Beavers and Plumes: The History of the Trade and Conflicts Over Beaver Hats and Feathered Hats by Charles River Editors

Author:Charles River Editors
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Charles River Editors
Published: 2020-08-30T16:00:00+00:00

In June 1816, a group of Metis and Nor’westers attacked Red River colonists and their acting governor at a point known as Seven Oaks. Cuthbert Grant, a Metis fighter, had carried out several attacks against the Red River Colony and Hudson’s Bay Company’s posts and houses in recent days as the back and forth between the rivals continued. On June 19, Cuthbert and 50 Metis and Nor’westers were moving a supply of much needed Pemmican,[43] but chose an overland route that brought them within a half mile of Fort Douglas of the Red River Colony. When spotted by the Fort Douglas lookout, Cuthbert and his men engaged in a confrontation with the Assiniboians and gunfire broke out. The Coltman report, the result of an investigation into the massacre, describes the Red River settlers’ governor as leaving Fort Douglas to confront Cuthbert without an understanding of how large Cuthbert’s force was. Several men suggested to the governor that he take one of the fort’s “great guns,” but he initially refused. All settler witnesses to the incident state that Assiniboia’s Governor Semple intended only to talk to the Metis. When asked if he was afraid of being killed or captured, he replied, "No I am not afraid, I have a paper which I will go and read to them and afterwards if they choose to kill me they may."[44] Once the Metis force could be seen and evaluated, Semple sent back for the cannon, knowing now that his men were outnumbered by more than two to one and that a few of the Metis men were in war paint.

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