Sir John STRANGE

Perley HUTCHINSON

Martha E. BABCOCK

Notes:

M. T. LOUNSBURY

Henry John BOULTON

Notes:

Elizabeth Gill

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Augusta LATTER

Notes:

He came home on Good Friday and rode away in his scar let uniform of those days on Easter Monday to collect his men and go to the front. How well I remember the anxious days that followed. Our Indians were qu iet and friendly but who could tell how long they would remain so? One thin g we foundłthey had accurate news from the front long before we could get any, and it was known and discussed by them. As time went on they got restless and rumours came to us of disaffection. Many a night as we dre w our blinds we fancied there were forms lurking behind the woodpile. An English lad of eighteen was our "man" and we had him sleep in the living room in case of need. One night we heard bloodcurdling yells fro m him. The Indians were murdering him and our turn had come, we felt sure . But the poor lad was only having a nightmare, and we were spared. Another day an old half breed man came to our door selling fish, a most unusual thing. It did not relieve our fears when we heard it was Morriseau, RielĘs father-in-law. As my husband was a marked man with his scouts, it would go hard with u s in case of a rising. My father-in-law, Colonel Boulton, wrote and urged me to take the famil y and go east until the trouble was over, but Chief Factor McDonald, whos e advice I asked, said "No". If we went, it would be thought we had some special knowledge and it might precipitate trouble. "Keep quiet, stay where you are," he said. I could see reason in this and felt it was my duty to remain where we were. But with six little ones, they were anxio us days. At last the rebellion was over; but my husband was not to return yet. W ith his scouts he was sent further west to round up and capture some of the rebels - Gabriel Dumont, Poundmaker, Big Bear - and it was almost fall before he returned to us. How well I remember that day

There was no railroad to Russell then, an d they came riding home, BoultonĘs Scouts, as they had ridden away - a tr oop of dusty, war-stained men, riding in Indian file, but oh, so happy to b e home again, though with some of their number missing. It was a lovely August day. Russell was quite a good-sized village by then. All the children gathered wild flowers and as they rode in they scattered them before the men. It is a wonderful memory

Later, I remember the little wooden town hall decorated for a banquet w ith gay Hudson Bay blankets fastened up on the walls and decorated with mot ifs of hard tack biscuits nailed up to hold them in place, crossed rifles a nd flags, and the speeches and songs

There were many musicians among the settlers in those days. Then came the day when I went with my husband to Birtle, the most centr al place to gather the scouts - and I pinned their medals on our brave men . A gala day, and much rejoicing and banqueting. -Augusta Boulton, 1885, Russell, Manitoba From "Salt of the Earth", @1974 by Heather Robertson, James Lorimer and Co., Publishers, Toronto

William Henry GILL

John CHARLES