Prince Albert Volunteers

Aboriginal peoples in Canada

First Nations Inuit Métis
History Paleo-Indians Pre-colonization Genetics Residential Schools Indian Hospitals Conflicts First Nation Inuit
Politics Crown and Aboriginals Treaty rights Health Policy Numbered Treaties Royal Commission Self-government Indian Act British Columbia Treaty Process Idle No More Lateral violence Politics Organizations Case law Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
Culture Aboriginal cultures Aboriginal personalities Country food Music
Demographics Indian reserves AB FN Métis Atlantic CA BC MB ON QC SK Territories Pacific Coast
Linguistics Aboriginal languages Inuit languages Aboriginal English Dialects Aboriginal syllabics Inuit grammar
Religions Traditional beliefs Inuit mythology
Index Index of articles Aboriginal First Nations Inuit Métis Stubs
Wikiprojects Portal Aboriginal Canadian portal WikiProject Indigenous North Americans First Nations Commons Wiktionary Inuit Commons Wiktionary Métis Commons Wiktionary

The Prince Albert Volunteers or Prince Albert Rifles were a historical body of militia organized in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which served as Canadian government militia during the North-West Rebellion.

"Gentleman" Joe McKay, an Anglo-Metis scout of the North-West Mounted Police was sent to Prince Albert from Fort Carlton to enlist about 20 men as volunteers on 20 March 1885. On the 21st, 22 men were sworn in before Lieutenant Colonel Sproat. The volunteers were commanded by Captain Moore, who had retired from the Canadian militia. On the 23rd they arrived at Fort Carlton and were armed with Snider-Enfield rifles.

They saw their only action fighting alongside the police against Gabriel Dumont's Metis forces at the Battle of Duck Lake on March 26, 1885, where they suffered the heaviest casualties of combatants involved: of the forty-one Volunteers sent, nine were killed.^[1] Most of those who died are buried at St. Mary's Anglican Church cemetery just west of Prince Albert. Nine of them were killed at Duck Lake, their bodies left on the field until emissaries from Louis Riel arranged for their safe retrieval by citizens of Prince Albert.

For the remainder of the rebellion the volunteers stayed penned up in the stockade at Prince Albert, safeguarding the community until relieved by General Frederick Middleton and his Northwest Field Force after the Battle of Batoche.

Members killed at Duck Lake

Constable Joseph Anderson
Constable James Bakie
Constable Skeffington C. Elliott
Constable Alexander Fisher
Constable Daniel McKenzie
Constable Daniel McPhail
Constable Robert Middleton
Captain John Morton
Corporal William Napier

References

↑ Stanley, George F. G. (1960). The Birth of Western Canada: A History of the Riel Rebellions. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Other source:

Light, Douglas W. (1987). Footprints in the Dust. North Battleford: Turner-Warwick Prineters Inc.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, November 29, 2012. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.