22 



being killed, and also Francois Deschamps and several other 

 Brules wanted to kill him." 



AFTER THE FIGHT. 



" Many of the settlers are of the opinion that the first shot 

 fired was by Lieutenant Holt, whose gun went ofi' by accident, 

 thus precipitating the conflict. In all, twenty-one persons were 

 killed, the remaining eight escaping into the woods, which at 

 that time extended fiom the highway to the river bank, and 

 making their way to Fort Douglas, one or two swimming the 

 Red River and passing up the east side until opposite the 

 fort. It is to be noticed that only one actual settler was 

 killed. 



" At the fort all was confusion, the settlers — men, women 

 and children — crowding into the houses within its walls. Mr. 

 Bourke managed to regain the fort vvith the cannon and a 

 small remnant of the men he took out, and the tale they told 

 struck terror into the hearts of all, who expected an attack 

 would be made immediately by the North-westers. An 

 anxious night was passed, but no attack came, the Bois -Brules 

 having a wholesome dread of the cannon possessed by the 

 colonists. 



"John Pritchard had been taken as a prisoner to the camp 

 ground of the main body of the Metis, which was situated 

 where the Kildonan ferry landing now is, I am informed by 

 Mr. Donald Murray, whose parents had also been taken pri- 

 soners on their farm, two lots above that point, on the morn- 

 ing of the tragedy. He begged of Cuthbert Grant, the leader, 

 to be allowed to go to Fort Douglas. After obtaining per- 

 mission from Grant, he met with a refusal from the rest of 

 the party ; but after giving a promise to return, and agreeing 

 to bear a message to the fort people that they must leave the 

 next day for Lake Winnipeg, he was allowed to depart. 

 Grant accompanied him as far as " Seven Oaks," where the 

 bodies of the killed lay upon the ground, but as it was after 

 nightfall when he passed there, he was spared the sight of the 

 horrible scene. 



