Louis Riel: Part 3 - Downfall and Treason

In the wake of the Frog Lake Massacre, Canada sends its might to squash the rebellion. The Canadian forces splintered into three groups; one to take out Big Bear and Wandering Spirit, another for Poundmaker, and the leader of the force, Frederick Middleton, hoping to take in or take out Louis Riel. Gabriel Dumont hoped to harry the incoming forces with hit and run tactics, but Riel didn't want him to resort to guerrilla tactics thinking that was below their cause. If he had been allowed, it would certainly have found a great deal of success; the men being sent to stomp out the rebellion were fairly fresh soldiers, not having seen a lot of combat and unfamiliar with not only the terrain but how to survive well outdoors. A young and inexperienced fighting force, regardless of being well supplied and having better weaponry, would have difficulties against the forces of Dumont who are good at everything that has to do with guerrilla warfare - quick movement, knowledge of the terrain, and experience in their weaponry. Nevertheless, they sat back and waited.

Canadian forces attacking at the Battle of Batoche.
Disciplined soldiers, they practiced the "walk in one really
long line" formation.

They met the first wave of Canadian forces at Fish Creek, hoping to assault them with the element of surprise. However, as disciplined as Dumont was, he and his small army of native and Metis soldiers were still liable to make mistakes. His men saw a cow wandering on the path and decided to chase after it (from what I can tell, just for fun) and left tracks that the Canadians saw. If that wasn't enough, Dumont also chased after a scout which alerted the opposition as well. To be fair to Dumont, he's still injured from being shot in the head, so cut him a break. He would occasionally pass out from the pain, but he still managed to not only fight in the battles but lead them.

Middleton's forces had far more soldiers than the Metis but were unaware of that fact. To pile on, 50 of the 137 abandoned the Metis at the first sounds of gunfire. Nevertheless they held on for hours due to Middleton being unable to gauge just how many Metis were against them. Somehow, after hours of fighting, only four Metis were killed and ten on the other side. Blame unreliable weaponry, I suppose.

Frederick Middleton, looking like he's gunning
for a position as Kaiser Middleton.

For the next assault the Canadians came with a concerted force of 850, along with a gatling gun and four cannons. Coming up against a force of only 200 Metis, they're certainly the favourites. The plan was to attack Batoche in central Saskatchewan, drawing Gabriel out with a steamer full of supplies sent down the river while they attacked the town in the meantime. The ruse succeeded, drawing Gabriel away from the force while they started firing on Batoche. Eventually Gabriel returns and the fight begins in full, Gabriel keeping them at bay with midnight raids that keep the enemy from getting any rest as well as lighting the vast prairie grassland on fire in order to obscure the gatling gun's vision. You've got to hand it to Dumont; he's fighting insurmountable odds, holding on with barely any bullets and keeping them back with using the land itself. His quick thinking worked well, but in the meantime the town was basically left in rubble due to the cannon and gatling gun fire. Middleton, in spite of outnumbering and outgunning the Metis, hesitates in the final assault and the fighting stretches out over a weekend. The priests, however, came back to bite Louis. They held up the white flag and actually came to help the Canadians, pointing out rifle pits that were well disguised. Finally, one of his officers gets fed up and charges with his men, routing the Metis and sending them scattered into the wilderness.

Dumont and Riel both flee, but neither of them know where the other has run off to. The Metis start surrendering in groups, hungry and tired and no longer able to defend themselves. Riel eventually decides to turn himself in in the hopes that it will grant leniency to his people. Dumont, meanwhile, went to the U.S. where he was caught - but quickly released. MacDonald had enough on his plate with deciding what to do with Riel, so he let Dumont slide.

Riel was then brought out east to be tried for treason - and the odds were pretty stacked against him right off the get go. Not only was he tried as a subject of the Queen (so basically someone living in Canada) he was also tried as an alien (someone from outside of Canada) at the same time. This was, somehow, allowed. How they were going to try to free him on the defensive side of the courtroom was up for debate; Riel wanted to defend on the grounds that he was fighting on behalf of a people ignored by the Canadian government where his lawyers wanted to plead insanity (they certainly had a case). Riel didn't want the latter because that would nullify everything he's fought for. Saying he's been doing everything he has been due to him being a nut wouldn't exactly help out his people.

Metis prisoners following the fall of Riel. Every last one
followed the "old prospector" fashion style.

Just before the jury left to decide Riel's fate, the judge gives a rather one sided statement on the way out: "not only must you think of the man in the dock, but you must think of society at large. You are not called upon to think of the government at Ottawa simply as a government. You have to think of the homes and of the people who live in this country. You have to ask yourselves: can such things be permitted?". Well, why not just say "he's guilty, let's move on." Naturally, he was found guilty of treason and sentenced to hang.

John A. did have the option to pardon him, however. He was facing a great deal of international pressure to spare Riel, mostly for two reasons; one, he was a political prisoner that didn't actually fire a single shot, and two, he had a lot of French allies due to his lineage. However, the election was coming up and the votes came predominantly from the English speaking side, and one that would definitely prefer to put Riel down. MacDonald decided against pardoning him, famously saying (well, relatively famously, but famous as far as early Canadian history quotes go) "he shall die though every dog in Quebec bark in his favour!".

He was hanged shortly after. The rebellion, with all the blood and vitriol that fueled it, fizzled out with the loss of Riel and Dumont. As for his legacy, well, at least he's remembered as a better Canadian than Avril Lavigne.