Codex Battleford
Transcription: 23
Transcription:
{22 [written in the top right corner]
III
Beginning of the Insurrection
The situation was not as reassuring as the priests imagined. The leaders failed to attend the novena. On sunday [sic], they protested energetically against Fr.Fourmond’s ["'s" crossed out] sermon which treated of the [crossed out] who called an abominable [written above] crime the [added] revolt against lawful authority an[d] declared that any of those who took arms were unworthy of the sacraments reception [crossed out] of the Church [added]. Other similar facts should have opened the eyes of the priests.What would they have tought [sic] if they had known the suspicious manoeuvering [sic] of those agitators to hinder the people from coming to the chapel? In reality,while a part of the population were praying,the others were weaving the blackest plots.
Notwithstanding the hopes of the clergy,the officers of Carlton’s garrison were finding the situation more and more critical.The same day as the opening of the novena,Captain Gagnon telegraphed that the halfbreeds were unusually excited and that they proposed to prevent the supplies going through the settlement after the 16th.
The following day,Major Crozier who had recently arrived from Battleford to Fort Carlton reported by telegraph: ;as follows:“ Halfbreeds greatxly excited;reported the[y] threaten attack on Carlton before 16th..Halfbreeds refuse to take freight for Government;will stop all freight coming into the country after 16th of this month;getting arms ready;leader will not allow people to leave home,as they may be required;they expect arms from States. Have ordered 25 men from Battleford and one gun to come here at once.”
On the 14th,the news became more and more distressing.Crozier telegraphed from Carlton to Lieutenant-Governor Dewdney at Reginaa [sic]:“Halfbreeds rebellion liable to break out any moment.Troops must be largely reinforced.If halfbreeds rise,Indians will join them”.
On receipt of this message,Lieutenant-Colonel Irvine begged from Ottawa authority to dispatch one hundred policemen to the North before roads and rivers break up. The same night of March 15th,the answer arrived from the Comptroller of the Mounted Police:“Start for the North quickly as possible, with all available men up to one hundred.”
The 17th of March,Crozier annouced [sic] to Regina that was no longer need to be alarmed. This was the calm preceding the storm.
While the troops of Regina were making their final preparations for departing on the night of March 17th,Louis Riel and his lieutenants set out to the Thourond,at the southern end of the settlement,xxxxxxxxx [crossed out] whxere they intended to spend the night.He explained to his hosts that,as his secretary Jackson was to be baptized,onthe [sic] 19th,at St.Laurent,he deemed it extremely proper that all the able-bodied men should be present at the ceremony.Each one,of course,was to take his rifle with him in order to fire a volley in sign of xx [crossed out] rejoicing.In fact,as St.Joseph had been given them as a national patron the preceding year,it was only right to celebrate his feast with unusual pomp.He, therefore,asked the Thouronds to accompany him the following day,that he might gather all the grown-up people for the feast.
Accordingly,the next morning,Riel and his companions set out on the trail They visited,one after another,all the houses they found on the way.Everything went on perfectly until about eight miles south of Batoche.But from this point on,the people did not appear so well [crossed out] eager to follow him on the spot[;] they each tried a good excuse to postpone their departure,promising}
III
Beginning of the Insurrection
The situation was not as reassuring as the priests imagined. The leaders failed to attend the novena. On sunday [sic], they protested energetically against Fr.Fourmond’s ["'s" crossed out] sermon which treated of the [crossed out] who called an abominable [written above] crime the [added] revolt against lawful authority an[d] declared that any of those who took arms were unworthy of the sacraments reception [crossed out] of the Church [added]. Other similar facts should have opened the eyes of the priests.What would they have tought [sic] if they had known the suspicious manoeuvering [sic] of those agitators to hinder the people from coming to the chapel? In reality,while a part of the population were praying,the others were weaving the blackest plots.
Notwithstanding the hopes of the clergy,the officers of Carlton’s garrison were finding the situation more and more critical.The same day as the opening of the novena,Captain Gagnon telegraphed that the halfbreeds were unusually excited and that they proposed to prevent the supplies going through the settlement after the 16th.
The following day,Major Crozier who had recently arrived from Battleford to Fort Carlton reported by telegraph: ;as follows:“ Halfbreeds greatxly excited;reported the[y] threaten attack on Carlton before 16th..Halfbreeds refuse to take freight for Government;will stop all freight coming into the country after 16th of this month;getting arms ready;leader will not allow people to leave home,as they may be required;they expect arms from States. Have ordered 25 men from Battleford and one gun to come here at once.”
On the 14th,the news became more and more distressing.Crozier telegraphed from Carlton to Lieutenant-Governor Dewdney at Reginaa [sic]:“Halfbreeds rebellion liable to break out any moment.Troops must be largely reinforced.If halfbreeds rise,Indians will join them”.
On receipt of this message,Lieutenant-Colonel Irvine begged from Ottawa authority to dispatch one hundred policemen to the North before roads and rivers break up. The same night of March 15th,the answer arrived from the Comptroller of the Mounted Police:“Start for the North quickly as possible, with all available men up to one hundred.”
The 17th of March,Crozier annouced [sic] to Regina that was no longer need to be alarmed. This was the calm preceding the storm.
While the troops of Regina were making their final preparations for departing on the night of March 17th,Louis Riel and his lieutenants set out to the Thourond,at the southern end of the settlement,xxxxxxxxx [crossed out] whxere they intended to spend the night.He explained to his hosts that,as his secretary Jackson was to be baptized,onthe [sic] 19th,at St.Laurent,he deemed it extremely proper that all the able-bodied men should be present at the ceremony.Each one,of course,was to take his rifle with him in order to fire a volley in sign of xx [crossed out] rejoicing.In fact,as St.Joseph had been given them as a national patron the preceding year,it was only right to celebrate his feast with unusual pomp.He, therefore,asked the Thouronds to accompany him the following day,that he might gather all the grown-up people for the feast.
Accordingly,the next morning,Riel and his companions set out on the trail They visited,one after another,all the houses they found on the way.Everything went on perfectly until about eight miles south of Batoche.But from this point on,the people did not appear so well [crossed out] eager to follow him on the spot[;] they each tried a good excuse to postpone their departure,promising}
