Four Months Under Arms

              Page 10

Police

Commissioner

Arrives
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Nine dead volunteers were left where they had fallen, and the wounded man, NewitL Charlie had clerked in a ,general store in Prince Albert, which did a large trade with the half-breeds, An Indian was trying to kill Charlie with the butt of his gun, when a half-breed who knew Charlie stopped him, but he had broken most of Charlie's fingers trying to shield his face from the blows, One policeman had been killed, J. T, Gibson, Arnold and Garrett were very severely wounded, Inspector Gagnon shot in the foot; Canst, Manner Smith shot through the left lung; CarpI's Gordon and McPherson slightly wounded, and all were taken to Carlton, Dr, Miller exlracted the bullet from Smith's lung, but both Arnold and Garrett died during the night, and the three policemen were buried the next day, east of the Fort. A mounted patrol of three was sent out on the Carlton to Duck Lake road, with orders to ride as far as they thought safe. and a strong guard was placed for the night. I was on the last watch, and just at dawn two of the patrol crossed my beat, and asked if the other had corne in, and I ,,:ojd he had not. About an hour later he ,'ode h, and I learned that his name was J. Street. He had gone as far as the battlefield, and said that the dead bodies must have been picked up, they were not lying where they had fallen, and tr.is proved to be correct. When Col. Irvine, Commissioner of Mounted Police, received the telegram from Batoche that the rebels were looting. he started from REgina with a small detachment of police, and Hayter Reid, Deputy Minister of Indian Affairs went with him. He made a detour to the east from Humbolt "tage station, crossing the South Saskatchewan at McKenzie's, on the ice, came into Prince Albert, where he enlicted wIre more volunteers. and r'ached Fort Carlton at midnight on the 27th, and then learned of the battle of Duck Lake, POLICE RETIRE TO PRINCE ALBERT Hon. Lawrence Clarke, Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company at Prince Albert. was still at Carlton, and a conference was held in the morning of the 28th, and it was decided to retire to Prince Albert, and they started making preparations at once. Every available means of transport was secured, and some of the nearby farmers supplied teams, and went with their families to Prince Albert. Every sleigh was loaded to the extreme limit with supplies. and what could not be taken was saturated with coal oil to make it useless to the rebels. As soon as each sleigh was loaded it left the Fort and went up the long, steep side hill to the level prairie above, to await there till all the sleighs had reached the top, A strong mounted patrol was sent out on the road to Duck Lake with orders to hold back any attempt the rebels might make to attack the Fort. Another strong patrol had been sent ahead to the junction of the Carlton road with the main road from Batoche to Prince Albert to guard against any attempt that might be made to attack the column there. Just as the last sleighs passed out of the Fort, a lamp was upset in the sergeant's quarters, either accidently or by intent. We climbed the long, steep hill to the level prairie above, and men