Riel Rebellion 1869-1870 The Territorial Rights Of The Hudson's Bay


Company having been transferred to Canada, a surveying party under

Colonel Dennis was sent out to Red River in 1869, and the same year

William Macdougall was appointed lieutenant-governor of Rupert's Land,

and instructed to proceed to Fort Garry and assume control. The French

half-breeds, alarmed at these proceedings, which they thought menaced

the rights to their lands, turned back the surveying parties, and

prevented
Macdougall from crossing the boundary. They formed themselves

into a provisional government, of which Louis Riel was secretary, and

later was elected president. Riel published a "Bill of Rights," and

seized Fort Garry. An ill-judged attempt on the part of some of the

loyal settlers to compel the release of certain prisoners failed, and

the leader, Major Boulton, with Thomas Scott and others, was captured.

Boulton was released, but Riel caused Scott to be shot. Intense

indignation throughout Canada was aroused by this act, and the

government at once organized an expeditionary force, under Colonel

Wolseley. The force proceeded by way of the lakes, and the Dawson route

from Fort William to Lake Winnipeg. Wolseley reached Fort Garry on Aug.

24, 1870, to find that Riel, with his lieutenants Lepine and O'Donoghue,

had fled across the border. Riel was subsequently outlawed. =Index=: (Sir Georges E. Cartier era)

Its causes, 69. (Joseph Howe era) Joseph Howe's official connection with, 227-228.

See also Riel. =Bib.=: Huyshe, Red River Expedition; Boulton,

Reminiscences of the North-West Rebellions; Bryce, Manitoba;

McArthur, Causes of the Rising in Red River Settlement (Man. Hist. and

Sc. Soc., 1882); Denison, Reminiscences of the Rebellion of 1869 and

Soldiering in Canada.



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