Battle of Fish Creek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Fish Creek |
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| Part of the North-West Rebellion | |||||||
 Contemporary lithograph of the Battle of Fish Creek |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Metis, Cree, Teton Sioux rebels |  Canada |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gabriel Dumont | Frederick Middleton | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 280 | 900 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 11 Métis & Dakota dead 18 wounded |
10 dead 40 wounded |
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| Official name: Battle of Tourond's Coulee / Fish Creek National Historic Site of Canada | |||||||
| Designated: | 1923 | ||||||
The Battle of Fish Creek was a major fight during the North-West Rebellion in Canada. It happened on April 24, 1885, near Fish Creek, Saskatchewan. In this battle, the Métis people won a victory against the Canadian government forces.
Even though the Métis won, it didn't change the final outcome of the rebellion. However, it did make Major General Frederick Dobson Middleton stop his advance. He was heading towards Batoche, which was the main base for the Métis. This pause gave the Métis more time to prepare for their final stand.
Contents
The Battle Begins
General Middleton started his journey from Qu'Appelle on April 10. He was moving along the South Saskatchewan River towards Batoche. His scouts found out that Gabriel Dumont and his Métis and Dakota fighters were planning an ambush. This ambush was set up at Fish Creek, about 17 km (10 mi) south of Batoche. Fish Creek was an important area for the Métis people.
Dumont wanted to use surprise attacks to slow down Middleton's army. He suggested blowing up train tracks. However, Louis Riel, the Métis leader, thought this was too much like "Indian warfare." Dumont also planned a night attack, but he learned that Middleton's scouts were already watching. So, he had to cancel that idea.
Setting the Trap
On April 23, Middleton's soldiers began moving from Clarke's Crossing, about 90 km (56 mi) south of Batoche. Dumont took 200 of his men and rode towards a place called Tourond's Coulée. Louis Riel went with them. When a false report came that the North-West Mounted Police were attacking Batoche, Riel returned with 50 men.
Dumont placed most of his men in the coulée (a deep ravine). They started digging rifle pits, which are small trenches for protection. Meanwhile, Middleton set up his camp about 10 km (6 mi) south of Fish Creek. Dumont sent a small group of twenty horsemen ahead of the coulée. Their job was to block the escape route once the ambush began.
The Ambush is Discovered
An inexperienced Métis soldier made a mistake. He forgot Dumont's order to stay away from the main road. His tracks were spotted by a Canadian scout. The scout followed the tracks, getting closer to Dumont and his men. Before Dumont could capture the scout, the Métis and Canadian soldiers saw each other.
The hidden Métis in the rifle pits tried to ambush the Canadian soldiers. Dumont quickly shot the scout and returned to his men. They were in poplar trees, ready to fight the rest of the Canadian army.
Fighting in the Coulée
The Métis fired a powerful volley of shots at Middleton's men. Then, they quickly took cover and used sniper fire. This helped them save their ammunition. Their position in the coulée was very good for defense.
Because the Métis were in the deep coulée, they had to shoot upwards at the Canadian soldiers. This meant that many of the Canadian soldiers were wounded in their upper bodies and heads.
Middleton could not use all his soldiers because half of his force was on the other side of the river. His artillery (cannons) fired at the Métis, but it didn't do much damage. However, the cannon fire did scare away Dumont's Cree allies. This was good for the Canadians, as the Cree could have made the battle even harder for them.
Dumont's Leadership
Many of Dumont's men started to run away from the battle. Dumont bravely stopped as many as he could. He convinced them to keep fighting. His numbers were getting very low; he only had 47 men left out of 130. Even though he was greatly outnumbered, Dumont managed to keep the Métis casualties (deaths and injuries) very low.
The Canadian soldiers were spread out along the edge of the coulée. They fired a huge amount of ammunition. Most of their shots hit tree branches, which fell into the ravine. When the Canadian artillerymen tried to move their cannons to the edge of the coulée to shoot down, they suffered many casualties. The only clear targets the Canadians could see were the Métis' horses. They killed about 55 of them.
General Middleton tried to show himself to the Métis. A bullet went through his fur hat, and his two assistants were both wounded right beside him. The frustrated Canadians, losing more and more men, tried several times to charge into the ravine. A few regular infantry soldiers under Middleton's command made one charge. Another, larger charge was made by the 90th "Winnipeg" Battalion of Rifles.
The Métis stopped these charges using temporary barricades they built inside the coulée. These unorganized attacks only led to more Canadian casualties. Middleton later said that the Métis' plans were "well arranged." He believed that if his scouts hadn't been so far ahead, his army would have been attacked in the ravine and possibly wiped out.
End of the Battle
As night came, Middleton was worried about his losses. He decided to retreat. At the end of the battle, both sides had left the battlefield. However, the Métis had caused more casualties to the Canadians. More importantly, they had delayed Middleton's march towards Batoche, the Métis headquarters. Weeks later, Middleton finally reached Batoche.
Legacy and Remembrance
The place where the Battle of Fish Creek happened was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1923. This means it's a special place in Canadian history.
In 2008, a government minister announced plans to remember the 125th anniversary of the 1885 Northwest Resistance in 2010. This was a chance to share the story of how the Métis and First Nations peoples fought against the government. This struggle helped shape Canada into what it is today.
The Battle of Fish Creek National Historic Site is now called Tourond's Coulée / Fish Creek National Historic Site. It protects the battlefield from April 24, 1885, at la coulée des Tourond. It also tells the story of Madame Tourond's home, which was near the battle. Middleton's camp and graveyard are also part of the historic site, located across Fish Creek.
See also
- List of battles won by indigenous peoples of the Americas
