April 30th

The last day of April. My medicines came up this evening and are at Conrad’s but as Conrad is not in I cannot get them this evening. I made out a second report of the Medical Department for Dr. Kittson. It was not quite so much trouble as the former one. However I was very glad when I had finished it.

I wonder what you are doing now. Should I not like to “drop in” for a few moments? Oh dear.

April 29th

It has been very cold to day, it has been snowing all the afternoon and evening. I took a walk down to Maxy’s to see about our mess accounts and found it pretty cold work. The thermometer this evening stood at 2 degrees below zero. I hear that my medicines have arrived at Whoop Up.

Fort McLeod April 28th, 1875

My dear Lizzie

Yesterday I had another chance of sending a letter to you and right glad I was to hear of the chance. I do not know how long it will take them to reach you but expect Jerry Potts, who took them will hurry along. He is gone to endeavour to find his horses that are stolen.

Yesterday evening we were all much astonished to see Fred Wachter – known as “Dutch Fred” walk into camp & give himself up to Justice. If you recollect he was the one who murdered “Castilian Joe” or Joseph Asana – up at Sheep Creek. He came down immediately after the occurrence to give himself up but was persuaded by some of his old Confederates not to do so. However he has now thought better of it and is quietly awaiting his trial.

April 26th

In a day or two I expect to have another chance of sending in letters. Several of the people round here are going to go in freighting robes – and will take letters. It is blowing up pretty cold, I should not be surprised at a big snow storm. We will have quite a settlement up here next winter. Mr. Power is talking of setting up a store here – in opposition to Conrad, and Mr. Kerler too intends doing the same. Kanonse [?] has bought Foley out and Foley intends building again. We also have a farmer who intends starting a ranch in the immediate vicinity of the Fort and Father Scullen [?] intends building a Church and Parsonage, as well as inducing a large number of halfbreeds to settle down here. So next winter we will have a gay young city. Cpt. Winder too is talking of bringing up his wife and children. Perhaps Col. McLeod will get married and who knows how many more. The more the merrier and also the greater chance for me to make something outside of my salary.

I suppose that Saida has left you ere this. Has she gone directly home? Or does she intend staying a while longer in the North? I wish that you could go home with her. Do try.

I want you to ask Mannie to find out for me the Properties Botanical & Physiological & Therapeutical indications of Oxo Crocia and Dragon’s Blood.

For the present I must say good night. I open the ball again to tell you to direct my letters to :

Fort McLeod, via Ft. Shaw, Montana Territory.

I find that by sending them to I.G.B. & Co. [I.G. Baker & Co.] they are delayed sometimes a week. Col. McLeod told me the direction I have just given you is the better one. All mail matter for us is at Windsor consigned in bags for Ft. McLeod – which I believe do not break bulk until they reach Fort Shaw and are then sent on to us. Whereas if they are directed to Baker – they go first to Ft. Shaw, thence to Benton and then back again to Shaw.

I also want you to send me or have Jack send me the “Daily Mail” in place of the weekly. Will you ask him? This mail starts out tomorrow morning early. So I will have to send you away with a very short letter. Give my love to all and to Saida if she still be there. Good night again.

With much love believe me

Yours forever

Barrie.

April 25th

The Col. is not back yet, we do not expect him for some days. The Indians however brought in a report that the Col. had come back to Fort Kipp. We had Church parade as usual today. This afternoon I took a walk down to the River, and watched the rapid water, and to my delight found some willows really beginning to put out their leaves, the first that I have seen. I found a cozy little place just over the river in a small clump of trees and bushes, that I am going to turn into a private retreat – and in the summer will have a nice quiet little place to take your dear letters and read them. I will make a seat there, just under a bush and imagine that you are in the bush. I will not make a second seat for you, for some one else might come and sit in it and I don’t want them to do that.

The Col. came in this evening about an hour after dinner. Crozier came in a little while before him. Poor Crozier has had the blues all winter long and added to that or rather in consequence thereof he has come home from this little trip thoroughly done out. The poor chap is quite sick, and so nervous and restless he can neither eat, sleep nor keep quiet. Nor will he do as I tell him. I am afraid that he is going in for a regular seize. It seems that the Col. asked for several Indians as guides to the Indians who had taken the horses and also to be able to identify the horses taken. Instead of doing as he told them – a war party of twenty came out on foot after him, and never caught up to him – told him too that the Indians had struck Northwards when they had come South and East. So the Col. finding it would be impossible to overtake them and also to identify the horses if overtaken concluded to come home again.

April 24th

Last night Jerry Potts, our interpreter, who owns quite a large number of horses and which have been grazing around the immediate vicinity of the Fort, suffered from the Indian depredators having 47 head stolen. He tracked them today for about 25 miles and found two which had been killed and had the arrows still sticking in them. They know from the arrows that they were Assineboines who had stolen the horses. And as they had made straight for the Border it is believed that it was the same party who had attacked John Healy, a trader on the Maria’s River and shut him up in his Fort for three days. The Indians being afraid to come into the corral of the Fort where his horses were – endeavoured to set fire to the place, but the logs being green would not burn. So after three days siege they retired. This man was entirely alone having sent his teams to Fort Benton and remaining with some horses in this Post on the Maria’s River. The Indians numbered 250.

Fort Macleod April 23rd ‘75

My darling Lizzie

Major Walsh and party left yesterday and took our letters with him. He expects to get into Sun River on Monday, remain there a week and come out again with all our horses. I told you of the fright about the Indians at Whoop Up did I not? There [sic] fright was not in vain – hardly had Major Walsh started when news was brought to the Col. That over 40 head of horses had been stolen from the “Blood” Indians in the vicinity of Whoop Up. An expedition was organized immediately consisting of 18, the Col., Capt. Crozier and Mr. Welch – taking 10 days’ provisions with them. And they left last evening, expecting to have to go to the Cypress Hills. We nearly had a fire also. The wind was very high, and a spark had lodged in the roofing of Cpt. Winder’s room and there been fanned by the breeze until it had made some headway. A few buckets of water however soon put it out. The assembly sounded and the men were marched at the double to form a continuous line to the river and buckets passed from one to another. We soon had water enough to fill every thing available. There was no damage done.