Today in History – 2 September 1816
Monday York 2nd Sept’r 1816
“…the Colonial and Cumberland House boat arrived the only intelligence of the Canadian Expedition is from the N. W. Co. as they passed the Grand Rapid Portage. They say that Lord Selkirk has gone to Red River by Faun du Lac and that Dr. Chatland has passed Fort William with four Canoes…” – Colin Robertson Journal
(references: page 7621 of the Selkirk Papers, M186, Manitoba Archives)
Tags: Colin Robertson, Colin Robertson's Journal, Lord Selkirk, RRS military, RRS Politics, Today in History
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:57 am
Looking at this post I realise that I should have given a bit more background information…
The Canadian Expedition Robertson refers to was a group of de Meuron retirees Selkirk led to Red River to provide the colony with some military support. The Swiss soldiers remained at the RRS for about ten years, then most of them moved south of the border to settle in Minnesota. Some of the soldiers went in advance of Selkirk, who spent the winter of 1816/17 at Fort William, which he took in a surprise attack in 1816 in retaliation for the Massacre of Seven Oaks and other NWCo. atrocities against Red River and in the Hudson’s Bay Charter territory.