Show I TUDDLETON AID BIG BEAR The Northern loIi1Ia WindUp Wind-Up wIth a Big hiIit BATTLEronD May 31 The steamer Northwest en route to Pitt camo across James Grant and Charles Rossiter in a i canoe sixty miles up tho river They left Pitt Thursday night with dispatches for Middleton the fight between Stranges forces and Big Bear having taken place that day Rossiter informed your correspondent that Big Bears location was disco Wednesday Wed-nesday An advance was made the J owing ow-ing morning As the whole of Stranges troops had not yet arrived at Pitt he could only muster about 300 men his force consisting con-sisting of two companies of the Winnipeg light infantry two companies of the Sixty fifth battalion the Alberta mounted infantry in-fantry and Captain Steeles police scouts A march of ten miles down tbe1river and three nailuo inland bronstt tho trofcpa to tIm Tn dian camp THE EED3KINS warm ENTBENCHED Just over the brow of the hill and in order to reach them Strange was obliged to cross a marshy valley when the advancing Indians commenced firing and the troops were extended ex-tended in skirmishing order For three hours and a half a steady fire was kept up from both sides The troops had good cover from the enemy The field grenadiers did good service in driving the Indians from their quarters but the number of killed could not be ascertained Stranges loss is very small only three of the Sixtyfifth being wounded Marcotte No3 Co was fatally wounded and two in No 5 Co The troops retired in good order to Pitt The Sixtyfifth came down the river in a scow and turned the main body on the inland march Thirteen men were left behind to guard tho provisions on board After the fight the scow could not be found and the nen on the scow have NOT TUBNED UP SINCE Rossiter also states that Steeles men had a skirmish with the Indians Wednesday One Indian scout was killed and scalped Strange wants reinforcements and ammunition ammu-nition After landing Inspector Perry and the police we turned back arriving here late tonight General Middleton will probably prob-ably move at once WINNIPEG May 31Stranges encounter with Big Bear has again aroused interest in the progress of the Indian war It is fully expected that MIDDLETON WILL HAVE TBOUBLE WITH BIG DEAR Before the latter is reduced Meantime there is much solicitude for the welfare of the captives in the Indian camps as it is hard to tell what the savages may do with them Middleton left Battleford for Fort Pitt this nioining with some GOO men the companies IYOITWT ooWtprl from the Ninetieth Ittfles Queens Own Toronto Grenadiers Midland A and B batteries the mounted police and Boultons mounted men More will probably follow Trouble is reported today from Medicine Hat Several parties of horsestealing Indians are reported within twenty miles of that point Two of Stew arts mounted rangers were fired at on Saturday Sat-urday by a band of Indians numbering 150 It is not known what tribe the hostiles belonged be-longed to Stewarts force has gone in pursuit pur-suit The Port Halifax battalion is stationed as garrison at Medicine Hat MIDDLETON STARTS TO MEET BIG DEAR OTTAWA May 31 An official dispatch from Battleford dated today has been received here stating that General Middleton had left that place at 830 a m with reinforcements to on the steamers Marquis and Alberta meet Big Bear The reinforcements consisted consist-ed of the Tenth Midland battalion Ninetieth Winnipeg with two gatling guns 50 of the of the garrison artillery Boultons mounted infantry the Dennis Purveyor scouts Birtle hank late Franchs scouts and 50 mounted police under command of Colonel Hersch mer The water in the North Saskatchewan was reported to be high and General Mid dleton is expected to reach Pitt this evening |