmaker were on their way to Battleford. 500 civilians began moving into the nearby
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747:
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147:
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981:
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889:
The history of the North-West Rebellion of 1885 (Otter's March to Battleford) p.109
647:
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and the surrender of Louis Riel to Middleton on May 15. Poundmaker surrendered to
519:
who were sympathetic to the Métis cause and with grievances of their own began
317:
142:
93:
560:
and the other merchants. All the public buildings were sacked, including the
79:
66:
181:
936:"Cree win war of words over 'siege' of Fort Battleford 125 years ago"
130:
125:
667:
https://nwmp.galtmuseum.com/chapters/the-north-west-rebellion-begins
516:
118:
185:
764:"The Illustrated War News, 02 May 1885, Page 7, Item Ar00701"
41:
Poundmaker surrenders to Middleton in Battleford May 26, 1885
770:. Toronto: Grip Print. and Pub. Co. 1885-05-02. p. 7
696:
http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vol14/no4/page54-eng.asp
788:
786:
784:
715:. Battleford, Saskatchewan. pp. VOL. V11., No 15.
749:The war trail of Big Bear (The Fall of Fort Pitt)
495:which lasted from 28 March 1885 to 26 May 1885.
21:
685:, Prince Albert, NWT: Henry Thomas McPhillips
197:
8:
523:stores and farms in the western part of the
465:
456:
447:
438:
797:sfnp error: no target: CITEREFMorton1999 (
204:
190:
182:
18:
16:Canadian siege during North-West rebellion
752:, Toronto: Ryerson Press (published 1926)
707:Laurie, Patrick Gammie (April 23, 1885).
659:
792:
987:First Nations history in Saskatchewan
605:Battleford which would result in the
7:
617:at Fort Battleford on May 26, 1885.
539:On 28 March 1885, news arrived that
746:William Bleasdell Cameron (1888),
358:
310:
94:Battleford, North-West Territories
14:
886:Mulvaney, Charles Pelham (1885),
422:
374:
342:
326:
294:
967:Military history of Saskatchewan
922:The Opening of the Canadian West
678:Henry Thomas McPhillips (1888),
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405:
389:
373:
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892:, Toronto: A.H. Hovey & Co
853:www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
835:www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
817:www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
727:"Government House, Battleford"
1:
406:
53:March 28, 1885 - May 26, 1885
562:Battleford Industrial School
568:and his men safety reached
1013:
977:North-West Mounted Police
588:to the Riel's capital in
545:North-West Mounted Police
223:
175:
162:
136:
112:
45:
34:
26:
997:Battles involving Canada
709:"Battleford Beleaguered"
525:District of Saskatchewan
480:District of Saskatchewan
813:"North-West Resistance"
491:was a siege during the
920:Hill, Douglas (1967).
535:Beginning of the siege
529:North-West Territories
137:Commanders and leaders
831:"Battle of Cut Knife"
637:Like the rest of the
627:Judge Charles Rouleau
598:killings at Frog Lake
594:Sir John A. Macdonald
163:Casualties and losses
962:North-West Rebellion
639:North-West Rebellion
602:William Dillon Otter
564:. On 21 April 1885,
558:Hudson's Bay Company
493:North-West Rebellion
475:class=notpageimage|
233:Battleford (Looting)
215:North-West Rebellion
176:2-6 civilians killed
29:North-West Rebellion
924:. John Day Company.
849:"Battle of Batoche"
713:Saskatchewan Herald
607:Battle of Cut Knife
574:Battle of Fort Pitt
509:Battle of Duck Lake
489:Siege of Battleford
156:Frederick Middleton
76: /
22:Siege of Battleford
941:The Globe and Mail
238:Battleford (Siege)
80:52.738°N 108.315°W
992:March 1885 events
615:General Middleton
611:Battle of Batoche
580:Lifting the siege
281:
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268:Frenchman's Butte
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104:Canadian Victory
91:
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85:52.738; -108.315
81:
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47:
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39:
19:
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566:Francis Dickens
549:Fort Battleford
537:
507:victory at the
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40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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972:1885 in Canada
969:
964:
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804:
795:, p. 102.
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643:George Stanley
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153:William Morris
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24:
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15:
13:
10:
9:
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2:
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944:. 2010-10-21.
943:
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823:
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793:Morton (1999)
789:
787:
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769:
768:J.W. Bengough
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571:
567:
563:
559:
554:
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546:
542:
534:
532:
530:
526:
522:
518:
514:
511:on March 26,
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52:
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44:
38:
33:
30:
25:
20:
939:
930:
921:
915:
904:
894:, retrieved
888:
881:
870:. Retrieved
861:
852:
843:
834:
825:
816:
807:
772:. Retrieved
767:
758:
748:
741:
730:. Retrieved
721:
712:
702:
691:
680:
673:
662:
648:Parks Canada
636:
624:
583:
541:Indian bands
538:
502:
488:
486:
237:
113:Belligerents
27:Part of the
83: /
71:108°18′54″W
956:Categories
896:2014-04-10
872:2015-05-11
774:2013-11-24
732:2013-12-07
654:References
586:Qu’Appelle
572:after the
570:Battleford
553:homesteads
517:Cree bands
503:After the
499:Background
366:Fish Creek
318:Battleford
253:Fish Creek
143:Poundmaker
68:52°44′17″N
621:Aftermath
430:Loon Lake
382:Cut Knife
350:Fort Pitt
334:Frog Lake
302:Duck Lake
273:Loon Lake
258:Cut Knife
248:Fort Pitt
243:Frog Lake
228:Duck Lake
171:3 killed
168:7 killed
58:Location
590:Batoche
521:raiding
398:Batoche
263:Batoche
633:Debate
547:post,
158:(late)
145:
131:Canada
101:Result
505:Métis
414:Butte
982:Cree
799:help
513:1885
487:The
478:The
119:Cree
50:Date
682:53)
958::
938:.
851:.
833:.
815:.
783:^
766:.
711:.
576:.
531:.
515:.
875:.
855:.
837:.
819:.
801:)
777:.
735:.
205:e
198:t
191:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
