Show FM mounted e en bunted aunte n of t the h by captain G elliott nigh copyright COPY TIght u SEND A REGIMENT NO SEND FOUR MEN T THE HE difference between the american and canadian methods of handling troublesome indians indans was clearly demonstrated back in the late nineties when about four hundred wood cree indians tearing fearing that they would be involved in the violation of a certain treaty between all the cree tribes and the canadian government sneaked q quietly T away from their reservation in in small groups one night and slipped across the border into montana upon assembling there the american peace officers and military men told the wood arec chieftains that they had better go back to canada because uncle sam had more indians than he needed the crees refused to depart and stayed put where c camped threatening all kinds of bf trouble if they were bothered in any way the result of this defiant attitude was that a thousand united states cavalrymen were soon uprooting the crees and herding them north to the border while the party was en route messages concerning the return of the crees were hurried through to the assiniboine authorities and the northwest mounted police requesting that an armed force be at the border to take charge of the returning wood crees the messages were to the effect that these wood crees were a murderous lot and would take some handling if trouble or massacre were to be prevented upon arriving at the designated crossing place on the border the american colonel of cavalry was quite disappointed at not finding a regiment of red coated infantrymen to meet the party and tal take ke charge of the wood crees his dis app later turned to rage and anger for veteran indian fighter that he was his advices advises about the handling of the troublesome crees had been totally ignored for there was not even a squadron of northwest mounted police to relieve him of his deportees just when the air was blue with profanity with brown spots here and there emanating from spluttering splutter ing tobacco juice three men of the mounted walked not rode into the american cavalry officers presence we have come to take over the crees the corporal announced youve WHAT shouted the colonel the corporal repeated his remarks why avny good god man wheres your troops why need a regiment to handle this bunch of rascals how many men have you well sir theres three of us here the fourth man of my party is packing up ofir our kits hell be with us in a minute sir asking your patience four men blustered the cavalry officer why its murder not at all sir replied the corporal you see we know therein these indians and they know we wear the queens scarlet they know too that we have kept all tre treaties atias with them ask them sir find out for yourself the colonel did as requested and without any help or advice from the men of the mounted the chieftains of the wood crees stepped out and said baij that never in all their experience since the redcoat pony soldiers had come had they them found a forked tongue among them they had always been faithful to all treaties and the chieftains concluded with the admission that they were glad to be back on canadian soil and that they would not have run away if they had not believed that they would be in serious trouble with the pony soldiers because the swampy crees had broken a promise and a treaty made with the northwest mounted later that ipek four men alen of the mounted were leading not driving supposedly bloodthirsty scalping pages sav savages northward w well el I 1 into canadian territory finishing the job without any untoward incident and without the loss of man woman child or horse on one side of the line indian affairs were handled by grafting politicians who under british law would be classed as just plain criminals and crooks north of the line indian affairs were handled by a force of intelligent trustworthy men whose efforts were unhampered by politicians men who could not be bought and sold men who kept faith with the promises they had made when they donned the scarlet and gold for 60 cents per day and found |