Battle of Duck Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Duck Lake |
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| Part of the North-West Rebellion | |||||||
 This contemporary illustration of the Battle of Duck Lake offers a romanticized depiction of the skirmish. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Provisional Government of Saskatchewan (Métis) |  Canada |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gabriel Dumont | Leif Crozier | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 200–250 | 95 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 5–6 dead 3 wounded |
12 dead 12 wounded |
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| Official name: Battle of Duck Lake National Historic Site of Canada | |||||||
| Designated: | 1924 | ||||||
The Battle of Duck Lake happened on March 26, 1885. It was a short fight near Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. This battle was between the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) from the Canadian government and the Métis militia. The Métis were led by Louis Riel, who had just started a new government called the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan.
The fight lasted about 30 minutes. The NWMP, led by Superintendent Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier, faced heavy fire. Twelve of his men were killed and eleven were hurt. Crozier then ordered his forces to retreat. This battle is known as the first major fight of the North-West Rebellion. Even though Louis Riel won at Duck Lake, historians generally agree it didn't help his overall plan much.
Why the Battle Happened
On March 19, 1885, Louis Riel announced the creation of his new Provisional Government of Saskatchewan. The Canadian government wanted to get back control of the area. Leif Crozier, who was in charge of the NWMP in northwestern Saskatchewan, asked for more help at Fort Carlton. He was worried about Riel's growing power and the chance of a First Nations uprising.
Riel sent messengers to demand that Fort Carlton surrender peacefully. Crozier's people refused. They said that the Métis leaders would be brought to justice.
On March 25, Crozier needed supplies for his men and horses. He sent Sergeant Alfred Stewart, Thomas McKay, and seventeen police officers to a store in Duck Lake. What Crozier didn't know was that Gabriel Dumont, Riel's main military leader, and his Métis fighters were already waiting on the road to Duck Lake.
The next morning, Stewart's group met the Métis near Duck Lake. After some tense moments, Stewart decided it was too risky to fight. He chose to go back to Fort Carlton without any shots being fired. Crozier then gathered a larger force. This group included 53 NWMP officers and men, 41 members of the Prince Albert Volunteers, and a small cannon. They set out to get the needed supplies and show that the Canadian government was still in charge of the District of Saskatchewan.
The Battle Begins
The two groups met about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) outside Duck Lake. The area was a snowy, open space with some trees, bushes, and a few log cabins. When Gabriel Dumont saw Crozier's force, he told his men to get into defensive positions around the log cabins and wait. Crozier's scouts also told him about the Métis. Crozier then ordered his men to stop and set up their sleighs as a barrier. Both sides got ready to fight.
Gabriel Dumont sent his brother, Isidore, and an older, partly blind chief named Assiwiyin forward. They carried a white flag, hoping to distract Crozier's forces. Crozier thought Dumont wanted to talk. He walked forward with an interpreter named "Gentleman" Joe McKay. During their short discussion, Crozier started to think that Isidore and Assiwiyin were just trying to buy time. He believed the Métis were trying to move around his men. As they started to leave, both Assiwiyin and Isidore tried to pull out their guns. Crozier told McKay to fire. A quick struggle happened, and McKay shot and killed both Isidore and Assiwiyin.
Even though Crozier's soldiers had more training and better weapons, the Métis had more fighters. Their positions inside the log cabins and among the trees gave them a strong advantage. Crozier tried to help the Prince Albert Volunteers by ordering the cannon to fire at the log cabins. After several shots, a mistake happened: a shell was loaded before the gunpowder. This made the cannon useless for the rest of the battle.
Within half an hour, Crozier realized they couldn't win. He ordered a full retreat back to Fort Carlton. The Métis wanted to chase Crozier's retreating force, but Louis Riel stopped them. He declared the battle was over.
What Happened Next
The battle was very costly for the government forces. Twelve of their men were killed, and eleven were seriously hurt. On the Métis side, five warriors died, including Dumont's brother. Gabriel Dumont himself was grazed in the head by a bullet.
Losing to Riel and the Métis was a big surprise for Crozier's leaders. Colonel Acheson Irvine, Crozier's boss, thought that Crozier had acted too quickly and not used his best judgment.
Fort Carlton was a trading post with weak defenses. It was now in danger of being attacked. Colonel Irvine quickly called a meeting to decide what to do with Fort Carlton. Everyone agreed to leave the fort and destroy it. By 4 AM on March 28, the last sleigh had left the burning fort.
In just three days, Riel's forces had beaten Crozier's militia. They had forced the destruction of Fort Carlton and caused fear of a Métis uprising across the North-West Territories. Riel's plan wasn't completely successful, though. He had hoped to capture Crozier and his men as hostages. This would have given him power over the government. So, while the Battle of Duck Lake was a win on the battlefield, it didn't fully achieve Riel's bigger goals.
Battle Legacy
"Duck Lake Battlefield—Here, on 26th March 1885, occurred the first combat between the Canadian Government Forces, under Major L.N.F. Crozier, and the Metis and Indians, under Gabriel Dumont. Ici, le 26 mars, 1885, eut lieu la première rencontre entre les troupes du gouvernement du Canada, commandées par le Major Crozier, et les Métis et Indiens commandés par Gabriel Dumont."
The place where the battle happened was named a national historic site of Canada in 1924.
In 2008, Christine Tell, a government minister, spoke in Duck Lake. She said that the 125th anniversary in 2010 of the 1885 Northwest Resistance was a great chance to tell the story. It was about how the Métis and First Nations people on the prairies struggled against government forces. She noted how this struggle helped shape Canada into what it is today.
Duck Lake is home to the Duck Lake Historical Museum and the Duck Lake Regional Interpretive Centre. There are also murals that show the history of the rebellion in the area. The "First Shots Cairn" is a monument on Saskatchewan Highway 212. It marks the spot where the first shots of the Battle of Duck Lake were fired. The Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine at St. Laurent, north of Duck Lake, is a local pilgrimage site.
See also
