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Thomas Bull's letter to his
father
1885
Fighting under the command of Major-General Frederick
Middleton at the Battle of Fish Creek on April 24, 1885,
Thomas Bull wrote to his father the next day detailing
the heavy casualties incurred by Middleton's forces.
Bull referred to the challenges posed by the guerrilla-style
warfare conducted by the Métis and Indians, known
as "le petit guerre." It contravened all British
notions of a set-piece battle and enabled the Métis
and Indians to use the heavily-treed terrain and their
buffalo marksmanship to the best advantage.
[more]
Fearing an American-style Indian war, Canadian authorities
acted quickly and decisively to what was widely perceived
as a threat to the security of the new territories
and to national unity. In less than a month, 3,000
troops, under the command of Major-General Frederick
Middleton, were recruited, outfitted, and transported
over the Canadian Pacific Railway to the rail head
at Qu'Appelle - the trip from Ottawa took just eight
days compared to the 100 days it had taken in 1869
- where they joined 5,000 volunteers and North-West
Mounted Police, recruited from western centres.
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