The Northwest Rebellion 1885

The Battleford Column consisted of;

The column reached Swift Current on April 11th. The next day they began the 208-mile march north to Battleford. Winter was still in full effect and the troops suffered through snow, sleet, rain and winds. Their meals were eaten cold because there was no wood available for cooking. Eventually, late on April 22, wagon teams arrived with wood, so the men had a hot breakfast the next day. The column reached Battleford on the 24th to find 530 people crowded into the fort that was only 200 yards square.

The Cree left Battleford before the column arrived. They made no attempt to pillage or burn the town. The soldiers began building earth works around Government House a large building on the south side of the Battle River. They christened this Fort Otter.

Lieutenant Colonel Otter decided to conduct a reconnaissance in force to locate and determined the intentions of the Indians. In his official report he wrote:

Having learned on the 20th ult. from my scouts, that of force of Cree and Stony Indians, numbering about 200 men, were encamped near the reserve of the former tribe, some thirty-eight miles from here, and subsequently that Poundmaker, the Cree chief, was hesitating between peace and war, the latter eventually depending upon his being able to obtain assistance from Big Bear's tribe, I felt it necessary that definite action should be taken in order to make Poundmaker declare himself, and prevent a junction of the forces of the two chiefs. I determined on a reconnaissance in force.

The idea that a force of over 300 men could sneak up on a group of Indians on their own reservation seems strange, but that was his plan. At 4 a.m. on Friday May 1^st, a flying column left Battleford four Cut Knife. They arrived at daybreak on May 2^nd.

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"In Pace Paratus - In Peace Prepared"