Battle of Fort Pitt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Fort Pitt |
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| Part of the North-West Rebellion | |||||||
 This contemporary illustration from The Illustrated London News depicts the Cree attack of April 15 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Cree |  Canada |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Big Bear | Francis Dickens | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 200-250 | 22 militia | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 0-4 dead | 1 dead 1 wounded |
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The Battle of Fort Pitt happened in 1885. It was a fight between Cree warriors and Canadian forces. This battle was part of a bigger event called the North-West Rebellion. Cree warriors started attacking Canadian settlements on April 2nd. On April 15th, they took over Fort Pitt from a small group of North-West Mounted Police.
What Led to the Battle?
In the Canadian North-West, there was growing tension before the rebellion. The government in Ottawa was not listening to the concerns of its people. The Métis people, led by Louis Riel, formed their own government and gathered their forces.
Meanwhile, the Cree chief Big Bear did not want to fight. He hoped to unite the Cree people. His goal was to create a strong group that could stand up for their rights. He wanted to change unfair land agreements made in the 1860s.
However, things changed when the Métis won a battle at Duck Lake in late March. Many Indigenous people supported Riel. On April 2nd, Big Bear's warriors attacked the town of Frog Lake. Sadly, some lives were lost. This event pulled Big Bear into the rebellion, even though he didn't want to fight.
The Battle at Fort Pitt
On April 15th, about 200 Cree warriors arrived at Fort Pitt. They met a police scouting group. During this encounter, one police officer was killed, another was hurt, and a third was captured.
The fort's commander, Francis Dickens, was greatly outnumbered. He was the son of the famous writer Charles Dickens. Commander Dickens decided to surrender and talk with the Cree warriors. Big Bear then let the remaining police officers go free. However, he kept the townspeople as hostages and destroyed the fort. Six days later, Inspector Dickens and his men safely reached Battleford.
Fort Pitt's Legacy
In 2008, a minister from Saskatchewan said that the 125th anniversary of the 1885 Northwest Resistance in 2010 was a great chance to share the story. It was a chance to talk about the struggles of the Métis and First Nations peoples with the government. This history helped shape Canada into what it is today.
Fort Pitt is now a Provincial Park and a National Historic Site. A special plaque there marks where Treaty Six was signed.
See Also
- List of battles won by Indigenous peoples of the Americas
