The reason for these snippets is to show that the Canadian West was not boring or bland as most people believe. We didn't have Hollywood nor the dime novels to perpetuate and enhance our old west history as in the U.S. Our old west was far from being bland or boring as these short stories will show.
A little background to this story. When the NWMPolice made that famous march west in 1874 from Fort Dufferin, Manitoba to what is now southern Alberta, it took approximately three months. Their uniforms were wore out along with their horses and they couldn't find Fort Whoop-Up which was their destination. Some of the men had rags tied around their boots to keep the uppers connected to the soles. They were a sorry looking bunch.
The Commissioner and a small party headed out for Fort Benton (Montana). Benton had a telegraph so the Mounted Police could wire Ottawa that they arrived and needed supplies, money and new uniforms. While at Benton they purchased supplies and clothing and also aquired some U.S. Army uniforms to tide them over until replacement Mounted Police uniforms arrived in the spring of 1875.
In 1875, Inspector James M. Walsh (who prefered to be called "Major"), and a troop of NWMP left Fort MacLeod to establish a fort in the Cypress Hills. The new replacement uniforms were packed away in the wagons and the troop wore whatever they had, including the U.S. Army uniforms.
Unlike Inspector Brisbois, who established Fort Calgary, Walsh was allowed to name this new fort after himself. The site chosen for the new Fort Walsh was about two miles north of the 1873 Cypress Hills massacre.
A few days into the building of the fort, over a hundred Sioux approched them from the south. Walsh asked Jerry Potts who they were and he replied "Sioux". As the Sioux rode up, one was wearing white man's clothes who turned out to be a Metis and spoke english.
Walsh asked him who they were and what they wanted. The Metis replied that they were chased across the border by the long-knives, who you? "Red Coats of the great British Mother," Walsh replied pointing to the Union Jack on a make shift flag pole. Just then the Sioux noticed some of the Mounties were wearing U.S. Army blue.
The next thing was walsh and his men were staring into Sioux rifle barrels. The Metis said that Walsh lied and, that they were long-knives. "We're not long-knives!" Walsh hurled back at him. "We're the British Mother's redcoats!"
Walsh realized that they were in a dangerous situation as none of the Mounties were armed. Their guns were stored over in the tent area.
Just when all Hell was about to break loose, the Sioux started pointing a something that was behind Walsh. Streaming through the trees covering the slopes to the north east rode hundreds of Indians. The Sioux turned and fled back down the valley from wence they came. Walsh asked Jerry Potts (Guide and interprter) what was going on. Potts said "Cree." The Cree and Sioux were mortal enemies.
The Cree did not catch up to the Sioux but returned to Walsh's location. The Cree had traded with the Hudson Bay Company for many years and knew the Union Jack and what it stood for. Walsh invited the Cree chiefs for tea and a smoke.
Had it not been for the sheer coincidence and timing of the Cree arrival, no doubt that there would have been another Cypress Hills massacre.
next: Indians decide to stop the CPR from advancing west.