Battle of Duck Lake
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Duck Lake was a skirmish between Métis
soldiers of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
and Canadian government forces that signalled the beginning of the North-West Rebellion
.
warriors under Louis Riel
and Gabriel Dumont seized the contents of Hillyard Mitchell's store at Duck Lake. North-West Mounted Police superintendent Leif Crozier
had received warning that Riel and Dumont were going to make such a move, and had sent a small force in order to get provisions from the store. The Mounties were unaware that Riel's forces were already present, and retreated back to Fort Carlton
in the face of the rebel's superior numbers. Crozier then decided to return to Duck Lake with a much larger force of policemen and Prince Albert Volunteers
, along with a seven-pounder cannon
. Dumont in the meantime decided to set up an ambush for Crozier some 3.5 kilometres from the store.
Both leaders sent representatives to negotiate the standoff, but a brawl erupted, and the Métis envoys, among them Dumont's brother, were killed by gunshot. After the brawl, Crozier's men were ordered to attack.
Despite their superior firepower, the Canadian militia elected to charge the enemy cabin, wading into the deep snow. Under heavy fire from Métis snipers, the attack foundered and Crozier sounded a retreat. Being caught in exposed open country, the Prince Albert Volunteers suffered the bulk of the casualties. Gabriel Dumont was injured when a bullet grazed his head, and despite his urgings to finish off the retreating Canadian column, Louis Riel intervened and urged that no more blood be shed.
Duck Lake is home to the Duck Lake Historical Museum and the Duck Lake Regional Interpretive Centre, and murals which reflect the history of the rebellion in the area. The Battle of Duck Lake, the Duck Lake Massacre, and a buffalo jump
are all located here. The "First Shots Cairn" was erected on Saskatchewan Highway 212
as a landmark commemorating the scene of the first shots in the Battle of Duck Lake. The Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine at St. Laurent
north of Duck Lake is a local pilgrimage site.
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
soldiers of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
The Provisional Government of Saskatchewan was the name given by Louis Riel to the independent state he declared during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 in what is today the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Although Riel initially hoped to rally the Countryborn, Cree and European settlers of the...
and Canadian government forces that signalled the beginning of the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
.
Prelude
On March 25 a group of Métis and First NationsFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
warriors under Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
and Gabriel Dumont seized the contents of Hillyard Mitchell's store at Duck Lake. North-West Mounted Police superintendent Leif Crozier
Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier
Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier , commonly known as L.N.F. Crozier, was a Canadian militia officer and a superintendent of the North-West Mounted Police, now best remembered for his role in the North-West Rebellion of 1885, a resistance movement headed by Métis leader Louis Riel in what is now the...
had received warning that Riel and Dumont were going to make such a move, and had sent a small force in order to get provisions from the store. The Mounties were unaware that Riel's forces were already present, and retreated back to Fort Carlton
Fort Carlton
Fort Carlton was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trade post from 1810 until 1885. It was rebuilt by the Saskatchewan government as a provincial historic park and can be visited today...
in the face of the rebel's superior numbers. Crozier then decided to return to Duck Lake with a much larger force of policemen and Prince Albert Volunteers
Prince Albert Volunteers
The Prince Albert Volunteers or Prince Albert Rifles were a historical body of militia organized in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which served as Canadian government militia during the North-West Rebellion....
, along with a seven-pounder cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
. Dumont in the meantime decided to set up an ambush for Crozier some 3.5 kilometres from the store.
The battle
The forces met the following day. Driven back by Métis scouts, Crozier's column huddled into a forest under cover of their sleighs while Dumont's men set camp in a nearby cabin. Dumont's forces began to encircle the police and volunteers from heavily wooded positions.Both leaders sent representatives to negotiate the standoff, but a brawl erupted, and the Métis envoys, among them Dumont's brother, were killed by gunshot. After the brawl, Crozier's men were ordered to attack.
Despite their superior firepower, the Canadian militia elected to charge the enemy cabin, wading into the deep snow. Under heavy fire from Métis snipers, the attack foundered and Crozier sounded a retreat. Being caught in exposed open country, the Prince Albert Volunteers suffered the bulk of the casualties. Gabriel Dumont was injured when a bullet grazed his head, and despite his urgings to finish off the retreating Canadian column, Louis Riel intervened and urged that no more blood be shed.
Aftermath
The Canadian forces retreated to Fort Carlton, which they soon hastily abandoned for Prince Albert, where they sat out the remainder of the conflict.Legacy
In the spring of 2008, Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell proclaimed in Duck lake, that "the 125th commemoration, in 2010, of the 1885 Northwest Resistance is an excellent opportunity to tell the story of the prairie Métis and First Nations peoples' struggle with Government forces and how it has shaped Canada today."Duck Lake is home to the Duck Lake Historical Museum and the Duck Lake Regional Interpretive Centre, and murals which reflect the history of the rebellion in the area. The Battle of Duck Lake, the Duck Lake Massacre, and a buffalo jump
Buffalo jump
A buffalo jump is a cliff formation which North American Indians historically used in mass killings of plains bison. Hunters herded the bison and drove them over the cliff, breaking their legs and rendering them immobile. Tribe members waiting below closed in with spears and bows to finish the kills...
are all located here. The "First Shots Cairn" was erected on Saskatchewan Highway 212
Saskatchewan Highway 212
Highway 212 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 11/Highway 783 near Duck Lake to the Fort Carlton Provincial Historic Park. Highway 212 is about 33 km long....
as a landmark commemorating the scene of the first shots in the Battle of Duck Lake. The Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine at St. Laurent
St. Laurent de Grandin, Saskatchewan
St. Laurent de Grandin is an area of Métis settlement along the South Saskatchewan River. It is just east of Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, and at present is the site of the St. Laurent Ferry, as well as the Roman Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes...
north of Duck Lake is a local pilgrimage site.
See also
- Northwest Rebellion
- Provisional Government of SaskatchewanProvisional Government of SaskatchewanThe Provisional Government of Saskatchewan was the name given by Louis Riel to the independent state he declared during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 in what is today the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Although Riel initially hoped to rally the Countryborn, Cree and European settlers of the...
- Prince Albert VolunteersPrince Albert VolunteersThe Prince Albert Volunteers or Prince Albert Rifles were a historical body of militia organized in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which served as Canadian government militia during the North-West Rebellion....
- North-West Mounted Police