Sam Steele`s letters return to Canada

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

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 Sam Steele`s letters return to Canada
« on: Today at 06:18:39 PM »     

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Canwest News Service, 19 Jun 2008; Peter O`neil

The University of Alberta, with the help of the Canadian & Alberta governments, and other contributors (the Glenbow was specifically mentioned) has purchased the letters of Sam Steele.  They will be preserved, and will later be made available on the internet. Some of the documents, acquired from Steele`s descendants, are on display at the Canadian High Commission in London

[Dr. Bob]

Sir Charles,

For those of us south of the 49th Parallel, please tell us a bit about Sam Steele.  Thanks!!

[RattlesnakeJack]

Major General Sir Samuel Benfield Steele, CB, KCMG, MVO (5 January 1849 – 30 January 1919) - shown below as the Officer Commanding, Strathcona's Horse, during the Boer War .....

Sam Steele began service in the Canadian Militia during the Fenian Raids (starting in 1866) and later went on the
Red River Expedition (1870) sent to present-day Manitoba in response to the first Riel Rebellion.  He then served as an Instructor in the Canadian School of Artillery (the Artillery component of Canada's first "Army" ... a force of only 750 men designated "Permanent Militia".)

In 1873 he  was the third man to enlist in the newly formed North West Mounted Police, rising from the rank of staff Constable to the ultimate rank of Superintendent, in command of all NWMP in the Yukon Territory, having served in the meantime with distinction throughout the Canadian West, including command of a unit during the 1885 North West Rebellion.

In 1900, he accepted command, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel of Strathcona's Horse, a unit raised in Western Canada for Imperial Service in South Africa by Lord Strathcona (Donald Smith, a wealthy former high ranking Hudson's Bay Company officer and one of the founders of the Canadian Pacific Railway.)  After returning with the unit to Canada in 1901, he returned to command 'B' Division of the South African Constabulary until 1906 (the SAC was organized and commanded by Major-General Robert Baden-Powell, who later founded the Boy Scout movement.)

He ultimately commanded Canadian formations in Britain during World War One, and was knighted in 1918.

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-2410-e.html

http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/boer/samsteele_e.html

[Icebox Bob]

Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel Benfield Steele

Born January 5, 1849 (or '51 or '52) Medonte Twp. Upper Canada (became Ontario), son of a sea captain who served in the Napoleonic wars
Orpaned at age 13
Age 16 formed a squad of militia to serve against the Fenian Raids of 1866
1870 - volunteered with the Red River Expedition to Manitoba
1871 - attended artillery school in Kingston
1872 - assigned to Toronto to reorganise the city's artillery battery and returned to Kingston as an instructor
1873 - Joined the North-West Mounted Police at it's inception; regimental enrollment no. 2 (or 3 depending who you believe)
1874 - joined the NWMP march west as Staff Sergeant - Major
1877 - With U.S. Army General Alfred Howe Terry negotiated unsuccessfully with the Sitting Bull to arrange his return to the US
1878 - given command of Fort Qu'appelle
1882 - responsible for policing the entire length of the Canadian Pacific Railway construction
1885 - achieved rank of Superintendant
1885 - commanded unit of mounted troops (Steele's Scouts composed of NWMP and picked cowboys) under Major-General Strange and led the last battle ever fought on Canadian soil, defeating Big Bear
1887 - built Fort Steele
1887-8 - Commanded Kootenay Post and settled Indian troubles
1888 - assigned Fort McLeod
1890's - assigned to police the Klondike goldfields
1898 - made commissioner and assigned to the head of the Chilkoot Pass during the Klondike Gold Rush making it one of the least unruly gold rushes ever.
1899 - recalled to Ottawa and requested leave to enlist for thre Boer war
1900 - Became the first commander of the Lord Strathcona's Horse who served as scouts in the Boer War
1901 - When the Strathcona's returned to Canada, accepted position of Divisional Commander of the South Africa Constabulary and supervised their conversion to a civilian force
1907 - returned to Canada and took command of Military Division No. 10 (Winnipeg) and regrouped the Lord Strathcona's
WW1 - after initially being rejected due to age he commanded the 2nd Canadian Division until it was deployed to france
1918 - retired, was Knighted and made a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, and Member of the Royal Victorian Order
1919 - passed away during the Spanish Flu epidemic and was buried in Winnipeg

That's the bare bones of a career that took him from policing to full military service, from being part of the team that negotiated with Sitting Bull to being decorated by King edward VII.  Frequently his abilities and accomplishments were inadequately recognised.  Major-General Strange had recommended Steele for the award of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG): "I have the honour to submit for your favourable consideration the name of Major Samuel Steele, Superintendant of the North West Mounted Police, who commanded the cavalry of the Alberta Field Force under my command during the late campaign.  I need not detail to you the eminent services he rendered, as already mentioned in my dispatches as well as in that forwarded by him when sent forward by me with my cavalry in pursuit of Big Bear's band; also the details of organization he carried out in raising scouts under my command.  I beg respectfully to submit that he has earned the distintion of a C.M.G., usually bestowed for military services to the empire in connection with the colonies."

A fascinating man and there are those who are attempting to recreate one episode of his career - http://steelescouts.ca/html/index.html

Cheers - Icebox

[Icebox Bob]

  Rattlesnake - I see we share a fascination with the same people and were probably madly typing away at the same time 

[Dr. Bob]

RJR & IB,

Thanks for your quick and thorough response to my question.  Quite an illustrious career.  I can now understand your [both] enthusiasm!

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

In my opinion the top three, most famous NWMPolicemen, were Sam Steele, James Walsh and James Macleod in that order.

Sam Steele was the epitome of "been there, done that, got the T-shirt." 

I have five books exclusively on Sam Steele and they are a fascinating read.

1. Sam Steele by Holly Quan

2. Fort Steele, Gold Rush to Boom Town by Naomi Miller

3. Forty Years in Canada by Sam Steele (originally published in 1915)

4. Sam Steele (Lion of the Frontier) by Robert Stewart  and,

5. Steele's Scouts and the North-West Rebellion by Wayne F. Brown

Plus numerous articles and mentions in other publications.

[slap happy]

Howdy Pardners! This information is very interesting. I'll have to get the books that were listed. The last book i read like this was about marshall ralph hooker, that was a pretty good book. I bet it made you feel good to be alive in those times, with danger and perils around each corner.   Later slap happy

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I recieved the following email from my sun & air.  As a former Srathcona officer, (Bosnia) and residing in England, he was invited to the formal presentation of the papers to Canadian authorities.  They will be held at the University of Alberta, Edmonton.

"I was there, Dad! Bryan says hello and regards. Had a nice> chat with Prince Eddy as well (for all of 30 secs). Drank lots of fizz> and ate quail's eggs canapes. Was very nice, but the army missed a> trick in letting the Mounties appropriate the event almost entirely.>> Son>

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

The collecton will be open to the public this summer at the University of Alberta in Edmonton;

http://steele.library.ualberta.ca/index.html