I was alerted to a new-to-me website this morning – one that mentions the Red River Colony. So, naturally, I went in to have a look!

Many of us are tempted to accept as truth what we see in print. Unfortunately, and this is something that is particularly evident in material one finds on the Internet, a lot of what is written for our edification is either poorly researched, mistaken, or just downright misleading! Such is the case with Scottish Government site I was refered to today, Learning and Teaching Scotland: Scots and Canada.

The site looks very professional, and has a slide show of historic maps, paintings and sketches that add to the sense of authority of the site. But for the historian well-versed in Red River history, several errors are evident in the text. I’ll point out a few right now:

1. Lord Selkirk agreed that he would provide settlers and militia for the region over the next decade. According to Bumstead’s biography of Lord Selkirk (Lord Selkirk: A Life, 2008), Selkirk was constantly stymied by the British and Canadian Governments in his efforts to provide military protection for the RRS. He overcame the obstacle by settling retired Swiss soldiers in the Colony. They came (officially) as settlers, not soldiers. I wonder who the author of this site is inferring the agreement was between?
2. In 1811, a hundred Scots emigrants set sail for Hudson’s Bay under the leadership of Miles MacDonnell [sic]. The first Scottish (and Irish) settlers set sail in 1812. The group of 1811 was a work party made up of mostly Irish, Scottish and Orcadian men, and certainly fewer than 100! According to the list in the Miles Macdonell Papers as reprinted in Martin (p.10), 18 men were included in the work party. The 1812 group of Scottish settlers engaged was 56, according to A list of Settlers and Servants engaged in Ross, Brolas, Greenburn in the Island of Mull, for the service of the Honorable H. B. Coy and the Right Honorable Earl of Selkirk. [Selkirk Papers M-734 Vol. 2 pp. 558-559].
3. They arrived in Canada too late to make the 60-day trek inland to Red River before winter and were forced to camp near York Factory. The Scots barely survived the harsh winter. By spring, only 22 men were healthy enough to make the 1300-mile trek to Red River. The work party of 1811 did winter near York Factory, and encountered the usual hardships of winter life in the far north. There was a lot of strife and unrest in the two camps (one mainly Irish, the other mainly Scottish), and several Irish men were sent home on the next available ship as a result. The work party was never intended to be much larger than the group that headed for the intended site of the RRS in 1812, although there was some argument in the spring of 1812 about who would be part of it and whether HBC employees would augment the numbers. According to the list mentioned in the point above, 18 men left York Factory in 1812 as a work party for the RRS.
4. Nor’Westers refused to trade with the Scots settlers… On the contrary, NWCo. officials at Red River did everything they could to coerce the settlers to accept relocation to Canada from the RRS, and providing them with food was one of the main methods of dividing the settlers and the RRS officials and creating a rebellious spirit among the settlers. Metis and First Nations hunters supplied food for the RRS and were paid or traded for their services and provisions.
5. MacDonnell [sic] called himself the Governor of the Red River Colony. Of course he did. He was appointed such by Lord Selkirk himself! This site is pretty hard on Miles Macdonell, who, although he was admittedly not the best man for the job and made several serious mistakes in his leadership, was working in circumstances that even he would have had difficulty forseeing. Answers to his reports, which could only be sent out once annually with the ships from York Factory, were only received a year after he requested instructions, when the next ships arrived with the mail! How much can occur under volatile situations over the period of a year!
6. Cameron tried to convince the settlers to relocate but most refused. Actually, the majority (about three quarters of the settlers, according to lists made at the time of the events) accepted Cameron’s offer to relocate to Canada in 1815. Several families were forced by officials/servants of the NWCo. Only a handful removed to Jack River at the north end of Lake Winnipeg to await aid, instructions and the 1815 group’s arrival to augment their numbers and to start all over again.
7. Cuthbert Grant and 60 of his men massacred a group of 25 Hudson’s Bay Company employees at a place called Seven Oaks. Settlers were also slain in this massacre. Cuthbert Grant and ‘his’ men were acting under orders of NWCo. officials.

Having said all that (and more could be said…), the same site provides a link to an interesting educational page on the Red River Settlement, one that would be of interest to teachers and young people. It is simply written and hazy on detail. But it would be a good starting point for introducing children to their Red River roots! Check it out: The Red River Colony: Lord Selkirk has a Plan.

Sent a boat with five men to Gibralter to bring down Cameron, Seraphin and Hess, with all the Arms and ammunition at that place- they arrived about 9 O’clock a.m. when Cameron began ardently to solicit for his liberty- really the Hero’s of last spring cut a pitiful appearance.- I was as much ashamed of their meanness in adversity; as shocked at their former arrogance in prosperity- having called in a number of the Colonists and Indians,- I thus addressed the prisoners.-

“Gentlemen the cruelty with which you exercised the power that intrigue and force placed in your hands last spring deserves greater punishment than I am willing ro inflict, I gave you to understand on my arrival in this country that I was prepared either for Peace or War- you seem from your conduct at Qu’Appell to have preferred the latter, which has placed you in your present situation,- but to see what effect a generous action will have on you- you shall be released and put in possession of your Fort on the following mild conditions.- 1st That an Express be sent of to Qu’Appell to put a stop to the violent measures of your Mr. McDonnell- 2ly That you will not either directly orindirectly attempt to seduce any Emigrants that the Earl of Selkirk has, or will in future send to this country.- these points being agreed to, I took Cameron back and placed him in his post- when I took my leave of them I observed “Gentlemen you know me of old! should you fail in any of the points you have agreed to, rest assured that I will always have it in my power to remedy the Evil.-

-  Colin Robertson’s Journal

(reference: pages 17424-5 of the Selkirk Papers, M186, Manitoba Archives)

Note – The events of the spring to which Robertson refers include the harrassment of settlers and HBC servants and officials and the burning of the Colony by NWCo. servants, and Duncan Cameron’s (and other officials of the NWCo.) coercement of the settlers into deserting the colony. 140 settlers were carried of in the NWCo. canoes to Upper Canada in June.

Colin Robertson was a member of the North West Company earlier in his career, but left it in 1809.

This morning when I was sitting at breakfast planning in my mind how I should take posession of Gibralter- my servant informed me that Messrs. McLean and Bourke were bringing Cameron and Seraphin prisoners to the Fort- I was rather surprised when I found this to be the case- which placed me in a very critical situation – as I was afraid the alarm was given at Gibralter- Cameron immediately began with his usual phrases of British liberty and free born Englishmen he then asked me, what I intended to do with him- I answered that he must in the first place deliver up all the arms he had belonging to the Colony- before I could hear any proposition regarding his liberty- to this he agreed- when I ordered twelve men under the command of Mr. McLean to take Mr. Seraphin to Gibralter, and there receive all the Arms belonging to the Colony, – but I gave Mr. McLean secret instructions- that the moment the gates were opened to take posession of Gibralter and hold the same until I gave him further orders- this he accomplished in a masterly manner- as soon as the Indians learned what was going on- they took up arms and came to our assistance.- another proof of the attachment of these Indians to the Colony, is that a number were present at the seizure of Cameron- and altho’ that person was nearly an hour a prisoner at Fort Douglas- Hess who was in charge of Gibralter was a perfect stranger to what had happened, until Mr. McLean informed him after the seizing of the Fort, I then sent over Cameron with an escort to Gibralter where he is to be prisoner all night.- I have ordered Messrs. McLean and Bourke to pay every attention to the prisoners- and respect to be paid to private property.- I mean to give Cameron his liberty tomorrow as I have not the means to send him off another thing I am not inclined to carry things too far untill I hear from York,- I shall lower his consequence a little- this is necessary for the safety of the Colony- he shall send an Express immediately of to Qu’Appell to put a stop to hostilities there, – I will remove all the Arms in his Fort to this place, until tranquility is established in that quarter.- these are points I will insist upon.

-  Colin Robertson’s Journal

(reference: pages 1722-4 of the Selkirk Papers, M186, Manitoba Archives)

“This morning about 9 o’Clock a.m Mr. McLeod left here in a boat with eight men for Jack River; he Mr. D. Cameron of the N. W. under his charge- A Canoe with seven Canadians accompanied the Boat for the purpose of taking Cameron from Jack River to York.”  – Colin Robertson Journal

At long last the poison is drawn from the RRS. Cameron’s tactics caused more damage to the fledgling colony than any other individual. His propoganda and manipulation of the settlers resulted in the desertion of over 140 settlers and HBCo. company servants, disciplinary problems, and disharmony, not to mention ill feeling that grew (and can still be found) between the Settlers and the French Canadian Metis.

(reference: p. 17527 of the Selkirk Papers, M187, Manitoba Archives)

“A number of the freemen arrived this evening – I waited on Governor Semple this evening I proposed to him that Cameron should be removed to Fort Douglas, as he would be out of the way of these people as well as the Indians- the Governor did not seem to relish this- I wish to God I could get clear of the business- I cannot act as I wish, I would therefore prefer not to act at all.”  – Colin Robertson Journal

Duncan Cameron was the North West Company official at Red River whose scheming, acting skills, and fabrications coerced the majority of the settlers into moving to Canada in June of 1815. His insinuations and outright lies created a great deal of strife within the colony prior to that, and he was a constant thorn in the flesh of HBC and RRS operations. Robertson recognised the danger of leaving a con-man like Cameron with ready access to people he could incite to attack the settlers. It is difficult to say whether his removal to Fort Douglas, where HBC and RRS officials could control who had direct access to Cameron, would have had enough of a positive effect to avoid the Massacre of Seven Oaks or not.

(reference: pages 17518 of the Selkirk Papers, M186, Manitoba Archives)