Camp Old Woman’s Creek, August 15th 1874 [ctd.]

As you see I have succeeded. Dr. Kittson was kind enough to lend me some. He has one of those magic inkstands pour in some water at one end & it comes out at the other a beautiful black ink. They are very convenient. Our guide who came in last evening brought a rumor from Wood Mountain that the Boundary Commission store at White Creek has been robbed by a band of Sioux Indians. Also that Capt. Cameron on his way to Wood Mountain had found five or six bodies laying exposed along the roadside scalped one was the body of a white man & he was tied to a tree and his body fearfully gashed. I do not know whether to believe him or not. Chapman says not. These Half Breeds & Indians love to bring news and cause a sensation. It makes no difference to them & should they be proved liars the next moment. I hope it is not true. In a day or two we will get authentic news from Wood Mountain. To day at dinner we had quite a feast, a splendid soup, made of pemmican, and with barley, corn and Beans, onions, etc., then a second course of boiled fresh Beef, our facilities for roasting are not the best – as a dessert we had some cornstarch & syrup. We always finish every meal with bread and syrup, when there is bread. We had a great row about the bread some days ago. It was cut into slices and put upon the table in plates and each one helped himself, well the natural consequence was that some got more than others, a pound of bread a day divided into three meals is not a great deal to men with prairie appetites. The early birds in this got all the worms, and those who were detained for any reason usually got none. A great outcry was raised, and then at breakfast each mans pound of flour made up into bread was placed at his place at the table. We divided these into 3 parts each one according to his taste, put our mark upon the remainder which was for our dinner & supper. This plan we found to work very well. Before that the meals were anything but pleasant and anything but satisfactory, particularly at times, ravenously hungry I would get up from the table with an appetite as unappeased as when I sat down. This latter arrangement appears to do away with anything of the sort. The men complain a good eal of the short allowances they have – but nevertheless they seem to thrive upon it. The great hardship with them is when on the march, some of the teams play out and are unable to catch up to the camp for some hours in camp has to do with out anything to eat until it comes up.

The wind is blowing today in fitful gusts now & then a sputter of rain and then clears off. Towards the north a large prairie fire is still burning, huge volumes of smoke brood along the ground, it has been burning for five or six days. There has not been rain sufficient to extinguish it. The wind only fans the flame and gives it new force & vigour. Our sick list is gradually diminishing. We are to leave a camp with all unnecessary stores here under the charge of a constable & a few sub constables forming a depot for the provisions of the troops on their backward march. I will of course not be here again. From Bow River Troops B & C go on through the Blackfoot country to Fort Edmonton. A Troop has already gone there. Troops D E & F will return. We expect to reach Bow River by the end of this month, or the beginning of next. No one knows how long we will have to stay there but all hope to get away soon. Prairie life is pleasant enough and I cannot complain of being necessitated to endure many very great hardships but I too will be glad when I am lodged with shingles above & boards below with a good blazing fire. I shall not be at all sorry, more especially when I think I may find letters there from you. I look forward with trembling too – for perhaps I may be disappointed. I hope not, and I will not. Round camp here it is a lazy life. Sick parade at 9 a.m. then visit the sick who are not able to leave their quarters & then the rest of the day is to myself, interrupted however by stray calls from those who do not feel well during the day. Now & then a slight hurt or accident comes under our notice and demands some slight attention but never yet have we had any serious accident. To day[sic] while at church we almost had one. One of the cooks was trying to clean one of the shot guns and in the most foolish manner stuck the breech in the fire & left it, another cook who was working round the same fire managed to be in front of it as it exploded the discharge blew the breeches of the man to atoms, and inflicted a bad bruise upon his leg. It fortunately happened that there was no charge in the gun only a piece of rag which was saturated with gun powder, had it been loaded the man’s leg would have been shattered beyond redemption. I left church to see him, and placed the careless fellow who had stuck the gun in the fire under arrest. He will tomorrow have to answer for his extreme carelessness. There is a carelessness manifested in every thing connected with the force even the placing & posting of the guard around the camp & of the picquet around the horses. A band of Indians could as easily rule the camp and scalp us all before we knew it. More stringency in this respect will now be enforced as we are about entering a territory swarming with Indians who will never refuse a scalp when offered to them. But good bye. My letter must close the man is now going. Good Bye. My love to all at home & my dearest dearest love keep with you.

Barrie

Camp Old Woman’s Creek, August 15th 1874

My darling Lizzie

I wrote to Jack yesterday in a great hurry having suddenly heard of an opportunity of sending a letter by Col. MacLeod via Wood Mountain where some person is on the 17th going to leave for Fort Garry. Today I have heard of another chance a large portion of Half Breed with horses have just met us on their way to Fort Garry. The head man is a friend and old schoolfellow of Dr. Kittson. I told you that opportunities would occur somewhat like this did I no?. They are all one sided however and only go one way. I wish I could hear from you, were it ever so short. I am starved for want of hearing from you. But never mind [?] [?] must come to all things and when I do get news from you they will be all the dearer & all the more greedily devoured. Just fancy the hubbub confusion, excitement, anxiety & crowded rush for letters when mail does come. And then the happy moments afterwards reading, rereading & again reading until every word is engraved clearly & distinctly on our memories. Ah but it’s something to look forward to. Almost (not quite) a full recompense for the long period of anxious expectation - & vexing uncertainty. I am glad that I am able to state with a clear conscience, that as yet I have killed no one – either medicinally or otherwise. As for my own health it is perfect without a flaw. I am strong as the ox (fabled) & am getting of an exquisite mahogany colour, which colour when I get warm takes on the beautiful polish the aforesaid wood is so famous for. Indeed at times I have a spinning countenance. I am happy comparatively speaking as happy as I can be without my tormentor [?] I have not audibly been called any hard names such as goose [?] head, donkey & other ladylike & civilized appellations. To tell truth I often wish I could hear such terms upon which I had learned to look as terms of welcome kindness[,] pity or love. I would willingly forego many pleasures to hear them again. I wrote to you from our camping place about 5 miles from this & sent it to Wood Mountain by an Indian guide. Before that my letter was by Capt. Walters who with Col. McLeod had left us to go to Wood Mountain for Pemmican – he delivered the letter in safe hands to go to Garry. I have no stamps. That is the thing I could not remember in Jack’s letter yesterday. Ask him to send me as many stamps as he chooses. After numerous trials & many disappointments I have at last succeeded in getting a tunic without any gold trim however and some grey cloth for riding breeches but I have to get these made up without trimming of any sort, buttons or anything else. I expect I will have to tie them together with Sagannappi [sic], it’s trimmings will in that case far outlast the cloth. You remember I told you I sent everything I did not consider absolutely necessary to Fort Edmonton from Roche Percée. The country through which we have been laterally passing bears the same leading characteristics as that before. Old Woman’s lake is quite a body of water – salt – tho’ scarcely perceptible in the taste, yet in its effects upon the men as was easily seen it was not like ordinary water. We camped just on the Lake shores and indulged freely in the luxury of a daily bath, the watering of the horses was a scene of life vivacity & confusion seldom witnessed along the quiet shores of the lake, one might easily made out for a mile and then be not over his depth, the bottom was a fine hard firm sand. Plenty of gulls curlews & ducks flew about and at a distance some pelicans were seen fishing. Col. French shot a pelican which I believe will be stuffed it measures more than eight feet from tip to tip of its wings which were tipped with black the beak long & the pendulous baglike lower lip of a bright yellow as also are the legs – the rest of the plumage is a glistening white. The artist has made a sketch of the watering of the horses, which is very like. The artist has lately been very busy, making sketches of the Indians and their encampment. As a rule they are very good. These will, I believe not be published until sometime in the winter when he returns to Montreal. I have not been making any sketches at all lately. I have not felt at all in the humor.

What have you been doing with yourself? Have you been taking some exercise? You must write and tell me all about yourself – what you do & is done to you – who visits you & what is the latest bit of news about your neighbors & friends & everybody and everything. Do you mind? See that you do – the smallest atom of news will be acceptable to me. If you should hear anything from home be sure and let me know of it. I wrote home before I left telling them to send their letters to the Hospital as before & they would be forwarded to me. You might ask Jack to call on Dr. McCollum and ask him to direct all letters for me to Fort Garry. If Jack sees the Dr, tell him to remember me most kindly both to him and to Mrs. McCollum. If Green is there to Gunn also to McAlpine in fact that I begged to be remembered to them all. He might tell Poulter that I saw some of the Boundary Commission. As I write there are two Indians on horseback in front of my tent. They have had an accession to their numbers today they appear to be finer looking fellows than the others. I stopped there and appeared at a general parade, to have some orders read out. Then the next excitement was three figures on horse back in the distance, they were approaching the camp at a rapid pace. Who were they? One turned out to be our guide an Indian the one whom I gave the letter from Old Woman’s Lake & with him came a stranger of whom the guide knew nothing he wished to join the force or at least to be hired as a guide, he speaks English well and Siox but no French – no one knows if he has any acquaintance with the Blackfoot language[;] an investigation is now going on of who & what he is & what he knows. I hope they will have nothing to do with him as he has a most cut throat appearance.

Last evening I enjoyed most thoroughly. I went down to speak to Capt. Miles in his tent and found quite a congregation there – singing – one or two really excellent voices – the choruses showed that a good quartette could easily be obtained in the camp, there was one fellow called Beattie who has a good Bass. They continued to sing – songs sentimental, songs comic – songs semi comic & the internals interspersed with remarks sarcastic – personal and general. They are at it again[,] Beautiful Star is now going in full fling – the tenor is good. Yesterday evening some of the Indians came over and invited us with a dance – it was done on a small scale – a Brave a fine broad shouldered fellow was the leader – he had on a blanket and a feather in his hair – he was accompanied by six or seven squaws who with the [?] vanity of their sex had various ornaments round their necks[,] in their ears – bracelets rings & some attempts at embroidery in their dress & moccasins. They formed themselves in a circle the leader with a mammoth child’s rattle began beating time – then all hooted – then they all began to chant in an uncouth rough monotonous unmusical and in unison a jargon – the leader keeping time & the circle moved round keeping both feet together and on the ground – they appeared to get more excited or at all events they moved faster & faster & they ceased and laughed. Our interpreter said it was a song about their memories the Blackfeet being snared & scalped – it might have been that or anything else. Their dance was interrupted by the discordant tones of a concertina playing a jig tune – some of the men then began to dance a jig & then a Scotch reel & finally ended in a waltz. The Indians apparently did not like this and went away looking decidedly huffed. The thunderstorm of which I made mention to Jack passed off with only one or two good gusts of wind which raised the dust in enormous clouds during the night – however a second storm was brewing and came up with a good deal of thunder and lightning & some wind but no rain more than a few drops. I had undressed and gone to bed but as the wind began to rise, I gradually put on one thing after another until I was entirely dressed boots & all. I expected the tent to come down every moment the wind was blowing straight against my side of the tent when suddenly I was awakened by a deafening bang & something struck me forcibly in the head. I could hear a confused stamping & struggling outside. I looked through the tent which now has a big hole in the side and saw an enormous horse struggling wildly and almost beyond the controls of the men around him. However they got him away and I afterwards found out it was the stallion which had broken loose and had bolted & was making straight for my tent on the full gallop when they just stopped him in time. Had he come on well you would not have heard from me again. That is the great danger in all these thunderstorms mainly a stampede of the horses. They become so terribly frightened. All day today I have been without a house my tent being in the hands of the tent maker mending the rent made last night as also sundry other rents made during the night when it was blown down of which I wrote you before. However it is now all fixed up and better than ever. The tobacco we draw from the stores is the most miserable beastly stuff, full of stems hairs of hemp and were small nails. You might ask Jack to call at Jaguiers on King Street and get five pounds of the kind I generally get – the long flat thick plugs and if it will not make the parcel too large send it up with the boots. It will reach me I expect some time in January and will last a long time. I will have lots & lots of time in the long winter evenings to smoke and read. My reading will I expect however be confined to medical literature as I have none but medical works – and probably there will be none other in Edmonton. Thank Jack ever so much for “93” & “Nancy”. I have read them and they are now going through the camp. “93” I intend reading again and trying to find out something about the numerous names mentioned therein. I have been reading a French novel called “Bibi-Tapin”. It is well written, and I find that with the exception of a phrase or a work now and then that I can understand it very well. The story consists of about 300 large double column pages about the size of an ordinary school atlas, it has a good many wood plates in it but never the less it is quite a mighty work. I have just opened my ink bottle and spilled my ink. I managed to get this one penful and suppose I must say goodnight tomorrow I will go (Sunday Aug 16) and borrow some.

July 25th

I have had as you see no opportunity of sending this nor will I for another week. I am afraid that Mr. Cameron was right after all. Mr. Chapman and I reached the rear guard of the Police – consisting of the Red River Carts on Thursday evening at a place called the second crossing of the Souris, because there we cross the Souris river for the second time. The night we camped at the river with a fierce prairie fire raging on the opposite side in spite of which we all slept soundly. But I must begin now in detail. We started from Dufferin on Friday with 2 men 2 teams as horse & wagon provisions for 10 days. After leaving Grants the Half breed’s farm we made camp. Chapman’s horse got mired trying to get a drink. We got him out and had a nice time cleaning him & the saddle. The camp was just on the confines of a prairie which we had been crossing all day, a deep ravine wooded behind us & fur trees in either side with an almost boundless stretch of prairie in front. We made tea & thoroughly enjoyed our friend pork & hard tack. We also instituted a watch & more to see the way in which our horses might be stolen than from any hope of saving them if any attempt should be made. It was weary work after a long days drive to sit awake for two hours during the night. I forgot to say that I this morning began my first experience of riding. I rode all the morning and drove during the after-noon. I felt a little sore & tired but otherwise I did not ride hard all the time. The horses were miserable beasts half starved and one of them miserably sick. I took a sketch of part of the prairie by our camp. The next morning we were off [ ] & for dinner stopped at a puddle of water for an hour or two – it was just in the middle of a rolling prairie, undulations of the ground rolling onwards like the ground at sea for miles & miles, no tree or rock to break the distance till then fade away with the faint blue horizon. I rode all the morning, in the evening we camped in a beautiful valley sunk in the middle of the prairies, the sides of the valley sloping upwards very steep & terminating in prairie, a stream flows through the valley – and the mosquitoes are fearful. Bright and warm is the morning we are off again the horses looking a little fagged but eating their oats well. We passed the cusp of the Police about 4 miles on through the wildest looking country I ever saw at noon we came to another stream & another camp of the police – we halted for dinner – having made about 25 miles. We had to turn one of our horses loose here as it could go no further. We then proceeded along. I riding and keeping a good long distance in front, we were gradually rising higher and higher above the level of the sea over ranges of smoothly winded hills, all being covered by a short thick dried grass presenting no trace of green on all their extended surface – but nestled in among some rather more prominent mounds – shut in on all sides would be a lake or pond or marsh or dry land ground covered with the rankest most luxuriant grass of the richest shades of green & yellow – which curlew flew & at times duck could be seen flying about. The water at times is good, at other times very salt & salt in crustations all around its margins. We camped tonight in a beautiful spot[,] a river very sluggish – but its banks fringed with trees – rushes birds of all kinds hopping about & singing – such a change from the dry stillness of the prairie. I here took a small sketch of the river. My turn to keep watch came on at 2 in the morning. Oh it was lively then I can tell you in every dark object I could fancy I saw moving imagining it to be an Indian until I went up to it & find only a bush or stump any unusual noise would be construed into an Indian signal – if the horses were restless they smelt an Indian. I was not so much afraid of my scalp as of the horses – if they were stolen our provisions would also go & we should starve or be reduced to the extremity of eating one another. However morning came & no Indians we started off in fine style and traveled over the interminable prairies we could find no water in the evening until late at night, the thirst we suffered was terrible & the poor horses – with heads down wearied, stepping out – about 9 o’clock we found a beautiful spring hidden among some bushes, it was the merest chance. The chance was providential and we were very thankful. My how the wind did blow that night a thunder storm at some distance, the lightning was fearfully with the wind blowing a perfect gale. Mine was the first watch of the night, and every moment I thought the tent would blow down – or the wagon topple over. However by 12 o’clock nothing had happened and I retired to sleep and oblivion. The next day we made the 1st crossing of the Souris after a journey in all respects similar to the previous ones. The sun was exceedingly hot and I got my face and hands pretty well burned, more especially as I was riding and had exchanged my hard hat for the scotch cap – at the first crossing of the Souris we found the remains of a Police camp where the evidently had camped for a couple of days. It was a lovely spot a broad valley with the river running through it winding about like a silver thread, the banks fringed with thick woods. The valley was shut in by high banks almost precipitous & on reaching the top they immediately go off into the dead [ ] of the prairie. We found two oxen left behind by the Force and two horses that had perished. The next day we were off and traveled as before until noon when we came across a piece of burnt prairie and of all the desolate looking things or places this was the worst for miles and miles nothing but an expanse of blackened ground – bare of any vestige of green not a sign of life even the little gophers a sort of chipmunk had disappeared – nothing but the barren bleak desolate burnt ground, which was hot from the fire and from the sun the wind blew small particles of ashes & dust in our eyes and rendered them sore, at the termination of the fire we found a marsh where we watered the horses and had dinner consisting of hard tack cold pork and sardines. We then pushed on[,] Chapman’s horse gave out so he and one of the men remained behind to lead it, we met one of the police riding back to look for a cow but as we had not seen it he rode back with us giving his horse to Chapman. We reached the second crossing of the Souris about 9 o’clock – pitched our tent & proceeded to have supper. Chapman did not get in until after 10. We found a number of the Police in the ox carts – had remained behind, the rest of the force having gone on in the morning that night the ox train with the cattle moved on. There was a report here that during the day a party of Sioux to the number of 150 has passed & taken all the provisions from a party of the Boundary Commission who were stationed there. However we kept no watch that night as we were all too tired, and we felt a sense of security from our proximity to the police. In the morning we started off and by noon came upon the oxtrain, had dinner and rested for an hour or two and again started off. We made about 20 miles after dinner & about six o’clock came upon a few wagons that had not been able to keep up to the train so we encamped along with them and the next morning Chapman & myself walked into the camp of the police about 10 miles further on. We had some breakfast at the mess and then reported to the Colonel. The Col. is a tall man with rather a hard face I think & fond of giving a rub now and again to show he is boss. Still if I do my duty & he can do nothing to me. Of the other Officers Capt. French seems to be a jolly Irishman. I think I can get along all right with him. He was very much obliged for the letters & parcel I brought him. He is a long lanky fellow over six feet tall with an Irish accent & is apparently a jovial chap. Col. McLeod[sic] the second in command is a gentleman & fine looking. Col. Griffiths the Adjt. Is very kind and obliging & I am sure I will like him. The others I have seen but seldom and am hardly able to form an opinion. Dr. Kittson is about 30 years of age, athletic fond of sporting & hunting and with very fair professional abilities. He will be an easy chap to get along with. I am to draw my uniform etc. here. I have blankets waterproof sheet & Pistol already, the rest I will have to get here. The meals are pretty good considering. There is plenty of pork, hard tack, some bread which is heavy as lead, tea, sugar, at times wild duck, at others Beef, soup etc. My work began the day after I arrived here which was on Saturday morning Sunday I went to Kittson’s tent & helped him through with the sick parade & to day Monday I undertook it myself and succeeded to my entire satisfaction. There are none really ill a few cases only of local distress. You will notice that our course from Dufferin has been almost due West along the road under by the Boundary Commission and will continue so until we reach Bow River which is about six hundred miles West of this then we will turn northwards & make for these whiskey distillers endeavor to make them stop their whiskey trade or fight them. The force will return by way of Fort Edmonton where a portion of them will remain for the winter and I will be left in charge of them Dr. Kittson being with the forces in headquarters at Fort Garry. I am well pleased with this sort of life and think it agrees with me. The name of our present camp is Roches Percée from the fact that in the valley where we are encamped is a rock of the limestone formation, the winds & rains & snows have so worn the softer parts that the rock is fissured in every direction & a big hole has been formed through its middle. In one of the future Canadian Illustrated you will see a picture of it drawn by their special artist by the name of Julien – a dirty-looking little Frenchman who draws very well indeed while I am thus writing about him he comes to look at some of the sketches that I have taken and thinks very well of them. So I suppose I ought to alter my opinion about him but I cannot.

I think Fort Garry would be a better place to address my letters than Dufferin – to the Assistant Surgeon N.W.M. Police Fort Garry. They will then forward them to Fort Edmonton or wherever I may be if an opportunity occurs.

I intend writing to Dr. Workinan Dr. McCollum and to Mannie to day. Tell Jack to try and send me some stamps. The uniform measure at McEachren’s will be of no service to me, so nothing need be said about that unless he charges for the mere measurement. The boots are finished I should like sent out to Fort Garry. How do you like my photos? Do you think them good? How did you enjoy your trip to Chicago – with the Taylors? Has Jacks Postal card chess game finished yet and if so who won and if not who has the advantage?

Remember me to Frank Darling – tell him I wish he was along, this Julien has $1400 a year from the Illustrated news – can’t Grip afford a special artist and send Frank – ask him.

Now darling don’t you be in the blues because you don’t often hear from me. I think of you always last night I took a quiet walk down the valley and in all the stillness of the wilderness saw things to come, lifted the veil of the future and with fond longings cried out for the present to pass – for the unknown yet certain to be at hand, unknown for we do not know in what positions we will be nor what out circumstances yet certain in our mutual all abiding love – for this can never change – never grow cold – can it Lizzie? Never mind no cloud but has a silver lining – let us hope that ours will be golden. Fort Edmonton is not so far as the Rocky Mountains, or not so far as it might be. Tis a long lane that has no turning. But all this proverbial comfort is almost worst than no comfort for it brings so strongly into the foreground the long period of separation – which we must endure.

The weather has been very pleasant – quite warm during the day and during the nights quite cool. On Saturday night the Thermometer stood at 32º freezing point and there was ice on the river! At this camp a detachment of the Police came down from Fort Ellice – and they with Troop A are on Wednesday morning going back & are the bearers of our mails so this will have travelled with me, from Grants farm near Dufferin to Roche Percée & from thence to Ft. Ellice & Fort Garry – a long way and a roundabout one for a letter to take is it not.

And now my own darling I must say goodbye. Give my love to your mother and Sallie. Remember me most kindly to all inquiring friends Probably from Wood End or from Woody Mountain Depot. I will have another opportunity of sending you a line. Good bye for a period. May our God shower his blessing upon you and comfort you.

Goodbye

Yours forever
Barrie.

P.S. Remember

Nevitt
Assistant Surgeon
N.W.M. Police
Fort Garry

Grants Farm, On the Boundry Line. July 18th 1874.

Lizzie My darling

I arrived in Dufferin about 10 o’clock landed just on the bank of the River in the mud & weeds – presently some of the aborigines came down and soon one or two of the M.P. on the sick lists & now convalescent – Capt. Clark & the Paymaster & one other officer were going down to Winnipeg on the boat. I saw & was introduced to Capt. Clark. He does not follow the force but remains at Fort Garry. It was not long before I met Mr. Chapineau the guide, he is a tall lissome fellow, quite handsome & deaf. Mrs. Ford Cissy’s friend had told me of him. A wagon & two teams had been left behind for me. I took on all my baggage tho’ warned that 10 lbs was the limit allowed. I have no horse as yet. I am going to ride some to day however – to get used to it. We have to wear a badge consisting of a lue & red ribbon tied on our hats or around our arms as a protection against the Sioux. Commissioner Cameron of the Boundary Survey has concluded a treaty with them. And this badge is a sign – the force has gone on and is now about 50 miles ahead of us, we expect to catch up to them in two or three days. On our way up we drove one pair of horses in our wagon & led the others, one pair had the misfortune to break loose two or three times and we had to send back for them – which delayed us considerably. I do not know yet what our direction, our address will be, but think that if anything will reach us a letter to Nevitt Assistant Surgeon N.W. Mounted Police Dufferin. We are taking on a lot of letters to them now, also a large mail for the Boundary Survey & such opportunities will arise during the course of the summer. The Police expect to get back to Garry for the winter – a portion being left at Fort Ellier Pely & Edmonton – during the winter a monthly mail will be established between Garry & the outposts. We have along with us ten days rations hard tack pork tea & sugar, with a few boxes of sardines, and a gallon of whiskey. Chapman takes this along & he ought to know what to take – it is vile stuff. The mosquitoes have not yet been excessively troublesome but enough to keep me awake in the wagon yesterday evening. Goodbye for the present. We are just about starting 10 miles beyond the Pembina Mountains about 40 miles from here is our destination for tonight. Goodbye – goodbye.